The final Instalment of the Epic Week of Weather.
Friday Morning. Arrived at the park gates at 6.30 - the man with the keys arrived at the same time, so no waiting around in the cold to be let in. Hurrah!
I really wanted to return to the brook for a very specific composition. It is the image I posted back in my 'Introduce Yourself' post. I shot it about 6 months after I bought my camera, in early Feb 2019. It was the first time I'd been to the brook before sunrise - I was new to photography, and exploring the park with fresh eyes. The brook looked amazing in the mist, and the slowly approaching sunrise.
I'm technically so much more experienced than I was then, and wish I'd done things differently on that morning (for example, use a tripod!!!!). Because of this, I'm a bit obsessed with this particular composition. I want to be there in similar light, and have the opportunity to technically improve upon it...
Hence I decided to go back there, even though I'd been there 4 mornings ago, to focus on trying to grab this one image, hoping for the right light and mist, to make the punt pay off.
I did grab another old favourite scene as I was passing though... It would have been rude not to. :)
ISO 100, 95mm, f/13, 1sec.
I think it conveys the cold and frostiness of the morning. It was very pretty, and I'm really pleased with how this image has come out.
Onwards to the composition that I am obsessed with. At first there wasn't quite enough mist, but things change quickly in the park, so I set up the tripod and camera and took a few shots. I use a long focal length for this image so getting everything in focus requires some attention. I also decided to exposure bracket the image, as the dynamic range was getting increasingly high, and I didn't want to lose any shadow or highlight detail.
I spent ages here. Taking a whole succession of images. I could have had a bonanza taking lots of different compositions elsewhere, and maybe I should have done so, as the light was great. But I was really happy stood here taking shots, and I had a nice flask of tea, and it was lovely observing the scene and watching the light change.
ISO 100, 110mm, f/16, 3 exposures at varying shutter speeds.
A part of the fallen willow trunk is visible in the shot - the rest of the tree has been chopped up and piled up further away from the bank. The fallen willow was probably another motivation for coming back, as I needed to see the brook without the willow that is in so many of my photos. I think overall the composition still works even without the tree on the right bank of the brook. It's not quite as good, and I can never now recreate it as it was, however it's still a gorgeous view...
Is the light as good as it was on that first visit when I discovered this scene? No, definitely not. Was it worth wasting a huge chunk of epic light to focus on one shot? Yes I think so, it's a really pretty image, and an interesting composition, with the four repeating willows on the left. I love how the mist that is catching the rays of sunlight is orange and how that contrast with the blue shade.
The next morning (Saturday) I got an email from my mother-in-law, with this image attached:
I'm there! In my spot, with my camera, taking up half of page 4 of the Saturday edition of The Times. Secretly papped by the paparazzi! I think I am completely unrecognisable in this image, but the in-laws were absolutely convinced that it was me, and they were right.
I then bumped into my friend Amanda, another frequent park goer and Instagrammer. She took some footage of me having a little paddle, which looks lovely with the amazing light behind.
credit @mandsby on Instagram
I really am in my happy place in this footage, there is nowhere I would rather be.
And that concludes the Epic Week of Weather Part 5.
The Epic Week of Weather Part 4, can be found here:
@cathgothard/epic-week-of-weather-part-4
The following Monday was, by all accounts, also epic. But I had to travel up north for a few days, so I missed all the fun. However one can't do everything all the time, and there are more beautiful mornings yet to come.
Thanks for reading, and have a good weekend!