This exercise was done out of turn, due to the weather forecast – this couldn’t be missed.
An early morning start to catch the sunrise over the River Esk. I used the Nikon D300s with the 18-200 mm VR lens. The lens was set at 24 mm for the main images in this series. I used manual settings for aperture and shutter speeds during the darker periods, to retain some realism in the light levels. The white balance was in ‘daylight’ setting.
The sketch shows significant items in the scene, which change through the day as the light changes.
At 0600 there are signs of a sunrise. This is obviously looking East – not the direction I’ll be using.
This is the scene I’ll be using.
Also at 0600 - The sky is just starting to lighten and everywhere has an overall blue hue.
By 0630 we can now see some more colours – reds and greens are starting to show, but the overall hue is still blue. Small fish have been jumping chased by larger ones which make loud splashes.
At 0645 the sky is becoming more of a ‘sky blue’ colour but there’s still a hint of red from the East. The colours seem to be more pastel. The wild birds were becoming more active around this time. I photographed herons as they left to roost and the squadrons of mallards started to arrive. The resident geese moved to their nest on the weir. The early morning onshore – offshore breeze has arrived – this will be reversed later.
The first sunlight shone across at 0700, bringing out the autumn colours on the West side of the river. The pinkness in the sky has now disappeared and the low sunlight has turned the overall blue / violet cast into yellow / green.
By 0800 the sun has risen further so more features are lit by the predominantly yellow light. The whites of the buildings on the West side have now acquired a warm glow, instead of the cold, flat look they had previously. Colours are now generally more vibrant.
At 0900 the colours have almost stabilised to the ‘normal’ daylight range. The changes in lighting over the next few hours are by virtue of the sun’s position, rather than its height in the sky.
As can be seen in this image taken at 1230, the blues are almost the same as at 0900. The yellow cast has disappeared, but the main change is the angle of the sun, so the buildings on the West side are now less prominent – note how the wicket fence is now almost unnoticeable, whereas in the previous image it was a prominent feature. The onshore breeze also has an impact as the reflections have almost disappeared.
By 1430 the sun has moved round so far that the buildings are now in shade. Not the best time of day for this view.
At 1700 the East bank is now lit by the lowering sun. The colours in the trees are stronger and the cottage is now much more prominent. The lower sun is now producing warmer colours here.
By 1830 we’re returning to the overall red / blue hues. Shadows are getting much darker and reflections seem more prominent. The mallards have now gone and the geese returned to the grass to graze.
The redness in the sunset is more pronounced by 1900. It all seems very tranquil.
At 1930 the sky’s deep blue is taking over from the sunset red. The lights have come on in the cottage and it’s time to call it a day.
The following three images are ones I took during the day, looking at interesting details from the view.
OK so there’s some dust on the lens, but shooting into the rising sun through the light mist at 0800 has produced an image I really like. It’s an atmospheric shot and I like the muted colours. The railway bridge just sets it off. I even like the Bokeh effects of the dust particles on the lens.
The reflections of the wicket fence, tyre fenders and autumn colours make a much more interesting image than the main overview. This was taken at 0900, hence the warm colours and strong light. By midday this image would have disappeared.
I think the colours brought out by the low sun at 1715 with their reflections make this a very fine landscape image. The moorhen just sets it off.
It’s been a good exercise for me. I’ve learned a lot about the changes of light and how they affect not only the colours but the different elements within a scene. I’ve also learned a lot about the changing life on the river through the day.
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