When things don't go to plan

During my recent visit to Somerset I made a diversion to Weston-super-Mare to walk along the Grand Pier and take some pinhole photos. Well, that was the plan!

I arrived around 2pm and wandered along the beach from my car, making photos whenever the fancy took me.

Who knew mud could sink?!

I inadvertently walked into my own photo with this one (I’m the shadowy figure on the right) - one of the dangers of wide angle photography!

Beneath the pier, enjoying its structure.

The days are now getting longer so I figured I’d have at least an hour on the pier when I arrived there at three o’clock. Sadly that wasn’t to be. They’d already half pulled the shutters across and were actively encouraging people to leave so my stroll along the pier with a fish and chip supper to follow was not to be!

To make up for the disappointment I continued my explorations, heading out of town along the seafront, where I found some dramatic views across the harbour.

Further on I found Weston’s other pier - the Birnbeck Pier. This one has seen better days and is slowly crumbling into the sea, but somehow that made it even more photogenic!

Photos taken 2 February 2023

Travelling light

I’ve recently agreed to run a photography workshop focused on shooting with a smartphone rather than a traditional camera, so when I visited Somerset earlier this month I decided to travel light and begin learning more about the camera I carry in my pocket.

I’d recently watched a video showing how handheld long exposures can be taken on an iPhone using the camera in the Lightroom app so I was eager to try this out around the harbour at Weston-super-Mare. I was frankly astonished at how good it was - the static parts of the view are pin-sharp, while the waves gain drama as they’re blurred during the course of a second long exposure.

Click on any image to see it enlarged.

Elsewhere there were a couple of scenes where I just couldn’t bring myself to remove the colour.

Photos taken 2 February 2023