Westcountry wanderings » Tides

Winter in the Bay – light and activity

nigel — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 11:20:08 +0000

The past month or so has brought few photographic opportunities for a variety of reasons sadly. However some of the images have been quite worthwhile – one of my favourites is here on facebook however that day didn’t produce enough for a blog for me. This set of images were taken on a single afternoon between Preston and Goodrington a week or so back. I had planned to go on the moors but the weather was very changeable and I was getting over a slight illness so I opted for something closer to home – this is a sample of the results.

The image above – taken on Paignton beach – is one of my recent favourites. When I took it I was aware of how the colour of the kite in the distance stood out and it was an obvious candidate for desaturation. I realised that leaving some of the colour other than just the red of the kite enhanced the mistiness of the images too.

The fact that the tide was very low (although not quite a maximum spring tide) made for quite large expanses of beach which were useful to me from a photographic perspective. The one above of Goodrington combining crespuscular rays from the sun with great reflections of the clouds and shy in the sand is one of the better images I’ve taken in this part of the Bay.

It wasn’t only me who was making good use of the sands. Running across both Paignton and Preston beaches a guy was kitesurfing on the sand. The wind was fairly strong and he was getting some good runs. His largely red kite could been seen easily and he stood out whether looking into the sun or away.

Out at sea a number of people were making the most of the wind and the waves. The wind was slightly easterly which is the only direction which brings waves into the Bay. Not enough surf for surfing itself but it appeared good for both kitesurfers and windsurfers and quite a few were out.

Finally heading back to the car and walking the rather wet sands the light, reflections and colours were exceptional. This burst of sunlight over the promontory between Paignton and Preston beaches seemed to catch the feeling quite well.

A final look back got what was for me another good shot that caught something of the day well. Far fewer people around now and the tide was turning however that just enhanced the feeling of space on the beach in the late afternoon winter light. I’ve enjoyed making the most of the coast at very low tides in the past and blogged that a time or two before but that has been largely looking at what can be found in rockpools and the like. This sense of exploration of the space created made for another dimension for me and a pleasant walk.

Wandering west of Rame Head

nigel — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 15:51:08 +0000

A week or so back we took advantage of what looked like a good weather forecast to head over the border into Cornwall for three nights. Because we wanted to make the most of the time we decided not to drive far and so headed towards Looe which is only a short distance west from Plymouth. While I stayed in that area a while ago I hadn’t walked much of the coastline between Looe and Plymouth as I’ve tended to go further into Cornwall usually. The above image is taken at Downderry and looks east to Rame Head.

A little to the west of Downderry is Seaton. You can walk to this small village along the beach unless the tide is particularly high. The coast path continues west going up quite a steep hill and the above image is the view back over Seaton beach.

We walked the stretch between Downderry and Looe over two days as we had to head a little inland to our accommodation on foot in the evenings. As can be seen the day we walked into Looe was not as pleasant as the previous two days had been. The view above is looking from West Looe back towards East Looe.

I’d not seen this seal sculpture before but apparently a seal was seen regular in the area of Looe for some years and the lovely bronze sculpture was put there when the seal died. Looe is still a fairly active fishing port with a working dock on the east side of the River Looe.

Not everything along the coast path is a scenic as maybe most of the images I offer on here. This particular building is at Millendreath just to the east of Looe. It looks like it was a holiday complex maybe dating from the 1960s or 1970s but it is now deteriorating and closed down. Much of Millendreath looks rather similar now sadly.

On a more positive note there was a thriving beach cafe at Seaton and we went back there towards the end of the day when the light generally looked lovely. The island in the distance on the right hand image is Looe Island and is just off the coast at West Looe (Hannafore Point).

Wandering back towards of accommodation gave is some lovely views and I particularly liked the stand of trees shown on the left. The image on the right is dawn one morning – cold but beautiful. Cornwall is a favourite county – hopefully I’ll get down there for longer next year.

Along the Dorset coast

nigel — Sun, 09 Oct 2011 15:41:16 +0000

Now back from a break after the recent exhibition, this is the first blog from the trip and is based on images from along the Dorset (Jurassic) coast. At the start of the break the weather was ok but not particularly sunny. However the weather did make for some stunning sunsets. The above was taken close to Bridport on the coast just west of West Bay.

The days were also interesting for photography initially too with mixed weather giving some interesting subjects. The setting for both of the above images is close to Eype & West Bay. The left hand one looks west towards the setting sun and the cloud while the right hand image taken early one day looks towards Portland Bill, not quite visible in the distance, through the early morning haze.

I always enjoy walking the coast for the changing scenery and the light however sometimes you catch something different. These days paragliders are not that rare but when they drift by they still tend to take you by surprise. I have paraglided myself in the past and loved it but I’m not sure how happy I’d be to be out over the sea.

Among other places on the Dorset coast we visited Swanage and spent some time walking in that area too. This was taken on the seafront at Swanage – the colour and lines appealed I guess. It is a pleasant town and well placed for exploring the south eastern end of the South West Coast Path.

We walked from Swanage out to Old Harry’s Rocks which are close to the start of the South West Coast Path (or finish depending on your choice of direction!). I’ve passed the rocks from the seaward side a number of times but have never walked that particular part of the coast before. They were a great sight and the area of white cliffs around there were very impressive. Because they are relatively easy to get to it does seem that there are likely to be quite a few people around the area but a short distance to the west we saw very few people.

Coastal areas are prone to rather different climatic conditions and this was the scene that faced us after walking in to Swanage for a meal one night. The atmosphere with the coastal fog rolling in was quite eerie. I took quite a few walking back and was quite pleased with the effect.

Finally – another sunset from early on on the coastal section of the break – we saw quite a few good ones but I restricted myself to offering just two here! Another blog will follow soon about the next part of the trip.

Worm’s Head and Rhossili on the Gower

nigel — Sun, 01 May 2011 13:00:24 +0000

This is the “other” posting from a recent break on the Gower peninsula in Wales, the first being here. This blog covers some wandering in the Rhossili area (which is at the very western tip of the Gower). I first walked the Gower coast with a friend some ten years ago and loved the area from the start. This is the third return visit and I still think the view above of Rhossili Bay is one of my favourite views in the UK. Other than in the height of the summer season it is rarely very busy and there is plenty of space there for everyone.

From Rhossili Down, an area of moorland running along the bay, you get a good view of one of the main features of the area – Worm’s Head. For around two hours either side of low tide it is possible to walk out along the Worm however the walking is not easy going due to the rock formations there. It seems likely that the origin of the name is from the Danish wurm or dragon. As a later picture will show there are times when the dragon appears to be breathing smoke and the sinuous nature of the feature is both interesting and unusual.

Walking the beach, which is a little over 4 kilometres long, we found we were not alone… Given that a farmer and his sheep dog were attempting to round these up I don’t think they were on holiday.

However a number of paragliders were enjoying the thermals rising on Rhossili Down. Most were not performing stunts like the one above though – this picture has not been altered – the chute was actually below the pilot as he was spinning around and seemed to be having a great time.

Wandering back along the beach towards Rhossili there was quite a lot of spume coming on to the beach as there was a fair sea running on that day. It made for an interesting misty image looking towards Worms Head as can be seen here.

I took far too many images in the area so the above gallery is an assortment of images that I couldn’t find a reason to leave out – it really is a beautiful area.

Late on one evening while we were there I headed back to Rhossili from our guest house at Port Eynon to catch the late light over Worm’s Head. There is the illusion of smoke on the side of the dragon here caused by waves breaking against the side of the rock.

The weather was not great while we were there and I will have to go back again but this view with the sun going behind the clouds as it set still looked lovely. The B&B at Port Eynon was very good indeed, very nice rooms and a good breakfast, it may be worth a look at their website if you are heading to the area.

Spring tides and surf in Torbay

nigel — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 10:00:03 +0000

The period of spring tides made me head into the Bay looking for the very low tide. I’ve found in the past that you can access/photograph rock pools that cannot be seen for much of the month and that was the plan. There was only one day of the peak tides when the weather was forecast to be ok too.

As is so often the case I didn’t end up taking photographs of what I’d planned! I walked quite a section of Torbay in the Paignton area before the tide was fully out. I was not the only one who was “waiting” for something – even the seagull on the rock was.

I got back to Preston beach just before the tide turned and found that a paddle surfer was making the most of what was available in the way of surf.

His viewpoint – quite a bit higher than those using boards conventionally – allowed him a better view of where the best surf around the beach actually was. He seemed to get some worthwhile runs in.

One of those irresistible shots; this youngster was just staring out at the sea so intently. Was it a case of “when I grow up…”? His transport across the sand appealed too!

While the waves were not big some of the other surfers were also getting some good runs in too.

Some had to work quite hard to catch the waves but for a while there was quite a bit of activity.

Just after the low tide the sea became far flatter and, for some at least, it was time to head back. For me too – I had had a good walk along the beaches and even if I didn’t get any rock pool shots it had been well worthwhile. Large seas are quite unusual in Torbay as the arms of the Bay shelter it from all but easterly winds but when they do get in it can offer some good water sport.

Waves on Blackpool Sands

nigel — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 14:00:59 +0000

We went down to Blackpool Sands on a mostly sunny day and I got quite a few shots there and, a little later, at Slapton. The above is looking out over Start Bay – the combination of the light on the water and the cloud was great.

This photograph from Blackpool Sands looks south towards Slapton sands, Start Point and the lighthouse there.

When I got back and started running through the photographs I had taken while I was out walking along Blackpool Sands I realised there was something of a theme to them – rather a lot of waves.

I realised that, while posting a collection of “wave” photos might seem a bit odd, there was a real variety of light, colour, tone and waves in the collection and so decided to go for a single topic posting.

This is at the northern end of Blackpool Sands and the sea was breaking over the rocks there in the sunlight which made for some nice shots. The beach faces roughly south east and has no protection from seas coming in that direction. However the promontory of Start Point gives a lot of protection from westerly seas and winds.

There really were some good “rollers” coming in – some of which were quite large. This one is taken looking south towards Slapton sands again.

I really liked the colour “inside” the roller on this one. That sea green in the sunlight is really striking. I do love walking beaches. You never quite know what you will see and, because of the sea and the light, you get ever changing pictures from it. The cafe at Blackpool Sands is nice too so I’m sure I’ll be back there soon for some more photos and a coffee!

Changeable weather around Dawlish Warren

nigel — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 10:00:59 +0000

It was time to get back to the coast again after some nice walks on Dartmoor. There was only one day in the week when the forecast was for good weather so we headed over to Dawlish Warren. My last blog was from the summer of 2010 and is here. When we arrived it was a clear and pleasant winter’s day.

The sand along the warren and dunes is under constant threat of erosion by the sea and so there are groynes placed along the beach to try and prevent the sand being washed away.

I’ve not blogged many wide angle images for a while now although I continue to use and enjoy the ultra wide angle lens I have. This shows a tangle of rope around the base of an older groyne with a more modern one in the distance and has the characteristic “distortion” that can be created with such a lens. Some people would consider it is the “wrong” way to use such a lens and others that is an interesting effect – I am one of the latter!

I do love the sense of wide open space that you find along such coasts and this shot was intended to capture that. In the foreground of the photo are the remains of a couple of wooden posts which I imagine were the remnants of even older groynes.

After walking to the point and looking over to Exmouth on the other side of the Exe estuary we turned to head back. There were quite a few wading birds around as well as geese and some bird watchers watching them. Looking to the south it was obvious that the weather was changing. A minute or so after I took this one I put the camera away and only just in time – the rain came down and it rained quite steadily all the way back along the beach.

After a coffee at the bar on the edge of the beach we emerged to find that the rain had passed. The light in the clouds added something to this scene and the arch in the cliff can be seen in the photo. While not taken at exactly the same spot this photo can be compared with the one at the top of the blog. Just the other side of the cliff is the beach at Dawlish. However, despite the changeable weather, we had had a good walk and headed back to dry off the walking gear.

Wandering around the Teign estuary

nigel — Thu, 13 Jan 2011 16:45:20 +0000

It has been far too long since I got out with the camera. A number of factors have affected the past few weeks but mainly it has been that the weather has really been very poor for photography with a lot of wet grey days. These images may not be all that exciting however they do reflect quite well a cold windy day with odd bursts of sunshine on the estuary of the river Teign. The above image looks up the estuary from Coombe Cellars. The wind was blowing waves onto the small beach and Dartmoor can be seen in the distance.

Running into the river just here is a small stream which emerges from a marshy area. The reeds were moving quite a bit in the wind however the sunlight was catching them,

The above image is taken from Shaldon looking across the river Teign towards Teignmouth. At the time there was a patch of winter sun and the tide was going out fast as can be seen in the image.

Having travelled down the southern side of the estuary I then went back on the northern side. This is taken looking down the estuary towards the mouth from the Passage House Inn area close to Newton Abbot.

And finally… Also at the Passage House Inn some geese were feeding in the faint afternoon sunlight on the river Teign just below Newton Abbot.

River Dart – more ice (December 2010)

nigel — Fri, 24 Dec 2010 14:10:23 +0000

Again I was thinking that the really cold weather was over but today (Christmas Eve) I went over the Dart in Totnes early this morning and saw some ice again so I headed out a little later to walk the river bank with the camera.

Despite only being around -2 deg C overnight I guess that the high tide must have coincided with a temperature drop as the tide was turning and the river was still. This stretch of the Dart is tidal. The white area is not snow but a very thin covering of ice.

A little of the detail of the ice can be seen here.

The above shows a small beach on the river Dart at the point where it ceases to be tidal – again covered with a sheet of ice.

The above is a closer shot of the beach area. I have not seen this sort of thing in the west country before. Although the ice was very thin the ground along the banks beneath it it was quite hard so I guess this will have contributed to the creation of the ice – temperatures have rarely been above freezing around here for some time now even in the day.

Even above the tidal section there was ice on the edges of the river. By now it was around midday but this section had quite a bit of ice as can been seen by the stick on top of it!

I wish all readers a peaceful and happy Christmas.

Summer afternoon on the beach!

nigel — Sat, 21 Aug 2010 16:31:38 +0000

The weather had not been that good for a few days so despite it looking a little grey and rather thundery I decided I had to get out.

It looked a little brighter when I got to Goodrington beach. It was quite warm and rather windy – the beach had few folk on.

Given some blue skies, daytime and August the one above is unusual. It was taken wide angle and I’ve not cloned anyone out!

While the weather was not really good for the beach there were plenty of folk making the most of the water. It is regatta week and there were races going on out in the Bay and a number of people heading back into Paignton harbour. The little blue sky that there had been had gone by then and I decided to head to the pier before turning back and heading home.

Although there was some evidence of lightness in the sky and there were a few folk around on Paignton beach (though not many as can be seen) there was also some rain in the air and I headed home.