Overstrand,Understrand....Photographing Free!

I've been told many times that you cant get good landscape pictures during the day and especially at noon because of the position of the sun making everything look 'stark' but hopefully the pictures you see above go towards quashing that faux pas.Yes,it does become more challenging then having the soft light of a sunrise or sunset with the skies to accompany them but during the day you get these beautiful blue skies with white fluffy clouds that paint a picture all by themselves.These pictures were taken from Overstrand,Norfolk and visits to the beach just ease my mind of everything else going on.The one thing i did notice was that every focal interest seemed to be a magnet for the general public and on a few occasions i just gave up waiting for these blundering idiots to stop faffing around! I'm pleased with what i got here and tried mixing in some close up work to cover all that was on offer today.  

Splish,Splash...Beach Bath!

Ive traveled to Cromer,Norfolk on many occasions with the camera but this time i wanted to concentrate more on the traditions of this seaside town and more specifically the fishing boats.Theres always so many subjects to choose from and the fishermen are always active,weather it be coming back from a trip or getting ready to launch from the beach.This was given more of a twist as a caught a local painter set up on the sand with his easel,plying his own skills with the paintbrush.Normally id avoid having people in my shots but this time i felt it told more of a story to have him paint as he watched the boats come in.Seeing the old tractors parked down along the promenade just adds to the character and it was nice to not use the renown Cromer Pier as my focus points this time and try to show a different side to the town.I finished off with a trip to the lighthouse and for once it didn't rain when i got there so i see that as a win too,especially as you get the vibrant splash of colour from the yellow bushes that litter the clifftops. 

You Little Ripper!

There's a stretch of the Norfolk coastline that ive travelled along to get to Blakeney on previous trips with a few places along the way i've wanted to stop off at.Well that time had come.The first place i stopped off was Aylmerton,Norfolk and more specifically the Roman camp based there.Its a lovely spot and id been there many years before but never got round to going back.Its starts off in a forest area then goes out onto more open parts that overlook the village.The paths you follow go down steep paths and even steeper uphills (or so it feels).If your blessed with the legs of a powerlifter then this will be a 'walk in the park' but it certainly got mine working especially carrying all my equipment too.Its still a nice area and worth the onslaught to your thighs.The second location i went to was Salthouse,Norfolk.This is quite a diverse part with marshland when you pull up and then as you follow the path down it opens out onto shingled beaches.I do wonder about what perception people have of me when out with the camera and this was brought into question on this trip.I'd pulled up by the road there but was unsure if you could park along the road ok.I spied a fellow person admiring the scenery so thought id go ask.Well on approach i've never seen someone pack there stuff up so quickly and get into there car.I did manage to collar him before he sped off in a cloud of dust! The other problem i faced which only became apparent once i'd arrived was that the long shorts i was wearing happened to have a giant rip down one side and so giving anyone within the vicinity a flash of underwear and a pale leg! I'd failed to remember that the last time i wore them id been on holiday doing sport and had ripped them.What the family thought who'd asked me to take a picture for them,i do not know.Needless to say i cunningly used my tripod as a barrier to hide my shame as i strolled on.These two locations are just a couple of great opportunities based in this part of the county,with a pair of ripped shorts only an optional requirement.  

A Break In The Weather!

Well the start of 2014 has certainly brought some 'interesting' weather with it so far.Theres been torrential rain,high winds and flooding across the whole of Britain.I had a week off recently which i had all planned for numerous trips out with my camera but for the whole duration of my break the weather was abysmal and ironically the weather turned good when i returned back on my first day to work! I felt like i was getting cabin fever just itching to get out and then a break in the weather appeared so i grabbed it with both hands.Mundesley,Norfolk has always been a favourite spot of mine and it had been a while since going down properly to the beach so that was my sunrise destination.There was a slight hiccup before i'd even got down onto the beach with the original place i park up having been fenced off due to sea damage done a few weeks prior.Still,after a quick change of parking area i was soon down upon the sand.As you can see from some of the pictures above,there was construction machinery parked on the beach as its an ongoing repair to the sea defences but this was to my benefit as its not normally something seen on the beach so the opportunities for interesting focal points was great.There was still plenty of evidence of the destruction from the tidal surge from a few weeks ago but morally i felt it wasn't right to take pictures of this,at the end of the day,its people's lives that have been affected by this and felt it would be in bad taste.Even with the damage present tho,the sunrise brought with it such beauty and just goes to show that the force of nature can be devastating at times but can also leave you awe-struck and amazed too.