Took a trip down to the Newhaven Concrete Pier this afternoon, knowing that the High tide would be at its highest around 3-30 PM, I might add I left an hour before High tide, was having serious thoughts of getting really swamped in. The Weather was dull over cast raining hard at times, and the windiest of 2008, so all the ingredients of some risky shots at the waters edge. the sea mist was also a major problem with all that moisture in the air and sea spray made hard work getting some shots right.

The 1st shot was taken at the edge of the concrete and barrier, side ways on with the wind and rain behind me.

 

 

 

The biggest problem for me was the sea spray, it was bad enough being dull, over cast and sometimes raining very hard, but most of the shots I took had a really gray misty cast over them due to the amount of mist,condensation, and sea spray in the air, and the only way was to try and bring out the blacks from underneath which in turn really pushed up the noise on the shots that was all ready being taken at high ISO.

 

The Wind I got to say was pretty high, and gusty, well for SE England, so the Gulls flying or trying to fly, Gliding gulls gave for few opportunism shots

 

 

 

Canon 1D MK3 f2.8 1/2500 ISO 640 70-200 f2.8 @ 200mm

 

 

 

 

Canon 1D MK3 f6.3 1/640 ISO 400 Sigma 120-300mm @ 247mm

This shot was one of my Favorites of the day, and showing the capabilities of the Sigma 120-300mm, Heavy but well worth it

 

There was some food on the Concrete a bit further back, but it was so windy none of the birds could land to eat it, and would hover just abov, trying to land but as soon as they dropped the wind blew them back

 

 

 

Canon 1D MK3 f2.8 1/2000 ISO 1250 70-200mm @ 200mm 

 

Moving the van around again I went face on towards the sea, only 20 or feet away from the waters edge on the concrete bank with the railings, some of the waves hitting the wall and jumping up to 50 feet in the air, as I said with around 90 minutes to go to high tide, and not being able to get any further back in my van, did not see the point in staying to much longer, and certainly had no intentions of getting out with my equipment.

The reason I took the van being with 2 side doors and plenty of room, it makes the ideal bad weather shooting accessory, and planing a trip up to London soon, where just stop open side door shoot and move on, that should foil the Tripod Plod.

 

 

 

Canon 1D MK3 f5 1/2000 ISO 800 70-200mm @ 200mm

 

I would say this was my Favorite shot of the day, though again the noise is high in the shot as you really have to get the background of the shot into the foreground, there was not many opportunities to get this type of shot, because of this in front of me most of the time:-

 

Big Waves 

  

 

 

Canon 1D MK3 f3.2 1/2000 +.33 ISO 1600 16-35mm @ 35mm

 

And this bigger waves:-

 

 

Canon 1D MK3 f3.2 1/2500 +.33 ISO 1600 16-35mm @ 30mm

 

It amazed me how many people were down there watching, with their cars just parked in front of the railings, and quite often the waves were throwing debris up onto the Concrete Car Park

 

As you can see in this shot, the waves were climbing pretty high, and wiped out the Lighthouse completely.

   

 

Canon 1D MK3 f4.5 1/3200 ISO 800 70-200mm @ 200mm

 

This was way Too Close for Comfort

 

 

 Canon 1D MK3 f4.5 1/3200 ISO 800 16-35mm @ 35mm

 

The Above shot was taken at 35mm no crop, just shows you how close I was, note the debris that was being thrown up from the sea with the waves and landing into the car park.

Updated 18-01-2008 

© Brett Butler