Mrs Gasman was going to France for a few days to stay with friends. So, as the weather daaarn sarf was going to be good on the Monday (bloody BBC weather app) I planned a few different variants of a very long day out togging. My first was going to Whitstable for a sunrise shoot. Then go inland to a nature reserve for some butties and birds. After that, go further south for different villages etc, then Dungeness and finally at St Thomas Becket disused church for some possible Milky Way shots. So, stupid me decided on my other choice of going to the Roman Reculver Towers for sunrise. I left home at 0320 and drove to said towers only to find that the bloody things were covered in scaffolding!! (I didn't see anything on line) This was about 0415 and sunrise was at 0445. Quick decision time. I decided to drive to a place called Botany Bay near Margate. As I drove along Margate seafront, the HUGE sun was just rising. After many detours, I managed to find the bay, then walked down a slope and across very soft sand, set up and took a few shots. A few words were said I can tell you. From there, off to Broadstairs for some togging, then Deal, Dover etc. Nothing much to speak of there unless you pay high fees to get in places. Off to Hawkinge to the Battle of Britain memorial. A lovely place with so much history, especially if you are a plane nutter like me. Next stop was Dungeness for some birds - not. My last stop, even though very early, was the church. Well, my sat nav took me to a farm in the middle of nowhere. Eventually, I found the church and took a few snaps. By then, the clouds had rolled in and it started to rain. I didn't fancy sitting there for another 5 hours just in case the weather broke, so I decided to drive home, somewhat perplexed. Once home and after speaking to a friend of mine who is togging Wimbledon, it was now nearly midnight and time for bed. Buggered if I could sleep and was up again at 0530! I'll post some shots soon. My moral is - don't change your mind and don't rely on the weather forecasters
At least you got out of the house and all those 'little' jobs Mrs Gasman is waiting for you to do lol x
You have my sympathy. I only have to think of visiting a building to photograph it, for them to surround it with scaffolding and protective sheeting. I sometimes think I must have been abominably cruel to a scaffolder in a past life, and karma is now kicking in.
Party at Gas HQ, lads! Bottom line, you've found some fine shots for us. On my hols the other week, a Nikon woman came up to ask about my 200mm lens and we got talking. There were many things I could've slipped into the conversation. She had the focus beep still on, a UV filter on her kit lens, etc, but she brought up that she didn't know what the non-automatic settings were on her camera. I said that a lot of what I tog (and by extension I suppose, her) does not matter. It's for fun. It's not a paid mission critical job. So experiment, see what's there, and see what happens when you switch to a less automatic setting. Sit at the picnic table and tog the castle and see what those shutter speed and aperture buttons do, and see if you can improve on what the camera wants to give you. She'd never thought about that and was full of thanks and many more questions. I hope...perhaps, she does try to reach a bit further. And for our top mate Mr Gas - if you're lucky to have the time, the kit and the talent - just get out there and have fun. And you do!
Now I remember why I gave up trying to plan what I was going to shoot. I now just go along, hope for the best weather wise and take what catches my eye Not a wasted day, you got some excellent shots.
I don't tend to plan things, I normally say to myself I'll have a ride somewhere in the morning and then don't bother.
So that's what I look like when I am wet and miserable and cold......must have been bloody insance! (Great day out though guys...)
