Blue Hour Thames Cityscape
I managed a fast turnaround as this one which was taken yesterday evening 3rd December. I had wanted to take some shots from this location on the Thames foreshore for a while. There have been a few other pictures by others but not many. For a start it requires low tide in the evening and a reasonable day. I had checked tide times and low tide came 40 minutes after sunset and also showers were due to clear to blue skies by the evening which they did just in time. The scene now is very different to earlier pictures with 3 tall new skyscrapers nearing completion on the western side of the Canary Wharf financial district for this view from Rotherhithe. This shot was taken at 4.30 pretty much at low tide and a sandy area was showing going further out into the river. This gave the opportunity to get a composition leading into the image. During the next image exposure though I had to make a fast retreat as a speedy river ferry came by creating a great wave. The surface of the river bank in the area was gravelly or firm sand unlike the quite dangerous deep mud which is present on some parts of the Thames foreshore.
I did some advance research using Street View which includes some parts of the riverside Thames Path to find the stairs down to the foreshore. The area is close to Doubletree Hilton Hotel and going west from there the first alley after the Blacksmiths Arms leads to the steps. These are very slippery with a railing for only part of them so a lot of care was needed. It is not exactly easy to get to. The nearest Underground is Canada Water and then the C10 bus which goes right past.
The picture was taken with a Sony A68 with a Sigma 10-20 zoom at 11mm. 3 raw images 2EV spacing for HDR. The picture was enhanced with HDR processing using contrast optimiser setting in Photomatix for a natural look; Topaz clarity was used for more detail. In Photoshop some adjustments were made to hue saturation to bring down blue saturation for a more natural look and bring up reds and yellows.
For my Photography books Understand Your Camera and Compose Better Pictures see My Author Page USA or My Author Page UK
Please visit my │ Facebook Page
For Galleries, Prints and Licences see Edwin Jones Photography
Blue Hour Thames Cityscape
I managed a fast turnaround as this one which was taken yesterday evening 3rd December. I had wanted to take some shots from this location on the Thames foreshore for a while. There have been a few other pictures by others but not many. For a start it requires low tide in the evening and a reasonable day. I had checked tide times and low tide came 40 minutes after sunset and also showers were due to clear to blue skies by the evening which they did just in time. The scene now is very different to earlier pictures with 3 tall new skyscrapers nearing completion on the western side of the Canary Wharf financial district for this view from Rotherhithe. This shot was taken at 4.30 pretty much at low tide and a sandy area was showing going further out into the river. This gave the opportunity to get a composition leading into the image. During the next image exposure though I had to make a fast retreat as a speedy river ferry came by creating a great wave. The surface of the river bank in the area was gravelly or firm sand unlike the quite dangerous deep mud which is present on some parts of the Thames foreshore.
I did some advance research using Street View which includes some parts of the riverside Thames Path to find the stairs down to the foreshore. The area is close to Doubletree Hilton Hotel and going west from there the first alley after the Blacksmiths Arms leads to the steps. These are very slippery with a railing for only part of them so a lot of care was needed. It is not exactly easy to get to. The nearest Underground is Canada Water and then the C10 bus which goes right past.
The picture was taken with a Sony A68 with a Sigma 10-20 zoom at 11mm. 3 raw images 2EV spacing for HDR. The picture was enhanced with HDR processing using contrast optimiser setting in Photomatix for a natural look; Topaz clarity was used for more detail. In Photoshop some adjustments were made to hue saturation to bring down blue saturation for a more natural look and bring up reds and yellows.
For my Photography books Understand Your Camera and Compose Better Pictures see My Author Page USA or My Author Page UK
Please visit my │ Facebook Page
For Galleries, Prints and Licences see Edwin Jones Photography