We are pretty much in the middle period between the summer and winter solstice now which makes the sunrise and sunset in this part of the world due east-west. That starts to open up a whole new bunch of photo opportunities in my local area. This is a nice little harbour near the south east of Fife near the village of Kinghorn. Over the summer months the sun sets to the north which places it behind a big hill which is just off picture right. But over the winter months the sun sets further south which brings the large expanse of beach at Pettycur Bay and the Forth Estuary into play and should give some nice sets over water. Expect to see more from this spot in the coming months.

A simple long exposure of gentle waves and of smooth wet rocks catching the weak light of the rising sun as it finds a little gap in the clouds.

This is one of the most photographed pieces of landscape in Scotland. I’m not sure what the attraction is to this particular object. I know the shape is unusual and the little village to which it belongs is very pretty and appealing. Actually the village of St Monans is a classic example of the Fife’s East Neuk and is picture postcard beautiful. But with all that I’m still not sure why a breakwater, designed by an architect that can’t draw in a straight line, is quite so appealing. Mind you, I say that I don’t get the appeal but at the same time I still made the pilgrimage, just like the many thousands of toggers before me, to catch an image of the famous squinty pier.

Another shot of the squinty pier, called 'The Blocks', at St Monans given the long exposure treatment.

A few weeks ago I posted an Image that I called The Pin and the Pier using this same subject. I set the pin into some rocks and waited for the tide to rise. That shot came after this original exposure and I used it because I liked that the rocks in the foreground had disappeared beneath the incoming tide.

I like to go back through my images periodically to see if something jumps out on a second view that I didn’t see at first. This is one of those images that liked better second time around and in this case I started to appreciate that having foreground interest on a long exposure shot like this actually adds more to the image than it detracts. The rocks don’t feel solid to me they look almost ethereal and ghostly only appearing real where they break out of the mist.

I was also thinking I’d use this image as a monochrome but on reflection I liked the unusual colour the water had turned so I decided to keep the colour in the foreground and just toned down the sky. I’ll probably use both versions at some point so look out for the mono later in the year.

An image from a recent session on the beach front at Kinghorn in Fife.

I hate it when my plans come to nothing, although given the number of times it happens you would think I would be more used to it by now. However, I am not too unhappy when I’m able to recover something from a failure. I managed to catch a few consolation shots of the rising sun when my planned shoot fell apart because the original subject was not accessible. I keep saying it but irrespective of how well you plan out an event you need to be flexible and adjust to circumstances in this game.

My first post for a while so an old favourite subject to get me warmed up again. The is is the squinty pier at St Monans in the north east of Fife.

Hawkcraig Pier is an old abandoned and dilapidated pier at Hawkcraig Point near Aberdour in Fife.

The pier has been photographed many times and continues to draw in photographers from all over the country. I’ve shot it a few times myself but I’ve never been very lucky with the weather conditions when I’m there. At first I thought that was going to be the same during this last visit but after the sun had gone down with not a jot of colour appearing the clouds started to open and I managed to catch a shot that fits somewhere between twilight and night. Light in the sky was still bright and the sky was clearly blue with a warm tone on the horizon but nearer the ground streetlights and city glow dominate the features. I’m certainly pleased with the result even though it was nothing like I planned for.

Today’s post is a revisit to a favourite local subject the unusually shaped breakwater at the harbour in St Monans.

Another long exposure shot from my trip to the beach this weekend. The rocks had formed this nice natural bowl shape that swirled the water as each wave arrived. I was trying to do long exposure shots to make the water milky and smooth but it seemed a shame to lose the nice shapes being created in the moment. So this is a compromise shot where I’ve tried to catch a little movement along with the traditional smooth finish. I also loved the colour of the rocks and the seaweed but it’s a shame there wasn’t more colour in the sky. Can’t always get everything!

Long before the sun breaks the horizon the colours in the sky warm and glow. The water acts as a perfect mirror to reflect the light and shapes of the clouds,

Now for something completely different. Well at least it’s different to all the other stuff I’ve been shooting lately.

This is a well known local landmark on the coast of Fife, near Elie, called Lady’s Tower. I’ve photographed this subject a few times but today I wanted to try and catch a different perspective. The sky was looking really nice with the high and wispy cirrus clouds catching the early evening light and I thought it would look good to contrast this against the warm colour and rugged texture of the sandstone walls. And before you ask this was captured as single image and not a composite with a sky replacement, which I admit to doing all too frequently, but in this case it was all in camera. I will admit to a fair bit of Photoshop work in post but hey, nobody is perfect…

Another simple shot for today's post. Taken at the waterfront area of St Monans after I had finished shooting the breakwater for the evening. This is a protrusion of rock that extends from the shore and provides a nice leading line out to the distant horizon. When the shot caught my eye I thought it looked almost like an abstract so that is how I've tried to treat it.

Elie Ness is the small promontory of rock to the south east of the town of Elie in the East Neuk of Fife and is home to this rather small but attractive little lighthouse. This is one of a number of Scottish lighthouses built by the famous Stevenson Clan. Although not at impressive or complex to build as the nearby Bell Rock lighthouse it is easier to get to and is located conveniently for the occasional sunset. So I’m not complaining.

Today’s image was actually not intended to be a posting because it was the dry run for a shot I used a week or so back of the lighthouse at Burntisland Harbour during sunset. This shot is obviously not a sunset image but I was lining up the angles and testing out focal lengths for the return visit. However, I have had this image sitting in a folder and it has been catching my eye so I thought I’d let it loose on Flickr and see how it goes.

I haven’t been able to get out with the camera for a while now due to the weather so here is another revisit shot. This was taken in Shell Bay near the East Neuk of Fife earlier in the year.

Today's post is a morning shot about 30 minutes before sunrise. The wind was calm, the air was cold and the colour on the horizon was building nicely to the golden tones that mark the start of the day.

An extra long exposure shot at the squinty pier on the waterfront at St Monans.

A night shot of the iconic Forth Bridge.

A bit of an experiment using a new technique on an old subject.

I've recently been told that my use of the term "Squinty Pier" to describe this architectural landscape feature is incorrect. I thought the term "Squinty Pier" was a pretty accurate description, it is after all a pier and it's not exactly straight, but it is not the correct term to use.

The locals apparently call the breakwater "The Blocks" which whilst I suppose is a fairly reasonable and accurate term to use it's not nearly as much fun to say as the "Squinty Pier".

So for the sake of political correctness and to avoid conflict with any local tradition here is my most recent image of the "The Blocks" consisting of a view showing a pier that is awfully squint at sundown.

A glance across the busy waters of the Firth of Forth a little before the sun appeared from the behind the summit of Berwick Law.

Another shot from my trip to the beach at Kingsbarns in Fife a few weeks ago.

This beach is an excellent spot for the variety of elements available for shooting. There are complex and varied natural rock formations along with man-made structures that can be used for leading lines. There are also patches of textured sand showing various shapes of ripples and waves and along the coast a little there are cliff faces that catch the golden light beautifully. I’ve only scraped the surface with the few shots I taken so far.

In this shot I was pushed back by the tide from the rock plateau I had been using as a base but during retreat I caught sight of the light hitting the weed on the surface of these rocks around the pool. I had hoped to catch some reflection of the sun in the still water but alas the tide pushed me back before the sun was high enough to hit the surface.

This is a close up image of the old sea wall off the coast of Kirkcaldy in Fife. The tide was on its way out and I managed to catch this stump at just about the right time for getting a long exposure and a soft reflection. The sky was really variable today with one minute bright sunshine and the next dark and foreboding rain clouds threatening. Well with this shot I managed to catch the effect of both in frame at the same time, alas, I caught my own shadow too but you can’t have everything.

I had hoped to get a nice strong sunset at St Monans where I would catch the colour of the setting sun bouncing off the wet sides of the famous breakwater. Unfortunately the sunset was a little weak with a fair bit of cloud on the horizon. In an attempt to get something from the trip I decided to shoot over the pier and catch the colour in the sky and some reflections from the wet surface.

This is not the original image I was going for but I really like the wedge formation formed by the shape of the pier progressing from the lower right hand corner mirrored by the angle of the cloud progressing from the upper right. The top left of the image is empty but like the effect of negative space against the strong detail of the right side of the frame

Went to take a picture of the lighthouse this morning, tried to use the thrift to make an interesting foreground

It was late on in the evening on a night bordering on the solstice and I was hoping for some nice colour from the setting sun. Alas the weather was not playing ball with me and the clouds did not part to reveal the golden sunset I had hoped for. Well I try to make the best of things when plans don’t go to… well… plan! I turned and faced the opposite direction to see the clouds catch some of the last rays over the top of Inchcolm Island and the old Abbey. The foreground is in shadow but the tones of the water were just spectacular. A thirty second exposure for the skies, yes it was that dark, and two minutes for the water and we get a nice texture from the tidal flow.

Another library shot for today’s post this is the pier at Aberdour. Shot looking north-west into what was supposed to be a nice setting sun. You cannot rely on the Scottish weather so instead we have yet another grungy grey shot. Ah well, you need variety in your life!

Now I can imagine what you are thinking when you look at this image, ‘He just Photoshoped that pin in place’. I can assure you that I didn’t but I will confess that I am not guilt free of manipulating the image.

I found a nice chunky piece of metal that at some time in the past had fallen from the pier. I stuck the pin in the ground during low tide, jammed some rocks around it to keep it stable and then I waited patiently for the tide to come in. I know it’s not like me to think ahead or to be that patient but today the weather was pleasant and I had nowhere else to be so I waited. A little application of planning and the result was this image.

The image is a combination of three frames using my usual bracketing method of short for the sky, medium for mid tones and long for the foreground. The tide was rising here so the long frame came last. The longest exposure was ISO50, 130s at f22 to make the water go that milky smooth. The focus point was on the pin which in retrospect was a mistake because the depth of field was just not enough to keep the pier sharp. I should have back focussed a little to get the full frame sharp. Live and Learn!

A less common view of the iconic Forth Bridge.

It isn’t always obvious when you see images of the Forth Bridge that there are homes built on the land beneath the Northern leg. I’m sure this land is probably prime real-estate what with the waterfront access, amazing views and commute distance to Edinburgh but I must admit that I’m not sure how easy it must be to live the noise of a rickety antique rail bridge over your roof. Each to their own!

Actually, if I’m honest about it, its probably jealousy talking because I’ll never be able to live in a location like that. Oh well!

A really bright orange sunrise over the river Forth.

This old pier is a very frequently photographed subject located near the town of Aberdour on the coast of Fife. I’ve shot this pier on many occasions from the rocks adjacent to the pier and it works very well for winter sunsets when the sun is setting further to the south than it does at the moment. I like this angle because it isn’t seen as often and the rocks to be found just off shore at the beach make for an interesting foreground feature.

I was planning to shoot the sunset on this particular day but the skies didn’t clear early enough to get the warm tones however I hung around later to see the blue hour kick into action and got some nice cool tones and shades in the sky.

Here I was standing waterside on what was really quite a chilly start to this summer day watching the horizon for the sun to make an appearance. The wind was non-existent and the tide wasn’t high enough to break into this little coastal lagoon laid out before me leaving the water smooth and calm. The colours on the horizon provided a temping prelude to the show that was about to start but we weren’t quite there yet. So I stand waiting in anticipation for that breakthrough moment and the rush that ensues when sun meets sky.

Aberdour is a little coastal village in the south east region of Fife in Scotland. It’s quite a pretty little town and these days it’s pretty much a commuter town for people working in Edinburgh. The pier you can see in the distance is one of the most photographed objects in the area. It’s one of these subjects that photographers make pilgrimages to visit so you’ll see images captured by people from all over the UK.

With this shot I was trying to get a different view. These rocks are only visible at low tide so I had to time it correctly to get the shot. I’m sure it’s been done before but I didn’t see any from a cursory search through Flickr.

Hot off the press, so to speak, this is an image of the famous Forth Bridge taken this morning about 40 minutes before sunrise. Does that count as a night shot? It certainly felt like it.

I was very pleased that conditions were good for the sunrise this morning because I had to make a compromise decision between shooting the Perseid meteor shower of getting up early for sunrise. I’d have been most upset If the sunrise was poor having decided to skip the meteor show. Once upon a time I would have been game to stay up all night shooting a sunset, starscapes, meteor shower and finish off with a sunrise to boot but those days are behind me. So I let somebody else enjoy the night show whilst I was warmly tucked up in bed, albeit with a 3am alarm call, which when I think about it was actually when the Perseids were supposed to be at their peak. Perhaps my logistical planning needs some work. Oh well!

Yet more bluebells, found in a forest near fife coastal route in Dalgety Bay

A huge sunburst dominates the sky as the sun goes down over the Elie Ness lighthouse.

This is a shot of a new location for me. I’m always on the lookout for new and interesting places near to home so that I can take the opportunity when conditions are right to nip out to a good place for a sunset or a sunrise. This location is one that I’ve picked out for a sunrise in the future but for today this is a scouting shot.

Big stopper, an outgoing tide and some rare glimmers of sunlight cutting through the grey blanket.....

The forecast showed that that on Wednesday there was going to be a good sunset and the sunrise of the following morning was also promising. Normally when I see that kind of forecast I check my shoot plans for the most promising option for the conditions and pick one or the other. Well recently we have had such bad conditions that I made the call to do both a sunset and a sunrise shot. If I was shooting in winter that plan would not be a problem with plenty of time between events but during July in Scotland set and rise are about 4 hours apart. At least I’m not in Norway!

So I find myself standing here on the beach near Kingsbarns on the north east coast of Fife waiting for the sunrise, having driven about a hundred miles had about an hours sleep since I was shooting the Kelpies at sunset, and wondering to myself ‘WTF? Am I mad?’. Well the answer is probably yes but at least whilst I was there I did manage to get a few decent images that I’ll be posting over the next few weeks. I hope it was all worth it.

Given ideal circumstances this is not the angle of view I would have taken for this shot of the lighthouse near Elie. The two building are not sufficiently separated to see them in detail and the shadows are too strong. I really wanted to get in the action of the water which was washing up quite nicely that day but the combination of light direction and the state of the tide forced me to move around on the rocks further than I would have liked.

I always look upon shots like this as ‘the one that got away’ and use them as a reminder that if/when I return to that spot what conditions do I want. In this case I would want the light much later into the evening which would put it over my left shoulder rather than my right in this case and preferably in summer because the sun swings further north. I would also want the tide to be on high point, not just a high tide but maxed out, I would need to check the moon cycle for maximum effect. These are combinations that don’t really happen all that often so when you take into account the things that are needed to get that perfect shot then it’s no wonder that so many ‘get away’.