To start the official 2023/24 club season for the NDPS landscape group, Cromer was chosen as the location for the first monthly trip.
Since the evenings are pulling in fast now which is sad, the benefit is that sunrises are getting later and later. For this trip, it would be over half an hour longer in bed than the recent Westleton Heath and Roydon Common visits.
Like a lot of places on the Norfolk coast, there’s huge variety and choice on offer in terms of what you can shoot.
As it turned out this particular morning, the sunrise itself was a little disappointing, especially after the epic one at Hopton recently.
There was just one specific area of the sky with a tinge of sunrise pink and this was well away from the pier which is the obvious and usual subject for an image at Cromer.
While many fellow members starting hunting around near the pier, or along the promenade, or on the beach, myself and another member decided to walk further up the shingled part of the beach and up to where the tractors are to focus on a groyne that had a staircase / steps and a post.
By walking up to this location, we could grab the colour that was in the sky and make the most of the sunrise colour.
The first shot below gives you a visual of what was in front of us.
As always, I’m trying really hard to get detail and texture from the waves and I’m really pleased with this image.
The only thing that bugs me a little is the post that’s lost in the sea – I’m not entirely sure if I could’ve positioned my tripod lower and got the post above the horizon or not.
Of course, I could edit it out as it’s not adding anything. Is is a distraction, or a component of the natural scene as I took it?
I spent a lot of time on the spot here as once the disappointment of the sunrise started to turn into that relaxing chill time and the sound of the waves peace and quiet, I fired off quite a few shots.
Of course, there had to be a minimalist shot, it’s the law thy knows! The shot below was a 30 seconds exposure which meant I could be lazy and not worry about ‘Bulb’ mode and avoid having to get the cable release out of my bag.
Below, I share some more images where I really like the effect a specific shutter speed has captured as the waves approach and/or recede.
The one below is one of my favourites due to the waves and the foamy effect of the water in the foreground.
I was starting to think I should shift spots of try something different but I was enjoying myself on this spot so decided to zoom in to the steps and see if I could get a really good detailed wave.
I did one more deliberately to catch a wave crashing and splashing into the groyne.
I did then move but only a few feet away to shoot more looking down the groyne. I like this shot in terms of the cylindrical shape and texture of the inbound wave, but the sea wall/rock to the right is horrible.
Now in the mood to move around, I walked the other side of the wall, and took a shot towards the beach huts.
While I was here, a guy was in the sea on his surf board, so I changed lens and went about trying to capture him surfing.
At this point, many of the guys were wandering up to this spot and we called a wrap.
The plan was to have breakfast at a cafe on the promenade which everyone was enthusiastic about. However, despite two cafes having their lights on, doors open and looking ready to take our money, they both declared nothing doing until 08:00.
It was 07:30 and we had done our thing – I grabbed the following shot from a slightly hindered promenade location as the sky was looking fantastic and wish now with hindsight I had got my gear out again and took a more deliberate shot.
We checked back at the cafe, but they were not going to serve us before 08:00.
We decided to bail and head back to the car park for a debrief and coffee from our flasks. Plenty of moans (me included) about those cafes turning away a reasonable chunk of cash. However, I have subsequently wondered if they are not licensed to serve before 08:00.
All in all, a decent shoot.
Onwards and upwards…