Returning to Pin Mill
Having enjoyed a relaxing walk around Flatford, and fuelled by tea and cake, we made our way to Pin Mill before the day came to an end.
Pin Mill is a popular location for photographers with its shipwrecks making for really good shots, particularly if you get some decent light and clouds. I believe it’s best at sunset.
We’d been once before back in 2020 after the first lockdown but embarrassingly did not walk up to the boats. I think it was a case of not reading the manual, and visiting late in the day. So, this time, I knew where they were and we were determined to find them.
There was a club trip here one evening in the summer but I did not fancy the drive there and back so didn’t do it, and as always with these offers, had regretted it.
Getting the ‘classic’ shot
I bagged the main shot below and since many photographers convert to monochrome, I’ve shown both below. I prefer the colour one myself, and having some detail in the sky prevents a mandatory switch to black and white.
History of Pin Mill
Pin Mill was once a busy landing point for ship-borne cargo, a centre for the repair of Thames sailing barges and home to many small industries such as sail making, a maltings (now a workshop) and a brickyard. The east coast has a long history of smuggling, in which Pin Mill and the Butt and Oyster pub allegedly played key parts.
During World War II Pin Mill was home to Royal Navy Motor Launches and to a degaussing vessel created from a herring drifter. Pin Mill and Woolverstone were home ports to many landing craft, tank used in the invasion of Normandy in 1944.
There have also been recent improvements in the sailing infrastructure, and responsibility for the Hard at Pin Mill has been handed over to a new ‘community interest’ company.
Immediately downriver of houseboats are a number of wrecked traditional vessels popular with artists and photographers.
Finding the spot
We were unable to park in the usual small car park nearest the harbour and pub as the sign claimed closed due to filming. Despite other folks clearly parking, we moved further back up the road and parked on the side of the road.
As we walked down the road, we were intrigued to see what filming was going on. But as we reached the harbour, we observed the pub was busy but no sign of any filming. Whatever it was, it had probably happened earlier in the day.
The road at the harbour looked a little flooded, so we walked back up the road and took the path into the woods. A pleasant walk through the woods, and down a hill to the edge of the River Orwell brought the boats into sight.
The tide was out and I could quickly see why fellow club members had warned me about the mud. I tentatively explored and started taking shots.
Getting the shots
Having had such a lot of fun shooting handheld with the Fuji, I decided to keep it going. I didn’t see evidence of a amazing sunset arriving and with a little nag of doubt in mind that I might regret not bringing all of my gear, I went for it.
With careful navigation through the slippery mud, many compositions open up.
With a theme of powerful black and white coming up soon in the club competition, I took the opportunity to get some closer shots of the rusted parts of the boats.
Getting some different angles of the boats was interesting too.
Having taken quite a lot of shots, and with the light falling, we made our back along the river through the woodland towards the harbour.
On the way back there were a lot of houseboats with some potential for good images.
We got back to the car having had a packed but fantastic day out, visiting two great locations.m and with some pretty good images in the bag.
Onwards and upwards…