East Mersea Island Long Exposure
When you rise early in the morning and the weather forecast says it is partially cloudy, there's no promise as to what that actually means in terms of the view that you will find as the sun rises. Photographers like me nearly always hope for part blue sky and part cloud, whether that be fluffy cumulus clouds or higher wispy clouds, to catch the golden hour light and paint the scene with a vibrant sunrise.
Sometimes though, it means a kind of almost completely grey sky with just hints of light showing through, no pinks/reds/oranges at all. I found myself facing this kind of sunrise on an early morning visit to East Mersea. The high tide had been retreating for a while and I was looking for inspiration on this almost flat, but beautifully peaceful morning.
These black seaweed covered posts, poking up from the ocean, caught my eye. As did some patches of sky where the cloud cover was thinner, letting more light through. I set about taking a long exposure photograph, using the posts as my focal point but waiting until the patch of lighter sky was right overhead...this way the ocean would reflect the subtle and highlight my subject. To finish off I gave the image a monotone colour, to emphasise the moody atmosphere I felt that morning on the deserted beach.
