Norfolk Waterways

A rather rude 5:00am alarm call got me up and running for a work trip to Norfolk. Lashing rain on the way there fortunately cleared as daylight came and I was able to enjoy views of the vast array of waterways and open countryside. It's a wonderful part of the countryside and somewhere I would like to visit properly in the not too distant future. The early start meant I was back at work by lunchtime, but a combination of making excellent time and having to give the dogs a couple of pit stops meant I had a brief photo opportunity in the village of Upwell where the River Nene intersects the village with houses either side. Alas time didn't allow me to spend much time here or indeed find the best photographic locations, but I stood on a small footbridge over the river and took a photo in each direction.

UK Floods January 2014

Once again this winter the River Thames has burst its banks at Medmenham where I work and the water is not too far away from the estate, but hopefully we will spared flooding. I always feel a little guilty photographing flood water as for those people affected by floods it is absolutely devastating. The recent rains over the Christmas period have simply fallen on a pretty full water table and there is simply nowhere for the water to go. It's pretty much the same situation the length and breadth of the country.

For the first photo I got as close to the water as I could without sinking into the mud. The poor dogs were not impressed at having to wait for me to do my clicking! I used the intelligent auto setting on the camera and then in editing I converted the photo to black and white using the low key setting in Photoshop Elements.I quite liked this effect as it made an already dramatic scene a little more brooding and sinister.

In the second photo I used exactly the same editing effects, although I shot in RAW mode using the landscape setting on the camera. The sun had disappeared just behind the clouds and there was a decent colour to the sky with blue and threatening great skies fighting it above, but once again I felt the low key black and white effect gives the scene an extra dramatic edge.