north kent marshes
Heathland and Avocets
With the weather looking decidedly dubious over the next few days, I thought I should make the most of the last two mornings which were forecast as being fine.
So yesterday I headed for Hothfield Heathlands (as it is now called, not Hothfield Common as I said in a previous post), to (hopefully) catch a misty landscape with the heather in full bloom. It was a beautiful morning but as is so often the case, I found myself frantically searching for a decent composition, seeking out young bracken to act as my anchor point. Eventually I found what I was looking for then just stood and watched the day unfold.
Nikon D2x, 12-24mm at 16mm, 1 sec. f14, iso 100, O.9 (3 stop) ND Grad.
In the distance, I could make out the huge shapes of highland cattle that are currently grazing the heath to keep the scrub under control. Once the sun had burned through the mist the light was too harsh for shooting landscapes, so the next 30 minutes was spent photographing the cattle.
Exposing for the highlights rendered everything else to almost black, giving the image a more moody quality.
As yesterday, I awoke at silly-o-clock and arrived well before sunrise at my hide on the marshes. It was a great sunrise with a spattering of clouds and the avocets came just within camera reach. They have to be our finest bird for silhouettes, no question. With its upturned bill, head sweeping from one side to another and the graceful way in which it moves, they are instantly recognisable.
It’s no wonder they are the symbol for the RSPB though it is not just for their appearance why it was chosen. About 160 years ago they were wiped out due to fen drainage and man using it’s feathers and collecting it’s eggs. Then, after the second world war it is thought they were dislodged from their breeding grounds in the Netherlands by the flooding of the polders and they began to nest on Minsmere and Havergate Island in Suffolk. Recently, on the Southend RSPB website, I read that their preferred breeding conditions of shallow pools and low islands which are uncommon in this country, was artificially created by a wayward bomb from a nearby firing range at Havergate , blowing a hole in the seawall which allowed the tidal river to flood in. At Minsmere, the marshes were deliberately flooded to halt invading troops and when the water drained away, shallow pools remained creating ideal nesting conditions. The RSPB bought both as reserves and today over 100 pairs breed on both with a national population of around 400. A real success story.
Sunrise
I had to share this sunrise with you. The forecast was for cloud and sun first thing which can be perfect for sunrises. Clear mornings are all well and good if you want to shoot wildlife images where you often need decent light, but for landscapes there’s nothing like having interesting clouds to make an image, especially at sunrise and sunset. Clear mornings yield nothing more than a blue sky and within 15 minutes, that’s it. The sun’s risen and the moment has gone. But with some cloud cover, sunrise lingers considerably longer. Once at the location all you have to do is find something interesting to complement it such as a reflection or silhouette. Clouds are tinged with orange and red and the spectacle is very much worth the early rise.
I used a 0.6 (2 stop) ND grad to 'equalise' the exposure of the reflection and sky.
As I parked the car and ran the 100m or so to where I wanted to take the shot (yes, I got there a little late!), I noticed a cow wandering toward me, which, as it got closer, turned out to be a bull. I was just to the side of its path. To get back to the car I would have had to run toward the bull. It looked rather cantankerous, swaying its head from side to side and making low moaning noises. Cattle are not to be underestimated, as has been documented over the last few months. I felt pretty nervous I can tell you. The only place I could go if it charged was in the water. These are not the kind of thoughts you expect at 4.30 in the morning. Anyway, it ambled past me and I got my pictures. Apparently, this particular individual was just roaming around the marsh keeping away from the alpha bull as it were, who, a week earlier had cornered a fireman at a local barn fire!
Silhouette
Yesterday evening was my first attempt at photographing rabbits in silhouette. I was quite happy with my images from past sessions where they were lit from the front but this time I wanted to try something a little different.
The trickiest part is finding a location where the rabbits are likely to come out of their burrows and feed on a rise against the setting sun. Fortunately, this particular location, on the marshes, has a very high rabbit population with a number of holes in such a position. But, you can never be certain where they, like any other animal, will turn up and pose in just the right position. It was very much a trial run then as I lay flat on the ground, once again donned head to toe in camo with the camera on a bean-bag.
I could see movement all around and as luck would have it, several did appear in almost the right position. I would have liked more colour in the sky and this is certainly a project I’ll be returning to over the coming weeks and months. As the evening drew on, the mosquitoes became more active and attempted to search for any uncovered skin, which was just my eyelids. Funny, how you find yourself blinking like crazy trying to get them off not daring to swish them away!
They're not dust spots, they're mozzie's buzzing around the warren! My final image taken at 9.40.
Water crowfoot
There’s been an explosion of water crowfoot this year across the North Kent Marshes. It’s an incredible sight and in all the years that I have visited this area, have never seen so much. Every ditch, rill and shallow pool is smothered with this beautiful little flower.
The first part of it’s Latin name, Ranunculus, is rather apt for this plant as it means, little frog, due I guess to the fact that it’s found near or in water.
The images above were used without a tripod, something I hardly ever do. However, there are times when it simply isn’t practical. For both I had to lie down overhanging the water, using a right-angle finder and a 12-24mm lens. As the scene was very bright, even though it was only 6.15 in the morning, I could use a small aperture coupled with a reasonably fast shutter speed. A polarising filter helped eliminate specular reflections from the foliage, water and deepen the blue sky.
This one however, taken at sunset with a 300mm f2.8 lens, absolutely required a tripod. A perfectly calm evening was necessary to get the mirror like reflection.
Keeping it small
There’s a lot to be said for keeping the subject small. It can say so much more about the species, in this case a lapwing, than a frame filling portrait. But, and it’s a big but, the landscape surrounding it has to be either photogenic or informative or, both. The lighting played an enormous part when, due to the misty sunrise, the landscape was kept simple and shapes softly defined except for the lapwing caught in light. Imagine the same scene taken in the middle of the day when the orange glow would have disappeared and in its place, green!
Aching but happy
I went back to a favourite spot of mine on the marshes to photograph rabbits. It was a beautiful evening, the wind was blowing in my favour and so, adorned in head to toe camo, around an hour and a half before sunset, I laid down adjacent to some nettles and waited. Within 20 minutes, a rabbit appeared 2m or so away, completely oblivious of my presence, or so I thought. Within seconds, I could feel, through the ground, the thump of it’s hind feet alerting others that ‘something’ was up. It obviously couldn’t be 100% sure that I was human, given that other than my eyes, nothing pale was showing. So, it ambled on and nibbled some grass a little way behind me.
Nikon D300, 300mm f2.8 and 1.4x tele-converter, beanbag.
Eventually, the whole clan came out of their burrows and bounded onto the grass infront of me. I resisted taking pictures for the first 5 minutes, allowing them to become accustomed to my presence. I started taking pictures and then, from the corner of my right eye, there was a hare! It had snuck up beside me and was now less than a metre away! I have watched and photographed hares more times than I can remember but never appreciated just how big they are. It too, took no notice of me and moved beyond me.
I couldn't believe my luck when both sat upright next to each other.
The next hour or so was spent shooting various images and was jolly fortunate that more often than not, they would pick the area bathed in sunlight, or maybe they just enjoyed the warmth of the setting sun.
Nodal Ninja
I’ve been shooting panoramic images for quite some time now by taking a series of pictures and stitching together using software. However, unless you use a specialised tripod head, shoot anything closer than a couple of metres away and you come across a problem known as parallax. This is when subjects in the foreground move in relation to the background as the camera is rotated. To illustrate this, place your finger a foot or so away from you and move your head from side to side. You’ll notice that the background alters as you move. To correct this, the camera needs to be set back to it’s nodal point. In order to obtain the highest resolution as well as ‘depth’ to your image, you will need to shoot a series in portrait format and for this you will need a specialised head. There are several on the market and arguably, no, unarguably the best for single-row panorama’s, is the Nodal Ninja 3 MK11. Why is it the best? (By the way, I’m not being sponsored!) Because it’s incredibly compact, lightweight, and really easy to set up. Paramount if you just add it to your kit as an aside if you are looking for other subjects as well. For those of you interested, click here to be directed to the UK dealer.
Here’s one I did last week on the North Kent Marshes at sunrise. 5.15 to be exact. How I love getting up for spring/summer sunrises! Always worth it when you get there though. Six upright images, stitched using PtGui software.
Nikon D300, 28-105mm at 55mm, iso 200, 1/30th sec. f16, ND Grad 0.6.
MSEP article
An article on my photography of the North Kent Marshes is now appearing in the spring/summer issue of Mudlark, the magazine produced by the MSEP (Medway Swale Estuary Partnership). If you’d like to read it, you can do so by following the link which will open the PDF version. mudl a5 all[1]
MSEP in their own words, is eight years old where over that time has has worked with local people, regional, national and European organisations to enhance and raise awareness about the beauty and diversity of the Medway and Swale Estuary.
It has achieved a great deal over a very short period of time. this has much to do with the people involved: its dedicated staff, its partners and supporters, and its ability to gain access to a range of different funds.
Over the last year I’ve uploaded a number of my own images for inclusion in their online galleries and should you yourself have some pictures of this area that you would like to submit or would like to learn more about MSEP, you can do so here.
Spring mists
Early morning starts have arrived and with it, beautiful atmospheric conditions. March and April are great times to witness morning mist on the marshes, due to the cold layer of air lying low over the wet areas which have a greater temperature. I find the optimum time for shooting is just as the sun begins to penetrate the mist producing a stunning orange colour to the landscape. The image you see here has had minimal processing, the usual levels, curves and just +5 saturation. Nature did the rest.
Nikon D2x, 28-105mm at 62mm, iso 100, 1/8 sec f16, 0.6 ND grad, Manfrotto 055, right-angle finder,
About Robert Canis
Robert Canis is a professional photographer specialising in the natural world.
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