My last full day in north Devon and the weather was mostly wet windy and stormy again. Undeterred and getting use to it I decided to hike from Mortehoe along the south-west coastal path to Lee Bay and back.
Mortehoe to Rockham Bay
Parking up in Mortehoe I made my way down the footpath to Rockham Bay and Rockham Beach using the Ordnance Survey maps online as my guide.
I had visited as far as Mortehoe before when walking from Woolacombe, another wet miserable day. Initially with the damp wet weather I was only using my canon compact camera to snap some compositions along the way. I was waiting for the wow factor before I got my DLSR out and set it upon the tripod. On reaching Rockham Bay I not have to wait long.
For the first few hours of my hike there was a break in the rain so could spend time setting up a good composition of the magnificent views along the coast line.
A bit further along the Tarka trail towards Bull Point I thought I would try a long exposure with a 5 stop ND filter. Which is one of my favourite seascape photographs of the day.
Bull Point to Lee Bay
Pass Bull Point another long exposure shot presented itself with a stream running into the sea, just as the rain started to come down. All along the coastal footpath compositions were everywhere, which is great practice for your landscape photography technique.
Even with the dull conditions the views were still spectacular. The rain was coming down heavy now so packed away my dlsr in my rucksack. I switched back to taking some seascape shots with my canon compact as I approached Lee Bay.
In Lee Bay I made my way to the pub the Grampus, had a wonderfully cooked full roast dinner sat beside a real fire.
Return walk to Mortehoe
It was then time to take the long walk back to Mortehoe. With the wet weather I continued to just use my canon compact camera.
It’s actually quite impressive the landscape photos my canon compact is actually capable of.
But with the sun setting in the west and a break in the rain, I should have got my DLSR back out and set it on the tripod for even better quality images.
I mean these photos are keepers. I was exposing for the highlights then raising the shadows post processing. You learn a lot post processing your photographs, things you not realise at the time you took them.
Back at the carpark in Mortehoe, tired and a little wet, I needed to improve my wet weather clothing on days like this. Tomorrow I leave for Cornwall Newquay. Click here to view my mobile camera shots from Mortehoe to Lee Bay.