A week spent with family in East Sussex turned out to be a gloriously sunny photographer's paradise this September. Visiting local landmarks and towns, and time spent in the rural garden near Burwash, provided me with a satisfyingly full memory card.
The garden was teeming with small birds just awaiting my camera:
It was evident that the smaller the bird - the faster it moves! Bright sunshine was essential in order to get a fast enough shutter speed, in tandem with a small enough aperture, to catch the birds in focus. Additionally a long lens was also a requirement, as small birds seem to prefer tall trees:
A more helpfully stationary subject was the architecture of the several beautiful properties we visited (mostly National Trust - being a member came in very useful !). I found that my most successful images came not from wide angle shots which showed the whole property, but from closer shots which picked out individual architectural aspects and in which the light gave great 3-dimensionality. For example the cloisters at Battle Abbey:
The leaded windows at Knole:
And the battlements at Bodiam:
I also played with using the strong sunlight more directly to give photographs an atmosphere (here at Brighton Pavilion):
Of course, this was also our belated summer holiday, so wouldn't have been complete without some seaside time. From the crowded, frivolous, seafront at Brighton:
With it's stereotypical beach chairs on the pier:
To the working fishing beach at Hastings, where the traditional fisherman's huts are still in use:
Oh and, in case I forget to mention it, the supermoon eclipse also happened whilst we were there. You'll have been inundated with images already so I'll only give you one. The moon disappearing:
Farewell summer. Here's to autumn, with it's multi-hued leaves and fuzzy, damp, shortening days. Bring on the photographic challenges that come with it!