Hands up, I have been guilty of neglecting my photography in the last eighteen months. Excursions during the Covid era have been minimal, and my own personal experience of the extremes of Covid 19, following severe early infection, has not helped. However as things have eased, I’ve taken the opportunity to venture further.
A major part of my therapy has been to visit the nearby unique world of Dungeness in Kent, on England’s southeast coast. Here I have released those pent up lost photographic opportunities in what is often described as the UK’s only desert.
Why Dungeness? Well, I have loved walking this gritty peninsula and capturing its surreal post-apocalyptic backdrop for many years. It really needs to be experienced at least once in a lifetime. If you are British, a trip to Dungeness is an easy option. For overseas visitors, though, this is a rather unusual option, but one that will more than repay the effort. It’s something different and a wonderful place to exercise the camera.
A decent image for World Earth Day, to publish on my Flickr site, was the ultimate object of my trips to Dungeness. Perhaps, I thought, it would stimulate interest among the many photographers who travel to experience this unique peninsula. As an aside, the locals may not be so keen to increase the number of visitors, judging by the number of new parking restrictions.
Since April this year, I have embarked on many trips to enjoy this wonderful coastal vista. Yes, I would have preferred to go further afield and venture back to my North Yorkshire homeland, but with Dungeness virtually on my doorstep, and a more northerly venture taking many hours, I stuck to the familiar local stomping ground. Every visit has given me wonderful days away from home, allowed me to recover from the viral invader and yielded some wonderful images of the area that I am sharing here in the form of a mini-project.
Ghost Ships
If stony shingle beaches with obscure-looking buildings, two lighthouses and a large Nuclear power station do not satisfy your compositional needs, then the myriad of ghostly abandoned wooden ships will keep you busy. They sail or perch atop shingle banks, allowing some wonderful scenes. On the right day, the epic skies form marvellous backdrops. There is also an active modern fishing fleet that sails from Dungeness and these well-fettled boats provide a stark contrast with the ghosts of ships gone by.
The shot “Gone but not forgotten” was taken on an early post lockdown visit. I have taken this or similar images at this spot for many years, and with many different cameras. However, captured this latest shot in April, some vandal has decided to barbecue the famous boat. I have taken images of the smouldering embers, but they just feel less iconic – even if I have included them in this mini project as Remnants.
Visoflex
I decided to use my Leica X (Typ 113), with its fixed f/1.7 35mm-equivalent lens, for this project. My other mainstay, the Nikon Df, has had other outings, but this was definitely one for the X. I was keen to test out the Visoflex 020 electronic viewfinder that I purchased in May 2020. It was good to get some decent experience and see how it could transform the camera, even though it is now rather long in the tooth as EVFs go.
Fortunately, I have not been disappointed. The Visoflex experience makes my X almost a baby Q. I now fully understand why I originally wanted a Q, and why the Q still sits high in my thinking as a future buy. Reflecting on the portfolio of images, however, I can understand that while I hanker the Q, the X still produces superb image quality. Despite the seven years since the camera’s launch in 2014, the images are of very high quality.
The photography I eventually published for World Earth Day, titled “The Last Ark”, is one of those magical moments we all live for. It is currently my most liked image at my Flickr site, having surpassed all of the previous favourites by a margin I could never have imagined.
I’ve been contemplating this composition for a number of years, and over successive visits. This repeated experimentation is part of my process for many images. I had just not hit on a composition I liked. And then, in our post-lockdown period, it comes about. I zeroed myself in, carefully built the scene in the 020 and there it was, bar the monochrome post-processing.
What I was hoping for, was a post-apoplectic dystopian seascape, with a lone ship sitting in its midst. I wanted the viewer to be looking not for the ark, but for the animals: are they in the distance, is there a distance? Who knows? Perhaps there is no one coming to save us. I was looking for a rhetorical question in a scene. I believed I achieved what I wanted, hence I published it on World Earth Day this year.
Post-processing
Post-processing has provided another interesting challenge. During the winter I swapped my ageing and ultra-reliable 2012 MacBook Pro for a fully-loaded M1-powered 2020 MacBook Air. This has been a revelation in terms of battery life, speed and capability, but I have found post-processing to be a vexing process, owing to the challenges created by the Rosetta system which enables the use of older software on the latest chip.
Having lost access to Lightroom 5, my long-term favoured and most appreciated application a few years ago, I had made a new post-processing home in Luminar 3. I acquired it for nothing, as part of a special offer, so it was an easy choice. But it turned out to be everything that I needed.
Luminar, coupled with my continued use of GIMP, meant most of my needs were catered for. However, while Rosetta-powered M1 Macs are happy to process images in Luminar 3, they cannot output the results directly to the drive.
I spent many frustrating hours, or days, seeking a solution. Finally, I hit upon a make-do-and-mend solution that involves processing in Luminar 3 and then exporting the finished results via Apple Photos. I have also bought Pixelmator Pro, believing this would be a useful solution. While it is a decent product with a few features I value, it does not have the creative mix that Luminar provides. Sadly, the current process I use will be the only solution until I find a way to afford Luminar 4 or later versions with full M1-chip abilities.
Long Covid and a breath of sea air
I know many readers are aware of my long journey to Covid recovery. Let’s be honest, it has been a challenge. Yet at the same time, I am meeting that challenge in my own special way. My running is back up to decent mileage: In March I ran a mile, by late June I hit ten miles, and in September I pushed myself to half-marathon distance. I have since backed off to around eight miles per run, purely as a winter precaution.
But I want more improvement. I won’t settle for not being as good as before, I want to be better. And my photography is tracking a similar vein, I have started to manage my post-processed images in a more solid rule of thirds way, where I feel it is applicable.
Strangely enough, I made the biggest symbolic improvement of my recovery during a night in North Yorkshire, sitting on a clifftop and breathing in fresh North Sea air, with a beer in my hand while watching a wonderfully wild sunset. Unfortunately, perhaps drank a little too much beer and took no photos to show you. But it was very therapeutic.
And finally
I bought my Leica X five years ago in December. Since then it has given me many hours of image collecting fun, and the Visoflex has helped demonstrate the benefits of having a viewfinder. I have no regrets over the purchase, and perhaps it has turned out to be the camera I have made most use of during my active photographic years. I do wonder if this will still be the case in another five years. Here is hoping.
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I found your photo-essay inspiring Dave. I loved the photographs and your writing – which is so direct and heartfelt. I am so sorry to hear of the terrible ordeal you have been through, but so glad to hear that you are well on the mend. I am especially impressed by the distances you are running! Fantastic! I too am returning to running after ‘knee problems’ and working on beating 30 min for a 5K – getting closer every week! I lived in Sandwich and Deal for many years, and so know Dungeness. Back then, I thought the landscape was rather bleak and a bit depressing, but your photographs illustrate how striking it is and how beautiful it can be. Thanks again for all the work you put into your article, and all the best for your continues recovery. All the best! Keith
Thank you for your wonderful comments Keith. Please keep up the 5k push, as breaking 30 mins will give you so much pleasure. If it helps I use the 10% rule – so in March I ran 1 mile, and after three runs I increased one of my runs by 10%, although in my case that quickly became 1.5 miles – and so one, from 10k onwards to 16k, you can add about 1k every 7 days or so – provided you run enough in between times to build strength in your legs. I suffer from IT Band syndrome, which affects both knees, so between runs, I do banding, weighted squats and other strength building exercises which take the pressure of my IT bands, and knees – plus a sports massage helps.
Dungeness does look depressing to the naked eye – but when you walk around it, and look at it very carefully it is almost like a continually evolving ecosystem, riddled with fishermans waste, stones, wooden houses (that get replaced regularly) and a few decent fish and chip outlets.
Well worth a look.
Your opening shot, Last Ark, and your ending shot, Christine’s Bench, are wonderful. The cloud in Last Ark really completes the image. In Christine’s Bench, your choice of viewpoint makes it a strong image. Both are strong compositionally. That’s not to say I didn’t enjoy the others—in fact I love Modern Fleet and Special Branch (nice title by the way). Thanks Dave and take your recovery slow and steady.
Thank you for your warm comments, and for taking the time to enjoy my article Farhiz – personally I am looking forward to what you get up to next. Best Dave
I’m with Jorg-Peter and Kevin.
Special Branch is a clever image. Composition and light. But also unexpected subject matter following the preceding images. Well structured.
Thank you Wayne, and for being another person in here who has seen my slowly bounce back.
The wonderful comments about Special Branch have convinced me to finally release it on Flickr to see what the world makes of it.
Best wishes Dave
I’m not sure I can add to what others have already said in appreciation, but your pictures ooze atmosphere and remind me that I must get to Dungeness next time I come to England. I have sometimes wondered if I should upgrade from my X2 to the X113 but still haven’t seen the need to. Would be intersted in your view. I shall take on board what you say about your processing trajectory and try moving into – for me – uncharted territory. So, all in all a big THANKS.
I would recommend and welcome your visit and images of Dungeness should the opportunity arise for you.
As for the X2, X113 debate – I have only ever used the X113 and love it, but I know you will appreciate many love, use and cherish the earlier versions of the X, all of which still knock out decent images – well shown by Mr X (John S), and Jean P regularly. Sorry, I probably cannot add much to this one – but would always welcome the views of other readers – who know more, perhaps.
Processing – my methods have been formulated over the last twelve to fifteen years. I was a little tame with my monochrome processing, until I met someone who suggested being a little more aggressive in the approach – more contract, less high light, more white – etc etc. The key being if it looked rubbish, reverse the settings gradually – so be less aggressive in that bit. It has helped me find some really unique looking outcomes. I even have a bank of unpublished stuff where I have tried other experiments on the images with amazing effects. If anything my advice here is – experiment, experiment and if it fails – hit reset. The love of digital processing is it costs nothing.
Dear Dave,
thank you very much for sharing this story and even more these stunning images. Despite The Ark being probably the best photograph in the series, I like the Special Branch best and this not only for the great pun in its title. I am very impressed, and this article increased my desire to travel to England again soon (whatever that means). I will try to see Dungeness, too. The East Coast is a white spot on my map anyway apart from the northern part. For your recovery all my best wishes. It is a sign of hope to read how you managed to fight your way back.
All the best, Jörg-Peter
Thank you so much for your Kind words, Jörg-Peter.
I agree, I have had the Ark image in mind for several years, but this year oddly the situation seemed to give me the look I had craved for a few years – and it suited the narrative I had for my world earth image. Flickr would agree with you too, as the image is top of the viewed and liked charts. So clearly found an appreciative audience.
Special Branch I have never published, as I saved it for the article, and then wondered how it would land before I released it on Flickr.
I would recommend the Jurassic Yorkshire coast as my personal preference, with Dungeness a close second – it depends on where you are in the UK at the time of a visit. I see more of Dungeness owing to it being easy to get too from home. But I do hanker after a visit to my homeland, and the coastal beauty of that special place.
Thanks, Dave.
It’s hard to think about tourism right now, but times will get better (by then, I will have learnt that Dungeness is on the South coast and not on the East coast). I have not seen too much of Yorkshire but want to return to York. As an art history student at Glasgow I studied English Cathedrals and travelled as much as I could to actually see them with my own eyes. I liked (in this order) Durham, York and Salisbury best with Wells, Lincoln and Exeter on the shortlist. One day, I will show this my wife and the children if they want.
By the way, I can understand your longing for your homeland. I came back to my native Bodensee rather by chance and I realize only now how lucky I was. This morning, I ran into the winterly pale sunrise behind the Alps covered by fresh snow. A precious moment. All the best, JP
I have stood in Durham, York, Canterbury, Ripon and Rochester Cathedral – the latter I walk past everyday. All are fabulous monuments to our past, and still in full use today. I agree showing your family some of these would be wonderful, as and when travel permits.
If you manage either Dungeness on the South coast, or my North Yorkshire homeland – then I would welcome seeing your interpretation of that visit. I love to see how others see the world I exist in.
And as for your run, that sounds wonderful, this morning I ran 8 miles, crossed the Medway bridge, ran around the perimeters of two prisons, and tracked the river for two miles – it was wonderful – but hey I would have loved to see the Alps with fresh snow on as my backdrop – what more could I have wished for.
Really great pictures David – and they remind me of my (agonized) childhood dragged down to Southend and the mud flats to dig for cockles – haven’t been able to touch a shellfish since…
I have the X2 and the Visoflex and love its images and simplicity- you remind me to take it out more often!
Thanks – and a continued recovery
Thank you – I have visited Southend a few times, mainly to trek the pier, and explore the seafront, so I know little beyond there, and have never considered exploring it for image ideas.
Yes the X2 and Visioflex, will be very similar to my beloved X, and they are so wonderfully simple that they feel like an extension of me, and that makes me enjoy the moment so much more.
Best Dave
And is the special branch pointing to the sea or the sky? A clever illusion. It makes me smile.
Thank you – I took the image where I found the branch – the only thing I added was picking the angle of the shot – and working out what I felt was the right perspective.
Until today that image has not been posted in the public domain – I saved it to increase interest in this article from my Flickr site.
Very enjoyable David, thanks. It’s good to have a desert place to go to especially when life throws a curve ball and where a fresh perspective can be gained. I miss the desert in Qatar for that reason.
Your processing is very effective. Can you elaborate on who Christine – in the title of the bench photo – is or was? No matter if it’s private.
And when a storm is blowing across the shingles the X will sit happily inside a jacket pocket!
Thank you for your kind words and perspective Kevin, I have no idea who Christine is, the bench has her name etched on it – but there is no explanation as I usually find attached to benches in Whitby. I suspect I need to do a little research here, and find out a bit more.
I have not tried hiding the X inside my coat on a bad day, but may well try it out if circumstances allow.
I love the tracks to nowhere in gone not forgotten, your black and white enhances our visit to wonderfully named area. Perfect place to get away and be alone! Thanks where to next?
Thank you John, and also for your kindness, as someone who has possibly almost taken this journey back to the world of the living step by step.
As a Naval Architect I appreciate those marines and wrecks, probably the most picturesque. Thanks
It seems to be two kind of edits: the gray and the dark sky contrasty ones. I still prefer the easygoing offline LR4, but got LR6 and I think 🤔 still purchasable.
There is some wonderful wrecks perched in the dunes, trust me. What initially got my attention as an ex-military plant engineer is the number of bulldozers, mostly half eaten by the environment and chewed up. Beyond them I discovered the wooden boats. It’s an interesting place to explore.
I am unsure that anything other than the pay per month LR version works with M1 Macs, which created the problem with Luminar 3 – but thank you for recommending, as I loved LR5, and if I can get 6 as a standalone an on my M1 Mac I would use it without hesitation.
Best Dave
Very nice article and pictures, Dave. Thanks for sharing. Andrea
Thank you Andrea for dropping by and reading my article. Best wishes Dave.
A wonderful article and set of images. You’ve captured the poetry of these old shipwrecks really well. I like your “radical” contrasty B&W. It is true that those tilting Leica EVFs are not the sexiest add-on on a camera but they are really great when it comes to framing. There’s a free version of Capture one here in France and I guess it must be the same for Britain. It might be worth a try to replace LR5.
Thanks for sharing
Jean
Thank you Jean, and thank you for being there through out the journey, alongside a few others on here.
Yes the X doesn’t look good with its large bump on the top – but it really does change the experience.
I had not realised there was a free version of capture one – heck I would have used it years ago had I done so. Thank you for letting me know, I will see if it works with the M1 Macbook Air.
Plus – I love the stuff you keep sending me, please do keep it up – it encourages me to get the camera’s out again when work allows. Next week, the first Dickens event since 2019… I can only hope it survives Omicron, and that the people turn up in numbers.
Dave, I am so sorry to hear about your suffering which, I hope, will not reveal its legacy in the future. You prove how vitally important is appreciation of our local areas and regions. No queues at airports. No mind-numbing wrestling with ever-changing Covid-19 restrictions and testing. Your own tried and trusted bed to return to after your half-marathons. The pandemic has brought all of these thoughts and conclusions into sharp focus.
Your photo essay is highly dramatic and powerful. The dark and brooding skies, and stark skeletons of coastal life, tell their own poignant story. I would be fascinated to read how a psychologist might interprete your illustrated story. Is there one lurking among the less vocal readers of Macfilos stories? Possibly too private and personal to address.
Photographically speaking, there is great merit in keeping to a simple approach. One camera. One lens. So simple. So effective. Thank you. Keep safe. Keep shooting. Good luck.
Thank you David, for your kind words on both my work and recovery. I hope that the things it has left me with leave me able to enjoy the future, and continue to explore our wonderful world looking for new opportunities to capture and share. I will push myself regardless, and will see where the future takes me.
This experience has brought my own existence into sharp focus, but has also I have considered long and hard on what the impact has been on me, both mentally and psychologically. If there are readers out there, I would love to hear their perspective, even if they only feel comfortable letting me know.
Yes, I have deep love of my X, its simplicity, the approach used, and the output most of the time is exquisite. I love it is ease of use. Slick, limited menus, no faffing around to find the solution, and little work – all I need to do is think about the world in front of me.
Excellent images and an interesting story. Dungeness is one of my favourite photographic locations. I’ve not been there for a few years and I’m sorry to see the iconic boat has been torched since my last visit.
Good Evening Alan, if you have not been there for a few years, then you may notice not only the missing cremated boat, but the absence of the famous shed – that collapsed a few years ago.
But I see this is as part of the charm, it will evolve, new images will emerge as the weather erodes the new pieces.
If and when time allows, take a visit. You may find new charms to fuel that photographer’s desire of finding a new gem.
Just perfect! I love these shots and how you have emphasized the starkness of the environment. I think you can get a similar sensation on the Lincolnshire coast between Skegness and Cleethorpes. And I won’t talk about the coastline from Spurn Head up to Flamborough Point. Makes me homesick again!
Thank you, gratefully to me you didn’t mention the big between Flamborough Head to Sandsend, as then I would truly be home – and like you, I miss it a lot. A lot more than I have ever considered, my reflections post covid have centred on spending time back there.
I understand your pain though. I intend to return to Whitby sometime around retirement if circumstances allow.
All tidings for a fast and complete recovery Dave. Generous of you to share these images. And a cracking read as well. I surmise you have found your Oasis of photography in the midst of this “desert”. And have more beers. There can never be one last one. Cheers !
It is a beautiful place to explore, and I would gently encourage people to explore it if they are in the area.
And for fun, I am writing this while drinking a Hobgoblin – another new something I have discovered since having covid – and what I was drinking the night of the infamous sunset I failed to capture.
Superb pictures and a very human story, thank you for sharing it with us. Don
Thank you for your kind comments and reading this, Don.
I recently did a half hour speech called my covid story – and talked about what happened, but focused on how I came back. And the feedback from that was that people found it very human, real, and thanked me for being brave enough to talk openly about what this new virus has done.
Talking about experiences is often the best way of getting your own mind around those experiences. The bonus is that other people can also benefit from that. Dave, you are also a person of great determination, which is obvious from the way that you write, and I am sure that you will soon get beyond this dreadful disease.
Your photos are wonderful in terms of both subject and finish, including processing. I have often used that red filter effect with various digital camera types and I find that with the right skies and the right subject matter this can create a 3D effect or ‘pop’ which really grabs attention.
Keep up the great work.
William
Thank you for your wonderfully kind words William. This evening has made me feel a little overwhelmed reading all the amazing responses from the Macfilos community. I had never cried in my life until after Covid, seems to be something I have to learn to accept. I have emotions. The disease is horrific, and terrifying to live through, and I always hope people heed my words and look after themselves. No one else needs to suffer as I have, in my own view.
I agree with your view on the images and post processing – I have learnt using the X, that some images even in camera have a look that suits what you can do with them in post processing. For me, it is stunning to see them emerge as I gently push the boundaries of the files for what I can see in my head, or in camera when I took it.
Best wishes.
Dave
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Lovely pictures, Dave (..but sorry not to see the results from your Df).
I know Dungeness well, but not from actually going there, but from passing in our boat, en route from Ramsgate to Eastbourne, Brighton ..and all the way to Cornwall and back.
There’s an oddity at Dungeness, when you’re coming back UP the Channel from Brighton, that if you take the rising tide from Brighton TO Dungeness, then you get a second tide at Dungeness which takes you all the way to Ramsgate ..Dungeness is a kind of ‘pinch point’, where one tide stops and another starts!
It’s a weird looking place from the sea; those two lighthouses (one is disused) and the huge, blocky, low-lying nuclear power station, with its strings of pylons taking their nimble amps from there to the rest of England. It looks forlorn and menacing. (We haven’t yet made it to see Derek Jarman’s garden at Dungeness ..and the rest of the shingle.. but maybe one day we shall.
All best wishes to you for your continuing recovery!
Oh, and did I say? ..your pictures, and their ‘red filter’ skies, look great!
It is not a normal place when viewed from on land either. But provides some unique opportunities for images, and now the mad rush to be outside has passed. I can almost get it all to myself some days.
The Df, it is in use too. When I curated this mini-project, I opted for the Leica images as they had their own unique look.
My flickr site has a more blended mix of shots taken across the Df, X and my IPhone – oddly the most liked images are either the X or my IPhone, even when I have processed the images to a similar standard. It is something I cannot explain, but is an ongoing experiment.
Recovery continues, and I am in a good place at the moment.