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Pre-dawn at Llandudno on the North Wales coast and there's not a soul about except me plus a couple of seagulls.
Why do I find this time and place so wonderful? Getting here before dawn in summer involves rising at 2.30am and driving for forty five minutes to be in place an hour before sunrise.
I've lost count of the number of photos I've taken standing on the jetty on Llandudno's East Shore, but each time I visit there's something fresh to see and experience. No two dawns are ever the same, with variations in tide, sea state, cloud, light direction, scatter and so on giving an infinite variety to photographs taken in virtually the same spot.
The image of Llandudno's pier featured here was taken under such conditions. I just love the glow in the sky and the colours on the horizon (probably caused by smog from Liverpool!).
The long exposures gave a mercury like sheen to the sea, enhancing the mood I was trying to convey at the time.
Just looking at these two images takes me back to that place and time. I can still hear the mournful cry of the gulls and the gentle whisper of the waves lapping on the underside of the jetty where I'm standing.
Will I be going back again this summer? of course I will!
Filename - pier hotel 01.jpg
Camera - Canon 5D
Lens - 24-105mm zoom @ 24mm
Exposure - 15secs @ f16, ISO100
Location - Llandudno, North Wales
This image - 800x533px JPEG
Conversion - ACR & PS-CS2
Comments - Long exposure used to blur waves.
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