Back in the UK for Christmas - December 2015

December found us back in the UK for the Christmas holidays and the inevitable battle between the family pressures of the festive season and my wish to get out with my camera. The weather although unseasonably warm was mainly wet, dull and overcast and so the photo opportunities were challenging outside of the family which they would not thank me for posting here! I did manage an hour up on the South Downs, which is only a short drive from our home in West Sussex. It was dry but the wind was galeforce and possibly the worse I have ever known on top of the Downs. This made handheld photography a challenge to say the least and even if I had one with me the use of a tripod would have been impossible. I have returned several times over the years to shoot the “Jack and Jill” windmills. “Jack” is in private ownership and appears to be going through a refit so only Jill is featured below.The landscape shots were taken as sunset approached. Ideally I would have liked to have waited another 20 minutes, but by that time the sun was lost behind a dense black front that quickly engulfed the scene.

Looking South towards the coast

Sun going down

Jill

The final shot below was taken on another day in December on my way back from a visit to our UK office. This was shot on my iPhone 6S Plus (my main camera is a Nikon D800) and edited in Snapseed. I have only had the iPhone a couple of weeks, but I have been impressed by what can be produced with it straight out of the camera or with a little retouching on the phone.

St. James Tube Station