Dovercourt Lighthouse
The lighthouses at Dovercourt were built in 1863 and were restored in the 1980s. They look quite unique, built upon cast iron stilts, one on the beach and the other a short distance off shore. My planned trip to the coast took in 3 locations, starting with the lighthouses at Dovercourt, near Harwich, moving on to Pin Mill on the River Orwell, then finally on to Felixstowe. Sunrise was due at around 0820 and high tide due at around 0930, so an early morning shoot on 8th January, the first shoot of 2020 was planned.
In my mind, I had decided on a fairly simple minimalist composition using the rule of thirds for the off shore lighthouse and the horizon. I knew the sky would be overcast from the forecast so was prepared to expect not to see a golden sunrise glow catching the sky at dawn. To aid with the minimalism, a long exposure was used to wash out the sky and smooth the sea ripples - the final shot was exposed at f/11 for 104 seconds using my Lee Big Stopper.
Which version do you prefer? Muted colour or black and white?
