Sandbanks Ferry.
Looking across the entrance to Poole Harbour towards Studland and the Sandbanks Ferry.
The “Blue Hour” is the time just before sunrise and just after sunset. In reality, it only lasts 30-40 minutes, depending on the time of year. However, it is a glorious time to take photographs. The light is soft and, as can be seen in the image above, there is a distinctive deep blue hue to the picture.
I had high hopes for a decent sunset tonight, and headed down in anticipation. However, there was too much cloud in the wrong place. Although there was some reasonable colour, there was nothing to get excited about.
My thoughts then turned to the Sandbanks Ferry. It runs between Sandbanks and Studland, providing a shortcut from Swanage and the Isle of Purbeck to Bournemouth or Poole. It is secured by chains, because this point is the narrow entrance to Poole Harbour. The flows can be extremely strong, and you wouldn’t want to fall in at this point.
The image captures the Sandbanks Ferry at the Studland end of its journey. It has just arrived, and vehicles are starting to load up. The long exposure smooths the water, giving it a milky, wistful appearance. Because there is some daylight during the Blue Hour (sometimes called the Golden Hour), the image is not restricted by the artificial lighting. Instead, that compliments the scene.
Photograph Details
- Taken: 14 Jan 2017
- Camera: Canon 5D MkIII
- Lens: Canon EF 24-70mm 1:2.8 L II USM
- Focal Length 70mm
- F/16
- 10 Sec
- ISO 200