any luck today?

I've long harped on about how unlucky I am as a photographer and as a person in general. And yesterday (well, a day in mid-February but I'm that far behind posting these!) got hold of the former and wrapped it up in a luxury parcel with ribbons and a bow on top.

I wanted to go to Dunraven Bay at high tide for the image I had in mind.  A large rock in the foreground with the tide right up to the camera, then a long exposure of the waves retreating around the base of the rock.  So, it needed a day when the tide was particularly high, which "yesterday" was so I could get right into the middle of the action.

Driving there, conditions could not have been better.  I wanted a grey old sky with no sun to reflect off the wet rocks, and I began to get quite excited at the prospect of getting the exact image I craved.

Then, just as we got to the village above Dunraven Bay the first spot of drizzle hit the windscreen.  "Never mind" I though as I was sure it wouldn't amount to anythi…

And then the downpour started.

Getting to the beach I sat and waited in my car until it stopped.  But by then the tide had started retreating back down the shore well beyond my rock and the moment, along with my image, was gone.

All I got was this.  Very much a "nothing" image.

Fujifilm GFX100, Fujinon 23mm f4
seconds at f16, ISO 100
tripod, self-timed shutter release
Lee 6-stop neutral density filter, Kood 3-stop hard edged graduated filter

And then later that day I saw what has to be in my top five sunsets ever.  A small break in the clouds just above the horizon saw the sun illuminate the mid and higher level cloud, with a dark band of thicker cloud above framing the entire, sublimely Turneresque and dramatic scene. 

It was perfect.

Trouble is, I saw it all in my rear-view mirror as I was driving down the motorway.  Just typical.

Lisa always reminds me that I've taken some lovely images in my time.  Yes, I know I have, but my reply is always imagine what I could have got if I had just one bit of good fortune.

As if these weren't enough, watch this week's YouTube video in amazement as the promising sunset at our Paradise just burns away leaving me with yet another "meh" image and legs full of prickly thorns!