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November 2016 

Photographers Resource

ISSN 2399-6706

Issue No: 154


Autumn at Westonbirt Arboretum, Gloucestershire

Remember, Remember the 5th of November and as well as bonfires, fireworks and Guy Fawkes, November is also the season of illuminated carnivals and Christmas Light switch on's, with Bridgewater Carnival taking place on the 5th this year. So there are plenty of opportunities to have a go and get some good night/light photos.
November Diary
Wildlife Photography In November
Your First Visit To This Resource
There are very many public firework events taking place around the country. Before you venture out why not take a look at our photographing fireworks article to get some useful pointers on what kit to take with you, what accessories you could use to make your photos different and how to make the most of your camera settings to get the right exposure and depth of field. As well as firework events with bonfires there are some other fire events in some places around the country which have their roots in history, such as Burning the Clocks in Brighton, Sussex and the Ottery St Mary Tar Barrels, in Devon.
Bridgwater Carnival, in Somerset is by far the largest illuminated carnival. It attracts thousands of visitors each year. The street procession consists of over 145 floats up to 100ft long with up to 25,000 light bulbs each. It follows a 2.5 mile route lasting around 2 hours. The carts are all built by carnival clubs of individuals and are funded totally by charitable donations and sponsorship from local businesses. They are spectacular. Each club has their own theme that is kept secret until procession day and as well as static displays there are many which have many moving parts and participants/dancers on board. All this work however isn't only for just one night, as all except the very long carts also get to do a circuit of some of the other smaller towns in Somerset, such as Weston Super Mare and Glastonbury, for the following 7-14 days. The very long carts are not able to take part at some of these, because the streets are just not big enough to take them.

There are many other illuminated carnivals, lantern parades, and fire spectaculars taking place throughout this month and photographing carnivals with lights  points out what you need to consider before taking on the task of photographing such a spectacular. The main point being that with such large floats depth of field is important, there is movement, so the shutter speed needs to be considered for the effect you want to get, but also at events with large numbers of spectators, as in the case of Bridgwater, it is not conducive for a tripod, so it is best to work out your settings for a handheld experience before you go. You may find some of the technical considerations in photographing street scenes at night  also helpful.

Fireworks Exploding and Lighting Up the Night Sky on the 5th November

Autumn is now in full swing and there have been many spectacular displays along the roadside and in woodlands, especially when the sun is out. The colours are varied and a trip to any woodland gives you some glorious moments. I also like to look up from underneath and see the tree structure against the colourful backdrop of the leaves. If the sun is out then the effect can be something magical. I find the tree structure as much a fascination as the leaf form, and in autumn with the colourful backdrops of the changing leaves it gives something different. Our Autumn Colours section has loads of useful hints and tips.

On the wildlife front the summer visitors have mainly left us and now we start to see our estuaries and wetland centres fill up with the various winter visitors. The estuaries will be filling with Wigeon, Teal, Shovelers, Lapwing and various other species of wildfowl and ducks.

If you're lucky enough to live on the Norfolk coastline, then there are two highlights to look out for. The first at Blakeney Point,   where Grey Seals will be giving birth to their pups. Around half the world's population of Grey Seals live around the UK shores. They only come to shore for extended periods at this time of year, while they are giving birth. You will also find Grey Seals on the west, north and north-eastern coastlines.

But while visiting the estuaries, when the tide is right you might see the spectacle of Knot flying in large numbers, in formation, when they come in from the mudflats where they have been feeding, as the tide hurries into shore.

A view from Underneath the Trees

Knot in Flight by Nick Ford


What's New and Changed
Places Visited Over the Last Month

We only managed to get out to Blackpool this month, and in fact we had a quick one night visit to a theatre show and didn't get to see the illuminations. We did manage to get a walk down the North and Central Piers and get a bite to eat before the show. Anyway take a look at our illuminations page from a previous year. It does still run until the 6th November if you want to take a look for yourself.

Blackpool Illuminations, Blackpool, Lancashire


We are continuing to upgrade this website

It is taking time, but in the background we are continuing to move from a Microsoft based website to something much newer and more flexible, run on our Apple systems. Our Windows computer is often difficult to start and should it fail, before the new system is live, we will allow a gap of a month or two to occur rather than waste time setting up outdated systems as a temporary measure. So if we go missing for a while please check back regularly as we will be back.


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