Newcastle upon Tyne Panorama

I had seen the opportunity for this shot earlier in the year, but then the sun was too low in the sky to illuminate enough of the middle distance.

I had taken a few test shots and decided that the best strategy was to stitch a series of vertical format images together. I have a good solid Manfrotto tripod with both pistol grip ball and pan and tilt heads, but this journey was by bicycle and I selected instead my aged and lightweight Velbon unit. I normally use it to support a flashgun for product shots, it's not in the same league as the Manfrotto, but neither is it too heavy to carry on a bike!

As always with panoramas, I used manual exposure to help ensure even tones across the image and, on this occasion, shot using a 2 second time delay. From memory I think 5 photos were stitched together to produce the panorama.

I would have liked to have included more of the High Level bridge, to the left, but it is obscured by trees from this viewpoint.

The original is 9642 x 4953 pixels, giving a print 32 inches long at the optimum 300 dpi printing  resolution, but, for practical purposes and sensible viewing distance, it would print probably more than double that size.

Actual pixels crop, just a touch of CA but good definition

Sony NEX 6 Samsung Schneider D-Xenogon (Pentax) 35mm f2

Tyneside Bike Ride

Trying to shake off a persistent cold, I decided to go on a circular bike ride, from Washington to North Shields, across the Tyne ferry to South Shields and along the coast to Sunderland, and so home along the Wear valley. The first part of the journey to Gateshead and across the Millennium footbridge passed without notable incident.

This is St Peter's basin, a modern marina on the north  bank of the river Tyne to the east of Newcastle that occupies the site of the former Hawthorn Leslie engineering works where I was once employed. Coincidentally I met an ex colleague here, and agreed to share e-mail addresses.

An offshore structure being constructed at the Hadrian yard of Offshore Group Newcastle.

Men working perilously high on the structure.

Pentax 75-150 f4 M

I believe that the cylindrical things attached to the main structure are sacrificial anodes, designed to reduce corrosion of the steel work.

The observation tower at the Roman site Segedumun at Wallsend. (Roman or Hadrian's wall's end!)

The graceful Victorian iron railway viaduct over Willington Dene

Sigma 19mm f2.8

The marina at Royal Quays (The Albert Edward Dock) in North Shields.

Taking the Shields ferry I crossed from North to South Shields. The open air market in South Shields

I had a brief chat with this lady selling copies of the Shields Gazette. She told me that her contemporaries based in Newcastle had recently been paid off. I bought a Gazette and took her photo. It transpired that her brother had taken a photography course and she knew not to stare at the camera.

For the last few miles I had become aware that all was not well with my Brompton bicycle, there was an ominous thud coming from the rear wheel. Inspection revealed a swelling of the tyre, which caused me to abandon my original plan and take to the Metro, which carried me to South Hylton about 3.5 miles from home. On arrival there the tyre was completely flat, with a large tear in the casing. A phone call  brought my wife to the rescue and home in the car.

Sony Nex 6, various lenses.

Attempt to rescue sunken yacht in the river Tyne at Friar's Goose - Gateshead

I was told that this yacht had been moored upstream from Friar's Goose marina, when, during an exceptionally low tide, it had taken to the bottom, tipped over, and then filled when the water returned. I was also told that the boat was not insured, and that it had lain there for around three years. 

Here a group of three men were making an attempt to rescue it by pumping out the water at low tide and trying to seal the vessel so that it might float at high water.  Hopefully they will succeed!

NEX6 Zuiko 50mm f1.8

Fishing Boat Passing North Shields

Taken from the river Tyne ferry.

Sony NEX 6 Pentax 75-150 f4 M