After the foray up the coast to Southwold on Tuesday it was back to making work yesterday morning and today.
I was up and out 1 hour 15 minutes before sunrise yesterday and what a sunrise it was. I have said this before, I never tire of seeing a sunrise. It is the most magical time of day and quite accessible at this time of year.
I am making new work for my extended Edgelands series and I found myself back at a site I shot at last year but on the opposite side of the road. Time and season play a big part in my shooting process. I had earmarked this new location early on last year but as with all things to do with studied and observational landscape photography it is all about waiting for and grasping the light when it is right.

These two shots were from the same side of the road as my large format from last year. The medium format images are off being developed at present from the other side but you can see the coldness here. These were made on the D810.
This morning, I did not rise early. Yesterday had tired me somewhat and I only went out at 0800. The sun was well and truly up but the hoped for weather was heading our way. Yesterday, there was not a cloud in the sky. When I am shooting Portra at this time of year I do like to see the subtlety of the way Portra renders delicate detail in the sky . I told Mrs O I was heading out to a new location, one I had been meaning to make images at for quite some time.

As I swung out into Anglesea Road, ahead of me were blue flashing lights and the unmistakeable image of someone receiving quite vigorous heart compression on the pavement. Never nice to see this. Luckily, no rubberneckers about. Anyway I got to my location in one piece and happily set about using the Bronica with Portra 160 and 400. The light was perfect but the wind was gusting. I had noticed another car pulled up alongside mine a short while into the shoot. I am always wary when out but the driver’s door was open for quite some time and there was no activity.

It was not until I got back to pack up my gear that the driver asked if if I knew what the road name was. I could not help. I have only lived here since 1981 and I am still getting to know the place. I left her to it but once I finished, I did mention a local landmark that might help and I asked if she was looking for anywhere in particular. ‘No’ came the reply, ‘I’m waiting for an ambulance’. ‘I’ve just heard sirens’ I said and with that up pulls an ambulance blocking me in. She was walked to the van so I set about making some digital images whilst they triaged her and ultimately whisked her off. Two ambulances in an hour.

I’ll await the film from Redwood in the next 16 hours but I can see this latest location getting a very early morning visit with the large format gear. It is crying out for it but that won’t be over the next few days owing to what is tumbling in from the Atlantic.
What was interesting here though was a notice to undertake a Great Crested Newt survey. It just goes to show that no matter what we do, reptiles and other species will make the best of the changing habitat. I wonder what a Phase 1 Habitat survey will reveal apart from litter and the bagged and discarded dog turds?