High tide, low tide

Some locations are special at low tide. At Aldwick Bay near Bognor Regis, the receding water reveals a random and photogenic formation of small rocks littered along the water's edge.

Catch the low tide at dawn or twilight and beautiful pics can happen.

Low tide adds a distance and calmness to a scene. The remoteness of the waves reveals a bonus bit of beach, temporarily offering us the chance to walk on the sea bed - and capture it on camera...

Top tip: wear your wellies.

Aldwick Rocks at low tide and sunset

Nikon D810, 14-24mm f1.4 Nikkor @14mm, 1.3 seconds at f8, tripod

18.27, 13th March 2017

Aldwick Rocks at low tide and sunset

Nikon D810, 50mm f1.4 Nikkor, 10 seconds at f16, tripod

18.38, 13th March 2017

High tide offers other opportunities. The shot below, unusually for me, is taken in the mid-afternoon. The Caribbean colours attracted me as I was driving along the seafront road in Aldwick so I parked up and set up.

Using a ten stop ND filter stacked with a polariser has allowed me to shoot with a twenty second exposure that has at once "mistyfied" the incoming waves, eliminated reflections on the surface of the water, increased the cloud contrast in the sky and the saturation in the principle colours of jade and blue.