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Life in the Nooks and Crannies


Life in the Nooks and Crannies
Photo Information
Copyright: Paul Haynes (PaulH) Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1101 W: 23 N: 3605] (12949)
Genre: Landscapes
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2007-05-21
Categories: Seascape
Camera: Canon EOS400D, Sigma 10-20mm / F 4-5,6 DC EX HSM, Hoya 77mm HMC Super U.V.
Exposure: f/7.0, 1/1500 seconds
Details: Tripod: Yes
Photo Version: Original Version
Date Submitted: 2007-05-24 7:08
Viewed: 1227
Favorites: 2 [view]
Points: 40
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
Hello,

this is from very near my last post, at Kimmeridge Bay. I wanted to show you a bit more of what the shore is like in this area, as some of the rock formations and patterns are fascinating (well to me anyway!).
It's easy to just walk over this moonscape like area and look around at the views, but life is also teeming down in the cracks of the rock, and the rock pools contain miniture worlds to explore.
This is also another bit of experimating with the new Sigma 10-20mm i have recently bought. I think it works, but would be interested to hear any opinions anyone has.

Some facts from the Purbeck Marine Wildlife website, about this spot in particular are below. Apparantly the shore is divided into three catogories; the Upper, Mid and Lower shore lines, this being the 'Upper'...

The highest section of the seashore is not guaranteed a daily visit by the sea and some parts may go many days before the next brief return of the tide. Despite this, the upper shore is populated mostly by marine plants and animals that are able to cope with prolonged periods of drying, rather than by land species able to survive the occasional salty dowsing.

Why bother trying to survive in such an extreme environment, why should a seaweed, dependent on its connection with the sea, choose to live almost beyond its reach?

The answer is simple - all species living on the shore are struggling against each other for a share in a limited supply of resources. One of the most significant of these resources is space amongst all other shore inhabitants. To avoid this struggle, one tactic is to be tough enough to move up the shore where no other species can survive, thereby gaining as much space as you need.

Channel wrack is a good example of this. It can survive longer out of water that any other seaweed, often looking so black and shrivelled it could be given up for dead, yet quickly reviving on the next tide. There are limits to its tolerance - it will not grow above a certain level on the shore, but at that level it has the shore itself.

A little lower down the shore, another seaweed spiral wrack can also survive and is able to outcompete the channel wrack, restricting it to a narrow band at the top of the shore.Spiral wrack is itself then replaced lower down by a further brown seaweed and the sequence continues down the shore, giving rise to the classic zonation pattern. Each species is living at or near its limits, gaining the slight advantage necessary to dominate its own particular zone.

The upper shore is not well represented at Kimmeridge, often disappearing under sand or merging into the cliffs, neither of which are solid enough to support much life. The Flats, beneath the oil well is a good place to study this zone, and the big advantage is that you don't need to wait for a good tide.

Much of the rock surface here looks barren at first, but if you investigate closely, there is life amongst the many cracks in the rock surface. Small rough winkles and the occasional hardy barnacles gain enough shelter here to survive.

Higher on the shore that the rough winkle, the aptly named small winkle hides out in crevices on vertical surfaces. These tiny winkles are marine snails, yet spend most of their time out of the water. Their gill cavity has developed into an efficient lung for breathing air.


Rock pools this high on the shore tend to be brackish, diluted by rain water in between being replenished by the tide, that is if they are big enough not to dry up altogether in dry weather.

Green seaweeds (seen above) tend to dominate these pools, but if you look into some of them very closely you should see tiny specs darting about, in the water - these are copepods - tiny shrimp-like animals, relatives of the planktonic copepods that make up an essential part of the food chain in the open sea.

If the weather is damp, or if you visit this part of the shore at night, you could come across surprisingly large crustaceans, similar to woodlice, scuttling over the rocks. These are sea slaters, and to find them on dry day you need to peer into likely nooks and crannies.

Another crustacean active at night is the sand hopper, which can be found all along the top of the beach. During the day they shelter under stones and rotting seaweed, and will spring in all directions if you disturb them, not stopping until they are out of the light.

LESS THAN 0.001%
OF OUR SEA IS FULLY
PROTECTED!

Overfishing,trawling,dredging, pollution and offshore development
are devastating the UK's marine habitats and wildlife.

According to a local Marine Warden i spoke to, it is perfectly legal for anyone with a boat to come to this spot and set up vast catch nets across the entire bay and catch any fish they want, i n any quantity. Despite the 'Jurassic Coast' being designated a protected World Heritage Site, this 'protection' actually ends at the bottom of the cliffs and does not include the shoreline, or the waters. Which to me seems like madness..

shot in RAW, rotated a touch, highlights decreased, converted to JPEG, resized for TN and sharpened.

thanks for looking.
vanderschelden, Silvio2006, SunToucher, Adanac, JORAPAVI, Argus, hester, iris, mikou, marhowie has marked this note useful
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Discussions
ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To horia: Circular PolariserPaulH 2 05-24 08:23
To claudine: Hello and thanksPaulH 1 05-24 07:53
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Critiques [Translate]

  • Great 
  • horia Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2167 W: 218 N: 4377] (14870)
  • [2007-05-24 7:40]
  • [+]

Hi Paul

This is truely a splendor!
The ultra wide angle of your lens really helped you get that imense view here and also to add a lot of interest to the FG. This part of the frame is aprticularly great here with all those impressive rock textures and those algae there to brighten up the space and to give more life and color to the scene.
The water splash is also terrific and the sky and clouds are brilliant. I'm amazed you didn't use a polarizer but still got such an even exposure there.
Superb tones and DOF and a brilliant composition overall.

Bravo and TFS
Horia

This is a very interesting post Paul. First, your notes are educative, second this is a beautiful picture! I love this colors' saturation a lot and this superb composition with those numerous elements in it. Exposure, DOF and POV are great! This is truly beautiful and well done; a great post! Thanks,
Claudine

Hello Paul this is a beautifull and sharp composition lovely detail and nice contrasty light with good saturated colours nicely timed with the spay of water tfs rgds Necip.

  • Great 
  • Mana Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1899 W: 36 N: 5578] (18516)
  • [2007-05-24 10:21]

Hi Paul,
Splendid shot. Lovely natural colours of the sky, water and the algae. The rock formations and the water splash are fabulously timed, captured and exposed. Excellent POV and DOF. You note is very interesting and adds life to your shot. Very nicely composed. Kudos.
TFS.
Sumon

  • Great 
  • Juyona Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2252 W: 10 N: 2594] (15451)
  • [2007-05-24 12:26]

Hola Paul
excelente pov, nitidez y precioso encuadre,
...el mar a los que vivimos en islas,
es nuestra razón de ser,
bello trabajo,
saludos

Hi Paul,
Congrats...as this is everything but boring...
Well composed; you really saw the compo and searched for it IMO. I should say YOUR patterns are really fascinating.
TFS
Annick

Ciao Paul, great nature view, splendid perspective, wonderful light and colors, very well done, ciao Silvio

Hi Paul,
You did very good with the FG interest in this photo. Again the clarity and details are perfect. I am curious to where you put you focal point. It looks like you kept it in the center of the photo. The reason why I ask is the fact that the bottom right corner is not as sharp as the rest of the photo. It would have been better to get a smaller aperture and move your focal point more down. Say just above the seaweed. Since you are than working with almost a sharpness to invinity, the best is to have the focal point about 3 to 4 feet into the photo do that you got perfect sharpness in your FG. The exposure in the photo is really good, with great highlight and shadows. The blue sky looks a little too blue. The composition is wonderful where you used the UWA to its fullest. The shapes of the rock and the splash of water is great.
TFS,
Niek

  • Great 
  • erve Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 90 W: 5 N: 119] (580)
  • [2007-05-24 17:25]

nice one paul, i really like this, so many textures and colour contrasts, the crashing wave is just the cherry on top.

  • Great 
  • Adanac Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1169 W: 1 N: 5207] (17607)
  • [2007-05-24 21:42]

Hello Paul,
Superb composition with great range of views with the rocks and thier textures, to the crashing wave, the open ocean, the sea cliffs and finally that beautiful sky, splendid job Paul.
Rick

Hello,
I absolutely love this image. It will be added to my favourites. The colours and details are perfect. Great POF and DOF as well, a really great capture!
TFS

TK

Hola Paul,
Precioso el paisaje con una luz y colores muy bellos y una composición muy artística. Saludos
José Ramón

  • Great 
  • juanjo Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Note Writer [C: 167 W: 8 N: 27] (1142)
  • [2007-05-25 14:27]

hello Paul

this is a very nice picture with a lot of depth+ the colours are strong and beautiful and the subjets very interesting

very good picture with a nice composition



bye

jjo

  • Great 
  • Argus Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3748 W: 186 N: 11161] (34473)
  • [2007-05-25 14:32]

Hello Paul,
Though I have little experience with wide-angle photography the visual impact of this shot is very strong: the rocky coastline, the single breaker spraying like a geyser, the pool green with seaweed, all comtribute to a fine sharp image well composed.
TFS and best wishes. Ivan

  • Great 
  • hester Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1515 W: 18 N: 3165] (11638)
  • [2007-05-25 15:56]

Hi Paul

Looking at the two shots I think I prefer this one. I too love the rock formations with the interesting textures. The green algae/seaweeds are very attractive as well. POV and framing are stunning in this shot. Capped off with the frozen spray in the BG. Excellent work

TFS

Karan

  • Great 
  • iris Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 469 W: 60 N: 947] (3016)
  • [2007-05-26 5:48]

Hello Paul
This is a "fascinating experience" not just for you but for anyone who is looking at this superb shot.Excellent Depth and colurs and originality.
The breaking surf waters are caopturede in all their glory.
Very well done.
TFS & Cheers

  • Great 
  • mikou Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 840 W: 67 N: 1311] (5269)
  • [2007-05-27 10:54]

Hi Paul.
Beautiful shot.Great point,amazing depth,perfect timing-captured wave gives those static scene dynamism.Vivid colors are very nice and composition is beautiful.Superb done.
TFS,with greeting Milos.

Hi Paul.
Even better than your last post. I love the added foreground. Really completes the picture and therefore the wave isn't the dominant feature. Spreads the interest throught the whole image. Very beautiful. Very well done.
Regards, Steve.

La profundidad de campo es inmejorable ya que hay claridad desde el alga hasta las nubes... Potente y excelente luz. El verde del alga y los blancos crean un bello contraste y dan vida a esta fotogarfía. Gran ángulo sin distorsión de la foto con un excelente y enorme primer plano roca-mar. Fabulosa. Saludos Paul.

Cool splash, great timing and use of shutter-speed to freeze it Paul.
Perfect title, some very sharp nooks & crannies.
I like the color sat on this, it pops..
Howard

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