With one of the fiercest tides in the world, the Menai Straits, seperating the Isle of Anglesey from the North Wales coast, isn't a place for the faint hearted or inexperienced sailor.
Fortunately for me, I had no intention of venturing onto (or under!) the water on this chilly December afternoon.
No, I was quite content to be parked up by the Sea Zoo on the Anglesey side of the Straits, watching and photographing the stills for this time lapse video as the rapidly falling tide revealed one of my favorite features, an old decrepit concrete jetty.
Keeping me company was a flock of oyster catchers, following the tideline down and picking off any tasty morsel that was revealed, and you can just make them out on this video.
Being the middle of December, the sun set just before 4pm and darkness rapidly ensued, with the lights of Caernarfon on the other side of the Menai Straits glowing brighter and brighter against the gathering gloom.
I stayed photographing unti an hour after sunset beofre finally packing up, thoroughly chilled but delighted at having seen such beauty and witnessed the clockwork precsion of the tides in operation once again.
It would be a sad day for me when I couldn't get to be by the sea.
Filename - menai straits timelapse 10.mp4
Camera - Canon 6D
Lens - 24-105mm zoom @ 35mm
Exposure (start of sequence) - 1/15 sec @ f4, ISO100
Exposure (end of sequence) - 6 secs @ f4, ISO400
Filters - Polarising filter used to enhance colours. Two stop neutral density graduated filter used to darken the sky
Shooting interval - 6 seconds
Location - Menai Straits, Anglesey, North Wales
This clip - HD 720p 30fps
Clip duration - 33 secs
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