Views From a Toilet Window

[Andrew Stannard]

Hi,

I haven't had much time for photography recently due to moving house, but I can now reap the rewards - our upstairs toilet has a terrific view out the window!

It's the perfect position for sunrises. My girlfriend thinks I'm slightly insane setting up a tripod in the toilet, but thankfully the new neighbours can't see so they still think I'm normal

Anyway thought I would share two shots for C&C.

The first is looking back towards the church in Kirkham, Lancashire. For a period of only about 5 minutes the rising sun lit up the underside of the clouds in the most extraordinary fashion.

The 2nd was taken about 45 minutes before sunrise (different day), looking towards the TV masts on Winterhill. The shot is one that I have visualised for over a year, but this is the first time that the light has come together when I have been in a suitable position to take a photo.

Cheers, and Happy New Year to all,

 

[Marian Howell]

andy, those layered clouds in the first one are spectacular!! by comparison the clouds in the second one are boring...and they don't add much to the composition. how about cropping them out (or just leaving a slice of them at the top) and thus making the pano narrower?
by the way, i have a bathroom with an outside door and a porch from which i have set up the tripod and shot many a sunrise ))) and another one upstairs with a view i have also shot while sitting on the (lid covered!!) toilet.
anyway, that first one of yours is special!

 

[Andrew Stannard]

Hi Marian,

Glad to see I aren't the only one making full use of my bathroom facilities!!

Would agree with your comments on the clouds in the 2nd. The original 3x2 image had even more of them. I think a further crop would work well, but do think that I need to leave in a slice of form - without them the image seems a little unbalanced for my tastes.

Cheers,

 

[Asher Kelman]

Andy,

I must say that this pair of images posted together makes me think about one of the fundamental ideas that, to me at least, informs effective photography. This preference is to exclude.

Here we have an unusual scene spanning a wide swath of landscape. The lighting defines the clouds from below and these are in focus in the distance but distracting close.

In fact all the clouds above 2/6.5 of the image, distracts and to me at least detracts from the power of the truly panoramic image buried in the whole shot.

Asher

 

[Andrew Stannard]

Hi Asher,

Thanks for the comments - but have to confess I am in need of a little clarification.....

Am I correct in thinking that you are suggesting that the first image is in need of a crop to remove the clouds from the top of the image? And that the image would work better as a panorama?

When I took the image it was the unusual cloud lighting that had attracted me to the scene in the first place. Without a fair amount of these clouds in the image the image does not (for me) represent the scene that I remember. Of course a viewer of the image (such as yourself) would not be aware of the extra clouds if they were cropped out, so I am interested to understand your thoughts.

Apologies if I have got my wires crossed, but it is New Years Eve, and the alcohol is beginning to flow!

Thanks,

 

[John Sheehy]

My girlfriend thinks I'm slightly insane setting up a tripod in the toilet, but thankfully the new neighbours can't see so they still think I'm normal

I think you're insane, too, unless your English usage is different than the one where I live. "In the toilet" literally means your tripod legs are in the bowl where you sit, and where the water flushes down. I'm sure that's not what you're doing, though. I assume you are refering to the entire room dedicated to such activities, know in the US as "the bathroom", or, "the lavoratory", in institutional environments, or "the restroom" in gas (petrol) stations, parks, and restaurants.

The bottom of the clouds in the forefront of the first image are spectacular. I haven't seen clouds with quite that texture before.

 

[Bart_van_der_Wolf]

The bottom of the clouds in the forefront of the first image are spectacular. I haven't seen clouds with quite that texture before.

If I'm not mistaken, they are called "mammatus"

Bart

 

[Andrew Stannard]

I think you're insane, too, unless your English usage is different than the one where I live.

Thankfully the usage is different - toilet over in the uk is frequently used to mean the room itself. Don't think I'll be putting the tripod actually in the toilet quite yet

If I'm not mistaken, they are called "mammatus"

John, you are indeed correct. Just had a look on google and found this link on wikipedia. What's interesting is the bit that mentions tornadoes. These are a rare occurrence in the UK, but on the day that I took this photo there were actually a number reported, including one in London that destroyed quite a few houses!


Asher - would still appreciate some further explanation of your comments if you get the time...


Cheers,

 

[Ray West]

Hi Andrew,

Interesting sky in the first one - looks like standing waves to me - from an earlier post of mine, much smaller, and liquid but similar http://www.openphotographyforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1587

the centre - enlarged, inverted and coloured.

well, you get the idea...

Best wishes,

Ray

 

[Andrew Stannard]

Wow - that's an interesting comparison. The photos in your other thread are great!

Given the similarity of the two I suspect that there must be some similar physics going on somewhere - anyone with the knowledge to elaborate?

I'm pretty sure that Lenticular clouds (the ones like flying saucers) are caused by standing waves created as the air flows over a mountain range, but given that my first encounter with the word 'mammatus' was only a couple of days ago I wouldn't like to say if these also are casued by standing waves.