Pier into the Twilight

by morpheus71

“Time is not a thing that passes ... it's a sea on which you float."

Margaret Atwood

Paignton Pier at twilight, with the distant lights of Brixham just visible below its promenade.

Paignton Pier is a pleasure pier in the large English seaside resort Paignton, Devon. It was financed by Arthur Hyde Dendy, a local Paignton barrister and designed by George Soudon Bridgman.

The 780 feet (240 m) pier, with its customary grand pavilion at the seaward end, was opened to the public for the first time in June 1879. The pier-head pavilion was home to many forms of entertainment including singing, dancing, recitals, music hall, and most famously Gilbert and Sullivan's comic opera, re-titled HMS Pinafore on the water, performed by Mr D'Oyley's full company on 27 and 28 July 1880. In 1881 the pier-head was enlarged to facilitate the construction of a Billiard room, adjoining the pavilion.

On the death of Arthur Dendy Paignton Pier was purchased by the Devon Dock, Pier and Steamship Company, under whose ownership it became a regular stop for paddle steamers travelling between Torquay and Brixham.

In 1919 the pier-head and its associated buildings were destroyed in a fire. These were never replaced and a period of decline followed. Sectioned as a defence measure in 1940, for fear of German invasion, the damaged neck was eventually repaired once hostilities had ceased.

In 1980 the fortunes of Paignton Pier took a turn for the better when a major redevelopment project was undertaken. This included the widening of the shoreward end to ensure a uniform neck, and the construction of the rather stylish pavilions that remain today. Paignton Pier comprises an entrance building at the shoreward end along with what looks to be several individual pavilion buildings connected along the neck. These in fact form one single amusement arcade through their entire length. At the pier-head there is now an open amusement area containing karts, slides and carousel.

Pentax K-x
Pentax 18-55mm SMC/ DAL lens
Hoya circular polarizer (to reduce glare and act as an ND Standard filter by 2 stops)
Bilora Stabilo tripod
Hot-shoe mounted spirit level

f/11
ISO-200

High Dynamic Range (HDR) image from 3 manually bracketed RAW exposures at -1.5, 0, +1.5 ev = 4seconds, 10 seconds and 30 second exposures) using Photomatix Pro 3.26

Finished in Adobe Photoshop 6.0
Uploaded03/06/2012 - 21:59
CategoryLandscape / Travel
Shutter SpeedN/A
ApertureN/A
LensN/A
ISON/A
Focal LengthN/A

morpheus71
Posted 03/06/2012 - 22:00 Link
Best viewed large - thanks for looking
senn
Posted 03/06/2012 - 22:06 Link
superb work, .., the result sounds pretty more effective and natural than what you can have with K-x in camera HDR processing
senn
my flickr gallery
my PPG
Edited by senn: 03/06/2012 - 22:09
puma
Posted 03/06/2012 - 22:10 Link
Absolutely fantastic great detail
PPG link
morpheus71
Posted 03/06/2012 - 22:27 Link
Thanks very much for the encouraging comments from senn and puma
Floggitt
Posted 03/06/2012 - 22:42 Link
Great picture, clever title
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
John's Law: If it isn't broke, it bloody soon will be.
morpheus71
Posted 03/06/2012 - 23:14 Link
Thanks very much for your encouraging comments John, glad you like the title
davidstorm
Posted 04/06/2012 - 00:18 Link
A very serene and beautiful image and another great advertisement for the K-x and kit lens. This is one of my favourites from your recent uploads.

Regards
David
Flickr

Nicola's Apartments, Kassiopi, Corfu

Some cameras, some lenses, some bits 'n' bobs
GIULIO57
Posted 04/06/2012 - 07:29 Link
Lovely tones. I like milk water & blu hour.
PPG
morpheus71
Posted 04/06/2012 - 10:20 Link
Thanks very much to David and Giulio for your generous comments I wondered what it would look like in the twilight with the wet sand and slightly drizzly sky that evening - rather glad I made the detour on the way back from Torquay
nonur
Posted 04/06/2012 - 11:07 Link
Comprehensive info and lovely line quoted from Atwood. Wonderful photo with beautiful reflection, Phil!
Regards,
Nezih
morpheus71
Posted 04/06/2012 - 11:52 Link
Thanks very much nezih! It was rather restful being there
pauljay
Posted 05/06/2012 - 06:19 Link
Really quite charming!
Paul.

Photography is not a sport. It has no rules. Everything must be dared and tried! (Bill Brandt)
PPG
focus
Posted 05/06/2012 - 11:30 Link
Just beautiful. - mary.
morpheus71
Posted 05/06/2012 - 14:45 Link
Thanks very much to Paul and Mary
DrOrloff
Posted 05/06/2012 - 16:23 Link
Lovely colours and milky water.
morpheus71
Posted 05/06/2012 - 18:41 Link
Thanks very much for your encouraging comment Dr Orloff
szgabor
Posted 08/06/2012 - 06:32 Link
Great lights and composition, this is a nice capture. I also like the beautiful colours, the nice details and the reflection.
Regards,
Gábor
My website
morpheus71
Posted 09/06/2012 - 20:13 Link
Thanks very much for your thoughtful comments Gabor - it was very enjoyable to make this photo with its cheerful colours
johnbasil
Posted 03/10/2012 - 22:00 Link
So much to like with this shot. Great colour, reflections, water blur and composition.

John

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