Stock Lock at Sunset
By Leigh Cousins 20/01/2016
Canon 5D Mark II 16-35 USM 21mm 6secs F22 ISO100

Walking the River Wey navigation in Guildford, Surrey on a very cold January afternoon is somewhat rewarding when the skies are clear and the air has a clean calming feel to it. There are many beautiful scenes, remote locations and tricky pathways to keep the imagination busy. One particular location is Stoke Lock, as you can see from the shot above it is reminiscence of a hidden european hide-away where peaceful perfection is abundant. Built in 1653, it is the oldest lock in Surrey and perhaps in England, with the lock-keeper's cottage constructed in 1882.
For this shot the sun was setting close-by and just happened to be in-between the split in the tree from where I set up, it was a perfect opportunity to try and get a crisp sunburst. Using an aperture of f/22 to produce slim streaks in the sun's rays, this also helps to make sharper and more populated streaks and using a 10-stop Hoya ND filter to smooth out the river seemed perfect. The ice on the grass added a lovely touch to the shot, while the reflections in the still water emphasised the use of the lock itself.

Natural Nature Reserve Lake

Once you enter the Riverside Park's Nature Reserve and walk the trail for about 10 minutes you encounter the first lake and the trail becomes thinner surrounded by woodland and grassland. This shot was taken on the way back from Stoke Lock, the lake was perfectly still with shards of ice floating, the reflections in the water were so precise it was hard to tell where the lake's surface was, only the ice gave an indication.
Another shot at f/22 to emphasis the sun's rays, unfortunately due to the obstacles in view it affected the overall effect but still turned out pretty good.

Natural Nature Reserve Boardwalks

One thing that struck me is the boardwalks, after passing by the lake you can take a route of the trail and onto these wooden walkways and into the wetlands and marshes. These paths go on for sometime and branch out in different directions, I found myself looking left and right admiring the scenery, almost forgetting that one false step and I could very easily be face first in freezing water!
This shot was taken at f/8 @ 16mm. Its a pity there are so many telephone lines around but thats the nature of circumstance.