Hunstanton whale

Alastair

Alastair

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A few shots of the stranding yesterday morning.







A magnificent animal, and such a tragedy with so many stranding this winter.
 
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The first shot is so powerfully charged with impressions
and the conversion was the better way to go! Moving…
 
Very sad, the contrast between the whale and the windfarm is accentuated by the mono conversion ... like it :)
 
Thanks gentlemen. The colour version of the first one is also quite powerful, but the mono does have that sense of gravitas.
 
#1 is quite a powerful & sad image. To me it shows man/technology Vs nature & the stormy, often destructive relationship we have.

#3 conveys the shear inability to help, however willing.

Excellent images.
 
 
Although a very sad and all too regular occurrence this year, your photograph no 1 is a very moving image of this tragic event. I live only a few miles from Hunstanton and battled with going or not going to see the Whales. I decided not but welcome your tasteful account in pictures.
 
Such a tragic event. That first shot is amazing. Perfect mono treatment and great composition with the wind turbines in the background, all add to the tragic atmosphere of the event. One of the best shots I've seen all year.
 
It would have been so easy to have been voyeuristic/gawpish given the subject matter, these are tasteful dramatic and thought provoking images, in my view a first class capture that transcends the technical side of photography, in the same way that no-one ever suggests the really great memorable photographs of times gone by could have been lit better etc. As has been said above, finest example of photography I have seen this year and I doubt it will be surpassed.
Matt
 
Steady on guys, you're making me blush... :D
 
Good set here - can't help but wonder, and only thought of it seeing your first photo, do the wind farms have anything to do with these whales being washed ashore? For example does the noise disorientate them? No idea.

Just been listening a little to a programme on Radio 4. One of the first things mentioned was blow the composition and all that rubbish - it's the emotion that counts. You've got that with these images, especially judging by the comments above.
 
EdwardL said:
Good set here - can't help but wonder, and only thought of it seeing your first photo, do the wind farms have anything to do with these whales being washed ashore? For example does the noise disorientate them?
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No. The problem occurred well before they reached this area. They shouldn't have entered the southern North Sea at all. The last analysis I read suggested that they'd been hunting squid much further north and had been drawn too far south pursuing them.

I also wonder if much as climate change is altering air movements (e.g. the jet stream) the same thing may be happening to ocean currents. I liken it to a motorist in London wanting to get to Leeds. They get on the M1 and can't figure out how they end up in Manchester several hours later. It's the same road as last year and all the signposts suggest they're going in the right direction, but a larger force has changed where the road goes.

My personal favourite of the set is the dog and the pink wellies. But the context is less clear.
 
I do like these images, I think there is a place for these as they highlight a problem and the plight of these whales. Taking photographs like these is fine with me, it's the 'nocturnal dentists' that I have a problem with who are out for their own gain. Sadly nature isn't all fluffy and lovely as shown by this years WPoY winning image, these sad but emotive images have their place and actually have more impact than the 'fluffy' images. One wildlife image that I always remember is a battered and bloodied seal pup that sadly got too close to a bull seal. That image had more impact than the hundreds of fluffy seal pup images you see each year.

EdwardL said:
Good set here - can't help but wonder, and only thought of it seeing your first photo, do the wind farms have anything to do with these whales being washed ashore? For example does the noise disorientate them? No idea.
Click to expand...

Alastair said:
No. The problem occurred well before they reached this area. They shouldn't have entered the southern North Sea at all. The last analysis I read suggested that they'd been hunting squid much further north and had been drawn too far south pursuing them.

I also wonder if much as climate change is altering air movements (e.g. the jet stream) the same thing may be happening to ocean currents. I liken it to a motorist in London wanting to get to Leeds. They get on the M1 and can't figure out how they end up in Manchester several hours later. It's the same road as last year and all the signposts suggest they're going in the right direction, but a larger force has changed where the road goes.

My personal favourite of the set is the dog and the pink wellies. But the context is less clear.
Click to expand...

I heard the same as Alastair that they probably followed squid down into the North Sea. The North Sea is very shallow (around 30m), these whales are used to deep oceans and their sonar doesn't work well in shallow seas. The problem with the North Sea is southwards there is only the small exit of the English Channel or otherwise it's back northwards from where they came from and down the west coast of Scotland. Once in the North Sea it's difficult to find food and find a way out. The number of standings on continental Europe dwarfs the number we have seen in Norfolk and Lincolnshire.
 
jerry12953 said:
Had you considered doing a panoramic crop of No. 1? Personally I think it would be an improvement.
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Yes. But it loses the dramatic presence of the cloud pressing down on the scene - I believe the cloud creates an imbalance that adds to the sense of discomfort when viewing the image.
 
Alastair said:
Yes. But it loses the dramatic presence of the cloud pressing down on the scene - I believe the cloud creates an imbalance that adds to the sense of discomfort when viewing the image.
Click to expand...
You are correct (in my view)
 
Good shots, tastefully done. poor whales, its all so sad.

Been passionate about whales since i was about 6 or 7 - i don't think i'd have been able to stop myself wanting to take a closer look at such an amazing mammal up close if i lived near by. there was a minke whale stranded near where i live recently too, but it was quite far out and on MOD land so less visible. I wasn't against parents taking their children to see the whale (where else would they see up close such an animal) but the whole 'selfie' and teeth stealing side of it was just repulsive.
 
I can think of few occasions where the words beautiful and tragic can be used together, but the first image encompasses both.
Powerful and emotive
 
Poor whale. A sad, but stunning image.
 
The first image is very, very emotive, it's an upsetting image but tastefully done. There's a real story in that image with the wind turbines and the dead/dying whale. A very sad sign of the times. One of the most powerful images I've seen here.

The other images all tell their story but the first one is out on its' own.
 
Can you imagine the NOISE those damned subsidised wind mills are putting out. Its bad enough standing near one.
 
I just like to second all the comments here - the first is very powerful - great capture.
 
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