Zuidpier, IJmuiden — Early-Morning Drone Photography, Netherlands

Light and weather turn the same pier into a different subject every time. At Zuidpier, IJmuiden, those early-morning skies sharpened the pier’s structure against calm sea, bringing out contrast and texture where grey mornings before felt flat.

These drone images capture the pier extending into the North Sea, boardwalks, railings, and sea walls outlined against reflective water. Light played across metal and concrete surfaces, changing perspective and bringing out details in shadow and form. It shows why revisiting locations matters — the difference between dull and dramatic often comes down to weather and light.

Revisiting sites like this helps me see the same location anew. For coastal structure, reflection, and drone work, see my Places and Drone galleries.

Montrose A92 and Railway Bridges — Sunrise Drone & Structure Photography

Bridges are found in most towns, but when the light is right, they become more than infrastructure—they turn into patterns, angles, and motion. At Montrose, using my drone at sunrise offered fresh views of the A92 and railway bridges, where structure meets transport in the early calm.

From the air, the steel girders and road decks form lines against the sky; the railway tracks cut through the frame, waiting for trains to add motion. Dawn light inches across surfaces, casting long shadows and making reflections dance off metal. Watching a train pass beneath, perfectly framed among beams and spans, gives a moment of balance between still structure and movement. The set includes both wide-angle shots and tighter compositions, showing scale and detail.

Patiently waiting for a train to pass, does not disappoint when they come in to the scene.

Structure, motion, and lines are themes I return to often. For more work exploring architecture, bridges, and drone perspectives, see my Places and Drone galleries.

Corporate Portraiture — Location & Professional Style

Refreshing your corporate image can go beyond a plain headshot. With these portrait shots, I chose a location setting to give energy, depth, and context to the professional look — the kind that helps profiles, business cards, and LinkedIn stand out.

Instead of studio lighting or a blank wall, I used natural surroundings that complement without distracting — lines, textures, and background architecture balancing out the frame. The focus is on posture, expression, attire, and how light falls. A location shot conveys more: connection to place, personality, and professionalism. If you’re considering an updated corporate image, thinking about environment and lighting makes a difference.

Elevate your professional image with portraiture that says more than just your face. For more work in this area, explore my People and Portraiture galleries, or get in touch to arrange your own session.

Former Kirkton of Craig, Parish Church — Drone & Church Architecture, Scotland

Craig Parish Church stands alone in the countryside, built in 1799 and now converted into a residence, yet still holding architectural character. Flying my drone here aimed to capture its Gothic Revival form, the tower, nave, and surrounding grounds under sky and light.

Designed by Richard Crichton, associate of Robert Adam, this church was one of the earliest examples of the Gothic Revival in Scotland. Its aisled nave and west tower overlook Montrose Basin, and though it’s no longer used for worship, its stonework, proportions, and grounds retain much of its original dignity. The photos show textures in weathered stone, window tracery, rooflines against sky, and its setting in small, quiet grounds. Light plays across the façade — shadows in window recesses, the tower’s silhouette against open air, and the contrast between ancient masonry and the modern skies overhead.

Buildings like this remind me why heritage architecture is a steady theme in my work. For more church architecture and monument photography, check my Places and Drone galleries.

Sunrise Stood on the A92 — Bridges, Trains & Morning Light, Montrose

Sometimes being in the right place at the right time makes all the difference. Standing on the A92 bridge in Montrose at sunrise, I saw light that turned ordinary trains into golden silhouettes and bridges into dramatic lines. These images come from those moments when waiting pays off.

The morning sky warmed slowly as I watched trains cross the bridge, each passing bringing out the contrast between metal, rail, and light. From the A92 vantage point, I captured wide views of the highway and railway, then turned to shoot the railway bridge itself. The contrast between warm sunlight on train carriages and the darker structure around them struck a chord. These aren’t staged scenes — just light, structure, and time aligning.

Architecture, transport, and light are themes I like to explore repeatedly. For more work with bridges, rails, and early-morning sky, see my Places and Drone galleries.

North Pier, IJmuiden at Early Sunrise — Drone & Coastal Morning Light, Netherlands

When the horizon is calm and dawn breaks over the water, familiar structures take on new form. The North Pier in IJmuiden at early sunrise offered one of those moments — air cool, light soft, reflections still. Riding a bike before the workday started to catch that transition from darkness to colour made all the difference.

These images came from a session where outcomes were uncertain — sky, tide, cloud cover all played their parts. Walking or cycling toward the pier meant seeing small changes in light on railings, weathered timber, and pier surfaces. The drone lifts you above the scene: boardwalks become lines, the sea becomes a mirror, and the horizon becomes a soft gradient. Even when the result isn’t what I originally planned, I enjoy what emerges — shapes, tones, mood.

Mornings like this remind me why I chase light before day begins. For more sunrise pier, coastline, and drone work, see my Places and Drone galleries.

Offshore Wind Turbines at Sunrise — Coastal Photography

First light offshore brings its own atmosphere. The silhouettes of turbines against the horizon stand clear and sharp, with the sky shifting colour as the sun breaks.

These images were taken on an early morning offshore, using my iPhone to capture the changing light. Even without specialist equipment, the results show scale and mood: turbines rising out of calm water, sky gradients shifting from deep tones to gold, and blades catching the first light of the day. The strength of these photographs is in their immediacy — a record of the moment as it happened.

Sometimes the best photographs come from being present, not over-equipped. For more of my work documenting offshore environments and renewables, see my Wind Industry and Places galleries.

Elephant Rock, Lunan Bay, Montrose — Coastal Travel & Landscape Photography

Walks out to coastal arches like Elephant Rock are reminders that nature’s shapes matter — rock, sea, sky combining into unexpected forms. A recent visit to Lunan Bay brought just that: the arch of Elephant Rock with cliffs and the chapel above, tides low, skies open.

Chapel of St Skae burial ground.

Elephant Rock (also called the Rock of St Skae) is a volcanic coastal arch, shaped over time by wind and wave. These photos capture its elephant-like silhouette — trunk and head — framed against cliffs, water, and sky. Nearby is the 12th-century Chapel of St Skae, perched above the cliffs; I included shots that show its position in the landscape and even the odd gravestone (like George James Ramsay’s) that gives the place character. Walking back via Lunan Bay, you get wide views: dunes, receding tide, sand ripples, the light changing across beach and cliff.

Upon leaving Elephant rock, we called into Lunan Bay.

Information if you are visiting.

Lunan Bay has attracted many visitors throughout the ages, from Viking armies in the 10th century to generations of holidaymakers. Today it offers a secluded haven on the dramatic Angus coastline.

Sites like this remind me why landscape travel photography is about more than the view — it’s about place, memory, and context. For more work in coastal landscapes and travel-informed photography, see my Places and Travel galleries.

Arbroath Coastal Walk — Weather, Harbor & Cliffs by the Sea

Walking the coast around Arbroath often means facing the sea, sky, and whatever weather brings — and that’s exactly what this set of images shows. Storm-light, crashing surf, softened cliffs — all blending into the rugged edges of the harbour and coastline.

The image on the right makes me smile, as you can guess, I got absolutely soaked!

These photos were taken during rough weather; salt spray, wind, and sudden cloud cover influenced how each frame looked. The harbour walls stood weathered; waves broke against jetties; the cliffs loomed overhead, cliffs and textures highlighted where light managed through the cloud. Some shots show the RNLI, lifeboat station, or pilot office—places shaped by sea. Others are just of the way waves hit rock, or how boats hover between calm and chaos. It was more about mood than precision.

The coast around Arbroath always shows something new — in structure, texture, or weather. If you like rugged coastal scenes and harbour life, take a look at my Places and Travel galleries.

Jackup Bridge — Offshore Industrial Photography

Side view of the JB-115 jack-up barge with legs deployed, showing the height and structure above water.

JB-115 is more than just an accommodation jack-up barge; it’s a functional part of offshore life. On boarding, its size, structure, and role become clear — housing, workspaces, crane capacity, and leg height all matter when you’re working miles from land.

The JB-115, owned by JUB, is an MSC SEA-2000 self-elevating unit built in 2009. It houses 64 people with the capacity to increase to 120. Its legs stand 80 meters tall; with a maximum payload of 1,250 tonnes and a 300-ton crane, it handles more than just housing. I captured shots of deck structure, machinery, the legs reaching upward, and the scale of its operations. Whether close-up of welds or distant views of tower and platform, there’s something in the lines, metal, and industrial detail working together.

Platforms like this are where engineering, endurance, and offshore conditions intersect. For more industrial and renewables work, see my Wind Industry and Industrial galleries.

Montrose Quay — Early Morning Port & Industrial Photography

Montrose Quay lights up quietly in the early morning. The vessels, equipment, and waterfront infrastructure are still moving, but softer light and calm seas lend contrast and detail to a place that in daylight is loud and full.

Ports like Montrose show how industrial activity, marine life, and structure blend. For more harbour or industrial photography, see my Places and Wind Industry galleries.

How Tall Are Offshore Wind Turbines? — Technical Info & UK Offshore Examples

UK offshore wind turbine up close; tower height, blade rotation, scale against sea.

Offshore wind turbines are massive — but how massive? On UK wind farms, turbines can reach up to 204 m to the blade tip, with blade diameters around 164 m. These numbers aren’t just statistics — they shape visual scale, installation requirements, and how turbines integrate into sea and sky.

The turbine in the video above comes from a UK offshore wind farm. At full height of 204 m, the blade tip sweeps an arc almost twice that of many older onshore turbines. For comparison, many onshore turbines are 80-120 m in tip height. That scale affects logistics — transport, foundation design, sea access — and affects what the turbine looks like from shore or sea.

Seeing one in place, through video, gives a real impression of height and movement. The blade diameter of 164 m means each blade is longer than many football fields are wide, and the swept area covers hectares. Height also changes how shadows, wind, and light interact with the structure — tall towers catch more wind, reflect more sky, and tower over waves.

Technical specs like this help understanding what wind turbines are and what they do. For more photographs of UK wind farms, structure and scale, see my Wind Industry and Places galleries.

Exploring the Timeless Beauty of Arbroath Abbey — Medieval Architecture, Scotland

Arbroath Abbey, founded in 1178, remains one of Scotland’s finest medieval ruins. Even in partial ruin, its arches, rose windows, and carved stone tell stories of history, craftsmanship, faith, and identity.

Built by King William the Lion, the Abbey is best known as the place where the Declaration of Arbroath was drafted in 1320 — a document that asserted Scotland’s independence. In person, the Abbey’s architecture speaks in stone: towered sections, pointed arches, weathered rose windows, and worn masonry. The play of light through open arches and across aged surfaces accentuates how architecture survives time. During my visit, I walked among the ruins, noting where shadows lengthen and details emerge in light — stone carvings, tracery, and subtle wear showing centuries of exposure.

Ruins like this connect us to centuries past, where architecture, faith, and identity meet in stone. For more church architecture and heritage photography, see my Places and Drone galleries.

Wind farm substation

Good Morning,

Today I’d like to share some images of a substation that I have recently visited.

This is located in the Netherlands side of the North Sea.

I hope that you enjoyed this post,

Have a good week.

Thanks,

Lee

St Vigeans Church

Good morning,

Today I’d like to share some photos of St Vigeans Church.

This Church of Scotland parish church serves the parish of the ancient village of St Vigeans on the outskirts of Arbroath, Angus, Scotland. The church was rebuilt in the 12th century but not consecrated until 1242 by David de Bernham, Bishop of St Andrews

These images are another edition to my church project where I am enjoying shooting different churches.

Do you have an ongoing project? I would love to see it.

Send me a message on Instagram.

Thanks,

Lee

Arbroath Pilot Office And Signal Lighthouse.

Good Morning.

I hope that you are well and having a nice weekend.

Today takes us to Arbroath harbour.

A lovely North Eastern Scottish seafront.

Thanks

Lee

Black and White, Dog walking

Good morning,

Today I’d like to share some simple black and white images where we walk the dog locally on the beach. I am enjoying the contrast and textures at the moment shooting in monochrome.

I would love to see your black-and-white images.

Feel free to comment over on Instagram @lee_ramsden

Thanks

Lee

Arbroath cliffs trail.

Imagine standing atop rugged cliffs, with the North Sea crashing below and the wind whipping through your hair.

Welcome to the Arbroath Cliffs Walk, where nature’s raw beauty meets Scotland’s storied coastline.

The Arbroath Cliffs Walk stretches along Scotland’s east coast, offering a 4-mile trail filled with dramatic cliff faces, natural rock formations, and panoramic sea views.

Have you walked the Arbroath Cliffs? Share your favorite spots or good photography walk in the comments on my instagram @lee_ramsden as I would love to hear your thoughts.

Thanks

Lee

360 Globe.

Good morning, I have recently been playing with a 360 camera, here are a couple of stills that i liked from a recent trip offshore.

What do you think about renewable energy?

Share your thoughts in the comments on my instagram @lee_ramsden and explore more of my images to experience the full beauty of offshore wind farms.

Thanks

Lee

GWO course renewals.

Good morning, today id like to share some images of recent courses attended.

Those who work in the renewables industry will feel my pain for attending the GWO renewal courses….again

The courses consist of -

• Sea Survival

• First Aid

• Working at height

• Manual handling

• Fire fighting

These certificates are only valid for 2 years and have to be kept up to date whilst working offshore in the renewables industry.