Hoxa Head - Orcadian Odyssey Part Two

[John Perriment]

Hoxa Head helps contain the huge natural harbour of Scapa Flow, which was of great strategic significance during both world wars. 72 ships from the German fleet were held captive here at the end of the First World War and were eventually scuttled in preference to accepting the terms of surrender. During World War II huge concrete batteries for gun emplacements were built on the cliff tops and many remain today. These austere, long-abandoned structures seemed perfect for the Dramatic Tone filter treatment, a feature of my camera I rarely use.


First in colour



Then B&W



A straightforward raw conversion



And my attempt to simulate the Dramatic Tone filter from a raw file in Silver Efex



A more conventional B&W conversion



Which do you like best? Do you even like any of them?


The cliffs of Hoxa Head aren't particularly high (50 - 75 feet) but they are very rugged, steep and close to the path at times, so care is needed.






Quite apart from the interest of the military antiquities, Hoxa Head is an extremely pleasant walk on easy paths amongst rugged surroundings with wide, sweeping views

[Tom Holle]

Re: Hoxa Head - Orcadian Odyssey Part Two

By far I like the first picture of the four gun placement units. The vertical black and white cliff is really nice. And I l ike the last picture, especially the foreground which looks faded and soft on my computer.

[John Perriment]

Re: Hoxa Head - Orcadian Odyssey Part Two

By far I like the first picture of the four gun placement units. The vertical black and white cliff is really nice. And I l ike the last picture, especially the foreground which looks faded and soft on my computer.

Thanks Tom, for once I think the Dramatic Tone filter enhanced the subject. I think the look of the foreground in the last shot is due to the soft light. I did try boosting saturation and contrast, which gave it more zip but lost the lovely, delicate colours.

[Pol]

Re: Hoxa Head - Orcadian Odyssey Part Two

Dramatic indeed! Very evocative images.

My favourites are the first two. The third one, as it is now, is also striking in a 'nostalgic' way but the first two really do capture a WW2 feeling in an very authentic way.

Pol

[John Perriment]

Re: Hoxa Head - Orcadian Odyssey Part Two

Dramatic indeed! Very evocative images.

My favourites are the first two. The third one, as it is now, is also striking in a 'nostalgic' way but the first two really do capture a WW2 feeling in an very authentic way.

Pol

Thanks Pol, that's the feeling I was hoping to capture by using the art filter.

[Pol]

Re: Hoxa Head - Orcadian Odyssey Part Two

Thanks Pol, that's the feeling I was hoping to capture by using the art filter.

One of my favourite books is 'The Shetland Bus' (David Howarth) and though your pics are from The Orkneys, those Hoxa Head pics are exactly how I'd always imagined it must have been on those North Sea islands during WW2.

Pol