My Early Kit
When I first started out with photography, my gear was pretty simple. I had a Nikon D3500 paired with an 18-140mm lens, which gave me a good range to work with. At this stage, I didn’t have any CPL filters, ND filters, or additional accessories—just the camera, the lens, and a desire to improve my skills.
Despite the lack of extra gear, the aim was to get to know my camera—learning its settings, experimenting with compositions, and understanding how to make the most of the equipment I had at Sharpness Docks.
Choosing Sharpness Docks
I decided to visit Sharpness Docks because of its rich industrial history and the potential for some interesting photographic opportunities. Once one of the busiest ports in the UK, Sharpness played a vital role in connecting the Gloucester and Sharpness Canal to the River Severn, serving as a hub for maritime trade and industry. Today, it retains much of its historical character, with a mix of abandoned buildings, working docks, and scenic waterside views.
Before heading out, I spent time researching the area using Google Maps and Street View to get an idea of possible vantage points. This helped me plan my visit, identifying spots where I could capture contrasting elements of decay and activity, as well as finding interesting perspectives for compositions. By scouting the location online first, I was able to approach the shoot with a clearer idea of what I wanted to achieve.
Arriving at Sharpness Viewpoint Car Park
I set off towards Sharpness Viewpoint Car Park, a well-known spot offering panoramic views of the docks and the River Severn. Arriving there, I was greeted with an expansive landscape that stretched across the water, framed by old industrial structures in the distance. This vantage point provided an excellent opportunity to take in the surroundings before diving into more detailed compositions.
I took a few initial shots to get a feel for the lighting and contrast, experimenting with different focal lengths to determine what best captured the scale and atmosphere of the location. The 18-140mm lens allowed me to zoom in on distant details while still being able to take wide shots that emphasized the openness of the area. This first stop gave me a chance to ease into the shoot, adjust my camera settings, and start thinking about potential compositions for the day ahead. I also spent some time experimenting with the different modes on my camera, particularly using greyscale and selective color settings. It was interesting to see how highlighting a single color while the rest remained in black and white could change the mood of a shot, emphasizing specific elements within the frame. This was a fun way to explore the camera’s built-in creative features and get a better understanding of how color impacts composition.
Capturing a Ship Leaving Through the Lock
While exploring the docks, I noticed the EEMS RANGER, a ship preparing to leave through the lock into the tidal basin. This was an unexpected but exciting opportunity to capture some dynamic shots of a working dock in action. As the ship slowly made its way through the lock, I positioned myself to get a clear view of the movement, ensuring I could frame both the vessel and its surroundings.
I experimented with different shutter speeds to see how the water and ship’s motion were captured—using a faster shutter speed to freeze the movement and a slower one to create a slight blur, emphasizing the sense of motion. The 18-140mm lens proved to be useful here, allowing me to zoom in for close-up details of the ship’s structure and crew while also taking wider shots to showcase the scale of the lock system. This moment added a real sense of activity to my shots, contrasting well with the stillness of the abandoned areas I had photographed earlier.
Heading Around to Dock Road on the North Side
After capturing the activity at the lock, I made my way around to Dock Road on the north side of Sharpness. This area offered a different perspective of the docks, providing views of old warehouses, moored vessels, and remnants of past industry. The change in vantage point allowed me to focus on more architectural details, emphasizing the textures of weathered brickwork, rusted metal, and faded paint.
I found an interesting composition along the road where an old dockside crane stood against the skyline. Using the 18-140mm lens, I captured both wide shots to showcase the industrial setting and closer shots to highlight the intricate details of the aging machinery. The road itself, lined with fences and industrial debris, created a leading line effect, guiding the eye deeper into the frame and adding a sense of depth to the images.
This area also presented an opportunity for more black and white photography, as the contrast between light and shadow, along with the aged structures, created a timeless feel. The north side of the docks revealed a different story—one of an industrial past slowly being reclaimed by time.
A Derelict Ship and Train Wagons
As I continued exploring, I came across a derelict-looking ship moored in the distance. It looked like an excellent subject for some decay-themed photography, but unfortunately, access to it was too restricted to get a clear shot. The combination of rusting metal, peeling paint, and industrial surroundings made it a fascinating find, and I made a mental note to research its history later.
Nearby, I noticed a set of old train wagons, sitting idle on a disused track. The wagons, covered in rust and weathering from years of exposure, were a great opportunity for some detail-focused shots. Using the 18-140mm lens, I zoomed in to capture the textures of the corroded surfaces and graffiti markings, while also taking wider shots to show how they blended into the industrial setting. These elements helped to further tell the story of Sharpness Docks—a place where past industry meets slow decay.
Walking the High Bridge and Back to the Car
After exploring Dock Road, I continued my walk across the High Bridge, which provided an elevated perspective over the docks. From here, I had a clearer view of the industrial cranes and surrounding areas, allowing me to capture some unique angles that weren’t possible from ground level.
As I moved along, I experimented with different camera modes, testing out how various settings affected the light, shadows, and textures of the industrial landscape. The opportunity to shoot from a higher vantage point helped add more variety to my compositions, showing the scale of the docks from a different perspective.
The walk eventually led me back onto Bridge Road, where I returned to my car, wrapping up what had been a fascinating and productive photography session at Sharpness Docks.
Final Thoughts
Reflecting on the day, I realized that some of the camera modes I experimented with were not ones I would use again. While they provided an interesting way to alter images in-camera, I found that they often limited the flexibility of my shots. I preferred having an original, unaltered image that I could process later, rather than one already constrained by in-camera effects. This experience reinforced the importance of capturing clean, well-exposed shots that could be fine-tuned in post-processing if needed, giving me greater creative control over the final result
