New Brighton - Liverpool

Mark is big researcher of locations we have an idea of what type of shots are available, but still this location surprised us both a bit, we had no idea how dominant the light from the docks would be during the early morning and the other thing was that wherever we were on the beach all you could smell was bacon! We both spent the whole shoot craving breakfast, thankfully there was a McDonald's only a few minutes drive away

The above photo is looking eastward over the river Mersey at Canada Dock just as the sun was slowly rising above the horizon, bringing a warming light to quite an industrial view.

• Image Title: Perch Rock Lighthouse
• Canon 7d Mark2 Camera used:
• Canon 70-200mm F4 IS Lens used:
• 81mm Focal length:
• f/4 Aperture:
• 1/4000 Exposure time:
• 100 ISO:

Shooting the Lighthouse

New Brighton Lighthouse or Perch Rock Lighthouse, is a decommissioned lighthouse situated at the confluence of the River Mersey and Liverpool Bay on an outcrop off New Brighton known locally as Perch Rock. Together with its neighbour, the Napoleonic era Fort Perch Rock, it is one of the Wirral's best known landmarks. Although the lighting aparatus and fog bell have been removed, the lighthouse is very well preserved and retains many features lost on other disused lighthouses.

History of Perch Rock

The name comes from a Perch; a timber tripod supporting a lantern, first erected in 1683 as a crude beacon to allow shipping to pass the rock safely. As the Port of Liverpool developed in the Nineteenth Century, the perch was deemed inadequate as it required constant maintenance and only produced a limited light. Construction of the present tower began in 1827 by Tomkinson & Company using blocks of interlocking Anglesey granite using dovetail joints and marble dowels. It was designed to use many of the same construction techniques used in the building of John Smeaton's Eddystone Lighthouse 70 years earlier

Perch Rock Lighthouse restoration & upkeep

It was restored and repainted in 2001 when an LED light source was installed which flashed the names of those lost at sea; including all the 1,517 victims of the sinking of the Titanic. At low tide, it is possible to walk to the base of the tower, but a 25-foot ladder is needed to reach the doorway. The lighthouse is privately owned and maintained by the Kingham family, An ambitious plan to turn the lights back on at the iconic Perch Rock lighthouse in New Brighton has moved a step closer to fruition with the award of a grant from the Coastal Revival Fund. 

New Brighton Coastal Community Team (NBCCT) bid for more than £6,000 from the fund for their ‘Brighten New Brighton’ project, which aims to restore the lights at the top of the lighthouse in their original form. The lighting will be powered through a solar panel installation. Modelled on the trunk of an oak tree, it is a free standing white painted tower with a red iron lantern. It is 29 m (95 ft) tall. It was first lit in 1830 and was in continuous use until decommissioned in October 1973 having been superseded by modern navigational technology.

• Image Title: Gladstone Loading Dock At Dawn - Liverpool UK
• Canon 7d Mark2 Camera used:
• Tokina 11-20mm UWA Lens used:
• 100mm Focal length:
• f/4 Aperture:
• 2.5 Sec Exposure time:
• 100 ISO:

Photographing Across The Mersey Liverpool

Gladstone loading dock It is situated in the northern dock system in Bootle. The dock is connected to Seaforth Dock to the north and what remains of Hornby Dock to the south. Part of Liverpool Freeport, Gladstone Dock is operated by the Mersey Docks and Harbour Company.