Cromer Pier
Cromer is a small seaside town on the North Norfolk coast. I visited Cromer whilst staying with fellow bloggers Hanne and Klausbernd in Cley next the Sea. Cromer is very popular with families looking for a stay at home, good old fashioned seaside holiday.
There are records of a pier at Cromer dating back to 1391 although then it was more of a jetty. In 1582 Queen Elizabeth I granted rights to the inhabitants of Cromer to export wheat, Barley and Malt with the proceeds to go toward the maintenance and well being of the Pier and the new town of Cromer. In 1822 a 210ft pier was built of cast iron but this structure only lasted 24 years before it was destroyed in a storm. The current pier at Cromer was completed in 1902 and opened to the public. Today the pier has a theatre, bars and restaurants and is a popular place for an old fashioned promenade.
Lee Big Stoper, 24mm f/22 45 sec. ISO-100
14mm f/11 1/400 sec. ISO-100
24mm f/11 1/640 sec. ISO-100
Cornwall Photographic 
Beautiful shots!
July 5, 2016 at 4:50 pm
Thank you very much Neil. I really appreciate your comment.
July 5, 2016 at 6:19 pm
I love each and every one of the Cromer shots, Adrian, but most of all the first one. The Lee Big Stopper gives the water and the sky a very creamy, glossy texture – and BTW, thank you so much for letting me having a go at it too. :-) The last photo is stunning; do you present the photos in the order you like them most? Or do you open with your personal favourite and put the runner up at the end?
I got the new head for the tripod already on Sunday and I’m looking forward to more outings with it soon.
The next time you come, we’ll have to include a sunset or/and sunrise in Cromer and Wells/Holkham.:-)
Take care,
love from us all,
Hanne x
July 5, 2016 at 5:13 pm
Thank you Hanne. Absolutely a sunset/sunrise at any one of the locations we visited would be wonderful next time.
I tend to post my pictures in the order in which they were taken to be honest but in this case we were on the pier before we were under it. I always set a featured image and in this case it was the first, my favourite and that is always the case. I was really pleased with the way that one came out. I don’t use the big stopper that much but when I do, I’m always pleased with the results and I was really happy for you to have a go and experiment a little with it.
The last shot I took hand held which is unusual for me as you know but the light allowed for a fast shutter speed so I had some hope of getting a sharp shot. Shooting into the sun is always difficult but sometimes, it really pays off.
You take care too and have a great week, hopefully taking lots of photographs. Best regards to Klausbernd! :-)x
July 5, 2016 at 6:28 pm
I’m glad the handheld came out so beautifully, Adrian. I had a go with my remote cord, but since I saw you in action with yours, this noname product is really no good as I still have to set the time on the camera. Can you please have a look; is MC-36A the right one? The weather in Norfolk is fine, wet enough for the garden and dry and warm enough for freshening up the blue of the annex exterior. Only two more windows to go! :-) x
July 6, 2016 at 8:01 am
Hi Hanne, The MC-36A is the correct remote. It’s cheaper on Amazon the at Wex. Still very expensive but it does the job it’s supposed to do. I too had an unbranded version and it kept letting me down so I had to bit the bullet. I use it all the time so it’s paid for itself.
Glad to hear the painting is going well! A nice job on a fine day! :-) x
July 6, 2016 at 9:33 am
You are right, Adrian. Amazon is by far the cheapest, so I just ordered it there. Wex called this morning, the lens cap for the 150mm Lee will arrive tomorrow :-) and they knocked 20 GBP off my filter holders! :-) so all in all I was lucky with our trip to the showroom. Thank you again for taking care of everything. If you hadn’t been with me in that showroom, I’d mess it all up as the salesman even wasn’t quite sure about the adapter ring for the 77mm.
Now I have a mess outside to clear up, the painting is done, but we’re far from finished.
Love, Hanne & Klausbernd :-) x
July 6, 2016 at 2:30 pm
It was a pleasure to be of help Hanne. I’m glad you’re lens cap is on its way and great that you got that discount. I’m glad you’ve ordered your remote. When working from the tripod it’s always best to use the remote shutter release as, even very light pressure on the camera’s shutter can contribute to a less that perfectly sharp image. Great news on the painting but then there’s always more to do isn’t there? :-) x
July 7, 2016 at 9:53 am
This is breathtaking
July 5, 2016 at 5:19 pm
Thank you so much Lou! :-)
July 5, 2016 at 6:28 pm
Great shots, Adrian. Cromer Pier looks to be in very good nick and must have been well maintained throughout its many years of existence. Such amazing clouds in your photos. :)
July 5, 2016 at 6:10 pm
Thank you Sylvia. Yes Cromer Pier is doing very well considering the fate of so many others around the country. I really enjoyed Cromer with its childhood seaside holiday feel that I’m sure you remember yourself very well. Buckets and spades and amusement arcades.
The weather was quite kind in Norfolk from a photography point of view giving us some amazing skies but at 13 degrees at the end of June, I would certainly rather have had Florida temperatures. :-)
July 5, 2016 at 6:32 pm
That’s hardly “Flaming June” is it? :? Mind you, the temperatures here at the moment are so high that stepping outside is like walking into an oven.Thanks goodness for air-con. :)
July 5, 2016 at 6:37 pm
Most definitely not :-D Having experienced the humid heat of Florid Sylvia I have no doubt you are extremely grateful for the air conditioning. Some of that heat sent our way would be marvellous! :-)
July 5, 2016 at 6:41 pm
It would be nice to have a happy medium for all. :)
July 5, 2016 at 6:45 pm
It would indeed! :-)
July 5, 2016 at 7:06 pm
All excellent images Adrian, but I particularly love the symmetry in the second shot
July 5, 2016 at 6:48 pm
Thank you Mark. The super wide angle certainly adds to that effect. I was really taken with the planks of wood leading you right to the end of the pier with those rather elegant wrought iron seats and lamps punctuating the journey. :-)
July 5, 2016 at 7:07 pm
Those clouds are jaw dropping. Fantastic images, as usual!
July 5, 2016 at 7:14 pm
Thank you very much Gunta! :-)
July 5, 2016 at 7:24 pm
Fabulous cloudscapes and the first image is divine with the silky texture of the sea and the whispiness (?) of the sky.
July 5, 2016 at 10:30 pm
Thank you very much Jude! I really enjoyed the pier and a coastline so different to Cornwall! :-)
July 6, 2016 at 10:33 am
Oh, yes, not so many cliffs on that north Norfolk coast, but the shingle can be tough to walk on – gets those calf muscles!
July 6, 2016 at 9:26 pm
I can imagine it would be Jude. A lot tougher than the firm sand of so many of Cornwall’s beaches.
July 7, 2016 at 9:49 am
A wonderful expansive feeling, Adrian, especially the second shot. The composition and detail is so crisp. Great set, all of them.
July 6, 2016 at 5:43 am
Thank you very much Jane. Really appreciate your comment! :-)
July 6, 2016 at 10:31 am
Lovely photos. I have never been to Cromer but I think I should go!
July 6, 2016 at 7:39 am
Thank you Rhys! North Norfolk is definitely worth a visit. The coastline is very beautiful and quite different to Cornwall. :-)
July 6, 2016 at 10:29 am
Gorgeous capture of those moody skies!
July 6, 2016 at 9:18 am
Thank you very much! :-)
July 6, 2016 at 10:33 am
Each and every photo a winner, in my opinion. Love the clouds, so typical of our lovely summers.
July 6, 2016 at 9:34 am
Thank you so much Paula. The temperatures were fairly typical too struggling to just 17 degrees at best. Not really beach weather but great for photography! :-)
July 7, 2016 at 9:55 am
I love beaches, I love piers and I absolutely love these shots.
July 7, 2016 at 1:05 am
Thank you very much Edith! :-)
July 7, 2016 at 9:53 am
Lovely photos. One of my favorite places.
July 7, 2016 at 6:11 am
Thank you very much Jane! :-)
July 7, 2016 at 9:53 am
Love the contrast between the hard straight lines on the construction and the soft blurry skies/water. Great captures.
July 7, 2016 at 9:55 am
Thank you very much Tommy. Much appreciated!
July 7, 2016 at 11:19 am
Good afternoon, dear Adrian,
I really like your second shot of Cromer Pier, I never ever saw it like this before. But that’s one of the aims of photography to open the perceiver’s eyes making him/her see differently. Especially the first and the second pic have the gist of a painting, romantic with drama.
I particularly like the second picture which is much more art than reproduction of reality. One could imagine being in a Conan Doyle novel who visited Cromer Pier quite often. In the last pic I like the subtle changes of the colour and the reflections of light – a lesson in Goethe’s colour theory (how Turner understood it).
Wishing you all the best and love to you and Chris
Klausbernd :-)
July 7, 2016 at 4:17 pm
Thank you so much for your lovely comment Klausbernd. I really appreciate that very much. Such a compliment when you have managed to encourage viewers of your photographs to not only see but see differently. I think this is what we all strive to do as artists. Represent the world as we see it and hope that other people appreciate your viewpoint. Have a wonderful Friday. Love to you and Hanne! :-) x
July 8, 2016 at 6:44 am
Long time no see but it’s always a pleasure to come back to see your amazing shots ! It’s like you are getting better and better each time :-)
Do you plan to go back in Iceland anytime soon ?
July 7, 2016 at 7:48 pm
Thank you Gin! I’m always striving to learn and to hopefully improve. I’m hoping to be in Iceland again next February. As you know, it’s the winter I really like the best. :-)
July 8, 2016 at 6:45 am
Gorgeous photo’s with dramatic skies
July 7, 2016 at 10:31 pm
Thank you very much Lou! Although it would have been nice for a bit more sunshine, the clouds always add drama to a photograph so as a photographer, I can’t really complain! :-)
July 8, 2016 at 6:46 am
And tis photos are amaizing…especial are amaizing this clouds…
July 8, 2016 at 8:30 am
Thank you again. It was a good day for photography with the clouds as they were! :-)
July 8, 2016 at 10:38 am
A good selection of images Adrian; my favourite is the first – it’s probably the engineer in me! I think I also prefer the balance of tones and ‘smudging’ the clouds gives the pier more prominence as those clouds are fabulous but a little distracting! :)
July 8, 2016 at 2:49 pm
Thank you very much Noeline. As an engineer I can see why you would drawn to the structure of the pier, it’s fabulous. I wanted to emphasise this in my photograph so I deliberately chose the long exposure to create a contrast, capturing the pier’s timeless solidity whilst at the same time creating the illusion of time passing in the photo. :-)
July 8, 2016 at 4:33 pm
Well done! As time will never stand still, I think it’s most ingenious to capture the pier’s timelessness in an illusion of time passing by.
This comes into my little book of learning photography right away. :-)
All the best from Cley,
Hanne x
July 10, 2016 at 2:39 pm
Thank you Hanne, that’s very kind. I think this is where a long exposure can be very useful, presenting the illusion of time passing whilst all else stands still. I’m glad you found my comment useful. I think you should post your version very soon! :-) x
July 10, 2016 at 3:58 pm
Beautiful compositions….love the light ☺
July 8, 2016 at 10:42 pm
Thank you Trees, the light was pretty special that morning! :-)
July 9, 2016 at 8:26 am
Very beautiful captures – love the long exposure!
July 9, 2016 at 3:11 pm
Thank you very much Inger! :-)
July 9, 2016 at 4:52 pm
Just gorgeous, Adrian. I like the juxtaposition of the built environment, esp. the symmetrical pier shot, with the waters and skies.
July 12, 2016 at 2:59 pm
Thank you very much Lynn! I thought the contrast worked quite well. Piers make such nice subjects for photographs. :-)
July 12, 2016 at 3:39 pm
Excellent photos as always, Adrian. My favourit is the second one, but all of them are beautifully processed.
July 13, 2016 at 12:37 am
Thank you very much Otto! Very much appreciated! :-)
July 13, 2016 at 7:53 am
Wonderful photos Adrian that are so inviting for us as the views to absorb so much detail and enjoy the cloudscapes. Inspired and I am off to the coast on Monday.
July 17, 2016 at 9:46 am
Thank you so much JD. I’ve heard rumours that we’re actually in for a bit of summer weather. I hope you have a fabulous time. So much to photograph at the coast. :-)
July 17, 2016 at 12:17 pm
So very true Adrian and you are very welcome. I look forward to dipping my toes .
July 17, 2016 at 1:26 pm
Enjoy! :-)
July 17, 2016 at 5:04 pm