4th Pier - Portencross

BACKGROUND

Portencross pier is located in the village of Portencross itself in North Ayrshire, which is approximately 35 miles from Glasgow.  It has been described as being the second concrete pier ever to have been built in the world and was constructed during the era of the Clyde steamers.

The pier was originally built to enable the transport of locally harvested potatoes, which were carried by steamers to Glasgow and this was largely due to the railway stations being undeveloped during this period.  The pier also served to bring day visitors to the area and they were later collected at the end of the day for the return trip to Glasgow. 

However the pier was not greatly used as its operation at times was limited by weather conditions, due to there being no breakwater or harbour, it left the pier exposed to the sea, although the pier has survived the harsh weather conditions over the years due to its solid construction.   

The pier today however is now disused and the two square open sections of the pier have since been sealed over by metal plates as there were originally wooden boards kept to seal them over but they went missing during the 1980s.  However the pier is still visited regularly by day trippers and even though it no longer operates as a means for transporting passengers or goods, it is still used by divers and anglers and it remains a popular spot for photographers. 

IMAGES OF THE PIER TODAY 

These are images that I had taken myself of the pier as it stands today, which remains largely intact due to its concrete construction.  The images were taken using an Olympus E-M1 camera with a14-42mm kit lens and 12mm wide angle lens on 22 February (the 3rd image) and later on 1 March 2017 (1st and 2nd images).

For these images I wanted to show wide angle views of the pier from different perspectives that would show it centre on and also from either side.  I also used a neutral density filter (a Lee 10 stop filter) to smooth out the water and give some movement to the clouds and I believe that using these filters can add more visual impact to the shots.

Overall I think these images work well in showing the pier from different angles while also incorporating the seascape that surrounds the pier itself.