The village of Thurne is in the heart of the Norfolk broads alongside the River Thurne. It is not far from various other mills so could easily form part of a sightseeing day trip. Thurne Mill is a beautiful white mill standing on the corner of the staithe. Although you can walk right up to it, usually you will get a better photo from a short distance. At the end of the staithe, take the path to the other side (not the mill side) and you will soon be greeted with a view of the mill with boats on the water in the foreground. The image at the top of this post was taken from this viewpoint. Further along, the path turns left to follow the river. From there you can get the kind of angle seen in this image:
It is well worth checking the angle of sunrise and sunset before visiting. Having golden light streaming through the scene at the right angle can really enhance your images. From the staithe path you can get a good view of the mill with the sunset off to the left of the mill. Look out for colour behind the mill to the right (East - towards the village) bouncing off the clouds as well.
There are several other subjects well worth your attention in addition to the mill itself. You can see many different boats along the way as you walk by the river. These often make good focal points and can again show off the sunset with a bit of side-lighting. Look out for boats with character that spark your interest.
From the path you can also catch sight of St Benets Mill on the other side of the river. You can either shoot wide angle and have it small on the horizon or go for a telephoto lens and compress the perspective - for inspiration see my article on shooting lanscapes with a long lens. You can easily create depth to the image using elements for the foreground and middle ground with the mill in the background. For example, you could have the river in the foreground going to the reeds and then the mill. Or, perhaps try it with a boat on the river.
In all cases, quality of light makes a massive difference. So, get planning for the right time to be there! Check out Suncalc for an easy way to research the sun angles. I wish everyone involved in preparing for the mill's 200th birthday the very best. If you visit, don't forget to wander along the river and take in some of the other sights at this beautiful location as well.
© Joe Lenton, February 2019
Joe Lenton is a professional photography tutor and commercial photographer. He has won over 50 international awards for his images and been featured in exhibitions around the world. He runs photography workshops and teaches various aspects of photography and images processing one to one . For more free photography tips and to enquire about photography training please visit Original Art Photography.
