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Amy Darbyshire

A Cloudy Morning at Roker Pier and Sunderland Marina

Updated: Feb 13, 2021

Lockdown number three officially started two days ago, so I thought I would document the daily adventures I go out on as a way of encouraging others to go outdoors and get some fresh air as we become trapped indoors once again. With the closing of non-essential shops and the continued closure of entertainment centres, we must find other spaces to keep our mental health and wellbeing up, so we do not fall back into a negative mindset. Getting some fresh air each day or every other day will boost your mood and workflow, rather than sitting indoors or staring at a screen all day. I will make sure I stick to the one hour rule that I am allowed to be out for!


The first place on my list to visit is Roker pier and Sunderland Marina as they are about a five-minute walk away from each other. I checked my weather app the day before to check the sunrise time and the percentage of cloud that would be present in the sky in the morning. I got the all-clear for about 6% cloud between 8 and 9 am so this seemed like the perfect time to go. However, upon arrival for sunrise at 8.20 am, the sky was completely covered in clouds with no gaps for the sun to shine through! I was disappointed as I had hoped for clear skies so I could capture the sun's flare rising above the horizon, shining onto the pier in warm golden tones. What I ended up capturing was a colourful overcast sky with clouds full of dimension, which changed in colour throughout the morning.

Location of Roker Pier and Sunderland Marina

Roker Pier was deserted this morning, with hardly anyone in sight, except for cars travelling past to head to work. This is a great place to visit at sunrise as it is so empty, which takes advantage of social distancing, which we need to keep doing, even outdoors. I waited patiently for the security guard to open the gates up to the pier, but unfortunately, he did not open them in the time I was there, as I wanted to visit the marina before my one-hour time slot was over. I will definitely head back to the pier later on in the month so I can photograph the lighthouse up close with brighter and warmer lighting.


The marina was crowded with fishing boats, but there was no one in sight, just the odd runner or cyclist. There are three bird sculptures at the marina that are frozen in time as each bird shows a different stage of taking flight. While I was there, I watched a fisherman driving his boat out of the maria out into the sea as the sun lit the clouds up like they were on fire. The texture of the clouds and the mass of boats that consume the waters make the photographs look busy, so I think I will head back here another day when the sky is clear, and the sun is shining through the horizon.





As a photographer, I need to keep refining my images and going back to places I have already visited so I can capture the perfect shot that I am after. I will keep an eye out on my weather app to double-check cloud coverage before I leave my flat! I don’t want to be disappointed again when I arrive and have the sky covered in clouds where the sun can’t escape from.






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