13. Oct, 2015

It seemed so far off when I started this time two years ago, I can't believe I am in my last year already. When I began I was mainly interested in landscape, that hasn't changed, I still love the peace and solitude of being out on my own with the camera. What has changed is the way I see the scene and my understanding of light. 

I always knew morning and evening light is better, but often went out on a summer afternoon found the perfect location, took some well composed images, then found the results disapointing. This was nearly always because I got so carried away with the beauty of our coast and landscape that I ignored the most important element, the quality of the light.

I still sometimes forget to make it my first stage of planning, but it is becoming easier with practice. It sounds weird but now I sometimes take the camera out and come back with almost no photos, something I never thought I would say. Every trip out is useful, even if only for future location ideas.

A perfect example of this is St Davids Cathedral, I have been vistiting for years and not getting the sort of image I had imagined. Finally I visited on a gloomy overcast afternoon, the light was so low that the lights were on in the cathedral, some areas were to shadowed to use, but some parts were beautifully lit. I ended up with a really interesting group of photos from a familiar place, just seen differently

5. Oct, 2015

This month has seen some of the highest tides so far this century, there are always fantastic for photo opportunities if you know where to go. I spend a lot of time researching the best times and places and double checking tide times and weather forecasts. I have a few favorite places that I visit regularly, and sometimes it is very tempting to play safe and just return to them rather than seeking out something new.

This autumn I made the decision to try new locations as well as revisiting some old favorites. With this in mind I decided to try some lunar photography, I really wanted to capture the reflection of the moon as it rose over the sea. This is not as simple as it seems, the moon rises in a different place every night, it dosesn't change gradually like the sun, so there may only be one or two nights a month when it's in the right place. After checking out several places I finally decided to head to Saundersfoot, the forecast was for clear sky and the tide was high at the right time, so all I had to worry about was what kit to pack.

The moon was fantastic really bright and luminous, I soon realised this was going to cause me problems, I could get the moon close and bright,or I could get the path across the sea but not both. There was to much contrast between the dark sea and the moon, this is a perfect example of being so carried away with location that not enough thought went into lighting. I was determined not to waste my evening so I shot the harbour the light reflections and as many different viewpoints as I could. So although as usual my initial idea was less than perfect I did manage to get some images, and learned a valuable lesson, think about the light. 

19. Sep, 2015

I have been a bit slow with my posts this summer, as usual my plans have changed, but the trick is to try and make the most of the chances I do get and not dwell on the things that have to be scraped. Sometimes this is easier said than done, but the one thing I have learned is to move forward and keep trying. So, no more moaning about non events, its time to share one of the best holidays I have had in a while.

This August/September I was lucky enough to be able to visit the Outer Hebrides. This is something I have wanted to do for many years, even before I became photo obsessed. I did some research before leaving and had a whole list of things to see and do, and had a vague plan. I took into account that the weather might be less than perfect and decided to try and visit a few specific sites and fit the rest in if I could.

The one place I felt I couldn't miss (although it is a bit of a touist trap) was the Callanais Stones. I have seen photos of these stones before and had an idea in my head of the shots that I wanted to avoid, most of the work I had seen was of the whole site, morning, evening and night. So I set out to photograph smaller sections, and make the most of the showery weather to add atmosphere. This replaced the slow shutter speeds I couldn't do without getting the camera wet. I got a few decent shots this is one of my favorites. I will add more  as I work through the pile to be edited.