MOST RECENT
A curlew coming in to land at Teifi Marshes, as a cygent looks on. I liked here the contrast of slow smooth motion in one direction of the cygnet set against the faster and jerkier motion of the landing curlew, going in the opposite direction; and it almost looks as if the curlew is leapfrogging over the cygnet’s back. As the day was coming to an end and the light was low, even with a high ISO value the shutter speed was relatively low, hence the blurred wingtips: but I’m hoping that contributes positively to the sense of motion…
It was a very good mid--October day for this egret! I watched it catch at least three eels and three dragonflies in the space of about half an hour. The egret must have looked very scary to its prey, and I have tried to frame the image with that in mind. It’s always hard to photograph white birds, as it is so easy to over-expose them, but then you lose and the texture and detail of its feathers
Dolgoch Falls, near to the base of Cader Idris in Southern Eryri. I made several photos of this splendid cascade, filling up the space with the falls; but looking back whilst climbing up through the wood, I realized that this view, from afar, would be my favourite: the golden glow from the back of the woods, the leaning branches, the moss and overhanging growth, all embracing the pure jewel of the falls with its double cascade. To me this jad the right form to tell the story I wanted to tell.
I love Cwm Bychan, in southern Eryri, overlooked by the Rhinog mountains. Autumn is a special time here. This photograph features fast moving water, the colours of early autumn, and a splendid ancient tree with beautifully shaped branches overlooking the stream, as if keeping the stream in its embrace. I wanted to convey the rushing water and an intimate feeling of mystery.
Mwnt is one of the iconic beaches in Ceredigion, and near to my home. I had the pleasure of spending a day of photography with my friend and fellow photographer Nigel Thomas; we walked away from the beach along the coastal path to find some wonderful views which are a little different to the normal ones which are found in the tourist promotions and postcards. I chose a long exposure for this image; in the background is the beach (directly above the left hand side of which is barely visible the chapel which features in the next photograph). The weather hadn’t looked very promising light-wise, but we eventually got some subdued sunlight which brought out the varied colours on the cliff and the turquoise of the sea; it’s a game that needs patience as well as caution, as my tripod was perched near to the cliff’s edge!
Capel y Mwnt at Night. A three-minute exposure was required for this image which brought out part of the Milky Way as well as hints of the aurora, which was present that night. I’m very happy with the combination of the chapel, the gravestones, the sea and in particular the aurora-tinged sky with such clear stars and some moody clouds. Capel y Mwnt (Mwnt chapel) is still in use for services and occasional concerts etc. and a very special place!
Another image of Mwnt from the same night as the previous one. I chose a very wide angle for this shot. More of the aurora is visible and the various lines in the image lead to the chapel in the centre, and I think I’ve managed to capture the essence of the place.
A sunset image of Mwnt and a view that most people would associate with this place. From the same day as the earlier image, Nigel and I returned to the beach for sunset. We had great hopes for the sky to light up in a massive display, but it didn’t quite happen as we’d hoped, and yet I think we got some good images, and the clouds directly above the beach make the image despite not being the gorgeous reds and oranges we had hoped for. You have to be open to unexpected conditions, and at times they yield a better image than what you may have had in your mind’s eye! Certainly, this puts the focus onto the beach and the gentle orange reflections on the water.
The rapids/waterfall at Henllan on the river Teifi. This is a location near to my home and somewhere I visit frequently. I think this is the best image I have got here, with all the conditions in my favour. The late summer foliage gives a lush and almost romantic feel to the location, and the amount and speed of water flow was perfect to give a sense of rushing powerful water, yet not so high that the water covers all the interesting rocks. I also wanted a strong sense of the water opening out of the narrow channel at the bottom.
I love the curlew: such a unique and characterful bird with its long curved beak and small head. I’m sure I’m anthropomorphising, but they seem to have a rather weird expression which I am drawn to. I’ve entitled this photo “Curlew Conclave”. I had to wait patiently for the background birds to line up in the best way for the photo, as they are not susceptible to instructions!
A greenshank at Teifi Marshes. This is a very elegant wader, and I was happy with its pose, one leg deftly poised above the water. Behind was a sleeping ruff, whose presence in the photo I like, having at first thought that it was somewhat in the way. One of the hides at the wildlife centre is aptly named “Creek Hide” and the best time to visit this is as the tide approaches high tide. On this occasion there were as few greenshanks, around ten curlews, ruffs, dunlins and a variety of ducks.