sea and light perspective

Scottish Seas 2 – Evening Tide

Whether it is the ebb or the flow of the tide, the sea has a gentle gradient to cover in this part of South West Scotland. That does not always mean the waves are gentle but on this occasion the roughest it got can be seen in the third image of the sequence below.

evening ebb

The appearance of the weather in that image is exaggerated by the heavy grain effect I gave it. I like the effect but it tells a lie about the conditions, making them appear less favourable than they wereContinue reading

bumpy surface

Scottish Seas 1 – All Quiet on the South West Coast

From Scottish skies last week to Scottish seas this week and all is still and quiet – the gentle ripples on surface and sand reflect the warm breeze of an unusually warm Summer.

tidal ripple

No drama in the form of storms and crashing waves, just the peaceful lap of the gentlest of tides and the hot hazy light that so often disguised the horizon and prompted me, on occasion, to play with focus.Continue reading

sunset silhouette

Scottish Skies 3 – Sunset Silhouettes and Impressions

The silhouettes of stacked and jagged rocks and dark hills give a realistic impression of the scene they describe, but it is an impression. The camera (without any filters) provides more contrast than is there in reality and there have been occasions when I have increased that contrast further in order to provide a better sense of what the scene felt like.

sunset sentinel

The Impressionists did a similar thing in painting scenes that, while not perhaps accurately or photographically depicted, gave a more accurate impression or sense of life. Photorealism in paintingContinue reading

Sunset Scotland

Scottish Skies 2 – Evening Light

The evening light in my selected shots of sunsets in SW Scotland show the changing scene from day to day from different viewpoints. Almost all the photos were taken on different evenings but it is easy to take many, many photographs throughout just one evening as the sun sinks down and the light and shade and colours change above in the sky and below in the bay.

Low tide and lowering sun

Fewer clouds this year might have meant less drama, but I don’t think that is ever the case in this place. The skyscape / landscape / seascape is always mesmerising and holds my attention,Continue reading

Sea lines

Light and Lines

By the end of my walk this week on Aberavon Beach the light had brightened to the point of dazzlement. We didn’t have a blue sky but the sunlight was bleaching in its brightness and the heat was clearly making a dip in the sea an attractive option for many.

a day on the beach

Having walked the length of the beach, we turned around and walked back along the promenade where I found myself noticing some of the lines and anglesContinue reading

wave chaos

Approaching Dawn Down on the Seafront

The darkness lifted ever so slowly as I proceeded on my walk this week from city centre to seafront in the approaching dawn. Having traversed the Maritime Quarter with its shadow patterns and reflections (see previous post) and experiencing a hint of the cold wind to come, I emerged onto the seafront behind a stainless steel sail sculpture and quickly retreated back behind the corner of the building by my side.

Urban Dawn Walk

It was cold and wild and the distant blue-grey light on the eastern horizon gave no hint of how the day may turn out. The tide was high and the waves crashed against each otherContinue reading

Pwlldu Bay Gower

Project Recce Walk – Pwlldu Bay Stones

My walk this week reveals another area of the South Gower coast I had not visited before – Pwlldu (or Pwll Du). Approaching the bay from Bishopston Valley meant I couldn’t see the sea until I was on top of the huge bank of stones originally deposited there as waste from quarrying nearby.

Pwlldu Bay stones

Having taken longer than expected to navigate the rough terrain and muddy footpath in Bishopston Valley, we sat down on the stones in the sunshine fro eat our sandwiches before exploring the bay a little and throwing stones into the lagoon which has formed at the mouth of Bishopston Pill as a result of the banks of stones. Details about these unusual banks of stone can be found on Jessica’s Nature Blog.

Is there a creature in that dark lagoon creating those expanding ripples or is it just the effect of our splashing stones?

 

dark day at the beach

Beachscapes, Space and Light

One of the best things about a big beach or bay is the sense of space and the quality of light to be found.

The south west coast of Scotland has been popular with artists for many years and Kirkcudbright is known as the artists’ town with a number of important and influential artists having lived and worked there in the past. Continue reading