A New Year and still the beach beckons..

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So, 2012 is here and ’tis the season to reflect on the previous 12 months and make plans for the year ahead.  2011 was a busy year for me, and I had the opportunity to show some of my work at quite a number of local events including the Wirral Open Studio Tour, the Festival of Firsts and the Heswall Arts Festival.  It was fantastic to be part of these cultural events which showcased the work of so many talented Wirral artists and I’m hoping that all these will take place once again this year – watch this space!

Inevitably perhaps, increased opportunities to exhibit my work has involved spending lots of time preparing for each event and in recent months I have really struggled to find any time at all for photography. It was therefore extremely therapeutic to finally get my camera out earlier this week and make a few images.  Gale force winds, stormy skies and a low tide combined to create rather dramatic conditions down on the beach at Hoylake.  At low tide the beach stretches a good mile out from the shore before it reaches the sea and aside from a couple of solitary boats, there’s nothing to get in the way of the sand as it whips across the landscape.

Hopefully these images convey a little of what it felt like to be out on the windswept sands with just an old fishing boat for company!

For most of my life I have lived a stone’s throw from the coast and living here on the Wirral peninsula, surrounded as we are by the sea, it is this coastline that I am generally drawn to when it comes to making images.  Our west coast weather is pretty changeable and from a photographic point of view  we are spoilt with some wonderful light, dramatic skies and stunning sunsets.

I’m sure that this year will find me once again heading down to the beach to seek inspiration amongst the sand patterns, reflections and rock formations.  We have a trip planned to the small Scottish Isle of Eigg in April which I’m really excited about.  Laig Bay, with it’s dramatic rock formations and spectacular views across to the mountains of Rum, has long been a popular location for landscape photographers and will be a treat indeed.

However I hope this year will also see me having the time to explore new subjects and take on new photographic challenges. I have just started work on a new personal photographic project, ‘Amongst Trees’ – a chance for me to move away from my comfort zone of the beach and explore our local woodlands.  I  hope to be able to post some images very soon!

 

Open Eye Gallery Reopens

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The Open Eye Gallery has just officially unveiled its new premises down at Liverpool’s redeveloped waterfront.  Open Eye is the only dedicated photography gallery in the North West of England and was previously located in a  much smaller building in Wood Street.  The new gallery at Mann Island is modern, light and spacious, is spread over two floors and also includes a small shop.

The opening exhibition features work by two photographers, Mitch Epstein and Chris Steel-Perkins.  Mitch Epstein’s work, “American Power” examines the role of energy in the United States and his large format prints are certainly striking.  Upstairs is “The Pleasure Principle”, a portrait of England in the 1980′s by Chris Steele-Perkins.

As well as a full programme of exhibitions, the gallery has various photographic workshops planned, including a series covering large format film photography later this month.  For details check out their website at www.openeye.org.uk.

The new Open Eye Gallery building at Mann Island

"American Power" - Main Exhibition by Mitch Epstein

"The Pleasure Principle" Archive Exhibition by Chris Steele-Perkins

 

End of Summertime

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British Summertime officially came to an end last night, the clocks went back an hour and I find that I’m looking forward to the winter months ahead.  From a photographic perspective, winter light can be the most spectacular of all the seasons.  And for someone who hates getting up early in the morning, the darker mornings mean there’s much greater chance of me being able to capture the dawn light!

The image below was made just after sunrise this morning, out on the Estuary at Meols.  Most of the boats that are usually moored there have been brought in for their winter maintenance, but a few remain, waiting patiently for the tide.

"First Dawn of Winter", Meols

A Blog?

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Since becoming serious about photography a couple of years ago, I have joined the many thousands of photographers who post their images on photo-sharing websites such as Flickr or Aminus3.  I’ve learnt a lot from fellow photographers on these and other online forums, both technically and creatively, and I know my ability to make photographic images has improved as a result.

I’m not sure I’m much of a writer –  I feel much more comfortable making images than talking about them!  However, I feel it’s now my turn to pass on some of the tips I’ve learned on my photographic journey so far, and a blog is probably the easiest way to do just that…

So, a few (hopefully useful) photographic tips, the occasional tutorial and the opportunity for me to post some of the images that don’t make it onto my main portfolio site.