To see this page as it is meant to appear, we ask that you please enable your Javascript!

Three Cliffs Bay – A hint of summer

Posted on April 30, 2013 by Ambience Fine Arts

There is no better place to find yourself on a gorgeous Spring/Summer evening than wondering the cliffs of Gower.

Three Cliffs Bay is no exception. Today I grabbed the opportunity to get out with my camera whilst walking Lucy (my beagle) around the cliffs. There were quite a few walkers and golfers along the cliff top but very few (if any) on the beach. Of course I won’t complain about the lack of people on the beach!

Here are a few of the images I took this evening

20130430-img_6608

20130430-img_6618-edit

20130430-img_6622-edit

To view other images in my gallery of Three Cliffs Bay please click here

Share with others ...

Caswell Bay: March 2013

Posted on March 20, 2013 by Ambience Fine Arts

Caswell Bay: March 2013

Today, 19th March, I was determined to try and capture a sunset after many failed attempts the previous evenings. Despite a rainy start to the day I was glad to see the weather changed to my favour. My other obstacles were to try and avoid people on this very popular beach and also to try and minimise the appearance of footprints/mess in the sand. Fortunately with the tide being so far out and with lots of wet sand I was able to avoid both. As a bonus I love how the wet sands create gorgeous reflections from the sky.

Below are three of the images I created from this evening’s trip. As previously mentioned on my facebook / flickr profiles you can see how light can change dramatically in such a limited space of time.

This first image was taken at 17.49

This second image was taken at 17.52

And this third image was taken at 18.10 proving that with the help of orientation light can change in dramatic ways.

To view other images in my gallery of Caswell please click here

Share with others ...

Rhossili: Astrophotography

Posted on February 25, 2013 by Ambience Fine Arts

I wonder, can I call this astrophotography? To be honest it doesn’t seem worthy of the title. As far as the technical side, it was so much easier than I thought it was going to be.

During the last weekend, Dan Santillo invited me to visit Rhossili to try some night time photography. I’m used to long exposures so this was not a challenge. However, attempting to shoot the stars was something I’d never before been able to do but, being the type of person who has great respect for our solar system, I jumped at the chance. This type of photography intimidates me slightly but I felt comfortable knowing that Dan would be there to give me guidance. He is a great teacher/mentor.

My son, Sam, has recently returned from a skiing trip so I was fully prepared for the cold winds of Rhossili! Equipped with the thickest of socks, thermals, ski gloves, neck warmer, two layers of fleece, appropriate warm trousers and my reliable Berghaus Gortex coat I excitedly set off. It was a strange feeling setting off after the sun has gone. I normally fight against time to get there before the sun sets or at the very least trying to get there just before the sun rises.

I’d certainly like to try this again and am looking forward to opportunities that come my way.

Share with others ...

Pobbles: February 2013

Posted on February 25, 2013 by Ambience Fine Arts

Sometimes we forget what we have until it has been taken away from us. Good health is no exception. For the fit and well daily activities are a breeze even if a nuisance, however for some people daily activities are too difficult to tackle. Fighting with yourself to try and live a normal life might seem like a hell of a statement but others might nod in agreement.

I have been a long term sufferer of migraine. I didn’t realise how bad it was until I was blessed with it’s relief. I sympathise with those who struggle and who fight the enormous efforts to perform the simplest of tasks. I have found some relief and yesterday was able to go walking with Lucy (beagle) and my camera equipment. It wasn’t a long walk but the trail from Pobbles beach back to the main road is not a path to be misinterpreted as easy.

I was blessed with a lovely sunset, a well behaved beagle and a gorgeous evening. Unfortunately the sand was well walked/trampled on causing it to look very ‘messy’ in places but I tried to capture it as well as I could.

Hopefully this is the start to good health, long walks, happy times and, most importantly, improved landscape photography.

For more images of Pobbles, please go to this page

20130215-IMG_6281-Edit

Share with others ...

Pennard Cliffs – Lit by moonlight

Posted on October 28, 2012 by Ambience Fine Arts

On arriving home from a day out I could see the potentially amazing sunset about to take place. As soon as we pulled up to the house I ran to grab my camera and tripod. I drove to the closest possible area that would allow me to catch the rapidly setting sun. Unfortunately, as predicted, I missed sunset but I’d already caught my eyes on a backup plan. As I’ve only just had my favourite landscape lens returned from the service centre I HAD to try and capture something to make sure it was successfully repaired.

After admitting defeat to the sun I then went to find the backup location. It’s a viewpoint I’ve passed many times before but never thought to photograph. However, the moon was in perfect position and I’m quite pleased with the results. It’s so good to have my trustee Sigma 10-20mm lens back!

Edit: 13/11/2012

Today I found another image from the same evening.

IMG_05413-Edit-2

Share with others ...

It’s been worth the wait … (or at least I think so)

Posted on October 24, 2012 by Ambience Fine Arts

I am sorry that I have been on the quiet side over the past month or so, however I hope that after seeing the collection below you will agree that it has been worth the wait. Let me explain…

This weekend I had the pleasure of watching my younger sister marry her best friend and soulmate. This special event brought families and friends from all over the world to the beautiful Gower peninsula. We had an incredible day followed by fun times with the family during a post wedding day breakfast on Saturday morning and then more dinner on Sunday.

I love how weddings bring out the best in everyone. They allow a moment in time to cherish the ones you love, remember the ones you’ve lost and forget any worries you might have. Most importantly, the loving couple share with you the most intimate and important day of their lives. What else can possibly be more romantic?

My sister’s day was perfect and was filled with gestures of love, care and respect for each other as well as their guests. The usual start to the day took place with the bridal party all getting ready in a somewhat relaxed excitement. The father of the bride however took an alternative approach and took to confinement in the garage making the most quaint little gate for the back garden (pic below). Perhaps with a house full of women this was a very wise thing to do.

Before leaving in the wedding car I had a very quick opportunity to take a few snaps …

Catrin-Wedding-1

Above you see some detail of the bridal hair starting to take place. You also see the garden where my parents worked hard in readiness for the big day. And we can never forget Jen, our treasured family friend and also the much loved Ellie (Westie) who is recovering from a significant period of ill health.

Catrin-Wedding-2

Here you can see one of the bridesmaids (the other being me, hiding behind the camera).

Catrin-Wedding-3

All is now complete and it is time to leave. The beautifully elegant bride making her way down the stairs and accompanies my father in the garden.

Catrin-Wedding-4

With proud parents on either arm the bride has a few last minute pictures before making her way to the bridal car. The little gate on the right is what my dad made on the morning of the wedding!! What a dude!

Unfortunately I had to leave in a rush before my sister was able to get into the bridal car so I couldn’t take any further photos. I also had to leave the camera at home and missed out on capturing the candy cart, magician, fire dancers and more! Never mind

Maybe one day I’ll be confident and lucky enough to capture other people’s special day. Maybe ….

Share with others ...

Portraits

Posted on August 19, 2012 by Ambience Fine Arts

When talking to my better half the other day about the damage to one of the lenses I use for landscape photography, he made a suggestion that this could be an ideal time to practice other types of photography.

With this idea planted, I ploughed ahead and decided to try portraits. I’ve had an idea for a while of a type of portrait shot I’d like to try but haven’t yet had a chance to pursue it. I wanted to use a single light source (off camera flash) which highlighted a few small features on the face/clothing. I wanted the image to be something that my son would like to use as social network profile pictures or perhaps a portrait to reflect his years of growing.

Here are a few of the images that I took a couple of days ago. This is just a starting point and I hope to produce a variety of images but this will depend on the cooperation of the model.

For those interested in off camera flash (more popularly known as strobist) both images were taken using a Canon 7D, 24-70mm, 1/250 F Canon 430EX II Flash unit @70mm -1/30, to right of model.

IMG_05063bw

Share with others ...

Fall Bay: A visit with highs and lows

Posted on August 14, 2012 by Ambience Fine Arts

And I’m not talking about the tide!!

Fall Bay is one beach that I’ve overlooked in the past. I very much regret this now as it has so much potential. For the less able it isn’t easy to reach but for those who can it offers many rewards.

We walked to Fall Bay from Rhossili (you can also reach Fall Bay from Mewslade). After walking the main path in Rhossili I followed the path around the east side of the cliffs. After approximately half a mile you reach a dip and then a little hill. Once over the little hill you are rewarded with gorgeous coastal views. The rock formations here I think are similar to that of the Glamorgan Heritage Coast. I’m no geologist however, so I could be completely wrong.

Here is a link which will show you a map of the route we took to reach Fall Bay:

http://gb.mapometer.com/walking/route_2211854.html

During this visit to Fall Bay, my camera fell onto the rocks whilst on the tripod. It seems this beach is suitably named! My camera, lenses, filters and tripod can all add up to a pretty penny so I generally look after them very well, being careful to clean/wipe over them after trips to the beach, waterfalls etc as well as making sure they are secure and safe at all times. That way I get the best use out of what I have. Unfortunately during my trip to Fall Bay last week circumstances led to my second ever camera accident (the first being when I fell over whilst clambering over rocks at a waterfall location with friends). I was so distraught and had to wait until I got home to investigate the full damage. Luckily the filter has been removed from the lens and apart from a few minor thread issues everything seems to be fine (touch wood). The filter on the other hand will never see another working day again

Despite this bit of bad luck, we were delighted to see what I assume to be Grey seals in the water surrounding the bay. Unfortunately I did not have a suitable lens with me to capture them but my son, Sam, briefly caught this image (click here to follow the link to Flickr, a photo sharing website). We also saw something else. I’m not sure if it was a seal or perhaps a porpoise, perhaps you can make up your own mind:

IMG_04899-Edit-crop

It was overall a good day despite the damage caused to some of my equipment. Here are some of the other images which I hope you will enjoy.

IMG_04896-Edit-BW

IMG_04899-Edit-bw

IMG_04910-Edit-bw

For more images of Fall Bay please see my online gallery (click here )

Share with others ...

Wow! Oxwich…

Posted on July 6, 2012 by Ambience Fine Arts

Dan had kindly invited me along to another sunset. This time he was planning on shooting from Penmaen overlooking Oxwich. Oxwich is a particularly awkward beach for a landscape photographer and with my sister’s wedding approaching soon (at the Oxwich Bay Hotel) I was very keen to give it a go. Along the way we passed Great Tor, another great new area that I wish to revisit, although with all the dead vegetation along the coast it wasn’t particularly picturesque on this occasion. It didn’t help when I spotted a large crowd of people on the beach, we carried on walking.

Along the coastal path, we continued to contemplate which particular point would be best to stop at. Then Dan spotted an overgrown path so I followed him ….

Wow! There’s not much else I could say as I approached this viewpoint. Even more incredible, this place is within approximately 2.5miles from my home … walking distance!

After each new landscape shoot I seem to be gaining relief from my fear of heights. Once again I was on a ledge that was relatively small and I seemed to cope pretty well. There was a point where I was a little too close for comfort and saw an extreme drop within a meter of my feet! I stepped back very carefully with a little ‘whoa’ escaping from my lips!!!!

I really hope to visit this place again soon, even if it’s only to walk the dog. Amazing!

Edit: 24th July 2012

Trying to look through and catch up with some older images. This image was taken looking in the opposite direction to the ones above. In the distance you can see Great Tor and further on the cliffs belonging to Pennard Burrows.

Please click on the image to enlarge.

Share with others ...

Pennard Burrows – Please Read!!

Posted on June 16, 2012 by Ambience Fine Arts

It might be that you’re not really bothered, that you don’t care or that you genuinely aren’t aware but I wanted to show people what goes on in a place awarded ‘Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty’.

I walk passed this nearly every day, sometimes I forget it’s there, other times I can’t believe what has happened.

Pennard Burrows stretches along both the villages of Southgate and Pennard, it is one of the main access points to Three Cliffs Bay – a hugely popular tourist attraction. Pennard Burrows is also home to Pennard Golf Club who have used this area for as long as I can remember.

One thing I should highlight is that this area is also a dedicated area of common land and is frequently visited by cows and horses, probably more correct if I were to name them the Gower Ponies. I don’t believe I have seen the ponies in this area for a number of years. I am unsure why.

Some of the residents of Pennard might not be aware but I understand discussions are taking place with a view to extending the current use of the golf course to include a Junior Course – please see Minutes from the recent council meeting on 15th May 2012 (click here).

Disruption

Various degrees of work have taken place on the golf course over the last few years as well as on Pennard Burrows. I believe the National Trust might also be involved with the conservation of the burrows by installing/maintaing paths etc. This tries to encourage the natural population of wildflowers etc which are so beautiful to look at.

Unfortunately, amongst all the work that has been taking place, I have noticed that areas of grassland have been uprooted to create pieces of ‘turf’ and large amounts of ‘rubble’ have been dumped leaving mud, stones, boulders visible for all to see.

Below are various images that have been dated for your reference. Some of the images highlight the beauty of the area and what lies within it, other images highlight the ‘dumping’ ground it has become. Even if, unknown to me, creating these ‘dumping’ areas provide some sort of benefit to the wildlife it certainly isn’t in keeping with its surroundings.

For your info, Pennard Burrows is a dedicated area of specialist scientific interest and is home to some rare species of wildlife such as the yellow whitlowgrass, (Draba aizoides) and the Chough. It is also within Gower, the first place to be nominated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty – hardly a true picture when you see the images below.

19.05.2012

19.05.2012

19.05.2012

19.05.2012

19.05.2012

19.05.2012

19.05.2012

I don’t claim to know the true facts about what is going on but I am concerned. I fear less land will be available for the public to use. As it stands today, many people pass and greet each other in this area. I would go as far as to say that we have a great ‘dog’ community in this area where the dogs play and socialise. Dog socialisation is very important and actually helps to reduce dog attacks – they become friendly and familiar at a young age.

I also fear the wildflowers that are growing well in this area may be put at risk.

If you can produce information that might be related to the above I would be very grateful. If you have concerns regarding this development I would advise you contact Pennard’s newly appointed councillor Lynda James – please click here for a list of Pennard Councillors and their contact information.

Share with others ...

Sgwd Ddwli Uchaf, Brecon Beacons National Park

Posted on June 10, 2012 by Ambience Fine Arts

Following on from yesterday’s post I wanted to add a few more images that I was simply too tired to look at last night. The first is of a mini fall on route to Sgwd Gwladus and the latter two images are of Sgwd Ddwli Uchaf. Unfortunately I didn’t take many of Sgwd Y Bedol or Sgwd Ddwli Isaf due to intrusive fallen debris but I’ll try again hopefully later in the year.

Waterfall walking up towards Sgwd Gwladus

Sgwd Ddwli Uchaf

Sgwd Ddwli Uchaf

Edit: 28/01/2013

Sgwd Ddwli Uchaf

IMG_04473-Edit

Share with others ...

Pontneddfechan Waterfalls

Posted on June 9, 2012 by Ambience Fine Arts

Today I had the pleasure of walking with my 12yr old son, Sam, and our 2yr old beagle, Lucy. After many previous failed attempts we finally made our arrival to Pontneddfechan Waterfalls.

For those unaware, this is a relatively easy walk that now and again challenges your fear of heights but promptly rewards you with spectacular waterfalls, many of which are well known to those who live in South Wales.

I have been to this area before but never managed to visit all of the falls. I have heard that the local pub, The Angel, are understandably protective of their carpark (admittedly I have parked here before although a walk usually follows a coffee/tea in the pub so I don’t suppose they would mind) and other facilities so I urge you to respect their property if you ever take part in this walk.

Approaching The Angel pub I notice that they are jam packed with cars and the road outside is nearly full (I managed to obtain the last space). I quickly ran over to what I thought was the National Trust shop only to find it has a new Waterfall Centre in it’s place. This is great! The little shop has been transformed into a bigger facility that seems to be doing well. I had a little chat with the friendly staff and made my return to the car (after collecting a map as I intended to travel further than we managed).

For your info here is a link to the Waterfall Centre: http://www.breconbeacons.org/visit-us/information-centres-new/waterfalls-centre-pontneddfechan

After we were all geared up Sam, Lucy and I made our way to the start of the trail (the bridge to the right of The Angel pub). I was amazed to see how much money had been spent on this area; new public toilets, new path opening (the gate is no longer there) and the paths have been very well maintained. I have to say walking as a single young (ish) female with her son can be a little daunting at times but I felt completely at ease throughout the whole walk.

I was initially quite surprised to see that many of the falls within this walk are not on the leaflets given at the Waterfall Centre, however on closer inspection they are there (in brackets).

Like the post for the trip to the National Botanic Garden of Wales, here are some sample images and I hope to submit more as time goes on.

Sgwd Ddwli Uchaf to follow …..

Sgwd Gwladus (previously known to me as Sgwd Gwladys)

Sgwd Gwladus (previously known to me as Sgwd Gwladys)

Looking back down the river

A little mouse who unfortunately I couldn’t get in focus! They do run quite fast!

Share with others ...

National Botanic Garden of Wales

Posted on May 29, 2012 by Ambience Fine Arts

This weekend I had the great pleasure of visiting the National Botanic Garden of Wales with a good friend of mine, Angela. This place is an excellent example on how to be self sufficient and have a wonderful collection of both native and foreign plants. I felt it necessary to create this post so that periodically I can add images to a particular section (I think it might take me a while to go through all the images I took – oops, thank goodness for digital technology).

I hope you enjoy looking at this collection.

For your info I have included a map on how to find this fabulous place xx

View Larger Map

Share with others ...

Whiteford Sands

Posted on May 18, 2012 by Ambience Fine Arts

Dan kindly invited me down to Whiteford Sands on Saturday evening. It’s quite a trying walk but well worth a visit.

Let me explain further…

Not long after starting the walk I noticed an area that had been cordoned off just before the opening to the beach. Then I saw the most magnificent bird flying past, followed by some peculiar noises and lots of other similar birds. My first ever lapwing encounter! I was so chuffed. Poor Dan entertained my excitement but I knew I was just boring him. Even now I still can’t believe I saw them!

Further on we saw little snails that had left trails in the sand. This is not something I am familiar with despite living within walking distance of two to three beaches.

We also saw cowslip, a plant my nan used to tell me about when I was young but very very rarely saw (if ever at all)!

I am sure there were more things to report but I can’t think of them right now.

After this trip I became humble at how our nation allows organisations to practice protection for areas and the containing wildlife. Going back to nature is something we should do more often (although I’ve learnt recently that in Whiteford some do it a little bit more literally than others!!!!!).

For those that might be interested, regrettably I did not come across any Fen Orchid.

Please find below some images from this walk.

Share with others ...

New places to visit: Great Tor

Posted on May 12, 2012 by Ambience Fine Arts

Despite being around the corner from where I live, I have never been here before! It’s shameful. This is such a gorgeous beach and so deserves every publicity.

This photo was taken on my first visit to the beach on 12th April 2012. Unfortunately I’ve been busy with some portrait photos so have been unable to look through them properly until now.

Share with others ...

Sharing Buttons by Linksku