20 Oct 2009 | Coast, Landscape, Mountains, Scotland, Travel | No comments added... »
Lochan na h’Achlaise, Rannoch Moor, Scotland. With Stob Ghabhar and Clach Leathad in the distance, Black Mount to the right.
It could be argued only long journeys are worthwhile undertakings, certainly the lengths of which determine how much more we appreciate arriving at the intended destination. Nothing truer could be said about my voyage (mission!) to Scotland from the south west – though I write this on the eve of my trip to Hong Kong, despite a similar journey time length the distance covered is several times greater, isn’t modern travel great! I digress. After packing the car with everything required; necessary clothing, my trusty Canon cameras, an assortment of lenses, Macbook Pro and a somewhat sleepy dog – slotted somewhere under a bag of waterproofs and the Gitzo tripod – the wheels began rolling at 2am. I of course ensured I was surrounded by all manner of sugary goodness with a good air supply on hand to boot. To paraphrase an all time classic (and favourite of mine);
“It’s 562 miles to Scotland, we’ve got a full tank of gas, 3 packets of midget gems, it’s dark and my sunglasses are in here somewhere…”
“Hit it!”
(more…)
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16 Sep 2009 | Coast, Devon, Landscape | No comments added... »
After being openly challenged by a friend who’s photographic talents I greatly admire I resolved to head out and see what I could do today… (more…)
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13 Aug 2009 | Coast, Dorset, Landscape | 1 Comment »
Occasionally the clouds clear away and the UK does get some blue skies. Hasn’t happened much this summer though! I was immediately drawn to the band of pink that fades to blue just across the horizon but for lack of any foreground interest (being a rather open and pebbled beach) I settled for the dynamic approach and shot the movement of the water and thus create some foreground for me. With a moderately high depth of field I was able to strike a nice balance and capture the movement of the water around the stationary rocks, creating white trails as it receded back into the surf. This was taken down on the Dorset coastline not far from Lyme Regis and proves once in a while a nice evenings do roll by…I’m just hoping for a little more consistency in the weather to make photographic trips that bit more reliable rather than merely ‘trips’! I’ve also just revised, and in the process of updating, my wedding package(s) to keep it all simple, I’m hoping to have it up in place in the next week or so.
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13 Jul 2009 | B&W, Coast, Dorset, Landscape, Long Exposure | 1 Comment »
Well, I’m finally getting down to posting everything that’s been going on in the recent weeks. Not a great deal in one way and some good in another…building works, removal/moving and general heavy lifting has been hampering my time online – no bad thing really but then I’ve not been posting as much recently…um, at all! So, to kick things off anew here’s one from just the other day taken down on the Dorset coastline just next to the dramatic rock formation of Durdle Door. Quite a remarkable feature that really must be seen if ever in the area, and just around the corner (in opposite directions) are Bat’s hole and the famous Lulworth Cove. Geography field-trips abound with geological changes between rock types to enable such interesting creations, and it’s all here in the UK folks. Honestly, there’s no need to travel around the globe to see amazing landscapes – there’s so much just down the road to be found. On another trip I found the highest point in Dorset…some way from where this image was taken but still, found it I did and climb up it too, all 100 or so meters(!) but the views are unprecedented…I will return on a brighter day to create some images…
On another note it occurred to me this image (above) whilst perhaps not my most amazing shot ever does allude towards the direction I feel I’m heading, or at least find personally more rewarding and what I find moves me in terms of subject and style. I shall see what more develops as I explore my own findings and feelings towards this and report back later…
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01 Jun 2009 | Coast, Hannah White, Landscape, OSTAR, Sailing | No comments added... »
And so the day came to leave the safety of Plymouth and set sail for Newport, Rhode Island, USA. After a quick farewell from close family it was down to business to get the boat prep’ed for the voyage – due to start only a matter of hours away. the Eerily quiet docks betrayed an air of nervous tension as final adjustments were made. The following images document the run up to and first part of Day 1 of the OSTAR as it leaves Plymouth. Although mainly focused on Hannah I was able to capture a few clear shots of the other competitors – between all the heavy traffic following the soloists out of the harbour. It is assumed that all sailors experience such a cocktail of emotions about the task ahead. I hope the continuation of these images sheds a little more light on those moments perhaps often overlooked and rarely captured from the outside…
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28 May 2009 | Coast, Hannah White, OSTAR, Sailing, Travel | 1 Comment »
Although the start for the OSTAR happened a few days ago, the images that follow were shot on Sunday 24th May 2009, the evening before Hannah set sail…
I turned up in Plymouth on the evening of Sunday 24th May, 2009, the day before the start of the Original Single Handed Trans-Atlantic Race (OSTAR). I found Hannah and all her supporters a little way down the deck sharing a drink ahead of the big day. All around the other sailors were finishing their last day preparations it was a scene of organised chaos, with sails being folded and packed, lots of arm wavings and shoutings (mostly Italian!) mingling into the soft clinks as the boats rolled softly in the harbour swell. Periodically I had to jump to one side as piles food, clothes and gallons and gallons of fresh water were ferried to and fro on bulging trolleys, plastic bottles squeaking as they trundle along the jetty. Take a closer peek and I’d often spot the odd home comfort for the long voyage ahead, but this was usually limited to a small teddy bear due to the need to save weight though!
This was the first time I was to see her boat up-close and ‘in the flesh’ and it’s an impressive sight. With large logos across the bow and stern it sat alongside its fellow competitors ready and waiting for the challenge ahead. I was lucky to get a quick tour of the boat too, that’s to say I peered into the surprisingly roomy cabin – Hannah’s home from home for the next few weeks. Inside, the control hub of navigation and communication equipment bleeped and pinged quietly letting you know all was working just right. Further up into the bows, spare sails and ropes were waiting for their turn, around the corner were a couple of rudimentary bunks…I wondered how long she’ll get to use those!
Before I knew it the crowds had dwindled and I was there alone on the jetty taking in all that’s happened in the last hour or so. Hannah is surrounded by some very experienced sailors, many of whom were there to wish her well but more importantly I know she’s not entirely alone out there right now. She’ll be steaming into Newport in no time!
[part ii: Crossing the Line, coming soon!]
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28 May 2009 | Coast, Hannah White, Lightroom Presets, OSTAR, Sailing, Travel | No comments added... »
Well, given we’re going with the nautical theme at the moment here’s a preset that might be useful for other boaty types out there! Here Hannah White is leaving Plymouth on her yacht PureSolo…next stop Newport,RI, USA. Sa you can see its quite a punchy preset, I find it works best when in conjunction with a polariser filter. I have used it for portraits as well, might need a little tweeking to suit though. (more…)
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27 May 2009 | Coast, Hannah White, OSTAR, Sailing, Travel | No comments added... »
The above image was the incredible view I had when looking down onto the Sorcerer II from high up on the mast. Somewhat unrivaled views of the proceedings around me I think you’ll agree!
Its been all go since my last post. Coordinating Hannah’s blog posts, her website and various other tasks to get the word out take up a large chunk of time, actually its pretty fun doing it but also knowing I’m good at it too helps! The great news is I’ve just received word Hannah’s doing well out in the Atlantic ‘somewhere’ off the edge of Ireland. As she puts it “2 days down, 20 to go”. The conditions have been fairly fast and challenging for the first two days and she’s had no time to stop and send messages back save a phone call to the shore team to keep them up to speed. More good news is we’re now leading the pack on the media voting side of things, keep those votes coming!!
Don’t forget to pay a visit to the web page belonging to George, the RNLI bear, who is joining Hannah on her voyage across the Atlantic.
I am responsible for updating Hannah’s blogs when she sends back reports from the boat, both to her own website: http://blog.hannahwhiteracing.com and the official race website: http://www.jamorph.com/blogstar/ (there’s a prize for the sailor with the most votes too, just click on the stars below each of Hannah’s posts to register the vote). Now that the race has started it’s also possible to track her progress via gps http://www.ostar2009.co.uk/tracker.php (just click the map for coords.). There’s an interactive map I found only just last night at http://www.oceanracetrack.com/raceplayer/raceplayer.aspx?event=32
click on the ‘Pen Duick’ tab on the right and then PureSolo will appear, click on that tab to highlight Hannah’s boat! as far as I can tell she’s doing rather well. I’ll be putting up her images and videos if she gets time to do much of that as she’s going along, and I will also be sending back to her brief messages from friends to wish her well. So if you have any messages of encouragement to send to her either leave a comment on her blog(s) or email me (use the contact form on the website) and I’ll get it to her.
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30 Apr 2009 | Archie, B&W, Coast, Dog’s Life | No comments added... »
When in doubt about the approaching waves seek higher ground and watch from a safe distance!
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26 Apr 2009 | Coast, Dorset, Landscape | No comments added... »
Take a moment to compose before the rush hits you. Or get out of the way to let it pass!
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