To the Lighthouse
Sometimes a place makes you start smiling uncontrollably when you see it for the first time ever. We were only here for half an hour in a fierce and windy hangover from Storm Ciara, who by this time had moved on to batter other parts of the land before heading further east to trouble our friends in Scandinavia.
Point of Ayr Lighthouse sits on the North Wales coast, not far from the Dee estuary. Further research brought the surprising news that it was built as early 1776, and then even more surprising news that it fell into disuse nearly 140 years ago. I think it looks pretty good for its age, despite a visit with about 20 gallons of masonry paint being a tad overdue perhaps. Now privately owned, it has a reputation for being one of the most haunted buildings in Wales, with reports of a ghostly lighthouse keeper, possibly with a broken heart. If you've got a broken heart, a lighthouse might be a good place to stew in solitude I suppose. Especially one where you can nip out to get the shopping in at low tide.
The fact that this is the second of three images I'll be sharing from a single visit to this location is testimony to how engaging the place is. This one might be my own favourite, with the dunes blowing hazily as a frame to the subject and the high tide rolling in forcefully across the tiny remaining strip of exposed beach. Despite the strong wind, careful selection of a sheltered position and a sturdy tripod made it possible to use an ND filter and slow down the exposure time to catch the movement of both the dunes and the sea. It's a long way from home, but a location I've really fallen for and I'm already thinking about the compositions that might be on offer during low tide and dramatic light.
To the Lighthouse
Sometimes a place makes you start smiling uncontrollably when you see it for the first time ever. We were only here for half an hour in a fierce and windy hangover from Storm Ciara, who by this time had moved on to batter other parts of the land before heading further east to trouble our friends in Scandinavia.
Point of Ayr Lighthouse sits on the North Wales coast, not far from the Dee estuary. Further research brought the surprising news that it was built as early 1776, and then even more surprising news that it fell into disuse nearly 140 years ago. I think it looks pretty good for its age, despite a visit with about 20 gallons of masonry paint being a tad overdue perhaps. Now privately owned, it has a reputation for being one of the most haunted buildings in Wales, with reports of a ghostly lighthouse keeper, possibly with a broken heart. If you've got a broken heart, a lighthouse might be a good place to stew in solitude I suppose. Especially one where you can nip out to get the shopping in at low tide.
The fact that this is the second of three images I'll be sharing from a single visit to this location is testimony to how engaging the place is. This one might be my own favourite, with the dunes blowing hazily as a frame to the subject and the high tide rolling in forcefully across the tiny remaining strip of exposed beach. Despite the strong wind, careful selection of a sheltered position and a sturdy tripod made it possible to use an ND filter and slow down the exposure time to catch the movement of both the dunes and the sea. It's a long way from home, but a location I've really fallen for and I'm already thinking about the compositions that might be on offer during low tide and dramatic light.