Winter Sun in the Algarve

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Some snaps from a short trip to the Algarve last week in search of some winter sun. Carvoeiro was a lovely base to explore the area and especially this time of year when it was a pleasant temperature and quiet. The coast is pretty and dramatic in equal measure with the limestone cliffs shaped and splintered by the sea and sinkholes forming coves and caves that the area is famous for. We saw dolphins offshore, peregrines nesting in the cliffs and interesting plant life along the clifftops.

A trip inland to visit friends who have made Portugal their home was a chance to look at the unique way the land is used in the area. A bit dry this but quite interesting… Montado is a land management system that works as a sustainable form of agriculture evolved to cope with the climate challenges that the area faces with wet Springs and hot dry Summers. It’s an integrated mix of farming that works to provide produce in all conditions. The cork trees are a vital part of this system as they keep the soil healthy by offering shade from harsh summer sun, dropping leaves and providing an environment for plants to grow beneath the canopy. Animals can shelter and forage in this undergrowth which also serves to keep moisture from evaporating in the heat.

There is plenty of biodiversity within the undergrowth which then supports insect life and birds of which I counted at least 10 species in a short time using the Cornell Bird ID app which identified tree creepers, siskin, nuthatch and great spotted woodpecker among others. The cork trees are a species of Oak that will yield a harvest of cork once the tree reaches 25 years old. After around 10 years the cork will grow back to be harvested by Tiradors who work with small axes to carefully remove slabs of the outer bark. The numbers on the trunks refer to the last year the tree was stripped of its outer cork layer. A tree will provide a harvest for some 200 years. The whole system really relies upon the cork trees remaining economically viable so with the threat of plastic and screw stops to the market, the landscape is at risk. Also the heightened risk of wildfires due to climate change is a problem which is only going to get worse.

Anyway, the forests were lovely to walk around and I have a new appreciation for the cork in my bottles. More photos in the gallery below.

Valero Refinery

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Not the usual views from Pembrokeshire, but the industrial side of the county has always fascinated me. Around the Milford Haven waterway, the contrast between the natural, ancient beauty of the county and the modern landscape is stark and the reality of the technology that we still rely on for our everyday needs is clear to see. There’s not many places you can get a look at the refinery without access so I was only able to shoot these images on a long lens through the chainlink perimeter fence.

I found an interesting article here on the history of the Haven but this made me laugh as some might say it still has a ring of truth…

The haven had been used as a significant port since the Middle Ages but the modern-day town of Milford did not exist until 1792 when the first of the Nantucket Quakers arrived in west Wales from America and quickly made it their home.

Seven whaling families, fleeing from the American War of Independence, were encouraged to settle in the town by Sir William Hamilton, who was granted permission by Act of Parliament in 1790 to "provide Quays, Docks, Piers and other erections" and develop a new town.

Milford at this time was a rather bleak, unpopulated and undeveloped area with only a few scattered houses, two roads, and no amenities. The Quaker-whalers found it a strange experience, with one commenting: "Wales being a conquered country and the peasantry and yeomanry still speaking a different language from their conquerors, their civilisation did not keep pace with that of England. It was allowed to be a hundred years behind, and the manners and customs of all classes were of course very different from those of the English."

Snow in Pembrokeshire

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Being coastal we don’t see a lot of snow as the proximity of the sea and the prevailing Westerly winds generally keep the temperature too high for snow. Wednesday night was an exception with North and Easterly winds bringing a good couple of inches overnight. Seeing that the sun was rising with dramatic skies I flew the drone to get a good look at the scene and was glad I had batteries charged and ready to go. Seeing a familiar landscape under snow always brings a different dimension, and with amazing light it all made for some pretty unique views of my local spot.

Porthgain to Abereiddy

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I decided to go out on a proper photography mission last week with the intention of really trying to get some good shots in poor weather. It was something of a retro trip out to a favourite local walk I’ve done hundreds of times and I went with a fairly basic kit; just my 24-105 f4 which was the first lens I got when I got a serious camera. It’s a great lens and very versatile but sometimes it’s tempting to carry a heavy bag with a longer lens or to chuck in a fast prime ‘just in case’. The 105 gives enough length to get some compression in your shots and 24 is wide enough for most purposes so it’s a decent choice for a day out. The gallery below is in fairly chronological order starting with a shot through the wet windscreen out to the harbour at Porthgain while I waited for the rain to stop. I spent a lot of time on Traeth Llyfn trying to find a composition that worked. With the sun low in the southern sky and obscured by thick cloud it meant that the light was flat but also the far end of the beach was dull and in the shadow of what light there was. I tried a few long exposure shots but had difficulty finding a good angle on the rocky outcrops that stretch out like fingers from the cliffs at the back of the beach. Trying to find something for the foreground wasn’t really working for me until I got my feet wet and tried some long exposures with an ND filter smoothing out the textures in the water and sky. I’d gone out partly with the pictures of Michael Kenna in my head and was somewhat successful in getting what I wanted out of some of the shots.

I spent a good amount of time on the beach and was reminded why landscape photography (at least the way I do it) is best as a solitary activity. Walking back and forth along the beach and occasionally cursing myself and walking back to a spot I’d abandoned because I felt like there was definitely a shot to be had from a certain spot if I could just work harder to find it. Some textural shots from a closer study of the rocks and then I was ready to walk on before the tide started to threaten my safe departure. Walking around the corner towards Abereiddy provided a nice portrait of a sheep lit by the sun which was starting to find more gaps in the cloud before I arrived at quite a popular little lookout over the headland and beyond to the hills above St Davids. I got a nice sunset shot looking southwest along the coast with the elevation enough to get a good view. I’ve taken a few shots here over the years but not sure how many have been blessed with such nice light, the only one I processed in colour. After that it was time to head for home, slipping along those muddy winter paths.

Riverside

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A walk along the river at Lawrenny today and a trip to see a tree that I’d seen a picture of a long while ago but hadn’t got around to going to have a look at for myself. A gnarled and twisted old snag on the river bank. Its always a pleasure to spend a bit of time on the river, sandpipers, teal and egret fed in the mud and an old fox emerged into the sun on the far bank to sniff the air before slinking off.

A new word for me today - In forest ecology, a snag refers to a standing, dead or dying tree, often missing a top or most of the smaller branches.