I always try and get down to the Skatepark in Haverfordwest for the annual Summer Jam. It’s always a great event and brilliant to see a facility being so well used. It’s a tribute to the people who put the effort in to get it built that so many kids are using it and developing into great riders. I got there late this year but here’s a few pics that are better off here than on my hard drive never to see the light of day.
Studio portraits
After a little while of experimenting with taking portraits I’m now offering this as a service. Whether you would like a portrait taken simply for your own reasons or if you need images for professional use, get in touch and we can arrange a shoot. If you’ve felt uncomfortable in front of the camera in the past, be assured of an informal and relaxed atmosphere.
Since starting out with taking pictures of friends I’ve found portraiture to be a fascinating branch of photography. Unsurprising really as I suppose portraiture is at the heart of photography, the human form the original subject and so many faces having been recorded over the decades since the first images were made. Maybe rather grandiose words but there’s something magic about getting the light right and capturing a special image of a person. Anyway, here are some of my favourites…
Costa Rica
In April I went to Costa Rica for a holiday. Not being well equipped for serious wildlife photography my aim was to enjoy the trip and to get some shots where I could. Costa Rica is a country that makes it easy to get wildlife pictures even if you are under gunned as far as a long lens is concerned. With so many birds and animals around, you can find yourself in close proximity and therefore able to get good images. Costa Rica has made itself the number one destination for eco tourism and it really delivers with so many national parks and wildlife centred attractions. The country as a whole has a lot to teach us; with no army, high standards of education and healthcare and almost totally powered from renewable sources; it seems to be doing a lot of things right. The people also seem to be totally onboard with the way the country has embraced ecology based tourism as a major income stream. Everybody we met was very proud of the wildlife that we had come to see and were happy to share their knowledge by pointing out the things we could hear but not see, or that were hidden away in the dense cloud forests. All in all we were impressed and inspired by what we saw. A beautiful country, wonderful people and summed up by the phrase ‘Pura Vida’; a phrase the locals use as greeting and farewell or pure exclamation of joy. Meaning ‘Pure Life’, you really do get the feeling that life in Costa Rica really is how life should be; lived in harmony with the environment and recognising it’s value to the people and to the wider world. Since returning to Wales I still find myself missing seeing hummingbirds flitting around the bushes or large iguanas hanging around in the sun. Both sites that you soon get used to. Also, the country has great surf, volcanoes and amazing coffee!
Ben Ottewell
Ben Ottewell from the band Gomez played the St Davids City Hall on Friday night. It was a special night for lots of people in the audience as Ben’s distinctive voice has been part of the soundtrack to life for a good few years. The album Bring It On wasn’t ever far from the CD player long after it came out in 1998 and the following year, Liquid Skin peaked at number 2 in the album charts and cemented their reputation.
At the Q awards John Lee Hooker held a stack of Gomez albums in his hand. The blues legend, who held the discs without being prompted, astonished the audience with his praise. 'I done listen to this record over and over and I can't find no defect,' Hooker said. 'The kids like it, and the older folks are gonna catch up real soon.' - Reported by The Morning Call
Along with some Gomez favourites, Ottewell plays his own songs at live shows including a few from his latest album; A Man Apart. The distinctive voice is still great and the songs, new and old, are timeless.
Rosie Jacobs Designs
in Studio, Commercial, People
I did some studio work for Rosie Jacobs Designs recently. Rosie is a Pembrokeshire based designer producing handmade scarfs from selected tweeds. I own one of her pieces myself and they’re beautifully made, unique and super stylish. We had a great shoot with Lily, a Cardiff based model and Mat modelling the mens collection.
Wales Coast Path - Mother Goose Films
in Landscape, Commercial
Working with Mother Goose Films, I spent a good deal of last Summer out and about shooting pictures along the length of the Wales Coast Path for their marketing resource. All the way from the Southern start on the Severn, along the Glamorgan coast, Gower and Pembrokeshire, through Ceredigion up to the Llyn Peninsula, Anglesea and the North Wales coast to the other end of the path near Chester. At 870 miles we didn’t quite cover every footstep but certainly shot some highlights. It was at times exhausting but always great fun and despite battling with poor conditions in some locations; waiting for the light to show the landscape at its best, we managed to get a collection of images and video from the length of the path that really shows off what a wonderful resource it is. As a long distance walking route or for a quick dog walk; it’s really very special to be able to walk every mile of the Wales coast.
If I travel to North Wales it is usually to head to the mountains and if I go East it’s usually for the draw of the city as we are somewhat spoiled by the wonderful coastline here in Pembrokeshire; but it was a revelation to get to spend time on lots of other parts of the Welsh coast and the path takes you through the lot. From industrial sites backing up onto the sea, to estuaries, towering cliffs, huge beaches and hidden bays, woodland, big city and tiny village, the path covers a lot of terrain. It was also a pleasure to meet up with so many lovely people along the way. Everyone had a story to tell about why they are drawn to the coast and what the path means to them as part of their daily lives or as a holiday destination.
The images are now available to use as part of a marketing toolkit for businesses or individuals requiring pictures from the coast path…
https://visitwales.photoshelter.com/gallery-collection/Wales-Coast-Path/C00002Ninv.SCRaw
For access use the password: WCP2019!
Even on the most beautiful evenings, you can always find a beach to yourself in Wales… the downside is that with no one else around, sometimes I had to jump in front of the camera as it sat on the tripod and do a bit of modelling myself!
