Views From The Cockpit...

3rd of December 2008, the perfect winters day. Clear skies, crisp clean air and not a breath of wind. Launch at Cable Bay and meander down the coast to Rhosneigr. A spot of lunch on the beach and a leisurely paddle back with the sun on your face, and the only sound you can hear is the light splash of the blade as it moves through the still water beneath you, and the occasional cry of a gull, or a guillemot just before he dives beneath the surface of the sea in search of his lunch.
Time stands still and all is right with the world.

" Where else to be,
but out upon the open sea."

Time Out...

This picture of me is one of my all time favourite images.
Taken by a friend while out for a paddle just off Trearddur Bay,
It sums up everything I love about living here on Anglesey.
Just you, the sea and the sky. Everything else can just wait…

Two Into One...

Clever bit of software this Photomatix. Take one picture exposed for the sky then another exposed for the foreground, drop them into the software and it blends the two together making a perfect mix.
This may seem like cheating but in fact the human eye can see a greater range of light and dark then any camera can capture, so this final image is a truer reflection of how the eye would perceive the scene. And that’s just the start of what it can do…

Cable Bay, or Porth Trecastell as it’s called locally, lays alongside the A4080 coast road just a short drive from Rhosneigr. A beautiful sandy beach and great waves for surfing when the wind blows. Fantastic cliff walks, which take you up to one of the most interesting and oldest burial mounds on the island. Come rain or shine it’s well worth a visit.

Down To Earth...

Poking a camera out of the window of a light aircraft at 2000 feet isn’t the easiest of things to do; especially when the pictures you’re trying to take are going to be used very large and good detail is required for the final print. As soon as you pop open the flip-up window you get this rush of very cold air streaming into the cockpit of the plane and it isn’t long before your fingers start to go numb. A couple of minutes and you need to take a break just to warm up your digits, and so it went on. Almost 2 hours and 160 images later we eventually called it a day and headed back to earth. The images came out just fine and the client was happy with the results. You can never tell what the next phone call will bring, but that is why I love the job I do. Full of pleasant and exciting surprises.

Peidiwch A Tharfu...

When the weather breaks and the sun decides to shine, there’s no better way to unwind then to grab my tent, rucksack and walking boots and head off to my favoured location, which shall remain a secret. Once there I get the tent pitched, kick off my boots, brew some real coffee, dig out my favourite book and hang out my sign … and in case you can’t read it, it says, in both English and Welsh, ‘ DO NOT DISTURB.’ - Sorted!

Back Home...

It has been a very busy couple of months for us, what with the holiday letting and our trip to Torbay. We have also been given a handful of jobs by the good folk at ‘Visit Wales’; the main body that deal with tourism in Wales. One brief that took us by surprise was a request for some very wet and windy shots of Anglesey. So, armed with a new waterproof bag for my camera, of I went in search of the perfect wet and miserable day. After several ventures out in the pouring rain and being trenched to the skin, the one shot that got the best response was taken from inside the warmth and dryness of my car while parked at Porth Dafarh while taking a break from the pouring rain.
Right now these pictures just about sum up our British summer, not just here on Anglesey but across the whole UK. As the ad line says: “ It’s not inappropriate weather just inappropriate clothing.” Well worth remembering!

Down South...

I’ve been away to Torbay for the last couple of weeks, not on a holiday I hasten to add, but working for the tourist department shooting images of Torquay, Paighton and Brixham, which go to make up the area known as Torbay, the English Rivera. We had a couple of bad days weather wise, but all in all mainly good sunny days and got the pictures they were looking for and in the process shot over 2800 images. (Many being variations on a theme) Quite a few early starts to catch the sun rise and late finishes to catch the sunsets. Being this time of the year that meant being up at 3.30 in the morning and getting home after 11 at night. Long days and 1250 miles later we're happy to be back where we belong, sweet isle of Anglesey.

Paddle Power...

It’s symposium time again, the 25th anniversary of the Anglesey Kayaking weekend. Paddlers from all over Europe travel here to take part in all sorts of classes, from beginner to advance skills in paddling an 18 foot boat out on the open sea: All ages, all nationalities, all with one common interest.
The weather, as usual, was temperamental and changeable, with sunny skies and torrential downpours, all in the blink of an eye. The evenings were full of lectures and plenty of conversations about the day’s activities, with the last day of the weekend filled with live music, laughter and quite a bit of merriment taking place. No one drowned or was lost at sea, and lessons were learnt by just about everyone. Lessons that would be taken back home by the participates and put into practice and passed on to others for all to benefit from, this 25th Isle of Anglesey Kayaking Symposium.

The Fading Light...

A few weeks ago I was doing some night-time photography for Wylfa Power station, creating some images for the security police that protect the buildings. As I turned up for work just before sunset, I spotted this image from the car park. It was the sun setting behind a rocky outcrop called the Skerries where a lighthouse is located. I shot it on a very long lens ( 400mm ) across two bays. The Skerries is located 2-3 miles off the northern tip of Anglesey. I only had minutes to get the camera set up to get the shot; then it was gone.
I’ve also included a couple of the images I took from that nights work. It’s not all sheep and daffodils here on Anglesey!

My Front Garden...

With the cold and wet keeping us indoors for much of the time the garden is forgotten about during the winter months. But take a little stroll when the sun breaks and the wind dies down, and it’s quite amazing what you can come across in your own front garden.
Hidden beneath the bark of an old tree trunk is a bright green caterpillar just waiting for the right time to become a moth, or maybe lunch for the local blackbird. And out of nowhere, strutting around as if he owned the place, is a male pheasant showing of his glorious plumage for all to see.
It’s not a large garden, but there’s plenty going on if you just take the time to stop and look.

Happy Cows...

Spring is here and the cows are jumping for joy. Yes, that's right, the cows are jumping for joy... After being kept indoors through-out the winter the cows are let loose to graze in the fields and they literally jump for joy. We've all heard of, and seen, spring lambs jumping and frolicking, well cows do as well; and with Spring in the air we can all join in.
Here's to a happy frolicking summer.

Point Lynas...

We do take requests and this one is from Hugh. Fond memories of Anglesey has brought him in contact with this blogger and has expressed a particular interest in Point Lynas. Located on the east side of the island this area holds many special memories for him. ( view his comments on previous blog...) I'll leave it to David Phillips to describe this wonderful location.

"On your visit to Point Lynas you will see a white building built in 1835 by Trustees of Liverpool Docks. A north facing tower houses the all important lamp room. The rest of the building is made up of the telegraph and signal stations. Interestingly, the original pilot station at Point Lynas was built in 1781. There was a white Pilot House and a flagpole used for relaying day signals. While two reflecting lamps marked the point after dark, one facing north west, the other east.
This original station is long gone and it position was roughly a 100 yards (91 m) south of the present building. While in operation, this station played a key role in delivering pilots onto the ships bound for Liverpool. As such, moorings were laid for these boats on the Point Lynas headland, while others went ashore on Port Eilian beach. Records suggest that a Mr Robert Beavor (born 1749) from Aberffraw, south Anglesey, was the first lighthouse keeper. It seems he made his money trading commodities and seizing fighting ships in the West Indies. Echoes of "Pirates of the Carribean" here, I'd say! Following these "adventures" he retired to his native Anglesey due to ill health. In 1797 he was put in charge of Point Lynas. Robert Beavor died in 1814, and was buried in nearby Llaneilian churchyard."
David Phillips

New Year Starts Here...

After a round trip of over a thousand miles to visit family and friends for Christmas it was with some relief to arrive back on the island, but only to be confronted with some of the worst weather we’d seen in a long time. No golf, no kayaking, but when the winds died down a little and there was a break in the clouds on went the walking boots and the waterproofs and out we went onto the cliff tops of Holy Island overlooking the wild and raging Irish sea. The walk from Porth Dafarch along the cliff path all the way to South Stack is a good couple of hours, but a great way to stretch those tired and lazy limbs and to get all the fresh air you could hope to breath.
I think next Christmas we’ll be sending out the invites for everyone to come to us.