First published in Welsh Country Magazine, Jan-Feb 2015
Photography is a great hobby and it can take you to all sorts of places. The desire to capture the wonders of landscape & nature is one that has driven me to visit various parts of the world – however there is nothing better than exploring the possibilities of your own ‘home patch’.
As a resident of Carmarthen my patch is the Towy Valley and it is from here that 5 of the 6 photos in this selection are chosen. The other one being from Pembrokeshire.
All of the images attempt to capture that most elusive & intangible characteristic in a photograph – atmosphere. This, to me, is the most important element in any photo and is the one thing that elevates the image from being merely a record of a place or event into a something that can communicate with the viewer.
My general approach is to plan in advance – although this is not always the case, it is important to be open to any opportunity when it arises. I will have decided what the composition is to be & will also have taken into account factors such as sunrise & sunset times & angles, season of the year and of course weather conditions. It is usually the case that when all of the elements come together that the photographic results will be at their best. I think that the adage ‘extreme conditions give extreme photographs’ is one to always have in mind.
More photos by Nigel McCall: igpoty.com/profiles/nigel-mccall
Photo Gallery
For the opening shot (1) I had listened to the weather forecast, checked my sunrise time and returned to a pre-planned spot. Early on a September morning with mist forming the Towy Valley is a wonderful sight & on this occasion I see the potential of a shot framed by one of the archways of Paxton’s Tower. I feel that you could almost be looking into a mystical Vale where, beyond the gate, your journey into the Tolkienesque landscape will begin.
Shot 2 is a December sunrise from the bridge at Dryslwyn, taken at the end of a sustained period of freezing weather. I visited for 10 consecutive mornings the last of which provided this photo. The key to the success of the image is the almost totally white land. On each morning, at exactly the same time, flocks of geese & cormorants would fly down river on the way to their feeding grounds. It’s moments like that, while you wait for optimum light, which are as rewarding as the photo itself.
Photos 3 & 4 are again taken from Paxton’s Tower. Photo 3 was taken on a March morning. This (as does the archway shot) benefits from side light -which is very much the photographer’s friend. The colour of this particular sunrise pleases me. Timing the shot to take advantage of the many small lakes that have remained after flooding has given the wonderful ribbons of light on the valley floor.
Photo 4 is of Dryslwyn Castle slowly being enveloped by a cloud inversion – which I have watched steadily rolling glacier like down the valley. This has given an image which is somewhat similar to those wonderfully atmospheric photos that you see of mist wreathed landscapes in China.
The two black & white photos (5 & 6) have distinctly different characters.
Photo 5 is of the island of Grassholm, approximately 11 miles off the Pembrokeshire coast, which is alive with Gannets during the sea bird breeding season. To my eye this image speaks of a hitherto undiscovered island reminiscent of Conan Doyle’s “Lost World” – with seemingly unscalable cliff buttresses and strange birds wheeling around in the sky and on the plateau below. The black & white presentation serves to reinforce this.
Photo 6 is a winter landscape on the River Cothi. Almost completely devoid of colour the photo demanded to be rendered in black & white. The stark contrast of dark trees & river bank against the bright white of the snow & ice gives almost a pen & ink sketch feel to the composition. The long waited for shaft of sunlight striking the icicle formation just seems to complete the winter scene.
As you can see truly wonderful images are out there – literally just up the road- it’s all about atmosphere!
