North Coast - Big Swells

The heavy winter storms of February 2002 brought some big swells to Cornwall’s north coast.  Here, a wave peaks before breaking on the cliffs of Whipsiderry, Porth.  Taken from the 1600 year old iron age settlement of Porth Island, this great vantage point allows one to really get in amongst the waves but still be within the relative safety of land. Even on solid land, the storms were so vicious that three people were washed from the cliff-tops into the sea that day. Thankfully, all were recovered by Cornwall’s excellent coastguard.

 

Kit:  Nikon F100, Nikkor 35-70 f2.8 AF-D, Manfrotto CarbonOne Tripod, Nikon MC-20 Remote Release.

 

Vikings in the attic…

Every city has it’s trademark building, a piece of construction that instantly tells you where in the world you are. Kuala Lumpar has it’s Pertonas Towers, London has the Houses of Parliament, but few places, except perhaps Paris, have a building that so clearly signifies a city as Sydney and it’s Opera House. With a final cost of AUD$102,000,000, some AUD$97,000,000 over budget and ten years late in completion, Danish architect Jørn Utzon’s now famous design was finally opened by Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II on 20th October, 1973.

The first performance at the Sydney Opera House was Prokofiev’s War and Peace though this was performed before the official opening of the building by Her Majesty. Beethoven’s Symphony No.9 was performed at the opening, some 18 years after the first performance during the construction of the building for the workers by Paul Robeson. Although the building’s roof usually appears white, it is in fact white and cream though due to the strength of the brilliant Christmas sunshine appears almost metallic in this contra-jour shot.Kit:  Nikon F100, Nikkor 35-70 f2.8 AF-D, Fuji Velvia 

Eiger Nordwand.

With only the lower and upper face visible, the ice fields and “Ramp” of the mid-face are shrouded in heavy storm clouds. September 2004.

I’ve been a fan of mountaineering literature ever since a friend lent me the stunning book, “Touching The Void” by British author Joe Simpson. This has since been made into a very successful and equally striking film by Channel 4 in the form of a documentary.

Moving to Simpson’s other titles, I purchased, “The Beckoning Silence”; an account of the his attempt at the north face of the Eiger (Nordwand) and in true Simpson style discusses in a truly honest way the human attitude to embracing life and accepting death. I was so moved by this book that I made my own “pilgrimage” to Switzerland to see the Eiger for myself.

Despite the otherwise descent summer weather, the Eiger’s shadowy wall remained shrouded in cloud for the majority of my visit. Here, we can see the “First Pillar”, “Shattered Pillar” and up to the “Rote Fluh”, “Hinterstoisser Traverse” and just up to the “First Ice Field” before the cloud becomes too heavy. The “Second Ice Field”, “Flatiron”, “Third Ice Field”, “Ramp” and “Waterfall Chimney” are all obscured from view. Towards the summit, we can just see the top of the “Ramp Ice Field”, “Traverse Of The Gods” and can make out part of the “Spider” with the “Exit Cracks, “Summit Ice Field” and “Mittellegi Ridge” in bright sunshine as is the summit.

The dense, dark cloud moved a little from time to time, occasionally opening a window, a portal between The Face and the outside world. It’s easy to see how those watching the pioneering climbers from the 1930’s onward would have been enthralled watching struggle, success and tragedy in a place so close yet so far from help.

Kit: Nikon F100, Nikkor 35-70 f2.8 AF-D, Fuji Velvia

Midnight Lightning

 

A pretty wonderful shot of forked lightning taken at Byron Bay, New South Wales, Australia in 2003 during one of the frequent big thunder storms. Although a great shot, it was much easier to capture than you might imagine. Travelling with a Nikon F100, I set up my tripod on the balcony of my hostel facing the storm. It was incredible, like nothing I’d ever seen. Forked lightning struck just a hundred meters or so away several times per minute. There was so much lightning that others were taking shots with compact digital cameras and capturing lightning on every third “frame” or so. This was a big storm. Note how the lightning passes between the trees in the foreground and those in the mid-ground. It was striking very close and the thunder was deafening.  The storm cleared the air for the world-famous Byron Bay Blues Festival which was held just a week or so later.  I would love to gone but I had a schedule to keep - something I hate to do when I’m travelling and immersed in a place.

 This shot is available as a wallpaper in widescreen and standard formats from my webite