WALES
My Home
Wales is a place that grows in my heart every year. As a kid, I was always upset by the slow wi-fi and isolation, but as I got older I fell in love with the rolling hills tumbling into the sea. Though I have embraced a life of travelling that I would not trade for the world, there really is no place like home. Below is a gallery of the photos I have taken over the years here, representing phases of my photography journey ranging from my core love of wildlife, to my growing fascination and adoration of the ocean, and my attempts to translate to photo the strong moody, cosy atmosphere of this place that makes it so special.
A turnstone searching for food at the pebbly beach near my house. These animals became a favourite of mine to photograph as they were always accessible to me being so close by, and their proximity to the water made for some extremely satisfying photography.
Another turnstone from the same section of beach, though at another time of the year.
Every year, starlings gather at the local pier and form murmurations in the evenings, creating fascinating dynamic shapes. The numbers have grown each winter, and now the displays are breathtaking.
More raucous Starlings. They are a noisy bunch!
Red kite populations were massively reduced due to human persecution, but rehabilitation efforts have brought them back from just a couple of breeding pairs to hundreds of individuals. Now, they are all over the country and you will see dozens of them if you ever drive over the hills. Occasionally, they even fly into town. Funnily enough, these birds are scavengers, and are completely incapable of killing anything larger than a mouse.
A big winter storm brings powerful waves that pound against the stone promenade, launching restless water high into the air. High winds pull thick clouds along the coast, and occasionally a small break will allow the sun to shine through in a thin sliver of light. But only for a moment. If one were to time it right - sit long enough, drink enough tea, and say hi to enough passers by - they might just witness one of these elusive sunrays hitting the splashback of a wave.
An experimental photo, depicting the mossy window of a mountain refuge.
A rainstorm moving through Cwmystwyth valley. I did not escape the rain. This is an old mining valley in the Cambrian mountains, and is absolutely beautiful to drive through. There was much mining in Wales during the industrial revolution, as the Welsh were paid less and used for cheap labour. Working sometimes all days of the week and starting from a young age, some miners simply wouldn't see the sun for years, and would die early deaths. The pain of this exploitation can still be felt in places, and it also left an environmental mark. Heavy metals, particularly lead, pollute the rivers of Wales, and increased flooding due to deforestation and climate change risks exacerbating this. Many abandoned mines remain unsealed, and floods can carry further minerals out into the river systems. Interestingly, in this valley, a new species of grass is forming that is resistant to heavily toxic soils.
Another Experimental Photo.
Seagulls are a commonality of the region. These are little gulls, and they commonly play chicken with the waves.
