Bird Photography Exhibition | Royal Albert Memorial Museum Exeter

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On The Wing

I am absolutely overjoyed to be exhibiting a selection of my bird photography. The exhibition is called ‘On The Wing.‘ It will be in the café area of the Royal Albert Memorial Museum Exeter from the 23rd July to the 20th October 2019

Birds and animals are my passion and this is a brilliant and timely opportunity to showcase my work. The Museum have the theme of Migration for 2019. There are a number of events at the Museum related to the migration theme amongst them is ‘Birds Without Borders.’

Migration

A migration is a seasonal movement of animals from one region to another. It is also a movement of people to a new area or country in order to find work or better living conditions. A movement from one part of something to another. I was intrigued by the implications of the word migration and its particular relevance to both man and bird. 

Migration in this photographic display is a movement informed by my own journey in search of beauty and the portrayal in art form of my love of birds. The images of birds in the exhibition follow a geographical direction starting at the northernmost point of the bird photographed. The starting point is Crediton and the first image, Chicken Flurry.  The chicken is the only bird in this collection that arrived in it’s geographical location having been placed there by man. The last image is Out My South Window – The Herring Gull Pair on the Lamp post. I have observed and photographed this particular pair of gulls for around 10 years.

The trajectory flows from North to South as the crow flies. This flight path passes by my North Window in the centre of Exeter and then flows Southward guided by the River Exe passing through Topsham by the estuary and arriving at Exmouth’s seashore. It then heads West to Teignmouth’s seaside pier. The path then returns northwards tracking back up to Exeter through my allotment and culminating in the South facing aspect of my apartment.

Herring Gull’s rural-to-urban migration

An extensive rural-to-urban migration of the Herring Gull (Larus Argentatus) has taken place since the 1970’s. This has been largely due to human activity and the plundering of the seas by commercial fishing practices. According to a Food and Agriculture Organization estimate, over 70% of the world’s fish species are either fully exploited or depleted. Herring Gull’s are opportunistic feeders and would traditionally forage around the seashore cleaning up the fish and shellfish debris. Urban Gull expert Peter Rock from Bristol has conducted the most extensive longterm studies of urban gulls. He says that there are virtually no traditional rural colonies of Herring Gull left. This bird is an endangered species, classified as Red under the Birds of Conservation Concern 4: the Red List for Birds (2015) 

My love of gulls and concern for their welfare prompted me to create the website: www.iloveseagulls.com  A loving space where positive and uplifting stories can be shared about gulls from around the world. These are beautiful, intelligent creatures that inspire me and many others.

Stephen Moss wrote perfectly about Gulls in the Guardian:

“So why do I love seagulls? Well, for me they are among the most fascinating birds on the planet. Don’t believe me? Well, here are some reasons to change your mind. First, beauty. The great evolutionary biologist Stephen Jay Gould once wrote that a gull’s wing was about as near as nature ever gets to perfection – indeed, he argued against his better judgment that it was a fairly good argument for intelligent design, so well suited to its purpose did it appear. And while the aerodynamic form of a gull’s wing is of course a product of natural selection, it is indeed hard to imagine God creating anything much better. Just watch a gull soaring gracefully above the quayside and you’ll see what I mean.”

 

Photographing in Salcombe and Hope Cove

Exeter editorial conservation photographer
Exeter editorial conservation photographer
Exeter editorial conservation photographer
Exeter editorial conservation photographer
Exeter editorial conservation photographer
Exeter editorial conservation photographer
Exeter editorial conservation photographer

What an absolutely amazing day to be photographing in Salcombe and Hope Cove, Devon. I travelled down with good friends for John’s birthday party. John had booked a cottage for a week and it included a real fire! We arrived in Hope Cove to try and find John (with poor phone signal). Eventually, we had lunch with John at a pub and then back to the house and a walk down to Salcombe estuary which was spectacular! Brilliant food to share and then the usual fab party games that John came up with! Such a gorgeous day! Here are a few photographs I took.

Boat Building Academy | Winter Launch

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I just love the Boat Building Academy winter launch! Especially with the crispness of a winter day. The students of Class March 2015 were busy making getting the boats ready when I arrived. As usual there were some beautiful boats built. Only two boats were launched this time as the other two weren’t quite finished. Those launched were an 18’7 cold moulded and bright finished Robert Steward motor launch and a 16’ traditional clinker Iain Oughtred Norwegian Faering. The other two were a Strip planked, gaff rigged replica of a Herreshoff 12 ½ and a 22’7 glued clinker double ended Iain Oughtred ‘Kotik’ with a two berth cabin.

Students come from all over the UK and overseas and from a range of ages and backgrounds – many of them had never picked up a chisel before! Following an intensive woodworking foundation phase the class have learned to build boats to professional standards using modern and traditional construction methods.

The students have graduated with the skills needed to work in today’s marine industry certificated by the City & Guilds level 3 diploma in Marine Construction, Systems Engineering and Maintenance.

These are some of my favourites but for the full gallery please see the Students gallery here:Students Gallery

Further details about the Class of March 2015 & where Academy Graduates go on to work check out the Academy’s website at: Boat Building Academy

BBA Boat Launch | Lyme Regis

Devon, country, boat building photographer
Devon, country, boat building photographer
Devon, country, boat building photographer
Devon, country, boat building photographer
Devon, country, boat building photographer
Devon, country, boat building photographer
Devon, country, boat building photographer
Devon, country, boat building photographer
Devon, country, boat building photographer
Devon, country, boat building photographer
Devon, country, boat building photographer
Devon, country, boat building photographer
Devon, country, boat building photographer
Devon, country, boat building photographer
Devon, country, boat building photographer
Devon, country, boat building photographer
Devon, country, boat building photographer
Devon, country, boat building photographer
Devon, country, boat building photographer
Devon, country, boat building photographer
Devon, country, boat building photographer
Devon, country, boat building photographer
Devon, country, boat building photographer
Devon, country, boat building photographer
Devon, country, boat building photographer
Devon, country, boat building photographer
Devon, country, boat building photographer
Devon, country, boat building photographer
Devon, country, boat building photographer
Devon, country, boat building photographer
Devon, country, boat building photographer
Devon, country, boat building photographer
Devon, country, boat building photographer
Devon, country, boat building photographer
Devon, country, boat building photographer
Devon, country, boat building photographer
Devon, country, boat building photographer
Devon, country, boat building photographer
Devon, country, boat building photographer
Devon, country, boat building photographer

Another gloriously sunny day for the BBA boat launch in Lyme Regis for the Class of September 2014. The students of The Boat Building Academy launched eight boats on Wednesday 10th June, each built as part of their intensive 38 week training, into Lyme Regis harbour.

The boats were walked from the Academy’s workshops on Monmouth Beach to the slipway at Lyme Regis harbour, where champagne corks popped as the boats slid into the water for the first time. Gail McGarva (BEM) was there in her waders, as were friends and family of the students, Academy graduates, representatives from the marine press and industries and the people of Lyme Regis.

Boats launched were a 22’ Nordlands boat, 20’ Seabird Half Rater (the oldest one-design class boat still sailing), 15’2 Iain Oughtred ‘Whilly Tern’, 14’ faering, 13’ Iain Oughtred ‘Acorn Skiff’, 12’ Andrew Wolstenholme ‘Mallard’ dinghy, 18’ Guillemot ‘Night Heron’ kayak and the restoration of a 10’ traditional clinker dinghy named ‘Swallow’, believed to have been originally built by Naval apprentices.

Here are some previews of my favourites from the day. and this is a link to the main Gallery: June 2015 Launch

The photographic build diaries of each boat can be viewed here: Students diaries

 

 

A Photographer for a Forager

Ethical, foraging, green photographer
Ethical, foraging, green photographer
Ethical, foraging, green photographer
Ethical, foraging, green photographer
Ethical, foraging, green photographer
Ethical, foraging, green photographer
Ethical, foraging, green photographer
Ethical, foraging, green photographer
Ethical, foraging, green photographer
Ethical, foraging, green photographer
Ethical, foraging, green photographer
Ethical, foraging, green photographer
Ethical, foraging, green photographer
Ethical, foraging, green photographer
Ethical, foraging, green photographer
Ethical, foraging, green photographer

Yes, I was a Photographer for a Forager! That forager being none other than top Wild Foodie Robin Harford. We chose Dawlish Warren as great place to observe and note the different edible plants that grow on the shorline by the sea and estuary as well as on the Nature Reserve. We had great fun and chatted to the friendly Rangers. Here are a few of my favourite photographs.The plants are: 1. Alexanders (Smyrnium olusatrum) 2. Gorse (Ulex europaeus) 3-5. Gorse (Ulex europaeus) 6. Sheeps sorrel (Rumex acetosella) 7. Sea radish (Raphanus raphanistrum ssp. maritimus) 10. Lady’s smock (Cardamine pratensis) 11. Lady’s smock (Cardamine pratensis) 15. Sea radish (Raphanus raphanistrum ssp. maritimus)
16. Meadwosweet (Filipendula ulmaria)

Exminster Marshes | dog walk

Animal, dog, bird, documentary photographs
Animal, dog, bird, documentary photographs
Animal, dog, bird, documentary photographs
Animal, dog, bird, documentary photographs
Animal, dog, bird, documentary photographs
Animal, dog, bird, documentary photographs
Animal, dog, bird, documentary photographs
Animal, dog, bird, documentary photographs
Animal, dog, bird, documentary photographs
Animal, dog, bird, documentary photographs
Animal, dog, bird, documentary photographs
Animal, dog, bird, documentary photographs
Animal, dog, bird, documentary photographs
Animal, dog, bird, documentary photographs
Animal, dog, bird, documentary photographs
Animal, dog, bird, documentary photographs
Animal, dog, bird, documentary photographs
Animal, dog, bird, documentary photographs
Animal, dog, bird, documentary photographs

Decided to photograph a dog walk at Exminster Marshes early this morning with a friend Jonathon and his Labradoodle dog called Laika. What a glorious day for a walk and also to do the thing I love – photography in the landscape. It was pretty cold and absolutely beautiful with a slight mist and winter crisp colours. A photographers dream. We went past the RSPB conservation areas and as a I am a real beginner with identifying birds it is always good to meet people on the walk who know their birds. Fabulous start to the day!

Exeter floods

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I decided to cycle rather than drive with my camera to photograph the Exeter floods! I cycled up to Cowley Bridge to take photographs of the submerged railway lines and traffic coming through a flooded area from Silverton. It was amazing. People said they’d never seen it this bad before. I then went along the river to Exeter Quay. I was concerned about the poor sheep that seemed to have gotten narrowed down to a small piece of land alongside the river area near St David’s Station.

Dawlish storms | Powderham Castle

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What with the Dawlish storms + Powderham Castle floods I thought I’d venture out to get some extreme weather photographs. I wasn’t disappointed! It was absolutely exhilarating getting blown by the wild wind! I love the sea when it’s blowing a gale. I went back via Powderham Castle but couldn’t get through due to a very deep puddle. Here are some of the images I rescued after my card corrupted…