Thank you for the messages

I have had a wonderful response to my new gull photos. It is quite a lurch when you move from one type of photography to another and positive comments and emails help immensely as I feel in the dark for something solid to hold onto and use.

After 4 years at Poppit I knew what to do inside out and was very comfortable with it. However, I find that comfort often stops one from growing. Now I am following a totally different subject, with different equipment and ideas. For me the subject should make the photos. The subject should show me the best way to photograph it. With the gulls I am having to abandon pin-sharp photos at sunset and move towards a softer, more telling approach in full midday sun. This is what I have in my mind's eye.

So, thank you all for the many emails - and to answer some of them - no, I have not finished at Poppit yet - yes, I am using 35mm film cameras (Ilford HP5 for those that asked) and yes, I'll be following the gulls for as long as it takes.
All the best
Mike

The joys of 35mm film and old cameras...

These old cameras cost almost nothing on ebay. I have a Canon Av-1 and a Canon FX - and they are taking all my gull shots.

Work is going well at Ceibwr - new discoveries every day.

Laying in the mud

To get close enough to these chaps I have to lay in a muddy path. The weather is freezing and I get little bugs crawling into my hair.

Latest work from Ceibwr

New Gallery on The Gulls ready soon

More Gull work

The past few weeks have been an interesting learning experience. I am following the same basic procedure as I did at Poppit when I started there - relying on what I have in my mind's eye - then changing equipment and techniques to get that image in front of me. Once I have cracked exactly the techniques needed I will be free to look inwards to get to the nitty gritty of portraying these birds.

More Gulls

I am now following the gulls on a day to day basis (when the weather allows). It is such a different discipline to Poppit - different equipment and film etc - but I have an image of what I want planted solidly in my mind and I know that the gulls can give it to me. It is just a matter of me learning how to do it.

Diving into this artistic process is both exciting and nerve-wreaking. I'll update the blog when I surface again.

The Gulls of Ceibwr

I have been keeping an eye on the Gulls at Ceibwr for over a year now. Ceibwr is close to Poppit Sands and I have been visiting there just to see what the gulls are up to. They seem to watch me too. I started to take a camera with me and now I have been drawn into their world.