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.

Are days off work a good thing?

We are completely snowed in here in Wales. The darkroom is very cold and my office heating is on the blink, so I am taking a few days off.

And there is the problem - switching off the creative thoughts that mill around in the head all day is a tricky thing - especially if you get a sudden idea that just has to be worked on - a thought that itches at you  - an itch that you just can't reach until you have been out with the camera. I usually find days off more stressful than work days - and usually when I get back to the studio I am so bogged down with admin work that I have to put those ideas to one side - making matters even worse.

So I am having a few days off - but I now have a laptop near me at all times - and a small digital camera - so if I get an idea I can sit down in the living room in front of the fire and work as the kids play with their presents.

'You Can't See Me'

More new work from 'You Can't See Me'-

'You Can't See Me'

A new series of photographs based around the photographer's (my) desire to be unseen or alone when shooting in public places.

The full collection and statement is on my website http://www.mgjackson.co.uk/

Then and Now

I sometimes find it interesting to look at my work taken 4 years ago and put it next to the work that I am producing now. I can remember what my passions were then, how they helped me take the photographs, and how they help me now. The first thing that I notice is that the underlying passion is the same. That part doesn't seem to change. What strikes me is how different the work is - and it happened without me even realising it. The style just morphed bit by bit. There wasn't a giant leap from one type of photo to another - it was an accumulation of hundreds of tweaks and thoughts and wild ideas. And so long as the passion was still there and the photos gave me that buzz then I went with it.

One way that helps me understand what is happening is to realise that my work 4 years ago was fresh with influence from many other photographers - all tugging and pulling me in different directions - creating a nice, but common style that didn't require too much searching as it had all been done before. I imagine that at this point I was standing at the mouth of a metaphoric cave - the light from other photographers showing me the way. But then to tenderly step into the cave - with your own dim light showing you the way and not knowing what is ahead - with no other point of reference - the fading light of the outside behind you. The deeper you go the less light you get from outside - and the more you rely on your own light to choose what to do.

Maybe it is a bit odd to think this way but it helps me explain the differences between these two images -

                                                                          Mwnt,  2007

                                                                  Cwmpengraig, 2010

Three sessions at Poppit

Some great weather and tides at Poppit for the last three days - and a couple more to come. Some writing done for Photography Monthly and back in the darkroom for a session of experimentation.

Sharp or not?

I find it amazing how distracting sharpness can be sometimes - and how wonderful and exciting it can be at other times. I can't really explain what type of short requires it - because as soon as I make up some kind of rule about it I see a wonderful photo that breaks that rule. So once again I come to the conclusion that it is best to ignore all rules and trust in gut feeling and luck. I think that there is something other than the obvious that makes a photograph 'special'. And I think it is a waste of time trying to discover that thing and bottle it up to use whenever you need it. It cannot be called upon - it just seems to happen.

Anyway, this shot has something about it - but if you listed its features - such as wonky, out of focus, blurred etc etc then it would be a disaster. Something holds it together (just). Maybe that is what I like about it - it is on the edge of being a real mess - but something is stopping it. Could it be the invisible 'something' that the photographer brings to it?