Rhossili bay Swansea

His spirits lifting with the arrival of a storm, Craig joiner strives to capture the sea and sky in equal measure

    Rhossili bay sits at the westerly tip of the Gower peninsula in south Wales. At its southern end lies the headland of worms head.

    My plan was o photograph worms head over the bay at dusk. The weather looked like it might provide some interesting cloud and color. Typically, as I headed west the clouds completely disappeared leaving an empty blue sky. Not only that, but upon arrive at rhossili, there was a thick blanket of cloud moving in fast carried by a stiff breeze that would that would soon blot out the sun.

    There was no time to shoot anything before the sun went behind the cloud, so I decided to take a wake-camera at the ready-towards worms head to explore. I hadn’t got far before blue sky appeared behind the approaching storm. With a little luck the storm clouds would be right overhead when the sun broke through. I had already noted the view across the bay, and so I quickly back tracked to a suitable vantage point I had spotted earlier.

    Both sea and sky were important elements to the passing storm and so I chose to place the horizon in the centre to include equal amounts of both. My widest lens was required to include the whole scene.

    I didn’t need to use the narrowest aperture, but I decided to use it anyway because the corresponding long shutter speed would help blur the waves a little and add a sense of movement to the water. I used a one-stop neutral density filter to add a little extra weight to the sky and keep detail in the white cloud over the hill.

     Finally, I shielded the camera and tripod from the wind with my coat. As heavy as it is, the Mamiya was still being shaken by the wind.

     The storm soon passed by, raining as it went. Spirits lifted, I headed north round the bay and waited for dusk to fall.

Planning your trip

How to get there Take the A4118 west from Swansea. At scurlage, turn right onto the B4247 and follow it unit it ends at Rhossili where you will find the car park I frequently use a polarizer in conjunction with both a graduated ND filter and a wide-angle lens. Only a front-mounted polarizer is convenient, and only a 105mm thread avoids vignetting with wide and super-wide lenses.

What to shoot Views over the bay from and to the worms head headland. Old wooden shipwreck on the beach at low tide.

What to take Wide angle lens, sturdy tripod.

Nearest pub & accommodation Worm Head Hotel, Rhossili, Gower, Swansea, SA31PP; 01792 390512.

Other time of year Heather on the hillside overlooking the bay in late summer. Sunsets over worms Head are often spectacular during the winter months.

Ordnance survey map LR 159

GOD’S COUNTRY, DEVIL’S GARDEN

In the Mormon state of Utah, the Devil has been given credit for some really splendid scenery, including this area of sand tone monuments in the Grand Staircase-Escalante Wilderness. In the harsh light of day, this composition would have been a hopeless non-starter, but in the gorgeous luminosity of twilight, textures and details are perfectly revealed. I headed west the clouds completely disappeared leaving an empty blue sky. Not only that, but upon arrive at rhossili, there was a thick blanket of cloud moving in fast carried by a stiff breeze that would that would soon blot out the sun. Even so, the influence of a polarizer was vital, darkening down the blue sky enough you really dramatis the colors of the sandstone. I frequently use a polarizer in conjunction with both a graduated ND filter and a wide-angle lens. Only a front-mounted polarizer is convenient, and only a 105mm thread avoids vignetting with wide and super-wide lenses.