What is it about the view from above that is so enthralling? I have always been fascinated by the vistas revealed from high places, and soon discovered that mountain-walking satisfied this longing to look down from a high vantage point. Many of Britain’s highest peaks are more that 3000 feet above sea-level and provide a lofty perch from which to view the surroundings.
The view from the air is different. The observer is no longer rooted to the ground, but instead can soar above it, without the need to follow roads or footpaths. It is possible to take in wide areas at a glance, and gain a far greater understanding of the relationships between the man-made and the natural landscape. From the ground, often only the largest features of the landscape – mountains, rivers, lakes and valleys – can be appreciated for their form and scale. From the air, you can gain a much greater insight: a tidal estuary appears as an intricate network of channels, almost mirroring the roots of a tree; farmland often resembles a patchwork quilt; towns and cities, which may appear formless from the ground, can be seen to have grown around natural features, such as a river or surrounding hills.
Nowhere is this more true than in Wales, where the landscape has largely determined how the built environment has developed. In the north, the major settlements hug the coastline whether they are the coastal resorts of Llandudno and Prestatyn, or the defensive towns of Conwy, Caernarfon and Beaumaris, guarded by the fortresses of Edward I’s castles. Further inland, the rocky cliffs and crags of Snowdonia safeguard the land from too much human encroachment. To the south, the Brecon Beacons mark the northern end of the industrial south. Today, little remains of the mining industry and the valleys that flow down to Cardiff are crammed with former coal and steel towns such as Merthyr Tydfil, Ebbw Vale and Pontypridd.
One of the many glories of Wales is its coastline, and the best way to see it is from the air. The most westerly part of Wales along the Pembroke coast is marked by the rocky headland at St Davids, and the windswept islands of Skokholm and Skomer just off the coast. The aerial viewpoint reveals the full drama of these remote outposts.
I have visited Wales many times over the years. When I look down on the familiar landscape from above I am reminded of the Welsh national anthem and the people who are fortunate to dwell in the country, “in which poets and minstrels rejoice.”
Award-winning principal aerial photographer Simon Kirwan has over 25 years professional experience as an aerial photographer, and is the author of several books of aerial photography, covering England and Wales, titles including Lake District From The Air, and Wales From the Air, and is available for new book publishing and commercial projects. Simon Kirwan was named The Observer Outdoor Photographer of the Year 2000, and is a member of the Association of Photographers and the National Union of Journalists, and is represented by Altitude-Photo, the world's only specialist aerial photographic agency, established by Yann Arthus-Bertrand, author of The Earth From The Air, and The Earth From Above.
Aerial Photography by Simon Kirwan
Travel Photography by Simon Kirwan
Thursday, June 28, 2007
Aerial Photography - Photographing Wales From The Air
Aerial Photography - Photographing the Lake District From The Air
The Lake District is often regarded as a place of lakes and mountains, interspersed with the honeypot tourist-traps of Windermere, Ambleside, Grasmere and Keswick, and for many people this is indeed their experience of this most scenic corner of England. But there is much more to the Lake District than this, and from the vantage point of a Cessna 172 light aircraft, the true splendour of Cumbria is laid out in all its diverse glory.
My first taste of Lakeland fells came aged twelve, when I stayed at Barrow House Youth Hostel, near Keswick at Borrowdale, on the banks of Derwentwater. Our school party made the ascent of Sca Fell Pike by the Corridor Route from Seathwaite, and so began my fascination with high places which has taken me to the hills and mountains not only of England, Ireland , Scotland and Wales, but further afield, to the Alps of France and Italy, the High Tatras of Poland and Slovakia, the Usambara Mountains of Tanzania, and the Nepal Himalaya.
Since that school trip all those years ago, I have stood on the summit of Sca Fell Pike, and all of the other principal Lakeland peaks many times, in all weathers and in all seasons. This fascination with high places has been enhanced by producing the aerial photography for this book, the Lake District from the Air. Cumbria is revealed anew, from the coastal towns to the west, with their islands and cliffs, to the castles and stone circles of the north, as well as the fells, lakes, rivers and mountains already so familiar from ground level.
Successful aerial photography depends on a combination of factors: the air must be clear, the sky preferably cloudless, and the sun bright. I am very fortunate to fly with a highly experienced and very skilled aerial photographic pilot, who so far has resisted my attempts to persuade him to emulate the feat of 1926, when a light aircraft landed on the summit of Helvellyn. Nearby, Haweswater is the last nesting–place in England of the golden eagle. It has been my great privilege to spy this marvelous landscape from the viewpoint of eagles.
Award-winning principal aerial photographer Simon Kirwan has over 25 years professional experience as an aerial photographer, and is the author of several books of aerial photography, covering England and Wales, titles including Lake District From The Air, and Wales From the Air, and is available for new book publishing and commercial projects. Simon Kirwan was named The Observer Outdoor Photographer of the Year 2000, and is a member of the Association of Photographers and the National Union of Journalists, and is represented by Altitude-Photo, the world's only specialist aerial photographic agency, established by Yann Arthus-Bertrand, author of The Earth From The Air, and The Earth From Above.
Aerial Photography by Simon Kirwan
Travel Photography by Simon Kirwan
Tuesday, August 29, 2006
Thursday, August 24, 2006
Tuesday, August 22, 2006
Vigeland Park, Oslo
Vigeland Park in Oslo is the home of almost 200 bronze and granite life-size figures created by the scupltor Gustav Vigeland in the first half of the 20th century, and probably the most popular tourist attraction in Oslo. Almost as interesting are the tourists themselves, arrriving in their hundreds as the tour ships disgorge their passengers into coaches, which transport them en masse to Vigeland Park, their principal prop being the compact digital camera.
Sunday, August 20, 2006
Journey's End, 18th August
With a foaming pint of Tennent's before him, and no more cycling for a while, Liam relaxes on our last CalMac ferry, from Craignure on Mull back to Oban on the mainland. We have cycled a total of 275 miles in 6 days, with no major mechanical problems with the bikes. The paniers slowed us down considerably, especially on the steeper climbs yesterday, and we each had rear wheel punctures due the excess weight on the back, but my broken cleat was the only serious mishap. We consider the trip a total success, although the margins for mechanical failure must have been quite narrow at times, as our bikes are not designed for touring, and they have stood up to some tough punishment, particularly on Day One on the Uists, when we thundered over cattle-grids without a care in the world. By Wednesday, we dismounted and conscientiously pushed over each one. Photographically, I've not done anything like the number of pictures I expected to, and I've concluded that trying to combine a serious documentary photography project wih cycling is not feasible, as the logistics of the journey, as well as the physical and mental effort involved, occupied most of our waking hours. The rest of the time, we squandered.
What's the Story,Tobermory?
The painted harbour front cottages of Tobermory, now also known as Balamory in the children's TV show. We did make extensive plans last night to record a video of Liam at some Balamory locations, for the amusement of his children, but today all we seem to have managed is this. Also consigned to the dustbin of history is the plan to do a 40 mile circuit of Ben More, settling instead for a straightforward 21 mile coastal amble to Craignure, the ferry port back to Oban.
Men in Yellow, 16th August
An hour to kill before the last ferry of the day speeds us to the bright lights of Tobermory after the toughest day's cycling of the trip. We left Skye this morning on the 8.50 ferry, arriving at Mallaig on the mainland at 9.15, just in time for breakfast at the Fishermen's Mission, which turned out to be a poor substitute for the CalMac version. There was a display of black & white photographs of Mallaig fishermen, and in the bookshop I decide against buying The Life & Times of Saddam Hussein for 50p as a present for Liam, as I am certain he will not consider it worthy of panier-space. We leave Mallaig, I immediately get a flat tyre, lose Liam for half an hour before he notices, cross various nasty steep headlands, follow the banks of sea-lochs, have lunch at Fergie's Bar, and finally arrive at Kilchoan at 5.00 pm, just misssing the 4.45 ferry. Our quest for tea or coffee ends in bitter disappointment, so we settle for Lucozade and a Magnum Double Caramel.
Room With a View
Having cycled 60 miles over some very tough terrain, in miserable weather, Liam is distinctly unimpressed with the waiting room facilities at Kilchoan on the Ardnamurchan peninsula, which resemble an unused sauna. We've kept the jokes going pretty much all the way, but they're wearing a bit thin by now. However, things will soon be looking up, as tonight we have the luxury of Ivybank B & B in Tobermory to look forward to, so for once we're not sharing a dormitory wirth six other sweaty blokes. Although I suspect they get the worst of the arrangement, for reasons I need not dwell on here.
Armadale
View of the Knoydart peninsula on the mainland from Armadale. I thought I'd be doing more pictures like this, but quite often the weather isn't very good, or the light isn't right, or I have some other excuse for not getting the camera out of whichever panier I have stuffed it in, under a pair of festering cycling shorts. The truth is it has become almost impossible to think about anything else while we are actually cycling, and it just doesn't seem reasonable to keep grinding to a halt to take a couple of snaps. Once we stop cycling for the day, the main priority becomes finding something reasonably clean to wear, and a suitable establishment to refuel before the following day's exertions.
The Magnificent Two
With a couple of hours before the hostel opens for the night, there is time for another photo-opportunity in between visits to the bar at the Ardvasar Inn. There's not much else to do in the village of Ardvasar, and our one disappointment concerns the harbourside restaurant advertised in the Rough Guide as 'The Pasta Shed". Having conjured up mental images of steaming plates piled high with mounds of tagliatelle, to sustain us on the long mountainous journey tomorrow, it appears that the eatery is now simply 'The Shed', and pasta is no longer on the menu in any shape or form. Fortunately, the Ardvasar Inn offers a range of reasonably priced dishes to fulfill our needs.
View? What View?
Once again, Liam's demeanour is a reliable barometer of the current state of the tour. Arriving ahead of schedule at Armadale, we are delighted to discover the village possesses a pub with a pool table, the Ardvasar Inn. Simultaneously, we agree to spend a convivial evening there, enjoying an excellent meal, washed down with copious amounts of the excellent products of the Tennent's brewery. This turns out to be one of the best ideas we have had.
The Garden of Skye, 15th August
After 2 nights on Skye, we are heading to Armadale on the Sleat peninsula, cycling in perfect conditions on a good road for once. I can't really explain why there aren't more pictures of Skye, but it may be something to do with the amount of single malt whiskies we were introduced to by a couple of 'experts' who turned out to be itinerant folk-singers on their way to Lewis. We did a very enjoyable ride round the top end of the Trottternish peninsula on Sunday afternoon, followed by a jaunt down to Portree on Monday. Unfortunately, one of my brand new Wellgo pedal cleats, purchased for £50 on Friday , has parted company with the shoe, so I am no longer locked into the pedal. Roadside repairs have been carried out, but it looks pretty terminal. Still manage to record the speed record for the trip of 37mph on this stretch or road.
Farewell to the Western Isles, 13th August
After consulting the CalMac timetable, we realize that there is an alternative to Plan A. We decide to give Harris and Lewis a miss, as it's Sunday and the chances of getting any bodily sustenance today are slim to say the least, not to mention a serious mountain traverse followed by another 60 miles, so we take the Lochmaddy ferry to Uig on Skye. Unfortunately, this means retracing our last 12 miles from last night, but it's a small price to pay, as the CalMac breakfast is the perfect start to the day, and the much smaller vessel which crosses the Sound of Harris appears to have no cooking facilities. Liam's expression is once again a clear indicator of the status of the trip - with a black pudding, 2 rashers, and 2 sausages inside him, it's 8 o'clock and all's well.
A Quiet Night In
Much like Fletcher and Godber in Porridge, we elect for a quiet night in tonight, which may have something to do with the total absence of pubs. The bikes are happy, as this is a vast improvement on their normal accommodation. We are less happy, as the only diversions available consist of the contents of the bookshelf, where Bravo Two Zero is edged out for the literary prize by Jennings & Darbyshire. Once again, I question Liam about the size of hip flask he considers adequate. It's still day one.
