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Coastal
If you are not an Isle of Man resident, please contact
me for purchasing and shipping options.
All prices include free delivery to any Isle of Man
address.
All prints (excluding canvas/MDF)
are titled and signed. Unmounted prints are delivered
in postal tubes. Mounted and framed prints are hand
delivered to your door. To find out more information
about how the prints are mounted and framed please
click here.
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Click picture for close
up view
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RK006/Port St. Mary
Harbour
The low light levels in this pre-dawn shot resulted
in a 30 second exposure which has blurred all
definition in the waves. This, coupled with the
movement in the clouds, contrasts with the static
rocks and breakwater to create an unusual image.
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RK038/Langness Lighthouse
I used the steeply inclinded rocks of the Langness
peninsula to provide some foreground interest
in this image. The slow exposure (4 seconds) has
resulted in the breaking waves appearing as mist
which gives the image vitality.
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RK040/Fenella Beach
I had set up for the more traditional view of
Peel Castle, when I noticed the sun appearing
from behind the clouds. I worked as quickly as
I could before the sun was lost, waiting until
the waves receded before making my exposure. This
helped reveal the rocky shore and leads the eye
out to sea. Looking at this transparency on the
lightbox, it was as if the sea was drawing breath!
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RK084/Douglas Bay
One of the idiosyncrasies of film is that during
long exposures it can shift towards certain colours.
This is certainly true of the film I use which
shows a strong magenta shift during exposures
of several seconds. This is beneficial when shooting
landscapes as it warms-up the colours making them
appear more saturated. It may surprise some then,
to here that this image is an exact copy of the
transparency I received back from the lab.
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RK046/Peel Bay
I had decided on the sweeping view of Peel Bay
with the castle in the distance. All I needed
was some foreground interest which I found in
this last remaining remnant of a groyne. I framed
the castle between the two uprights and used the
back swing on my technical camera to focus on
the groyne and the end of the breakwater at the
same time.
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RK044/Niarbyl
One of the most popular places on the island is
Niarbyl with its fisherman's cottages and views
down to the Calf of Man. I wanted to create an
image which included both of these elements. Luckily,
there was a fishing boat on the shore which I
placed in the left of the frame allowing the distinctive
range of hills to lead your eye south.
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RK051/Port Erin Bay
I make a habit of always carrying a plastic bin
liner with me whenever I go out with the camera.
On this day it was invaluable as rain and hail
showers passed frequently overhead. As I waited
for the sun to appear I watched as the tide retreated
to reveal a freshly washed shingle beach.
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RK064/Port Cornaa
Port Cornaa is situated just south of Maughold
Head and is unique in the fact that at high tide
the sea floods the low lying valley. This image
was taken at dawn one cold December morning and
is a good example of the KISS (Keep It Simple
Stupid!) principle. The river, flowing out to
sea, leads the eye to the sun, which had just
risen above the horizon. Simple but effective!
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RK061/Scarlett Point
This view of Castletown from Scarlett Point, had
been stored in my memory for some time. I was
attracted to the well defined bedding planes of
the rock formations, zig-zagging their way into
the distance. The deep blue of the sea and sky
compliment the orange hues of the rocks perfectly,
while the angle of the foreground rocks echo the
sloping rock in the middle distance.
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RK081/Port
St. Mary Harbour
This image is taken from the same angle as the
one at the top of the page, however, the mood
of the image could not be more different. Here,
cool blues and greens dominate and the image has
a fresh vitality about it. The crystal clear water
reveals a tantalizing view into an aquatic world
normally hidden to human eyes.
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RK076/Niarbyl Bay
I had spent several evenings exploring Niarbyl
Bay with the intention of getting the 'classic
view' down to the Calf of Man. On this evening,
the extremely low tide coincided with soft, hazy
sunlight, producing a beautifully peaceful image.
The success of this image is dependent on the
careful balancing of the isolated rock with the
mountainous profile in the distance.
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RK092/Niarbyl
This image shows the viewpoint looking north-west
and illustrates the enormous potential the coastline
around Niarbyl has to offer. To retain detail
in the sky I used 2 ND
Graduated filters which darkened the sky by
a total of 4.5 stops. There was no wind on this
day, the silence only broken by the gently lapping
sea and the 'explosion' of colour overhead.
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RK096/Peel Bay
This wide stretch of sandy beach is understandably
popular with local residents and visitors alike.
The only downside to this as a photographer is
that the beach is nearly always littered with
footprints. On this occasion I timed my visit
to coincide with the turning of the tide which
has erased all marks. The wet sand also reflects
the setting sun and impressive cloud formation.
This is one of the joys of beach photography,
you get a fresh canvas to work from twice a day.
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RK115/Niarbyl
This view of Niarbyl is rarely seen in photographs,
showing the rock formations to the north
of the 'tail of rocks'. This image also
illustrates the importance of not automatically
leaving a location once the sun has set.
The time before sunrise or just after sunset
can be a magical one, were low light levels
and long exposures create magical swirling
clouds and mist shrouded seas.
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RK113/Maughold
Head
Another image taken with my colleague
Russell.
We had set out early, but the sky
was already on fire as we arrived
at the coast. With little time to
set up before the show ended, we scrambled
about on some slippery rocks, before
deciding on the classic (and somewhat
safer) view of Maughold Head. This
is not the easiest of locations to
get a working composition, but in
the end I gave as much attention to
the reflected colour in the sea as
I did to the amazing display overhead.
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RK103/Derbyhaven
The end to a beautiful June day at
Derbyhaven bay. I split the image
into three, sandwiching the calm sea
between the swirling clouds and foreground
grasses, which seemed to echo the
sky above. The sunlit breakwater provided
a focal point in this serene image.
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RK060/Douglas
Bay
A dawn photograph of Douglas Bay and the
Tower of Refuge. The tower, which sits on
Conister or St. Mary's rock, was built to
provide a safe haven for shipwrecked sailors
and was the brain-child of Sir William Hillary.
Here the long exposure has blurred the early
morning clouds and erased any waves, creating
a silky smooth sea. I used the angle of
the stone walkway to point towards the tower
in the distance.
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RK131/Douglas
Bay
This was a difficult shot to compose in
the rapidly changing light of dawn. The
sand ripples on the beach were effectively
leading you into the picture (in the bottom
right corner) and then straight back out
again on the left hand side. What I needed
was something to counter this. Luckily,
after some searching, I found this outflow
stream leading towards the rising sun. Reflecting
the sky above, this unified the composition,
but more importantly countered the strong
diagonals. As with all images, it is finding
the balance between all of the elements
that makes a successful image.
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RK132/Point
of Ayre
Being totally flat, the north of the island
is exposed to the wind coming off the Irish
Sea. This is nowhere more apparent than
at the Point of Ayre. On this breezy day,
I liked the way this Marram grass was being
blown in the direction of the lighthouse.
This windswept scene sums up the nature
of the place very well.
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RK125/Peel
Bay
I am often asked how the misty water effect
in this image was created. There is no real
mystery to it, although if you are using
a digital camera it is a little more complicated.
The film I use is rated at ISO 50, although
most photographers regard its real speed
to be 40. This is compared to a minimum
speed of 100 or even 200 on digital cameras.
The film also suffers from reciprocity failure.
This basically means that when it's exposed
for long periods (a second or more) it gets
even slower. Again, digital photographers
don't have to deal with the law of reciprocity.
All this means that during low light, my
exposures are seconds or even minutes long.
Any subject movement during this time will
be blurred, in landscapes this usually means
water or clouds. To recreate this effect
with digital equipment I would advise buying
a 6 or 10 stop ND
filter.
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RK127/The Way
of the Gull
The Way of the Gull or 'Raad ny Foillan'
in Manx, is the island's coastal footpath
and stretches for over 95 miles. This dramatic
section can be seen heading north from the
Sound, with the Calf of Man visible in the
background. The footpath forms a crucial
part of the composition, leading through
the image to the unusual rocky outcrop and
eventually to the Calf itself.
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