In Camera...Industry and Art at Sunset

 The massed army of giants, the huge wind farm now off the Sefton coast at Crosby, large metal structures that somehow appear graceful when caught in the light of the setting sun, watched by man's art, the solid cast iron figures of Antony Gormley's Another Place. The photograph was taken last week and, at this time of the year the sun sets way up to the north west, so that its low side light glances off the tall towers of the gleaming metal structures.

The sky to the north west just after sunset.

In Camera...Winter Light

Yesterday was dark and grey with strong gusting winds and wintery showers. Snow fell in many parts of the country and was forecast for the North West, but the forecast snow did not materialise in Crosby and by around 15.30 the sky was clearing from the north west. The cloud was breaking and revealing patches of blue and I decided to head down to the beach to see if there was any chance of a dramatic sunset.

Down on a cold and deserted Crosby beach, the sand surface near the promenade was very smooth and polished looking, a result of the strong cold winds blowing in from the Irish Sea.

The Clwydian hills to the West lay blanketed with snow under a thick bank of dark grey cloud over Wales but the sky above was streaked with orange tinted cirrus clouds glowing from the last light of the sun, reflecting light into the tidal gullies of water left on the beach by the receding tide.

A truly bleak, but somehow beautiful, raw winter evening where there were only the solid silhouettes of the iron men to share with me the appreciation of nature in this wonderful glowing light at the end of a stormy day.

In Camera...Late Summer Skies

A late August sky just after sunset, the golden glow reflected in still water held on the beach.

Late August and, at this time of year, the sun sets more to a west-north-west direction, providing glowing skies that are able to silhouette the solid shapes of the iron men on Crosby beach beautifully. A perfect background to show off the scene. Often, just as the sun sets, any wind will drop, resulting in perfect reflections in any pools of seawater held on the beach. This lightens the foreground of the image, providing greater interest than just a dark beach.

Two figures join the iron men in watching the afterglow.

The afterglow above the horizon throws the skeletal figures of the wind turbines into sharp silhouette.

In Camera...Cruise Ship sailing by

The Caribbean Princess edges out of the Mersey past New Brighton and the Iron Men on Crosby beach

This has been a good summer for cruise ships on the River Mersey as they sail in and out of Liverpool and these pictures feature the Caribbean Princess, one of the larger vessels to visit the city, as she left the port on the evening of Sunday 28th August 2016.

The Caribbean Princess sails out of the Mersey on her way to Belfast.