The online presence of Tim Collier. Photographer, course leader, lecturer and blogger.
When Tom Kistruck, the RSPB warden at Ynys-hir, told me that the most recent count of the Greenland White-fronted Geese on the Dyfi estuary, not far from the town of Machynlleth, had grown from the eleven that had been reported before Christmas to thirteen, I had a feeling that the number might prove to be as unlucky as I’d been the previous couple of days. I’m not generally a superstitious person but at times like this you sort of begin to wonder.
A few days up around the Lakes saw us once again visiting Brantwood, the home of John Ruskin. Not only is it full of artwork from Ruskin and his contemporaries, along with all sorts of paraphernalia related to an incredibly eclectic life, but is spectacularly situated on the shores of Lake Coniston.
Iceland for me was beautifully articulated by one of my favourite nature writers, Jim Crumley. He was referring to Skye in his book, Barn Owl, when he said,
Sort of Chronological from the time spent in Iceland. Second set today. These give a little more context to the images that are making up the folio. A bit of a flavour as to where both Brendan and I were working.
I’ve been out and about a bit in the last few months, infact I managed to find myself in England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales in four consecutive days last month!
For all the spectacular and heady wildlife Mull has to offer, the photographs I’m perhaps most pleased with from my last trip are those of a bird I always enjoy working with, and one that continues to challenge; the swallow.
My brother Phil had just come back from Mull and had told of a golden eagle eyrie very close to the single road that runs through Glen More. He’d also been lucky enough to see it take a live lamb off the hillside in front of the eyrie and return it to the then small eaglet sitting tight and out of sight in what had become known as the ‘smiling rock’, due to the shape of the crag under which the eyrie lay.
It’s been a good while since I last posted a blog but a recent trip to Mull, and devouring ‘The Eagles Way’ by a favourite nature writer of mine, Jim Crumley, has made me think about getting ‘something out there’(funnily enough another title of one of Crumley’s twenty five or so books!)
One of the things that has helped me during my period of depression was having to do some work on a project that I was committed to prior to my illness. At times I had absolutely no interest in going out with the camera but forced myself to do some work.
We took the first year USW photojournalism students to the Elvis festival in Porthcawl on the weekend. We did the same last year, it’s a really good introduction for them to get used to communicating with people and most folk are ‘up’ for being photographed.
There are a few occasions when light seems more, much more than simply the everyday occurrence that we take for granted.
From Aisndale to Southport completed the Sefton Coast path on day four and saw a full complement join us for another day of learning, talking, discussing and listening.
Never believe the weather forecast! It was going to be a terrible day, thunder, heavy rain and the risk of floods. We had a plan B, never sure quite what is was though and I put the canon into its underwater housing!
The second leg of the ‘Walking Through the Sands of Time’ Â saw us all move from Hightown to Freshfield. Just images of the group this time, the format of the walks remains the same. I’m slowly beginning to see themes developing and what the walks are meaning to me. I’ll post about them later.
The changing landscape of bird populations within Britain makes for interesting reading and Marshside, close to Southport, has seen some very interesting trends over the twenty or so years its been in the care of the RSPB.
So Countryfile came and went, and there’s not much more to be said really. Half a days filming for a minute and not putting the context behind the work we are planning to do. But there we go, nothing ventured etc. etc.
Filming with Shauna Lowry for Countryfile.
Tomorrow 7.00pm. (more later)
Just back from the North West after doing a small piece for BBC Countryfile (more on that later) and managed a few day out with the camera and collecting more material for the WALK project in the summer. This first post concentrates on a few hours I spent with the tree sparrows at Martin Mere and the decline of the sparrows of this country.
