To the Lighthouse - a photo on Flickriver

To the Lighthouse

            Sometimes a place makes you start smiling uncontrollably when you see it for the first time ever. We were only here for half an hour in a fierce and windy hangover from Storm Ciara, who by this time had moved on to batter other parts of the land before heading further east to trouble our friends in Scandinavia.

Point of Ayr Lighthouse sits on the North Wales coast, not far from the Dee estuary. Further research brought the surprising news that it was built as early 1776, and then even more surprising news that it fell into disuse nearly 140 years ago. I think it looks pretty good for its age, despite a visit with about 20 gallons of masonry paint being a tad overdue perhaps. Now privately owned, it has a reputation for being one of the most haunted buildings in Wales, with reports of a ghostly lighthouse keeper, possibly with a broken heart. If you've got a broken heart, a lighthouse might be a good place to stew in solitude I suppose. Especially one where you can nip out to get the shopping in at low tide.

The fact that this is the second of three images I'll be sharing from a single visit to this location is testimony to how engaging the place is. This one might be my own favourite, with the dunes blowing hazily as a frame to the subject and the high tide rolling in forcefully across the tiny remaining strip of exposed beach. Despite the strong wind, careful selection of a sheltered position and a sturdy tripod made it possible to use an ND filter and slow down the exposure time to catch the movement of both the dunes and the sea. It's a long way from home, but a location I've really fallen for and I'm already thinking about the compositions that might be on offer during low tide and dramatic light.

Taken in: UK / Wales / Llanasa / Talacre (show map)

Taken on: February 10, 2020

Tags:

lighthouse

Talacre

dunes

Sea

Irish Sea

Water

waves

long exposure

soft

dreamy

Wales

North Wales

seascape

sea shore

February

Coast

welsh coast

Prestatyn

sand

a traves de

moving water « less

Sets appears in: • Talacre • North Wales more » • Lighthouse « less

Groups appears in: • FlickrCentral • LIGHTHOUSE LOVERS more » • Buildings/Architecture • Amateurs • Lighthouses of the World • FlickrToday (only 1 pic per day) • Great Britain • lighthouses //// faros • Britain's Buildings in Pictures • Flickriver • La mer • Dazed and Confused - New Photographer Search • El mar azul • "SEASCAPE" • EL MAR Y SUS PLAYAS • Architektur und außergewöhnliche Dinge . Artes + Architecture • La Mar de Flickr • as beautiful as you want • Flickr Social Club • Britain at its Best • FlickrNova • flickr (unofficial) • La mar de buena / The sea of good • Landscape Art of Wales & South West England • Best of UK • Amateur Photographer Magazine • BRITAIN AT ITS BEST! • Flickr Social • Flickr Photo Unlimited (No People) « less

Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mark IV, f/5.6, 0.6 sec, 70mm, ISO 100 (more info) (hide info)

Camera:	Canon EOS 5D Mark IV
Lens:	EF24-70mm f/2.8L USM
Aperture:	f/5.6
Exposure Time:	0.6
Focal Length:	70mm
ISO:	100
Exposure Bias:	0 EV
Flash:	Off, Did not fire
Exposure Program:	Aperture-priority AE
Exposure Mode:	Auto
Metering Mode:	Multi-segment
White Balance:	Auto
Color Space:	sRGB
Software:	Windows Photo Editor 10.0.10011.16384
Show full info

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