People

George

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Portraits of George who turned 100 a few weeks back. As the local doctor in St Davids for many years he is something of a local legend. It was a real privilege to be asked to take some portraits to add to his memoir that his granddaughter wrote some years ago. His age has diminished his hearing and vision somewhat but he still manages to get out on his tricycle and enjoys reading the news. George has given a lifetime of service to the RNLI; the Western Telegraph gave a good summary of his lifes work in their piece on the occasion of his 100th birthday.

He served as honorary medical advisor (HMA) at St Davids RNLI for many years and launched with the boat a number of times for medical rescues.He became the HMA in 1956 and was also a member of the RNLI’s national medical committee for many years, researching medical incidents, finding and testing medical equipment and designing the medical training for lifeboat crews throughout the RNLI.

Dr Middleton was also one of the founders of Porthmawr surf lifesaving club at Whitesands over 60 years ago which is as vibrant now as was all those years ago and has a close affiliation with the RNLI lifeguards.

He also regularly accompanied the RAF rescue helicopters from Brawdy on missions off the coasts of both Wales and Ireland. Dr Middleton has been awarded the RNLI’s Silver and Gold service badges and is a life Governor of the RNLI.

Dr Middleton was also awarded an MBE in recognition of his services with the RNLI and other organisations.

From the Western Telegraph

Flicking through his memoir it’s interesting to read about life as the doctor in a small coastal location in the 1950’s. George loved to spend time at the beach but it was a radio blackspot so if he was needed in town, a local household with radio reception would hang a towel out of the window to alert him. When Search and Rescue helicopters were based at the local airbase, he would find himself onboard and taken out to all kinds of emergencies including trips out to the offshore lighthouses when they were still manned by a small crew.

I reflected that over the course of his lifetime, George can say that he has seen it all, and while tensions in Ukraine rumble on to an unknown conclusion, George reads about it in his daily newspaper and maybe it feels like a petty squabble when seen through the wideangle view of 100 years.

Bikepacking

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Throwback to Summer 2020 and a product shoot for a prototype frame bag for Ben’s bikepacking adventure to Portugal and a few portraits in the evening light in St Davids. Looking forward to the warmth returning for some summer bicycling.

Tim Williams - Sculptor

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I went to see Tim Williams in his workshop before Christmas. Tim is a Pembrokeshire artist with a playful approach to his sculptural work. Using metal in a variety of ways he creates pieces on a scale from tiny figurines to large multi-element installations incorporating old machinery that lend motion to the work. His carpentry skills are also used to make one of his latest evolving pieces; a black chapel which awaits the gathering of a congregation of saplings when the work is complete. Tim is the son of a Pembrokeshire sheep farmer and his work is informed by the people, animals and cultural landscape that have shaped his world since his youth. Noticeable in his approach is the improvised nature of his techniques, like the farmer finds what works for him in the yard when something needs fixing or fashioning, Tim plays with materials and industrial tools to get results that realise his vision. The resulting style is organic and echoes the people, animals and the rural and coastal landscape that surrounds him. Tim exhibits some of his pieces in Oriel y Clawdd which you should keep an eye out for if you find yourself deep in the back roads of North Pembrokeshire.

Offas Dyke for Mother Goose Films

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In June I popped down to Shropshire to meet with Rob, the warden for the Offas Dyke National Trail that runs the length of the border between Wales and England. An ancient boundary, the path was established as a National Trail 50 years ago and Mother Goose Films have been commissioned to provide photo and video to promote the path at this milestone. I went down to get some shots for them that showed off the bluebells which were in full bloom, adding colour on a grey day.

River Swimming

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One of the many hot days of summer this year and a trip to landlocked Wiltshire. A search for a suitable place to slip into the Avon led to a path through the undergrowth, a clamber down the muddy bank and a cooling swim amongst lilies and demoiselles in the afternoon heat. River swimming always feels a little different to the coastal waters of home; nettles and brambles threaten the route to ingress, lowering ourselves from the top of the steep bank is rewarded with a squelching of mud between the toes and a course is navigated, arms held aloft, through roots and reeds to the point at which one can tentatively push off from the bank into the slow flow of the river. What lies beneath in these waters is unfamiliar and there’s the stirring of memories from childhood; warnings of pike and their needle sharp teeth mingle with tales of the riverbank from cultures and rivers both local and from the pages of stories told. Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn, The Wind in the Willows and all those folk songs about the Mississippi or the Findhorn. The Wye, the Tay and the Spey, those evocative names for the arteries that carry the characteristics of their banks out to the sea beyond. The water feels different too; somehow it’s smoother and the abrasive sting of salt is replaced by the earthy smell of water that has percolated through the fields and woodlands that border the river. The source of the Avon is in Gloucestershire and hasn’t travelled far by the time it reaches Bradford on Avon. It’s journey will then take it winding through Wiltshire, the cities of Bath and Bristol and its industrial hinterlands before it eventually spills into the Severn Estuary at Avonmouth, a different river to the one that was born in the Gloucestershire countryside.

Studio portraits - Robin

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It was a pleasure to have my friend Robin come in for some portraits the other day. Covid put a stop to any such shoots of late so it was nice to be able to have someone sit for me again. I was inspired by a recent Phil Fisk shoot with Paul Weller to try some high key lighting with some gelled lights to give some colour as Phil had done in his shots. I love Phil’s portraits and his use of light is fantastic. Robins colouring struck me as suiting this style of shot so I invited him into my humble home studio. In the end the session was a little frustrating as using battery powered (possibly not charged recently :/ ) flash units made for inconsistent results. I suspect this was due to several factors present in a very DIY setup! I’d used a white cube used for product photography balanced on top of one speedlight to act as a high key backdrop. The only reliable element was my softbox as the front light. To the side I tried a gelled flash in slave mode to flash when the other units fired. From one shot to the next the lighting would give different results and so it was virtually impossible to work towards what I wanted! I was still pleased with the results that we achieved. We chatted Zappa and films and when there was a pause I took some shots and rolled with whatever results the lights decided to offer! Towards the end I went back to the classic one light style against a black background and had some lovely results but there is a reason why a well equipped studio is a powerful tool.

An unexpected joy was reading the messages Robin’s kids had sent to him when he showed them the results. This year has meant that many relationships have felt somewhat on hold despite the best abilities of technology to help us maintain connections with those that we don’t live close to. I think these shots made a nice change to a fuzzy image on Zoom. We underestimate the importance of seeing the faces of loved ones in real life and maybe the next best thing is a good picture.

Clare sent Today at 22:16

Omg DAD! These are AMAZING!!!! I absolutely love them!! And love that you did this!! I'm going to have one of them printed and framed. It captures your cheeky smile, always plotting a quick whip. Number 10 makes you look like a thug!

Paddy sent Today at 22:20

These are great dad. I love toms photos. Number 6 sums up a number of emotions. Great to see your smile but also just nice to see pics of you. X