Fresh Ground Photography

Druidstone Beach

There are lots of beaches in Pembrokeshire and each one seems to have a character of its own. I hadn’t been to Druidstone Beach for a number of years (partly due to lockdown) and I just felt that this Saturday it would be nice to go somewhere different. This beach is a bit off the beaten track. There’s no car park, no facilities, but it has a unique feel. The high cliffs that surround it engender a protected, closeted ambience.

I’d taken my full frame SLR with me and fitted a Lensbaby Burnside 35mm prime lens before setting off. I like the simplicity of this lens. It’s a solidly-constructed, manual focus lens which feels good on the high-tech camera body. The aperture ring controls the exposure and depth of field, of course, but also has a profound effect on the softness of the edges of the image. It’s not quite vignetting … I keep telling myself that … it’s more that the lens adds a more ‘painterly’ effect to the image

The weather was overcast and I knew I’d be taking landscape shots, that’s why I chose this lens. Personally, I feel that lens choice is just as much a part of the creative process as composition and depth of field. I like the subdued, understated feel of the images produced on that day.

I’ve never used these lenses in videography but I’d like to try. I think the results could be quite special. Something for the future I think.

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