I must admit that the last few weeks, photographically at least, have been a bit of a washout. The weather here in Derbyshire has been intermittently decent in the daytime but dawn and dusk, more often than not, have been a masterclass in cloudiness. It’s not been a bad thing as for the first time in years I’ve actually been able to take a bit of time off in preparation for what will be a busy few months ahead.
At the end of August, in readiness for the September gales that roll in off the Atlantic, I shall be returning north to the Shetland Islands for as long as I can manage, probably between 3-5 weeks. It is my nostalgia for these northern islands that has prompted me to post some golden plover images that I captured up there last year, on one of the rare evenings that the sun made a brief appearance.
My time in the Shetland Islands will be spent almost exclusively at Hermaness, a National Nature Reserve on the northernmost island of Unst and though it is undoubtedly a spectacular place it is also among the most challenging environments within the UK in which to work. Last year, having had a number of tents destroyed by ferocious winds I was forced, for the last month of my visit, to work out of my van, something that I will have to do again this year. With no cooker, fridge or comfy bed however it is hardly the most homely of places. There will then be the daily, arduous 6 mile round trip, this time lugging my weighty 600mm F4 lens as opposed to my petite 200-400mm, along with all the food and drink that I’ll need for a potential 14 hour stint. Add in an occasional 90m abseil down broken cliffs, an overwhelming sense of isolation and vulnerability, a feeling which frequently progresses to genuine fear and panic and I’d say that pretty much sums the experience up.
With no phone signal at the base of the cliffs where I will be working I have little option but to ring my wife before every abseil and agree a time when I should be back up. If that time passes my wifes next call has to be to the coastguard giving them accurate GPS co-ordinates for where I’m supposed to be. I’m actually beginning to feel a bit stressed about it already!
As it is so difficult, even on a regular blog, to give people an accurate idea of the full gamut of work that a wildlife photographer produces I have, for those who might be interested in having a look, just had another 200+ images uploaded onto www.rspb-images.com If you search on “Andrew Parkinson”, speech marks necessary, then that will bring up some of the material that I’ve produced over the previous winter months. Of course I could update my own website with these images and information but that is clearly asking a little too much of someone with my organisational skills!
6/10 rating a long way to go for subjects you can do on the Derbyshire moors
Does this mean that you wont be stealing…oops! I mean ‘borrowing’ any of my average plover images to pass off as your own? Finally, a reward for my mediocrity!!
*gasp*
Andrew
For someone who spends what appears by all indications the most part of their time in the field I would have expected you to have blown me away with a series of OMG images, but seriously I’m not blown away they are birds on the ground / on the branch type shots – no behavioural element what so ever….. something you could do 10 miles from you live on a summer’s evening in early evening orange light as depicted – its only my democratic opinion.
I’ll ignore your remark………. as I’m not going to lower myself to such remarks…
And may I wish you well in your future projects and good luck with the content of a blog I will not perusing in the near future as I’m in the process of moving home and all that entails.
But Geoffrey, you HAVE lowered yourself, so many times already, with a veritable galaxy of embittered and abusive comments about a host of decent people. You have merrily surfed the gutter and even wallowed in it…and it’s all on record. I presume you momentarily forgot given the pressure of your impending move?
You have heaped litres of Oil of Vitriol upon Danny Green (and then there are all those libellous accusations…) and undiluted Aqua Regia upon Andy Parkinson, Niall Benvie, Peter Cairns, Ben Hall…old uncle Tob Cobbley and all. And I was just the ‘sad old man’ – a minor player.
If you are not going to peruse (or even read) this blog then what will you do as you writhe in agony every time you see a published picture by Danny, Niall, Pete…and even Andy (!) in the pages of top magazines? There will be a lot of them so will you put up another series of covers you claim as your very own, use their photos or assemble more articles using the convenience of ‘cut and paste’ and the published work of others (but never attribute?). Or will you spontaneously combust…and then we must await that toxic mushroom cloud.
On a matter of semantics, I am not sure whether comments as such can be democratic (sic) – though you might claim your ‘democratic’ right to make them. Of course, others can then claim a ‘democratic’ right to reply. However, it always helps when comments are made constructively and then they have a value: not ‘comments off’ as on your blog.
But what can one realistically make of comments from someone who is clearly eaten up by jealousy and bitterness, who claims authorship of photographs not his own and who plagiarises the written work of others on a regular basis…. who has never published a book and yet claims to be an authority on all sorts of things photographic?
May I wish you well with your move and hope that life is to your liking in Ulan Bator – I hear the copyright laws are non-existent there (suits you sir?) but darling, the camels are lovely.
Paul
Amen!!!!!
Great pics by the way. Keep it up guys!
Edwin Kats, Netherlands
Hi,
Nice to see some more of your Hermaness photos. Unfortunately I’ll be leaving Shetland on the 27th, so I might miss you. Although I am heading off to a job in South Georgia, and am utterly excited about it all. Good luck with getting the shots you want of the Gannets (I’ve never seen a Gannet on the Derbyshire moors
really look forward to seeing some of the results, I’m sure they’re stunning.
Alastair
Hermaness Warden
Hi Alastair
Always nice to hear from you. There is actually a pretty good chance that I’ll be up there by the 27th so I’ll get straight up to Hermaness if I do, it’ll be good to catch up. So you’re now off to South Georgia, fair play, it looks like a stunning place so no doubt you’ll get some cracking images.
If I don’t get up there in time then have a fantastic, but safe trip and I’ll keep in touch via email with all the updates.
Speak soon
Andy