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Showing posts from March, 2012

The Right Place at the Right Time

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I've often said to people that the price of being in the right place at the right time, is being in the wrong place at the wrong time, hundreds of times. I wouldn't have taken these pictures, if I hadn't ventured across treacherous, even dangerous ground, walked up steep hills or revisited locations several times, even when feeling tired. As a landscape and wildlife photographer, I have experienced failure and disappointment many times. One simply has to keep trying. Of course, it is important to have a sound understanding of the weather and knowledge of tides, otherwise there would be many more wasted trips than is desirable. I say desirable, because experience of failure is character-building; it gives me focus and makes me stronger. I prefer visiting coastal locations during abnormally low tides in sunny weather, to obtain striking images of familiar landmarks, such as Beachy Head Lighthouse. Recently, when taking photographs across Cuckoo Bottom towards Kingston Ridge,...

Alan's picture to feature in the London 2012 Festival

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My image of the Seven Sisters is to feature in Peace Camp 2012 , part of the London 2012 Festival , culminating in a series of encampments at various locations around the British coastline. Theatre director, Deborah Warner and actor Fiona Shaw are working in collaboration to produce a series of coastal installations, from Cornwall to Sussex and Wales, Northumberland, Scotland and Northern Ireland.   "Designed to be visited between dusk and dawn, Peace Camp is a poignant exploration of love poetry and a celebration of the extraordinary variety and beauty of our coastline." Peace Camp 2012 . My image will advertise Cuckmere Haven, the nearest Peace Camp installation to the London 2012 Games. I expect the image to gain wide exposure, owing to the proximity to London. Peace Camp 2012 runs between 19th - 22nd July and entry is free.

Paradise Revisited

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Looking at these until now unseen pictures, taken last June, make me crave for a pint of real Sussex ale, a cheese board and everything else I associate with a warm summer evening. The fields around Balmer Down and Falmer are some of the more interesting parts of the South Downs. At no point, could I describe them as bland. The landscape is very English and well kept. Hedgerows line fields and Roe deer graze into the night. Hurry up, spring!

Spring Tide 2012, Brighton Beach

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Part one : Thursday 8th March 2012 . During March, the orbital alignment of the sun and the moon creates a strong gravitational pull on Earth's oceans, resulting in abnormally low tides. Coastal features normally hidden at any other time of the year are revealed. Brighton beach is the place to be during the spring tides. I had the pleasure of meeting Alex Lawrence and brightondj for the first time and once again, I bumped into Finn Hopson . Alex and I probably spent more time chin-wagging than taking photographs. He also let me try out his 10 frames-per-second Canon EOS-1D Mark IV, which he uses in his job as a professional motor racing photographer. In part two , I will revisit the beach at the weekend, when the forecast is for bright sunshine. I will also have my new Canon EF 100-400mm lens by then, replacing the copy destroyed at Beachy Head on Monday evening. On Saturday 10th March 2012 , the water level fell to 30cm on an unseasonably warm evening. In pla...

Where lenses come to die

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Shortly after I took this picture, I dropped my Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 IS L USM lens into the sea, destroying its electronics, including the image stabiliser and autofocus system. The £1300 lens is now ruined. No-one else was at Beachy Head when this unfortunate accident happened, but if there had been, they would have seen a man cursing and crying. A friend of mine had invited me to her exhibition in Hastings today. There is no point in making a connection between the two, but its funny how decisions in life can have unforeseen consequences.  Four bottles of real ale have just made an appointment with my central nervous system. I may be gone some time. Here is a full list of prices for my work, if you're interested in making a purchase (and helping a poor soul recover his losses) : www.alanmackenziephotography.com/p/licensing-and-prices.html

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