This week takes me to Annestown again on the Copper Coast to photograph one sea arch in particular. There are a couple of scenarios which coincided to allow this image to be taken the way I wanted it, a spring tide coinciding with sunset with the angle of the sun sitting just where I wanted it . The 3 things came together quite well and the weather even played its part.
The arch is situated on the east side of Annestown in Co Waterford, access is via the cliff walk to the left hand side of the beach and down a very steep hill down to an isolated stretch of beach, I find descending on my arse the safest option. You can access via Annestown beach at low tide but be very careful as you will be cut off very quickly (which I have seen happen and had to help someone find their way back to safety , just as they had resigned themselves to swimming around the headland, nuts!).
The arch itself is quite picturesque and has some very nice colour in the rocks , going from sandstone red to parts that are almost aqua in colour, a feature of a lot of the rock on the Copper Coast. I had a few images in mind using various shutter speeds both to show movement of the water through the arch and also to isolate it using a long exposure. The light shining through the arch should give some interesting images also.
The following images I took on this particular evening. My favourite being the long exposure B&W image (above) but I like to try different styles when I can. I struggled a little with the composition as I felt the images were a bit unbalanced but since the tides was in around me the visit was a little rushed.
Update 2019 : Please note that this arch has now collapsed and all that remains is a stack with all evidence of the arch gone. See below
Along this stretch there are also a few other featurers I have photographed on scouting trips. This one is of a second arch further down the beach , again captured at high tide.
The final image I will post is of a Waterfall that is there after a period of heavy rain.
There are 3 arches on this stretch of beach in total and the far side closest to Kilfarrasy has some particularly strong features which I will leave to a separate post at some stage when I have some stronger images to include. I have included a small gallery of images below of more images from that stretch of coast line along with different views of the arches. Just click on the images to get a large view and swipe through.
Next up, Ballydwane, one of the jewels in the crown of the Copper Coast in Waterford.
Kieran
