Orkney Archives - Page 2 of 4 - Annie Wright Photography

Cloud Appreciation Society

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August 7, 2017
Orkney / photography / Scotland

Recently I was sent a flyer for a cloud photo competition to be judged by the legendary Cloud Appreciation Society. A great choice of subject matter because Orkney – where I’m based at present – has enormous skies and dramatic weather. So, instead of pointing my camera horizontally or towards the ground, I have started looking upwards, an experience which is quite literally dizzying. And, with my head in the clouds, anything is possible. To quote the great photographer Alfred Stieglitz: “My cloud photographs are equivalents of my most profound life experiences, my basic philosophy of life. All art is an equivalent of the artist’s most profound life experiences.” (more…)

The Simmer Dim – a Very Weird Light

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July 17, 2017
Orkney

Simmer Dim. East Mainland, Orkney — © www.anniewrightphotography.com

The simmer dim is a very weird light. Affecting the Northern Isles of Scotland, it is a strange half light where evenings are endless and nights are brief or non-existent. Here, the light does not simply get darker, rather it becomes progressively less intense like a fading light bulb that needs to be changed. After nearly two weeks on Orkney, I’m getting used to it…almost! (more…)

Simmer Dim

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July 9, 2017
Magic / mysteries / Orkney / Scotland / weather

Returning to Orkney in the summer, I am experiencing the simmer dim, an eternal twilight where nights are brief or even non-existent. Right now darkness descends shortly before midnight and daylight…

Discovering the Fujifilm X-T2

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June 26, 2017
Alfie / art / Orkney / photography

My travelling companion Alfie getting to grips with my brand new Fujifilm X-T2. The Fuji has received plenty of gold star reviews but – although that’s important – ultimately it all comes down to whether it sits comfortably in your hands and is in tune with your photographic desires. In other words: Can I make it sing for me? As of now, all the signs are positive and I can’t wait to start working with it! (more…)

Picture Perfect?

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June 18, 2017
beauty / Orkney / Stromness

Picture perfect? The early morning light, the ships and cloud reflections are all there, but so too is Orkney County Council with its extensive repairs to the water system. Personally I love a little imperfection: It shakes things up and throws them off balance. Location: Stromness, Mainland, Orkney

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The Deceptive Pentland Firth

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May 15, 2017
Orkney / Pentland Firth / Scotland / weather

Pentland Firth, Orkney, Scotland, weather — © www.anniewrightphotography.com

Storm or calm, the Pentland Firth is always deceptive. As a photographer, for me this moment was one of transcendence and peace. Yet I know that the Pentland Firth is one of the most dangerous stretches of water in the world. (more…)

Was It Just a Dream?

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April 3, 2017
Landscape / Magic / Orkney

Thinking back to Orkney and wondering was it just a dream? So intense. The hallucinatory light. The surging, uneasy sea. And me as this infinitesimally tiny creature scratching its surfaces and waiting – with my camera – for the magic to emerge.

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Photographic Cliché or Natural Wonder?

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March 27, 2017
Orkney / Stromness

Natural wonder, photographic cliché, sunrise — © www.anniewrightphotography.com

Is sunrise a photographic cliché or a natural wonder? I hope the latter because no matter how many photos we take – good, bad and indifferent – each new dawn is unique and a miracle in itself. In this picture, the sun is rising over Stromness in Orkney. I watched it with my friend Crispin, who sagely commented that, although so much has changed in the course of time, this moment is what we still have in common with our most ancient ancestors. (more…)

The Dragon of Stromness

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February 27, 2017
Ancient heritage / legends / Orkney

The Dragon of Stromness is small, shy and remarkably docile. Recently hatched, it guards against ghosts and hostile fairy folk while watching over this ancient Viking settlement. (more…)

The Peak Moment of My Visit to Orkney

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February 20, 2017
Orkney / Sport

The peak moment of my recent visit to Orkney has to be my friend Alette's birthday swim around the island of Glimps Holm. It took more than two hours in wintery…