Friday 14 November 2014
Facebook Page
Please check out my Facebook page, for the latest news and updates about my work and photography!! My most recent project looks at how rivers in the UK have been and are still being affected by mans actions. https://www.facebook.com/pages/Oliver-Wilks-Images/139562292799229
Wednesday 26 March 2014
Scotland
Hey Everyone,
I am now up in Cairmgorms and will be updating my activities when ever I can, mainly through my twitter account but do not worry I will be keeping this blog updating as well.
So far we have traveled from Falmouth, Cornwall up to the Lake District where we stayed in YHA Windermere, which had to be one of the well kept Youth Hostels I have ever been in!! With a beautiful view across the lake from our bedroom window. Today we carried on the journey up to Cairmgorms, to Easter Corrie Holiday Cottages, where we are spending the next 7 nights before we make our way back down to Sussex.
P.S
Africa blog is still to come and I am slowly putting it together, there is so much to say it was unbelievable !!
I am now up in Cairmgorms and will be updating my activities when ever I can, mainly through my twitter account but do not worry I will be keeping this blog updating as well.
So far we have traveled from Falmouth, Cornwall up to the Lake District where we stayed in YHA Windermere, which had to be one of the well kept Youth Hostels I have ever been in!! With a beautiful view across the lake from our bedroom window. Today we carried on the journey up to Cairmgorms, to Easter Corrie Holiday Cottages, where we are spending the next 7 nights before we make our way back down to Sussex.
P.S
Africa blog is still to come and I am slowly putting it together, there is so much to say it was unbelievable !!
Saturday 1 March 2014
Down on the Lizard
Not only was I in the studio on Thursday, where I was shooting portraits of Emily for her portfolio (Posted on my twitter and Facebook Page) but during the day I was able to get out in the sun down on the Lizard, the focus of the shoot was to look at locations that I could photograph for one of my new projects that focuses on species that are the focus of a Biodiverisy Action Plan in Cornwall, I've included a link to the main species included in this, it is worth a look at and then matching them to their plan just to get to know each of these species a bit more.
http://www.cornwallwildlifetrust.org.uk/Resources/Cornwall%20Wildlife%20Trust/PDF%20Documents/Cornwall_Biodiversity_Action_Plan_Volume_4_species_list_Oct_2010.pdf
Back to the shoot, well I started at Windmill Farm, a Cornwall Wildlife Trust reserve that I visited a lot back in the summer months of 2013. This was my first visit of 2014 and I wanted to focus on the ponds that can be found there. As per expected their wasn't much to been in these areas at this time but they were still great to see how they have coped with the recent storms, another bonus of the location is that is it near the army base and they use the air space a lot to practise flying their fighter jets and helicopters, making windmill farm a great place to sit and watch them fly over.
The next location on my list was Lizard Point, in summer this is the place to go to see coughs, unfortunately they haven't arrived yet but the site is on the coast and is home to skylarks and other coast birds along with some great views as the waves crash against the cliffs creating a dramatic atmosphere to photograph. While I was there I found a new favourite spot to add to my list for locations which involved walking down what they classed as "slippery steps" it turned out this meant wet smooth rocks angled at different angles and a small ladder and a jump to get onto the beach, but boy was it worth it!!
My final visiting spot before I headed home for the shoot in the evening was Kynance Cove, an amazing location, that everyone with a camera should visit. This time I was focusing on a small stream that runs down into the sea. This captured the location from a different angle and I believe it is this that makes it my favourite shot from the shoots, especially as it is one that I have never thought about doing before and so stands out from the classic shot of the cove.
http://www.cornwallwildlifetrust.org.uk/Resources/Cornwall%20Wildlife%20Trust/PDF%20Documents/Cornwall_Biodiversity_Action_Plan_Volume_4_species_list_Oct_2010.pdf
Back to the shoot, well I started at Windmill Farm, a Cornwall Wildlife Trust reserve that I visited a lot back in the summer months of 2013. This was my first visit of 2014 and I wanted to focus on the ponds that can be found there. As per expected their wasn't much to been in these areas at this time but they were still great to see how they have coped with the recent storms, another bonus of the location is that is it near the army base and they use the air space a lot to practise flying their fighter jets and helicopters, making windmill farm a great place to sit and watch them fly over.
The next location on my list was Lizard Point, in summer this is the place to go to see coughs, unfortunately they haven't arrived yet but the site is on the coast and is home to skylarks and other coast birds along with some great views as the waves crash against the cliffs creating a dramatic atmosphere to photograph. While I was there I found a new favourite spot to add to my list for locations which involved walking down what they classed as "slippery steps" it turned out this meant wet smooth rocks angled at different angles and a small ladder and a jump to get onto the beach, but boy was it worth it!!
My final visiting spot before I headed home for the shoot in the evening was Kynance Cove, an amazing location, that everyone with a camera should visit. This time I was focusing on a small stream that runs down into the sea. This captured the location from a different angle and I believe it is this that makes it my favourite shot from the shoots, especially as it is one that I have never thought about doing before and so stands out from the classic shot of the cove.
Having selected these locations and taking these images, I am now looking at way to make them more aesthetic and stand out against another image.
Sunday 23 February 2014
Rockpool Project
Over the weekend I had a great opotunity to get my hands on one of the Panasonic GX-1 cameras with it's underwater housing. This gave me a great chance to start my latest project into the rockpools around Cornwall, with main focus on Gyllyngvase Beach, Falmouth. Although the weather above the water hasn't been great this weekend, life underwater has gone on unchanged. Below is one of my first images towards the project, showing a Hermit crab in its underwater habitat and also showing that it is in a rockpool.
Monday 17 February 2014
Porpoise & Seal pup Autopsy
Today I got the chance to film and photograph a autopsy that Exeter University had arrange in their science lab. Throughout the process they talked everyone through what they were doing and how the two species had specially adapted to life under the sea, from their eyes to how the insides of the porpoise is design to lower nitrogen getting into the blood stream that if it did would have the same affect that divers experience if they spend too long at depths underwater.
The porpoise had died from a head on collision with a bottle nose dolphin. which was most likely started because of territory although they can not be certain as they found it strained on the beach. Below I have put some of my favourite images from the process, I am back there tomorrow where they will be carrying out a similar process on a Bottle nose dolphin and a porpoise fetus that they came across today.
The porpoise had died from a head on collision with a bottle nose dolphin. which was most likely started because of territory although they can not be certain as they found it strained on the beach. Below I have put some of my favourite images from the process, I am back there tomorrow where they will be carrying out a similar process on a Bottle nose dolphin and a porpoise fetus that they came across today.
WARNING THESE ARE NOT FOR THE FAINT HEARTED
Friday 7 February 2014
Screech Owl Sanctuary
Spent today at the Screech Owl Sanctuary with a few course mates and David Chapman. They trip was organised through the university and was discounted for us. The Screech Owl Sanctuary itself is run by the Screech family, ironic and shows the family was destined to look after owls. For those of you who don't know a Barn Owls other name is Screech Owl.
During the day David setup a verity of different sets where the birds were placed, which allowed us to capture some amazing images that we would have never been about to do if we tried to photograph these birds in the wild. Each set was put together to allow us to capture the best images but still look natural so that the viewer could mistake the image for one taken in the wild. Below I have included my favourites from the day, I hope you like them and let me know what you think!
During the day David setup a verity of different sets where the birds were placed, which allowed us to capture some amazing images that we would have never been about to do if we tried to photograph these birds in the wild. Each set was put together to allow us to capture the best images but still look natural so that the viewer could mistake the image for one taken in the wild. Below I have included my favourites from the day, I hope you like them and let me know what you think!
Kestrel - Falco tinnunculus
Great Grey Owl - Strix nebulosa
Barn Owl (Screech Owl) - Tyto alba
Barn Owl (Screech Owl) - Tyto alba
Burrowing Owl - Athene cunicularia
Tawny Owl - Strix aluco
Tawny Owl - Strix aluco
Long-eared Owl - Asio otus
Saturday 25 January 2014
Godrevy, Hell Mouth and Swanpool
Today I managed it, I went out on a shoot for the first time in two weeks! My first decided was what camera to take and then where to go. The answer to the first question was simple a Nikon D800E with a Nikon 300mm F2.8 from the university and the next answer was Godrevy. One of my favourite spots in Cornwall.
Upon arriving there I took some photos of the waves has they smashed against the rocks, it is amazing the force that they hit the cliffs surrounding the coast every day. On my walk around I also noticed a small stew of Oystercatchers on the rocks down below so I decided it was a good idea to make my way down, as you see below it was a bit of a drop, your be glad to know I made it back up safely. Unfortunately though me sliding down the cliff alerted the Oystercatchers to my presence and they flew off before i could even lift my camera.
Upon arriving there I took some photos of the waves has they smashed against the rocks, it is amazing the force that they hit the cliffs surrounding the coast every day. On my walk around I also noticed a small stew of Oystercatchers on the rocks down below so I decided it was a good idea to make my way down, as you see below it was a bit of a drop, your be glad to know I made it back up safely. Unfortunately though me sliding down the cliff alerted the Oystercatchers to my presence and they flew off before i could even lift my camera.
The cliff I hiked up.
After leaving Godrevy I headed to Hellsmouth to see if the Falmurs had returned to the cliffs that make this location so popular. When I arrived there was the sound of the males calling to the females trying to attract their mates. This gave me a great opportunity to photograph this behaviour and as they flew down and landed on the cliffs.
My final stop before I went home was to Swanpool beach, where I made my way around the rocks trying to have a second attempt of photographing the Oystercatchers, this time with more success although not the final image I wanted but a great start !
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