Graemsay, from the point of the ness at Stromness, Orkney

Stromness, Orkney. Using a wide-angle lens, I captured this image a year ago this week . From the point of the ness at Stromness we see the island of Graemsay. I cropped this image to a square format in Lightroom, to emphasise the diagonal shoreline. I have eight square images of Orkney from this visit. The extreme 8mm focal length does “stretch” the image as shown in the clouds and the water. The pleasant evening with “sharp” light allows a crystal clear image. The texture and warm colour of the pebbly shoreline contrasts with the calm clear cold sea which is flat as a millpond. The clarity of the water allows us to follow the pebbles underneath the surface of the sea.

Graemsay lighthouse is on the left of the image. Here is a stillness and an “out of the way” feeling, yet we are on the edge of the second largest town in the Islands.

We are currently exhibiting this image in a square format with seven others at Rayleigh Windmill. Why not come and see it in the flesh!

More about Graemsay

Graemsay is located in the Western approaches to ‘Scapa Flow’, lying between Stromness on Orkney mainland and the North end of Hoy. There are two lighthouses, Hoy High to the East and Hoy Low to the West. Both were built & designed by Alan Stevenson of the famous lighthouse engineering family and commissioned in 1851. The current population is twenty-three permanent residents including six children with the addition of two properties being occasionally occupied. Parts of the island have been left largely undeveloped and are a haven for many wild plants. Check out http://www.graemsay.org.uk/

Equipment: Sony SLT-A65V, Sigma 8-16mm

Settings: F11 1/320 ISO 100