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Early April on the North Wales coast, the clocks have gone forward an hour onto British Summer Time and the light evenings are returning to our 53°N latitude.
So it was time once again to hit the beach, hoping to catch a decent sunset and twilight on the western horizon out over the Irish Sea.
With so many beautiful locations to choose from along the North Wales coast my wife Liz and I were spoilt for choice as to our final destination on this particular evening.
But we know of one spot that has it all - west facing, clean, clear air, great light and an enormous sandy beach at low tide, festooned with interesting rock formations, tidal pools and runoff streams, bounded by cliffs on both sides.
I'm talking about Church Bay (or Porth Swtan in the welsh language) of course, a gem of a seaside location on the northwest coast of Anglesey, not only beautiful but boasting a car park, toilets and a café to boot!
So Liz and I took the hour long drive from our home to Church Bay on a Saturday afternoon and enjoyed a lovely couple of hours walking the cliffs and taking in the invigorating sea air.
And come sunset we were on the beach, watching and photographing as the glow of twilight lit up the few wispy clouds along the horizon a vivid orange.
In contrast, the wet sand of the beach was a rich blue, reflecting the colours of the darker skies overhead.
A powerful juxtaposition of hues and tones, light and dark, that made for a compelling set of images.
Liz and I maintained our vigil at Church Bay for a while longer, until all the colour had bled from the skies and the stars were coming out, before starting our drive back home.
No doubt we'll be back again, enjoying this wonderful stretch of coastline for many years to come yet.
Church Bay Sunset Timelapse #1
Church Bay Sunset Timelapse #2
Church Bay Sunset Timelapse #3
Filename - church bay dusk 06
Lens - 17-40mm zoom @ 17mm
Exposure - 2 secs @ f11, ISO100
Filters - 2 stop neutral density graduated filter used to reduce the brightness of the sky.
Location - Church Bay (Porth Swtan), Anglesey, North Wales
Image enhancements - Adobe Lightroom
Comments - Tripod, remote release and mirror lockup used to prevent camera movement.
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