Storm Debi over West Shore

After a morning of domestic chores - mainly laundry and ironing - I escape to one of my ‘happy places’: West Shore.

It’s dull but dry, and Storm Debi is definitely making herself felt. Here at home we’re generally sheltered from the violent westerlies, but once we get to the other side of the Orme, her full force hits us. Just getting out of the car presents the problem of managing the doors without them blowing shut on arms or legs, causing injury in the process. 

While seas are rough, these are not the dramatic rollers that crash against the coast - not yet at least. But the buffeting wind makes walking difficult and for once I’m quite glad to have my camera bag on my back, feeling grateful for the extra ballast. Approaching the beach is painful, with sand being blasted from the shore. I meet only one other person, a woman wrapped up against the blasts much like an explorer heading into the Sahara, sunglasses protecting her eyes from sand rather than sun. 

But for all the difficulties, it’s glorious - literally breathtaking - and quite beautiful as breaks in the clouds over the Carneddau send spotlight rays out into the darkness of the storm. 

These shots are actually in full colour, but this is weather that takes the colour from the landscape, replacing blues with metallic silvery hues. My main may look deceptively calm, the silver surface water in the sands apparently motionless. In reality, this is getting whipped up as much as the sand behind me. My extra collage focuses more on the Carneddau, bleak darkness broken by shafts of light.