The Old Head

Ever since I was a boy fishing from its rocky outcrops and rugged cliffs, I have been under its spell. For me, it is a place that feels almost alive – with a voice, a presence, and a quiet, elemental power. In the summer of 2019 I was commissioned to create a photographic study of the headland for its current owner. The project offered an opportunity to return and spend time roaming this extraordinary place, reacquainting myself with its sheer cliffs, hidden caves and shifting coastline. Over many days I wandered the promontory without camera in hand, observing and reconnecting – allowing a familiarity to return before beginning to work.

On the Old Head, as at sea, nothing ever remains still. Light, wind and weather are in constant flux, shifting from moment to moment. I sought to embrace that changeability, allowing the images to respond to these fleeting conditions – so that, when seen together, they form a subtle narrative shaped by the passing of time and the movement of the elements.

The resulting images form a deeply personal study. Many were made at first light, as the headland and its seabird colonies stirred into life. Created over the course of two years, the work reflects repeated visits and a gradual understanding of the subtle interplay between land, sea and weather. The final series was presented as a hand-crafted print folio, comprising ten signed and editioned prints.

To stand on the Old Head – to hear the waves strike the cliffs,
to watch the gulls wheel above the surf, and to feel the cool salt spray on the air – is to experience something extraordinary, elemental and enduring.