La Pulente Beach

I’m back for a second spot of reminiscing about my recent wonderful visit to Jersey.

My first shot shows off one of Jersey’s finest and certainly largest beaches, La Pulente on the west coast. It was very quiet during my visit and if you look at the tiny people in the middle it gives away the scale in an otherwise deceptive photo. I can’t imagine how packed the beach would be on a warm summer’s day but for my photography, a spot of winter sunshine did best. As I often point out, don’t forget to try to avoid the central horizon and a take a shot that shows a bit of depth too (ie the line of seaweed).

Reminder of the German occupation.

It’s impossible to go far on Jersey without seeing evidence of the Second World War’s German occupation. It’s a chilling reminder of the awful experience of the islanders and how close the German defense got to British soil. Nowadays guns, observation towers and ammunition bunkers are dotted all over the island. It’s an interesting opportunity for photography as well as learning about history.

Rusting remnants of the war.

Succulent ground cover plants.

 

Turning my attention to the island’s flora and fauna, the plant-life seems more akin to the Mediterranean than the British Isles. Everywhere around the coast was this pretty succulent plant covering the ground and spilling over walls. I’m familiar with it on Mallorca where it produces beautiful little flowers in the summer. A cutting will easily grow and make a lovely pot plant (until it takes over!).

Rozel fishing village in the north.

There are a number of delightful villages dotted along the coastline and one of the best known amongst visitors, is Rozel in the north east. This striking yellow house with blue window frames caught my eye. The light shimmering off the exterior and strong colour contrasts makes for a pleasing shot. Thankfully there were no parked cars, litter bins or street signage to spoil it.

View from Grosnez Castle

On the island’s north westerly tip is the ruin of Grosnez Castle, whilst not very exciting as castle ruins goes, the view along the coast is spectacular. Looking straight towards the sun the sun creates lens flare and highlights (if you look carefully) one of the German observation towers. It’s worth cleaning your lens before trying a shot like this, as dirt smudges and dust marks will also be highlighted. Just along from me at this spot, was a bride being photographed. A very cold and windy spot for your wedding photography, especially in December!

Plemont Beach

A little to the east of Grosnez is the lovely little beach at Plemont. It proved a great spot for a photo. One of the advantages of the short days is that sunsets come early and I was fascinated by the light and shade on the cliff as well as reflection in the wet sand.

Flying home!

My final shot comes on the journey home as the aircraft window gives an interesting if rather hazy view over much of the island, as the sun starts to go down. I never put my camera away until the last minute!

I hope you have enjoyed my snapshot of Jersey. If you’ve never been, do go. You’ll love it. More Photographers Ramblings in the New Year!