From falling off a wall with my Nikon to seeing St Davids from the sky

There are some photographs that stay with you forever — sometimes because of the photograph itself, and sometimes because of what you went through to get it.

My photograph of St Davids Cathedral is definitely one of those.

I’ve joked for years that I have one of the best photographs of the cathedral. Photography is subjective, of course, and I may be slightly biased.

But I think I earned this one.

Because I fell off a wall taking it. 😂

St Davids through a photographer’s eyes

St Davids is somewhere I never really tire of photographing, and it’s not just the cathedral. The surrounding Pembrokeshire landscape has provided me with inspiration for years.

One of my photographs of Carn Llidi was my own interpretation of Ansel Adams’ famous Moonrise, Hernandez, New Mexico.

I wasn’t trying to reproduce Adams’ photograph, but rather take what inspired me about it — the dramatic black-and-white tones, enormous sky, light and landscape — and interpret those ideas here in Pembrokeshire.

Carn Llidi — my Pembrokeshire interpretation inspired by Ansel Adams’ Moonrise, Hernandez, New Mexico.

That idea of looking beyond the obvious photograph continues when I photograph the cathedral itself.

Inside, there is another world of photographic possibilities. Repeating shapes, colour, ancient stone, arches, organ pipes, symmetry and light can become subjects in their own right.

Sometimes the photograph isn’t the whole building.

It’s the little detail that catches your eye.

Teaching people to see

Over the years I’ve also brought Springboard Family Learning groups to St Davids while teaching photography, and it’s a wonderful outdoor classroom.

Rather than simply talking about composition, leading lines, texture, framing and viewpoint, they’re all around us.

One of my favourite things about teaching photography is watching somebody stop simply looking and start seeing.

An arch becomes a frame. Organ pipes become repeating patterns. Light falling across old stone becomes a photograph.

I’ve never wanted to tell people exactly where to stand and exactly what photograph to take. It’s about giving them the knowledge and confidence to find their own photograph.

Although perhaps I should add one lesson from personal experience:

Look for unusual viewpoints. Just don’t fall off them. 😂

And occasionally… there’s a Lamborghini

St Davids has also found its way into my professional wedding photography.

And on one particularly memorable occasion, the magnificent historic cathedral had something considerably more modern sitting in front of it.

A bride, a groom and a white Lamborghini against centuries of history.

I love the contrast.

It’s another example of why I never seem to make exactly the same photograph of St Davids twice.

And then technology gave me an entirely new possibility.

From the wall to the sky

After all those years of searching for different viewpoints, I can now put the camera somewhere I could never safely stand myself.

In the sky.

Seeing somewhere I know well from a drone completely changed my understanding of the place.

From above, you can appreciate the cathedral, the Bishop’s Palace and the surrounding landscape together. A place I’ve photographed so many times suddenly looks new again.

And the best part?

This time my feet remained firmly on the ground. 😂

The camera changes. The photographer doesn’t.

Looking back through these photographs, I realise St Davids has quietly followed me through different parts of my photographic life.

I’ve photographed its landscape and architecture. I’ve brought learners here and encouraged them to discover their own viewpoints. I’ve photographed weddings here.

And, of course, I’ve fallen off a wall in pursuit of what I still maintain is one of my best photographs of the cathedral. 😂

Photography itself has changed enormously over the years.

But the thing that makes me pick up a camera hasn’t.

I’m still looking at something and thinking:

“There must be another way of seeing this.”

And after all these years photographing St Davids, I suspect I haven’t finished finding them yet.

Although if the next viewpoint involves climbing onto another wall…

I’m sending the drone. 😂

⸻

Bev x

Photography & words © Beverley Thomas Photography