A collision of forces (North Portugal)
© John North/iStock

Lighthouses: A Magnet for the Collision of Nature’s Forces

Some of the most amazing places on earth are at its edges. Drama is inevitable at these gateways to the vast beyond.

Collisions of nature’s forces are expected—at the polar tips and rugged coastlines, at the intersection of earth, sea, and sky.

These are the same places that made the early explorers afraid of the treacherous, cavernous ledges—at the edge of the flat world—as the curves of the earth disappeared from their view.

And it is here—in these natural theaters—that productions are anything but ordinary.

The calm before the storms
© Logoboom/iStock

The Stalwart Lighthouse

Many of these battles of the forces cast the lighthouse as the lead character.

These beacons, by their very purpose, sit on the cusp of land and sea, dotting the outlines of the continents with their steadfast blazes of light.

Sometimes the lighthouses even go outside the edges, perched on isolated tiny rock islands, as if becoming a part of the sea themselves.

They stand strong and sturdy, lighting the way to safe harbor. And they offer good fuel for powerful photographs of humanmade architecture withstanding the forces of nature—especially when the surf is up.

Storm waves at entry of the Douro River in Portugal
© Zacarias Pereira de Mata/iStock

There are lighthouses that are mentioned often for their history, style, and setting, such as the Tower of Hercules in northwestern Spain, the Hook Head Lighthouse in Ireland, and Les Eclaireurs Lighthouse “at the end of the world” in Argentina (just east of the southernmost city in the world).

The Tower of Hercules Lighthouse in Spain
© Hapaks/iStock

There are lighthouses that are famous for the westerly storms that lash them with vicious wind and waves, such those in Portugal, western France, and England.

Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, England
© Design Pics/Thinkstock

But in the past year, it is the Porthcawl Lighthouse that has drawn worldwide attention, especially with a voracious internet audience.

And Then There Was Porthcawl

The Porthcawl Lighthouse on the south coast of Wales does not make any of the Top Lighthouses in the World lists, but those list makers haven’t taken into account the brutal storm winds and gargantuan waves that sweep in from the west through the Bristol Channel.

A storm at Porthcawl Lighthouse in Wales
© D.W. Ryan/iStock

All of the elements—the formation of the jetty, the slope of the barrier wall, the winds, the tides, and the movement of the sea—come together a few rare times a year to create towering walls of water.

It’s a good thing the lighthouse is made of cast iron or it would be crushed by the force of these raging mountains.

Photographer storm addicts, like American tornado chasers in the Midwest, check the weather during storm season to make sure they are at the right place at the right time, camera in hand. And photography gods willing, the sea begins to explode.

An explosion of sea at Porthcawl
© Steven Garrington

On any given storm day, the pack of photographers at Porthcawl is like a press corps huddle, although the sound of the clicking shutters is muffled by the roar of the wind and sea.

Each artist adventurer is hoping for the one original climactic moment of impact, when sea and structure collide, or dance passionately around each other with frenzied energy.

Although there have been many great photographs of Porthcawl, a single member of the wave-inspired photo corps emerged as a celebrity in his own right this year.

The ultimate Porthcawl Lighthouse photograph, winning 2nd in Flickr’s 2015 contest
© Steven Garrington

Wales native, Steven Garrington, posted his Porthcawl image from a 2014 storm on his Flickr site, and tens of thousands of views later, he was awarded the second most liked image on Flickr for 2015. (He was out-liked by a shot of the launch of Elon Musk’s SpaceX rocket.)

This honor blasted his story through the blogosphere and art community.

He is humble about his new internet fame. He admits in a BBC interview that he is self-taught and still learning from all the helpful comments on his Flickr site.

He shot his first Porthcawl storm in 2008 and then again in 2014 and 2015. The 2014 image was not posted until 18 months after the storm. Steve likes to let his images settle in for a while.

The call of Porthcawl
© Steven Garrington

He appreciates the attention on Flickr (he now has more than 110,000 followers), but also admits he doesn’t always agree with the images selected as most popular. In fact, there’s an image of Porthcawl he likes better than the one that got all the 2015 attention.

Another Porthcawl favorite
© Steven Garrington

Storm Tips

While Steve may or may not shoot another Porthcawl storm, he offered these tips to BBC Arts for photographing storm events.

• Carry a plastic bag to stuff your camera into when the spray comes your way.
• Wait for the light. It’s not just about giant waves. Photography’s heartbeat is light.
• Know the conditions (where are the waves breaking, is the tide coming in or going out, is the weather getting worse?)
• Have an escape plan when that wave two or three times larger than you can possibly imagine breaks over the jetty.
• Don’t go alone; have a buddy looking out for you. Take turns shooting.

And we add: Don’t ever turn your back on the sea.

The elements align at Porthcawl
© Steven Garrington

Oh, I See: 1 + 1 = 3 in the World of Lighthouses

When there are dramatic moments in nature at the most amazing places on earth, the power of this confluence is exponential.

The “Oh, I see” moments become gasps at the sheer beauty and force of nature.

When a talented photographer captures the moment of impact, when the waves leap over every barrier in sight and hang suspended defying every law of gravity, the power is felt to the very core.

And all of us lucky viewers are, quite simply, awestruck.

See the power of nature in action in this Porthcawl video.

Tips courtesy of Steven Garrington and BBC Arts (Get Creative).

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