Nov 2009
Murmurations Signal The Beginning Of Winter
29/11/09 23:53 Post: Personal Work
Taken at 04:30pm on North Pier in Blackpool, UK. Tuesday 27th October 2009.
Since my last blog post back in October (Blackpool Public Artworks Photography Commission) there have been several noteworthy developments to my photographic practice. One of the most exciting items of news is that I’ve been asked to be an Associate Lecturer in Photography at UCLAN’s Media Factory in Preston. I’m currently teaching and mentoring first year photography degree students undertaking PH1010, a module that consists of a number of traditional black & white photography assignments. The last time I was in a lecture I was studying for my Masters in Blackpool, so its great to get back into the classroom and brainstorm new ideas about photography with the students.
I’m also a ‘Photographer in Residence’ at the Media Factory, so I’ve been busy organising two new photography projects (a psychogeographic assignment with UCLAN photography students and a separate community-based arts project in Blackpool) that will feature in a new photography exhibition at UCLAN’s Victoria Building in September 2010.
You may have noticed from the photographs featured in this blog post (and its title) that starlings are back in Blackpool once again. Starlings signal the beginning of Winter when these murmurations start to perform this marvellous spectacle. Murmurations are one of the most magical, yet underrated, spectacles of wildlife on display during Winter.
Taken at 04:32pm on North Pier in Blackpool, UK. Tuesday 27th October 2009.
“Impenetrable as the flock’s movements might seem to the human eye, the underlying maths is comparatively straightforward. Each bird strives to fly as close to its neighbours as possible, instantly copying any changes in speed or direction. As a result, tiny deviations by one bird are magnified and distorted by those surrounding it, creating rippling, swirling patterns. In other words, this is a classic case of mathematical chaos (larger shapes composed of infinitely varied smaller patterns). Whatever the science, however, it is difficult for the observer to think of it as anything other than some vast living entity.”
(Source: ‘The Mathematics Of Murmurating Starlings’ by Daniel Butler in the Telegraph newspaper) 
Taken at 04:26pm on North Pier in Blackpool, UK. Tuesday 27th October 2009.
The promenade and piers offer fantastic vantage points to photograph starlings. North Pier did become somewhat crowded while I was taking photographs, which resulted in me having to answer all manner of questions about starlings from one particularly inquisitive tourist. 
Taken at 04:19pm near North Pier in Blackpool, UK. Thursday 29th October 2009.
Wildlife photography requires both patience and persistence. Large periods of time are spent waiting for something to happen with quick short bursts to action that you can miss with the blink of an eye. Knowing your camera and subject inside out is crucial in capturing the best possible moment. The photograph above (entitled ‘Dog Chasing Starlings’) is a mixture of all these things. I watched and waited as the starlings feed on the beach, knowing that if I waited long enough, something would happen. I saw a man approach with his dog near the break of the waves when suddenly the dog bolted towards the flock. As they scattered, I began taking photographs and hoped for the best.
To see more starlings photographs please visit the Starlings Above gallery.
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