sunset photography

Diving into the Spotlight: My Photography exhibited at photoSCHWEIZ 25

One of my Lebanese travel images is currently being exhibited in the Kongresshaus Zürich in Switzerland. My photograph, ‘Beirut Sunset Dive’, has been selected for the Directors Choice Project at photoSCHWEIZ 25. This is one of Switzerland’s biggest photography exhibitions, and it’s great to see my work featured among a strong lineup of international photographers.

What is the Directors Choice Project?

The Directors Choice Project highlights photographers from international festivals, bringing together a curated selection of images that tell powerful visual stories. My shot, taken in Beirut, the Capital of Lebanon, captures a moment that blends light, movement, and atmosphere, turning a fleeting scene into something timeless.

Beirut Sunset Dive by Geraint Rowland Photography exhibited at photoSCHWEIZ 25

The Story Behind ‘Beirut Sunset Dive’

A few years ago I spent a couple of months in Lebanon, with the majority of the time spent in the Capital Beirut. Beirut is a fascinating and safe city with plenty of photographic opportunities. This image was taken during golden hour on the fascinating Corniche seafront area. The corniche gets busy each afternoon with locals and visitors walking, relaxing and socialising as the sun sets over the Mediterranean Sea. On this particular afternoon a group of teenagers were diving off the coastal wall into the Sea below.

To take some images with alternative viewpoints I headed down from the Corniche to the coastline below. For this image I stood on the beach looking up and along the coastline as I captured this young Man mid-air diving into the Sea below. The original shot showed the bigger picture, the sea wall and the rocky coastline which needed to be cleared to safely land in the Sea. The contrast of the silhouetted figure against the golden sky created a perfect minimalist composition. The mix of adventure, tradition, and natural beauty in that moment made it something special. For the final exhibited image, ‘Beirut Sunset Dive' I cropped the image removing the distracting landscape while still leaving a large open space above and around the diver. This left only the silhouetted diver floating mid air against the golden sky with just the communications tower in the distance intersecting the middle of the frame. By cropping the image, I refined the composition, drawing the eye to the lone diver suspended in mid-air. The result is something almost otherworldly—an ethereal blend of light, movement, and stillness that transforms a fleeting moment into something almost dreamlike

I took this photograph with the Canon EOS 5D Mark IV and their trusty 50mm f/1.4 USM lens. The camera settings used were: ƒ/4.0, 1/640 sec, and a fairly high ISO of 500 to balance the light and freeze the movement. Check out the image and some edits on my Flickr account here. I had a great time in Beirut and the rest of Lebanon, overstaying my visa by a Month or so. I captured some nice images, the ‘Beirut Sunset Dive’ being one of my favourites, I hope to return one day and take a few more.

What’s Next?

photoSCHWEIZ 25 runs from February 7-11, 2025, at the Kongresshaus Zürich, Switzerland, bringing together over 250 photographers from around the world. It’s always good to have my work seen by new audiences, and I’m looking forward to seeing how this image is received.

Check out my latest work at www.geraintrowland.co.uk.

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Silhouettes in Kerala, India (Photo Essay for Dezine Magazine)

I have recently finished a six month voyage through India. It is a great country for photography offering a variety of landscapes, amazing architecture and a variety of interesting cultures to capture. Wherever you go in India there is always something to document photographically. Whilst I was in the South of India in the state of Kerala I spent a few days in Fort Kochi. This small coastal city is a great place for both street and architectural photography with a huge mix of different influences from throughout the ages. The area is famous for it's Portuguese, Dutch and British architecture, as well as the elaborate Chinese fishing nets which were introduced by Chinese explorers in the 14th century.

I'm sure that in the right conditions the Chinese fishing nets can be photographed beautifully, but during my time there the sky was dull and the vibrant sunsets lacking! Instead I decided to experiment with some silhouette style images along the coastline. I enjoy taking silhouette photographs, I feel that their simplicity adds to their overall beauty and the addition of people can add a lot of emotion.

When taking silhouetted images, as with much of photography, the most important element is light. The subject that you want to be silhouetted should be directly in front of the light source. In addition, the background needs to be lighter than the foreground to create the silhouette. In these images the late afternoon sun was directly behind the people making it perfect for the high contrast silhouetted results. Choose subjects that are easily recognisable as your silhouettes and keep it simple. Try to avoid distracting elements within the frame and make use of the surrounding negative space. The subjects I took here were on a coastal walkway and I was slightly lower down on the beach shooting up. This angled technique ensured I had no distracting noise in the background of the frame. These images were taken using a Canon 5D4 and a Sigma 135mm 1.8 art lens. The extra range on the lens allowed me to stand a little further back and photograph away comfortably. However, any type of lens can be used successfully for silhouettes, practice until you create the perfect shot and have fun doing so.

I have written several previous travel photo essays for Dezine which can be found on their website. More of my travel photography can be found on my website, my Instagram, my Facebook and my Flickr account. If you are interested in purchasing any prints, using an image online or collaborating in any way please email: geraintrowlandphotography@gmail.com.

Sunsets of Senegal by Geraint Rowland Photography

Last year I spent a couple of months in Senegal where I experienced some beautiful sunsets.  I spent the majority of the time in the capital city of Dakar, but also traveled to Lompoul in the north of the country and Zinguinchor in the southern region.  Along with capturing a lot of travel and street photography style shots I also captured some stunning sunsets especially at Yoff beach close to the Airport in Dakar.  Click through the slide show below to view some sunsets from Senegal:

Senegal, like the rest of West Africa I have visited is fantastic for photography.  With so many people around there is always something interesting and or unusual to capture.  Whilst I was in Dakar they were celebrating the Tabaski Festival.  Tabaski is based on Islamic beliefs and culminates with each family sacrificing a sheep and then eating it.  There are sheep everywhere in Dakar, tied up on the roadsides, being washed in the Ocean or being sold at markets.  Here is a previous blog I wrote on the fascinating beach area of Yoff in Dakar.

In Lompoul in the north there are beautiful remote beaches, interesting fishing towns and a small desert with orange sand dunes where you can camp and take camel rides.  To the south lies Ziguinchor, the second largest city of Senegal lying at the mouth of the Casamance river and largely separated from the rest of the country by The Gambia.

Throughout the country I witnessed some beautiful sunsets.  Sunsets always seem to be amongst my most liked photos.  I think there is something instantly enjoyable about an image of the setting sun, it is something that everyone can relate to.  I especially like sunset images that contain an additional element, be it a person or an animal.  My favourite sunset image I capture in Senegal was of a fisherman feeding his two pet Pelicans at Yoff beach.  I love the composition, the lighting and the added comic nature of these peculiar birds.  Whilst in Senegal was travelling without a tripod so had to rely on taking hand held shots or creating abstract images when I ran out of light.  Here is a blog I wrote with some tips about taking sunset photos.

More of my travel photography from Senegal can be found on my website, my Instagram, and my Flickr account.  If you are interested in purchasing any prints, using an image online or would like further information please send me an email at: geraintrowlandphotography@gmail.com.