The inner workings of the Padstow coast
Photographer David Ortiz takes to the coast path almost daily with his camera and Secret Season is a wonderful time for doing just that when the power of the sea is unlocked for him to capture in his distinctive style.
“There’s no electronics, no autofocus. So, all manual. And what you’re getting is beautiful: a beautiful lens, which takes a beautiful photo.”
David Ortiz is talking about the Carl Zeiss lens he discovered in a charity shop and uses with his digital camera in a “mismatch of technologies” that has helped define his distinctive coastal photography.
From a background in publishing where he was “always seen hanging around the photo desk”, David really found photography when he moved back to Cornwall 20 years ago. From a graphic design job that involved photographing natural textures for a library of textile images, it didn’t take long for a long-held passion for photography to be ignited.
Now fully immersed in seascape photography, his experiment with analogue lenses led to new angles, colours and perspectives:
“The lens is designed for film. And the sensor is designed for a digital lens but the way that it renders colours, there’s something different.
“It’s a long lens that flattens perspective; it made familiar places appear unfamiliar. Taking a photo of a wave, taking it at a certain angle; it changes the way it looks. The background comes close to the foreground. It really struck a chord with me.”
Taking photographs in this way helps David capture the inner workings of the sea and the varied landscapes along the coast path in varied ways – all around Padstow.
PADSTOW’S PERSONALITIES
“It can be rugged and powerful, but equally beautiful and tranquil, and exciting. I’ve always found it’s just like a little corner of Cornwall that has everything,” says David.
“We have the seven bays and you could have a different experience at each one, all beautiful sandy beaches but all with their own personality.”
As well as recommending a trip to all seven bays on a week’s visit, he suggests exploring the South West Coast Path website or an Ordnance Survey map to open up “hundreds of circular walks that you can extend for as long as you want.”
And secret season is a wonderful time of year for exploring the coast path. “In autumn and winter, it’s a moody time and it can be a battle but it’s a wonderful time that really unlocks the power of the seas and, in a way, everything gears up,” he says.
With Padstow’s working harbour, jaw-dropping sea life that can be glimpsed from wildlife boat trips and “very good bars and really good restaurants”, it’s a great base for secret season excursions.
This month, David is exhibiting his work in the Elvennel Contemporary Coastal Art & Photography show, at The Padstow Studio on Duke Street until and including 28th December. Some of his favourite Padstow spots are Duke Street neighbours with the gallery: Prawn on the Lawn, Padstow Gin Distillery and a tasting room from the Padstow Brewing Company.
COAST LIFE IN PRINT
Leaving the buzz of Padstow for the boundless horizons along the South West Coast Path is almost a daily ritual for David that defines his photography. There’s always “something I’m going to want to take photos of.”
“From Tregirls up to Stepper Point to Trevone and beyond. I always know that there will be something…close up, textural, wildlife. So, it’s almost like street photography, but outdoors without the street.”
Hear David talk about finding photography by the sea over on Instagram and enjoy more of David’s work here.
Find your secret reason to be by the sea at Padstow. And read Padstow: Secret Season for more about where to eat, drink, shop and stroll.
