porthcawl | Athena Picture Agency

Our best pictures for 2020

Dimitris — Fri, 01 Jan 2021 14:16:16 +0000

2020 marks 12 years since Athena Picture Agency was founded, we worked through 2020 to produce yet another portfolio of pictures.

Since March, the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic bacame in itself a news category of its own which was enough for us to produce a blog of our coverage.

Having gone through hundreds of images, these are our very best for the year.

Stef Kamil Carlens performs at the No More Shall We Part exhibition in Antwerp, Belgium. Saturday 01 February 2020

Will Humphries swims in freezing weather conditions in Langland Bay, near Swansea, Wales, UK. Thursday 13 February 2020

PWaves crash against the promenade wall and lighthouse in Porthcawl, south Wales, UK. Saturday 15 February 2020
Re: Strong winds and heavy rain caused by storm Dennis has been affecting parts of the UK.

Two firemen bring two young children to safety after being evacuated in Nantgarw, Wales, UK. Sunday 16 February 2020

A young boy enters a flooded lane caused by storm Dannis in Pontypridd, Wales, UK. Sunday 16 February 2020

Jeremy Corbyn with local resident Richard Oliver whose house suffered flood damage at he area of Rhydyfelin near Pontypridd, south Wales, UK. Thursday 20 February 2020

Interior view of Retrosexual antique shop, Athens, Greece. Thursday 27 February 2020

Summer Solstice, a fishing boat departs from the port town of Oropos as the sun rises over the mountains of Evia island, north of Athens, Greece. Sunday 21 June 2020

Dean Beddis at his used records stall in the indoor Provisions Market which is being re-developed in Newport, south Wales, UK. Thursday 23 July 2020

A young couple from Hereford rest in their van on the site of an illegal rave party, in woods near the village of Banwen, in south Wales, UK. Monday 31 August 2020

A full moon, known as a Halloween Blue Moon, is seen rising over ruins of the Acropolis of Lindos, a Doric temple built for Athena Lindia, the ancient goddess of wisdom, handicraft, and warfare, on the island of Rhodes, Greece, marking the end of the tourist season in the country which was affected by the Covid-19 Coronavirus pandemic. 1974 was the last time a blue moon was visible in the UK and Ireland and in 1944 was the last one visible across the whole world with the next one in 19 years. Saturday 31 October 2020

Swansea City Councillor Rob Stewart lays a wreath during Armistice Day at the cenotaph in Swansea, Wales, UK. Wednesday 11 November 2020

The locally grown barley used to make whisky at the Welsh Wind gin distillery near Aberporth, Wales, UK. Wednesday 25 November 2020

Owners the Welsh Wind gin distillery Ellen Wakelam and Alex Jungmayr, near Aberporth, Wales, UK. Wednesday 25 November 2020

A football fan identified only as James (C) with other campaigners protest against the use of facial recognition technology used by South Wales Police, outside the stadium in Cardiff. Sunday 12 January 2019

Prince Charles stands next to an Aston Martin DBX, worth £158,000, at the Aston Martin Lagonda factory in St Athan, south Wales, UK . Friday 21 February 2020

Harriet Prothero Sultani who runs a rental union in the Roath area of Cardiff, Wales, UK. Thursday 10 December 2020

Four people walk their dogs as the sun rises over Swansea Bay, Wales, UK. Friday 25 December 2020

Natasha Jenkins enjoys a walk through the sunflower field, which has re-opened after the Covid-19 lockdown in Rhossili, Wales, UK. Sunday 26 July 2020

Craig Williams, owner of Capelli hair salon in Bridgend, Wales, UK. Wednesday 19 February 2020

Musician Cian Carran who is against the redevelopment of the Britannia Park in Cardiff Bay, Wales, UK. Tuesday 15 December 2020

A low cloud in Swansea Bay, Wales, UK. Wednesday 20 May 2020

Christmas is not only happy Santas

athena_admin — Wed, 27 Dec 2017 23:40:32 +0000

Don’t you just love Christmas? What’s not to like, everything gets illuminated with countless little lights, everyone is wearing a Santa hat, the entire population buys gifts, the amount of which exceeds many times over that of the population of the UK (mostly with money they don’t even have) and a great majority of adults, gets drunk and disorderly!

The bigger or more extravagant the Christmas event, the more chances it gets to make the news and as long a photographer is there to offer his services, then job done.

Then… a few day after everyone sober up, they show love and affection to their family and friends, specially the kids. And don’t kids just love Christmas? No idea though, that their parents got utterly plastered during the same festivity.

Nothing to do with Jesus’ birth though, don’t take my word for it, look it up!

Anyway… photographs to do with Christmas, its build-up and crescento… honestly I wouldn’t know where to start.

Here in Wales a lot of things happen that scream Christmas and make the news and at the end of the day, I am only making my living looking through a camera and pressing a silly button (called shutter release button to be utterly pedantic) at the right time, which someone called it “decisive moment“, a phrase that us press photographers love to use when we get great pictures.

Don’t get me wrong, it takes some skill to know what to look for, frame it and press the button at the right time.

A runners in Santa fancy dress stretches in preparation to the Run4All Santa 5km Run on Aberavon Promenade near Port Talbot, Wales, UK

I love the moment on the picture above, spoiled a bit by that other Santa runner in the background and if only the mast had a flag on it, any flag!

Did I mention that utter silliness can make the news too? What better way to show it, than have a powerful news picture with the news article?

Runners in Santa Claus fancy dress take part in this year’s Run4All Santa 5km Run on Aberavon Promenade near Port Talbot, Wales, UK

Not a great sense of running and the gaps between runners are quite obvious in the picture above but at least you get a scale of the number of Santas running.

For more images from the above event, please click here

Two women eat a take away on a night out, a day before Mad Friday, in Wind Street, Swansea, Wales, UK

Now then… it all started as Black Friday, then the Yanks took over and decided that Black Friday is when people spend loads of cash before Christmas. “How dare you call Black Friday something so unholy (getting pissed yeah sic.) when it can only mean the sacred act of spending?” said Donald Trump in an angry letter to Teresa May.

It is now affectionately called Black Eye Friday, Black Friday or even Booze Friday, us photographers refer to it as booze-watch and hey, why not? Let the Yanks change it again if they don’t like it.

Two young men in festive suits walk in Wind Street, Swansea, Wales on Mad Friday, Booze Black Friday or Black Eye Friday, the last Friday night before Christmas Day, when traditionally people in the UK go out to celebrate the start of their holidays. Friday 22 December 2017

When I posted the picture above to my facebook page, someone commented that “their mothers’ must be so proud”. He was of course being sarcastic. Then someone else commented in response: “How can they be? Their sons nicked their tablecloths to wear on a night out!”

A police officer and club security personnel detain a man in Wind Street, Swansea, Wales on Mad Friday, Booze Black Friday or Black Eye Friday, the last Friday night before Christmas Day, when traditionally people in the UK go out to celebrate the start of their holidays. Friday 22 December 2017

There was an unusually high number of arrests by South Wales Police during the night. I mean, I have photographed quite a few of those events but never experienced so many arrests.

A man falls on the pavement in Wind Street, Swansea, Wales on Mad Friday, Booze Black Friday or Black Eye Friday, the last Friday night before Christmas Day, when traditionally people in the UK go out to celebrate the start of their holidays. Friday 22 December 2017

The man above struggled to get up, only to be mocked by the girls on the left. C’mon girls, where is your Christmas spirit? Help the poor man out!

To see our full set of images from the above event, please click here

This was taken on Christmas Eve, being a Sunday, it was bound to be busy with shoppers in Oxford Street, Swansea. This just happened on my way back to my car. Two shop workers manouevre a big Sale sign to position, assisted by their colleague outside.Getting ready for Boxing Day Sales. Whoo-hoo, lets return all the expensive stuff and get it cheaper… I say!!!!

A dog walker on the beach

No reason not to stop and take a picture of the dramatic sky en route to photograph the annual Christmas Day Swim in Porthcawl. To be honest, I don’t quite like HDR but other people just absolutely adore it.

That’s what readers of certain tabloid newspapers like, blonde girls in angel wings. Before you start saying, yes, the lens got a bit wet hence the softness.

Back in the good old days they were using Vaseline to achieve the same soft focus effect, I used sea water, what’s the big deal?

A man stretches prior to taking to the sea in Porthcawl, Wales, UK

Great expression of the man above and I love the somehow motionless pose of the woman on the left, as well as the couple hugging in the background. If only the man was wearing a Santa hat!

To access all of our pictures from the Christmas Swim in Porthcawl, click here

This was taken at the Walrus Dip, a swim taking place on Boxing Day at Cefn Sidan beach in Carmarthenshire, great laughs and movement, shame it was a bit underexposed.

RNLI crew in the sea in this year’s Boxing Day Walrus Dip which see people in fancy dress taking to the sea at Cefn Sidan beach in Pembrey Country Park, west Wales, UK

Great opportunity to photograph the stars of the show, without these RNLI men, these events wouldn’t happen at all.

Before I go though, here is something that the BBC will never, ever broadcast, in case children listen… Santa is not real kids!

Our Walrus Dip collection is here

To search through our entire archive, please click here

© Athena Picture Agency Ltd, proud suppliers of news and press photography, pr public relations photography, sports photography, features photography, stock and aerial photography in Wales, UK

Cutting // Independant on Sunday

athena_admin — Thu, 09 Jun 2016 11:23:38 +0000

Front page on the Independent on Sunday. 06 December 2015