Just to keep everyone up to date, I've posted new images of The Dutch on my website (see link below). This was my second visit to the course which allowed me to experiment with the available light a little more. Another advantage was the tremendous improvement in the maturity of the course with long grasses softening hard edges and creating an even more convincing links feel.
Enjoy - http://www.markalexanderphotography.co.uk/TheDutch-2/
As with all my website images, it's best to view them in full-screen mode (which is the button on the far right of the viewing box). Bear in mind, these are only thumbnail images.
Wednesday, 12 October 2011
Friday, 16 September 2011
New pics of St Andrews Castle Course
I have just posted new pics of the Castle Course in St Andrews. The weather remained dry, but the light was difficult. As a result these shots were taken during a brief, one-and-half-hour session. The saving grace was the course which looked fantastic, as hopefully my pictures show.
I followed this up yesterday with an early morning shoot. Unfortunately, I have yet to develop these, but when I do, I'II let you know.
Let me know what you think - http://www.markalexanderphotography.co.uk/StAndrewsCastle/
I followed this up yesterday with an early morning shoot. Unfortunately, I have yet to develop these, but when I do, I'II let you know.
Let me know what you think - http://www.markalexanderphotography.co.uk/StAndrewsCastle/
Monday, 12 September 2011
Photography rant
This is an opinion piece I was asked to write for a golf magazine about photography. I wonder if anyone read it?
Picture perfect
Golf course photography is what I do. It’s my passion, it’s my career and it pays for my kids’ shoes. It is also a fundamental part of golf’s marketing arsenal. It sells the sport better than any other form of promotion, and yet golf clubs boke at the idea of paying for professionally taken golf course photography. Why?
I know times are tough and penny pinching is at an all-time high, but this attitude has existed for years. It revolves around the notion that it’s better to get one of the members to take shots than pay for them. This commonly held belief is short-sighted at best and potentially ruinous at worst. You wouldn’t let your members take their Flymos to the greens would you?
In fact, rather than saving a bob or two, it can actually cost the club revenue. Relying on a member with a point-and-shoot to do what a pro has taken years to perfect can result in bland, featureless images that do little to stir the golfer’s imagination. Without pictorially induced longing, few will want to play. Fewer still will want to join.
I have shot golf courses all around the world and one of the trends I’ve noticed is that premier league clubs and resorts rarely boke at paying for good-quality imagery. There are exceptions, but generally they see it as an investment that will inspire visitors and maintain their lofty position. Another is that new golf developments eager to draw attention to their attributes readily add photography to their must-do lists.
If the big boys and new kids rely on it, why should photography be such an after-thought for everyone else? At a time when attracting visitors and maintaining members are high on everyone’s agenda, shouldn’t photography also be?
Picture perfect
Golf course photography is what I do. It’s my passion, it’s my career and it pays for my kids’ shoes. It is also a fundamental part of golf’s marketing arsenal. It sells the sport better than any other form of promotion, and yet golf clubs boke at the idea of paying for professionally taken golf course photography. Why?
I know times are tough and penny pinching is at an all-time high, but this attitude has existed for years. It revolves around the notion that it’s better to get one of the members to take shots than pay for them. This commonly held belief is short-sighted at best and potentially ruinous at worst. You wouldn’t let your members take their Flymos to the greens would you?
In fact, rather than saving a bob or two, it can actually cost the club revenue. Relying on a member with a point-and-shoot to do what a pro has taken years to perfect can result in bland, featureless images that do little to stir the golfer’s imagination. Without pictorially induced longing, few will want to play. Fewer still will want to join.
I have shot golf courses all around the world and one of the trends I’ve noticed is that premier league clubs and resorts rarely boke at paying for good-quality imagery. There are exceptions, but generally they see it as an investment that will inspire visitors and maintain their lofty position. Another is that new golf developments eager to draw attention to their attributes readily add photography to their must-do lists.
If the big boys and new kids rely on it, why should photography be such an after-thought for everyone else? At a time when attracting visitors and maintaining members are high on everyone’s agenda, shouldn’t photography also be?
Thursday, 8 September 2011
With the KLM Open in full swing, I thought I'd post an excerpt from a piece I wrote about Holland and the country's bid for the Ryder Cup. Enjoy.
For images, check out http://www.markalexanderphotography.co.uk/TheDutch/
CULTURAL EXCHANGE
The Netherlands is remarkably flat. It’s a place of smooth-running roads where vantage points are rare and views stretch on for miles. It is a cyclist’s paradise defined by unbroken mirror-flat surfaces and uniform planes.
The country’s millpond appearance means that any rise or peak is cherished. It also means that The Dutch – Holland’s newest championship course and epicentre of its Ryder Cup bid – comes as a bit of a shock. For a start, there are hillocks, mounds and ripples, not to mention the occasion bump and ridge. The Colin Montgomerie-signature course is awash with contours and gradients unlike anything you see in the surrounding countryside.
Opened by the former Ryder Cup captain in May, the Dutch is for all intents and purposes a rough-and-ready links-style course. “Radical shaping has been used to create a rugged golf-course character where undulating fairways, featuring many bumps and hollows, are framed by dramatic mounding,” explains a note on Montgomerie’s website.
In between the bumps and hollows, the course stays true to its origins by incorporating a host of water features which stem from building a course on land below sea level. Once again, the transformation co-ordinated by European Golf Design has been absolute with straight and angular canals magically remoulded into meandering streams and sweeping lakes.
For images, check out http://www.markalexanderphotography.co.uk/TheDutch/
CULTURAL EXCHANGE
The Netherlands is remarkably flat. It’s a place of smooth-running roads where vantage points are rare and views stretch on for miles. It is a cyclist’s paradise defined by unbroken mirror-flat surfaces and uniform planes.
The country’s millpond appearance means that any rise or peak is cherished. It also means that The Dutch – Holland’s newest championship course and epicentre of its Ryder Cup bid – comes as a bit of a shock. For a start, there are hillocks, mounds and ripples, not to mention the occasion bump and ridge. The Colin Montgomerie-signature course is awash with contours and gradients unlike anything you see in the surrounding countryside.
Opened by the former Ryder Cup captain in May, the Dutch is for all intents and purposes a rough-and-ready links-style course. “Radical shaping has been used to create a rugged golf-course character where undulating fairways, featuring many bumps and hollows, are framed by dramatic mounding,” explains a note on Montgomerie’s website.
In between the bumps and hollows, the course stays true to its origins by incorporating a host of water features which stem from building a course on land below sea level. Once again, the transformation co-ordinated by European Golf Design has been absolute with straight and angular canals magically remoulded into meandering streams and sweeping lakes.
Friday, 26 August 2011
Superior's up
Just published some new images of one of only four golf courses in the Ukraine. I would be amazed if anyone has played it, but you never know.
Enjoy.
http://www.markalexanderphotography.co.uk/SuperiorGC/
Friday, 29 July 2011
Treasure Island
Just back from Sardinia. Here's an excerpt from an article I wrote about the island earlier this year. You can find images at:
http://www.markalexanderphotography.co.uk/TankaGolfClub/
http://www.markalexanderphotography.co.uk/IsArenas/
http://www.markalexanderphotography.co.uk/Puntaldia/
“It’s the best island in the world,” says Donato Ala excitedly as he drives towards the Chia Laguna resort. I assume his confidence stems from his familiarity with the roads; after all, this is where he grew up. As it’s quarter to midnight and pitch black, it’s hard to tell whether Sardinia is indeed the best island in the world, but it certainly has a nice feel to it; even in the dark.
Before making my way to autonomous region of Italy, I had done my usual research into what lay ahead but found gathering up first-hand accounts of the second-largest island in the Mediterranean difficult, never mind unearthing any good golf stories. Those who had been there gave glowing reports about the stunning geography and ink-blue seas, but were muted about everything else. So, when I arrived, all I had to go on were the excited ramblings of my Italian host.
To be fair, Ala heads up an Italian media company that specialises in reporting on some of the world’s best golfing destinations, so although his pride was clearly on show, he also knew what he was talking about. As I discovered, Sardinia is in fact a remarkable island full of exotic scenery and rustic charms right in the middle of the Mediterranean, which for some reason has passed most of us by.
After arriving at the resort and enjoying a good night’s sleep, Ala continues his charm offensive by describing what’s in store for the island. On a map, he scribbles numbers at various locations – number three in the south east corner, number four in the north west, and so on. Large circles are quickly drawn around each indicating the locations of various new golf developments. By his calculations, 17 are currently in the offing.
His figures surprise me. Although Sardinia is remarkably beautiful, centrally located and blessed with 300 days of sunshine annually, it rarely makes it into golfers’ top 10 places to visit. This might have something to do with the limited number of golf courses on the island – at last count, only four 18-hole courses and two nine holers were in play.
http://www.markalexanderphotography.co.uk/TankaGolfClub/
http://www.markalexanderphotography.co.uk/IsArenas/
http://www.markalexanderphotography.co.uk/Puntaldia/
“It’s the best island in the world,” says Donato Ala excitedly as he drives towards the Chia Laguna resort. I assume his confidence stems from his familiarity with the roads; after all, this is where he grew up. As it’s quarter to midnight and pitch black, it’s hard to tell whether Sardinia is indeed the best island in the world, but it certainly has a nice feel to it; even in the dark.
Before making my way to autonomous region of Italy, I had done my usual research into what lay ahead but found gathering up first-hand accounts of the second-largest island in the Mediterranean difficult, never mind unearthing any good golf stories. Those who had been there gave glowing reports about the stunning geography and ink-blue seas, but were muted about everything else. So, when I arrived, all I had to go on were the excited ramblings of my Italian host.
To be fair, Ala heads up an Italian media company that specialises in reporting on some of the world’s best golfing destinations, so although his pride was clearly on show, he also knew what he was talking about. As I discovered, Sardinia is in fact a remarkable island full of exotic scenery and rustic charms right in the middle of the Mediterranean, which for some reason has passed most of us by.
After arriving at the resort and enjoying a good night’s sleep, Ala continues his charm offensive by describing what’s in store for the island. On a map, he scribbles numbers at various locations – number three in the south east corner, number four in the north west, and so on. Large circles are quickly drawn around each indicating the locations of various new golf developments. By his calculations, 17 are currently in the offing.
His figures surprise me. Although Sardinia is remarkably beautiful, centrally located and blessed with 300 days of sunshine annually, it rarely makes it into golfers’ top 10 places to visit. This might have something to do with the limited number of golf courses on the island – at last count, only four 18-hole courses and two nine holers were in play.
Tuesday, 19 July 2011
CLICK-STARTING 2012 OPEN
After Darren Clarke’s triumph at Royal St George’s on Sunday, preparations for the 141th Open Championship are already underway with the release of the first of a new set of images of next year’s venue. Captured by international golf course photographer Mark Alexander, the images show the stern test that awaits the world’s best at Royal Lytham & St Annes next year.
Commissioned by the club to shoot the course following a preliminary visit in March, Alexander spent three days at the renowned venue in June capturing the early morning and late evening light. Brought up in St Andrews, the award-winning photographer is no stranger to championship links, but even he couldn’t help noticing the challenge presented by the Lancashire course.
“It was a great experience and challenge to shoot Royal Lytham & St Annes,” said the Scot. “The course offers a very stern test of golf which I wanted to capture in the images. The key was to get the right light to show off the strategy and beauty of each hole, which hopefully I’ve done.”
Despite some weather delays and a close encounter with one of the course’s local residents, Alexander said the session went as planned. “The weather had been changeable in the run up to the shoot,” he said. “I watched the forecasts very closely and saw a window of opportunity and went for it. When I arrived at the club I had an evening session followed by a 4.30am start. It was worth it for the incredible light and the welcome I got from one of the big male foxes that lives on the course. At first we stared at each other, and then we got on with our jobs!”
As well as hosting two Ryder Cups, Royal Lytham & St Annes has also welcomed 10 Open Championships with the last one being held in 2001 when David Duval held on to a three-stroke lead to claim the Claret jug. Many things have changed since then including a new look to the clubhouse and numerous on-course developments masterminded by golf course architect Martin Ebert of Mackenzie & Ebert Ltd, who recommended Alexander to the club.
“Mark’s shots of Royal Lytham really show off his skills and our work for the 2012 Open Championship,” noted Ebert, who has advised on five out of nine Opens since 2005. “We have been very impressed with Mark’s photography since seeing his shots of Turnberry which we worked on in preparation for the 2009 Open Championship. Good photographs are of critical importance to showcase our golf course design work.”
To view the initial shots of Alexander’s shoot, visit www.markalexanderphotography.co.uk/RoyalLythamandStAnnes/
- ends -
Note to editors:
1) Mark Alexander is an award-winning golf course photographer and established journalist. His work has appeared in consumer magazines, newspapers and b2b titles.
2) Alexander is based in Fife but travels across the world shooting golf courses for resorts, architects and golf clubs.
3) In 2009, Alexander picked up Creativefife’s Best Commercial Photograph award for a portfolio of images depicting Turnberry’s Ailsa course.
4) Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club was founded in 1886 with the present course being constructed in 1897.
5) For more information about Mark Alexander, visit www.markalexanderphotography.co.uk.
6) For more information about Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club, visit www.royallytham.org
7) For more information about Mackenzie & Ebert Ltd, visit www.mackenzieandebert.co.uk
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