Sky over Goose Green, enroute to the workboat, November, 2016.

Sky over Goose Green, enroute to the workboat, November, 2016.

When Alexandra Harris describes, in Weatherland, the slow introduction of real skies in English paintings, leading up to the cloud obsession of Constable in 1821-22, I cannot help but think of the Falkland Islands. My first trip I spent looking at the landscape, at large scales and small. This time, I was captivated by skies. As any visitor to the prairies knows, a lack of trees makes for big skies. But nothing is quite like the skies of the Falklands. No filters needed, or photographic skill. (It was hard to choose road trip music to suit such majesty, but I settled on London Grammar’s 2013 If You Wait.) The experience begged the question of where ‘landscape’ – my chosen research topic – ends: these skies are likely as fundamental to local identity as terrestrial (or marine) properties. A small sample of my pictures follows, in which land plays a very minor role indeed.

Epic skies over West Falkland, November, 2016.

Epic skies over burnt farmland in the north of West Falkland, November, 2016.

Entering Port Howard at dusk, the view from the Concordia Bay workboat.

Entering Port Howard at dusk, the view from the Concordia Bay workboat.

Sunset over Stanley Harbour, East Falkland, November 2016, with the wreck of the Jhelum (1870) to the right.

Sunset over Stanley Harbour, East Falkland, November 2016, with the wreck of the Jhelum (1870) to the right.

Lenticular clouds, North Camp, East Falkland, November 2016.

Lenticular clouds, North Camp, East Falkland, November 2016.

All kinds of weather brewing at Cape Pembroke, near Stanley, East Falkland, November 2016.

All kinds of weather brewing at Cape Pembroke, near Stanley, East Falkland, November 2016.