Snowdonia Mugs

Castell y Gwynt (The Castle of the Winds) on the top of the Glyders in Snowdonia North Wales.

Being Welsh, I thought very hard about the Aberglaslyn gorge and the significance of the name "Aberglaslyn"... I doubt there is correlation, but aber is estuary, and glas is blue and llyn, with a double L is lake... so blue lake estuary... I pondered on the walk with this in mind... and whilst taking some shots, I thought that I'd capitalise on this blue thought, by looking for an area of rich contrast and high energy with a hint of azure blue... Later, working in post, I heavily vignetted the image and worked on the colour contrast, to enhance and enrich the wonderfully lush natural water colours!

Looking south towards Llyn Gwynant, past the Snowdon massif, the early morning sunrays capture a Welsh hill farmer's tractor.

Always a sense of adventure walking in the Snowdonia wilderness...

A landscape illustration featuring a panoramic view of Mount Snowdon and Llynau Mymbyr in Capel Curig, Wales.

As I sat from the viewing point from across the lake on a perfectly still, well lit day, I composed this image with a reflection shot in mind. It wasn't as vivid as this, but through using lightroom and photoshop... improvements were made. I hope you like it..!

Under the careful eye of an instructor, paddlers venture out from Plas Y Brenin adventure sport centre into the full depth of the 'mymbyr' lake, snowdonia.

Being Welsh, I thought very hard about the Aberglaslyn gorge and the significance of the name “Aberglaslyn”… I doubt there is correlation, but aber is estuary, and glas is blue and llyn, with a double L is lake… so blue lake estuary… I pondered on the walk with this in mind… and whilst taking some shots, I thought that I’d capitalise on this blue thought, by looking for an area of rich contrast and high energy with a hint of azure blue… Later, working in post, I heavily vignetted the image and worked on the colour contrast, to enhance and enrich the wonderfully lush natural water colours!

Took this shot because the composition tied itself in well... The small rock of the waterfall mirrored by the shape of the tree and the central heart like feature. A Love Of Nature.

This is an image, originally taken on film in 1980, of a train nearing the summit of the Snowdon Mountain Railway. The railway started operations in 1896 with a service from Llanberis to the top of Mount Snowdon, the highest mountain in Wales. As an aside, there was a fatal accident on the first day of operations following a derailment as the train was too heavily laden. Extraordinarily, four of the original eight steam locomotives are still in operation (with another undergoing an overhaul), although diesel locomotives—much cheaper to run—are now making their way up the mountain, but none of the diesel locomotives were yet in service when this image was captured. For railway enthusiasts, the steam locomotives are of a 0-4-2RT config...

I'd often looked at the map of the island of Anglesey and wondered what the sands of Newborough looked like. In summer 2018 I got my chance to find out. It was a blustery day, not very warm. Id been walking what I could of the west coast of the island, and decided to cap it off with what I understood to be the best bit. The sand was stinging my face in the strong gusty wind, but it was worth it. The sun was coming and going from the beach, but the Snowdonia mountains across the water remained cloaked in cloud and rain, making for a moody backdrop to the bright foreground. I took several pictures, but based this painting mainly on one of Llandwyn Bay (rather than the warren itself) that caught something of the kite surfers that were enjoy...

Another painting from my archive of photos of travels past. This one is the pub on the beach at Morfa Nefyn on the Lleyn Peninsula of North Wales. Its approached from across the beach, but there is another way in at high tide - so no excuse for getting stuck there! I believe the rather rude sounding name translates into English as 'red house inn'. Painted in oil on a 16x12 inch board

Thinking about the works and looking back at techniques of old masters ~ those that excelled in Black and White and wanting to replicate using modern full frame 35mm DSLR technology - I created this 'olde worldy' piece... of Dolbadarn Castle from across the lake. The almost completely obsolete technique of photo format single lens reflex camera work conducted by the masters is very seldom implemented now ~ due to the advent of the much simpler and quicker digital single lens reflex cameras... Yet, it is often nice to reflect and try to emulate some of the techniques which were so diligently adhered to by those masters of the past... Taken with 35mm format full frame A7 SONY ~ modern camera.

As we ventured deeper into the forest and tackled the steep incline, I could not miss the ruggedness and contours of these marvellous root systems on the trail. A fellow photographer past me and in an instant I knew I had a shot! For quite some time, I kept going back to the image in my folder and thinking that it was busy and needed simplifying, and so I decided to work on it in post to dig out the textures and contours of the image and simplify and balance the shot... The trunk of the woods and the roots leading into the image, lead the eye into the wild and rugged terrain ahead.

Vintage Cambrian Railways Map Please note that this is taken from an original vintage poster and there may be some imperfections, marks, patina etc.

"When you walk to Gelert's grave, you reflect on history - times of old, legends, folklore and myth. This atmospheric image aptly portrays the local legend that is Beddgelert..." - excerpt North Wales Magazine.

A romantic couple take in the Snowdonia view at Beaumaris, Anglesey - North Wales, UK

The peak of Pen yr Ole Wen in the clouds with Llyn Ogwen below it at dusk in the Snowdonia National Park, Wales

A coastal themed illustration featuring a colourful kiosk on the historic Garth Pier in Bangor, Gwynedd.

The heavy rain cascading over the waterfall causing mist and spray everywhere giving it a dreamy mystical feel to this image. This painterly of Dolgoch lower falls, on the Nant Dolgoch stream near Tywyn, Gwynedd, Mid Wales, UK. in the Snowdonia National Park was taken in the autumn of 2019.

This was taken from the Snowdon viewpoint on the A468 looking down the valley towards Llyn Gwynant in the Snowdonia National Park, Wales

Looking across the beautiful Llyn Idwal to Pen yr Ole Wen in the Snowdonia National Park, Wales

Wales Go By Train vintage style travel poster.

As I was driving past last week I noticed this capture. I wanted to wait until the light was just right, somewhat diffuse before going back to capture this composition. The clouds were prevalent and the sun was shielded but just there... the diffused light that I was after, so I packed my full kit for an afternoon on location. I shot wide using full frame and decided on a long exposure, my settings gave me some 24 seconds and for comparison I took - two images. The first for composition and the second for long exposure. Besides the setting what drew me in as a shot ~ was that of the big boulder sat right in the middle of the river. The old Ogwen watermill, which powered the 'Coetmor Corn Mill' at the time - and that used t...

One of the most iconic views and viewing points of Snowdonia and Anglesey - that of the Menai Straits looking across to the Thomas Telford Suspension Bridge adjoining the mainland to the island... Whoever thought to build yet another bridge in such an iconic area of outstanding beauty !? o.O

This monoline illustration features the mountainous landscape of Cadair Idris, located in Snowdonia National Park, Wales.

The often travelled windy road up to Pen Y Pass from Capel Curig allows for some breathtaking winter views of Snowdonia, particularly Lliwedd mountain range. Shot using full frame Sony and Carl Zeiss Jena glass, I also used post processing to add some shape and depth to this well defined and well lit image...

This monoline illustration features the mountainous landscape of Cadair Idris, located in Snowdonia National Park, Wales.

A classic winter mountaineering outing, Crib Goch, Snowdon

An original illustration featuring Porthmadog Harbour, Gwynedd.

After a failed first attempt, I just had to go back and nail this shot! With all the shenanigans of set up for landscape photography... tripod, bag, lenses, grad filters, filters, filter holder, etc, etc... etc! I'd gone and forgotten to prefocus, so when I'd got back home and thought all my exposures, at least, were perfect, I opened my images on the lappy to find that they were correctly exposed (by my thinking) but incorrectly focussed - as in all blurred! :-/ So I came back had some lunch and went back to accomplish todays shots - and so finally for today - here they are!!! Finally, in focus, and as I expected... "Watercolour Waterfall" Hope you like it..! Further details to follow in another shot...

I took a handful of images of these paddlers both coming towards me and turning back on the lake - just two images - I liked the look of for the balance of the image and their combined movements in the water. Working in full frame with a full frame lens and shooting manually - I set up beforehand to capture this stunning vista - so well known in the Snowdonia mountains here in Wales... In post allowed me to better adjust the fine tuning of light and shadow and for the first time ever - I stumbled upon the magnifier key on my keyboard to check the focus detail of the background and foreground with the two paddlers! Sony A7

Llyn Idwal is a small lake that lies within Cwm Idwal in the Glyderau mountains of Snowdonia. It is named after Prince Idwal Foel, a grandson of Rhodri Mawr, one of the ancient Kings of Wales. Legend states that the king's unfortunate offspring was murdered by being drowned in the lake... This image was recreated digitally in sepia tone ~ 'one of the popular older formats of the past' ~ yet using a 35mm full frame DSLR camera shooting manual focus with a 28mm vintage Super Multi Coated Pentax lens. I didn't take not of the aperture used ~ but I think it might have been f/8

Line drawing of the Moel Siabod Contours

Shafts of late afternoon sunlight in the Ogwen Valley, Snowdonia, Wales

Perfect conditions allowed me to capture a still calm lake, waterscape colours of autumn turned winter, with a misty backdrop. I worked in post using lightroom just to remove distractions to the eye... nothing much else.