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2013-06-17 09:14:42 (8 comments, 0 reshares, 42 +1s)

'Wild And Woolly' - Carmel Head, Anglesey

The soundtrack to my afternoon/evening hike along the north coast of the island from Fyldyn across to Carmel Head. 

Ewes and lambs bleating away across the cliff-tops and into the fields incessantly, some just the reassuring 'I'm here', and the other in blind panic 'Where are you!' ones.

It's an exposed coastline up here, and though there was warm sunlight today, it soon turned as a rain-belt bore down on us... Great light in-between the two though!

#walesuk   #anglesey  

2013-06-16 22:38:59 (5 comments, 0 reshares, 30 +1s)

'Three White Ladies' - Carmel Head, Anglesey

The navigational markers at Carmel Head, with the third smaller white marker on West Mouse Island out to sea, indicating the whereabouts of Coal Rock further out again, once all are lined up, to passing sea-farers

2013-06-15 10:25:26 (1 comments, 1 reshares, 31 +1s)

'Beneath The Moon' - Castell-Y-Gwynt, Snowdonia

Castell-Y-Gwynt translates to Castle of the Winds and is peak that sits at around 960m up on the Glyder range of Snowdonia. Mt Snowdon itself is in the background beneath the moon.

#walesuk   #mountainscape  

2013-06-15 09:45:56 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 13 +1s)

'Going Nowhere' - 'Another Place', Crosby Beach

2013-06-14 21:08:51 (1 comments, 0 reshares, 15 +1s)

'A Changing View' - 'Another Place', Crosby Beach

A great afternoon/evening out at the Antony Gormley installation of Another Place yesterday, with the Welshot Imaging guys and William Cheung for some plotting and planning, but most of all of course, to get some pics of this great place :-)

2013-06-14 19:10:30 (1 comments, 1 reshares, 16 +1s)

'Tucked Up For The Night'

An old farming cottage with it's own duvet and a starry night sky to sleep under... :-)

It's guests for the night seemed a bit perturbed at first to see me arrive and had a good groan about it, but not enough to actually get out and leave... Far too cosy probably!

#walesuk   #derelict  

2013-06-14 15:05:16 (4 comments, 0 reshares, 28 +1s)

'Gold At The Rainbow's End' - Black Point, Anglesey

2013-06-14 14:31:04 (3 comments, 1 reshares, 15 +1s)

'The River Of Heaven' - Llanddwyn Island, Anglesey

Supposedly a Celtic term for the Milky Way, the river of heaven...

Taken around 2am, the only other thing on the island that was still moving around were all the frogs... lots and lots of frogs! Really warm night too, I picked a good one to forget my coat - not that it mattered at all in the end

#walesuk   #milkywayphotography  

2013-06-08 23:18:22 (1 comments, 1 reshares, 47 +1s)

'Cliff-Life' - Porth Swtan, Anglesey

I was later than I thought getting out this particular evening, and as usual unsure on where I was going to go... So whilst heading out on the Coastal Path from Porth Swtan towards the White Ladies, I decided to just sit & watch the sunset from a craggy cliff-side en-route.

Its only when you sit for a while and notice all the small things around you, that the whole place surrounding you is teeming with life, from lichens to spring wildflowers and insects. 

Another captivating spot I'll revisit someday to just sit and watch :)

2013-06-05 19:49:08 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 36 +1s)

'Starlight Cottages' - Black Point, Anglesey

2013-06-05 18:16:12 (3 comments, 0 reshares, 36 +1s)

'Shimmer' - Black Point, Anglesey

A bit of a rare treat on a flying visit to the local beach. Whilst I was only going to test out a new camera body on some stars, I was lucky enough to catch these noctilucent clouds beyond the lighthouse out to sea 

Noctilucent clouds are water/ice crystals sitting on the very upper-edge of our atmosphere, around 45-50miles above us in the mesosphere on the edge of space... They are illuminated once the sun has dropped below the horizon substantially enough to only leave the rest of the sky untouched by its light, only just catching the edge of the atmosphere. 

This time of year is a great time to catch these, so worth keeping an eye out in the direction the sun has set, around 11-12pm at the moment

2013-05-28 22:28:56 (3 comments, 3 reshares, 28 +1s)

'Daybreak Over Tryfan' - Castell-Y-Gwynt, Glyders

After setting off from Ogwen Cottage at midnight and climbing up through the Devils Kitchen and on to the two summits of the Glyders under the stars, I reached Castell-Y-Gwynt, Castle of the Winds.

Whilst I knew the stars wouldn't be out much tonight owing to the full moon, I knew it would still be a treat to see this lunar landscape under bright moon-light 

At 5am I had a treat of both the full-moon setting over Mt Snowdon behind me, and the sun rising over Tryfan ahead of me! Spectacular cloud inversions behind me were covering up Southern Snowdonia and out to the Irish Sea like a blanket 

All in I spent 8 and a half hours up here overnight, and descended in gorgeous warming sunshine 

#walesuk   #snowdonia  

2013-05-28 13:15:10 (2 comments, 0 reshares, 23 +1s)

'Golden Ridges' - Glyder Fawr, Snowdonia

The rising sun lighting up Gallt Y Wenallt at one side of the Snowdon horseshoe, holding back the clouds over the Nant Gwynant valley.

#walesuk  

2013-05-27 22:20:43 (1 comments, 1 reshares, 36 +1s)

'Castle Of The Winds' - Castell Y Gwynt, Snowdonia

Stood on the roof of Wales... the majestic peak of Castell Y Gwynt, with the full-moon dropping over Snowdon to its left, and Glyder Fawr in the distance to the right.

The rising crimson and orange sunrise behind is just starting to paint the bristly boulders making up the Castle in a soft pink hue...

Love North Wales, it demands you explore every inch of it, you're missing out if you don't :-)

#walesuk   #snowdoni   #snowdonianationalpark   #snowdonia  

2013-05-27 19:29:34 (1 comments, 0 reshares, 31 +1s)

'Bristly Ridge' - Glyder Fach, Snowdonia

The lunar landscape of the Glyders in Snowdonia, looking out to the peak of Castell-Y-Gwynt, with Snowdon in the distance.

2013-05-27 18:51:30 (1 comments, 0 reshares, 21 +1s)

'Supermoon Over Snowdon' - Castell-Y-Gwynt, Snowdonia

#walesuk   #snowdonia  

2013-05-17 21:29:00 (5 comments, 3 reshares, 45 +1s)

'Fire & Brimstone' - Black Point, Anglesey

2013-05-16 09:40:45 (4 comments, 2 reshares, 37 +1s)

'The Night-Watch' - Black Point, Anglesey

A last shot from Penmon Point over the weekend on a clear night and a high tide... 

As I stepped onto the rocks on the beach rushing down from the car park seeing the clear skies over the sea, I shone my torch to be sure of my footing, and caught a small mouse with a corner of bread sat there looking at me. At first I thought it would scarper once it got its sight back... but it didn't, and so we both sat there for half an hour or so and watched the milky way rising over Puffin Island and the lighthouse.

It was good bread though to be fair... I wouldn't have run off if I'd managed to get a meal like that if I was him either!

For anyone local to N Wales, I'll be speaking at Cambrian Photography's annual Open Day on Weds, May 22nd, about both seascapes/landscapes, but mostly nightscape... more »

2013-05-12 22:07:42 (2 comments, 0 reshares, 27 +1s)

'Someone's Home' - Black Point, Anglesey

2013-05-12 10:48:27 (6 comments, 0 reshares, 27 +1s)

'Seiriol's Starlight' - Black Point, Anglesey

#nightskyphotography   #milkywayphotography   #walesuk  

2013-05-09 22:00:43 (1 comments, 1 reshares, 25 +1s)

'The Ancients' - Nant Gwynant, Snowdonia

Atop a peak and overlooking the classic Snowdon horseshoe view in the distance, with the company of an old hawthorn just starting to bud for Spring, and one of the many Eta Aquarid meteors that shot overhead as part of their annual storm.

From left to right the four peaks visible are Gallt Y Wenallt, Y Lliwedd, Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon) & Crib Goch.

#walesuk  

2013-05-09 19:48:15 (2 comments, 1 reshares, 23 +1s)

'Dare You Enter...? How Could You Resist...!' - Cwm Idwal, Snowdonia

2013-05-08 21:24:39 (4 comments, 4 reshares, 52 +1s)

'Raised Arms To The Stars' - Nant Gwynant, Snowdonia

2013-05-05 21:05:21 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 33 +1s)

'Drama Beyond' - Cwm Idwal, Snowdonia

#walesuk   #mono  

2013-04-29 23:08:37 (0 comments, 1 reshares, 40 +1s)

'The Last Light' - Llanddwyn, Anglesey

#walesuk   #landscapephotography  

2013-04-28 21:11:21 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 22 +1s)

'Wood Anemone' - (Anemone Nemorosa)

A quick shot from Aberlleiniog woods earlier this morning as it was drizzling and I fancied a change in scenery... So headed out for some fresh air with just the macro lens for some close-ups.

The whole hillside up to the castle is carpeted with tiny wood anemone's, primroses, and wild garlic at the moment... Another week or so and it'll smell fantastic there :-)

I guess Spring isn't that bad after all...

2013-04-28 16:51:03 (1 comments, 1 reshares, 13 +1s)

'The Insect And The Anemone'

One from Aberlleiniog earlier today as it was drizzling all morning and I fancied a change... The whole side of the hill up to the castle is carpeted with wood anemone's, primroses, and wild garlic... :-)

I guess Spring isn't that bad after all...

2013-04-25 22:17:04 (1 comments, 0 reshares, 31 +1s)

'Springtime Sunset' - Black Point, Anglesey

I'd popped out this evening to hopefully catch the partial lunar eclipse around sunset, but all the nasty cloud cover was busy making its way over to England and ruined my view of the horizon in the south-east...

By the time I decided it just wasn't going to clear at all, I popped down to the shoreline and managed to catch a few blue-hour shots and the last of the sunset colour.

One more chance tomorrow :)

#longexposurethursday   #walesuk  

2013-04-24 21:57:41 (2 comments, 1 reshares, 38 +1s)

'Wind-Swept'

A hawthorn shaped by nature and standing fast beneath a menacing sky...

2013-04-20 23:48:46 (3 comments, 2 reshares, 33 +1s)

'Go, With The Flow' - Newborough Beach, Anglesey

#walesuk   #seascapes   #seascapesunday  

2013-04-20 11:43:08 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 39 +1s)

'A Shelter Under Snowdonia's Stars' - Cwm Dulyn Bothy, Carneddau

This evening around sunset I found myself driving the opposite way to all the traffic jams on the Expressway trying to get to Anglesey, and headed into the Carneddau mountains from the Conwy valley. 

As well as the usual camera gear and cold-weather gear, I'd managed to pack some firewood and kindling onto the back-pack, and so I set off on a trek for the bothy mountain shelter at Cwm Dulyn.

Managed by the Mountain Bothies Association, it s a shelter for mountain walkers to use as they wish - a shelter in bad times, or a camp-spot for a head-start early in the morning as you traverse the summits...

It did make a nice change to have a nice fire in the log-burner to sit around whilst the camera caught the star's movement across the sky ;)

2013-04-18 21:55:02 (4 comments, 0 reshares, 31 +1s)

'Glass And Foam' - Newborough Beach, Anglesey

What bad weather....?! Ok, it was still a little wind-swept on the coast this evening, but not as bad as last night's gales!

2013-04-17 14:20:08 (4 comments, 1 reshares, 28 +1s)

'Llanddwyn Island ISS Pass'

The International Space Station making a pass over Llanddwyn Island earlier this evening, and through the middle of a moon-halo starting to form as the night got colder...

A windy night with some big seas... I took a welly-full of sea-water earlier in the evening as I got drenched up to my thighs, so by this point my feet were like ice ;-)

2013-04-14 22:50:05 (3 comments, 0 reshares, 34 +1s)

I attended a great workshop today organised by +Welshot Imaging Ltd, on post-processing, with demonstrations by 3 great guru's in the subject... +Gavin Hoey, +Eric Renno & +John Arnold.

I put this mono conversion together using the targeted adjustment method in Camera RAW that Gavin demo'd today, amongst many other great tips!

Thanks again everyone involved for all your hard work :-)

2013-04-13 12:01:43 (5 comments, 1 reshares, 40 +1s)

'Leave The Roof Off, I Like The View' - Cwmorthin, Snowdonia

2013-04-13 11:34:32 (1 comments, 0 reshares, 11 +1s)

'A Gentle Sweep' - Newborough Beach, Anglesey

2013-04-12 22:04:48 (1 comments, 4 reshares, 36 +1s)

'Marooned' - Newborough Beach, Anglesey

2013-04-11 22:47:25 (2 comments, 0 reshares, 24 +1s)

'Twilight Blue' - Newborough Beach, Anglesey

An evening spent through a subdued sunset, but some great light during twilight's 'blue-hour' down at Llanddwyn. One of my favourite times of day :-)

#walesuk  

2013-04-11 15:00:35 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 38 +1s)

'Waiting To Catch One More Tide' - Newborough Beach

2013-04-07 21:14:02 (1 comments, 1 reshares, 41 +1s)

'Somewhere A Choir Still Sings' - Llyn Cwmorthin, Snowdonia

A derelict chapel sits in the old abandoned mining village of Cwmorthin in Snowdonia

2013-04-07 11:04:17 (2 comments, 0 reshares, 28 +1s)

'Branching Out To The Stars' - Llyn Cwmorthin, Snowdonia

A lone tree sits in the corner of the small churchyard in the derelict mining village of Cwmorthin, under a blanket of stars from a clear and pitch-black night sky.

#walesuk   #nightskyphotography   #landscapephotography  

2013-04-04 02:23:00 (3 comments, 0 reshares, 38 +1s)

'Patience' - Porth Llanlleiana, Anglesey

And she has it too, the patience of a saint, to put up with me and my hobby, as well as work hours and the rest of it all... My far better half!

But we spent a lovely hour or so under the stars earlier on a rare chance to get out together, and she also won't have to wait another 110,000 years for Comet Panstarrs to come round again :)

I've been fortunate over the last 4 nights to catch both Panstarrs and the Andromeda galaxy in my shots, and looking through you can visibly see just how far and fast it is moving up through our night sky at the moment... Over the next couple of days it will pass at its closest visible point to Andromeda before moving up into the constellation of Cassiopea above it and gradually getting dimmer as it's travelling away from us.

#walesuk   #cometpanstarrs  #... more »

2013-04-02 00:07:19 (4 comments, 2 reshares, 45 +1s)

'She Shines Under Starlight' - South Stack, Anglesey

2013-04-01 00:10:25 (5 comments, 2 reshares, 47 +1s)

'This Ole House' - Porth Ysgaden, Llyn Peninsula

It's doors are always open...

The Milky Way above, Orion to the left, and even Andromeda and a smudge of Panstarrs too over to the right of shot, just disappearing into the cloudy horizon. 

Whilst the sun did set at that very point around two hours earlier, that's more likely the light pollution from the streets of Dublin over the Irish Sea...

#walesuk   #nightskyphotography  

2013-03-31 02:07:15 (3 comments, 0 reshares, 56 +1s)

'Frozen Peaks' - Cwm Idwal, Snowdonia

There weren't many rocks and stones that managed to escape and peek out of the snow drifts this week...

But this one did! Though Tryfan in the background wasn't so lucky ;)

#walesuk  

2013-03-30 01:03:47 (4 comments, 2 reshares, 40 +1s)

'Wheels Of Industry' - Porth Wen, Anglesey

Remnants of the Porth Wen Brickworks machinery, set against the night sky and Milky Way. 

If you've got a keen eye, just below the left-hand cog is a blurry star, which is the Andromeda Galaxy :)

#nightphotography   #nightskyphotography  

2013-03-29 03:22:02 (3 comments, 0 reshares, 40 +1s)

'Sculpted By Wind & Ice' - Mt Tryfan, Snowdonia

Another great night, spending the early hours under the full moon whilst it lit up the snowy landscape of Snowdonia at the moment. 

Both John Evans and I enjoyed our few hours here at the same time yesterday so much, we had to get up here again tonight!

I imagine its going to be a pretty busy weekend up on these peaks over Easter, even with these conditions... Stay safe if you are planning to go up folks please :)

#walesuk  

2013-03-25 22:25:25 (4 comments, 1 reshares, 48 +1s)

'Brickworks By Night' - Porth Wen, Anglesey

A mooch around the old brickworks tonight, under dark clouds and skies, with a strong wind whipping the seas up and battering the coast... Some waves were so strong they were launched 50-60ft up in the air and across the site!

No stars unfortunately, (like the MET Office promised me!), but plenty of drama :)

2013-03-18 23:11:25 (2 comments, 0 reshares, 29 +1s)

'Monday's Blues' - Rhosneigr, Anglesey

The best bit about Mondays, is the end of the day ;-)

2013-03-18 15:10:49 (5 comments, 3 reshares, 46 +1s)

'By Night, She Still Dreams to Sail' - Llys Dulas, Anglesey