Photographing Wales, Winter 2017
February 11, 2017
At the end of January, as has become tradition, I made the 200 mile trip to visit my sister in Pontypridd - in the South Wales valleys.Â
Â
Not wanting to miss the opportunity to broaden my landscape portfolio, I took my full photographic arsenal of Canon 700D, Kenro tripod, Hoya / Cokin filters and canon / sigma lenses.
Â
Â
Porthcawl
Monday 23rd January 2017
Â
Louisa's holiday didn't start until the Tuesday - which meant I needed to entertain myself on the Monday.Â
Â
So, I decided to revisit Porthcawl - a place we checked out (with the camera) a year before without a great deal of success...
Â

Â
This time though, with the reccy under my belt, proper consideration given to the position of the rising sun, and a weather check - I headed straight to the harbour wall to capture the lighthouse at sunrise.
Â
The triangular structures provided both a lead-in and foreground interest. So i set up just in front of them.
Â
As the sun appeared, the sky turned a vivid reddish-pink. The colour show only lasted several minutes before the sun ascended to disappear into the thick cloud where it remained for the rest of the day.
Â

Â
Possibly due to being miles from home and wanting to make the most of my trip, I was undeterred by the less than perfect light conditions. I decided to walk from the harbour, over Coney Beach and beyond.
Â
On the way, this abandoned lifeguard tower has to be snapped. The flat light seemed to work more effectively in monochrome - which also helped to disguise the dumped builders' rubble in amongst the rocks.
Â
Â
Llangorse Lake
Tuesday 24th January 2017
Â
Louisa wanted to visit Hay-on-Wye, a small town known for its antique and book shops, situated on the northern edge of the Brecon Beacons.Â
Â
I entertained the thought of trapsing around Hay by suggesting that we leave early and make the slight detour to check out nearby Llangorse Lake...
Â

Â
We were both glad we did! The frost covered, icy scene graced by swans, ducks, geese and a heron was shrouded in a eerie mist.
Â
As the sun rose over the valley side it flooded the hut and reeds with warm, golden light in fleeting moments between the clouds.Â
Â
I decided to capture the scene with a long exposure to emphasis the tranquility of the early morning.Â
Â
Â
St Fagans Natural History Museum
Wednesday 25th January 2017
Â
On Louisa's birthday we visited St Fagans with a friend. I took my camera, but wasn't in "photography mode" - so I didn't take many thought-out photos.
Â

Â
I did have to snap this little chap though. I hadn't done much in the way of wildlife photography. This robin was far from wild though and was happy to stick around for us to each take a bunch of shots.
Â
https://museum.wales/stfagans/Â Â
 Â
Â
Ystradfellte Falls
Thursday 26th January 2017
Â
Although I was thankful that my time in Wales was dry, cloudy skies were a hinderance all week - turning thicker on Thursday.Â
Â
Keen to get a few more shots in the bag, we decided to use the soft light to our advantage by visiting Ystradfellte Falls...
Â

Â
Consistent diffused light filtered through the trees to illuminate my  mid-day shots without harsh shadows or large shaded areas.Â
Â
A shutter speed of 1 second was enough to show movement of the water without turning it milky (just my preference).
Â
I believe this waterfall to be Sgwd Y Pannwr. Reaching it from the car involved a fair amount of walking over impressive, but difficult terrain.Â
Â
Â
Big Pit National Coal MuseumÂ
Friday 27th January 2017
Â
On my last day in Wales a bunch of us visited the "Big Pit" attraction. We were the only people there and had the place and the curators' expert knowledge to ourselves.
Â
The weather was detiorating so I kept the camera in its bag. The attraction's underground tour might have made for some interesting shots - but we found that it was closed for maintenence on January week days!
Â
Lesson learned... always do the research!! And maybe the reason why the place was so empty!
Â
Â
Â
The rain stayed off until the last night of my visit when the clouds opened.Â
Â
On reflection, I'm pretty happy with the places we were able to visit in the dry and the shots i took... it was January in Wales after all!