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  • Thick fog at sunset, caused by a major temperature inversion, seen here at the high cliffs at South Stack, Holy Island, Irish Sea, North Wales.
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  • Christmas Day 2011 - instead of pigging out on Christmas dinners and excesses of booze, I did a two hour cliff walk on North Anglesey, and battled with massive buffeting gusts of wind blowing off the Irish Sea, and sea spray sweeping over the headlands. I found a partly sheltered cove in which to eat cheese sarnies and a mince pie, washed down with hot coffee. Amazingly the rain held off for the whole walk which was fortunate but I also saw some of the only glimpses of sunshine in North Wales that day, which backlit the huge seas crashing against the Anglesey cliffs.
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  • Amazingly, these incredible red cliffs that look so loose and friable, are actually well known for rock climbing. Tenuous, pumpy, scary and overhanging climbs meander up this battle-zone between land and sea. The gigantic broken block in the small cove says it all. After many years of dreaming about it, I have recently climbed some actual routes on these incredible sea cliffs, and from the zawn below the cliff faces are even more imposing!
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  • Christmas Day 2011 - instead of pigging out on Christmas dinners and excesses of booze, I did a two hour cliff walk on North Anglesey, and battled with massive buffeting gusts of wind blowing off the Irish Sea, and sea spray sweeping over the headlands. I found a partly sheltered cove in which to eat cheese sarnies and a mince pie, washed down with hot coffee. Amazingly the rain held off for the whole walk which was fortunate but I also saw some of the only glimpses of sunshine in North Wales that day, which backlit the huge seas crashing against the Anglesey cliffs.
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  • Rough seas from stormy weather crash against the cliffs at the headland of Porth Trecastell (Cable Bay) West Anglesey, Wales. Sea Pink (Thrift) blows amongst thr rocky cliff top as surf crashes into the cove below.
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  • This was taken during a two hour outing to Anglesey's west coast one Sunday afternoon during serious gales & stormy weather. The seas were huge for Anglesey & were breaking over the cliffs, the strong winds sending plumes of spray into the air & dousing the land with salty foam. As the sun dropped in the sky, the light became more & more intense until it created a theatrical floodlight, backlighting the spray from the crashing waves. The wind was blowing so hard I had to almost sit on the tripod to keep it steady & the lens needed wiping down every few seconds. It was fantastic to be alone in these conditions on the cliff top because it generated an enormous sense of space & vulnerability whilst perched there. At this time of year, the light diminishes rapidly when the sun sets so I had to tread carefully over the wet cliff tops to get back to the van. It was an invigorating evening.
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  • The huge brittle cliffs at Cape St Vincent at the most South Westerly point of Portiugal, jutting straight out into the Atlantic Ocean. If you look carefully you can see tiny figures of fishermen who actually fish from the top of the cliffs!
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  • I spent most of my 20s rock climbing in Cornwall, from quiet and esoteric crags like St Loy, Rinsey and Carn Les Boel, to popular crags like Sennen, Bosigran and here in this picture, Chairladder. I always found Chairladder an intimidating place to climb, not particularly because of exposure or even height, but instead the confusion of three pitch routes and the wave cut step on which belayers have to stand, hoping their leaders complete the route before they drown in an Atlantic swimming pool! The funny thing is most visitors never ever get to se these cliffs, and their beautiful sculptural magic will always be the view of the sailor and the gymnastic dreamland of the climber, thank goodness!
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  • We decided to ignore the warnings not to drive during Storm Ciara, and headed for the sea. The narrow coastal roads were covered in seaweed and pebbles but high up above the cliffs of South Stack we only had the gale force winds to contend with. I left Jani warm in the van and fought my way down to the cliff edge, thankfully the wind blew me onshore not off! On arrival the skies were dark and gloomy but as I set up the tripod, sunlight burst through a break in the clouds and illuminated the short grasses clinging to the siltstone & quartzite rocks around me. <br />
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I had to lean hard onto the tripod just to try and keep the camera still enough to make the shot. Even then I decided on a higher ISO for safety. Almost as soon as the sun warmed my wind-blown face, it disappeared and I was blown uphill back to the van!
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  • I love it when after leaving home which is covered by cold grey sky, I find myself half an hour later standing on a cliff top with sunshine warming my face. As the afternoon sunshine dropped lower in the sky, it broke below blankets of heavy cloud and blasted the sea and cliffs with intense light, illuminating rock pools and sharpening blades of rock. Getting to the sea has always meant escape to me, a chance of adventure and journey. Looking out towards a sunlit horizon means so much to me, especially hope.
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  • Blown about on the cliff tops above a choppy sea, the sun burst through the clouds and the whole world brightened. The precarious, precipitous cliffs suddenly seemed welcoming and safe - it's amazing how uplifting a bright light can be.
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  • The incredibly soft sandstone geology of this part of the Algarve in Portugal, means that the powerful and relentless Atlantic Ocean erodes the cliffs into the most spectacular formations.
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  • Eroded limestone cliffs jutting into the Irish Sea at Rhoscolyn Head, Holy Island, Anglesey.
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  • A solitary gaff rigged  one-design day-boat on a calm and deserted Irish Sea on a sunny Spring afternoon. See from the rocky limestone cliffs at Rhoscolyn Head, Holy Island, West Anglesey.
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  • Powerful waves slammed against the cliffs at Porth Chapel as set after set came rolling in. It’s hard to convey the size of these waves without human scale, but imagine 3 adults standing on top of each other on that wave smashed rock, and it gives you some idea!
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  • Land's End in a Winter sunset. Short bursts of sunlight under blankets of winter storm clouds. Deceptively calm seas nevertheless created large waves as swell reached the cliffs.
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  • Rays of light from South Stack lighthouse, Holy Island, Anglesey, under a thick bank of fog at sunset, caused by a second day of temperature inversion over North Wales and here over the Irish Sea. Fishermen's torches light the rocks at the base of the cliffs in the blue gloom.
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  • Pedny, as the beach natives call it, a phenomenally striking beach with white sands, granite cliffs and crystal clear waters, facing across the Atlantic down to the Antarctic! Only accessible at very low tide or by scrambling down a steep footpath and rocks to the beach itself. For years thankfully the sole domain of hardy naturists and keen rock climbers (not necessarily both, though I did tick that box!) but now due to exhaustive use of it's location in tourist advertising, is quietly losing it's magic, with teams of neoprene clad families with body boards, tents, wind-breaks and picnic boxes braving the descent to textile cover the once free beach. Fortunately, at high tide the beach really does get cut off by the huge Atlantic ocean, and this forces away most of the crowds leaving small patches of bare beauty, and peace and quiet once again, save for the few who know the secret escape routes
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  • I found the huge sweep of the bay, the plunging cliffs and the vast expanse of sky an awesome vista to behold. The knowledge that workers had carried on a very dangerous occupation in such a precipitous environment, often in awful weather conditions, was daunting to even consider. At the same time, perhaps, like the shepherds who walk stormy mountains or fishermen in rough seas, they also found something very elemental and humbling to be gained from working in these environments, something which goes beyond simple romance.
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  • It was one of those moments when the ordinary seemed extraordinary, the familiar everyday events seemed like an exclusive moment. From Holyhead pory these vast ferries seem insignificant as they pass in and out of the harbour with comforting regularity, but from along the coast, these huge craft seem dwarfed by the high cliffs of Holyhead Mountain, and the rocky coastline in the foreground. <br />
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Watch these ships ferrying in stormy winter weather and marvel at the invaluable service they provide, and the skills of the crews.
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  • Rough seas from stormy weather crash against the craggy cliffs at the headland of Porth Trecastell (Cable Bay) West Anglesey, Wales.
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  • Big Irish Sea storm waves slam against the limestone cliffs of Rhoscolyn Head, North West Anglesey
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  • Rays of light from South Stack lighthouse, Holy Island, Anglesey, under a thick bank of fog at sunset, caused by a second day of temperature inversion over North Wales and here over the Irish Sea. Fishermen's torches light the rocks at the base of the cliffs in the blue gloom.
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  • South Stack lighthouse flashes in bad weather as sunshine lights orange sedimentary cliffs near South Stack, Holy Island, Anglesey, Wales
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  • Storm waves crash onto the imposing, rugged once tin mining cliffs at Pendeen, West Penwith, Cornwall. The last mine closed years ago, but numerous engine houses and chimneys mark the site of this once booming Cornish industry providing high grade tin.
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  • International Color Awards 2016 - Nominee in "Nature" category<br />
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Rays of light from South Stack lighthouse, Holy Island, Anglesey, under a thick bank of fog at sunset, caused by a second day of temperature inversion over North Wales and here over the Irish Sea. Fishermen's torches light the rocks at the base of the cliffs in the blue gloom.
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  • Fleeting patches of light caress the slopes of the ancient mountain of Cader Idris during squally winter weather. Clouds build and billow at speed above the peaks, in contrast to the dark shadows of the huge North facing cliffs.
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  • Late afternoon, misty sunlight over torn cliffs at Porth y Gwîn,  South Stack Nature Reserve, North Anglesey
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  • South Stack lighthouse on Holy Island, Anglesey, as seen from the flying bridge of the Holyhead Lifeboat, RNLB Christopher Pearce.<br />
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 I had to react quickly to changing compositions as this powerful vessel blasted us around the imposing cliffs of Ynys Lawd. <br />
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The early morning sunshine was gorgeous but what made this picture for me was the single fluffy white cloud hovering above South Stack lighthouse. My elevation meant I could look down onto the deep green sea as well as up into the blue sky. An incredible experience.
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  • This was the second visit to this wreck in about a year. Since the first visit, the hull of the SS Mulheim had broken up substantially and many of the huge metal hull plates had simply been washed off-shore. The bow of the boat that originally looked like part of a ship has now become so twisted and rusty that the ribs and structures of the wreck were blending almost seamlesly into the huge granite cliffs of Land's End itself. Even something as huge as a bulk carrier is soon reduced to a more original state of existence!
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  • Echo Canyon is as it suggests, a natural amphitheatre. It consists of a huge concave hollow within colourful sandstone cliffs, carved by the action of water cascading over the top. This area represents the South Easternmost portion of the Colorado Plateau, a thick crustal block of the continent that has been lifted up forming a high desert environment with scattered forest below.
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  • On a high narrow pinnacle, hundreds of feet above the sea, backed by even larger towering cliffs behind, appears the tiny, fragile figure of a woman. Even though the wind is gusting, buffeting her, she stands resolutely facing the ocean. She is at the most westerly point of land and without assistance can go no further. She has reached a human boundary; the sea is not our domain. Cries of seagulls echo warnings in the nearby zawn.<br />
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The sharp lichen thriving in the clean sea air covers every inch of the gritty platform on which she stands. She feels it digging into the soles of her feet as she ponders the vast expanse of water before her. Beyond that on the distant horizon, her Avalon, from where dreams have appeared to her in powerful waves.
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  • I believe these are the largest waves I've personally seen striking the South Stack cliffs. Magic Seaweed forecast 11ft wave height, meaning 20ft+ waves on some parts of the Anglesey coast. It was hard to hold the camera still in these conditions so ended up wedging the lens against a fence post.
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  • Dramatic evening sunlight catches the West facing cliffs of a limestone gorge above Malham Cove in the Yorkshire Dales. It looks warm and vibrant but the wind was arctic and sunlight was mixed with snow flurries
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  • Looking out at an approaching weather front over the Irish Sea at sunset, from the lush green rocky cliff top at Rhoscolyn Head, Holy Island, West Anglesey
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  • South Stack lighthouse, Holy Island, Anglesey, Ynys Môn. c1809 - Electrified in 1938 - Automated in 1984. 440 steps lead from the 200ft cliff top down to the bridge across the gorge below.<br />
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So tempting to think this shot is filtered but it's really not! The low winter sun exploded after a really stormy, wet day. My brother Simon and I were kitted out in full outdoor gear and we just lay on the grassy cliff top watching the skies change colour (well, he is an artist as well!). We were totally absorbed by the sheer variation in colours, and the speed at which the changes took place. It was so amazing that I also shot a series of sky images as well. It was nice to share this moment with my brother, as it recalled memories of our childhood in Cornwall, where we were both brought up and often did the same thing.
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  • South Stack lighthouse, Holy Island, Anglesey, Ynys Môn. c1809 - Electrified in 1938 - Automated in 1984. 440 steps lead from the 200ft cliff top down to the bridge across the gorge below. We can also see here the RSPB Bird watching tower called Ellin's Tower.
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  • After the harshness of the crags and cliff sides, the angular edges of the quarried levels and the tidy angles of the village itself, these large and beautifully rounded boulders seemed almost organic, and the way they spaced themselves evenly across the fine pebbles of the beach gave them a lifelike character of their own. It was hard to resist simply running my hands over the beautiful smooth curves, much as you would with a Henry Moore sculpture.
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  • South Stack lighthouse, Holy Island, Anglesey, Ynys Môn. c1809 - Electrified in 1938 - Automated in 1984. 440 steps lead from the 200ft cliff top down to the bridge across the gorge below.
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  • A temporary clearing in thick fog at sunset, caused by a major temperature inversion, seen here at South Stack, Irish Sea, North Wales. The RSPB information centre and viewing point of Elim's Tower is the white building on the cliff top.
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  • South Stack lighthouse, Holy Island, Anglesey, Ynys Môn. c1809 - Electrified in 1938 - Automated in 1984. 440 steps lead from the 200ft cliff top down to the bridge across the gorge below.
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  • South Stack lighthouse, Holy Island, Anglesey, Ynys Môn. c1809 - Electrified in 1938 - Automated in 1984. 440 steps lead from the 200ft cliff top down to the bridge across the gorge below. We can also see here the RSPB Bird watching tower called Ellin's Tower.
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  • With the light behind, especially from sea level, this headland looks striking, but ultimately just like any other rocky cliff, but in the right light, and from above, a series of massive quarried levels and terraces become visible, revealing that the whole headland has been scarred by man. You can make out the seriously-steep quarry track in this image but what you can’t see is that this headland is now a huge sea bird colony.
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  • "The contrast between the sharpness of the huge rocky cliff and the delicate fragility of the female form in this image creates a tension - not just from the fear of cuts and slices from the knife-like edges, but also due to the apparent melancholy of the woman with such colourful sunlit surroundings. You'd think she was a modern day cavewoman but really, as Summer draws close she represents a wide held feeling or sadness about returning home after the universal joy of travel, sunshine and warmth, We all dream about our next naked adventure in the great outdoors before we have even finished the present"
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  • On a glorious evening at the tip of North Wales the lo sunshine backlit clouds of spray from the long lines of surf rolling into the bay. Movement caught the corner of my eye and I watched three sheep scramble up to the top of. steep cliff - just a wonderful liitle moment.
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  • After a hot sunny walk around from the cove at Porth Dafarch, we were confronted with this eerie, mist covered rocky landscape at South Stack. It was bizarre because everywhere else was just so hot and sunny. The sound of the foghorn helped to let us know it was lost in the mist!
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  • Even as little kids, we would walk the two miles or so from our home on Penmere Hill to this spectacular and popular rocky point of Pendennis Head, just below the famous Henry Eighth Castle. To us, the little fortified blockhouse was a castle in it's own right, and although signs have now been erected to prohibit climbing, we would always be finding new ways of getting onto the ramparts. This was pure magic, and this often stormy point still provides a Sunday viewpoint for hundreds of Falmouth locals.
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  • SUN28 Shot Up North Awards winning entry (2016)<br />
<br />
International Colour Awards 2015 - Nominee in "Nature" category<br />
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“Early morning light passes through choppy Atlantic waves wrapping around me on this steeply shelving beach in South West Cornwall. It gives the impression of being underwater whilst the waves crash above the surface”<br />
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I’ve been back to this beach many times and haven’t been able to shoot anything like it again. I was completely alone on the beach and the sea was choppy and the waves powerful. This is the most amazing naturist beach I’ve ever been to in the world, so as is only right and correct, I was in my birthday suit as I took this!<br />
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I was using a heavy Canon 1DsMk3 and 100-400 mm lens to get this shot, nearly £7K of gear in the Atlantic ocean! What would have looked really crazy from the cliff-top was a little naked Jack-in-the-Box crouching down at the lowest point of a sand-cusp to shoot through huge waves as they rose in front of him, and then him standing up rapidly to keep the camera clear of the back-wash which went ribs-high trying to pull him back out to sea! This was one of my craziest shoots ever, but I am delighted with the result and yes this IS my all time favourite and I have No.1 of 10 hanging in my home.
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  • Storm waves crash over the headland at Cable Bay on West Anglesey.
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  • The crumbly limestone rock arch of Bwa Gwyn, Rhoscolyn Head, Anglesey.
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  • The Scillonian, part of the Isles of Scilly Steamship Company, gently heads back into Penzance after its crossing from the Isles of Scilly. There was such calm that evening and hardly a soul about as the moon rose higher in the sky. Over the gentle sound of the waves all we could hear was the throb of the steamship engines.
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  • I've photographed the wreck of the RMS Mulheim over the years, and it's getting smaller and smaller each time, at least half has disappeared since my first visit, a year after it went aground.
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  • Just the momentary interplay of light and shadow when a huge hole appears in the middle distance. With the impressive surge pool in the bottom left of this image, it's an illusion of one-upmanship in this stunning wintry mountainscape.
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  • A small patch of sunlight at the end of a dull day, illuminating a sheer rock face at one of Cornwall's most famous rock climbing crags - Sennen Cove, West Penwith. This is a crag where I spent years of my youth climbing a large number of the routes.
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  • At Trwyn Maen Melyn, almost the end of the Pilgrim's journey, the short but treacherous Bardsey sound seperates mainland Wales from the spiritual fulfillment found on Ynys Enlli (Bardsey Island)
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  • Huge wake from the twin engines of a powerful Severn Class lifeboat as it powers back into Holyhead Harbour from the South Stack lighthouse on Holy Island, Anglesey, in morning light with sunshine and fluffy white clouds and a calm sea.
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  • A mountain walker stops at a high point of a precipitous crag of Craig y Bera on Mynydd Mawr, to watch banks of cloud roll in from the Irish Sea and curl over the top of the Nantlle Ridge in Snowdonia, North Wales before evaporating again over the Nantlle valley.
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  • Such beautiful sunlight but quite an unnerving position down there in the gully. The waves appeared regular but every now and then rigue waves appeared, crashing over the large boulders in front of me and blasting spray over me and the camera.<br />
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I’ve visited this arch many times over the years but after hearing of the recent collapse of the Azure Window arch in Gozo, Malta, I felt the urge to revisit our own wonderful coastal feature here at Bwa Gwyn.
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  • These amazing white sand lagoons of Charca de la Laja, sit at the edge of a black lava field at Orzola on the North coast of Lanzarote. They are popular with familes for they are protected from the big surf beyond the reef and are as clear and warm as bathwater. In sunshine they look an irridescent turquoise.
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  • A choppy sea at the craggy coastline at Rhoscolyn with the moon rising over the Welsh mainland.
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  • I couldn't get over the sheer numbers of gulls that were diving into the sea as huge waves crashed over the reefs at Trearddur Bay. They didn't seem perturbed when engulfed in spray or emerging from the surf. I can only assume that the fish were quite bemused by the ocean above and were easy picking for the gulls
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  • Very unusual to witness the pounding of ocean through this small sea arch on Anglesey's North Coast. For such a relatively small geological feature, the sound created within it was awesome.
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  • Sheltering from the howling gale I found myself fascinated by the snake-like vein in my rock windbreak. When there's not a soul about and the landscape feels empty, I find myself looking more intently at the things closer to me, rather than the bigger views. I've never rationalised why I do this, but I think there's a sense being 'shared' with the immediate environment, that for a brief time when you are there, the features are like those of companions. I honestly talk to inanimate objects sometimes, as if I know them and appreciate them for simply being there, showing themselves to me. <br />
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This isn't just pandemic madness, I've always done this! The landscape often speaks to me, as I do to it.
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  • I was the last on the hill, and the sun disappeared behind a huge bank of cloud, dulling the light completely. I watched a snowboarder carve his way down the soft snowy hillside away from me, quietly feeling the isolation, when a gentle hint of colour appeared over Snowdon. I stood for a few minutes, now completely alone, and then the light intensified and the whole landscape was bathed in the most glorious colours. The summit of Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon) appeared after two hours of waiting, so I trudged back up through thick snow to the summit of my own little hill and became quite ecstatic about everything that was happening. I was smiling from ear to ear, not even knowing where to look as it was all so beautiful, and then tears started rolling down my cheeks and I began to cry! I believe it was both the spiritual and mental joy of the situation but also an intense feeling of peace and freedom that many of us deeply crave to keep our sanity.
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  • In the summer the hillsides were transformed from dull, earthy, bracken-covered slopes into lush, green carpets of grass and ferns. The shallow waters immediately off the shore reflect vivid turquoise, green and blue light- waves from the clear sunlight, creating an incredibly welcoming picture of this normally imposing coastline. After taking this shot, I went for a refreshing swim in the crystal-clear waters, and if had not been for the slightly cool sea temperature, I could have been abroad!.
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  • Mainland North Wales and the tip of the Llyn Peninsula as seen from the steep Southern side of the island pilgrimage of Ynys Enlli (Bardsey Island), the legendary "Island of 20,000 saints" which lies 1.9 miles off the Llŷn Peninsula in the Welsh county of Gwynedd. Bardsey's been a place of pilgrimage since the early Christianity, but there are signs of settlements from earlier periods. It became a focus for the Celtic Christian Church, attracting devout monks, and it is believed that St Cadfan began building a monastery on the island in the sixth century.
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  • Huge wake from the twin engines of a powerful Severn Class lifeboat as it powers back into Holyhead Harbour from the South Stack lighthouse on Holy Island, Anglesey, in morning light with sunshine and fluffy white clouds and a calm sea.
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  • There’s a lot of truth in the suggestion that mountains can actually look far more majestic from below, than from the summits themselves. <br />
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It was a beautiful day today on Anglesey, blue sky & sunshine - photographically a little boring even if the sunshine warmed my heart. At the end of day however the colours began to change and the mountain clouds started to disperse. It was a game of patience and hope, hope that the last of the sunshine would synchronise with the summit of Yr Wyddfa appearing through the clouds. I was delighted to make two exposures where the magic happened.
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  • Low cloud rolling in from the Irish Sea wraps around the summit of Mynydd Mawr and adjacent peaks of the Welsh mountains of Snowdonia at sunset. The top of a pine woodland can be seen on the hillside, separated from the background by  sheets of hill fog.
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  • A ship at dusk at anchor off Mount’s Bay in Cornwall. The whole landscape was dark and rather ominous looking in the heavy weather but the large ship was temporarily illuminated by a last pulse of light before the clouds closed over for the night.
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  • Selected Print for the IN:SIGHT (Washington Green) New Artists Competition 2015<br />
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International MONO Awards 2014 - Honourable Mention <br />
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"In the beginning there was just rock - and then water - black lifeless water. There were no plants or birds or trees just a planet in waiting.<br />
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Dark water moves from ocean to gully, almost imperceptibly, and a woman takes tentative steps towards the light”
    Movement Above Inky Depths
  • "Beautiful the beach may be, but faced with the full surge of a very deep Atlantic the water at this beach ranges from chilly to brass monkeys! On a sunny day it lures you in, the white waves, the glass clear water and the rippling light on the sand beneath, but there are few who stay in this water more than 10 minutes and God forbid naturists start wearing wet-suits ! :-) "
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  • On a hillside stinking of goats, and the sound of their bells clinking amidst the clucking of penned hens, we came across this large olive tree, before the hillside dropped to the sea...I was fascinated by the way some olive trees seem to exist quite apart from others. They grow large and strong but are still lonely. I haven't rationalised WHY but this tree became a metaphor for many issues in my life at the moment,not the least being solidity and security of life on the land, whilst endlessly staring at the escape and distance of the ocean. The two are important to me and this tree symbolises being torn between them...Apart from that, it just felt SO Greek :-)
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  • As the light of day sinks over the horizon our own lights take over the task of guiding our way. We all need a lighthouse sometimes.
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  • From my series of images documenting the changing character of the vast derelict slate quarries near Llanberis & Dinorwic as nature & modern life reclaim this huge industrially scarred mountain-scape. The quarries closed in 1969 but the sheer scale of the industry is still apparent, and without doubt there are visual & spiritual echoes of the workmen who risked life & limb working there.<br />
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UNESCO World Heritage Site
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  • Even from the Isle of Anglesey the clouds over the mountains looked amazing, so I headed for the foothills. Strangely the effects looked better from Ynys Môn than the hills themselves but for a short while, magical moments of light offered themselves up here on the peaks. A huge dark cloud gathered over Garnedd Elidir and remained there even even after I crossed the summit ridge. <br />
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In the background you can see Yr Wyddfa, the highest mountain in Wales & England, amazingly cloud free on its summit, even though much higher than Garnedd Elidir. <br />
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I'd been reading numerous articles about women being anxious about men in the mountains, so it was interesting that bar one man, all my fellow walkers were confident, happy, friendly women, young & old, nothing like the worried women I'd read about in articles. I was pleased that none of these women saw me as a threat in our shared wonderful landscape.
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  • Yr Wyddfa is Wales' highest mountain. I didn't think I'd see the summit at all today as it continued to hide behind higher cloud,  but the moment I started to descend my own hill Yr Wyddfa decided to completely reveal it's magnificence. Never been happy about buildings for the masses on her peak but in this late evening light it did offer a sense of scale and man's tenacity.
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  • Waves on an incoming tide in bad weather at Porth Iago on the Llyn Peninsula, North West Wales.
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  • High, dramatic headlands at the tip of the Llyn Peninsula. The Irish Sea and Bardsey Sound lies just beyond.
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  • South Stack lighthouse on Holy Island, Anglesey, in morning light with sunshine and fluffy white clouds and a calm sea.
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  • South Stack lighthouse on Holy Island, Anglesey, in morning light with sunshine and fluffy white clouds and a calm sea.
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  • After more than an hour on the freezing summit, I slowly made my way down in deep snow, each leg sinking in to thigh level! I crouched in the snow whilst bitter winds ripped my face, waiting for a promised light to change the whole character of the atmosphere surrounding Wales highest mountain. I never quite saw the summit itself but the light did produce a beauty that was awe-inspiring
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  • In one giant brushstroke of glorious sunset, the Carneddau foothills were revealed as only a painter could imagine them.
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  • From below, surrounded by hundreds of sledgers & skiers creating a cacophony of noisy laughs & screams, the summits were in swirling low cloud, never showing themselves. <br />
<br />
As I trudged higher the snow became thicker and the chaos of the crowds diminished. I followed deep snowy footprints & drops of bright red blood from an injured dog, marking the route of previous ascensionists. The snow dumbs sounds; no birds sang, or sheep bleated. I could hear my own heart as the silence & snow deepened more. <br />
<br />
I was surprised nevertheless by the numbers of small parties descending the hill, and I was troubled (as always) that I was being trailed by others, a super fit elderly couple with a tiny day sack, and a backpacking single guy. I stopped for a drink to let them pass and I watched them disappear into the thick fog. Finally, I was alone, and I laboured step by step in deep snow until I arrived at the summit. I could hear occasional walkers chatting in the whiteout, but none appeared alongside me. It was dark up there, and the strengthening wind chilled my fingers through my gloves. I sensed something was happening with the clouds though so persevered in my wait. For about ten minutes the sun made regular bursts through the low cloud, illuminating snow-crusted rock sculptures all around me. It transformed the scene completely & I felt less lonely somehow. <br />
<br />
The horizon darkened and I could see snow clouds approaching. It was getting colder and colder, so I called it a day and retraced my footsteps back down to cloud base. Sleet and then heavy rain pelted me about five minutes from the van. Dozens and dozens of soaked sledging families made a sad retreat off the slopes.  I was delighted with the ten or so images that I made on the summit. I think will make some beautiful prints for the gallery wall.
    GD002565.jpg
  • Waves at sunset, crashing into the small rocky cove at south of South Stack on Holy Island, Anglesey, Wales,
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  • Powerful storm surf at sunset in winter gales coming from the Irish Sea at Porth Tyn Tywyn near Rhosneigr on the West Coast of Anglesey.
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  • Imposing and precipitous, dark towers of mountainside were temporarily bathed in gentle afternoon light, warming the cold ramparts and illuminating their weakness. We so need light these days.
    GD002560.jpg
  • Three imposing sharp peaks of Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon) in the cold glow of winter light.
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Glyn Davies, Professional Photographer and Gallery

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