What to photograph on a short trip to Wales
After months of planning, I finally met up with Murry Livingston, Ellis Wood, and my friend Byron for a quick weekend trip to Wales. We had originally planned to spend a few days hiking in the Rhinogydd, a mountain range east of Harlech in North Wales. But the weather had other ideas—it was pouring rain! I guess I’m getting a bit soft in my old age, so we decided to skip the first day of hiking and just chill at a campsite near where we were supposed to start. Honestly, hiking in that downpour wouldn’t have been much fun anyway.
Once the rain let up a bit, we set up our tents and decided to try our hand at woodland photography. Ellis, who lives in Wales, suggested we drive about 25 minutes to Barmouth, where there’s a coastal forest with a stream and a few waterfalls. The weather was just right for this kind of photography—overcast skies with low contrast, which always seems to work best. Plus, there was a bit of mist higher up the valley that we took advantage of later on.
Woodland photography for a novice.
For me, woodlands are just a chaotic mix of bushes and trees, and I usually struggle to find a good composition. But with Murry and Ellis guiding me, it turned out to be a pretty cool experience. I did manage to get a few decent shots, but there’s definitely a learning curve ahead. One thing I realized is that you can’t just focus on what’s in front of you—you’ve got to look up and down too. I missed a few good shots by not doing that. Also, the oak trees in these coastal forests are taller than I expected, which made things interesting. And a pro tip for next time: definitely wear wellies or gum boots because, in Wales, everything is soaked!
Hiking lessons learned in Wales.
The next day, we packed up and drove to a parking lot near where we started our climb. The mountains in Wales aren’t super high, but they’re still a good challenge. It was a tough few kilometers of nonstop climbing until we finally reached our campsite for the night. I even had to WhatsApp Murry to get the name of the mountain we were on—these Welsh names are tricky! We camped on Y Llethr, but don’t ask me to pronounce it.
Luckily, it wasn’t raining during the hike, and we set up camp with some pretty awesome views. I’ve been hiking for years, so I’m no newbie, but wet and windy conditions are always a challenge. Note to self: get a new tent that doesn’t leak! My old tent let in some water, though everyone’s tent struggled with those crazy winds. The wind was so strong it blew the outer layer of my tent onto the inner one, which wasn’t ideal.
Even though the weather was getting worse, I managed to snap a few photos and was pretty happy with how they turned out. By the next morning, the weather had really gone downhill—strong winds and pouring rain. We packed up quickly and headed back down to the car. Despite the wild weather, it was a fun trip with great company.
Note: Murry Livingston, https://www.murraylivingston.com/, https://www.instagram.com/livingston.murray/
This guy is one fantastic photographer with a lot of talent and one to keep an eye out for. He has a new book coming out soon.
Note: Ellis Wood, https://www.instagram.com/e.woodphotography/
Please check out Ellis’s work, onther fantastic photographer.
