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  • Snow melt water swells the mountain stream in Cwm Bychan, Beddgelert, Snowdonia, Wales. The river runs down to Tremadog Bay, seen bathed in sunlight in the far distance. Light Cumulus clouds float overhead.
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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 />
<br />
 I had to react quickly to changing compositions as this powerful vessel blasted us around the imposing cliffs of Ynys Lawd. <br />
<br />
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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  • After weeks of appalling weather, wind and rain, it was such a relief to have a dry-ish day. We headed for the coast and literally just caught the last moments of a giant hole in the clouds where we glimpsed the blue sky above. A gentle shimmering of sunlight reflected off the calm sea, but it was like the eye of a storm as banks of deeper grey cloud moved in from the West and the rain started all over again.
    GD002564.jpg
  • Almost Spielberg-like, the most incredible dark clouds built above a small cluster of beachside houses at Rhosneigr. Late afternoon sunlight burst under the weather front illuminating the coastline, increasing the drama further.
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  • Waves creep over a sand bar at Silver Bay cove on North West Anglesey whilst clouds scurry overhead
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  • A stunning genuine and unexpected sunset after a stormy afternoon. Different layers of clouds stack high into the sky above the Welsh town of Caernarfon and the mountains of Snowdonia behind. The expansive and dangerously fast Menai Strait lies in the foreground.
    GD001324.jpg
  • I arrived at the beach in pouring rain but decided to head out anyway, brolly in hand. Thankfully the rain stopped suddenly and large breaks appeared in the huge blankets of grey cloud. The low sun painted colour onto the clouds behind me and I felt uplifted by brighter conditions. And then the first drops of rain fixed themselves to my lens and within less than a minute the heavens opened once again. I sheltered under the brolly for a short while, revelling in the elements around me before battling a squall back to the van.
    GD002343.jpg
  • A cold afternoon on Anglesey's West Coast. The weather was cloudy and showery but from the West sunshine kept breaking through the clouds and scattering around the landscape. The tide was low and the wet sands provided a beautiful surface on which to mirror reflections from the rapidly changing skies.
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  • Ripples on deep water channels left between sand banks and mud flats at low tide in the Dulas Estuary near Lligwy, East Anglesey, in showery weather, with dramatic clouds in the sky.
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  • Sunset and clouds over streams and rivulets flowing down the sandy beach at low tide at Traeth Lligwy, Anglesey, North Wales
    GD001417.jpg
  • Brilliant sunshine through stormy rainshowers and racing black clouds at the expansive Llanddwyn Beach on West Anglesey. Bitter winds cut throughclothing and rain lashed our faces but amongst it all, there was sheer ecstasy in the beauty of land and sky becoming one for brief moments of time
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  • Sunset and clouds over wide sandy beach at low tide, at Rhosneigr, West Anglesey.
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  • Ripples on deep water channels left between sand banks and mud flats at low tide in the Dulas Estuary near Lligwy, East Anglesey, in showery weather, with dramatic clouds in the sky.
    GD001022.jpg
  • Huge cumulonimbus clouds catch the evening sunset above wind-blown Marram grass covering sand dunes at Llanddwyn Beach, West Anglesey
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  • As Storm Imogen makes her first appearance, and dark clouds build on the the horizon, I find myself fascinated by the sheer variety of beautiful coloured stones lying just beneath the surface of the sand pools before an incoming tide. The weather created dreary conditions but every so often gentle glimmers of light illuminated this wet world, a world that has seen rain for almost three months solid. It was so lovely to find such intriguing beauty in such inclement weather
    GD001994.jpg
  • The large limestone stepping stones of Rhydd Gaer (The Blood Fort) , cross the Afon Braint River south of the village of Dwyran on Anglesey. The river itself leads to the Braint Estuary where it joins the Menai Strait and Caernarfon Bay. There is little agreed information about the history of these historical stones<br />
<br />
"A young funny, dynamic 19 year old friend of ours has been missing since Christmas, and this river is his river, well in my mind it is, as it flows from his village to the sea. I was thinking about how lucky I am to simply be here, to breathe, to see, to live. The sunshine was sparkling on the water, the grass was lush and green, clouds scudded across a now clear sky and there was a cool crispness to the air, my fingers felt it, my face felt it, every bit of me was now awake and invigorated, but I wish I knew what had happened to the lad. We all think we know but nobody dares say anything, living in hope that our worst fears are proved wrong. It has been very hard for me to be near the sea since his disappearance. I have titled the image above in dedication to our young friend, and I cling to the hope that one day he will see it for himself."
    GD001176.jpg
  • Incredible sunset and dramatic clouds over the Irish Sea from Porth Nobla, near Rhosneigr, West Anglesey<br />
<br />
© Glyn Davies - All rights reserved.
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  • I left the comfort of the van and stepped into a gale. The skies were grey and overcast and there were already spots of rain on my jacket. <br />
<br />
The sand whipped off the dunes and stung my face but I was so happy to just be outdoors and have fresh air in my lungs. I arrived at the shore on a rapidly dropping tide and the beach was pristine, no footprints from man or dog, just perfect geometrical shapes created by the force of the tide. <br />
<br />
The breeze rippled the surface of a large pool but the water was was like a luke warm bath, sensuous and comforting. Small jellyfish slowed drifted past me as the pool drained to the Irish Sea. <br />
<br />
As the clouds scudded overhead, small pathes of blue sky made an appearance and illuminated the whole scene for perhaps just a few minutes at a time and the light was iridescent on the sea’s green surface, glittering on the ruffled pool. Within moments I was being pelted by a rain shower and my camera lens became covered in rain and salt spray, creating a most ghostly light on my images.
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  • Incredible sunset and dramatic clouds over the Irish Sea from Porth Nobla, near Rhosneigr, West Anglesey<br />
<br />
© Glyn Davies - All rights reserved.
    GD001933.jpg
  • Sunset and clouds over water channels exposed at low tide in the Dulas Estuary, Anglesey, North Wales
    GD001418.jpg
  • Brief sunshine over Rhosneigr gave way to black clouds and sleet moving in from the North over the Irish Sea.
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  • Sunset and clouds over wide sandy beach at low tide, at Rhosneigr, West Anglesey.
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  • A small area of tall reeds in an expanse of marshland gets the full brunt of the wind, the direction highlighted by bent shaped stems in the foreground, whilst the clouds race over from West to East.
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  • The large limestone stepping stones of Rhydd Gaer (The Blood Fort) , cross the Afon Braint River south of the village of Dwyran on Anglesey. The river itself leads to the Braint Estuary where it joins the Menai Strait and Caernarfon Bay. There is little agreed information about the history of these historical stones<br />
<br />
"A young funny, dynamic 19 year old friend of ours has been missing since Christmas, and this river is his river, well in my mind it is, as it flows from his village to the sea. I was thinking about how lucky I am to simply be here, to breathe, to see, to live. The sunshine was sparkling on the water, the grass was lush and green, clouds scudded across a now clear sky and there was a cool crispness to the air, my fingers felt it, my face felt it, every bit of me was now awake and invigorated, but I wish I knew what had happened to the lad. We all think we know but nobody dares say anything, living in hope that our worst fears are proved wrong. It has been very hard for me to be near the sea since his disappearance. I have titled the image above in dedication to our young friend, and I cling to the hope that one day he will see it for himself."
    GD001177.jpg
  • Ploughed fields near Dwyran, West Anglesey, Wales, with huge cumulonimbus clouds and a half moon.
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  • Another of those awful, dreary, wet grey days with hours and hours of rain, then suddenly at the end of the day, a gentle orange glow built on the horizon, a sign of magic for distant strangers.  We stuck it in a high gear and made for the brightening sky, sunshine gradually warming the interior of the van through the salt-smeared windscreen. <br />
<br />
On arrival, the wind was really strong and the sand was lifting and blowing across the beach. I headed for the shoreline where the breeze tried to do the same with sheet water. The sand was soaking and it reflected the scudding painted clouds on its surface. This was  another of my open-air theatre moments were scenes were changing by the second. I watched it until my feet sank and the sun disappeared, leaving nothing but happiness in the dark.
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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 />
<br />
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!
    GD002436.jpg
  • Chaotic weather and stormy conditions over the west coast of Ynys Môn this evening, this summer!  One minute, torrential downpours the next, blazing hot sunshine - utterly unpredictable other than for its unpredictability. <br />
<br />
Holyhead Mountain can be seen in the far distance whilst fast-appearing crepuscular rays scan the surface of the Irish Sea as the clouds race inland. It was wind-blown and spectacular and I revelled in the elements
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  • Hand-held grab shot of a wash of golden light over eroded smooth rocks on Anglesey’s West coast this evening. <br />
<br />
The skies looked dramatic, numerous clouds being blown rapidly in a strong breeze. The air was cold enough to warrant a winter coat, but anticipating some tidal shots I wore shorts to the beach. As I stood in the sea to make more images I was surprised at how warm the waves were as they wrapped around my legs.
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  • Wintry weather in Summer. The air was warm but the strong wind was cold. The pandemic has left popular beaches near deserted. Today just three other couples along the two mile stretch of shoreline. Sad though it is for so many loyal Anglesey visitors, I have to admit that having beaches to yourself, especially as a landscape photographer, is a rare treat, a treat that may never be repeated in my lifeline, so I relish every moment. <br />
<br />
In the emptiness so much else was happening though, all centred around the movement of sea and clouds and the rapid changes of light across shifting surfaces. The intensity of contrast between moody skies and brilliant sparkling wet sand, was just mesmerising, hard to pull away your eyes let alone move your feet.  There is so much to see in such emptiness, but then I think I’ve always felt that; that sometimes the emptiness itself helps to focus the eye on the smallest of changes and differences.
    GD002496.jpg
  • 2011: A young, funny, dynamic, 19-year-old friend of my step kids had gone missing at Christmas, a few
 weeks earlier, apparently having jumped off the Menai Suspension Bridge, but no-one really knew for sure; there were no answers and no closure for his devastated family and close friends. <br />
<br />
I have always gone to the sea for solace and comfort, but after this event, the sea represented something very different – swallowing, concealing. I was thinking about how lucky I was to simply be there, to breathe, to see, to live.<br />
 <br />
The sunshine was sparkling on the water, the grass was lush and green, clouds scudded across a now clear sky and there was a cool crispness to the air; my fingers felt it, my face felt it, every bit of me was now awake and invigorated, but I wished I knew what had happened to the lad. We all guessed at scenarios but nobody dared say anything, living in hope that our worst fears would be proved wrong. It was very hard for me to be near the sea so soon after his disappearance.<br />
 <br />
I moved on to the main estuary at Newborough. The sky was changing already; the forecasted week of rain had started to develop on the horizon, a darkness drew closer and the sparkle was gone. There were still sheets of hopeful, bright patches of sky over the hills, and the last intensity of sunshine was spilling over the peninsula. I walked in shallow water across the open estuary, surrounded by sheets of mirrored sky that contained a lonely half moon looking down at me.’ <br />
<br />
<br />
5 x A0 Edition<br />
A1 Editions - SOLD OUT <br />
15 x A2 Editions
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  • Winter winds blew across the beach; small ripples radiated across the wide sand sea water pools and clouds raced overhead. Such beauty, such awe and such contrast. As I stood and watched the sunset play before me, cold air crept down my neck and I realised just how easy it is to be fooled by beauty.
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  • At 12,198 feet (3718m) , the highest peak of Tenerife, and indeed Spain, is Mount Teidi (Pico del Teide) located in the Province of Santa Cruz de Tenerife. The skies can be clear above the clouds below. The moisture from the regular cloud cover means that the tree line reaches high up the mountain sides in form of woods and forest.
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  • At 12,198 feet (3718m) , the highest peak of Tenerife, and indeed Spain, is Mount Teidi (Pico del Teide) located in the Province of Santa Cruz de Tenerife. The skies can be clear above the clouds below. The moisture from the regular cloud cover means that the tree line reaches high up the mountain sides in form of woods and forest.
    GD001859.jpg
  • Clouds reflect over the wet sands of the Braint Estuary near Newborough on the island of Anglesey, with the hills of Snowdonia in the background. Multitudes of tiny shells, many empty, some full of life followed the flow of water towards the main channel which echoed the clouds overhead
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  • A line of fluffy grey clouds puffed along the horizon like a Thomas the Tank Steam Train. I loved the way the clouds were echoed by the warm tufts of orange grass around the shallow blue lake on this exposed Welsh mountain top. <br />
<br />
© Glyn Davies 2010 - All rights reserved
    GD001037.jpg
  • The last embers of a burning sunset caught the gable ends of the hillside town of Groeslon on the hillside below the imposing Nantlle Ridge. The clouds were on fire, billowing and swirling, hiding and revealing the majestic hills behind. <br />
<br />
And then within perhaps a minute, a huge fire blanket of cloud on the horizon suffocated the intense flames, and the colours were gone for the night.
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  • Although I stood in brilliant sunshine on my mountain top, clouds billowed over the main Snowdonia peaks, set against an ominous dark sky. Sunlight punched through the swirling vapour illuminating patches of hillside and ocassionally the summits themselves
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  • Although I stood in brilliant sunshine on my mountain top, clouds billowed over the main Snowdonia peaks, set against an ominous dark sky. Sunlight punched through the swirling vapour illuminating patches of hillside and ocassionally the summits themselves
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  • A thin strip of bright sunlight illuminates the Irish Sea in otherwise ominous heavy weather at Caernarfon Bay, on the Northern coast of the Llyn Peninsula. The distinctive three peaks of Yr Eifl, Tre'r Ceiri, Garn Ganol and Garn For can be seen under the dark clouds.
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  • Gentle lenticular clouds slowly moved across a clear blue sky above the hazy mountains of Snowdonia. These mountains can look so vast and magnificent in dramatic weather, but in these conditions they seemed no more than small blue dunes, dwarfed by the void above.
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  • The huge Morfa Dyffryn beach near Barmouth - vast expanse of sand and dunes from Barmouth to Shell Island ner Harlech. One of the best naturist beaches in the the UK let alone Wales.
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  • Shot from a mountain summit at sunset. At this time of year the sun blazes across the Menai Strait, the stretch of water that separates the Isle of Anglesey from the mainland. <br />
<br />
The wind was bitterly cold even in July, but sheltered behind the summit cairn the sun did offer some warmth as I excitedly watched the rapidly changing light created by fast moving swirling clouds above me. <br />
<br />
I remained on the summit until the sun dropped behind a huge bank of cloud on the horizon, and I walked down alone in the gathering dusk.
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  • Just the strangest early morning cloud formations over a tranquil Menai Strait at high tide. Above the darkness of the shadowed hillsides, clouds slowly changed shape and size,creating an incredible if slightly surreal skyscape. <br />
<br />
It was like watching a vast charcoal drawing in the making by invisible hands.
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  • Last minute blast for a walk and some snaps after yet another dreary June day. Hints of sunshine broke through blankets of mountain cloud so we went for a coastal walk along the Strait. The clouds opened more and more and pools of sunlight illuminated the hillsides. For just a brief moment, literally seconds, the sunset flood lit Castell Penrhyn in the foreground. The castle was built by Lord Penrhyn, from the profits of the slate industry. Impoverished slate quarry workers worked in horrendous, dangerous conditions to facilitate this.
    GD002492.jpg
  • The mountains of South Africa have blown me away. I have never seen so many mountain peaks in one place. These very steep-sided and dramatic peaks could be seen out of our car window for the two solid days of driving East to West through the country. In fact the mountains in this image are much smaller than many others we saw on our journey. It’s a complete guess, but over nearly 20 hours of driving there must have been literally 1000s of summits and I can’t begin to imagine where a mountaineer would begin to start choosing which to climb in this vast area. <br />
<br />
Even more strange is that the clouds you see here form the edge of a gigantic cloud blanket that created pouring rain on the far, coastal side of these hills. We drove in bright sunshine all day until we crossed the range through a gorge and then drove in rain for the next 3 hours!
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  • ".............I wandered at a slow pace along the water's edge, fascinated by the shifting arrangements of clouds, waves, wet sand and reflections. I loved the balancing act between wave forms, sand patterns and racing cumuli.  A little lady in green wellies marched ahead of me for most of the walk, fortunately leaving only evaporating footprints in the saturated sand. By the time I had reached the arch and a small cove within a beach, the little lady had finished her stroll, turned on her heels and disappeared back in the direction of the sheltered village, leaving me alone to enjoy the unspoilt beach.......'
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  • I had spent the afternoon surrounded by thick hill fog on the summit of Mynydd Mawr this winter, and the wind was bone chillingly cold. On the col between Mynydd Mawr and Moel Tryfan frozen lakes were surrounded by deceptively warm looking grasses, intensified further by the pinks and mauves up-lighting the low clouds over Nantlle. In reality everything was crunchilly icy and the grasses seemed like they would snap when you touched them, but amazingly, under the thick layer of pool ice, life was still surviving in the darkness.
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  • Just after dawn at Penzance waterfront. In the slowly increasing half-light, I had watched a succession of early morning wild swimmers brave the calm Atlantic waters. They told me it certainly was cold, but the rush they got from the dip had remarkable benefits to their constitution and sense of vitality. They asked me to come down the next morning in my swimming trunks to try for myself.<br />
<br />
After bidding them good morning I wandered along the harbour wall. Looking towards the Lizard Peninsula in the distance, gentle sunlight broke through a band in the clouds and illuminated the smooth sea. As I watched the glow intensify I noticed a pod of dolphins swimming across the bay. Most of the time I could just see the curve of their backs but occasionally one of them would leave the water completely and in this image you can see just that, as gulls cried overhead. It was a rather magical and serene Sunday morning.
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  • One minute the summit of Elidir Fawr was bathed in early Spring sunshine and the next the sky had darkened and freezing vapour engulfed us. However the rapidly swirling clouds formed the most beautiful shapes and the semi obscured sun created a backlit stage of theatrical movement as we drank hot coffee to keep warm.
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  • A surprisingly rocky, surprisingly ridgy, edgy walk around the Marchlyn Mawr reservoir which feeds the Dinorwic HEP station in Llanberis. The snow was everywhere but the weather was stunning, blue skies and bright crisp sunlight bouncing off brilliant clean white surface. In the distance huge snow clouds raced across the lowland island of Anglesey.
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  • Slopes of the Carneddau mountains in Snowdonia, Wales, in winter, covered in snow, ice, sunlight and shadows from clouds above.
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  • A spontaneous fast evening hike up to the summit of Elidir Fawr, grabbing the last of the sunshine before the torrential rain promised for the following day.<br />
<br />
It was clear that the weather was already changing, dark clouds swirling around the peaks, but side-lit by striking evening sunlight. Though July, my hands were really cold in the strong gusting breeze. <br />
<br />
I didn’t see a soul anywhere on the mountain so I was able to revel in the dramatic elemental conditions surrounding me, perfect and humbling solitude that freaks me as much as it excites me.
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  • Shot on my new Sony A7R2. Confident washes of strong wind waves powered up the beach even on the outgoing tide during a darkening dusk.<br />
<br />
The skies looked dramatic, numerous clouds being blown rapidly in a strong breeze. The air was cold enough to warrant a winter coat, but anticipating some tidal shots I wore shorts to the beach. As I stood in the sea to make more images I was surprised at how warm the waves were as they wrapped around my legs.
    GD002224.jpg
  • A surprisingly rocky, surprisingly ridgy, edgy walk around the Marchlyn Mawr reservoir which feeds the Dinorwic HEP station in Llanberis. The snow was everywhere but the weather was stunning, blue skies and bright crisp sunlight bouncing off brilliant clean white surface. In the distance huge snow clouds raced across the lowland island of Anglesey.
    GD001047.jpg
  • The peak of Yr Elen in the Carneddau range, Snowdonia, covered in shadows of passing cumulus clouds.
    GD001033.jpg
  • An early morning shoot from the hills of Yr Eifl on North Wales most Western tip, the Lleyn Peninisula. The clouds were stormy looking and threatening rain, but the sunlight between showers was crisp and beautiful and sculptural.
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  • As Mum and I marvelled at the beautiful shapes and colours of soft clouds forming above us, the strangest intricate patch of texture became apparent within the vast skyscape. It seemed incongrous, almost a layer seperate from the rest, but to me it seemed particularly special as I chatted about it with this amazing, creative woman who gave me life 52 years ago.
    GD002201.jpg
  • Even in the chaos of waves and clouds, wondrous patterns, textures and predictable repetitions can lead to exciting compositional balance within delicate scenes.
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  • Incredible sunset and dramatic clouds over the Irish Sea from Porth Nobla, near Rhosneigr, West Anglesey<br />
<br />
© Glyn Davies - All rights reserved.
    GD001907.jpg
  • No A1 prints left. A2 and smaller only<br />
<br />
"Clouds built over the horizon but in the last of the sun they looked beautifully dramatic, textural and crisp. In fact there was so much texture in front of me that it was hard to find the minimalist simplicity I've been drawn to recently. For maybe ten minutes the world turned pink, the hue washed over the sky and infused in the gentle waves, even the wet sand threw it back skyward. I stood in the sea, in my walking boots, wave after wave lapping at my shins but amazingly my feet stayed as warm as the sunset colours. I studied the waves smoothing and cleansing the beach before me, back to perfection.<br />
<br />
The expanse of Llanddwyn beach and the peak of Holyhead Mountain can be seen in the background"
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  • Sunset and clouds over Garn For and Yr Eifl, mountains on the Llyn Peninsula, North Wales. Surf rolls in over the vast shallow beach of Dinas Dinlle in the foreground
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  • An early morning shoot from the hills of Yr Eifl on North Wales most Western tip, the Lleyn Peninisula. The clouds were stormy looking and threatening rain, but the sunlight between showers was crisp and beautiful and sculptural.
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  • Enjoyed a short walk out to Llanddwyn Island in bitterly cold, showery conditions. The sun made a desperate attempt to illuminate the lighthouse but with the tide rising rapidly we made our way back to the main beach to avoid being cut off. <br />
<br />
In a lovely turn of photographic fate, a colourful burst of dusky sunlight caught the towering clouds, which were then reflected on the smooth, lapping waves. <br />
<br />
It’s so easy to be trapped by obvious sunsets, when the subtle washes behind you are in fact far more mesmerising.
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  • Huge slabs of rock just underneath the grass and peat inclined steeply. A fast flowing stream cuts down into the joint as it tumbles down towards the wide glaciated Ogwen in the distance. Heavy rain clouds hang over some of Snowdonia's highest peaks.
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  • The river Mersey was flowing very fast out towards the Irish Sea, the sounds of wind waves slopping against the dockside. Clouds were shooting across the sky in the opposite direction and the gulls were playing in the visual turmoil of it all. I love the Mersey.
    GD002022.jpg
  • Flock of Oystercatchers flying against blue sky  and fluffy cumulus clouds
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  • In the approaching dark of heavy rain clouds and a biting cold wind, the beautiful and enticing ridge-walk from Pen yr Helgi Du received an unexpected burst of sunlight along its length.<br />
<br />
We debated all the way to its steep northern ascent, but then the heavens opened and we realised we had been very wise to ignore the siren’s call as we headed down to the dark lake in torrential, skin-soaking rain. Even the Gore-Tex rainwear failed in these conditions and we still only just made the van before complete darkness.<br />
<br />
What has always struck me when looking at this photograph, is just how skin-like the hillside appears, like the hide of a huge animal. When you think of just how thin the ‘living surface’ above mountains of solid rock actually is then, effectively, it is just a ‘skin’ which will be affected by the weather and which will change appearance and colour constantly over time.
    GD000970.jpg
  • Intense sunshine and dramatic clouds and shadows over Bardsey Sound, the last stretch of treacherous water before the Pilgrims would have reached their destination, the remote but beautifully stark island of Ynys Enlli (Bardsey Island) at the most Westerly tip of the Llyn Peninsula, North Wales
    GD000983.jpg
  • Sunset and clouds over streams and rivulets flowing down the huge sandy beach at low tide at Traeth Harlech, Tremadog Bay, North Wales
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  • Incredible sunset and dramatic clouds over the Irish Sea from Porth Nobla, near Rhosneigr, West Anglesey<br />
<br />
© Glyn Davies - All rights reserved.
    GD001908.jpg
  • On a baking hot day we drove into the sunset across the rugged high cliff tops of West Portugal. Jani sat in the van to call her Mam whilst I wandered down to the rocky cove. As I walked out to the low tide mark, i realised the beach was absolutely massive, miles long to the North and pure sea washed sand. The cliffs looked even higher when looking back at them. The day as usual had been clear blue cloudless sky, so it was an extra bonus to see delicate clouds gently sliding Southwards across the horizon. I had the whole beach to myself and was in seventh Heaven. <br />
<br />
However, when i turned to walk back to the car I noticed a young man curled up against the cliffs, clutching a beer bottle and looking most melancholy. I know that when I go into my dark patches, the beach becomes my salvation, my escape and my remedy - I empathised with this guy who had come miles to see the sunset on this spectacular and deserted coast.
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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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  • Just a few days to go until Wales finds some sort of normality before the next national lockdown! The weather seems to be reflecting my / our moods at present, one minute dark clouds, rain and even hail, but the next, glorious sunshine and even a hint of warmth on your wet face. Shallow pools seemed deep and menacing but upon the surface glowed patches of clean sunlight. These rippling islands of gentle light reminded me that the sun will keep on rising and falling despite everything, and that life goes on, with or without us.
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  • Shot from the mountains of Tre’r Ceiri, higher than the low scudding clouds, sunlight and shadows created a thousand paintings upon the vast stretch of the Irish Sea. <br />
<br />
From here, over 2000 years ago, tribes who inhabited the Iron Age settlement behind me will have see such similar views. I have no idea what they will have seen ‘in’ those views, or whether the magical beauty I see was more ominous to them. Sitting in the warm sunlight on the summit of Garn Canol however, I’d like to think that they also saw the amazing beauty in nature’s elements.
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  • I was in the shadows of Foel Goch and Moel Cynghorion, with the sun setting behind me. I had put my camera away for the day but suddenly the clouds cleared to reveal a beautiful scene. <br />
<br />
I scrabbled in the rucksack to fetch the Fuji before the scene changed. I balanced my camera on a dry-stone wall to capture the near-full moon in a deep blue sky, high above the rolling foothills of Snowdon that were still bathed in warm sunshine.
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  • Shot whilst teaching my first 1-1 workshop in years. <br />
<br />
“Out of the dark clouds that had been covering Snowdon’s summit all day, a small steam locomotive gently descends from the gloom into patches of bright afternoon sunlight. The chugging sound of the engine carried across the valley and continued even when the engine disappeared from sight down it’s 4 mile long track”
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  • It was dreamlike, and I was alone in my dreams. The clouds rose and fell like waves on the ocean, one minute revealing the peaks the next shrouding them. A bitterly cold North Westerly blew the swirling vapours at speed across the slopes, chilling me noticeably at the same time. The scenes changed so quickly that it was hard to believe I was in the same place. I was in awe and utterly captivated by the sheer scale and drama of the situation and it was hard to leave the summit, until the sun went down that is, and the wind dropped and a freezing clammy air enveloped me.
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  • Chaotic weather and stormy conditions over the west coast of Ynys Môn this evening, this summer! One minute, torrential downpours the next, blazing hot sunshine - utterly unpredictable other than for its unpredictability.<br />
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Holyhead Mountain can be seen in the far distance whilst fast-appearing crepuscular rays scan the surface of the Irish Sea as the clouds race inland. It was wind-blown and spectacular and I revelled in the elements
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  • A throw of darkness covered the Welsh hills whilst wisps of pale clouds swirled and writhed below. Bitter winds whistled across the slopes and summit castellations. I huddled behind an airy dry-stone walls whilst hail pounded my shoulders for almost half an hour, chilling me until my hands went white.<br />
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After such an elemental bombardment I should have been miserable but I wasn't. I felt more alone than in a long time, and as I stared at the grass around my boots I became aware of a warm illumination. I looked up at the hills beyond where wide beams of sunlight gently caressing their surface, burning away the darkness and mist, revealing a myriad of details on this earth's ancient skin.<br />
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Knowing the mountains were near empty, made nature seem even more humbling, more magnificent, more wild, perhaps the best it's ever looked, or so it seemed in my own emotionally pulsing headspace.
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  • The field looked bare, just stone and earth. One sheep limped along, trying to keep her front foot off the floor. The other sheep just seemed to munch lightly on nothing. Soft clouds rolled over the hilltops and only the sound of the sea broke the serenity of this desolate little location.
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  • Full of cold, I nevertheless found myself on the summit of Carnedd Llewelyn in the heart of Snowdonia. The sun was out and burned warm on my face. There was hardly a puff of wind to blow the few soft pillow-like clouds in the blue sky above. <br />
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It was peaceful and quiet, save for the sound of my boots crunching into the thick snowdrifts that dotted the mountain tops.
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  • Such a huge range of colours and textures within this mid-winter Welsh mountainscape. The light was fleeting on the summits as clouds scudded by in the bitter cold high winds. Strangely the lower slopes looked almost autumnal.<br />
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I can never get out of my head, that the visual surface of the earth, is only skin deep geograhially, and that just a few feet beneath, it’s solid rock. Life does indeed cling to the most exposed and seeimgly inhospitable places, it is a minimal surface zone between rock and air (or water) - I think of it as the ‘life zone’.
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  • Low sunlight casts long shadows over ancient walled fields just west of St Just in West Penwith, Cornwall. Shower clouds form a dark background against the agricultural foreground of vivid green grass between higgledy piggledy drystone walled pasture.
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  • Sunset washed billowing clouds race across the snowy faces of the majestic Snowdonia mountain range in North Wales, belying the bitter cold conditions on the summits under the warm light
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  • Dinas Dinlle is a vast beach beyond Caernarfon Airport. As the tide retreats it leaves a huge inviting expanse of sand, to be enjoyed by everyone and everything from walkers to oystercatchers, until the tide once again makes its long journey back towards the cliffs.
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  • I think most of my family, friends & followers of my work have seen how far I’ve been sinking since lockdown started back in Africa in March. I haven’t coped that well with losing access to one of the main cures for my darkness, getting out into the landscape & nature. It’s been a real battle internally and I felt I was losing a grip on what life was about, so many waves of loss, fear and entrapment. <br />
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So with the latest minimal change to Welsh lockdown rules, and the ability to drive five miles to meet friends or get exercise, it’s been euphoric for me. My first walk up a small hill, just to be in the mountains again, was as if it was my first time! My heart literally was pounding with excitement and I found myself grinning constantly as I ascended the hill. I found it remarkable to just watch my feet in their walking shoes, taking steps up rocks and grass covered slopes. The wind was cold and I’d delayed the start of the walk to allow a heavy hail shower to pass over, but when the June sunshine appeared it bathed me in warmth and joy. <br />
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From the summit I was able to see all the major peaks, the Carneddau, Tryfan, the Glyderau, Yr Wyddfa, Garnedd Elidir, and even Yr Eifel on the Llyn. A couple passed me on their way down and after an awkward, socially distanced acknowledgement as is the way these days, I saw no one for the rest of the time in the hills. It was the sort of solitude I yearn for, the solitude of choice not the solitude of jail.   <br />
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Shortly before another heavy hail shower, which lasted almost half an hour, I found myself enchanted by the morphing dark clouds over the Carneddau, even their ominous depth seemed magical and awesome. Quite suddenly an intense beam of warm sunshine split the sombre scene and caressed its way up and over Foel Meirch until it ticked the shrouded summit of Carnedd Dafydd. It was my perfect light, theatrical and dramatic, a play with no characters, just backdrops. <br />
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I sat on the summit, alone and happy in my own thou
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  • Soft clouds gently blowing across a pastel sky and brilliant intense sunshine glittering on the ocean below. Dark, deadly fingers of the Manacles rocks puncture this serenity and mariners need always be aware.
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  • I arrived at the beach at the very last minute, after a long day in the gallery and a desperate need for fresh air. The sunshine on the trees and hedgerows as I swept by in my van was an intoxicating promise of things to come but even as I neared the coast I could see a band of broken cloud on the horizon and a chance of broken promises.<br />
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I took a couple of frames from the sand dunes before  jogging down to the water’s edge where huge sand pools had formed. There wasn’t a drop of wind and the water surface was like a mirror. I managed about 3 subtly different frames before the sun dropped behind a layer of dark cloud and the intensity had gone for the night. <br />
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I count myself lucky nevertheless
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  • I arrived at the beach at the very last minute, after a long day in the gallery and a desperate need for fresh air. The sunshine on the trees and hedgerows as I swept by in my van was an intoxicating promise of things to come but even as I neared the coast I could see a band of broken cloud on the horizon and a chance of broken promises.<br />
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This is one of a couple of frames from the sand dunes before jogging down to the water’s edge where huge sand pools had formed. I only managed about 3 subtly different frames before the sun dropped behind a layer of dark cloud and the intensity had gone for the night. I count myself lucky nevertheless
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  • Sun behind a cloud over colonies of mussels at low tide, at Llanddona beach, Red Wharf Bay, Anglesey, Wales
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  • Morning light over tiny waves in showery weather at Traeth Bychan beach, East Anglesey. A cloud shaped like a jumping figure hangs in the sky.
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  • One of those days when I knew that my need for positivity-inducing sunshine was not going to be satiated by the time I reached the coast after a long day in the gallery. <br />
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Layer after layer of blanket cloud had been drawn from the horizon to the sky overhead. I stood alone on the headland, silently studying the surface of the near motionless sea in the vain hope that a porpoise or dolphin would bring a wave of excitement to the watery view.<br />
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Amidst the grey gloom huge beams of sunlight suddenly pierced the cloud cover and spot lit the Irish Sea to help me scan more clearly – a huge searchlight from the universe above.  I never did see any marine life but the light itself, which only lasted a few minutes, made the journey worthwhile.
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  • Arriving at South Stack the cloud cover was much more extensive than I'd expected and as evening drew close, only a distant burn of weak sunset behind miles of rain, made any form of feature. Somehow though, the whole thing felt beautifully balanced because of it.
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  • Gentle patterns of wind blown ripples, delicate peninsulas of sand and fast moving sheets of cloud with the unmistakeable Llyn Peninsula and it’s classic peaks.
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  • Huge seas (for Aberffraw, rolled right up to the top of this long flat beach, whilst breakers of cloud rolled over the stormy peaks of the Welsh mountains of the Llyn Peninsula in the background.<br />
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Available in A4 and A3 sizes only
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  • This really is the season of storms and gales. After days of torrential rain, fingers of sunshine searched through layers of cloud trying to make a clearing. I grabbed the opportunity after work today to see if I could catch any of this dramatic light. At the coast the light had already subdued but the wind remained extremely breezy. I carried just one camera and one lens and left the tripod in the van. I had literally just 10 minutes of tantalising sunset before dusk drew a darkening curtain across the windswept stage
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  • Half an hour of amazing swirling cloud, showers and atmospheric drama last night over the Irish Sea from South Stack. I make a point of avoiding photographing the lighthouse, but I do love the sea from here. Actually the wonderfully curved curtains of rain only lasted a few minutes before becoming more regular sheets of rain.
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  • Yes this is for real, indeed it’s so easy with sunsets to get the processing so wrong to make it look so not right, but I had to make sure I didn’t increase the contrast for there was NO black in the original scene, just a gentle set of pastel tones except for the burn of the sun itself. It went behind a long thin cloud layer ahead of a huge bank of cloud moving on for the next morning’s rain. This vaporous layer split the sun so that an intense burn remained above the cloud, but a deep red burn emerged from beneath. There was hardly a drop of wind (look at the surface of the sea) but the cloud shapes make it look as though the suns flames are themselves being blown by a gale. <br />
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All of this was incredibly lucky as a few minutes beforehand the sun was completely obscured by a hazy and vast layer of cloud. Through the long lens I was able to see the detail more quickly and perhaps thanks to the optics, I’ve never seen a sunset so surreal and so spectacular.
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  • As is the way with my days off these days, there is no rush ever. Jan works long days and even longer nights in an intensive care department and there is NO shift pattern at all to allow a person’s body clock to plan the week. Her need for sleep catch up is vital, so I have learned not to expect a 7am leap out of bed, and instead to respect her body clock readjustment time. It doesn’t stop me getting fidgety however if the light looks amazing, and the day is going by :-)<br />
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It was Sunday however, and for Jan a rare Sunday off, so whatever! The weather forecast was for brightness, light cloud, zero chance of rain and plenty of sunshine later. We could do a lazy leisurely hill walk later with no worries about the elements or timings. I didn’t really absorb the additional information I skimmed through on the mountain weather forecast though, which indicated freezing level at summits and 45mph winds. Nevertheless we threw in our Paramo’s and Rab wind proofs just in case, along with two flasks of steaming hot coffee.<br />
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At about 2pm we started the one hour drive towards the distinctive pyramid shaped mountain called Cnicht. I haven’t done it for couple of years and I love the mountain (approximately 2200 feet). I have done it from the very meandrous North side and also from the shadowy East facing quarry valley of Cwm Orthin, which was today’s plan as I wanted to show Jan the old quarry workings. However, as part of her prep for some bigger mountains in the next few weeks she said she’d prefer a steep ascent, so we headed for Croesor on the brighter West side instead. This was a first for me too which was nice, making our way up the classic West ridge.<br />
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We decided to have a cuppa and a sandwich in the cafe in the tiny, sleepy hamlet of Croesor but the cafe was so asleep it was closed! I was really surprised, this being the Easter break and a car park packed with walkers’ vehicles. We started up the long, bouldery woodland track before exiting right up towards
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