Show Navigation

Search Results

Refine Search
Match all words
Match any word
Prints
Personal Use
Royalty-Free
Rights-Managed
(leave unchecked to
search all images)
{ 151 images found }

Loading ()...

  • From the top of a decidedely pointy Welsh mountain you could see the huge gentle bowl of the valley and through it's cold air a river burnt along it, cutting and diving in bright sunlight, sparkling and dancing as it raced for the warmer waters of the Irish Sea. Isolated farms and cottages draw from it's course.
    GD001036.jpg
  • A snow covered Nant Ffrancon Pass, in Snowdonia, Wales. Cwm Idwal can be seen in the distance, at the base of Glyder Fawr. The famous Devil's Kitchen cleft can just be seen in the centre top of the image.
    GD000290.jpg
  • The rain was relentless, falling in vast sheets across the sombre Welsh hillsides, soaking the landscape and everything upon it. I’d just descended from the gale-blown summits where I’d not seen a soul, but I was more than happy in my wet solitude. I could hear a hidden river tumbling through dark rocks in the valley below.<br />
<br />
The wind drove the rain through the back of my waterproofs as I trudged down the tiny path back to habitation. It was near silent, no calls of birds or bleating of sheep, just the drumming of the downpour on my hood. <br />
<br />
I loved it all. Amidst these huge Welsh mountains that one-minute seemed imposing and soft like a watercolour the next, I felt alive in this huge valley, a tiny, isolated figure moving through an ancient glaciated landscape. These are times and conditions when you feel humbled by the elements and connected to the earth.
    GD002235.jpg
  • 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.
    GD001826.jpg
  • 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 valley. Taken from the adjacent mountain, Mynydd Mawr.
    GD001822.jpg
  • 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 at Drws y Coed. Taken from the a precipitous crag of Craig y Bera on the adjacent mountain of Mynydd Mawr.
    GD001823.jpg
  • A beautiful and tumbling waterfall on the lower stretch of the Afon Llan, alongside the Watkin Path up Snowdon. The river forms deep pools in the smooth eroded rock, and the clarity is just incredible. The lush wide valley of Nant Gwynant can be seen in the distance.
    GD001378.jpg
  • In an abandoned quarry village, high up in the windswept mountains of Wales, sits a derelict old chapel with it's roof timbers now collapsing inwards but still pointing skywards. It is only the spirit of the workmen in this busy slate quarry that remains, the valley is silent and desolate.
    GD001175.jpg
  • A Hawk training jet, based at RAF Valley, flies high above the Irish Sea off the coast of Anglesey in changeable weather and dramatic cloudscapes
    GD001754.jpg
  • Available as A3 & A4 prints only<br />
<br />
There was torrential rain in the valley that afternoon, so heavy I didn't even risk taking the camera out of the car. Everything was dark and eerie and rivers and streams had appeared out of the blue. I shot from the car window whilst the rain hammered the roof and this soft, watery image really captures some of the feelings I experienced at that moment.
    GD000463.jpg
  • 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 valley. Taken from the adjacent mountain, Mynydd Mawr.
    GD001825.jpg
  • GD001126.jpg
  • I was under the weather. It was 7.30 in the morning and I was out in my van, driving on impulse and letting the will take me to wherever. <br />
<br />
I very rarely go near Llanberis these days even though I used to spend so much time climbing in the quarries. I could almost hear the clipping of karabiners as I basked in the healing warming sunshine. It was so peaceful. Wisps of cloud hung at the valley head and the morning light created a regression of tones from foreground to background, silloueting Dolbadarn Castle, a true castle of the Welsh princes. <br />
<br />
As a child Llanberis was a magical place, and the departure point for several walks up Snowdon with my Dad. The steam trains were always a gripping fascination, their historical looking enginesbelching steam as they prepared fpr the chug up the steep railway to Snowdon’s summit. <br />
<br />
Here today though, alone and thinkimg about my parents, and age, and my pwn past, Llanberis was as beautiful as ever, but so much of my vision was memories of what once was.
    GD002181.jpg
  • The superb rounded boulders created over thousands of years rolling around in this cove, were strangely and easily covered by shifting levels of grey sand. The gentle river tumbling down from the Cot Valley carved it's own niche, exposing once again the beautiful granite eggs.
    GD000476.jpg
  • 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
    GD002028.jpg
  • Stunning views of the surroundings hills and valleys whilst descending from Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon) Wales' highest mountain. The effects of glaciation are clearly visible and explains why so many educational groups come to this region to study geography and geomorphology
    GD001497.jpg
  • Stunning views of the surroundings hills and valleys whilst descending from Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon) Wales' highest mountain. The effects of glaciation are clearly visible and explains why so many educational groups come to this region to study geography and geomorphology
    GD001499.jpg
  • Stunning views of the surroundings hills and valleys whilst descending from Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon) Wales' highest mountain. The effects of glaciation are clearly visible and explains why so many educational groups come to this region to study geography and geomorphology
    GD001472.jpg
  • Vast plains of lush looking crops stretch right across the enormous valleys, from mountain ridge to mountain ridge.  The roads are long and near deserted and houses and hamlets are few and far between. A VERY impressive landscape.
    GD002170.jpg
  • Stunning views of the surroundings hills and valleys whilst descending from Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon) Wales' highest mountain. The effects of glaciation are clearly visible and explains why so many educational groups come to this region to study geography and geomorphology
    GD001500.jpg
  • Sand bars left by outgoing tide at Cymyran at dusk, West Anglesey. Rhosneigr in the far distance.
    GD000542.jpg
  • This was a grab shot en route to Cardiff with my Nant show, during appalling weather. At one point on a hilltop near Mid Wales, the clouds briefly parted and the sun burst through to reveal these four guilty sheep :-) The previously drab colours became vivid in the intense sunlight. Within minutes the rain started again and the sheep went back to hurdling :-)
    GD000879.jpg
  • From my book Nant Gwrtheyrn - Y Swyngyfaredd (The Enchantment)<br />
<br />
This book is available for purchase here on www.glyndavies.com
    GD000704.jpg
  • Tryfan and Llyn Ogwen in late afternoon light. Far more straight forward than many of my other images but in it's own way has a particular quality of light, and richness of terrain, which I nevertheless quite enjoy. I may remove this image anyway soon !
    GD000933.jpg
  • A short sunny start to a very long wet walk in this Northern tip of Snowdonia, starting at Rhaeadr Aber.
    GD001314.jpg
  • Never a fan of broken snow, it's usually an all or nothing for me, I was nevertheless highly humoured in my solitude, finding this huge numeral written in snow on the summit of Foel Goch, maths and nature, not always a such a great mix.
    GD001405.jpg
  • Dappled sunlight near the Sychnant Pass, North Wales, in winter. In the far distance, in the Irish Sea, can be seen the gigantic Rhiannon Windfarm.
    GD001969.jpg
  • Sunset from the summit of Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon) before spending the night sleeping on the café floor whilst on a commercial shoot for a client.<br />
<br />
The light was simply spectacular, with warm colours that belied the cold we felt due to the ‘wind-chill’ factor of gale force winds. We were greeted the next morning with thick cloud and bitterly cold drizzle so the evening light really was a magic moment.
    GD001746.jpg
  • GD001547.jpg
  • The summit of Snowdon peaks above a huge cloud bank and convection clouds building over Nant y Betws, Rhyd Ddu and the mountain of Mynydd Mawr.
    GD001824.jpg
  • A face screams from the side of Carnedd Dafydd as sunlight creeps over the top of a higher col. This high mountain river here in Cwm Llachar runs down to the town of Bethesda before exiting at the Menai Strait near Bangor.
    GD000823.jpg
  • Fit blonde woman starting the famous and difficut hiking trail down the Masca Barranco Gorge in Tenerife which leads from the high mountain village of Masca down to the Atlantic Ocean at Masca Beach.
    GD001764.jpg
  • Nominated in 10th (2017) International Colour Awards (Nature category) <br />
<br />
A huge snow blizzard sweeps over a green Irish Sea towards the tiny hamlet of Nant Gwrtheyrn, once the centre of a busy granite quarrying community on the North coast of the Llyn Peninsula, Wales. This is now a post industrial landscape of abandoned granite quarrying buildings and levels. The hamlet is now a Welsh language and conference centre.<br />
<br />
From my book Nant Gwrtheyrn - Y Swyngyfaredd (The Enchantment)<br />
<br />
This book is available for purchase here on www.glyndavies.com
    GD000707.jpg
  • Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon) - 1,085 m (3,560 ft), the highest mountain in Wales, and the highest point in the British Isles outside Scotland. With a café at it's summit, it's also the highest café in the UK. A railway takes some visitors to the summit.
    GD001400.jpg
  • Fairy Ring of red Amanita muscaria toadstool mushrooms next to the Aber river in the hills up behind the high Rhaeadr Aber waterfall.
    GD001312.jpg
  • A loyal and heroic dog who saved a child - a mistaken owner, an unnecesasary killing, a guilty man.
    GD001124.jpg
  • A snow covered glaciated Nant Ffrancon Pass, in Snowdonia, North Wales. The slope in the background forms the base of the mountain of Y Garn.
    GD000867.jpg
  • On a bitter day in Snowdonia, numbers of tiny figures appeared on the summit ridge of Snowdon, highest peak in England & Wales, on their cold walk to the café on the top. Equally, the broken snow defines the numerous well worn tracks to this high coffee house, including the famous Snowdon Railway. ..The massive plume of cloud was a humorous visual metaphor for the steam trains which usually stop in England & Wales' highest station :-)..© Glyn Davies 2012 - All Rights Reserved.
    GD001402.jpg
  • A short sunny start to a very long wet walk in this Northern tip of Snowdonia, starting at Rhaeadr Aber.
    GD001313.jpg
  • One end of the famous Nantlle Ridge walk starting with Y Garn (highest central peak) before moving to the right and Trum y Ddysgl. The peaks in the distant left, lead to a highest peak of Moel Hebog, Snowdonia
    GD000839.jpg
  • Fit blonde woman tying shoelace during the decent of the famous and difficut hiking trail down the Masca Barranco Gorge in Teneriffe. This trail leads from the high mountain village of Masca down to the Atlantic Ocean at Masca Beach.
    GD001765.jpg
  • Amazed by the stunning lines and curves of this wave smoothed gorge in the rocks. The hardness of the granite rock was amazingly smoothed into organic sensual curves by the power of the ocean swells.
    GD000468.jpg
  • There was a torrent of water in the narrow river powering down the dark valley. The sound was just audible from a distance, but up close it was noisy and relentless, yet at the same time captivating, mesmerising even.<br />
<br />
I had seen the woman from the mountain ridge, swimming upriver from the valley below, like a salmon to its breeding ground. Every so often she was forced to stand, in order to navigate her way through the waterfalls that interspersed her ascent to the river’s source.<br />
<br />
By the time I reached the valley floor she had temporarily left the water to stretch her lean muscles after such a magnificent effort. The air was warm and her wet skin started to dry in the gentle breeze. When the midges began to surround her, she re-entered the river, squeezed her naked body through large black boulders and in a moment, had slipped into a deep pool. The last I saw of her was no more than an undulating flash of pale skin under the dark water and then she was gone.
    Drying Out in the Dark Valley
  • A small flock of sheep huddle together for warmth in winter in the exposed Nant Ogwen Valley in the heart of the Snowdonia mountains.  The impressive triangular dark mountain on the left is Tryfan, one of Snowdonia's most spectatcular but dangerous peaks.
    GD000516.jpg
  • From my book<br />
<br />
"Nant Gwrtheyrn - Y Swyngyfaredd (The Enchantment)" available here on my website<br />
<br />
The deserted valley and quarrying village of Nant Gwrtheyrn, North Wales. Now restored as a Welsh language & conference centre.
    GD000757.jpg
  • From my book<br />
<br />
"Nant Gwrtheyrn - Y Swyngyfaredd (The Enchantment)" available here on my website<br />
<br />
The deserted valley and quarrying village of Nant Gwrtheyrn, North Wales. Now restored as a Welsh language & conference centre.
    GD000778.jpg
  • Standing on a buttress high above Cwm Llachar in the Carneddau mountains of Snowdonia, even the patches of sunshine brought little relief from the bitter cold. The ascent to the dark cloud-shackled summit of Carnedd Dafydd was steep, ominous and icy, so in failing evening light we drank a last hot coffee and began our descent in gathering cold dusk
    GD002093.jpg
  • We look towards the clouds blowing towards, the river flowing towards the lure of the sunlit Harlech Bay.
    GD001130.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!
    GD002354.jpg
  • "......The sea had now covered much more of the beach, and some previously isolated colourful boulders were now being licked by the gentle ripples. I looked around because I could hear people talking but there was no one there. I moved across the beach shooting a couple of frames of the boulders and the voices were getting louder. I was expecting to see a small group of people appearing in the valley at any moment to ruin my peace....."
    GD000920.jpg
  • Boat wreck in wintry, showery weather and high winds, at low tide at Cymyran beach near RAF Valley, West Anglesey.
    GD000726.jpg
  • Perhaps the quietest area of Anglesey, being acres and acres of privated land, mostly farmed by tenant farmers. The Bodorgan Estate is understandably a perfect, private location for the royal couple Prince William & Kate after their marriage, with spectacular views of the Snowdonia mountains and a short helicopter taxi ride to his work at RAF Valley.
    GD001301.jpg
  • Available as unlimited A3 & A4 prints only<br />
<br />
Bangor Pier and the Nant Ffrancon Valley as seen from Anglesey
    GD000050.jpg
  • 3 Edition A1 - 5 Edition A2<br />
<br />
Crisp afternoon sunlight spills across remnants of ancient stones in a lost valley. This valley and escarpment was once home to a thriving quarrying community, and long before that a handful of fishing folk, and long, LONG before that, it was home of exiled Brythonic leader Vortigern, who betrayed Britain to the Saxons.
    GD001058.jpg
  • Snowdonia is an area of vivid glaciation and here at Cwm Idwal, a high hanging valley / cwm / corrie the signs are crystal clear, looking at the lake of Llyn Idwal, hanging above the Llyn Ogwen lake, before yet another another rock step and huge waterfall, to the valley below. Here we see the peak of Y Garn in the background.
    GD000487.jpg
  • A frozen lake in a huge slate quarrying valley in North Wales. The evening sun on the distant mountains and the delicacy of the ice patterns on the lake balance the scarification of this once beautiful valley.
    GD001121.jpg
  • There was a torrent of water in the narrow river powering down the dark valley. The sound was just audible from a distance, but up close it was noisy and relentless, yet at the same time captivating, mesmerising even.<br />
<br />
I had seen the woman from the mountain ridge, swimming upriver from the valley below, like a salmon to its breeding ground. Every so often she was forced to stand, in order to navigate her way through the waterfalls that interspersed her ascent to the river’s source.<br />
<br />
By the time I reached the valley floor she had temporarily left the water to stretch her lean muscles after such a magnificent effort. The air was warm and her wet skin started to dry in the gentle breeze. When the midges began to surround her, she re-entered the river, squeezed her naked body through large black boulders and in a moment, had slipped into a deep pool. The last I saw of her was no more than an undulating flash of pale skin under the dark water and then she was gone.
    The Caress of Air & Water
  • For landscape photo-artist Glyn Davies, the lost valley of Nant Gwrtheyrn, hidden away on the north-west coast of Wales, was a place of mysterious childhood memories. Then he met Dr Carl Clowes, whose work in the 1970s helped turn the deserted granite-quarrying village into a centre for Welsh language and culture. Their initial co-operation on the production of an illustrated guide-book became, for Glyn, the catalyst for a far more extensive project.<br />
<br />
Nant's human history goes back at least two thousand years; this collection marks yet another period, immediately prior to the next stage in its development. Additional material from Carl Clowes sets the Nant in its historical context, some of it shaped by his own vision.<br />
<br />
But this is essentially one man's response to the many facets of this haunting valley. Glyn's rediscovery of Nant, and his photographic exploration of it, decades after his first visit, have been a complete revelation for him. As he recounts here, for him, it has meant a 'sense of past', solitude and spiritual awareness. It has dramatically influenced his response to landscape, history, cultural identity and language.<br />
<br />
If you know the Nant, you have almost certainly fallen under its spell. If this is your first contact with it as more than a name, Glyn's rich and personal images, even more eloquently than his words, will draw you to it.
    Book - Nant Gwrtheyrn, The Enchantme...jpg
  • Wind blows through soft rushes surrounding isolated bare trees at the lakeside of Llyn Gwynant glacial lake in the wide valley of Nant Gwynant in the heart of Snowdonia, Wales. The lower foothills of Wales' highest mountain, Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon) can be seen on the far side of the lake.
    GD000928.jpg
  • Spring Trees in the Gwynant Valley. The wind ws cold from the North but the sun was warm out of the wind.
    GD000931.jpg
  • 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 />
<br />
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 />
<br />
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 />
<br />
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
    GD001736.jpg
  • Llyn Ogwen and Y Garn in a cold winter.
    GD000577.jpg
  • I’d been up one of the valleys that climbed to the huge ski-resort in the Rocky Mountains behind, where the temperature dropped 11º in just a mile or so. The huge spurs of mountain sides kept the late afternoon sunshine from reaching the valley itself so I took just one frame, but leaving the mountains took us to a sun-drenched plateau covered in lush vegetation and beautiful trees yellowing in the approaching Fall season.
    GD002407
  • It was strange to be standing in sunshine one one side of the valley, looking towards the banks of fog rolling over the hillsides opposite. The bustling town of Llanberis looked so tiny below the crazy swirling weather above.
    GD002369.jpg
  • Marchlyn Mawr, nestling below the rocky mountain of Elidir Fawr, with Mynydd Perfdd on the far side, is the upper lake providing the water source for the Hydro Electric Power Station in the valley below. This water can be released in less than a minute when the UN grid needs an urgent  energy boost, and is pumped up during off peak cheaper times at night, from the lake of Llyn Dinas in the Llanberis Pass.
    GD001040.jpg
  • Clinging to the edge of a cold mountain slope, stand the remains of a once thriving but dangerous slate quarrying industry. Tonight though, it was quiet, calm and tranquil, only the gentlest of winds blowing up the valley. Apart from the sound of ravens it seems a huge change from what once was. Even the train was silent in the thick winter snow.
    GD000967.jpg
  • Heavy mist surrounds Yr Aran, one of the smaller peaks of Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon), as seen from the Nant Gwynant Valley, Northern Snowdonia.
    GD000927.jpg
  • 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 />
<br />
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 />
<br />
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 />
<br />
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
    GD001737.jpg
  • 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 />
<br />
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 />
<br />
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 />
<br />
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
    GD001735.jpg
  • The Sprig air was warm and a Westerly breeze blew in from the Irish Sea into this small lush valley. The reeds and grasses swayed heavily towards me creating a whispering sound over the gurgle of the brook beneath.
    GD002099.jpg
  • Marchlyn Mawr, nestling below the rocky mountain of Elidir Fawr, with Mynydd Perfdd on the far side, is the upper lake providing the water source for the Hydro Electric Power Station in the valley below. This water can be released in less than a minute when the UN grid needs an urgent  energy boost, and is pumped up during off peak cheaper times at night, from the lake of Llyn Dinas in the Llanberis Pass.
    GD001750.jpg
  • In this lonely valley nestles a large but often calm lake. Reeds puncture the glassy smooth surface and there is silence, apart from the occasional bleating of Welsh mountain sheep, or the call of a raven over the hillsides. This woman is so bird-like in stature, so graceful and so slim, that she reminds me of the heron which frequents this place. She delicately points each foot into the lake so as not to overly disturb its surface and even in the act of doing this mimics the beautiful creature. She turns to face the light, her front feeling the gentle warmth of the afternoon sun, as the cold water clasps her legs. She stands motionless, embracing these sensations as I watch her.
    Sensual Immersion
  • An icy cold but beautiful day in the snowy mountains of the lower Carneddau. The walk which we planned to finish in 5 hours had to be shortened drastically as thick snowdrifts made progress unbelievably slow. We cut out two peaks just below the summits, to save time, but still ended up on dangerous unconsolidated snow which hid treacherous ankle snapping sinks into streams below, as we headed down into the Aber valley in near darkness. Lessons to be learned for sure.
    GD001388.jpg
  • From my book<br />
<br />
"Nant Gwrtheyrn - Y Swyngyfaredd (The Enchantment)" available here on my website<br />
<br />
The deserted valley and quarrying village of Nant Gwrtheyrn, North Wales. Now restored as a Welsh language & conference centre.
    GD000770.jpg
  • An isolated deciduous tree stands alone in a clearing in a dark, moody, spooky pine forest in the deserted valley of Nant Gwrtheyrn, Llyn Peninsula, North Wales<br />
<br />
From my book Nant Gwrtheyrn - Y Swyngyfaredd (The Enchantment)<br />
<br />
This book is available for purchase here on www.glyndavies.com
    GD000701.jpg
  • It was strange to be standing in sunshine one one side of the valley, looking towards the banks of fog rolling over the hillsides opposite.
    GD002370.jpg
  • 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 />
<br />
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 />
<br />
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 />
<br />
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
    GD001733.jpg
  • Below me was a frighteningly steep drop to the valley below, but literally out of the void appeared this quizzical face of a wandering sheep. It unnerved me, from surprise and also as it appeared to be clinging to thin air!
    GD001672.jpg
  • The pointed peak of Pen yr Ole Wen, the first peak of the Carneddau range in Snowdonia, in evening sunlight, reflected in a slow moving, dark, river pool, flowing out of Cwm Idwal hanging valley down to the Ogwen Falls and the Nant Ffrancon pass .
    GD000554.jpg
  • An icy cold but beautiful day in the snowy mountains of the lower Carneddau. The walk which we planned to finish in 5 hours had to be shortened drastically as thick snowdrifts made progress unbelievably slow. We cut out two peaks just below the summits, to save time, but still ended up on dangerous unconsolidated snow which hid treacherous ankle snapping sinks into streams below, as we headed down into the Aber valley in near darkness. Lessons to be learned for sure.
    GD001389.jpg
  • I love the way the virgin snow of the drift seems to funnel upwards like an ice cream cone before exploding outwards across the sky in a 180º spread. <br />
<br />
It was an icy cold but beautiful day in the snowy mountains of the lower Carneddau. The walk which we planned to finish in 5 hours, had to be shortened drastically as thick snowdrifts made progress unbelievably slow. We cut out two peaks and walked just below the summits to save time but we still ended up on dangerous unconsolidated snow, hiding treacherous ankle-snapping drops into streams below. We finally arrived in near darkness at the Aber valley far below, in pain and having learned lessons for sure.
    GD001387.jpg
  • From my book<br />
<br />
"Nant Gwrtheyrn - Y Swyngyfaredd (The Enchantment)" available here on my website<br />
<br />
The deserted valley and quarrying village of Nant Gwrtheyrn, North Wales. Now restored as a Welsh language & conference centre.
    GD000769.jpg
  • If I knew I was dying, this would be an ideal place to go. On a grassy terrace high above the beach, looking South West over the Irish Sea, it brought back memories from so many places I’ve lived and visited, from Cornwall to the Azores, Scotland to the Canaries. The huge cliffs, steep drops and open expanse of the ocean would be a fitting place to finally close my eyes for the last time. I can only hope the poor sheep took similar uplifting thoughts with her!<br />
<br />
A sheep skeleton lying on grass in bright afternoon Winter sunshine and rain showers over the Irish Sea and a rocky hillside on the hill top  above Nant Gwrtheyrn valley on the Northern Coast of the Llyn Peninsula, North Wales<br />
<br />
From my book Nant Gwrtheyrn - Y Swyngyfaredd (The Enchantment)<br />
<br />
This book is available for purchase here on www.glyndavies.com
    GD000709.jpg
  • 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 />
<br />
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 />
<br />
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 />
<br />
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
    GD001734.jpg
  • Spring trees in evening sunlight in the Nant Gwynant Valley, contrasting against dark shadows on the mountainside of Yr Aran, one of the subsidiary peaks of Snowdon.
    GD000932.jpg
  • Nominated in 10th (2017) International Colour Awards (Nude category) <br />
<br />
“It was dusk and a gentle mist hung in the valleys, illuminated only by the last glimmer of Autumnal daylight. There was delicate moisture in the air and a slight dampness on the short grass surrounding the rock. Rich, earthy smells surrounded me, from the bracken and ancient woodland adjacent to the outcrop. Above the sound of a gurgling brook I could hear a thrush singing somewhere in the distance. Apart from that there was relative silence; no cars, no planes, no groups of chatty ‘ramblers on a mission’, just me in what felt like a lost valley. I was alone and had found perfect solitude. <br />
<br />
I enjoyed the feeling of the cool, almost prickly, sheep-mown grass on the soles of my feet, but the rock was warm having basked during a day of unbroken sunshine under clear blue skies.  Although the rocky outcrop looked smooth from a distance it was rough beneath my skin, making my body feel vulnerable to its sharp surface. I enjoyed the sensation nevertheless, feeling utterly and intimately connected to ‘my’ rock, a rock carved by glaciers millions of years ago, scratched and smoothed by the weight of ice, but today it was just me, an insignificant speck on the planet. Yet the planet means everything to me; I feel it, see it, and hear it. It provides for me, nourishes me and I am a part of it nevertheless. <br />
<br />
As the melody of the Song Thrush drifted away, I lay relaxed, supine, as much of my skin surface in contact with the rock as I could manage, facing the darkening universe above. The rock supported me, it seemed as if the Earth itself was carrying me, a fragile, perishable organic figure, exposed to the air and the elements but wonderfully connected to the land"
    Then Came Autumn
  • From my book<br />
<br />
"Nant Gwrtheyrn - Y Swyngyfaredd (The Enchantment)" available here on my website<br />
<br />
The deserted valley and quarrying village of Nant Gwrtheyrn, North Wales. Now restored as a Welsh language & conference centre.
    GD000765.jpg
  • From my book<br />
<br />
"Nant Gwrtheyrn - Y Swyngyfaredd (The Enchantment)" available here on my website<br />
<br />
The deserted valley and quarrying village of Nant Gwrtheyrn, North Wales. Now restored as a Welsh language & conference centre.<br />
.
    GD000760.jpg
  • I looked around because I could hear people talking but there was no one there. I moved across the beach shooting a couple of frames of the boulders and the voices were getting louder. I was expecting to see a small group of people appearing in the valley at any moment to ruin my peace.<br />
<br />
The people never did appear, not because they had diverted or turned back, but because they never existed. As I drew closer to the left hand side of the beach the talkers revealed themselves. A fast flowing stream was carving it's way down the beach and some small boulders were caught in a white water trap, endlessly rolling round and round, air trapping, gurgling currents holding the stones in deep flowing conversation.
    GD000919.jpg
  • I left the valley in beautiful warm evening sunshine but by the time I reached the summit it was shrouded in dense, fast-swirling and cold hill fog. I shivered as I sat in the lee of the summit cairn but when the sun burst through I was bathed in warmth and mesmerised by the rapidly unfurling mountain views beyond me. The conditions lasted maybe an hour before the temperatures balanced out and the cloud dispersed leaving totally clear views. I can't help but be impressed by the constantly changing ethereal qualities of the Welsh light and weather.
    GD002310.jpg
  • From my book<br />
<br />
"Nant Gwrtheyrn - Y Swyngyfaredd (The Enchantment)" available here on my website<br />
<br />
The deserted valley and quarrying village of Nant Gwrtheyrn, North Wales. Now restored as a Welsh language & conference centre.
    GD000798.jpg
  • From my book<br />
<br />
"Nant Gwrtheyrn - Y Swyngyfaredd (The Enchantment)" available here on my website<br />
<br />
The deserted valley and quarrying village of Nant Gwrtheyrn, North Wales. Now restored as a Welsh language & conference centre.
    GD000776.jpg
  • From my book<br />
<br />
"Nant Gwrtheyrn - Y Swyngyfaredd (The Enchantment)" available here on my website<br />
<br />
The deserted valley and quarrying village of Nant Gwrtheyrn, North Wales. Now restored as a Welsh language & conference centre.
    GD000762.jpg
  • 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”
    GD002085.jpg
  • Below the old quarry workings, in this granite rich bay, lie huge hard rock boulders, gradually, imperceptibly being smoothed and rounded by the constant action of wave generated attrition. The mountains behind reach almost 2000ft but here on the shore, it's foundations are gradually being eroded away.<br />
<br />
From my book<br />
<br />
"Nant Gwrtheyrn - Y Swyngyfaredd (The Enchantment)" available here on my website<br />
<br />
The deserted valley and quarrying village of Nant Gwrtheyrn, North Wales. Now restored as a Welsh language & conference centre.
    GD000787.jpg
  • From my book<br />
<br />
"Nant Gwrtheyrn - Y Swyngyfaredd (The Enchantment)" available here on my website<br />
<br />
The deserted valley and quarrying village of Nant Gwrtheyrn, North Wales. Now restored as a Welsh language & conference centre.
    GD000779.jpg
  • From my book<br />
<br />
"Nant Gwrtheyrn - Y Swyngyfaredd (The Enchantment)" available here on my website<br />
<br />
The deserted valley and quarrying village of Nant Gwrtheyrn, North Wales. Now restored as a Welsh language & conference centre.
    GD000774.jpg
  • From my book<br />
<br />
"Nant Gwrtheyrn - Y Swyngyfaredd (The Enchantment)" available here on my website<br />
<br />
The deserted valley and quarrying village of Nant Gwrtheyrn, North Wales. Now restored as a Welsh language & conference centre.
    GD000764BW.jpg
  • From my book<br />
<br />
"Nant Gwrtheyrn - Y Swyngyfaredd (The Enchantment)" available here on my website<br />
<br />
The deserted valley and quarrying village of Nant Gwrtheyrn, North Wales. Now restored as a Welsh language & conference centre.
    GD000752.jpg
  • I left the valley in beautiful warm evening sunshine but by the time I reached the summit it was shrouded in dense, fast-swirling and cold hill fog. I shivered as I sat in the lee of the summit cairn but when the sun burst through I was bathed in warmth and mesmerised by the rapidly unfurling mountain views beyond me. The conditions lasted maybe an hour before the temperatures balanced out and the cloud dispersed leaving totally clear views. I can't help but be impressed by the constantly changing ethereal qualities of the Welsh light and weather.
    GD002311.jpg
Next
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
x

Glyn Davies, Professional Photographer and Gallery

  • Portfolio
  • FULL IMAGE COLLECTION HERE
    • All Galleries
    • Search
    • Cart
    • Lightbox
    • Client Area
  • About Glyn
  • Awards & Media
  • Print Info
  • Exhibitions
  • Publications
  • Contact
  • Privacy & Personal Data
  • LATEST NEWS