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  • Nominated for 11th International B&W Spider Awards<br />
<br />
“The wind blew hard across the rolling landscape but the winter rain drove harder, stabbing the skin of the earth and the flesh of the figure. The sky grew dark and the hills blackened, but a gentle beam of light continued to illuminate the woman, outstretched on the dune. A firm arm of soft sand pressed into her back, supporting her and the new life now growing inside her, positioning her to face the universe”
    Sensual Landscape
  • Whilst waiting for my rock climbing partner to arrive, I couldn’t resist shooting this amazing morning sunshine illuminating striking cubist-looking slate crags. I saw them as huge landscape sculptures erupting from the dark grey slate waste all around.
    GD002395.jpg
  • Nominee in Nude / B&W Spider Awards 2017<br />
<br />
There is always something special and deeply sensuous about touching wild water. The woman stretched her body and gently, slowly, rolled across the wet sand with no more than an inch of water beneath her slender body. Her long raven hair whipped in the warm West wind blowing down the estuary from the sea beyond the dunes. She revelled in the feelings; embraced by the elements; sinking her fingers into the saturated earth and pressing her flesh against the estuary, becoming a part of it, connected to it, supported by it. Droplets trickled over every inch of her body making the wind feel cool, goosebumps raised on her delicate skin, making her even more sensitive to the air around her. She was invigorated, purified.
    A Roll In Landscape
  • "Landscape Figures" Believable nudes in wild landscape<br />
<br />
A major new exhibition, “Landscape Figures”<br />
<br />
In 2011, the British Prime Minister catapulted professional landscape photographer, Glyn Davies, into the limelight after purchasing two of Glyn’s books as a personal gift for the Royal wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. What people did not know at this time is that Glyn had started working in his free time on a three year major project dealing with the subject of fragility and vulnerability of the naked human form in wild landscape.<br />
<br />
The models are inexperienced volunteers from the general public, not photographic models, and they were asked to pose completely naked, all forms of protection removed, clothes, boots and equipment so that they became exposed physically and mentally to the elements, but sensually connected to the earth and nature. Glyn said, "I mostly wanted to place the exposed figures within bigger spaces but sometimes there was a need to place them in more intimate, closer landscapes"
    Wall of Fog
  • Walking in the baking heat of the desert landscape in Northern Fuerteventura, my mouth was dry, my skin burned, the air seemed to suck moisture direct from my lungs. The wind whipped sand across my legs and every step in the soft sand was an effort in the middy sunshine. <br />
<br />
At the back of a beach these would be no more than fun dunes but even in this very small piece of landscape, the distant hills seemed even further away than I’d imagined, and each sandy hill was a mountain that defeated uphill progress. I found a drinks can, so beaten by the ultraviolet radiation and intense conditions that it was completely devoid of its original colours and was breaking down in structure. <br />
<br />
And yet, despite the extreme sensations I was experiencing, there was a beauty in the hostile environment, a delicate aesthetic that lures you in to its heart; unspoiled virginal white sand sculpted by nature into wonderful curvaceous shapes. <br />
<br />
Every time I revisit this island I am drawn back to this mini desert, but it has left me with a thirst to experience more vast and impressive deserts. Is it that the shifting surfaces and the labyrinthine of changing landscape features makes these places more magical, or surreal? It may be that we are visiting Namibia in 2018 so my curiosity and hunger for these places may be sated.
    GD001449.jpg
  • In this variation of 'the beginning', a unique and isolated woman is powerful, assured in her sense of place and happy with her life.<br />
<br />
The man is alone too, existing rather than living. The realisation that he is suddenly not alone intrigues him. He is captivated by the idea of someone to share his world. He struggles up the constantly shifting sand, one step up, two steps back, focussed upon reaching, touching, understanding this strange, beautiful being above him who embraced the elements. <br />
<br />
She absorbs the natural energy and revels in the spirit of her environment, but he finds purpose in his life and will tenaciously overcome anything to make connection with her. Together, although they don’t know it yet, they will be as one, a perfect balance of wisdom, spirituality, tenacity, compassion, affection and emotional need for each other. They will feel love and will have found a new purpose for living. What they instil in their new creation, will determine a parallel world to that in which we now exist, a better world. <br />
<br />
"Landscape Figures" explores the relationship between organic human figures and a notional 'wild landscape'.
    The Approach
  • Nominated for 11th International B&W Spider Awards<br />
<br />
Walking in the baking heat of the desert landscape in Northern Fuerteventura, my mouth was dry, my skin burned, the air seemed to suck moisture direct from my lungs. The wind whipped sand across my legs and every step in the soft sand was an effort in the middy sunshine. <br />
<br />
At the back of a beach these would be no more than fun dunes but even in this very small piece of landscape, the distant hills seemed even further away than I’d imagined, and each sandy hill was a mountain that defeated uphill progress. I found a drinks can, so beaten by the ultraviolet radiation and intense conditions that it was completely devoid of its original colours and was breaking down in structure. <br />
<br />
And yet, despite the extreme sensations I was experiencing, there was a beauty in the hostile environment, a delicate aesthetic that lures you in to its heart; unspoiled virginal white sand sculpted by nature into wonderful curvaceous shapes. <br />
<br />
Every time I revisit this island I am drawn back to this mini desert, but it has left me with a thirst to experience more vast and impressive deserts. Is it that the shifting surfaces and the labyrinthine of changing landscape features makes these places more magical, or surreal? It may be that we are visiting Namibia in 2018 so my curiosity and hunger for these places may be sated.
    GD001441
  • Walking in the baking heat of the desert landscape in Northern Fuerteventura, my mouth was dry, my skin burned, the air seemed to suck moisture direct from my lungs. The wind whipped sand across my legs and every step in the soft sand was an effort in the middy sunshine. <br />
<br />
At the back of a beach these would be no more than fun dunes but even in this very small piece of landscape, the distant hills seemed even further away than I’d imagined, and each sandy hill was a mountain that defeated uphill progress. I found a drinks can, so beaten by the ultraviolet radiation and intense conditions that it was completely devoid of its original colours and was breaking down in structure. <br />
<br />
And yet, despite the extreme sensations I was experiencing, there was a beauty in the hostile environment, a delicate aesthetic that lures you in to its heart; unspoiled virginal white sand sculpted by nature into wonderful curvaceous shapes. <br />
<br />
Every time I revisit this island I am drawn back to this mini desert, but it has left me with a thirst to experience more vast and impressive deserts. Is it that the shifting surfaces and the labyrinthine of changing landscape features makes these places more magical, or surreal? It may be that we are visiting Namibia in 2018 so my curiosity and hunger for these places may be sated.
    GD001443.jpg
  • A heart pumping ascent; cold air stabbing the lungs; boots slipping on wet rock - why do we do this? The reasons are many, but for me at least it’s that vague hope that a blanket of grey turns to a theatre of dramatic light, an opportunity for me to revel in the ever-changing performance of the weather on the landscape stage. Yes I also know it’s doing me good, keeping me fit, healthy and mentally balanced, but honestly it’s mostly the hope of finding genuine visual excitement in the natural world.<br />
<br />
So much ‘landscape photography’ these days is about creating fake dreams through software, landscapes that bear no resemblance at all to what the human eye saw and it dumbfounds me. There really are amazing, mind-blowing miracles of light and weather to be observed so why do so many accept the con of the social media fakery? Have we truly lost the human ability to see the beauty in the world about us, and can only ever get our fix from fabricating over-processed lies?<br />
.<br />
I choose to continue to look for miracles that anyone can see when they stand next to me. Yes I need to know how my camera works and how to reproduce that beauty in file and on paper; yes I have no choice but to minimally & judiciously develop a digital file, but for me, it has to be a celebration of the real world and the magic that actually exists.
    GD002344.jpg
  • Born in Africa this young woman is at home where the wind-blown desert sands meet the cold Atlantic ocean. She feels at one with this place. She revels in the mixed sensations of the burning heat on her torso, gales tossing her hair and even the stinging of the sharp sand against her ankles. She hears the sound of heavy waves piling on the vast shoreline and she can hear Terns calling high in the sky above. Behind her, a tablecloth of swirling cloud builds over the mountains, marking the zone where the warm Agulhas Current of the Indian Ocean meets the cold Benguela current of the Atlantic. This is a vast and unforgiving landscape but it is hers and she owns it.
    Burning Hot in African Winds
  • After a bitterly cold but sunlit 8.5 mile landscape topography walk, during which we experienced sunburn and snow flurries at the same time, it was a welcome sight to see the gleaming white path leading from the ancient 300ft waterfall of Malham Cove, through the rolling green farmland back into Malham village, where we’d left the van.
    GD002029.jpg
  • Selected Print for the IN:SIGHT (Washington Green) New Artists Competition 2015<br />
<br />
Nominee in 10th Annual Black & White Spider Awards<br />
<br />
"The woman stood motionless, or so it seemed, her feet slowly sinking into the sticky black leaf litter below the surface. There was hardly a breeze, no movement, just the occasional chirp from the Summer’s last Swallow, breaking the silence at this mountain lake. But when you look closely, you see ripples oscillating away from the woman’s body, continuing almost imperceptibly across the lake. Her energy, her life force was affecting the landscape in a clearly visible, tangible way, utter connection between our living organic form and the earth we come from.”
    Swallowed by the Lake
  • “It’s the season of mist and fog, as remnants of warm air linger throughout autumn and into winter, caressing the cooling, softened landscape. Yet the weather can still be uplifting for those who are aware, for the gentle flow of condensed air carries resonant memories of sunny days, laughter, friends and cold wine. Ahead we look forward to the new life that spring brings and we build powerful and positive dreams for hot days to come and another clothes free summer. <br />
<br />
So winter is neither frightening nor negative, though understandably will be for some poor souls, but in it’s own way it’s a dramatic and wonderful cleansing, wiping the slate clean for the year ahead. For those of us lucky enough to be healthy & able, we should revel in the sensuous conditions of autumn and wrap ourselves in its elemental cloak to truly feel connected to the changing seasons.”
    Mist Touches
  • A shattered landscape, blasted, gouged and ripped apart by mans material need, lies abstracted in the gorgeous warmth of evening sunlight, the quarrymen long gone. <br />
<br />
Today a different form of quarry workers assault the slate faces, roped up, drilling, clipping, sweating and shouting to each other in the carved out quarry levels. <br />
<br />
The multitude of tough labourers who faced hardship and danger in this industrial landscape are now but echoes in the shadows and deep pits. From the faces of smooth slate in now abandoned quarries, come the sounds of excited chatter and exhilaration as modern day climbers fill the void that has been left.
    GD002373.jpg
  • The massif of Snowdon tries to hold back an enormous fog bank from the Irish Sea, but clouds and fog spilled over nevertheless. Through short breaks in the fog, brilliant sunlight blasted the quarries on the mountainside opposite, separating and dividing the landscape into multiple layers of tone, colour and shadow. In a manmade industrial landscape like this, the whole scene looked more like something from a Hollywood film set.
    GD002371.jpg
  • The sunlight was intense, an all encompassing blanket of dry heat, but here in the bushes a gentle breeze rustled the foliage of wispy trees, creating a coolness in the shade. I was warned about this place, and that I needed to tread carefully to avoid all manner of crawling insects and venomous creatures that thrive in this secluded habitat. Every leaf and even the dead twigs on the ground could all be a hiding place for them.<br />
<br />
So as I beat my way along the overgrown path I was taken-aback by what I stumbled across, lying curled up in a patch of sunlight, pale, delicate skin pressed close against the rough ground and sharp leaf litter. There was no obvious movement, just a slight flex of the muscles upon feeling the vibration of my footsteps. I didn’t know how to proceed as I certainly didn’t want to create any disturbance, and I had no idea what the response would be if woken, so I decided to back-track and find a new way around. I became acutely aware that I really did need to watch every step I took in this African scrubland, as you never know what surprises are at each turn. <br />
<br />
From Glyn Davies’s ongoing book and exhibition project Landscape Figures
    Step Carefully on the Path
  • This is one of the main roads into Southern Namibia, shortly after leaving the border control on the Orange River. We had passed an isolated garage and a few kms later an agriculturally based township, but then we went around a bend of an escarpment and over a hill, and were faced with this arid but incredible desert landscape. We drove for over an hour on this harsh dirt track, without seeing another car. There were no towns, no hamlets, no roadside stores, not even telegraph or electricity lines. It was barren. No animals to be seen, no birds of any sort and no signs of snakes or scorpions or in fact anything. Stepping outside the car I entered an oven of heat, into the 40ºs and surprising silence. The landscape was vast and I don’t think I’ve ever experienced such a huge, empty, lonely space - but I loved it, I enjoyed the vulnerability it created and the recognition that I was really, truly alive - as little else at that moment at least, seemed to be. <br />
<br />
I knew I was going to enjoy this country.
    GD002252.jpg
  • Once the refuge for renegade tribes, this harsh, jagged-rock landscape is now a place of peace and isolation. The fierce winds whistle and howl their way around the towers of this natural stone fortress, but apart from the occasional call of the Raven, or the drifting chat of the occasional hill walker, this place is more remote than ever, perhaps a days walk from the nearest habitation.<br />
<br />
With the wind blowing her hair, and deliberate careful footsteps, she softly, silently padded up the rough rock pinnacle, as a lioness would, to survey her territory from the highest point in the area. History flooded around her.
    The Fortress
  • Honourable Mention in the 2016 (11th) Annual Black & White Spider Awards<br />
<br />
“It was a warm overcast evening, but delicate strokes of sunlight occasionally filtered through the grey blanket. Its was silent; even the waves barely murmured and the seabirds must have been at roost for there were no calls. In the middle of a rock pool rose a large coffin shaped stone. I lay across its cool surface, acutely aware of the minutest of breezes, the slippery weed below my body but also eroded smoothness of this natural landscape. I lay there for almost an hour until the fast advancing tide swirled around my rock bed, and the sea caressed my fingers and toes, ready to take me, to float me away. It was a wonderful sense of existence”
    At Rest
  • So much of the very famous limestone pavement above Malham Cove itself, are highly polished and eroded due to sheer footfall, but just walk an extra mile or so and there are far wilder and actually more exciting pavements to marvel at. In the dramatic dark weather, low afternoon sunshine blasted across the landscape and the white limestone really came into it’s own visually.
    GD002026.jpg
  • Sunset over Bwlch Mawr on the Llyn Peninsula Trail - A beautifully soft and rounded mountain landscape, grass covered and sensuous. Amidst this gentlying blowing softness, hard man made walls graphically divide the landscape.
    GD001923.jpg
  • "I stood waist deep in dark water in a mountain gorge. Drizzle permeated the air & everything was dank. The thundering noise of the waterfall at the far end was relentless & disturbing in this remote, surreal landscape but soon the sound intensified, almost deafening in the darkness, as the figure of a tormented man appeared, raising himself within the pummelling, punishing torrent"
    The Apparition
  • The air was warm but the sea was cool. A weak sunburst gently broke through the gloom on the horizon. There was hardly a drop of wind over the calm green sea so the wave surfaces were smooth and glassy. <br />
<br />
There were a handful of motionless, statue-like figures at the water’s edge, small posts of resistance against the incoming tide, but one woman stood out. She was beautiful; lightly tanned skin; petite but womanly figure; long, wet, bedraggled hair and clearly the most youthful of shoreline sculptures. Her head was tilted backwards so she could neither see behind her, nor me watching. I noticed an almost imperceptible tremble in her limbs as the wave energy approached her. Involuntarily her figure lifted as she rose to her feet whilst the wave wrapped higher around her legs, from calves, to thighs to buttocks - her arms tensed, balancing herself but also in defiance of the coolness of the water engulfing her body. As the wave fizzled on the sandy shoreline her body relaxed once more, before repeating the process. We often fear what we can’t see, but so often the unexpected can bring delight, excitement and the thrill of the new; of being alive and connected to the earth and water.<br />
<br />
From my "Landscape Figures" project
    GD001412.jpg
  • Looming out of the fog-shrouded barren landscape thrusts a granite tor.<br />
Once molten earth, but now ancient stone carved by eons of wind, rain and acid erosion.<br />
<br />
A woman delicately ascends the slippery, lichen covered blocks, her soft skin vulnerable to the gritty surface, grazing her as she climbs. She stands on the summit, the highest point around, the wind whipping her hair across her face, and horizontal drizzle soaking her exposed body. She scans her surroundings looking for any signs of others, but there was no one. She was totally alone amongst the stones.
    Alone in the Stone
  • There is a stark loneliness at this far-flung crag even in summer. The woman had been silently climbing the rocky crag to reach its flat top, where she crouched down to look around her. The slow turn of her head was the only movement in this still landscape but then she arose, her slender body illuminated by a ray of late afternoon sunshine. She turned to the light and stood on tiptoes before shouting into the breeze, “I can’t believe this! I’m alone on a mountain and I am completely NAKED! This is AMAZING!” She slowly rotated on her stone platform so that she could feel the warmth over every inch of her body and she revelled in the sensual experience of sun-warmed air flowing over her womanhood. She felt natural; she felt the rock; she loved the liberation and the open space. She was at one with the mountains.
    She Saw the Light
  • Evening light illuminates a vast tract of tall marram covered dunes. In the lee of a cool, stiff breeze, two lovers entwine their bodies, heat against heat, warm skin pressed against warm skin, connected as one and oblivious to the stabbing of the needle like grass all about them.<br />
<br />
Shadows rise and fall over their shallow nest in this vast wild landscape as clouds scud by, but in one moment of true glory, rays of sunshine bathe them in warmth as their own heat subsides. There is something just so pure about making love completely naked in the wild, utterly connected in every sensual way to the Earth, the plants and the elements that give us life and enable us to make life.
    Love In the Breeze
  • It was still winter, the rock was icy cold and the bitter rough surface of the curved rock, normally a sun-bed in summer, was freezing her skin. Yet, in the windless air, those afternoon rays of sunshine gave her some relief. She relished the pleasure and the pain and stretched out abandoned to the sensations. Her skin was tight, but textured to touch, thousands of goosebumps working hard to keep her warm.<br />
<br />
I’d never seen anything so incredible, not just the amazing landscape but that it cradled such a gorgeous woman. I walked over to her, took hold of her hand and whispered, “You’re beautiful!" She turned towards me, smiled and we kissed, warmth burning between us in the rocky wilderness that we had found ourselves in.
    Heat On An Icy Rock
  • Nominee in 10th Annual Black & White Spider Awards<br />
<br />
SUN (Shot Up North) Awards 2015<br />
1 of my 4 winning entries <br />
<br />
A winning entry in the MOMA Wales Tabernacle Art Competition 2015<br />
<br />
International MONO Awards 2014 - Honourable Mention <br />
<br />
Selected Print for the IN:SIGHT (Washington Green) New Artists Competition 2015<br />
<br />
_______________________________________<br />
<br />
On a rocky mountain summit a young woman was about to fly. It was the first time she'd been up a mountain and the first time she'd truly 'felt' her world. Before taking off she revealed more.<br />
<br />
She said that being naked made her feel truly connected to landscape. To be able to feel wind and rain, warmth and cold; to feel stone beneath your feet and wind in your hair. The truth of existence.
    First Flight
  • There is something about being on a precipice, physically and metaphorically, that divides me. Part of me fears the void, fears the drop, yet it also fascinates me. At the same time I feel closest to life, to the amazing things, to good things, joy, happiness and elation. The precipice is a border, a fine line between the end or the future, it’s the stuff of dreams. At first I didn’t even notice the woman, petite, fragile, pale, leaning backwards against the cold rock, a thousand foot drop on three sides of her. But as my eyes focussed on this minuscule organic body in the centre of vast and ancient landscape I saw that she was basking in the afternoon sunlight, her arms spread wide and face towards the universe above. She seemed calm, content, giving herself up to the awareness of space, distance, earth and solitude, a spiritual awareness not of God but of her own existence.
    Exposed to the Light
  • 4th of 6 images from my desert series within the larger "Landscape Figures" project. <br />
<br />
“In current times we are seeing an explosion of population and an unsustainable demand for the Earth’s resources. We are in an era when self-interest, greed, power, conflict and indifference rule over tolerance, compassion and love. By now as a species, we should be living in harmony with others and our planet. I often ponder upon why we never really learn, and whether anything would be any different if mankind had the chance to start all over again.<br />
<br />
This small set of images is just an imaginary glimpse of two ordinary people, a man and a woman, both naked as the day they were born, finding love and happiness together on a planet budding with new life. This story doesn’t have a sting in the tail. This story begins and will end with harmony between people and their environment. It is just a little gasp of hope within the current darkness."
    Breathing Life Into Shadows
  • "I stood waist deep in dark water in a mountain gorge. Drizzle permeated the air & everything was dank. The thundering noise of the waterfall at the far end was relentless & disturbing in this remote, surreal landscape but soon the sound intensified, almost deafening in the darkness, as the figure of a tormented man appeared, raising himself within the pummelling, punishing torrent"
    A Mountain Shower
  • The massif of Snowdon tries to hold back an enormous fog bank from the Irish Sea, but clouds and fog spilled over nevertheless. Through short breaks in the fog, brilliant sunlight blasted the quarries on the mountainside opposite, separating and dividing the landscape into multiple layers of tone, colour and shadow. In a manmade industrial landscape like this, the whole scene looked more like something from a Hollywood film set.
    GD002372.jpg
  • I've been enjoying evenings with my parents lately, when I collect them from their house and we disappear on evening jaunts in my van, usually to the seaside to eat fish & chips and watch the sunset. These evenings have become very important to me as I watch Mum & Dad getting older, and I recognise more than ever that our time is finite, and that people we take for granted (in a nice way) simply won't be there forever. <br />
<br />
As Dad hunted on the shingle beach for wood for his sculptures, my Mum and I were captivated by the simple beauty of light and pattern in the wet sand and sky in front of us. These sorts of landscape pictures are generally too easy to take and very obvious, but this image means more to me than landscape, it was about sharing a vision with my lovely and precious Mum.
    GD002202.jpg
  • One of a very short series of images taken whilst I was being filmed being interviewed by Jamie Owen for a BBC Wales documentary series on Welsh Landscape. It was difficult trying to talk and shoot at the same time but the light was so amazing that I couldn't help shooting these four of five frames for real. They have subsequently been filmed for inclusion within the program!
    GD000471.jpg
  • The rolling silver waves at Porth Nobla carved their way inland, separating the foreground dunes from the spray softened, historic and undulating landscape of West Anglesey. The ancient burial mound of Barclodiad y Gawres lies on the headland, just right of the frame.
    GD000353.jpg
  • Delicate minimalism in the desert landscapes of Fuerteventura.<br />
<br />
It always feels biblical to me, wandering the desert landscape and coming across life growing in the middle of arid nothingness. The tenacity to survive against all odds, and such gentle, subtle beauty in such a hostile environment. The breeze is never ending on this island, and the leaves rustled over the cool shadows beneath the tree.
    GD001444.jpg
  • Delicate minimalism in the desert landscapes of Fuerteventura.<br />
<br />
It always feels biblical to me, wandering the desert landscape and coming across life growing in the middle of arid nothingness. The tenacity to survive against all odds, and such gentle, subtle beauty in such a hostile environment. The breeze is never ending on this island, and the leaves rustled over the cool shadows beneath the tree.
    GD001442.jpg
  • In a landscape that seems so barren, pockets of life form a sort of vegetated oasis. Where there are trickles of water during rain, shrubs grow. Where shrubs grow tress seem to grow, and where trees grow dozens of Weaver Birds flit in and out of huge nests that they have built in the branches. The tree of life is such a cliché but this dead tree really was enabling bird life at least, to survive in these harsh conditions.
    GD002281.jpg
  • After wild and exposed stretches of the Skeleton Coast, we drove past the very busy port of Walvis Bay. The differences were huge, the narrow but endless roads were suddenly busy with heavy trucks and traffic leaving and entering the port. As we drove further south however the traffic eased once again, but signs of man, settlement and ‘civilisation’ were present for many miles further before gradually evaporating once again. These man-made structures appeared incongruous in the blowing desert sands, creating a surreal landscape of man and nature, but more than that – it was the tenacity of man and invention that enables society to survive in otherwise barren terrain.
    GD002274.jpg
  • A hundred million years ago this huge basin in the Etosha National Park was a lake, fed by the Kunene River in Angola, but 16,000 years ago, due to tectonic plate movement the river was diverted West to the Atlantic and gradually the lake dried up leaving this vast lake bed. At 4800 km² this saltpan, the largest in Africa, can be seen from space.<br />
<br />
I’d wanted to see this surreal landscape for a long time, and surprising though it may seem to others, this appealed to me even more than seeing the wildlife in the park! There is this deep need within me to experience vast empty spaces; it’s all part of that humbling vulnerability that I seek. I wanted to feel minute, isolated and insignificant in every possible term. It was difficult of course with anyone else around but fortunately I had a sense of it with just Jani and her two cousins around. We drove out onto the lake (on an ‘official’ stick marked track) and stepped into the baking heat. There was simply nothing ahead of us, almost 50kms to the far side and almost 60 kms to the left and right – it was vast indeed.<br />
<br />
The earth was soft and crumbly rather than rock hard. I can imagine in rain it would get very soft indeed. I’ve read that in prolonged heavy rain the whole lake bed floods up to 10cm deep creating an incredible mirror –like surface which attracts thousands of migrating flamingos.
    GD002260.jpg
  • The landscape altered, subtly at first, but shrubs and small trees started to grip the pure rock and dirt of the previous day. <br />
<br />
Two minutes after this image was taken, a motionless small tree ran across the road in front of us - our first wild ostrich! Nature was quietly making an appearance the further North we drove.
    GD002256.jpg
  • One of a very short series of images taken whilst I was being filmed being interviewed by Jamie Owen for a BBC Wales documentary series on Welsh Landscape. It was difficult trying to talk and shoot at the same time but the light was so amazing that I couldn't help shooting these four of five frames for real. They have subsequently been filmed for inclusion within the program!
    GD000473.jpg
  • My shadow is included to give some sense of scale to this huge area of industrially scarred landscape. This area has been mined for 4000 years, not 400 but 4000 years! It was once Britain's largest exporter for the precious metal Copper and was known as the copper kingdom. Hundreds of tall ships used nearby Amlwch Harbour to export the material. Now it is unused, though the quality of this ore is outstanding.
    GD000048.jpg
  • 3 Edition A1 - 5 Edition A2<br />
<br />
Original blog post here:<br />
http://www.glynsblog.com/2011/09/naked-landscape-beginning.html<br />
<br />
One of a series dealing with intimate magical mini landscapes of trees and woodlands
    GD001322.jpg
  • Abstract landscape in the Dinorwic Quarries near Llanberis, Snowdonia.
    GD000366.jpg
  • GD001518.jpg
  • Delicate last washes of evening sunshine bathed the West facing mountain landscape. The Marchlyn lake glowed blue against the grass-covered man-made dam. Even though the air was cold, the weak sunshine offered warmth when I sheltered from the wind. I was instantly attracted to these amazing geometric faces of rock in the foreground, perfectly shattered by nature.
    GD002374.jpg
  • Never seen anything like it. We were on the road to wind blown Atlantic coastal town of Luderitz and a few miles before we arrived the effects of the wind could already be seen. At some points you could hardly see in front of the car and at other sand drifts had built across the road. I stepped out of the car on this near deserted road and was instantly sand-blasted by stinging grains of fast-blown crystals. I was amazed that there was even a road as the sand blew so constantly across the landscape.
    GD002286.jpg
  • One of the most perfect stretches of road that we found in Namibia. Miles of perfect black tarmac with distinctive white markers created such geometry amongst thousands of acres of desert sand. As with most man-made things that I observed in Namibia, they all seemed slightly incongruous within such vast wilderness landscape.
    GD002285.jpg
  • It may sound daft, but I was as fascinated by the unending miles of open dust road as I was with the incredible volcanic desert landscape. <br />
<br />
I’ve never been anywhere else in the world (yet) where I can drive for hundreds of kilometres on dust roads without seeing a car for hours. In one way it was a little freaky, for if you break down it could well be a LONG wait in 45º of sweltering heat before anyone might come by and help you, but equally, that same sense of isolation and vulnerability is what made the journey so adventurous and awesome.
    GD002279.jpg
  • The story goes that someone tried to drive his 4x4 across this vast lake bed, and was never seen again’ <br />
<br />
A hundred million years ago this huge basin in the Etosha National Park was a lake, fed by the Kunene River in Angola, but 16,000 years ago, due to tectonic plate movement the river was diverted West to the Atlantic and gradually the lake dried up leaving this vast lake bed. At 4800 km² this saltpan, the largest in Africa, can be seen from space.<br />
<br />
I’d wanted to see this surreal landscape for a long time, and surprising though it may seem to others, this appealed to me even more than seeing the wildlife in the park! There is this deep need within me to experience vast empty spaces; it’s all part of that humbling vulnerability that I seek. I wanted to feel minute, isolated and insignificant in every possible term. It was difficult of course with anyone else around but fortunately I had a sense of it with just Jani and her two cousins around. We drove out onto the lake (on an ‘official’ stick marked track) and stepped into the baking heat. There was simply nothing ahead of us, almost 50kms to the far side and almost 60 kms to the left and right – it was vast indeed.<br />
<br />
The earth was soft and crumbly rather than rock hard. I can imagine in rain it would get very soft indeed. I’ve read that in prolonged heavy rain the whole lake bed floods up to 10cm deep creating an incredible mirror –like surface which attracts thousands of migrating flamingos.
    GD002263.jpg
  • A hundred million years ago this huge basin in the Etosha National Park was a lake, fed by the Kunene River in Angola, but 16,000 years ago, due to tectonic plate movement the river was diverted West to the Atlantic and gradually the lake dried up leaving this vast lake bed. At 4800 km² this saltpan, the largest in Africa, can be seen from space.<br />
<br />
I’d wanted to see this surreal landscape for a long time, and surprising though it may seem to others, this appealed to me even more than seeing the wildlife in the park! There is this deep need within me to experience vast empty spaces; it’s all part of that humbling vulnerability that I seek. I wanted to feel minute, isolated and insignificant in every possible term. It was difficult of course with anyone else around but fortunately I had a sense of it with just Jani and her two cousins around. We drove out onto the lake (on an ‘official’ stick marked track) and stepped into the baking heat. There was simply nothing ahead of us, almost 50kms to the far side and almost 60 kms to the left and right – it was vast indeed.<br />
<br />
The earth was soft and crumbly rather than rock hard. I can imagine in rain it would get very soft indeed. I’ve read that in prolonged heavy rain the whole lake bed floods up to 10cm deep creating an incredible mirror –like surface which attracts thousands of migrating flamingos.
    GD002259.jpg
  • Winning entry in the 2019 (31st) SUN Shot up North Awards<br />
<br />
In the middle of nowhere in a vast and inhospitable landscape, we came across an elderly looking man removing large stones from the dirt road. It was certain death in that climate but about a mile further on, we came across this mobile shelter, a workman’s refuge. <br />
It was surreal, almost incongruous in this desert environment. We could only assume that at some point later in the day, a work bus would come and free this man from this vast workplace.
    GD002253.jpg
  • Wales highest mountain, Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon) hides under sunlit cloud in the background, but the rounded slopes of Mynydd Mawr sit in the middle shot, whilst the craggy narrow Nantlle Ridge can be seen to the right. The deep scarred landscape in front is the Rhosgadfan quarries, now disused.
    GD001050.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
  • Ostriches dotted the rolling landscape on the Garden Route in South Africa. The hills were massive, but the low swirling cloud made them appear even bigger. I kept pinching myself to keep things real as everything just seemed so ‘surreal’ – ostriches as numerous and widespread as sheep in Wales!<br />
<br />
What I have noticed is that the heat haze, which was visible to the human eye, is particularly obvious when shooting on the 100-400mm Fuji on the XT2. The heat haze seems magnified creating a rather painterly effect when viewing the image in close up.
    GD002164.jpg
  • In the heat haze shimmering over this vast South African landscape, isolated trees formed some of the only features that stood out against this minimalist topography
    GD002163.jpg
  • Vast harvested fields on the Western Cape, South Africa. I was surprised, being my first visit to Africa, just how lush and productive the land is in this region.
    GD002117.jpg
  • After an afternoon of clear blue skies and flat light, the sun finally started to descend towards the sea and as it did so it cast a golden light across the cooling landscape.<br />
<br />
The water ran warm over my feet in the gurgling river that raced to the waters edge, but the virginal sand was almost cold to the touch.<br />
<br />
A lone salmon-coloured cloud floated in a featureless sky, creating a sense of vast distance yet everything was perfect in their purpose.
    GD002102.jpg
  • The weather was building over the hills and a strong breeze pushed the cloud shadows over the hillsides at a striking speed. Gradually the scene became darker but isolated patches of intense sunlight splashed the landscape for just a few moments at a time in this quiet Welsh valley.
    GD002087.jpg
  • We found ourselves driving up a volcanic hillside along a heavily rutted dirt track, unable to turn around or reverse back, when all of a sudden we topped the brow of the hill and discovered amazing views and a beautiful textural landscape, as if painted by Andrew Wyeth! Rich earth contrasted with drab greys and sharp grass, shrubs and rock somehow seemed soft when viewed overall.
    GD002070.jpg
  • Driving through the Timanfaya National Park on Lanzarote, the signs of volcanic activity are abundant and striking. Here a whole mountain has blown apart leaving just jagged ridges above the numerous craters. It has an alien other-worldly feel in this place and it’s no wonder they tested lunar landing robots here.  The forces of nature here are so striking and it’s hard to imagine the sounds that must have been caused by such huge explosions.
    GD002064.jpg
  • View from the upper slopes of Scafell Pike in the English Lake District. Brilliant sunshine turned to heavy cloud and heavy cloud turned to snow, before returning to heavy cloud but bitter winds once more. Small patches of light illuminated minute sections of this great Lakeland landscape, creating a fast moving theatrical stage of light and shadows
    GD002020
  • The wonderful sunlight of the morning was gradually disappearing - once scudding cloud shadows now dark sheets across the landscape - the cold winds now seemed bitter. As the weather front moved closer, last beams of direct sunlight illuminated isolated hills and peaks created a theatrically sculpted topography. Moel Cynghorion feels the last warmth as Tryfan stands imposing in the backgrpound shadows.
    GD002003.jpg
  • Subtle washes of sunlight permeate the winter gloom and illuminate isolated sections of this ancient Welsh landscape. Elidir Fawr becomes a snow-capped volcano and Y Garn sits solemnly in the shadows behind. A single crow flies across the void between me and the distant peaks, its call echoing sharply in the valley below.
    GD002005
  • 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.
    GD001944.jpg
  • A tiny succulent plant survives tenaciously in this sun baked, hot and arid volcanic lava field, with Timanfaya (Fire Mountain) National Park in the background.
    GD001814.jpg
  • One of a very short series of images taken whilst I was being filmed being interviewed by Jamie Owen for a BBC Wales documentary series on Welsh Landscape. It was difficult trying to talk and shoot at the same time but the light was so amazing that I couldn't help shooting these four of five frames for real. They have subsequently been filmed for inclusion within the program!
    GD000472.jpg
  • This is a huge area of industrially scarred landscape. This area has been mined for 4000 years, not 400 but 4000 years! It was once Britain's largest exporter for the precious metal Copper and was known as the copper kingdom. Hundreds of tall ships used nearby Amlwch Harbour to export the material. Now it is unused, though the quality of this ore is outstanding.
    GD000673.jpg
  • Original blog post here:<br />
http://www.glynsblog.com/2011/09/naked-landscape-beginning.html<br />
<br />
One of a series dealing with intimate magical mini landscapes of trees and woodlands
    GD001321.jpg
  • In a landscape that seems so barren, pockets of life form a sort of vegetated oasis. Where there are trickles of water during rain, shrubs grow. Where shrubs grow tress seem to grow, and where trees grow dozens of Weaver Birds flit in and out of huge nests that they have built in the branches. The tree of life is such a cliché but this dead tree really was enabling bird life at least, to survive in these harsh conditions.
    GD002280.jpg
  • We look towards the clouds blowing towards, the river flowing towards the lure of the sunlit Harlech Bay.
    GD001130.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.
    GD001904.jpg
  • "She had been a long time in the cool, dark forest and she needed light. Her skin was pale and chilled, feeling taught across her muscles. Every delicate hair on her body was raised to retain her own heat..........."<br />
<br />
For the full story, buy the book here: http://www.blurb.co.uk/b/7799527-landscape-figures
    Light Touches
  • So happy to be back here in South Africa. One of the first things we did was head down to the stunning white sand dunes from where the distinctive looking Table Mountain can be seen looming in the background haze. So many truly fantastic landscapes in Africa.
    GD002356.JPG
  • Under intense sunshine, surrounded by arid plains and distant mountains, we blasted along deserted dust roads in this vast empty space. It was quite a surprise on reaching the brow of an infinite hill, to suddenly see isolated trees dotted around. They were more like surreal incongruous sculptures than any object of normality.  <br />
<br />
This is what we found about Namibia, that the landscapes although huge, do vary. It almost imperceptible at first but you come to realise that you are indeed no longer in the same place you were!
    GD002275.jpg
  • Under intense sunshine, surrounded by arid plains and distant mountains, we blasted along deserted dust roads in this vast empty space. It was quite a surprise on reaching the brow of an infinite hill, to suddenly see isolated trees dotted around. They were more like surreal incongruous sculptures than any object of normality. <br />
This is what we found about Namibia, that the landscapes although huge, do vary. It almost imperceptible at first but you come to realise that you are indeed no longer in the same place you were!
    GD002276.jpg
  • I’ve never been in such vast landscapes as in South Africa. Every trip felt like a major journey and we seemed to always be touching the edge of wilderness. <br />
<br />
Wildlife was abundant, especially birds, which all seemed to be on a mission, endless flights to endless destinations. <br />
<br />
We were camping right on a beach on a remote stretch of coast. There was no question that WE were the outsiders in nature’s home. Humans seemed insignificant in the vast space. The South Atlantic waves will continue to crash these shores for millennia, long after we’ve become dust.
    GD002162.jpg
  • Under intense sunshine, surrounded by arid plains and distant mountains, we blasted along deserted dust roads in this vast empty space. It was quite a surprise on reaching the brow of an infinite hill, to suddenly see isolated trees dotted around. They were more like surreal incongruous sculptures than any object of normality. <br />
This is what we found about Namibia, that the landscapes although huge, do vary. It almost imperceptible at first but you come to realise that you are indeed no longer in the same place you were!
    GD002277.jpg
  • Sunset through a rocky channel on Anglesey's North West coast. Holyhead Mountain in the background.
    GD002098.jpg
  • GD002078.jpg
  • In brilliant sparkling sunshine a single yacht starts furling the jib on approach to the harbour. The sea was warm but the wind cooler than of late, a feeling of Autumn creeping in as Summer seeps away.
    GD002391.jpg
  • Available in four sizes from 3 x A1 Editions, 5 x A2 Editions and unlimted A3 and A4 prints.
    GD001582.jpg
  • Lots of luck but probably still worth the wait, as the tide slowly pushed in as the sun fell, creating just the right balance of sea and sunset between these angular rock formations in North Anglesey.
    GD002387.jpg
  • Lots of luck but probably still worth the wait, as the tide slowly pushed in as the sun fell, creating just the right balance of sea and sunset between these angular rock formations in North Anglesey.
    GD002388.jpg
  • August, the holidays in full swing. The sun is clear in the sky and the sand is warm. I walk barefoot through deep pools on the beach and it’s like standing in a bath. What you can’t see from the photo is the gale force winds (literally) which created a wind chill factor that necessitated three lightweight jackets to be worn. My legs in the sand pools were warmer in the water than out.
    GD002080.jpg
  • In such unsettled, and in many ways dark times for the future of the human species, and nature in general, this image represents a visual snapshot of a reality. We are fundamentally nothing more than small organic creatures, a part of nature but not bigger than it or more important than it. The air, the water and the earth nourish us and give us life yet the more we divide the land, obsess about money, material goods, wealth, power, domination and war, the more we destroy nature, the environment and ultimately ourselves. Is there any other species that so knowingly destroys what it needs to exist. Look at the woman, study the tiny human figure and then look at the bigger picture, the earth itself. If such an intelligent species can bring about it’s own destruction, then it really will be a brave new world for whatever survives.
    Brave New World
  • At high tide this is a vast stretch of wind-chopped sea. Small flocks of oystercatchers and turnstones skim across its surface as they wait for the spoils of low water and terns screech in the open sky before plunging into schools of small fish.<br />
<br />
But now the estuary is empty, just acres of wet sand and silt remain. In the middle of this huge open space a woman lies recumbent in the afternoon sunshine. The last rivulets of brine silently flow past her beautiful wet body, every inch of her skin delicately textured with raised goosebumps. The sunlight and gentle breeze warmed her flesh and her salty skin became smooth.<br />
<br />
That evening on my return journey, the tide was high once again. A lonely curlew gave its distinctive call as it flew inland to nest, and in the darkening gloom of dusk I saw movement out on the water. I focussed hard on the smooth curves amongst the small waves, and I saw a dark tail appear above the surface before the shape disappeared altogether. I can only assume it was a seal.
    Revealed at Low Tide
  • "I was off the beaten track amongst acres of dark, ancient trees. As is often the case in these environments, it's possible to 'sense' clearings in the forest simply by watching out for changes in illumination. These open windows burn with light from the skies above so I headed in that direction. She was lithe, sensuous and beautiful, basking on a lichen-covered rock. She luxuriated in the contrast between the cool stone beneath her arched back and the warmth of afternoon sunshine bathing her loins.<br />
<br />
She was alone in her own space, far from the multitudes, simply enjoying the wonder of the nature around her.  Nothing concerned her for she was the apex creature in this world. A Stonechat chirped in the distance and two Ravens called to each other in flight above. Tiny summer flies moved silently from shadows to light and the sound of bees collecting pollen, hummed in the still air.
    The Lioness
  • Hannah at Aber Menai - whilst being filmed for ITV Wales series - The Strait
    After the Flood
  • She felt the solitude; she was alone and content to be so. She could walk for hours if she wanted to, without finding another soul. In a clearing in the dark woods grew a special tree, ancient and distorted, its wise old boughs now a large hand, enticing, beckoning. <br />
<br />
The nubile young woman silently climbed onto its palm and slowly and purposefully eased her legs either side of a thick mossy branch, a large velvet finger now pressing into her womanhood. Her bodyweight pressed her lower onto the hard wood and she lay backwards, abandoning herself fully and completely to the sensuality of her position. The sticky heat of the day endured and as she lay there, gasping the warm air, she felt the first drops of perspiration trickling down her naked flesh.
    Intimately Connected
  • Nothing is forever. The rock, millions of years old, is gradually being eroded away, battered and smoothed by repeated attrition from waves, pebbles and sand. There is beauty in it transformation, smooth forms now replace harsh jagged edges and identifiable shapes, faces and objects appear as joints are exploited and widened. <br />
<br />
A huge chair has appeared in a tiny cove, pale and curvaceous like the woman of the cove. At each low tide she can be seen sitting there on it’s rounded granite cushion, surveying her environment, enjoying the breeze in her hair and the warm sunshine on her naked skin. <br />
<br />
This chair has seen many angels, healers and mermaids and although this woman is the blink of an eye in geological terms, when she has returned to the sea another wonder will take her place. It’s always been the way at this magical cove.
    The Chair Woman
  • Sunlight dappled through the woodland canopy, creating a richly coloured theatre in the round within the nature below. Summer warmth was exiting Stage Left. There was a buzz in the woodland auditorium, from a system of seemingly motionless Hoverflies, and a songful Blackbird gave a curtain call after devouring Blackberries ahead of Winter. Not to be upstaged, two Chaffinches on the wing could be heard calling to each other whilst flitting between trees.<br />
 <br />
The nymph moved gracefully and silently through the Autumn bracken from green room to centre stage, her steps cushioned by lush, soft undergrowth. Her flesh connected with the trees and she gently rubbed her thigh against a soft, moss-covered trunk before sliding her hands up and around the growing wood. Her body savoured the sensual sensation and she looked to the Gods in thanks but to me, watching from backstage, she was no fallen star but a minor goddess in her own limelight"
    Woodland Nymph
  • 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
  • Sensuous Appreciation
  • International MONO Awards 2014 - Honourable Mention
    Up Against the Wall
  • Above me the canopy of an historic forest, leafy and green. Life sprouts from the twigs and branches of the old, twisted trees. In the humid, morning heat, midges were abundant, silently irritating - biting exposed flesh. Even with burning sunshine baking the treetops, the forest floor held shadows. It was silent apart from the gentle buzz of hoverflies and honeybees. <br />
<br />
Between light and dark, coolness and heat stood a lithe young male, arching upwards and backwards, his own limbs mimicking the tree on which he tiptoed, blended, connected and in balance – with everything. He remained unbitten, unfazed and confident in his masculinity and strength. He moved away from me swiftly, gracefully, focussed on his search for Eve.
    Almost Eve
  • GD001303.jpg
  • A tree torn from the ground became a vessel on the ocean, before being left high and dry on a Spring tide. The roots that anchored this living organism, that kept it upright and strong are now just a twisted mass of dead truncated limbs but this once was a thing of great beauty. She lay supine across it’s lifeless trunk, feeling the still coarse bark pressing into her living flesh, creating sensation long after it's death. Her own feet touched the soft grass and she felt the breeze ruffling her long hair. The wood was warm, heated by the same sunshine that bathed her own torso; life and death sharing the same light; the same energy; the same space and with their limbs intertwined, almost the same form.
    Morpheus Dream
  • GD000678.jpg
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Glyn Davies, Professional Photographer and Gallery

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