A northerly wind was howling and according to Twitter a big sea was rolling in.  A great chance for a shot at Penmon on Anglesey, but high tide was half an hour ago- and it was snowing!

 

It was definitely worth it:

Tags: rocks, breakers, rough, ocean, irish sea, power, explosion, explosive, foam, waves, perilous, danger, white, black, lighthouse, penmon, storm

 

If you’re coming to North Wales this Easter, there is a good chance that you will want to visit Betws y Coed. If you do, spare a moment to call in at the 'Cotswold Outdoor' shop in the centre of the village, where a selection of my north Wales matted prints will be available. This is a great chance to see for yourself the quality of the finished product and it is one of only two retail outlets where they are offered- the other is at Electric Mountain visitor centre at Llanberis.

Tags: cotswold outdoor, betws y coed, prints, matted, north Wales, photographs, pictures

 

“Standard back?”  I thought it was perhaps a slightly strange question, but I was in a Kowloon hotel and so maybe it was a language issue?  Not being aware of any particularly outstanding aspects of my back and not wanting to appear naïve, I politely answered in the affirmative.  I then felt the pressure of the lady’s feet slowly and deliberately walking up and down my back.  Aha, now I understood what she had asked: “Stand on back?”!  I was taken to the edge of consciousness by the repeated pummelling of feet on ribs during this hour-long session; my first experience of a massage!

 
How very different it was when six months later I did a marketing shoot at The Quay Hotel & Spa in Deganwy, North Wales.  press more…

Tags: hotel, sauna, steam, pedicure, manicure, gym, facial, hot basalt, red, nail varnish, pool, massage, commercial, marketing, photography, treatment, beauty, deganwy, quay hotel, spa

 

I saw a dark photograph that had been matted with black card and then set within a black frame at the NEC Birmingham the other week.  It doesn't sound too good does it?  However, it really is one of those things you need to see for yourself - and then it makes sense.  Black (or more accurately, the absence of colour) almost always fails to look black on a computer screen, which is why you need to see it for real.  I'm going to try it with this image that I took at Dinas Dinlle last January:

 

You will be able to judge for yourself when it appears at the launch of the B2C Community Card on 4th April in the Deiniol Centre, Bangor.  If the feedback is favourable, I may well include it in our exhibition at Penrhyn Castle in the summer.  Why not call in and see us, we'll be there from 15th to 28th August... more

Tags: easter, llanberis, north Wales, electric mountain, padarn, pictures, images, photograhy, photograph, gift, souvenir

Millenium Bridge across the River Thames with St Paul's Cathedral in the background

 

Why on Earth did I feel the need to start behaving like a mouse on a treadmill as soon as my feet hit the platform of Euston?  Why was it suddenly important to give no quarter to other pedestrians in the race for the underground?  I would not be overtaken thank you very much!  I was swept along in the leaders group as my newly-found cohort of competitors all raced down the moving escalator which was simply not quick enough.  I saw the next challenge soon enough and plotted a direct approach to it (ticket barrier) when all of a sudden my out-of-town credentials took me out of the running; no Oyster card.  I was cut down in my prime by a machine that demanded £4.70.  I had to drop out of the race.  Why should London do this...

Tags: london, olympics, st pauls, cathedral, millenium bridge, thames, beggar, wheelchair, contrast, england, underground, train, race, rat race

Since the weather turned colder, there has been no shortage of sunsets and sunrises here in North Wales.  I have the sea and lakes to use to emphasise them, but sometimes it's worth really analysing the details.  This was a truly golden moment:

Padarn Gold

I could gaze at this apparent abstract all day, but then again...

Tags: snowdonia, wales, abstract, king, image, picture, photograhy, anglesey, edward, castle, moat, llandudno, orme, llanberis, beaumaris, golden, sunset, sunrise

Dinas Dinlle, North Wales

Let's be honest, it's been pretty 'tupperware-ish' light for a few weeks now, but the sky burst into light last Sunday evening...

Tags: photograph, picture, sunset, dinas, dinlle, lleyn, caernarfon, north Wales, beach, sand, sea, seaside, yr eifl, rivals, yellow, gold, golden, clouds, image, 'wales coast path', photography

Padarn Fleeting Green

 

I've been catching up on website housework and it is now finally up to date.  We've been over to Electric Mountain visitor centre at Llanberis this afternoon and there is now a selection of matted photographs available for sale there.  This now means that you can see them for yourself before buying and they are ready to frame.  Further retail outlets will follow in 2012.  Here are some examples of what's available at Electric Mountain...

Tags: retail, shop, photograph, picture, north Wales, wales, lake, padarn, llanberis, buy, see, view, first, hydro, electric, mountain, electric mountain, sale

Imagine the scene:  Christmas is over and you are are fiddling with that new smart phone, laptop, or PC and you start seeing how much quicker it surfs the Internet and how much better the display is than that old thing you had.  Before you know it, your mind has wandered off and you're looking at cheap holidays for next year.  You check out the cheap airlines with the full intention of exporting a load of money.  STOP.  It's going to be too hot in the Med next year…

 

 

Tags: fiesta, urlaub, vacanza, vacance, weekend, short break, uk, beach, lake, red wharf bay, green, blue, red, geirionydd, conwy, castle, images, photograhy, pictures, north Wales, vacation, holiday, 2012

 

I'm absolutely thrilled to announce that I will be exhibiting at Venue Cymru at Llandudno, North Wales, through the summer of 2013 from 1st May to 31st August.  We haven't decided on the theme yet, but rest assured I will continue to look for the positive in everywhere I go and hopefully continue to harvest some great images.

Tags: photography, photographs, photograph, exhibition, cymru, venue cymru, llandudno, wales, north Wales, art, 2013, framed, pictures, travel, holiday, vacation

I went over to Rhosneigr on Anglesey yesterday and it was freezing in the westerly wind, but I was very pleased with the outcome...

Tags: twilight, sunset, picture, image, photograph, rhosneigr, anglesey, beach, rock, sand, dune, grass, wind, cold, evening, golden, winter

The wind has stripped the trees of their leaves, the days are short, and the sunrises and sunsets are on fast forward.  The monochrome season must be upon us!  However, before I go in search of texture and form, I thought I'd go half way with the colours.  This is what I mean:

Tags: photograph, image, picture, wales, anglesey, penmon, puffin, desaturated

Isn't it funny how some places are instantly recognisable as being in a particular country?  We were in the cathedral city of Wells in Somerset, England and it struck me that it epitomises typically English scenes; a cathedral, moat, ancient buildings, green lawns, ducks, choristers, cobbled streets, and a market.  But these are actually no more typical than supermarkets, the M4, or multi-storey car parks.  So why is it that certain images conjure up such strong associations?

Tags: window, ancient, cathedral, england, somerset, wells, pictures, image, photography

It's definitely Autumn; it must be because it's November and the trees have burst into colour.  The only odd thing is the temperature.  We've had no frost and its still mild, even at night.  Given that we live in the hills at the edge of Snowdonia this is even more strange.  Anyway, I'm sure I'll be reporting a deluge of snow before long!

Tags: geirionydd, red, autumn, snowdonia, betws y coed, wales, photography, images, pictures, lake, reflection, photograph

 

Hong Kong is a place of many extremes all crammed into a couple of square miles.  There's nowhere else I know that manages to squeeze a zoo and botanical garden into the side of a hill so steep that the soil is kept in place with a layer of concrete.

Tags: hong kong, travel, china, skyscraper, bamboo scaffolding, botanical garden, zoo, legco, war memorial, crime, tram, photography, photographs, pictures, image