South Stack Lighthouse at Dusk
Photo of the Day
Here’s another shot from last Easter Weekend. This is the South Stack Lighthouse on the Western Coast of the Isle of Anglesey in North Wales.
Giant cliffs loom over the rocky peninsula where this beacon shines out into the water and when the light spins around, it casts an eerie glow back onto the land. My camera didn’t pick up the light returning back to the land and though I probably could have done a longer exposure to show the spotlight’s streak upon the cliffs, I thought it would have started looking pretty artificial, so I went for this classic view of the lighthouse at dusk instead.
Please visit my Wales image gallery to see more photos of North Wales.
Click to see the image on a black background:
Llynnau Mymbyr to Snowdon
Photo of the Day
Last weekend, good weather and an even better hotel deal prompted a last-minute trip to North Wales. Among the many gorgeous spots visited was Llynnau Mymbyr, a pair of lakes nestled in the mountains of Snowdonia.
This photo takes in the view westward across one of the lakes to Snowden, the highest peak in Wales still covered in its winter snow.
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Conwy Panorama
Photo of the Day
Picturesque Conwy castle steadfastly watches over the boats bobbing in the water below. This beautiful town in Wales is dominated by the medieval fortress at its heart which has the effect of making the town look rather good from just about any angle.
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Penmon Point Lighthouse Panorama
Photo of the Day
Penmon Point, at the eastern end of the Isle of Anglesey isn’t exactly the hottest of places on a January morning before sunrise, but I couldn’t help but be warmed by the sight of this lighthouse just off the shore. A beautiful sight.
Panoramic shots that include the sea can sometimes be difficult to stitch together – by the time you have moved your camera for your next shot, the waves have shifted and twisted the water’s appearance to make seamless joins a bit tricky. Extending the exposure time can help and it did for this photo. Visibly turbulent seas can be a handful when joining shots, so sometimes it’s better to have things looking a bit more smooth. Even more importantly for this shot though, the long exposure’s smoothing adds to the atmosphere of the image.
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Images of North Wales
Though I had passed through Wales on a previous trip years ago, I recently had the chance to pass through again, but this time I got to stop in a few more spots. A lovely little family vacation weekend down to North Wales yielded sojourns to three castles and one exceptionally weird resort town.
Caernarfon, Criccieth and Harlech Castles were the old forts where I got to imagine myself as a knight. That favourite childhood pastime of mine is made that much easier when I don’t have to do much imagining of the sets – the castles are all right there. I could happily explore these old forts for days and I feel so lucky to be over here in the UK with the opportunity to see more of some my favourite buildings.
In addition to the castles was the surreal town of Portmeirion. I really wish I could impart to you just how confused I felt here. I couldn’t seem to wrap my head around the bizarre architecture and seemingly incongruous sculptures thrown together in a post-modern stew. I felt a little like I had wandered into a Salvador Dali painting.
Hopefully my next trip down there will allow me to get further South and explore even more of the country. For now, here are some photos to draw me back there.
Darby Sawchuk is a Canadian-born photographer who currently resides in Manchester, England. He has travelled to over 40 countries and is always adding more to the list. He creates stock for multiple agencies and is available for assignments.
+44 0790 992 8932
