Onegav

Today, I knew I was heading off to the stunning Llanberis, to visit a customer and be present to support an online trial run.

With that in mind, I kept my camera handy as two colleagues and I made our way across North Wales.

We stopped just before arriving at the site, for a quick stretch of our legs, at a little spot I know that has a stunning view of a lake.

I only took a couple of very quick snaps, but you get the idea of how utterly stunning this part of the world is;

Anyway, arriving home late after a very full day, both on the site visit and back at base camp, I noticed the low slung sun light hitting some leaves outside the front window.

Holly was sorting the kids out ready for bed, so I nipped out to grab a couple of photographs.

I didn’t make it past the front gate.

With having my new hardware, and learning how to use it taking a lot of my focus at the moment in this adventure, I’ve taken a departure from my more usual, abstract style.

I don’t mind that one bit, I’m loving learning all aspects of photography, however, as I walked up-to the gate a vision hit me, that was right up my street.

The last rays of the sun were pouring through the iron gate, giving it a lovely sharp rim light effect on its edges.

What’s more, spiders webs glinted in the light, and in this very small and intimate localised environment, I could see so much beauty.

The silhouetted iron, the bright spiders web guarded by its owner, the glints of light in the metal, the bokeh of the trees, the spiralling shapes and curves.

I loved it, and could not resist taking a load of photographs.

The frame posed plenty of challenges, not least of which, trying to focus on the thin iron work. I used both auto and manual to get these shots, half pressing on the iron and then moving the camera to frame the shot when shooting in auto, and of course framing and then focusing when shooting in manual.

What was really pleasing, was I arrived at the settings to get the shots how I wanted them to be really quickly. That was super nice, because I’d chanced upon a shot, and was able to capture it how I wanted to.

Learnings – I learnt fairly early on in this challenge to take opportunities as they present themselves, but it’s cool to be reminded of that.

I also didn’t struggle with the “dark and moody” vibe of the images here, I fully understand that they won’t be to everyone’s liking, they are very stylised I guess – but I don’t mind that, art in all its forms first and foremost has to be personal, it has to be from the heart.

If your not feeling it yourself, how could and why would anyone else feel anything from it?

I think this is the first time I’ve really combined my preferred style, with capturing it using my new gear, and I’m really pleased with the results.

P.S. I spotted some absolutely amazing photographic opportunities on the way home today; they’re about an hour drive from home, but I simply must go back and capture them one day………..