Quick Blast: Alexandra & Moel Tryfan Quarries

After a busy day at work the weather man said it would be a decent evening for photography, so how could I refuse? With little time to wander round I headed somewhere easy – Moel Tryfan. I always like going to Fron, it’s a strange little village but with so much interesting stuff surrounding it! Anyway, I got to the quarries and it was still spitting rain, but there was some great light from the low sun over Caernarfon so I got snapping.

I only made a quick pass through the pits and out to the top of Alexandra quarry and back again before running out of light but it did allow a few half decent photos and a good idea of what to see next time I’m in the area.

As an aside I was most gutted to see that the Vron Quarry Mill has been demolished. It was still standing last time I visited the area, and I’d hoped to get a snap or two on this visit. Still it’s that ever changing nature of these places that draws me back. Anyway, on with the pictures!

More procrastination!

Sorry, sorry, sorry! I am ashamed I have been away for so long. Basically I bought a project car – meaning all the days where I’d normally be out with a camera were taken up wielding tools and swearing at my new purchase, then I damaged my old ankle injury again which further hindered things, but anywho, the car is in the paint shop and I’m back to hobbling about with the camera!

I managed to make it to Maenofferen in Blaenau in March, though I clean forgot to post about it here (another sorry!), followed by an unsuccessful venture in Golwern due to manky weather and then just the other night I decided to head over to Trefor to watch the sun go down, so here’s a selection.

As always, prints are available at http://www.quarryscapes.co.uk

2013 kicks off in….you guessed it, Dinorwig!

It was supposed to be foggy everywhere yesterday, and it certainly was at home, so I headed for Dinorwig as I had a plan. It was of course not so foggy up there, even near the top! Didn’t expect too much, but thought I’d see how well my new Fuji S5 compares with my old S3 for colour under such conditions and plodded on. Turns out it was a good idea, though I wasn’t there long a handful of opportunities presented themselves and the S5 managed fine, even as the last embers of light faded away.

A look back at 2012

Well it is the end of the year afterall! 2012 for me was a year of experimentation, trying new things and learning. Not all has been successful, but hopefully I can use this new found knowledge to good effect in 2013.  The biggest change in 2012 was a move to home developed film. This meant a massive overhaul in gear, losing all my digital gear in favour of  an Olympus OM film system. That turned out to be a bit of a mistake, and I’m now back with a DSLR as well, though film is still one of my main passions in photography.

A Nantlle Autumn

First time back in a Quarry after my accident, and it wasn’t a good idea biologically, but photographically I think it paid off nicely!

First off was a nose around the Talysarn quarry, then carry on up to Blaen y Cae. A Gorse bush has grown over one of my favourite views so it’s now not possible! That only took 18 months – that stuff grows fast!

Anyway, the light was wonderful, constantly changing from blue skies with fluffy clouds to full on menacing blackness!

Having filled up my memory cards I headed for home, but the light over the sea was unavoidable, so I stopped off at Aberdesach where I quickly made room for a handful more shots and managed to capture a particularly aggressive looking sunset. Well almost a sunset anyway. Rain and full memory cards intervened so I didn’t get the actual setting, but it can be done another day!

Classic Festiniog

An interesting gala this one, a tribute to the late Alan Pegler and the early preservation era. Unfortunately I couldn’t get time off work to indulge in the whole event but I spent enough time there when I could!

There was a huge amount to see: Classic train formations, Gravity trains, demonstration freight, recreation of the chain shunt and Boston Lodge works was open on the Saturday for a look around.
All very enjoyable, though I busted an ankle at Cei Mawr on the Sunday, that made for a fun night of work – still it means no excuses today (Monday) for not getting the pics processed!

So lets see what we have! In my usual style we have some wide shots of the whole landscape with a train, some more signs and notices and a whole lot of details from Boston Lodge. Oh yes there are a few trains too! I have also taken some lomo shots on an old film compact, the results of that will be worth seeing when I get round to finishing the roll!

Pen Yr Orsedd on Film

Agfa APX100 in fact. A favourute film of mine, this roll I started in April, only just got round to finishing it on a cloudy day in Pen Yr Orsedd.

Didn’t make it down to the main workshop as the rain was closing in and the light was already as low as it could get!

Quarryscapes at Quarrypower!

What with other commitments (Like Rallying!) taking up my time I didn’t get to spend the full weekend at Quarrypower, but I did manage to get to the cavalcade of locomotives travelling down the Welsh Highland, particularly the showcase at Cwm Cloch above Beddgelert. There was a pretty good turnout considering the rather dull weather, High ISO was the norm for the day though there were occasional bright spells and even the odd hint of blue in the sky!

The Fuji S3 is perfect for days like this – as one photographer on the day put it it appears to have a ‘Sunshine Button’! You’ll notice that I’ve been shifting a lot towards people pictures, something I don’t normally do. You’ll also notice that I’m not that good at them, constantly missing focus! I will get there though!

I’ve also gone for a lot of detail shots, trying to maximise use of my Nikkor 35mm f1.8,as it tends to go unused on most shoots. I still think it’s a poor standard lens, but it’s certainly capable of some good results.

Dinorwic on Ektar

The last couple of rolls of Ektar seem to have missed the processor!

Here’s a few examples. Have to say I’m loving this film under blue skies, not so much under my favourite conditions of cloud cover with sun spots though, it always comes out flat and doesn’t pick out the sunspots at all. Not to worry, I have Velvia for that, and the newly acquired S3 of course 🙂

Treforus

Treforus is an unfinished and abandoned village in Cwm Ystradllyn. It was begin in the 1850s to accomodate the workforce of the Gorseddau Quarry – a pathetic excuse for slate but nonetheless investors stumped up a massive amount of cash which was promtly squandered on projects like the satellite mill at Ynys y Pandy and Treforus.

I didn’t get long up here, less than half an hour, but managed to squeeze off a few interesting shots in that time. Here are a couple from the LX5. Film shots to follow.