I was sat at the iMac writing the other day and I whist I had stopped for a brew, was looking at a series of images I had taken in Eryri (Snowdonia) and thought, which is always dangerous for me about how I began on this photographic journey and what moved me into landscape photography. The following is what I came up with based upon my earliest recollections.
I hope you enjoy!
“When I was a young boy (I know, it’s a miracle I can remember that far back), my parents would take us to North Wales for most of our annual holidays. We were always coastal enjoying a ‘bucket and spade’ week but occasionally we would venture inland to explore on a coach. In those days they were referred to as a ‘Charabanc.’
Travelling along the roads at that time was very much different from today. For a start, the traffic was a lot lighter as the concept of ‘your own car’ wasn’t even a thought in most people’s heads. The majority used public transport and only ‘the few’ had their own vehicles. Cars were an aspirational commodity and it would be the early 60’s before my father came home in his own Ford. Believe me, that was an achievement in those days!
During one of our earlier holidays, we took a coach trip on a tour of Snowdonia.
My mum had made a flask of tea and sandwiches, (the staple diet for a day trip) and as we arrived at the bus station in Rhyl, we got onto the ‘Chara.’ I had no idea where we were going other than being told, ‘this will be an adventure’ and as a six-year-old, that was good enough for me!
Initially, we ‘trundled’ along the coastline, then journeyed inland on roads that cut through farmland, before heading off towards the mountains. We only knew that was the direction we were headed in because the driver informed us via a muffled microphone announcement that crackled through tinny speakers above us.
The first ‘viewing’ of the mountains wasn’t great as all the tops were shrouded in cloud and it had been raining.
There’s a surprise….
We passed through Llanberis by the shores of Llyn Padarn and that is where my life changed.
I literally became transfixed!
I vividly recall seeing this huge mass, a‘dark mountain’ looming out of the clag on our left-hand side. It really stood out from its surroundings as the usual green and grey of the summer landscape was bisected by this scarred, foreboding intrusion. It stood out considerably and was enhanced by fleeting rays of sunlight that pushed through heavy rain clouds. They illuminated the rocks that shimmered with different colours. I now know these were the many shades of slate.
This was my first view of the Dinorwig Slate Quarry which is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Back then it was a working environment but cheaper products came to the market post war, leading to its it steady decline. It eventually closed in 1969.
I couldn’t take my eyes off it.
This vast mountain appeared to have been ‘eaten away’ as masses of discarded rocks appeared to be tumbling towards two lakes. It was so big and imposing, that I will admit to being a tad frightened but intrigued at the same time.
Then, as we carried on, a huge shadow was cast over us, this time from the right, darkening the waters of the lake and as I looked up, a large, looming, mass of rock towered above us before disappearing into the clouds.
I had just had my first sighting of Snowdon or to give it its proper name Yr Wyddfa.
It was magnificent, powerful and brooding.
It was dramatic and atmospheric at the same time.
It was majestic!
Clouds rolled off its flanks and seemed to hover over the roadway that we were on.
We continued our ascent along the twisting incline which I now know is the ‘Pen Y Pass’ and I clambered around on my seat, looking back for as long as I could with my head turning, twisting and straining to keep this all in sight but we entered the cloud and it slipped away.
It was gone…
I was so excited as it was so different from anything I had ever seen other than on our small black and white TV!
We lived in Old Trafford in the North of England, a very urban environment and the only real green space we had was a park and for me, that was for playing football on!
However, this?
This was something else.
I loved what I had seen and I wanted more!
‘If only I could keep going back and seeing it time and time again…..’
The rest of the trip and the continuing views had me. I wasn’t interested in the ice cream stop or walking around the shops. It was the views!
In those days, we went away on holiday once a year and occasionally, as a treat, we would go to Southport or Blackpool with neighbours who had a car! It was always a beach but never into the mountains.
I must have nagged my parents because I remember that they bought me a book with mountains in it but whilst that was great, I wanted to ‘actually’ see them.
Experience that feeling again.
It was so powerful.
It instilled a feeling within me that is ingrained to this day: a love of the landscape.
However, I did have an ace up my sleeve!
My dad Eric took me to football and cricket matches, stood by the pitch when I played and was always there and encouraging for me. He was my hero.
He worked for a national newspaper in photography, the darkroom and phototelegraphy, so I asked him (many times!) if he would take me to places where we could take photographs.
It didn’t happen immediately because we didn’t have the car at that point but he started my education by taking photographs of ‘Action Man’ in our back garden! Yes, that 12” plastic toy came to life hidden in our Rhododendrons! Working on compositions and being happy before I ‘pressed the shutter.’ It was always me that pressed the shutter!
Eventually he did take us to the mountains and I will be eternally grateful to him for doing that.
My mum Joan had been evacuated in the Lakes during the war and so it was a location we visited and took ‘snaps’ as we called them. I still call my images that to this day.
I was even allowed to take a few too. It was a great thrill, looking down into the large viewfinder, lining up his two and a quarter square film camera and pressing the shutter. I found it exhilarating. The wait and anticipation were heightened until he gave me that black, shiny bag containing the contacts and photographs. I couldn’t wait to see them and I would study them repeatedly.
I now held the landscape in my hand!
Photography eh….”
I would be grateful to hear yours.
Enjoy your phtogoraphy
Regards
Mark