Undecided Mountain and Coastal - where to go?

TGphoto

TGphoto

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Tom
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Hi all,

I have a couple of weeks off work (joys of being a teacher) and pretty much everyone I know is still working so I am going to get away and do probably 4 nights camping somewhere on a 100% photography focussed trip.

Options at the minute are:

- Southern side of Snowdonia and South Wales
- Lake District
- Somewhere more coastal then the Lake District
- Scotland (Glencoe area)

I ideally want to do some decent coastal stuff (big rocks, cliff faces etc) and some mountain region shots. What do you guys recommend location wise based on the above?

Thanks,

Tom
 
Since this is a photographic forum, I'd recommend that you concentrate on your photographic practice rather than where you originate your images - your drift seems to be a bit upside down.

Do you want to conquer places with your camera? Have you thought about going to places with your main thrust being just to be in them, never mind photography, and letting something of their essence soak into you, - this could be anywhere.

As an aside, Glencoe is tough country. If you're off into the hills, I hope that you know how to use a map & compass.

Four days is bugger-all to experience somewhere and express it. It sensibly takes a lifetime. My advice is to relax your structures.

But go on - do what you want to do.
 
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droj said:
I'd recommend that you concentrate on your photographic practice rather than where you originate your images - your drift seems to be a bit upside down.

Do you want to conquer places, so to speak, with your camera? Have you thought about going to places with your main thrust being just to be in them, and letting their being soak into you, which could be anywhere?

Glencoe is tough country. If you're off into the hills, I hope that you know how to use a map & compass.

4 days is bugger all to experience somewhere and express it. It takes a lifetime.
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Now sure what this means "your drift seems to be a bit upside down."?

If you take a look at my flickr or instagram (https://www.instagram.com/tom.w.green/) it will give you a bit of an idea of what I like to shoot.

I want to go somewhere very scenic so that I can enjoy being there but also base the trip on photography. I don't just want to go 'anywhere' really, I want there to be some really nice scenery.

I do, used them many times and am quite regularly in the fells in cumbria.

"4 days is bugger all to experience somewhere and express it. It takes a lifetime." - I get that, but 4-5 days is the length of the trip..
 
How about north Snowdonia and Anglesey? Cuts driving between areas down and offers a variety of scenery.
 
jerry12953 said:
Just a tip about Wales -

If you're hoping to "do" southern Snowdonia and south wales in four days, you'll spend most of that time driving. Concentrate on a much smaller area........
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Decided against that route now I think, going to go North (of Warrington).


sarahhj said:
How about north Snowdonia and Anglesey? Cuts driving between areas down and offers a variety of scenery.
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Good suggestions - I have been to both quite a few times though and fancy somewhere new. Cheers
 
What about the Northumbrian coast?

But there is also good coastal stuff around the Lake District, St Bees head and the estuaries and peninsulas along the sourthern edge, it's just rare to get big waves.
 
Just a thought, you could do Hadrian's wall on the way to or from Northumbria
 
I love trips like this and anywhere from your list would almost certainly be fantastic. As good for the soul as it is for the photo album!

I'm biased so I would also heartily recommend Northumberland. A little bit of everything here, though very spread out so you could spend a lot of time in the car if you try to do it all. As an example Bamburgh to some of the 'middle' parts of Hadrian's wall could easily take 2 hours to drive. The coastal stuff is easy though (other than keeping an eye on tide times for Holy Island). Castles, coasts, cityscapes (okay in Newcastle-U-T, technically not Northumberland), forests, dark skies, Roman remains and hills higher and emptier than anything the peak district or N.Yorkshire can offer. Told you I was biased!

However, just to chuck another option in the mix, have you considered Northern Ireland? Maybe a bit less familiar but that really appeals to me. And loads of rugged coast and dramatic terrain.
 
gad-westy said:
I love trips like this and anywhere from your list would almost certainly be fantastic. As good for the soul as it is for the photo album!

I'm biased so I would also heartily recommend Northumberland. A little bit of everything here, though very spread out so you could spend a lot of time in the car if you try to do it all. As an example Bamburgh to some of the 'middle' parts of Hadrian's wall could easily take 2 hours to drive. The coastal stuff is easy though (other than keeping an eye on tide times for Holy Island). Castles, coasts, cityscapes (okay in Newcastle-U-T, technically not Northumberland), forests, dark skies, Roman remains and hills higher and emptier than anything the peak district or N.Yorkshire can offer. Told you I was biased!

However, just to chuck another option in the mix, have you considered Northern Ireland? Maybe a bit less familiar but that really appeals to me. And loads of rugged coast and dramatic terrain.
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I agree!

yeah some good points there, to be fair the more I look in to Northumberland the more I am liking the idea of it.

I have considered NI but I decided that for the cost of the ferry with my car I could have just gone to the Dolomites instead!

I have got a real hankering for Glencoe. Current plan is if the weather stays as it is, set off late tomorrow night and do astro in the lakes - then carry on up to Scotland through the night - 3 nights in Glencoe and then drive the Northumberland and do 2 nights covering just coastal stuff. Plans may change though :)
 
droj said:
Since this is a photographic forum, I'd recommend that you concentrate on your photographic practice rather than where you originate your images - your drift seems to be a bit upside down.
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That's doesn't mean he can't ask about locations for photography.
This place isn't just abouts members photography skills.
 
He was probably having a bad hair day :D:exit:
Just like I am for not noticing the section of the forum this in :banana:
 
South Wales. Check out Dunraven bay for some great cliffs, Glyn neath for waterfalls and the Brecon Beacons.black mountains for the rest (plenty of castles in the general area too)
 
hashcake said:
That's doesn't mean he can't ask about locations for photography.
This place isn't just abouts members photography skills.
Click to expand...
As someone once said "if you want to take interesting photos, stand in front of interesting things"
 
If you don't mind a fair bit of driving and it would be tight in your time frame I would go up to Glasgow take the A82 road to Fort William (stunning drive over Rannoch Moor and Glen Coe) stopping on route where you fancy to take some shots, before Fort William take the A830 to Lochailort stopping at Glenfinnan if that takes your fancy can even do the iconic Jacobite Steam Train if you time it right across the viaduct, at Lochailort take the A861 (Glenuig inn is a good place to stop for food or accommodation) drive through Acharacle to Salen and onto Kilchoan and Ferry to Tobermory (Isle of Mull) spend time there if you like wildlife a trip on Mull Charters is not to be missed as Sea Eagle encounters are amazing) leave Mull via Craignure to Oban Ferry then drive down A85 to rejoin the A82 and head home, you could pick where you want to spend the most time / accommodation, problem would be its a lot of time driving but that scenery is stunning on the whole route and it would be more about seeing the sights and picking a few options to stop at depending on weather while there and how flexible you want to be, it could also be used as a "reccy" for future trips. One thing is for sure you would not be disappointed with that driving route if you love scenery
 
swanseamale47 said:
South Wales. Check out Dunraven bay for some great cliffs, Glyn neath for waterfalls and the Brecon Beacons.black mountains for the rest (plenty of castles in the general area too)
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Yeah sounds great to be honest! Weather doesn’t look great down that end though so may save that until May half term.


AdamSi said:
If you don't mind a fair bit of driving and it would be tight in your time frame I would go up to Glasgow take the A82 road to Fort William (stunning drive over Rannoch Moor and Glen Coe) stopping on route where you fancy to take some shots, before Fort William take the A830 to Lochailort stopping at Glenfinnan if that takes your fancy can even do the iconic Jacobite Steam Train if you time it right across the viaduct, at Lochailort take the A861 (Glenuig inn is a good place to stop for food or accommodation) drive through Acharacle to Salen and onto Kilchoan and Ferry to Tobermory (Isle of Mull) spend time there if you like wildlife a trip on Mull Charters is not to be missed as Sea Eagle encounters are amazing) leave Mull via Craignure to Oban Ferry then drive down A85 to rejoin the A82 and head home, you could pick where you want to spend the most time / accommodation, problem would be its a lot of time driving but that scenery is stunning on the whole route and it would be more about seeing the sights and picking a few options to stop at depending on weather while there and how flexible you want to be, it could also be used as a "reccy" for future trips. One thing is for sure you would not be disappointed with that driving route if you love scenery
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Sounds like a great plan but probably one I will do when I have more time to travel. I plan to do a bit trip at some point including Skye so that will most likely be part of the same trip.

For this trip I am pretty set now on 3 nights in Glencoe and then 2 nights in Northumberland :)
 
@TGphoto how exciting to have a few days concentrating on enjoying your photography. I hope you find somewhere beautiful and encounter some good photographic opportunities.

I can't add anything more to what has already been suggested - love Northumberland, Snowdonia, Pembrokeshire etc., but @AdamSi, I might try that route too, thanks for sharing. We passed some beatiful scenery en route to the Hebrides last year and I'm dying to go back.
 
Very jealous. A 100% photography trip would be great.
I think the Glencoe/Northumberland combo is a great idea, though it's a lot of driving. I drove to Loch Lomond and the Cairngorms last year for a weeks family holiday and even with 6 days between the drive up and drive back it was a lot.
However Glencoe is awesome and I'd definitely go back. I bought the Photographing Scotland book as it is great for ideas of where to go (it even has details of where to park).
Take a look at a couple of Thomas Heaton's recent vlogs, he did a trip up to Glencoe and got some different angles. The north east coast is somewhere I'd not been yet, but from all I've seen on youtube vlogs, it has a lot to offer.

Enjoy.
 
Mountain and beaches are two totally different tastes. and it depends upon the psychology of the person. Mostly people with spiritual orientation prefer the Mountains while the ones with fun loving attitude prefer beaches. You might like this location guide in case if you planning to do a couple photoshoot.
I think there are a lot more variations to do in Mountain as compared to beaches for the shoot. Additionally you need to be more cautious while shooting at the beach for the moisture to the gear. Just telling all this may be because I too love the Himalayas a lot!
 
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