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- Name
- Alex Nail
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5dmkII, 17-40L, ISO100, f11
5 vertical frames at 17mm bracketed with a 3 stop range. Stitched in PTGui and blended in Photoshop CS4
Pen Y Fan is the highest peak in the Brecon Beacons and in southern Britain. At 886m it is diminutive by continental standard but can still provide spectacular views and unforgiving conditions.
Photographically 2012 did not get off to a good start for me. Of the trips I have been on perhaps 25% have produced any images at all. It's hard to keep going when you keep hitting bad weather! Our hike up to Pen Y Fan was no better. Freezing rain made for quite unpleasant walking conditions and my waterproof shell literally became a shell of ice! Once the tent was up (on the summit of Pen Y Fan because I try not to do things in half measures) we were fine though. It was cold but down jackets and sleeping bags soon warm you up, as does hot chocolate with a spot of whisky! The night went well and I got up every 3 hours to check the weather (it was cloudy but still all night). By 5.30am a gap had appeared on the eastern horizon and with the high clouds overhead an wonderful sunrise became almost certain.
This image was the one I concentrated on. I captured it a few times as the sun rose. Once I felt the best moment had passed I moved on to other images including this one of our ice covered tent!