Cwmorthin Slate Quarry, Tanygrisiau

[rob marshall]

Llyn Cwmorthin lies in a high, glaciated valley above the village of Tanygrisiau. Slate quarries were once worked in the surrounding Moelwyn mountains, and a community of quarry workers lived in the valley. The remains of their barracks and a chapel stand beside the path that runs beside the lake. The path starts from a parking area near a waterfall above the village. It climbs to a mountain pass and a junction of paths, from where walks can be taken to visit other lakes or the Moelwyn summits. All these shots were taken last week.

Map of the area

#1 Looking back down the valley to Llyn Cwmorthin (the lake)



#2 One of the old mine buildings



#3 The Chapel (seems strange having a chapel in such a remote spot) Note the large pieces of slate used as fencing.



#4 More of the mine buildings, near the mine opening.



#5 We climbed out of the workings up to the top of Moelwyn Mawr mountain, and this was the view of the hydro-electric dam on the way back down to the car-park.

[Donald]

They're all good, as per normal.

But this one! This is just classically beautiful. That is magnificent. Everything just works.

[rob marshall]

They're all good, as per normal.

But this one! This is just classically beautiful. That is magnificent. Everything just works.

Thanks, Donald. I must admit I was pretty taken with that one. It seems to have a nice balance in the composition.

[Donald]

It seems to have a nice balance in the composition.

That, sir, is a gross understatement.

[jiro]

I like #3 and #5 a lot. On #3, I like how the elements inside the frame leads me to look at the tree. On #5, the use of good foreground in contrast to the expansive view of the scenery is really very good, not to mention the superb b&w conversion. Well done, Rob!

[Katy Noelle]

#3 The Chapel (seems strange having a chapel in such a remote spot) Note the large pieces of slate used as fencing.

They're all good, as per normal.

But this one! This is just classically beautiful. That is magnificent. Everything just works.

You said it, Donald!

It's like there's an invisible hand reaching out and pulling us through the frame to explore down that path. It has a wonderful mood (although, I don't have a descriptive word for it.) and, just, btw, the clouds look beautifully like they were painted there. You're making me want to get better at landscapes!

[Rasbury]

#3 is a fantastic photo Rob!! It pulls me in everytime i look at it.Been contemplating only working in b&w and these photo's only push me more in that direction...Ron

[Wirefox]

Another fan for No3 here. They are all excellent images but No3 has the x factor for sure. Black and white suits landscapes in the British Isles so well. There is something about the medium that captures the feel of the location just as much as the vision. When I see British landscapes in colour they always look alien to me....as if they do not connect with my experience.

[rob marshall]

You're making me want to get better at landscapes!

If I can go through life making you better, Katy, my time will not have been wasted...

On #5, the use of good foreground in contrast to the expansive view of the scenery is really very good

Yeah, that rock was an absolute beauty, just perched there waiting to be snapped by the "Panasonic Lumix-Meister"

Been contemplating only working in b&w and these photo's only push me more in that direction.

I think once you get the BW bug you mostly start looking for BW scenes to shoot, and possibly ignore colour ones. Donald seems to do very few colour shots. That #3 shot just looked okay-ish in colour, but BW transformed it.

Black and white suits landscapes in the British Isles so well. There is something about the medium that captures the feel of the location just as much as the vision. When I see British landscapes in colour they always look alien to me....as if they do not connect with my experience.

Probably all that rain, mist and industrial grimness. One gets to expect them to be in BW. Also, there's quite a long tradition in the UK of shooting in BW. Maybe people just get used to it, and come to accept it as normal. Maybe it's the low light in the UK? You can't imagine a great BW tradition in Spain, or Greece? Some one is going to now tell me that there is

[manthos]

Probably all that rain, mist and industrial grimness. One gets to expect them to be in BW. Also, there's quite a long tradition in the UK of shooting in BW. Maybe people just get used to it, and come to accept it as normal. Maybe it's the low light in the UK? You can't imagine a great BW tradition in Spain, or Greece? Some one is going to now tell me that there is

I can't imagine that...

No. I can't.

[rob marshall]

I can't imagine that...

No. I can't.

Giannis

We were out walking last week on Anglesey (big island in North Wales), and we both commented on how Mediterranean it looked - especially Greek. The colour and formation of the rocks, and the vibrancy of the flora - it just looked Greek! And although I didn't take any shots of the particular area we were in I thought that it just wouldn't work in BW - it would have to be colour. And I think most Mediterranean countries are like that.

I suppose you are now going to post a great BW shot of some Greek island, just to prove me wrong...?

[Bobobird]

Very nice. Must have been a difficult place to work in winters.

[wilgk]

As an old childhood fan of 'Asterix' ...the obelisk in the last one is the 'best' button pusher for me....cute little fella he was Asterix....reminds me of Donald for reasons unknown

[Wirefox]

Asterix....reminds me of Donald for reasons unknown

That will be the stripey trousers and horned hemet he wears for trips to the supermarket

[wilgk]

That will be the stripey trousers and horned hemet he wears for trips to the supermarket

hmmm I can picture it, but what ever would the locals think

[manthos]

We were out walking last week on Anglesey (big island in North Wales), and we both commented on how Mediterranean it looked - especially Greek. The colour and formation of the rocks, and the vibrancy of the flora - it just looked Greek! And although I didn't take any shots of the particular area we were in I thought that it just wouldn't work in BW - it would have to be colour. And I think most Mediterranean countries are like that.

Seriously, I can't imagine a greek island without colour either. But, if you are 1000m above sea level, nothing reminds you of the mediterranean or the card postal clich's that immediately come to mind when I think of Greek coasts and islands. I have to admit that I am a victim of cliches quite often. I have to get over it.

I suppose you are now going to post a great BW shot of some Greek island, just to prove me wrong...?

Fell into the trap once...