I have a particular affection for Snowdon. It was the first mountain that I ever ascended, it was where I spent the formative years of my mountaineering life and it was also where I carried out much of my ‘photographic apprenticeship’. In the years that had passed since, I had paid Snowdon no more than fleeting visits. However, with a ‘fresh’ pair of eyes and the powerful Fuji GX617 in hand, I decided that it was time to give the mountain the attention it deserved.
Snowdonia is justifiably popular with British mountaingoers. It has the compactness of the English Lake District but with the rugged character and grandeur of the Scottish Highlands – and it claims the highest point on mainland Britain south of the Scottish border. But unlike the Scottish Highlands, strange though it may seem, snow on Snowdon is a rare event. So, if there was one image that I wanted to capture on my return, then this was it.
Like so many of Britain’s finest peaks, Snowdon lies close to the sea and is influenced by the warm moist westerly winds that make up so much of our weather. Any snow which falls on the mountain rarely lasts for long, and so to achieve the image I had in mind, I needed a window of weather during which a good fall of snow was followed by a fairly dry, clear and cold north-easterly airstream.
After a series of abortive attempts, what I hoped to be perfect conditions arrived in late February. When I arrived on location, I could see thin patchy high cirrus cloud moving very gently from the north-east. This was partly what I wanted because the air was cold and the mountains clear; but I also feared that the intensity of the light might be weakened as the winter sun rose above the horizon. Nevertheless, in anticipation, I set up my equipment beside the Royal Bridge, Capel Curig an hour before dawn.
Far from spoiling my shot, the thin cirrus acted as a filter for the light as the sun rose and the whole sky turned a wonderful shade of pink. Covered from base to summit after the heavy fall of snow, the mountains themselves now mirrored this wonderful effect and colour. With youthful excitement I fired off as many frames as time would allow, making sure that I had covered all possible exposures.
When the effect finally disappeared I stood there in amazement; pleased and satisfied in the knowledge that I had captured something rather special. It was one of the finest moments that I have ever experienced in the British mountains; more typical of days spent in the Himalaya, but more special by the fact that the subject of my photograph was snow on Snowdon.
All of my prints are made to order.
My prints are painstakingly crafted and printed from only my very best images; the vast majority of which were captured to strictly observed standards using high end professional cameras and lenses, in particular the Fuji GX617 panoramic camera, one of several Canon EOS full frame digital cameras or, more recently, the highly respected market leading Nikon D850 digital camera.
Quality is maintained by respecting the relationship between original image size and final print size; optimising the level of magnification between the two ensures that my prints always contain infinite and crisp subject detail.
I produce all my prints on premium quality inkjet media that enables the extensive colour gamut, best contrast and finest nuances required for impressive pictures.
All my prints are produced on the very latest Epson printers using Ultrachrome HDR pigment inks. These printers take inkjet (giclee) technology to an entirely new level with higher colour accuracy, greater subtlety and smoother gradations. Grass and foliage is much more vivid and natural whilst orange tones in sunrises and sunsets are more dazzling.
All prints have at least a 2" (5cm) white border on all sides of the image.
I apply a simple shipping charge of £7.95 to each order for all UK destinations including the Scottish Highlands.
Print only orders are dispatched within 24-48 hours by Royal Mail First Class Post.
Framed prints are dispatched directly from our framers within 7-10 working days using a tracked service.
Customers are informed of despatched orders by email which includes a tracking reference.
All of my products come with a 30 day no-quibble money-back guarantee. Prints are manufactured individually for each customer and they are inspected before shipment to ensure that they are in perfect condition. If you are not satisfied with the merchantable quality of a product, or if it arrives in a damaged condition, then I will replace them or provide a full credit including postal charges upon safe receipt of the returned goods. Any damages must be advised within 5 working days of receipt of your order.
Please note that this guarantee relates to the merchantable quality of the products which are supplied in accordance with the Customer Protection (Distance Selling) Regulations 2000 as amended by the Consumer Contracts Regulations (2014). Customers should also be aware of the separate cancellation and returns policy which is included in the Terms and Conditions of Business