It’s Not Just About The Plan

It’s Sunday April 21st 2024 and I’m at Treaddur Bay a small village nestled on the west coast of Holy Island off Ynys Mon (the Isle of Anglesey) in North Wales. I've checked the weather forecast it looks good for my purpose of making images of the coastline and mountains in the distance.

Treaddur Bay is part of the Anglesey Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, providing breathtaking views of Holyhead, the Eryri National Park (Snowdonia), and the surrounding coastlines. The village is a perfect launching point for hikes, outdoor adventures, and exploring the region's rich history and culture.

Trearddur Bay is just under an hour from home but the drive through the mountains is a glorious diversion that makes the time fly by. Last time I visited a few weeks ago it was blowing a gale and not much fun.

My plan this time was to check the weather and take my camera gear and visit three locations that I know will give me good options for the images I want to make. I plan on using a tripod and filters to slow the exposure so that I get an ethereal look that I love in the water. In the end only the first 3 images below were shot using tripod and filters. The rest I hand held and they’re literally ‘grab shots’. This means that as I was wandering between locations, the scene just grabbed my attention and I shot on impulse. Conditions changed and so did my plan.

The cloudscape over the mountains was stunning. And the final image in the set breaks so many (apparent) photography rules. I shot directly into the sunlit sky and under exposed the shot to get this grungy look that I love. It’s a minimalist image with no obvious subject but what grabbed my attention was the mood and light. I think it would work well as a large print!

The landscape around Treaddur Bay is simply stunning and if you’re a photographer, artist or just a lover of the outdoors, you won’t be disappointed if you visit.

But this isn’t just about the photos. I guess the lesson for photography, business or life is is that while planning and preparation is good, (essential even in some cases) being flexible is also important. Being aware of what’s going on around you and adapting to changing circumstances can also deliver great results. And in the end that can be the difference between success and failure.