First published in Welsh Country Magazine, May – June 2015
As a child, I would look forward to my father purchasing a roll of black and white film, on special occasions it would be colour, then impatiently wait for it to be developed and eagerly view the prints. To me it seemed like alchemy; how the film metamorphosed into a visual capture of memories preserved for posterity.
Thus began my fascination with photography. By the age of ten I had my first camera, a Polaroid instant camera, where I could watch the picture appear right in front of my eyes! For my eighteenth birthday I was given a single lens reflex (SLR) camera and was delighted with resolution of the photographs compared with my previous 35mm model.
Eventually, digital cameras overtook the traditional film ones in popularity and I was given a compact model which I used for many years. However, I do have some doubts as regards how many people will print out their images and whether enough will be available for future generations to peruse. I have recently been given a Nikon 5200 DSLR and am in my element capturing the beautiful Welsh scenery that surrounds me with this.
My photography revolves around the Four Seasons, starting with searching for the first snowdrops in the January snow to visiting The Hafod Estate, Pontrhydygroes, Ceredigion, in the autumn to capture the bronze and golden leaves before they gently fall asleep on the earthy-scented woodland floor.
The Teifi Pools, in the Cambrian Mountains, is an area of outstanding beauty which is walked by few. For those who venture into the hills the farmhouse, Claerddu Bothy,(1) may be used for basic overnight accommodation and shelter from adverse weather. This photo was taken early in the autumn on a clear day.
The bluebells (2) grew in abundance in the spring of 2014: I do not recall ever having seen so many. These were growing in Black Covert, Trawsgoed, Ceredigion. When I arrived, the light was poor but I could see the sun was trying very hard to show its face, so sat and waited and was rewarded with the bluebells being briefly illuminated and the trees casting long shadows, late in the afternoon.
Early, one autumn morning I visited the picturesque Hafod Estate, Pontrhydygroes, and witnessed the previous evening’s rain evaporating off the tree trunks forming an ethereal mist which added to the magical feel of this very special place.
Also during the autumn, I look out for the Fly Agaric toadstools (3). They are so brightly coloured you just cannot fail to notice them on the edge of the conifer plantation near my home.
I ventured out onto the Wales Coast Path between Llanrhystud and Morfa Bychan, near Aberystwyth in the summer (4). This stretch of path is not walked as frequently as some sections; it is wild and rugged and home to some ancient, gnarled Hawthorn trees bent almost horizontal, indicating the direction of the prevailing wind. I could see why this location was used in the highly acclaimed Welsh television drama ‘Y Gwyll’, ‘Hinterland’.
The light at the end of a winter’s day at Caban Coch dam in the Elan Valley, Powys (5) was a sight to behold with the water tumbling over the reservoir. This area is popular all year round especially after heavy rainfall.
Just after Christmas, I went to join many other photographers on the Promenade in Aberystwyth. The starling murmuration (6) draws large crowds, who gaze in wonder at the balletic dance performed every evening in the winter as the starlings gather to roost under the pier on the rusting ironwork.
To capture the spectacle of the starlings and the beautiful sunsets is the reason I consider myself so lucky to have been born and raised in Aberystwyth, a photographer’s paradise.
To view more of Stephanie’s photos and her most recent work please visit her photography pages:
Twitter: @stephmicra
Flickr: stephanie.burgess98
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