Click on the image for licensing terms
In the week between Christmas 2019 and New Year 2020 North Wales experienced some unusally good weather, so it was on with the boots as my wife Liz and I took to the mountains and valleys of Snowdonia for some much needed post-Christmas exercise.
Our chosen activity was a walk up the Nant Ffrancon valley towards the dramatic vistas of the Glyderau and Carneddau mountain ranges at the far end.
But there was plenty to enjoy, admire and photograph along the well maintained path as we wound our way through abandoned slate workings, following the course of the Afon Ogwen river as it meandered along the valley floor.
And it's slate that really defines this area, and although one's initial impression of this sedimentary rock is one of greyness, a closer look look reveals a minature world of patterns, hues and textures in the discarded waste that are quite entrancing.
Especially as the slate has been left to weather over the decades, allowing lichens and mosses to find a home on the almost permanently damp nooks and crannies, adding a patina of life to an otherwise dead landscape.
Filename - snowdonia moss slate 01
Lens - 24-105mm zoom @ 60mm
Exposure - 1/2 sec @ f11, ISO100
Filters - Polarising filter used to enhance colours.
Location - Nant Ffrancon, Snowdonia, North Wales
Image enhancements - Adobe Lightroom
Comments - Tripod, remote release and mirror lockup used to prevent camera movement.
All content copyright © Howard Litherland 2009-2026 unless otherwise stated.