The Vale of Clwyd is a low lying area of land in northeast Wales, situated in-between two mountain ranges, Snowdonia to the west and the Clwydian Range to the east.
And as such, it acts as a funnel for weather systems blowing in off the Irish Sea, just a few miles to the north.
All this makes for some amazing weather related photography, with rapidly changing conditions which can go from full on sunshine to storms in the space of around half an hour.
Which makes this view looking west out over the Vale of Clwyd from the slopes of Moel Famau, the highest peak in the Clwydian Range Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), risky but very rewarding for the outdoor photographer.
And fortunately for me, I live just a fifteen minute drive from this spot, so whenever the skies look interesting I can be there to catch the action.
Which is just what my wife Liz and I did this late afternoon in June 2024, catching some lovely cloudplay over the landscape stretched out below us, with the cherry on the photographic cake being a rainstorm sweeping up the Vale of Clwyd towards us, just petering out before we got a soaking.
And the great thing is, the view is never the same twice, thanks to the amazing north Wales weather!
Filename - vale of clwyd rain timelapse 02
Camera - Canon EOS 6DMK2
Lens - 17-40mm zoom @ 17mm
Exposure (start of sequence) - 1/1000 sec @ f/4, ISO100
Exposure (end of sequence) - 1/1000 sec @ f/4, ISO100
Filters - 2 Stop neutral density graduated filter used at an angle to reduce the brightness of the clouds relative to the land. Polarising filter used to reduce glare and enhance colours.
Shooting interval - 2 seconds
Location - Vale of Clwyd, North Wales
Music - Kiss the Sky - Aakash Gandhi
This clip - HD 720p, 30fps (4K and 1080p HD formats also available)
Clip duration - 36 seconds
All content copyright © Howard Litherland 2009-2024 unless otherwise stated.