North Wales Landscape Photography Paths and Trees

Wintry tree with wonky gate against a sunset sky in Snowdonia / Eryri.

I took this on an evening walk through an ancient forest on the edge of the Conwy Valley with lovely, soft light shining through the trees.

I noticed this carpet of red Japanese Maple leaves on the side of the road and had to capture their beauty. They looked like little stars!

When you take a path through the forest that you've never taken before and come across a poem of a beech tree.... Taken in spring with lots of light still coming through the canopy to give an airy, magical feel to the photo.

I loved this magical, little group of trees with the roof of a cottage glimpsed tantalisingly from among them. 

The Lone Tree, or Lonely Tree, of Llyn Padarn. Standing on the beautiful Llyn Padarn lake in Llanberis, you can see why this is one of the most iconic locations in Snowdonia for photographers! This photo was taken on one of those lovely, clear days you can only hope for but seldom get. In the background, you can see the snowcapped Yr Wyddfa/Snowdon Massif and the tiny column that is Dolbadarn Castle catching the late afternoon sun as it stands, sentinel-like, at the head of the Pass of Llanberis. The tree had a companion on this occasion - a seagull that refused to leave and stayed throughout the shoot. 

Leaves as shapes and colours.

Within the canopy of a beautiful beech tree as it grows its spring canopy. 

A carpet of bluebells on an ancient forest floor in May in Snowdonia / Eryri.

In Wales, the tylwyth teg, or fair folk, are said to walk invisible paths between ancient sites, though the fairies keep their true maps secret and no such path is ever marked on any chart. This footpath behind the village of Llanfair Talhaiarn in the Elwy Valley certainly feels as though it could be one!

Step lightly along these pathways, pour a drop of milk at dusk as an offering, and the fair folk may walk beside you - perhaps even let you pass twice! 

This is a wonderful evergreen Holm Oak (Quercus Ilex) in Conwy, beside the estuary. I'm not going to give the exact location as it's not a famous tree, but locals and many visitors who are familiar with Conwy will be able to work it out. I call it the Narnia Tree because CS Lewis is said to have been influenced to create his fictional landscape by a similar Holm Oak in Northern Ireland, where he spent time as a young man.

It was love at first sight when I found this tree and I've been experimenting with photographing it for some time now, which isn't easy. It's very large and also growing at an acute angle over the water, with no clear vantage point to photograph it from. I've given up trying to get more of it in the frame and have instead gone with trying to just capture the essence of the tree, showing it against the adjacent bench for scale. 

Winding path through the Beddgelert Forest in a soft evening light.

The Lone Tree of Llyn Padarn standing as a quiet sentinel on Llyn Padarn in Eryri / Snowdonia. 

This wonderful winding lane near Betws-y-Coed, Snowdonia, with its dry stone walls is a recent find, and one I will need to visit in different light and at different times of year. It's straight out of Tolkien's Shire!!

This is exactly the sort of magical-looking lane that leads to adventures in all the best books and films, which is why I photographed it. I know Tolkien spent time in Wales, though I'm not aware he came to Betws-y-Coed, but it looks like it belongs in The Shire. I certainly felt like I needed to beware of the Black Riders while walking along it, but thankfully none came... this time!!! 

I was captivated by this beautiful little wonky gate and path winding through the trees while visiting a nearby location in Snowdonia.