Pleased to announce that I can now offer digital downloads of many of the images on my site for only 25.00GBP (T&C apply)
For more information about Carmarthenshire, go to - DiscoverCarmarthenshire.com
07:20 on a lovely sunny morning.
The town centre is near-enough deserted at this time of day, so I thought it would be a good time to try out my Tokina 11-16mm DX wide-angle lens, and capture a flavour of some of the recent enhancements to the area.
The lens is made for cropped-sensor cameras, but seems to work well on the full-frame Sony A850 at the 16mm end of the range.
For more information, go to - DiscoverCarmarthenshire.com
Out and about on Saturday morning - wet, windy and overcast.
Fortune smiled, and I stumbled across a parade of classic vehicles.
The annual 'Under Milk Wood' classic vehicle run starts in Mumbles and ends in Laugharne, Carmarthenshire. Hundreds of vehicles of all description take part in this FREE event, organised by the National Transport Festival of Wales - for more information see http://www.ntfwswansea.co.uk/
Click HERE for the gallery.
First really warm day of the year, with lovely sunshine.
Took a stroll around Bury Port harbour, and met a vivacious lady from the US of A together with her son and grandson, and was pleased to be able to offer a photograph of the three generations to commemorate her visit to Wales.
Tried my hand at a panorama of the boats in the harbour marina.
All in all, a thoroughly pleasant afternoon.
For more information, go to - DiscoverCarmarthenshire.com
Visited Gell Aur (Golden Grove) Country Park, near Llandeilo, on a damp late-October day.
Very disappointed to find the Mansion House closed to public access, as were the deer park and arboretum.
(the rest of the park is to suffer the same fate, if local news reports are to be believed).
The cafe in the visitors centre was warm and cheerful on the inside, but the same cannot be said for the exterior, which was in a poor cosmetic state.
The information panels were illegible due to fading, and signposting was almost non-existent.
The only portions of the woodland open to the public were severely waterlogged, with the pathways(?) knee deep in mud in lots of places.
This meant confining myself to the viewing platform at the visitors centre, where by a stroke of good fortune some of the fallow deer were grazing in the meadow below.
For more information, go to - DiscoverCarmarthenshire.com
Had a couple of hours to spare this weekend, so decide to visit Parc Howard in Llanelli town.
Missed the best of the Autumn colours by a week or two, but the weather was kind and a fair number of people were strolling around the grounds.
Snapped a cheeky, fat-bodied squirrel foraging around the ornamental duckpond - obviously picking the food missed by the various waterfowl.
The house was built in 1885 by the Buckleys, a family with a long association of brewing. It was given to the town of Llanelli in 1912 by Sir Stafford and Lady Howard.
For more information, go to - DiscoverCarmarthenshire.com
Took a stroll through the woodland surrounding Sandy Water Park at Llanelli.
Autumn is well and truly here, with few leaves left on the trees and most of the flora having fruited and set seed.
Lots of fungi in evidence after the recent rainfall and mild weather.
Lucky enough to catch a male Common Hawker dragonfly basking in the early afternoon sunshine.
For more information on Carmarthenshire, go to - DiscoverCarmarthenshire.com
Another late-summer sunny day.
Drove to Burry Port and parked at the old Pembrey Harbour, west of the new marina.
Walked along the Coastal Path, past the Ashburnham Golf Club and salt marshes, to Pembrey. Caught some dramatic storm clouds rolling in over Carmarthen Bay.
Lots of people about, especially dog-walkers and cyclists, taking advantage of the good weather.
For more information about Carmarthenshire, go to - DiscoverCarmarthenshire.com
This morning dawned bright and sunny, if a little breezy.
My tide tables told me it was the highest tide of the year (8.30m), so I grabbed my kit and took a stroll.
Very few people about, just the usual dog-walkers and joggers, apart from one serious bird-watcher at Sandy Water Park, where the ducks were just waking and warming themselves in the late summer sun.
For more information about Carmarthenshire, go to - DiscoverCarmarthenshire.com
Hopped on my bike to catch the warm sunshine of an early September afternoon.
Rode westwards from Llanelli along the Sustrans Route 4 towards Burry Port and Pembrey.
Stopped for a breather just short of Burry Port harbour, at the site of the giant 'Mari Lwyd' land sculpture.
Mari Lwyd (Grey Mare / Holy Mary) was the name most generally applied in Wales to the horse-figure formerly carried from door to door by wassail-singing groups during the Christmas season. This figure (which is, of course, represented in other countries) seems to have been once known all over southern Wales but during the present century relatively little has been seen of it outside of Glamorgan, where it is not yet completely extinct.
For more information on Carmarthenshire, go to - DiscoverCarmarthenshire.com.
This gallery is to give a flavour of the rich harvest of fruits,berries, nuts and suchlike that nature provides us with in the 'Garden of Wales' - Carmarthenshire.
Click HERE for the gallery.
For more information on Carmarthenshire, go to - DiscoverCarmarthenshire.com
Created a new gallery to contain macro images of all the flora, fauna, creepy-crawlies and long-legged beasties to be found in Carmarthenshire.
Click HERE for the gallery.
For more information on Llanelli Waterside, go to - DiscoverCarmarthenshire.com
Took a stroll around Sandy Water Park and Llanelli Beach, both in the MIllennium Coastal Park and Llanelli Waterside.
Decided to use only my 105mm macro lens, to see what kind of effects I could manage to produce.
Seems it is a great 'walk around' lens, and especially useful as a portrait lens.
Click HERE for the gallery.
For more information on Llanelli Waterside, go to - DiscoverCarmarthenshire.com
A sunny morning, so hied myself to the National Botanic Garden of Wales at Llanarthne, near Carmarthen.
Entry fee is 8.50 GBP, but does include a courtesy land-train ride from the gatehouse to the Great Glasshouse.
Currently, (September 2012), the fee also entitles you to FREE return entry for the following 7 days.
As is my luck at the moment, as soon as I arrived the skies clouded over to a drab, hazy grey.
This really lowered the available light levels, especially inside the Glasshouse.
So, I did my best with my new Sigma 105 EX macro lens - all hand-held.
The flowers were a really colourful contrast to the almost monochrome shrubs and bushes.
Click HERE for the gallery.
For more information, go to - DiscoverCarmarthenshire.com
Just got a new (second-hand) Sigma 105mm macro lens, so had to try it out.
Probably the sharpest lens I have ever used - can't wait to attempt some true macro close-up shots.
Click HERE for the gallery.
For more information on Carmarthenshire, go to - DiscoverCarmarthenshire.com
Decided to take 'she who must be obeyed' to visit Llanseffan Castle, fully kitted out with a selection of picnic comestibles - on what turned out to be probably the hottest day of the year.
The beach car park was full to capacity, as were the shops and cafe.
The climb up to the castle itself was a bit strenuous, not helped by the heat (and the poor signage) - but what an incredible location !
No wonder this spot was chosen for the construction of a castle, almost impossible to attack successfully up the steep slopes, and commanding wonderful views over the Towy estuary, the Gower and Pembrey peninsulas in the distance, the village of Ferryside on the directly opposite bank and lastly upriver to Carmarthen.
The grounds were a haven of quiet, leaving the bustling holidaymakers far below, their voices carried away by a refreshing breeze on the hilltop.
Click HERE for the gallery.
For more information, go to - DiscoverCarmarthenshire.com
Added some new images to the Llanelli Waterside gallery.
Trying out my new 70-400mm G-series lens, bit of a handful - but some excellent results.
Managed to find the only sunny morning for the past couple of weeks.
Click HERE for the gallery.
For more information on Carmarthenshire, go to - DiscoverCarmarthenshire.com
Walked over to North Dock, Llanelli - an old coal/steel exporting dock back in it's heyday, now a centre for watersports - to take some images of a bath-tubbing race event.
As it happened, a very poor showing and disappointing.
I noticed that kite surfers were on the beach, only 100m from the dock.
Llanelli beach is an ideal venue for the sport, good onshore winds, shallow water and very good access to the sandy shoreline.
A large car park is only meters away, as is a cafe and toilets in the award-winning Discovery centre, within metres of the Millennium Coastal Park promenade and National Cycle Network.
About a dozen kite surfers were taking advantage of the conditions to put on a spectacular display, all set against the fantastic backdrop of Carmarthen Bay and the world-famous Gower Peninsula.
Click HERE for the gallery.
For more information on sporting activities and the coastal areas of Carmarthenshire, go to - DiscoverCarmarthenshire.com
Another fine day, so off to Laugharne for a day out.
Visited the town on many previous occasions, but never looked around the castle.
Entry fee of 3.20GBP, payable at the modern gatehouse/shop.
The grounds are neatly kept, but, as is typical in my experience of CADW maintained sites, the information/interpretation panels were faded,poorly maintained and dated.
Highlights were the 'storytelling' tree in the grounds, and the art/sculpture installations around the site.
Used HDR (High Dynamic Range) settings for most of the shots, I like the way it renders the stone.
All together, a pleasant hour or two, before having lunch in the town.
Click HERE for the gallery.
For more information on Carmarthenshire and Laugharne, go to - DiscoverCarmarthenshire.com
Visited the Red Kite (Milvus Milvus) Feeding Station at Llanddeusant, way out in the wilds of Carmarthenshire.
Got lost once on the way, brown Tourism signage is unclear in places.
Parked at the Red Kite Cafe, free of charge if visiting the Feeding Station, very cosy and good food at a reasonable price. The hides of the Feeding Station are a short walk from the cafe itself (entry fee a very reasonable 3GBP for adults, 1.50GBP for children, collected at the hides), well maintained and weatherproof - just as well, as the heavens opened when we arrived. The kites do not fly or feed in the heavy rain, but after an hours wait the skies cleared to a dull, overcast sky.
Then the kites arrived !
One or two at first, then about 30 in total, wheeling and diving - an incredible show.
Well worth the trip, if slightly disappointing from a photography point of view on this occasion - not enough light, not enough lens, and terrible weather conditions.
A definite return outing is planned when (if) the weather improves.
For more information on the kites, go to - RedKitesWales.com
Click HERE for the gallery.
For more information on Carmarthenshire, go to - DiscoverCarmarthenshire.com
Visited the Wetlands on a very dull and chilly day. Entry fee of 8.45GBP I found quite expensive, but does include bike hire for use on the dedicated Bike Trail at the Centre.
Some areas were closed for improvement work (much needed in places IMHO), and others had a bit of a 'tatty' look about them.
The hides on the other hand, overlooking the wetlands and across the estuary, were well maintained and clean.
A huge variety of wildfowl can be seen, and fed !
For more information - www.wwt.org.uk
Click HERE for the gallery.
For information on Carmarthenshire - DiscoverCarmarthenshire.com
Another fine day, so off to Dinefwr Park and Castle near Llandeilo in the Towy Valley.
The fee of £6.70 (includes entry to the National Trust property of Newton House) was very reasonable, ample parking and the staff very helpful and knowledgable.
Some lovely walks, plenty to see - from the wildlife to remnants of the woodland walk designed by Capability Brown, to the Bogwood boardwalk, Castle Woods and the Castle itself.
'Newton House is the centrepiece of Dinefwr Park and Castle, a stunning 800-acre estate and one of Wales’s most important historic and cultural sites. The imposing rooms offer views out over one of the best 18th-century landscapes in Britain where you’ll see White Park Cattle, fallow deer and a landscape newly restored to its 18th Century design.
There’s a gift shop, tea rooms and a small play and picnic area for families.' - DiscoverCarmarthenshire.com
Click HERE for the gallery.
For more information, go to - http://www.discovercarmarthenshire.com/family/newton-house.html
Took advantage of the fine weather to visit the house and gardens. Lots of visitors in evidence, but all hiding in the shade.
Entry fee is 8GBP, bit steep I thought. No tripods allowed in the grounds, so all shots are hand-held.
'Beautiful Aberglasney has become one of the most-talked about gardens in the UK. Nestled on a hillside in the spectacular Tywi Valley countryside, the house and gardens have been magnificently restored after years of neglect.
Its dramatic rescue towards the end of the last century, led to the discovery of some of the most important historical features belonging to a bygone age of gardens, most notably a unique Elizabethan/Jacobean Cloister and rare parapet walk. The magnificent mansion has also been lovingly restored to reveal its 400 year old secrets.
Since Aberglasney opened its doors to the public, the garden has evolved into a beautiful place of historical and horticultural importance. It has earned the well-deserved reputation of housing an extensive range of rare and unusual plants, including Cardiocrinums, Meconopsis, Trilliums, Lilies and unusual trees and shrubs.
The most recent addition is the award winning Ninfarium, a garden based on the gardens of Ninfa near Rome. It is a unique indoor garden built within the central ruins of the mansion and is filled with a wonderful collection of warm temperate plants, including Orchids, Palms, Magnolias and Cycads.' - Courtesy of DiscoverCarmarthenshire.com
Click HERE for the gallery
For more information, go to - http://www.discovercarmarthenshire.com/places-to-go/gardens.html
Added 3 new images to the 'ELECTRIC DREAMS' gallery.
Created a new 'LLANELLI WATERSIDE' gallery to contain images of the regenerated waterside stretching from Loughor in the East to Burry Port in the West