Mike West Photos

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A trip to Snowdonia national park in North Wales provided a wealth of subjects to photograph. From the slate mines of Dinorwic, to waterfalls in the Fairy Glen, and views of Snowdon, Wales' highest mountain, in mist and dawn light, my visit exceeded all expectations, giving rewards one after another.I found details in rocks and slate, and patterns in lichen, old machinery and discarded, twisted and rusty metal, great valleys carved during the ice age, surrounded by towering mountains feeding the many streams and rivers we explored. The following are a few of my favourite photographs from my travels.

A day out in the Yorkshire Dales proved challenging in chilly and changeable October weather. Limestone pavements were a constant theme through the day, along with rolling hills, escarpments, crags and scars, lone trees, small wooded areas and waterfalls.Limestone pavements are so called because of their resemblance to man-made paving blocks when arranged in uniform size and straight lines. Formed by glacial action, their characteristic slabs and deep fissures, from the impact of corrosive acid rain, are known as clints and grykes.The day began with low cloud and misty conditions, which gave way to patchy sunshine at times. Watching light scan across the landscape, I caught a few special moments against dark and moody skies. Reflecting on these images later, I realised this might be another way a still photograph can depict time.

Wild, weather beaten and remote, the island of Harris and Lewis, with its wide open beaches and rocky coastline, had called to me. Even the name for the chain of islands, of which Harris and Lewis are part, the Outer Hebrides, evokes a sense of foreboding for me. Lying only a mere 40 miles off the Scottish coast, the 130 mile long archipelago, comprising 19 inhabited islands and a further 50 that are substantial, yet uninhabited, is the last major westerly land of Scotland facing the vast Atlantic ocean.Much of the exposed rock along the shoreline of the island is Lewisian gneiss, named after the Isle of Lewis where it was first described, and is amongst the oldest of rocks found on earth dating from 3 billion years ago. These ancient rocks, formed by volcanic processes and subjected to extreme heat, pressure and remelting, were originally part of what is now Canada.So, what was it that brought me 3,500 miles and three plane journeys over 24 hours. It was a question I asked myself standing in the rain and semi-darkness on my first morning, waves crashing on the beach, distant islands barely visible in the gloom. I passed a carcass of a seal pup rolling in the surf as I walked along the shore, which only added to my melancholy. As with all adventures I suppose, I made a start and hoped I would find my feet.