Journal
Photoshoot Writeups
Prior to going to each of the following shoots I had a brief idea in my head of how it would be possible to capture the images however I went with an open mind. Firstly, I considered capturing a shot of the whole tree, taking some abstract shots and then looking up at the canopy from underneath. Not knowing how big each of the trees were, just what I saw when doing my research into the trees through the internet. Knowing they were ancient and veteran trees, and that they were in several locations around the United Kingdom. I knew that I would need to be respectful to the trees and the surroundings.
The Lonely Tree
“The lonely tree (also known as ‘the lone tree’) is semi-famous photography and natural beauty spot in Llanberis, North Wales. It’s a dream, a tree standing alone on the shore, or sometimes on its own personal little island, depending on the water’s level”.
(THE LONELY TREE – WHERE IS IT AND WHY IS IT SO SPECIAL?, 2020)
Tree Type: Birch (Betula)
Age: Up to 40 years old
Girth: Unknown
Height: 18 Feet
Arriving on the evening of the 29th January near Llanberis, we stayed at The Blackboy Inn, Caernarfon. On the way, we had a look around the area to see whether we could find the tree and to become more familiar with it. This was so we knew where we were going before setting off in the morning. On the morning of the 30th January, around 05:00, we set off for Llanberis before first light to find The Lonely Tree.
It was very cold, but dry although it was damp. I had my camera equipment with additional lenses if needed, appropriate clothing and footwear and my tripod.
The idea was to photograph a tree but as this was the first one I had done, I did not know what to expect. After researching the tree I was concerned about the lighting due to the location as it was in a mountainous area and surrounded by water.
There would be shadows cast by the mountains, reflections from the water and lighting changes due to the time of day. To access the tree you would park the car and walk to it down a path, eventually reaching the lake shoreline. The tree stood on its own tiny island in a small cove within the lake.
I felt this was the right location to capture the shot I wanted with the mountains on either side framing the tree as the sun rose in the distance.
I carried out the photography fully manually (See caption in photographs).
I tried a variety of settings during my shoot here due to the changing light whilst I knew the weather conditions could change quite quickly. Two other people were photographing the tree who had been there for a while before we arrived (since around 03:00), they offered some advice on different techniques they had found helpful from other photographers.
I chose to photograph the tree in the early hours of the morning as it would be silhouetted by the rising sun, also because it is a popular location and gets busy very quickly. By getting to the location early I hoped the weather would stay on my side and the lighting conditions would be suitable for my shot.
Luckily on the day, I chose to go, the weather conditions were favourable and there was a sudden break in the clouds and this beautiful sunrise started to appear.
I adjusted my position so that could capture the tree framed in the vee formed by the two mountains as the sun broke through the cloud behind it. If there had not been a sunrise behind it, it would have just come out as a tree by the water.
The water level had dropped considerably making the tree easily accessible from the lake bank.
Towards the end of the shoot, three ladies showed up who decided they were going to go open water swimming, claiming it was a great hangover cure. This is something I included in the shoot, with their permission. All of the photos were taken using a tripod due to the long exposure times needed to capture the image.
I would have liked to have arrived at the site slightly earlier due to how busy it was. However, saying that I also think I was there just at the right time, just before the sunrise.
Returning to the hotel, we had breakfast and then went to the next tree.
The Llangernyw Yew
“Yew trees survive by regenerating. The centre of the Llangernyw yew is a void, where the original growth has died back over the millennia. Younger wood grows around the void, drawing nutrients from the prehistoric roots.”
Tree Type: The Llangernyw Yew (Taxus Baccata)
Age: 4000 and 5000 years
Girth: 10.8 Metres
Height: Up to 24.3 Metres
We arrived at The Llangernyw Yew at approximately 12:00. It was one of three yews we visited in Wales. Located in St Digain’s Church it was easily visual at the front of the church on the left.
The weather was cloudy and started to rain when we turned up so time was not on my side. I had already got my camera equipment with additional lenses if needed, appropriate clothing and footwear and my tripod from my previous shoot at Llanberis.
I captured various images from both further away and closer up, using flash if needed and trying different settings. I carried out the photography fully manually (See caption in photographs).
Shadows from under the canopy of the tree caused problems, this I put down to a learning curve. On this tree, there was a branch that was broken or part of the trunk, and it had this massive branch growing out of it. This branch had a character in it that looked like a fire-breathing dragon, which I found interesting. I thought this would go quite well with what I was doing, as the tree was in Wales and is symbolic of Wales.
After spending around an hour at this location we continued on our journey to the next tree location.
The Oak At The Gate Of The Dead
The Oak at the Gate of the Dead is an ancient tree growing adjacent to Offa’s Dyke and is on the site of the Battle of Crogen 1165. It is situated next to the B4500 at Castle Mill, below Chirk Castle NT. This ancient Oak is believed to be over 1,000 years old and as such years it is sometimes referred to as the ‘Last Living Witness’ to the Battle of Crogen.
(The Oak at the Gate of the Dead, n.d.)
Tree Type: English Oak (Quercus Robur)
Age: 1000+ years
Girth: 10 Metres
Height: Unknown
Arriving at approximately 11:00 just outside the village of Chirk the weather conditions were fine, although it was cold. This is the location for The Oak at the Gate of The Dead and is on the site of the Battle of Crogen 1165. You can see it from the main road however to access it you need to park on a narrow lane and walk across a busy road to reach the site which is set back off the road at the base of Offa’s Dyke.
With my camera equipment, additional lenses and tripod in hand I walked over to this tree. The first thing you see initially is an old tree on a bank that is covered in ivy, with a very strong rooted trunk and a large broad girth. At the bottom of the trunk, there is a little wooden plaque with the name ‘The Oak at the Gate of the Dead’. It is a little confusing as this tree is part of the story however just beyond that tree in a clearing is a tree that has been stripped of its leaves and it has fallen down, potentially after having been hit by lightning. There is not much of a canopy to this tree because of its age, which is over eight hundred years old. As it was in a clearing I could only capture a shot further away, the bank was too steep to access it fully.
I carried out the photography fully manually (See caption in photographs) using a tripod due to where it was located.
This place seems to have a very eerie atmosphere and has a sense of melancholy about it, as there had been a battle with a lot of bloodshed between the English and Welsh.
