The Nick Livesey Experience
How can you possibly make the experience of walking the mountains of Snowdonia National Park any better? Easy! You engage in the professional services of Mr Nick Livesey.
Discovery
I’ve discovered the work of other photographers in all sorts of ways from books, videos, personal recommendations and even by meeting them in person. However, after a few months, I rarely remember how I discovered them. This of course rarely matters and all that matters is that you do now know about them.
There is one photographer that is different. I still clearly remember watching My Mountain Healing by Nick Livesey and saying to myself this is a guy I need to meet. Rarely has a story of one man’s journey captivated and entertained me so much. With his passion for both the mountains and photography clearly apparent in the video I felt an instant connection with the man who had followed a dream and moved to the mountains.
A Book and an Opportunity
One of the many advantages of having a YouTube channel is that it can open doors for you. Soon after discovering Nick’s work he announced that he was publishing a book called Photographing The Snowdonia Mountains. My first thought was that I wanted to talk about the book in an episode of On My Bookshelf on my YouTube channel. However, I didn’t want to just sit in my office and record something like I normally do. I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to go out on location in Snowdonia and talk about the book there. I then thought to myself how good it would be to do that with the author himself.
So, I boldly sent Nick an email and to my delight, he replied saying he thought it was a great idea! After a little bit of planning and working of schedules, we got a date in the diary and I drove off to Wales to spend the day with My Livesey. It truly was a fantastic day.
Full Time Mountain Guide and Photographer
My time with Nick had left me eager for more adventure in Snowdonia, but as is often the way, life has a habit of getting in the way of the fun stuff. Fast forward to summer 2020 and Nick announces that he is going full time as a photographer and as a mountain guide. This announcement renews my desire to get back to Snowdonia and to engage Nick’s professional services as a guide.
With most of the world still suffering from the effects of the global pandemic organising such a trip wasn’t without its challenges though. We were both determined to make it work and we booked in a provisional date for a day in the mountains in October.
As October approached and I got more excited about my mini photography and walking holiday, parts of the UK started going into local lockdown and Wales looked like it might close.
One of the reasons I hire an expert like Nick is for the breadth of their local knowledge. When the Welsh government announced the Conwy (the part of Snowdonia where Nick lives) was in local lockdown I was sure that Nick would have a plan B. Worried that I wouldn’t be able to visit Snowdonia I dropped Nick a message and he quickly reassured me that he had plenty of routes he could guide me on in Gwynedd (which wasn’t in local lockdown but still part of Snowdonia).
That was all I needed to hear, and I jumped in the car and made my way up into north Wales, passing through Conwy (not stopping) and finally on to the beautiful village of Beddgelert in Gwynedd. I couldn’t wait to start my Snowdonia adventure the next day.
Snowdonia and The Nick Livesey Experience
The following day I met up with Nick and we drove (in separate cars) to Rhyd Ddu where we would start our ascent of Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon). Walking with Nick was like taking a stroll with an old mate. We’d barely got out of the car and we were chatting away like two mates who hadn’t seen each other in while. The time quickly passed as we ascended the Rhyd Ddy path and onto the Llechog ridge.
We were having so a good craic that we almost forget to get our cameras out to photograph the view. While I am certainly the first to bang on about the magical light of golden hour, I couldn’t help but be captivated by the rugged ridgeline that lay behind us. Despite the grey skies, I thought it was a fantastic view.
Llechog Ridge, Snowdon, Wales - Nikon Z7, Nikkor 14-30 f/4 at 17mm, f/11, 1/8th sec at ISO 64.
Our ascent carried on up the Llechog ridge and on towards the summit. As you might expect on any ascent to the summit of Snowdon there were a fair few walkers about. There was even some talk of queues forming to “touch” the summit. I’ve ascended Ben Lomond a number of times, and despite it being a very popular Munro I’ve never had to queue to get the top.
As I took in the view, Nick had started a conversation with a walker on his way down from the summit. At first, I thought they were just talking about the names of various mountain peaks, but it soon occurred to me that they were talking away in Welsh! I’ve always been impressed by how much Nick has not only embraced the area but also how he appreciates the local language and how important it is to the local community. For Nick, the language and culture of Wales are as important as the hills and mountains he enjoys.
Allt Maenderyn Ridge #1, Snowdon, Wales - Nikon Z7, Nikkor 14-30 f/4 at 16mm, f/11, 1/4th sec at ISO 64.
Though the final ascent involved a walk along a narrow ridge it was nothing to get worried about and we were soon on the summit. A few people were hanging around the summit visitors centre but there wasn’t a queue to get to the cairn at the top. I could have walked those last few meters of ascent to touch the cairn but to be honest, the walk for me wasn’t about getting to the very top to get a cheesy Instagram shot. I was quite happy to have a break, a sandwich and chat away to Nick. At this point, I would normally share a photograph of the magnificent view from the top, but given we were in complete cloud it would have been a very boring shot!
View from Allt Maenderyn Ridge, Snowdon, Wales - Nikon Z7, Nikkor 24-200mm f/4-6.3 at 34mm, f/8, 1/15th sec at ISO 64.
One of the benefits of having a knowledgeable and experienced guide with you is that you can change your plans at short notice or take a less well-trodden route. For our decent Nick suggested we descend via the Allt Maenderyn ridge instead of retracing our steps. We were soon below the cloud line again and as I took in the view, I had a moment that can only be described as complete relaxation. It wasn’t a big vista view, and it wasn’t a view that had me reaching for my camera but there is more to walking in the mountains that just have a great place to take photographs. It’s hard to describe how wonderful it is to stand on a high ridgeline looking far down into the valley below, but it is an experience I recommend to everyone.
Allt Maenderyn Ridge #2, Snowdon, Wales - Nikon Z7, Nikkor 24-200mm f/4-6.3 at 28mm, f/11, 1/6th sec at ISO 64.
We descended a little further down Allt Maenderyn ridge until we came to a small plateau which offered a little shelter from the westerly winds. As we enjoyed our break and a few refreshments, Nick spotted that the cloud cover was changing rapidly, and spots of light were racing across the ground. We needed no further encouragement and got our cameras out.
The light would come and then go again. As is the way in the mountains, the conditions were changing rapidly. One minute were were chatting away and the next we were shouting “look, over there” and running with our cameras to get a shot.
Nick had originally planned to descend further and then ascend Yr Aran but Nick suggested that staying where we were would likely yield the best results if we wanted to carry on shooting. Well, I wasn’t about to start disagreeing with a man of Nick’s experience!
Mynydd Mawr from Allt Maenderyn Ridge, Snowdon, Wales - Nikon Z7, Nikkor 24-200mm f/4-6.3 at 24mm, f/8, 1/4th sec at ISO 64.
Of course, he was completely right. Yr Aran remained in the cloud for the rest of the day and we enjoyed watching the ever-changing conditions of the mountains around us. Despite the cold, I was having a fantastic time, but so was Nick. As I had witnessed on my first meet up you can just tell by looking a Nick that he is completely at one with his surroundings. He is a man that absolutely loves what he does and by being in his company you can’t help but feel a just a little bit of what he feels.
As the sun dipped behind a distant mountain, we decided to start heading back to the car park. Soon our head torches were on and it got dark. It’s times like this that I was glad to have engaged the services of a mountain guide. If I’d been on my own, I would have had to have left that spot a lot earlier to get back to the car safely. With Nick there, all I had to do was follow the head torch in front and I would be back at the car!
Returning to the car, I reflected on what a cracking day I had. The day was always about more than just photography. It was about the walking, the experience of being in Snowdonia and of course the company of local legend Nick Livesey. It was a day not to be forgotten.
If you ever find yourself in Snowdonia National Park and are looking for a local, knowledgeable mountain guide who has a real passion for the area or for someone who will help you make the most of your photography (or a bit of both like me), then you won’t do any better than the services of Nick Livesey.
Personally, I can’t wait to go back and catch up with me old mate Nick.
Cloudy with a Chance of Brecon Beacons
I had such fun last year wild camping with Gareth Danks in the Brecon Beacons that I decided to do it again. Armed with a tent, a camera, and a sense of adventure I head up into the hills of the Brecon Beacons for a spot of landscape photography. Would the weather be kinder to me this time though?
Discovering Wild Camping
Last September I went on my first wild camping adventure . It had been something I'd been meaning to do for some time. Much of my enthusiasm for giving it a try was due to me watching wild camping videos from my friend and fellow photographer Gareth Danks. In my first wild camping adventure I headed to the Brecon Beacons and camped up on Pen y Fan. The conditions for photography weren't great, but I really enjoyed the experience.
Back to the Breacon Beacons
After the experience of my first wild camping adventure it was only a matter of time before I wanted to do it again. Fortunately for me though, Gareth is always keen to head out with his tent, and share his experience in wild camping. I might have some skills with a camera, but I'm sensible enough to recognise that I don't have the camping skills!
For our 2nd wild camping trip we did discuss going somewhere further afield like Snowdonia. I visited Snowdonia back in February and I loved the place. (You can watch my adventure in Snowdonia here). However, we both had personal reasons for sticking to somewhere a bit closer to home so we decided on Gareth's backyard. Fortunately for us Gareth's backyard is the Brecon Beacons National Park!
There were a number of questions about this trip though. Would we get better conditions than last time? Would we spend more time drinking coffee? Would I be able to put my own tent up? Let's find out.
As you can see from the video, the conditions were tricky for photography but despite all that I really enjoyed my adventure. I might not have been saying that if I didn't have Gareth along for company. It would have been pretty boring staring into the cloud all by myself!
I'm definitely going to give the wild camping a go again though. I enjoy being outside, walking in the mountains, and brewing cups of coffee in the wilderness. I'm even considering buying my own tent. Would I go back to Brecon Beacons though? Well that all depends on the weather!
Gareth’s Video
Remember to check out Gareth’s video from our wild camping adventure!
Photographing The Snowdonia Mountains | A fotoVUE Guidebook by Nick Livesey - On My Bookshelf S02E02
In the blog this week, join me and Nick Livesey as we spend the day photographing Snowdonia National Park, talking about his book Photographing the Snowdonia Mountains, and generally having a bit of a laugh. What better way to review a guidebook like this by heading out into the wilderness with the author himself!
Discovering The Work of Nick Livesey
Every now and again I find the work of a photographer and wonder why it's taken me so no long to discover them. They could be working professionals with many years of experience, but for some reason, I only just find out about them. Maybe it's more difficult these days with the noise from social media. With so many images out there on social media, it can be easy to miss something important as you whiz through Instagram during your morning coffee.
Every now and again though a photograph or video really catches my eye. This is how I discovered Nick Livesey. Though I can't exactly remember how I found his video, My Mountain Healing, it really struck a chord with me. If you haven't seen it, give it a watch below:
It's a short video, but it was genuine and funny, and you could see that Nick had a real eye for photographing the mountains. After watching the video a couple of times I decided I wanted to know more about Nick and his work. After a little bit of internet research, I discovered that not only did he have a solid body of work, but he was also well known in the climbing and hill walking community, and that his character and whit are almost as well-known as his photographs!
Though I did wonder how I hadn't heard of Nick before one thing was for sure and that was he seemed like the kind of person I would like to go out shooting with.
Photographing the Snowdonia Mountains
As regular readers of my blog will know, I have a series of videos called On My Bookshelf in which I share my thoughts on some of the photography books that I've purchased. For a while now I've been wanting to do an episode of On My Bookshelf on a Fotovue guidebook. These photography location guidebooks have a been a great source of information to me and I've built up a bit of a collection of them.
When I heard that Nick was publishing his very own Fotovue book, Photographing the Snowdonia Mountains, not only was I going to pick up a copy, but I also hoped that this would be the Fotovue book that would feature in On My Bookshelf.
Most of the episodes of On My Bookshelf are filmed at home in front of my bookshelf, but for a Fotovue location guidebook, this didn't seem appropriate. What better way to review a book like this than by heading out to one of the locations in the book. Then I had another thought. What if I can get the author himself to show me in person some of those locations?
Well, guess what? That's exactly what Nick agreed to do! So I'm very proud to share with you this very special episode of On My Bookshelf, filmed on location in Snowdonia National Park, and with Nick Livesey. Enjoy!
I don’t know if you could tell in the video, but that was one of the best days I’ve had out with the camera! I’ve always enjoyed the hills, but heading out with Nick was a real pleasure. It was absolutely fantastic spending the day in those hills and mountains. The conditions were often windy and snowy, and always very cold, but I loved it.
Nick has a genuine passion for his local area. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a person so absolutely content to be outdoors, walking the hills. The look of wonder on his face as if it was the very first time he’d walked up a mountain. Being able to spend the day with Nick and to share in his passion was a real privilege.
On Your Bookshelf
If you did enjoy this video, then please do consider picking up a copy of Nick's excellent Photographing the Snowdonia Mountains. Even if you don't think you'd ever visit Snowdonia, the book is packed full of inspiring photographs and lots of useful information about photographing in the outdoors. You can pick up a copy of the book directly from Nick's website:
https://nicklivesey.co.uk/product/photographing-snowdonia-mountains/
Are you planning on getting a copy, or do you already have one? Do you have any of the other Fotovue titles? Do you have a favourite location in Snowdonia? Let me know in the comments below.
My Snowdonia Photographs
No blog post of mine would be complete without a landscape photograph! Here are some of my favourite images that I captured while out with Nick.
Snowdon from Clogwyn Mawr, Capel Curig, Snowdonia National Park - Nikon D850, Nikkor 24-70 mm f/2.8 VR at 36 mm, f/11, 1/2 sec at ISO 64, polariser and ND grad.
Yr Aran, Craig Wen and Moel Hebog from Bwlch Maesgwm, Snowdonia National Park - Nikon D850, Nikkor 24-70 mm f/2.8 VR at 34 mm, f/11, 1/60th sec at ISO 64, polariser and ND grad.
Snowdon and Moel Cynghorion from Moel Eilio, Snowdonia National Park - Nikon D850, Nikkor 24-70 mm f/2.8 VR at 52 mm, f/11, 1/40th sec at ISO 64, polariser and ND grad.
Snowdonia National Park Panorama from Moel Eilio, Snowdonia National Park - Nikon D850, Nikkor 24-70 mm f/2.8 VR at 38 mm, f/11, 1/6th sec at ISO 64, polariser. 7 image panoramic stitch.