Gnarly Strides

Coed-y-Brenin, Welsh Mountains. Epic mountain biking trip last year with my best friend who fractured a wrist during said epicness (this can be your memento and tiny tribute to commemorate the event). Following a slow but purposeful morning start and a hearty cholesterol stacked breakfast lining my stomach to fuel our day of biking, I took myself off for a wander around the farm we were camping in. Sheep eyed me curiously and bleeted stuttered warnings as I strode stodgily through a spikey grassed boggy field towards the Far-Away Gnarly Tree. I had spotted the tree while setting up camp the night before, and took a few shots from a distance trying to figure out how best to photograph it with many failed attempts. I originally shot it in colour, but the gentle surrounding countryside and mountainous backdrop contrasting with the weathered twisted branches, I have now decided it suits black and white the best. Learning to dodge and burn in photoshop would be a handy thing to have here as I'd like to have drawn more focus to the tree. I miss being able to do that in the darkroom. Infact, I miss the darkroom process altogether. Black and white is increasingly becoming my default...

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