LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHY LOCATION GUIDES:
Gwern Gof Isaf, Ogwen Valley
Summary:
Best at / for: any time, including sunrise but not sunset.
Best avoided: during blizzards!
Parking: free parking with close access to the location.
Access: rough hiking required to reach elevated vantage points.
Notes: good hiking / wild camping opportunities nearby.
Details:
Coming down slightly towards Capel Curig from Llyn Ogwen, offers landscape photographers an opportunity to enjoy the epic scenery in a slightly less crowded location.
There is paid parking at Gwern Gof Isaf farm alongside the A5, from which you can head south up the slopes of Cwm Tryfan and shoot up towards the peak, or go for panoramas with Pen Yr Ole Wen in the compostion.
Alternatively great vistas can be had by heading North up the lane towards the reservoir at Ffynnon Llugwy.
The locality itself isn’t at all interesting to the photographer, but as a parking point it offers hiking access to many interesting wild-camp spots and vantage points for landscape photography.
The valley runs east – west, and good sunrise light with project nicely onto the peaks. But there’s almost no sunset light ever in the valley as the high north-south ridge along dog-leg of Nant Francon blocks it out. Of course, if you hike up onto the high ridges or even the Glyderau from here that’s another matter altogether for amazing light shows and dark-skies astro!
My vlogs featuring this location: