Snowdonia Drone Tour Feb 11 th 2019

Today I am going to tour around various locations around Snowdonia , and fly as many as I can with the Phantom 4 pro drone.   The weather for once is looking very good and there is still a small amount of snow on the mountain tops.
Starting off near Capel Curig on the A4086 to Beddgelert , one of the finest roads in Snowdonia.    The view towards the Snowdon Horseshoe is fabulous, I have stopped in one of the many laybys alongside the twin lakes of Llynnau  Mymbyr  to make my first short flight to show this fabulous road that leads towards Snowdon.

           A five frame Vertorama , Plenty of snow still on Snowdon and Crib Goch by looks of it.
I have four batteries for the drone, so I have to make the most of them, this first flight lasted 5 minutes , I shot the five individual frames at a height of 380 ft.

I have now driven further down the road, almost to the Pen-y-Pass turn off actually.  parked up and I have walked over the road and up towards the waterfalls that come from a small lake up behind the Pen-y-pass hostel called Llyn Cwmffynnon .   The light is looking fabulous as I take the drone up , I have approximately 80% left on this first battery so need to get the images while the light is good.   the cloud is moving fairly quickly so the first couple of images I have shot look the best.

Crib Goch with Snowdon summit just visible behind to the left clearly visible in this Vertorama image, the cloud really makes the image.

                                                           A full nine frame panorama.

After a 15 minute flight I bring the drone back, that's the first battery finished but managed some great images.    Now I will continue down past the Snowdon viewpoint where I took some images from last trip and will go down to Llyn Gwynant , hopefully the surface will be calm enough for some reflection images.
Parked up next to the water I take a short 5 minute flight, just long enough to shoot a couple of Vertorama sets, the main area for reflections is rippled so I just leave it for now with just these 2 images, both 5 frames merged in Lightroom.

Looking down the lake towards Y-Aran I think it is, the Watkin path and its fabulous waterfalls are not far away, but I don't think I will go up there today.

                                                Looking back up towards Pen-y-pass
                                      My Tutorial on Making/editing Vertorama images is HERE

Now, where to go next?    the Watkin path does look inviting as I drive past but I think I will go down towards Beddgelert forest area for a change, as Mollster is with me we can go for a walk around the woods.
First I stop just off the turning by the railway track, a phone shot first...………

Now another quick 4 minute flight on the second battery  to take a couple of Panorama setts , the light is still really good.

                 Just 177 ft high for this  9 frame panorama, its getting quite windy unfortunately.

                                         The snow is visible on Snowdon in the distance.

              Walking Mollster now while looking for another location to take some more images.

             There is a lot of deforestation taking place around here, and its extremely wet underfoot.

I have found a small clearing in the trees to fly from,   so another short 6 minute flight again on the 2nd battery , almost straight up through the trees to 380 ft.

                                                          6 frames merged for this one.

This Vertorama I have shot from just 80 ft 

                                                         21 frame 180 dgree Panorama

That's the second battery finished , a good walk around the forest and soaking wet feet also!

Now time to head down the a4085 towards Rhyd Ddu , I will either walk around Llyn Dywarchen or maybe climb up towards Mynydd Mawr.     As I reach the turn off towards Nantile valley I have decided to walk around the lake and climb up Clogwynygarreg instead to get some images, going up towards Mynydd it will be way too windy to fly !

                    That's the rock I am going to climb!  maybe get a drone selfi from the top .

                                                                  View towards Snowdon

Now I have climbed/scrambled  up to the top, glorious views across Nantile valley with Mynydd Mawr on the right side.  its very windy so will be very careful and not fly very high .

Here I start a 14 minute flight, as its windy and gusting quite strong 66 ft is the highest I take the drone up,  but that is more than enough for these images , Drone selfi first .
I shot these 2 using the automated shooting mode selecting 5 seconds between each frame .

                    Fabulous late afternoon light looking over Llyn Dywarchen now .
A 4 frame vertorama , I always shoot 5 or 6 individual frame for these images,  adjusting the exposure manually for each frame as the camera pans down.  for this finished image I discarded the 5th frame as the bottom sloped away and looked distorted in the 5 frame stitch.

                           looking down the valley towards Llyn Nantile Uchaf  in the distance.

                                                                    A 9 frame Panorama.

That's the 3rd battery down to 60% , time to get back down now. its too windy to fly any more here.
I think heading back to the Twin Lakes is a good idea just in case there might be a good sunset .

  last phone picture before leaving.   I am driving back the way I came , as I drive up past Snowdon viewpoint the summit is completely covered in cloud and its building up significantly all around over the Mountains, I guess no sunset tonight.

Parking up at the large layby in the middle of the Llynnau Mymbyr I will use my last battery to get some images over the lake looking up towards Capil Cureg.

                                                                    A 4 frame merge.

4 frame Vertorama,  I had shot 6 frames but the bottom 2 were distorted too much to use in the final image when stitched together.

           Topdown over the trees, the low light really brings the images to life illuminating the tops .

That's the end of a superb and varied day in Snowdonia .

Autumn in Snowdonia Nov 18 th

This morning I am heading into Snowdonia in search of Autumn colour, starting  in the forests near to Trefriw.  Having driven down to Llanwrst and turned over the bridge towards Trefriw and then the road through the forest .     I have stopped at the Hafna mine , the old building ruins might make for a good image or two from above.

                                                                  8 frame Vertorama

                                                            2 frames merge Topdown

                                                                     Single frame f5.6

Time to move on , this road eventually comes out by the "Ugly house"   but half way along there is a turn off towards Cors Bodgynydd nature reserve , a location I have previously been shooting Dragonflies and Damselflies.  Further on are a couple of large mountain lakes, I will try one of those I think.    Eventually I have come to Llyn Geirionydd , this will be a great location to shoot from high up .

I have set up near the car park on the edge of the lake, and will fly the drone down to the far end to have a look around at the maximum height allowed of 400ft

                                                A simple 2 frame image to start with .

                                                                    9 frame Vertorama

                 This one is a cropped 21 frame 180 dgree panorama, with the left hand end cut off.

The battery is almost down to the warning , so a quick topdown image of the trees on the opposite side of the lake from where I am standing.

Time to head off again , I think a drive down into Betws-y-Coed and have a look around see what I can find.     I have stopped of over the road from Fairy Glen, just by the river. since I only have half a battery left it will be a quick 10 minute flight.

             Looking down the valley, Betws -y is just around the corner to the left out of sight.

           Lovely colours still being lit up by the sun directly in front of me high up on the hill side.

                       I have shot a couple of closer images , love the light on the trees in these.

The end of another great day shooting.

            all images shot with Dji Phantom 4 pro drone .

Lake Vyrnwy Oct 29 th

The Autumn colours are now really getting good,  a trip down to Lake Vyrnwy in mid Wales  is today's location to photograph.   As I drive down through the tree lined entrance road towards the dam, the light through the trees looks fabulous, I must walk back up here as soon as I get parked.


                     A quick dash around the Dam and up the road to get this image on the 5dsr.

Walking back to go down into the park below the dam I notice the sun lighting up the tower and the trees , with dark shadows behind it looks very dramatic,  quickly I put the 100-400mm lens on the shoot this image.

                                                                             The Dam

The cloud is still  blocking the sun at times, giving muted colours , but blue sky is heading this way.

                  Another shot down the road, still looks good when the sun briefly comes through.

Time to get the drone up , the sky has cleared significantly now , a 9 frame panorama first to be shot.

                                                           Topdown over the sculpture park.

                                                         Vertorama of the same view.

Time to walk down the left hand side of the lake to find a spot to take off the drone , opposite the tower is a good location.   a phone pic shows thick cloud has reappeared, temporarily.

                                   The drone is up and I shoot a low level Tower image.

                                                            Then Topdown from above.

            Now for a full panorama looking down the lake, beautiful blue sky now in the distance.

       Bringing the drone back above me , I shoot a 7 frame vertorama looking down the lakes forest.

                  The different species of Trees are arranged in blocks, like a patchwork quilt  lol
                             The shadows on the lake could do with being a bit stronger I think.

    I have now driven further down the lake to the picnic area where the drone landing  pads are  lol

I have taken off and flown straight over to the opposite side, the low sun is illuminating the trees and producing nice shadows.  

                                        Cannot decide which I like best of these 2 images.

                                  Topdown over an old ruined brick farm building,  I presume.
It is a multi frame merge, shot in a grid pattern moving the drone over the area shooting 2 rows of images.

Flying over the trees I have shot this 9 frame panorama, the drone software automatically shoots the frames, I then merge together in either PTGui or lightroom (if I don't intend to print)

That's the end of the battery, 23 minutes of flying and I am driving further down the lake, stopping off at the top end to fly the last battery and then walk around with the camera and long lens.

                     Phone shot on the dried up lake bed where I have managed to get down to.

        Straight up with the drone and out to the opposite side where the sun is still on the trees.

        A bit further down the lake for this panorama image. The spruce are looking great in the sun but not quite fully coloured up yet.

                                                 To finish off with 2 Vertorama images

                            Now to shoot a few images of the autumn colours with the camera.

                          100-400L lens on the 5dsr shot handheld for this close up of the trees.

 A final image,   just caught the last of the sun hitting the tree tops , this is 5 vertical images stitched together shot with 100-400L again .

The end of a fabulous day in mid Wales.