.....experts at lightpainting and will be pleased to show you all how to light up a cavern.....

Hahahaha that's fighting talk! :lol: :lol: :lol:

@Newstuff?? You're not going to take a challenge like that lying down are you???

@Mudbeast: glad you guys can still make it :thumbup: Maentwrog is a bit out of my way, but I'm sure that we could meet you at the Lakeside Café at 0900 for a feed before we head in? And maybe half a mild afterwards? :lol:

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Thought to try some photos of these chambers since last summer and have daydreamed a fair bit about where to place lights etc 😛, I managed to get an OK photo using exposure stacking software.
I don't have a wide angle lens, I have a Sony RX100 which should do alright though. No bulbs but ive some magnesium ribbon if that helps?

My Swedish friend has no flash bulbs or anything but did a good job of lighting a huge iron mine chamber with just a headlamp, though he did have to wonder around in darkness to avoid showing up and the exposure was around ten minutes...

This is exactly why I fancied a photo trip...a fun day out with no agenda other than to try out a few ideas and improve our (my... 😞 ) photo skills 😉
Thanks to all of you for taking the time and showing the interest, much appreciated. Should be a great trip! :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

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Are you around after or on Sunday sinker?

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Look forward to seeing the photos from this one 🙂 Wish I could make it!

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Yes mate should be, and have another little plan for Sunday....ssssh 😉 😉

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You'll have to PM me in Norsk or English XD. I have various ideas in my head for evenings but these very short trips.

Shame you can't come Simon

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Better get my Soldering iron out then, I'll be needing more batteries and lights.

While we may not *need* a portable power station, I'm gonna try like hell to make sure I'm carrying one (66AH of 18650's enough?)

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Ok chaps this is a final "bump-up" of this thread, just to remind us all what we are doing tomorrow :lol:

My plan is to meet up with Ali, Chrisj, Mudbeast, Roam at the Lakeside café at 0900, here:

http://www.flashearth.com/?lat=52.985617&lon=-3.965616&z=16.6&r=0&src=msa 

for a big breakfast 😉
I suggest that this is the best way to start the day, so if anyone else fancies it then come along :thumbsup:

Then meet up at 1000, half a mile up the road at Cwmorthin car park, here:

http://www.flashearth.com/?lat=52.989923&lon=-3.963398&z=17.1&r=0&src=msa 

for a brisk yomp up "the incline of death" to Wrysgan Slate Mine.
Only joking, its quite a gentle wander 😉
No real plans for the day from then on, but photography is the theme of the day and the pace will be fairly laid back. I'll be perfecting my technique, a couple of you have some lighting tricks to play around with so lets see how it goes?
If anyone travelling from away is lost/confused/unsure etc then PM me and I'll give you my mobile number so you can keep in touch.
Finally if anyone else hasn't signed up for the trip but fancies it then please just turn up, all welcome! :thumbsup:
Thanks and see you tomorrow :thumbup:

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Batteries charging, lights being packed, still deciding on lenses though...

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Batteries charging, lights being packed, still deciding on lenses though...

How difficult can it be to decide?

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Batteries charging, lights being packed, still deciding on lenses though...

How difficult can it be to decide?

All the good underground photographers I know who use SLRs seem to rely upon fairly bog-standard lenses they know they can rely on to help them keep their shots in focus!

I use a CSC (Sony NEX), not an SLR, and I use Manual Focus lenses. Each one has it's strong points (one might have little/no CA, another will be razor sharp, another will have no distortion to speak of, and so on). The ones that do all of the above are scarily expensive, and not getting used underground (Zeiss 45/2.8 in C/Y for instance).

Kit lenses are OK stopped down, but I'd rather use something that's better than OK, and I don't actually own one.

Add to the fact I've never actually been to Wrysgan before (How big is "big" when it comes to chambers/fallen blocks?), and hey presto, lens dilemma. I don't fancy carrying 2 or 3 lenses I won't need in this weather.

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I went up Snowdon today, an interesting experience in this wwather

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I am tired... but a great day out. Many thanks to Sinker for transport and organising the day, and great to meet a load of new (to me) faces.

Some of the ex-ceiling blocks in there are astounding in size, and some real hanging death threatening to join them. The collapse is a proper job, none of these poxy little piles of rock normally seen.

Pictures will follow once I bash them through something that can do a half decent job of HDR.

I will return here, but with *way* more lights!

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Top day out, really enjoyed it! :thumbsup:

Nice to meet new faces as well! 😉

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Thoroughly enjoyable, even without seeing the mine and the photos it was great chatting to you all, glad to have met you, will be back :p

Hope everyone had a fun time and pictures turned out well

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Thanks to you all for making the effort and making the trip a success and such an enjoyable day out. Thanks to Chrisj for his guiding skills....told you my memory was bad!!
Well done especially to Mudbeast who deserves an award for "The Furthest Distance Travelled To Attend", from the Scottish Highlands. It's been over thirty years since he has visited Blaenau, so welcome back! Actually after what we put him through yesterday it could well be another thirty years 'till we see him again :lol: .
WhereverImayroam travelled from Liverpool and experienced his first Slate mine so it was worth you coming just for that, and from looking over your shoulder then your photos should be worth seeing too :thumbup: .
Nice to meet JRD too, a local mine explorer on his first trip to Wrysgan. Welcome aboard....if you're free on a Thursday night you are more than welcome to join us.
Sorry it was such a long day, but with the big breakfast to start and all the good company and great banter the time flew past.
With the outside temperatures that North Wales experienced yesterday, I can assure you that, at a steady nine degrees, Wrysgan was the place to be!

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Yes it certainly was the place to be. Thanks Sinker for organising what turned out to be a very interesting and enjoyable day. Nice to meet a lot of new faces too. :thumbsup:

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Thanks to everyone for a great day out,really enjoyed popping my slate mine cherry 😞 :tongue:,gutted I missed the last bit 😢 ......looking forward to another great day out 🙂

Cheers..... :thumbsup: :thumbup:



Sinker>> I sent you a msge,not sure if you got it though...

Aye thanks Sinker. It was a long day, but very well spent 😛 I think myself and NewStuff & whoever else need to head back there at some point as well 🙂

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