What a wonderful day for photography! On our arrival at the National Botanic Garden of Wales in Llanarthne, the sun was shining with that distinctive late autumn light. 'Golden' is sometimes used to describe it and we certainly made the most of it in the beautiful surroundings of Wales' own botanic garden. The trees were at their colourful best and there were a surprising number of plants in bloom, making the overall effect extremely attractive. There were landscape views, including the meadows, mature native trees and the stunning Great Glasshouse seeming to rise from the ground itself.
Above: QE High students relax in the Olive Grove of the National Botanic Garden of Wales
On the way up the meandering walk, the feature waterfalls, flower beds and rock beds illustrating Wales' geological history all made for endless subjects for photography. The students were fired up with enthusiasm and took hundreds of photos, snapping away at everything that took their fancy. Arriving at the glasshouse, there were many more photo opportunities, both outside the building, with the dramatic landscapes, and inside, the huge range of world wide Mediterranean type plants. We made our way to the central area known as the Olive Grove and had a fun time having the group shots taken. Later, back in school, there were many stunning shots to view when the children showed me their best three of the day.
Johnstown Juniors
It may not have been the exotic surroundings of the Botanic Garden, but the afternoon we had together taking photos of Carmarthen was a great experience for Johnstown Juniors. The weather was fine and clear as we arrived at the car park in front of the train station and our planned walk first took us to the platform where a train was waiting. Next, we walked to the old road bridge, stopping to photograph County Hall and the Towy Works building across the river. On the bridge itself, we were able to look downstream to the new foot bridge. The clouds were quite dramatic at this point, adding to the creative possibilities.
Above: Johnstown Juniors on Carmarthen's newest bridge
Crossing the road, we made for the vantage point that is the old castle. Not much remains of this medieval structure, but the Round Tower, the Square Tower, together with views of the Old Police Station and Gatehouse presented many captivating views. Looking back, were able to take in a large section of the valley. Completing the circuit, we walked to the new bridge, taking plenty of time to take pictures of the views of the town and the river in both directions. Here, we stopped and took the group shot. Looking at the work in the classroom, it's obvious we lots of talented photographers in the project.
