Aber Falls — Rhaeadr Fawr, the great waterfall — drops around 37 metres off the northern edge of the Carneddau, above the village of Abergwyngregyn between Bangor and Conwy. Three of the prints in the Landscape collection came from repeated visits there. This is how they happened.

The walk in

It's an easy one, which is part of why the falls are so photographed. From the car park at Bont Newydd it's about a mile and a half up a well-made track alongside the Afon Rhaeadr-fawr, through woodland that opens onto rough grazing. Forty minutes at a gentle pace. The falls are visible from a good distance before you reach them, which matters for the wide shots.

The light

Waterfalls are hard in bright sun — the water blows out to white and the surrounding rock goes black. The falls photograph best on an overcast day, when the light is even and the greens hold their colour. Better still is the hour after rain, when the flow is heavy and the whole gorge is wet and reflective. That after-rain light — low, silver, catching every surface — runs through most of the Welsh prints in the shop, and Aber is where it shows most clearly.

Autumn adds a second reason to go. The bracken on the valley sides turns deep copper against the grey rock and white water, and the contrast does a lot of the work.

The prints

• Aberfalls Close — shot from the base of the falls looking up, so the water fills the frame. The most dramatic of the three.
• Aberfalls Far — the falls seen from further down the valley, set in the wider landscape. Better if you want the sense of place rather than just the water.
• Aberfalls in Autumn — the same spot with the bracken turned. The warm-and-cold contrast makes this the one that works best in a room with wood tones.

If you go

Park at Bont Newydd (small charge, coins or app). Boots — the last stretch is rocky and often wet. It's a nature reserve, so keep dogs on leads and stay on the path. Go on a weekday morning if you want it quiet; by mid-afternoon at a weekend there's a queue for the classic angle.

All three Aber Falls prints are 40×60 cm, made to order, with free UK delivery. See the full Welsh landscape range →