A road trip in search of light, wild places and the freedom to wander.
There’s something about heading off in Hymie with no real agenda beyond exploring, finding beautiful places and seeing what the light brings. Some trips are carefully planned around a particular photograph; others are about following a road, discovering somewhere new and stopping whenever something catches your eye.
This was a bit of both.
Our journey took us from Dorset to the Cotswolds, across the mountains and coastline of North Wales, up through Loch Lomond and into the Scottish Highlands, before a birthday stop in Edinburgh and an unexpectedly hasty journey home.
There were misty mornings, cute villages, cold-water swims, coastal paths, mountain views and some wonderful places to park up for the night. Plenty of photography, of course, but also plenty of moments when the camera could wait.
Here are some of my favourite moments from the road.
01 - A misty morning in the Cotswolds
Our first stop was the Cotswolds, where we woke up in a misty field surrounded by sheep. Honestly, what better way to start a road trip?
There's something wonderfully peaceful about waking up somewhere like this. The world feels a little quieter, the light is soft, and there's no particular rush to be anywhere. Just a cup of coffee, a camera and the opportunity to see what the morning brings.
Naturally, Hymie had to feature in a few photographs, along with our woolly neighbours. We also passed through some of the lovely little villages the Cotswolds is known for, with their honey-coloured stone buildings and quiet streets.
It was a gentle start to the adventure, giving us time to settle into travelling again before heading further north.
02 - Wild Wales: waterfalls, mountains and a very cold swim
From the Cotswolds, we made our way to North Wales, where we met up with our friend Karla and started exploring the landscapes of Snowdonia.
One of the joys of travelling with someone who shares your love of the outdoors is that you can spend a day exploring, photographing and generally making the most of being somewhere beautiful.
Aber Falls was one of our stops, with its impressive waterfall set among the surrounding hills. There's something about waterfalls that always draws me in, whether it's the movement of the water, the textures of the rocks or the challenge of finding a composition that captures the feeling of being there. And on this particular day, the water was in full flow! Spraying us and giving us a total soaking - It was epic!
Then there was Llyn Padarn.
The lone tree here is a classic photographic subject, and it's easy to see why. Set against the backdrop of the mountains, it has a simplicity that I love. It's one of those places where you can spend time looking at the same scene and keep noticing different possibilities as the light changes.
But we didn't just photograph the lake. We got in for a swim, too!
It was very cold, but absolutely wonderful. There's something quite different about experiencing a landscape from within it rather than simply standing on the shore with a camera. You notice the temperature, the movement of the water, the sounds around you and the way the mountains look from a completely different perspective.
These are the moments I want to remember just as much as the photographs themselves.
We also found some incredible places to park up in Hymie, with views that made it tempting to stay put for a little longer. One of the best things about travelling this way is that your view can become your living room window for the night.
03 - Around Anglesey: lighthouses, hidden chapels and the coast
From the mountains, we headed towards Anglesey, spending time exploring the island's coastline.
If you know me, you'll know that lighthouses are always going to make it onto the itinerary. I have a particular soft spot for them, especially when they're perched on a rugged stretch of coastline with the sea doing its thing below.
Penmon Point was one of our stops, with its lighthouse and views across the water. It's a lovely place to take your time, watch the changing conditions and look for those little details that might otherwise be missed. I have to say it was a very expensive park up for the night, being £12 to get in and £12 to get out via a little toll booth. But worth being there, nonetheless.
Then there was South Stack Lighthouse, dramatically positioned on its rocky island off the coast. I love the way lighthouses give a landscape a focal point, particularly when the surrounding scenery is so wild and expansive.
But one of the most memorable places was Cwyfan Church, also known as the little church in the sea.
Accessible at low tide, this tiny chapel sits on its own island, surrounded by the ever-changing sea. It's the kind of place that makes you stop and wonder about the lives of the people who built it and the generations who have worshipped there.
I photographed it from the land, but also made my way over to the little island to peer through the chapel's windows. Seeing it from that perspective made the experience feel much more intimate, and offered a different way of photographing a place that has been captured so many times before.
It's a reminder that, even when a location is well known, there's always room to explore, look a little closer and find your own way of seeing it.
04 - Heading north: Loch Lomond
Leaving Wales (and Karla!) behind, Carol & I continued north towards Scotland, with Loch Lomond & Loch Lubnaig providing our next opportunity to slow down and enjoy being beside the water.
The journey itself is part of the adventure when you're travelling in Hymie. You see the landscape change as the miles pass, and there's always the possibility of finding somewhere unexpected along the way.
Loch Lomond was a chance to spend more time by the water, take photographs and, of course, fit in another cold dip. Loch Lubnaig was much moodier, mist, rain, definitely not the time for a cold dip on this occassion!
I'm happiest when I'm close to the sea or a lake, and getting into the water has become such an important part of how I experience the places I visit. It's not always comfortable, especially when the temperatures drop, but that's part of it. You become completely present in the moment.
There's no thinking about the next photograph or what you need to do later. You're simply there, feeling the water and taking it all in.
And then, inevitably, the camera comes back out!
05 - Glencoe: mountains, familiar views and seeing it all again
Glencoe was one of the places I was most excited to return to.
The Scottish Highlands have a way of making you feel very small. The scale of the mountains, the changing weather and the sheer drama of the landscape are endlessly inspiring, and Glencoe is somewhere I could happily keep returning to with a camera.
We explored many of the classic locations independently, taking our time to enjoy them in our own way. There is something special about being able to revisit a familiar view, look for different compositions and see what the conditions offer on the day.
Sometimes you arrive with a photograph in mind; sometimes the landscape has something entirely different planned for you.
We also had the opportunity to experience Glencoe again while co-leading the SheClicks photography workshop with Angela Nicholson.
Sharing these places with a group of women photographers brought a completely different dimension to the experience. We explored together, exchanged ideas, looked at the landscape through different eyes and made photographs along the way.
One of my favourite things about teaching photography is seeing how differently people respond to the same scene. There isn't one right way to photograph a mountain, a waterfall or a stretch of coastline, and helping people grow in confidence with their own creative vision is always rewarding.
The workshop also gave me some lovely memories beyond the photography itself. The group made my birthday particularly special, and those little moments of friendship and laughter are every bit as important as the images we came away with.
I've written a separate blog about our Glencoe workshop, with more details about the locations we visited and the experience of photographing this incredible part of Scotland together.
06 - A birthday detour to Edinburgh
Before heading home, we made a stop in Edinburgh to continue my birthday celebrations. It was my birthday during the workshop and it was super fun spending it with likeminded women focused on photography - but it was a good excuse too, to continue the celebrations with Carol!
After spending so much time surrounded by mountains, lakes and open landscapes, it was lovely to change pace and explore a city for a while (mainly for the food!)
Edinburgh has so much character, from its historic streets and architecture to the little details that catch your eye as you wander. It's a place that rewards taking your time, looking up, turning down side streets and noticing the way the light falls across the buildings.
I always enjoy the challenge of photographing somewhere different. My approach to a city isn't necessarily that different from photographing a landscape: I'm still looking for light, shapes, textures and ways to make a familiar scene feel like my own.
It was a lovely way to round off our time in Scotland, with a few more photographs and some birthday memories to take home.
07 - The journey home: two storms and a change of plan
Of course, no road trip ever goes quite to plan.
We'd originally hoped to take our time heading back south, but with two storms approaching Scotland, we decided it was better to get moving and make our way to safety rather than risk being caught out by the weather.
So, after all those days of taking the scenic route, stopping whenever something caught our eye and enjoying the freedom to wander, we found ourselves making a rather more purposeful journey south.
We made a pit stop in the Midlands before continuing home to Dorset and the coast.
There weren't any photographs from this part of the trip. Sometimes the priority isn't finding a composition or documenting every mile. It's making the sensible decision, getting where you need to be and knowing when it's time to call an adventure.
And that, too, is part of travelling.
A camera full of memories
Looking back through the photographs from this trip, I'm reminded of how much I love exploring this way.
The landscapes are a huge part of it, of course. The mountains of Wales and Scotland, the coastlines of Anglesey, the stillness of the lakes and those beautiful little villages along the way all gave me so much to photograph.
But it's also the things that happen between the photographs: waking up in a field full of sheep, meeting a friend for some exploring, jumping into freezing water, finding a wonderful place to park up for the night and sharing special moments with the people around me.
Not every day needs to produce a portfolio image. Not every stop needs to be planned. And not every photograph needs to be perfect to hold a memory that matters.
For me, photography is as much about how I experience the world as it is about what I bring home.
This trip was a reminder to keep exploring, keep looking and keep making time for the things that make me feel most alive.
And now, having unpacked the camera bags and worked through some of the photographs, I'm already thinking about where we'll head next.
Until then, I hope you've enjoyed travelling along with us.
Thanks for being here.
Emily x
Enjoyed this photo journal? You can follow along with our adventures on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/emily_endean_photography/
