A wild swimming photoshoot: Book cover photography for Carys Eleri
Ymhell yn ôl ym mis Mehefin 2021, ges i fy nghomisiynu gan gyhoeddwyr llyfrau Y Lolfa i dynnu portreadau ar gyfer clawr llyfr Carys Eleri, sef ‘Dod Nôl at Fy Nghoed’. Mae’r llyfr yn trafod profiad Carys o alaru.
Yn drist iawn, collodd Carys ei thad a’i ffrind gorau mewn cyfnod byr iawn. Yn y llyfr, mae’n siarad yn onest am shwt oedd cariad a chwerthin fel therapi iddi.
Way back in June 2021, I was commissioned by Y Lofla book publishers to take portraits for a book cover of Carys Eleri’s book ‘Dod Nol at Fy Nghoed’. The book is about Carys’ experience with grief.
She sadly lost her father and best friend in a very short space of time. In the book, she talks honestly about how love and laughter were like therapy to her.
Y briff oedd tynnu lluniau o Carys mewn dŵr.
Nawr, pan ges i’r briff 'ma, nes i feddwl “Waw, ie! Dyma beth yw sialens!”
Fel mae’n digwydd, mae Carys Eleri’n hen ffrind i fi. Mae ein cysylltiad yn mynd ’nôl yn bell. O’dd ein mamau’n ’nabod ei gilydd ers iddyn nhw fod yn y coleg gyda’i gilydd yng Nghaerdydd. Yn ôl yn y 00’au, ro’n i’n chware’r dryms mewn band o’r enw Johnny Panic gyda chwaer Carys, Nia. Dyma’r tro cynta’ i fi gwrdd â Carys, ac wedyn bennon ni lan ar yr un cwrs yng Ngholeg y Drindod, Caerfyrddin sef Theatr, Cerdd a’r Cyfryngau.
Felly, pan ges i’r comisiwn 'ma, y peth cynta’ nes i feddwl oedd “Sbesial! Fi’n mynd i gal ‘catch yp’ da gyda Carys
The brief was to take photographs of Carys in water.
Now, when I got this brief I thought, “woah, yes! What a challenge!”
As it happens, Carys Eleri is an old friend of mine. Our connection goes way back. Both of our mothers knew each other from their college days in Cardiff.
Back in the 00’s, I was a drummer in a band Called Johnny Panic with Carys’ sister Nia. This is when I first met Carys, and then we ended up on the same course in Trinity Carmarthen which was Theatre Media and Music.
So, when I got the commission, my first thought was “ah brill! I’m gonna have a good catch up with Carys.”
Wrth baratoi ar gyfer y sesiwn tynnu lluniau, fi’n cofio gweld ar gyfrif Instagram Carys ei bod hi wedi bod yn nofio yn y gwyllt yn ddiweddar. Dyma sut ges i’r syniad ar gyfer clawr y llyfr. Pan o’n i’n siarad gyda hi ambwyti’r sesiwn tynnu lluniau, gofynnais iddi ble’r oedd y lleoliad 'ma. O’n i’n meddwl falle a fydde fe’n bosib i ni dynnu’r llun yn yr un lleoliad, gan ei fod e’n edrych mor braf.
O’dd e’n lleoliad perffaith yn y diwedd, er o’dd rhaid inni yrru awr a hanner i gyrraedd ’na. Do’dd hyn ddim yn broblem, achos nes i gasglu Carys yn fy fan, a nethon ni ddim stopo siarad yr holl ffordd draw! Odd e mor neis dala lan.
In preparation for the shoot, I remember seeing on Carys’ Instagram account that she had been wild swimming recently and this sparked an idea for the book cover photography.
When chatting to her about the shoot, I asked her where this location was. I wondered whether it might be possible for us to do the shoot at that same location since it looked lovely.
It turned out to be the perfect location, although we did have to drive an hour and a half to get there. That was no problem though because I picked Carys up in my van and we didn’t stop talking all the way there! It was lovely catching up.
Ar gyfer y sesiwn tynnu lluniau, o’dd angen i fi brynu casin camera arbennig i’w ddefnyddio o dan y dŵr, achos o’dd dim un gyda fi’n barod. Pan o’n i’n chwilio am offer o’r fath i’w brynu, o’n i’n gyted nad oedd lot ar o ddewis ar gael, a falle bydde angen i fi wario bron $2000 ar gyfer y darn o kit o’dd ei angen arna i.
Yn anffodus, ni fyddai’r diwydiant cyhoeddi llyfrau yng Nghymru’n gallu fforddio fy mhrisiau tasen i’n cynnwys y pris ar gyfer y sesiwn tynnu lluniau. Felly, es ati i chwilio am rywbeth arall a fyddai’n neud y tro.
Yn y diwedd, nes i ddod o hyd i rywbeth o’dd yn dal dŵr am hyd at 5 metr o ddyfnder. Penderfynais y bydde hwn yn berffaith, gan nad oedd angen i fi fynd yn bell o dan y dŵr ta beth.
Pan nath e gyrraedd, nes i brofi fe yn y bath, a diolch byth fe wnaeth y casin ddal dŵr! Felly, o’n i’n barod i fynd ac wedi paratoi ar gyfer y sesiwn tynnu lluniau.
For the shoot, I needed to buy a special underwater casing for the camera, as this wasn’t something I already had. When looking at buying such equipment, I was gutted to find that there isn’t much out there and that I might need to spend just under £2000 for the piece of kit I was after.
Unfortunately, the book publishing industry in Wales would never be able to afford my prices if I included that purchase for the shoot. So, I went in search of something else that would do the job.
I found something in the end that was waterproof up to a depth of five metres. I decided that this would be perfect, as I didn’t really need to go deep underwater anyway.
When it arrived, I tested it out in the bath and thankfully the casing didn’t leak! So, I was good to go and was all prepared for the shoot.
Pan gyrhaeddon ni leoliad y sesiwn tynnu lluniau nofio yn y gwyllt, o’n i wedi rhyfeddu at ba mor bert o’dd y lle!
O’dd y Fferm Lafant Cymreig ar bwys Llanfair ym Muallt yn ffantastig, a gethon ni groeso cynnes iawn gyda’r perchennog. Ar ôl iddi gwrdd â ni a’n croesawu, gadawodd inni fwrw iddi.
Nethon ni gyrraedd jyst mewn pryd ar gyfer yr awr euraid y noson honno – adeg pan mae’r haul yn isel ac yn taflu golau bendigedig – breuddwyd ffotograffydd! O’dd y tywydd yn berffaith ar gyfer y sesiwn tynnu lluniau.
Dechreuodd Carys a finne drwy dynnu ambell bortread ohoni wrth ymyl y pwll yn gynta’, yna newidiodd Carys, ac i mewn â hi! Pan o’n i hefyd yn barod, gyda’r casin tanddwr yn sownd ar fy nghamera, es i mewn ac ishte i lawr yn y dŵr hefyd.
When we arrived at the location for the wild swimming photoshoot, I was blown away by the beauty of the place!
The Welsh Lavender Farm near Builth Wells was amazing, and we had a lovely welcome from the owner. After an initial meet and greet, she left us to it.
We had arrived just in time for the golden hour that evening – a time when the sun is low and it casts a beautiful light – a photographer’s dream! The weather was perfect for the photoshoot that we had planned.
Carys and I started by doing a few portraits with her at the side of the pool first, and then Carys got changed and in she went! When I was also ready, with the underwater casing firmly on my camera, I got in and sat down in the water too.
O’n i o dan bwyse i dynnu’r lluniau yn glou achos o’n i ddim ishe i Carys rewi yn y dŵr. Ond, yn y diwedd, o’dd y teclyn tynnu lluniau o dan y dŵr yn fwy o niwsans nag o werth.
Roedd e’n cael trafferth ffocysu. O’dd y lluniau’n arty neis, ond nid y money shot o’dd ei angen arna i ar gyfer clawr y llyfr.
Felly, a finne’n teimlo’n rhwystredig iawn, nes i benderfynu tynnu’r camera ma’s o’r casin, a defnyddio fy nerth craidd i gadw balans wrth ishte lawr yn y dŵr, gan ddefnyddio fy llaw fel ffens rhwng y dŵr a’r camera.
A finne nawr yn gallu ffocysu ar Carys yn y dŵr, fel o’n i wedi eisiau ei wneud, o’n i nawr yn gallu parhau i’w chyfarwyddo hi, a ges i’r lluniau o’n i wedi eu heisiau yn y diwedd.
The pressure was on to get the shots quickly as I didn’t want Carys to freeze and be in for too long but, annoyingly, the underwater camera housing turned out to be more of a nuisance than a help.
It was having trouble focusing which made nice arty shots but not the ‘money shot’ that I was after for the book cover.
So, out of frustration, I decided to take the camera out of the underwater housing and just use my core strength to keep balanced whilst sitting down in the water with my hand as a fence between the water and camera.
With me now able to focus on Carys in the water, as I had wanted to, I could then carry on directing her and finally I got the shots I wanted.
Unwaith o’dd hynny wedi’i wneud, nes i roi’r camera gadw, ac i mewn â fi i gael dip yn y dŵr!
O’dd teimlad y lle yn anhygoel. O’dd e mor heddychlon, a dim ond ni’n dwy oedd yno. Nethon ni joio’r nofio a lot o chwerthin!
Gan fod y fan gyda fi, nes i gynnig bo ni’n cal dished o de cyn inni adael. Wrth i’r te ein twymo, gethon ni gyfle i fwynhau mwy o naws y lle cyn bwrw am adre.
O’dd hi’n nosweth mor sbesial, ac yn un y bydda i’n ei chofio am byth.
Dwi jyst wrth fy modd ynghanol byd natur. Wrth dynnu llun o ffrind, doedd e ddim yn teimlo fel gwaith o gwbl. O’dd e’n teimlo fel taith ddirgel, hudolus!
Once that was done, I put the camera away and got in for a dip myself!
The atmosphere was amazing. It was so peaceful there and there was only us two there. We enjoyed the swim and had a few giggles.
As I had the van with me, I suggested that we have a cup of tea before we left, and while we enjoyed the warmth of that we had the chance to soak in more of the atmosphere before heading home.
It was such a lovely evening and one which I will never forget.
I just love being out in nature and photographing a friend didn’t feel like work. It just felt like a magical mystery trip!
Jyst cyn y Nadolig, o’n i wrth fy modd fod Carys yn lansio ei llyfr yn Yr Egin, Caerfyrddin. O’n i mor falch bo fi’n gallu bod yno.
Darllen cysylltiedig: Gweithio gyda’r Egin: calon greadigol Sir Gâr
Na’th y cyflwynydd a’r ddarllenwraig, Heledd Cynwal gyfweld â Carys am ei llyfr. O’dd hi’n noson sbesial, emosiynol a doniol.
Dwi wir yn gobeithio y byddan nhw’n gwneud ffilm am ei llyfr. Mae’n bwerus dros ben ac yn stori sydd angen ei chlywed.
Just before Christmas, I was thrilled that Carys launched her book at the Egin in Carmarthen. Thankfully, I was able to attend.
Related reading: Working with The Egin: The creative heart of Carmarthenshire
Presenter and broadcaster Heledd Cynnwal interviewed Carys about the book. It was a lovely, emotional and funny evening.
I do hope they make a film about her book, it’s incredibly powerful and a story that needs to be heard.
Byddwn i wrth fy modd yn clywed gennych os ydych chi’n gwmni cyhoeddi neu’n awdur annibynnol â phrosiect llyfr, a’ch bod angen ffotograffiaeth clawr llyfr proffesiynol.
Cysylltwch â fi i holi ynghylch gweithio gyda’n gilydd, a gallwch weld mwy o fy ngwaith yma ar y wefan ac ar y blog.
I would love to hear from you if you’re a publishing company or an independent author with a book project, and you need professional book cover photography.
You can get in touch with me to enquire about us working together, and you can view more of my work here on the website and on the blog.
