For Christmas 2008, the love of my life, my wife Jackie, surprised me with a new digital camera. I was thrilled, having dreamt of owning a digital SLR for some time. My love of photography started many moons ago when my parents bought me a Minolta 300 SLR for my eighteenth birthday.



With my new camera in hand, my eyes were suddenly wide open and I could see the beauty that surrounded the area in which I live in Church Village, South Wales.



Wales has a depth of history that has not only scarred the countryside but also shaped the villages, towns and cities. This makes the area particularly photogenic and I have tried to capture some of that magic and beauty in this book. It is by no means extensive, but features photographs taken during the first year of my love affair with my new camera.