1#2 Nick Livesey: the Snowdonian photographer
“If you really love something - genuinely - you’re going to find out everything about it, aren’t you?”
Episode #2…
…is here! And it's all about photographer, writer and Mountain Leader Nick Livesey. Nick grew up in the city of Peterborough, a place he has little love for and where - despite carving out a career for himself as a musician - he was "going nowhere, fast". Rather than live a life of "self-medication" and frustration, he escaped to the mountains and now lives a life full of fascination and inspiration in the heart of North Wales. He talks to Dan about embarking on a "deep, meaningful relationship" with a landscape, frosty vigils, learning to speak Welsh, goats, and much more. You can find out about all things Nick Livesey at www.nickliveseymountainimages.com
[episode recorded on 17/11/20]
Images by Nick Livesey
00:00 - Introduction
06:11 - The book: “Photographing the Snowdonia Mountains”
09:15 - Life before Snowdonia: music, “self-medication”, escaping Peterborough
17:15 - Photography as a route to writing, “an egalitarian art form”
21:20 - Moving to Snowdonia, being rude to customers
25:11 - Lockdown 1.0, watching spring from start to finish, “the most idyllic, wonderful time”
27:15 - Nick vs goats
30:28 - Frosty vigils
31:20 - Avoiding “photographic tourism” with a “deep, meaningful relationship”
34:35 - Life as a local in rural Wales
36:35 - Speaking Welsh
40:35 - “Lockdown in Snowdonia” YouTube series
42:15 - Mixing musical genres
44:00 - A Spinal-Tap-inspired swear word
47:53 - “Greatest Mountain Memory”: amphetamines on Harrison Stickle
51:00 - Time, money, freedom… where do you go?
54:38 - “I’m trying to stay sane and enjoy my life in these strange times”
