**Photography fever!!: Wales is the best photography location**

A new point of view: discover Wales through a lens this autumn

Celebration of photography comes to Wales’s cultural attractions

A brand new season of photography will come to Wales’s cultural attractions this autumn, with a series of events, exhibitions and workshops to be presented by Cadw, Amgueddfa Cymru-National Museum Wales and The National Library of Wales.

Announced today (16 October), the season of photography events will feature everything from exclusive exhibitions to stargazing workshops — all designed in honour of Wales’s fascinating history and culture.

With Wales’s dark skies season in full swing, Cadw will encourage visitors to discover some of the country’s most photogenic heritage sites after-dark — with a selection of stargazing events on offer in late October.

Meanwhile, The National Library of Wales is inviting Welsh residents and visitors alike to celebrate the beauty of Wales through its National Collections exhibit, which will showcase the work of famed photographers, including Philip Jones Griffiths, Glynne Pickford and Nick Treharne.

And that’s not all — to complete the festivities, Amgueddfa Cymru-National Museum Wales is getting ready to launch three new major photography exhibitions at National Museum Cardiff.

For those interested in astronomy, Criccieth Castle and Valle Crucis Abbey will welcome history enthusiast and Welsh broadcaster, Rhys Mwyn, for a special, interactive stargazing event on Friday 25 October and Sunday 27 October between 7pm and 9.30pm.

From testing out telescopes to spotting star parties dotted across unpolluted dark skies, event attendees will be spoilt for choice with opportunities to see the night sky in action — all while discovering the links between Welsh history and the stars.

Available for purchase on the Cadw website, tickets for the Stargazing events at Criccieth Castle and Valle Crucis Abbey are priced at £10 per person.

Plus, further photography events are set to be announced at a number of other Cadw sites later this year.

The first photography event at The National Library of Wales will take place on Friday 25 October at 1pm, with visitors invited to experience Aberystwyth through the skilled lens of Glyn Pickford. Complete with a chance to uncover unpublished, old photographs, attendees will be taken on a unique journey through the town’s historical past, expertly led by Will Troughton, The Library’s Curator of Photography.

Furthermore, specialist Welsh photographer, Nick Treharne, will hold an exclusive talk at the Library on at 1pm on Monday 4 November, to discuss his career and latest work: ‘A Contemporary Project of Wales: the people I meet, the things I see’.

Tickets for both the Glyn Pickford and Nick Treharne events at the National Library of Wales are free to purchase on the National Library of Wales website: events.library.wales / by calling 01970 632548. Advanced booking is required to gain entry to each event.

The beginning of Photography Season 2019-20 at the Museum will be marked by the arrival and presentation of works by prominent photographers, August Sander, Bernd and Hilla Becher and Martin Parr later this month — with all exhibited collections being displayed at the premises for the first time ever in Wales.

Entry to the three exhibitions will be free of charge, with no prior booking required.

Minister for Culture, Tourism and Sport, Lord Elis-Thomas, said: “There’s no doubt that Wales is jam-packed with scenic landscapes, historic towns, magnificent buildings and most importantly, the colourful people who call it home — all of which make for the perfect photograph.

“I hope that the overarching focus on photography across Wales’s heritage sites, National Museum Cardiff and The National Library of Wales will encourage more people to capture the true essence of our spectacular country on camera this season.”

Please note, the Stargazing events at Criccieth Castle and Valle Crucis Abbey (Friday 25 October and Sunday 27 October 2019 respectively) have a limited number of spaces and require advanced booking on the Cadw website.

For full event listings at Cadw sites across Wales, please visit gov.wales/cadw, find Cadw on Facebook or follow @CadwWales on Twitter.

The Glyn Pickford and Nick Treharne photography events at The National Library of Wales (Friday 25 October 2019 and Monday 4 November 2019 respectively) have a limited number of spaces and required advanced booking on The National Library of Wales website / by calling 01970 632548.

The three new photography exhibitions at National Museum Cardiff, Martin Parr in Wales, ARTSIST ROOMS: August Sanders and Bernd and Hilla Becher: Industrial Visions, all open on Saturday 26 October and will be free to enter with no prior booking required.