Messing About in Boats

Derwent Water, near Keswick is a spot that I always enjoy visiting. On my recent visit I was tempted to take a boat out and enjoy the lake from a different perspective but in the end I settled for a walk along the shore.

Love Is In The Air

If you have followed my blog at all you will know that recently I have been on a fantastic roadtrip around much of Europe with my son and we had the most amazing time. I also took a huge number of photos some of which I have enjoyed sharing with you and many more that I will post in future. In recent days however I have mixed things up by posting pictures from a photo shoot on Skomer and others from a night shoot in the Lake District.

I didn't post anything last night because I was actually out again, spending another night up in the Lake District. I visited Aira Force, a spot I had never been to before and somewhere I will definitely return top. Given the prolonged dry spell the cascades and waterfall were somewhat depleted and I am told that after a good rainfall they are really impressive so while I will eventually get round to sharing some of the pictures I took I will also be back for what hopefully will be even more stunning images.

After my visit I headed off to Keswick for a spot of tea and driving along the A66 past Troutbeck I spotted this stunning view so I pulled over in a couple of spots to shoot what I think are iconic images of the West Lakeland Fells.

After eating my tea and having a wander along the shore of Derwent Water and up to Friars Crag I stopped off at another of my favourite spots, the stone circle at Castlerigg. I had expected it to be quiet there however with the Blood Moon and full Lunar eclipse the place was actually heaving with local families out to see this phenomenon. Unfortunately it was far too cloudy to get even the slightest glimpse of the moon however, the night delivered another spectacle in the form of a thunderstorm over towards Mungrisdale and this provided a fantastic light show lighting up the clouds with colourful flashes for at least an hour.  There wasn't a drop of rain up at the circle so it was lovely to seat against one of the stones and take in the show. At one point a cloud passed above and as I always like to photograph hearts in nature I wasn't going to miss this shot.

Breakthrough!

I had gone to Burton Mere Wetland to do a spot of wildlife photography but I am always on the look out for a great shot and with these images today I think I have captured a couple of great landscape shots.

I knew as I looked up from the path towards the railway embankment that with the sun breaking through the low afternoon clouds the fence and the tree would make a good image and swapping my long lens for a smaller wide angle zoom I got the shot I wanted and the lighting works really well.

I swapped my lens back with the intention of going up to Burton Point where I had heard short eared owls can often be spotted but as I approached the path up the hill I changed back to the wide angle for this super shot with the suns rays stretching out highlighting to copse of trees and the break in the wall. I love this shot and I love the swirl of the clouds. I wasn't lucky enough to see any owls but to be honest I think this shot more than makes up for that. 

It was also nice to see the Iron Age fort where once there was a small family settlement.

Doxey Pool

Here is another shot from my day out at The Roaches in Staffordshire. I originally posted this picture in June 2016 but looking back at that image I think it looks a bit flat so I have reworked it to bring out the qualities that I saw on the day.

I like the reflections of the rocks and cotton grass in the pool, I love the shape of the rocks as they lean lazily away from the viewer and I like the layers of cloud that bring the image together.

I really like this image and I am glad that I have revisited it and brought out the best in it.

Cat Bells and Skiddaw

Here are a couple of atmospheric morning views of the fells around Derwent Water taken from the jetties at Keswick.

The first shot was taken in black and white partly because there was very little colour in the shot anyway but also because I really like the effect particularly as it emphasises the smoky quality of the wispy clouds. I have added a slight coloured hue to the finished image just for a bit of warmth. The snowy peak in the background is Skiddaw which is 931 metres high. 

Skiddaw is an unusual name and I was chatting to someone the other day and together we wondered who names the fells and mountains and what the names might mean. I have done a little bit of research and courtesy of wikipedia it seems the name Skiddaw is derived from Old Norse skyti or skut + haugr which means "archers hill" or "jutting crag hill", an alternative version offers the word skitr meaning "dung, filth or shit", which would give the full meaning "shit hill" which doesn't really seem fair given that it is a stunning feature of the landscape. I do have some colour shots to share at some point because the sun did eventually come out and then you will see just how stunning it is.

The second image is taken looking towards Cat Bells which is partially obscured by the trees. I love the stillness of the water and the reflections of the wooden jetties and the trees surrounding the boathouse on the island. Cat Bells is about half the height of Skiddaw (around 431 metres) and it gets its name from the term "Cat Bields" meaning shelter of the wild cat, not that there will be any wild cats there now.

The snowy peak in the background to the right of this image is Causey Pike which at 637 metres is quite a modest peak. I don't know how it got its name so I cannot help there.

Green and Pleasant...

Today I have a view of White Coppice in Lancashire. It is quite an isolated spot but great for a walk with fantastic views out to the coast and from a little higher up the hill it is possible to see across to North Wales.

A gentle river flows through the valley where kingfishers fly. 

In the bottom left hand corner of this shot there are the ruins of an old mill which is a nice spot to sit and enjoy the sound of the water flowing downhill while reflecting on what a beautiful world we have.

Under Heavy Skies

An alternate title for today's blog was going to be "Breaking Through".

At the end of the day, after several hours of walking across moorland over rocky ledges and through cool woodland the final part of our day was a stretch along a narrow country lane. There had been threats of heavy rain and storms but fortunately it didn't materialise and at times the sun managed to break through and cast a golden glow upon the green fields, the moors and the valley.

In the first picture looking in the direction of Wildboarclough I love the pattern of dry stone walls.

In the second picture you can make out the rays of the sun fanning out through the clouds. I have cropped the image to cut out some lens flare but if you look at the bottom of the image there is an unusual flare like a smiley face emoticon, I have no idea how this was formed but it is genuine and not a trick of post production.

In the third picture the sun is lighting up the surface of Tittesworth reservoir, which was constructed in 1858 to supply the town of Stoke on Trent.

The Roaches

Along the ridge known as the Roaches there are some pretty interesting rocky outcrops and formations. The first one in today's selection looks like the head of a dog and the second looks rather like a head, facing across the valley.

I like the different shapes and the way the sandstone has been worn away by the elements and the different colours in the rocks as can be seen in the next two pictures.

I also like the final picture looking south along the ridge with the moors to the left and the patchwork of fields in the valley to the right. This really is a green and pleasant land.

Cotton Grass & Doxey Pool

It was a bit of a trek up to the top of The Roaches in the Peak District, but with views across Staffordshire in one direction and Derbyshire in the other it was well worth the effort. 

The moorland at the top was covered in this expanse of cotton grass in full bloom and in the breeze as it was waving gently it looked really beautiful. A little way along the path was Doxey Pool which was a quiet spot for a short break before setting off on the rest of our walk.