Glenridding Pier (2)

When I first arrived here at Glenridding Pier on Ullswater it was -6 degrees and the fog rising off the lake meant there was virtually no visability as you will see if you check out my post Glenridding Pier from 1st December.

Stopping for another look just after 11am the scene was completely different and some of the lake steamers were out taking day trippers out for a tour of the lake.

I like the stillness in the first image and the clear blue gives a sense of how cold it was, however I think I prefer the second image; I like the composition and I love the colouring and the low mist lingering in the valley in the distance.

Hot and Cold

Ok, so to describe this as Hot and Cold is a bit of a stretch. 

The same image has been given different treatment, the first colour image is how the wire actually appeared and with the low sun lighting the scene there is a nice (albeit slightly misleading) warm tone.  

The second image in black and white has a stark and cold feel to it which is actually more representative of how I felt that day.

I really like the way the ice crystals have grown along the wire but I have a bit of a dilemma. I love black and white photography and I think this image works really well with the black and white treatment. But I also really like the colour image and I can't decide which I like best, each time I think I have made up my mind I look again and I am not so sure.

Why not leave a comment and let me know which version you prefer...

Rushing By

This is Aira Beck, the river that feeds the falls. It was flowing really fast and it was quite tricky getting down onto the rocks to get the shots because of the ice. I think it was worth it though.

Place Fell

Here is another shot from my recent visit to Ullswater. This view shows Place Fell which overlooks the lakeland villages of Glenridding and Patterdale.

It rises 262m above the lake with an elevation of 657m above sea level, so not particularly high but from the top it will offer great views of the lake and of the Helvellyn range.

I was quite happy to sit here on the waters edge and enjoy this stunning view.

Misty Morning Sunrise

I love this view of the sunrise above Dowthwaitehead with the mist rising through the valley.

The trees look fantastic  silhouetted against the misty backdrop and the sunburst adds real drama to the scene.

Aira Force

You can see from this picture how cold it was by looking at the sides of the crevice cut out by the falls, which are coated with ice.

I have used a long exposure here to freeze the motion  and to give a sense of the force of the water pouring over the rocks.

Love on The Bridge

There is so much that I love abut this image; the light highlighting the handrail  guiding you into the image, the beams of sunlight shining a spotlight onto the couple on the bridge, the way the trees appear to be leaning in to frame the sun and the fact that the sun is almost heart shaped adding to the romance of the picture.

From this position the couple on the bridge appear to be gazing down to the falls below when in fact they are holding tightly onto each other and looking down at their feet as they cautiously make their way on the icy path. 

Behind me is the larger falls and the spray from the waterfall is adding to the mist and creating the sunspots in the image as well as making the footpath almost impassable with ice.

Through the Mist

These images show the lower bridge below Aira Force in Matterdale. There was still some mist overhead mixed with the spray from the waterfall. The rock surfaces were extremely slippery and the path across the bridge was treacherous but braving the elements was certainly worth it given the wonderful photos that I captured.

In The Cold Light of Morning

It certainly was cold on this particular morning but with the light glowing through the trees it gives this scene a warm quality that draws you in and makes you forget about the cold.

I love combination of the rich green and velvety moss, the warm brown tones of the ferns and the milky sunlight. I also love the twisted forms of the trees and fallen branches.

Winter Glow

I always enjoy a woodland walk. An early start on a cold and frosty morning with the winter sun glowing through the trees are just some of the ingredients for a perfect day out.

I think these two images really capture the atmosphere of calm that I enjoyed on Saturday. I had been looking forward to getting out with my camera for a few weeks but work commitments and lousy weekend weather had put paid to any hopes I had so when the forecast showed perfect conditions on Saturday I had to go... I think these and the other shots I captured on that day were ample reward for the early start and extreme cold.

Leaf Litter

The walk through the forest up to the waterfall at Aira Force was a real sensory treat from the birdsong and the sound of rushing water, the rich autumn colours, and the smell and the crunch of the fallen leaves. 

Like Iron Filings in Negative

Close up the ice particles on this frosty bench look sharp and brittle like little spikes of glass, but from a distance they have a much softer appearance, almost like fur or velvet that you could run your hand across gently, it almost looks warm to the touch...

Glenridding Pier

Here are two atmospheric more shots from the banks of Ullswater at Glenridding Pier taken yesterday morning just after sunrise.

In the first shot, looking towards Patterdale you can see the top of the fell shrouded in cloud as mist rises from the surface of the lake. Although this is a colour photo you can see that the weather has almost completely washed out the colour from the scene.

The second image shows some of the lake cruisers moored at the pier. The cruises were delayed until much later in the day given the poor visibility. Through the cloud it is possible to just make out the silhouette of Place Fell but you cant see the campsite on the fell side where I camped a couple of years ago (I recall getting my car stuck on the slippery grass slope and having to enlist the help of a youth group who had been camping nearby).

I love this part of the country, I have some wonderful memories of times spent here, walking the fells, camping on the slopes and visiting the lakeland villages.  And of course it presents so many wonderful photographic opportunities. I hope that you have enjoyed these pictures and that you will keep coming back to my page to see more.

On The Rocks

Here are a few more shots from my morning in Snowdonia. I would normally post landscape images in colour and certainly there is a good case for the second shot to be in colour but the other two I think work well in black and white and so I decided to stick with B&W for all three. I have some lovely colour shots which I will share in a day or two.

That's Nice!

Today's selection of pictures were taken last week on my trip to Snowdonia. Surrounded by mountains, lakes and big skies you might expect me to focus on the larger landscape but in the ice and frost there is a great deal of beauty in the little things. Like these frozen dewdrops and ice crystals on the grass.

I had to get down on my knees in the frosty grass to get these images and I was glad to have a mat to kneel on.

I love the different shapes of the dewdrops, some even had their own icicles and rather than a smooth surface as I had expected they all had a veined appearance and you can see the individual crystals that make up the frost which from a higher perspective looks like a solid white coating. Simply beautiful.

Pen Yr Ole Wen

ISO 160  24mm  F/16  1/25 sec

ISO 100  32mm  F/22  2.5 sec (Cokin P153 filter)

ISO 100  24mm  F/22  1/20 sec

So here are three views of Pen Yr Ole Wen shot from two different vantage points using my Canon 24 - 105mm F/4 L IS(USM) lens. The first two were from a little lower down the track and the mountain is reflected in the stream just below a small waterfall.

You can see from the first shot that there was a lot of movement in the water given the waterfall so in the second image I used a ND4 filter and a long exposure to smooth out the surface of the water, the reflection is still not too sharp and maybe a longer exposure or stronger filter would have achieved a better result. I'm not sure but to be honest I am pleased with both of these images.

While I was setting up in this spot I was watching a Dipper flying up and down this short stretch of river and I was debating whether to swap out my lens in order to try and capture a few shots. They are a bird which fascinate me and it is one of my goals to photograph one, so maybe this will be the focus of a shoot in the near future.

The third shot is from the shore of Llyn Idwal and sheltered by the mountains on either side the surface of the lake was pretty calm and so there is a sharper reflection.

All in all it was definitely worth getting up early and braving the icy conditions.

Do You Get The Point

I think the first two images are of Musk Thistle (or something very similar). The spines are really hard and viciously sharp. I really like the fine hairs along the edge of each leaf and the way they trap the tiny droplets of dew.

In the third picture I had intended to show the droplets lined up along the blade of grass but if you look closely you can also see fine hairs along the edge which is what has trapped the water and prevented it from draining away.

As The Sun Rises

Sunrise on Thurstaston Common on a very cold and frosty morning. 

Frozen Oak

This little oak shoot was springing up through the grass and I was surprised to see it because the oak tree I have in my garden has already shed all of its leaves.

I love the frosty coating and close up it looks like tiny grains of salt or icing sugar.