From Friars Crag

 So here are the last two pictures from my recent visit to Keswick. These are views across Derwent Water from the promontory at Friars Crag, a short walk from the car park and well worth it for these views.

I shot these in black and white because as you can see the sky was very overcast and the colours had really flattened out so I thought that there would be better contrast in the images. I also used long exposures (4 secs for the first image and 3.2 secs for the second) to smooth out the choppy water and that has enhanced the light and shade from the sky as it is reflected on the surface. This has also given a bit of movement to the clouds, almost like billowing smoke. I did need to crop the first image to remove some branches that had initially framed the image quite well but in the end, given the long exposure and the strong wind they were too blurry and a horrible distraction.

I hope that you have enjoyed this series of pictures from around Keswick, I have been out and about a couple of times since then once to do some wildlife photography and once to do some astrophotography so I am looking forward to sharing some of the images I have created.

Lakeland Gem

 Even on a cold morning in early spring I had to wait my turn to get these images as there was another photographer set up on the jetty where I wanted to be but in these surroundings there is no need to rush, it just meant I had longer to take in the beautiful scenery.

Even when I set up my gear I was in no rush as these are all long exposures in order to smooth out the surface of the lake which due to the strong wind was actually quite choppy.

All three images were shot on my 17 - 40mm wide angle zoom and using a variable ND filter to compensate for the longer exposure times. The first image was at 21mm for 1.6 sec. The second at 17mm for 5 sec and the third at 34mm for 2.5 sec. I am so pleased I have the variable filter in my kit because it has allowed me to experiment and get some really interesting images.

I do love this spot, it has changed a little bit in the past few years, I remember being here in 2017 in the snow and the wooden jetty was very fragile with warnings (which I ignored) to keep off. Now things are a lot more sturdy so I didn't have to take any risks.

Derwent Water from Crow Park

 

Here are two very similar views of Derwent Water near Keswick, taken from slightly different vantage points along the shore. I have used a long exposure (1.6 seconds) to try to calm the movement in the lake and  f22 with an ND filter to help bring out the detail in the sky. As you can see there was a really dramatic sky with quite oppressive cloud cover which has created a strong atmosphere. I like the shaft of sunlight coming almost straight down over the jetty and the lake cruisers.

I have also processed one in black and white as I think the scene looks just as good in full colour or black and white.

I have been here several times in recent years and each time there is something different in the view. It is really impressive and hopefully you will agree well worth taking the time to take it all in.

Dawn Reflections on Derwent Water

Here is another shot that I have tried a little extra work on in Lightroom. 

As with yesterday's image the original file was a bit dull and flat although the overall composition as you can see is very nice with the jetties reflected in the still water and the snowy hills in the background. 

I was keen to see if I could make something of the image and I think I have done a decent job. There is now a nice warm tone to the overall image and with a little adjustment to the clarity there is more detail particularly in the centre of the shot where you can see the boathouse on Derwent Isle.

Cat Bells From Crow Park

I have seen lots of pictures taken from this spot before but had never realised where it was but now I know I will probably be back to take more pictures in future.

The thing with landscape shots is that no matter how many times a particular scene is snapped every picture will be different, whether it is because of the angle or the perspective chosen, the detail in the sky, whether there is snow or no snow, the position of the sun and so on. 

I saw a picture posted by someone on instagram just the other day and it was very similar to the second of my shots today (although these were taken a few weeks ago) and the photographer had commented on the tripod marks in the ground indicating that this was a well photographed location and in particular this view. But there is nothing wrong with that, often landscape images can look like holiday snaps as a friend of mine will often tell me, but retaking a good scene to get a perfect image can be a worthwhile challenge.

I love this scene and I think it would look good with a clear blue sky or with fluffy white clouds reflected in the lake which is probably how it looked later in the day, but here with an overcast sky and the sun fighting to break through the muted colours make for a really atmospheric image.

Don't Perch So Close To Me

I took this shot because I wanted to use the posts supporting the jetty to lead the eye towards the snowy fells (Causey Pike) in the distance and I think that works quite well. 

I also liked the fact that the gulls were sitting on top of the posts giving life to the image but what I hadn't fully appreciated until I got the pictures home was that the gulls were sitting on alternate posts all the way along and in fact there had been another gull on the post immediately to my left out of shot but it flew off just as I arrived.

It was a cold morning and walking along the jetty was quite a risky business because it was incredibly slippery. I think it was worth it though.

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.

Skiddaw from Derwent Water

I was up fairly early after a cold night under the stars and got down to the shores of Derwent Water before the crowds arrived and before the sun got too high in the sky. I think it was well worth it too because the view was stunning and I was able to get some nice undisturbed shots ( I wasn't so lucky later in the day at Castlerigg but that's another story).

When I arrived here there was another photographer setting up his gear. He really was committed to his art as he had his tripod set up in the water and he was dressed in waders so he could get the perfect angle for the shot. With the blues sky, thesnowy capped peaks of Skidaw reflected in the cold lake and the highly varnished lake cruiser being prepared for its days work I think there was a perfect combination for a stunning image.

I wasn't as well prepared (at least not to get wet) as my fellow photographer but I was equally as committed. To get this shot I needed to go out onto a jetty into the lake. It was closed off and there were signs warning against using the jetty as it was under repair. I wasn't going to let that stop me though and decided that it was worth the risk if I could get a great shot.

In my opinion the risk paid off, what do you think? 

Babe I'm On Fire

A week ago I spent a night camping in the Lake District, just north of Keswick and with a view of the snow covered Skiddaw. It was a bit wet underfoot and with a cloudless sky the temperature plummeted once the sun went down. That being said it was a lovely peaceful night and I enjoyed sitting by the fire watching the flames.

I chose the title for today's post as it is a song by Nick Cave which I really like.

I took a number of shots of the fire and I have selected a few for today's post. I love the random shapes and patterns, I also love the way random puffs of flame rise above the fire and then just disappear.

Looking at these pictures different things stand out each time, I hope you enjoy these shots.

In the coming coming days I will share some of my other images from my trip, including some of the night sky.