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.

Old Stones

So yesterday I shared a picture from inside the stone circle at Castlerigg looking out towards Helvellyn. It is such a mysterious and magical place.

Today I have chosen another shot from inside the circle, focusing on four of the stones but giving the image different treatments in post processing.

One of the great things about digital photography is the range of tools that are available that mean you can turn a photo from a simple record into a piece of art. I do always try to get the image a close to what I want in camera but then I will use Lightroom or photoshop to make some minor adjustments to get the scene as close to what I saw on the day. 

In the first image I have tried to stay faithful to the scene although I have adjusted the contrast slightly and emphasised the dramatic sky.

For the second image I have converted the original to black and white and used a pre-set in Lightroom to create a more punchy image.

For the final picture I have used masks in photoshop. Originally I used the mask to show the background in colour and leave the stones in black and white but while that was quite effective the stones just looked grey and that could have been taken for their natural colour so I chose to highlight the stones against a monochrome background for what I think is a really striking image.

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.

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 in Patterdale

On the valley floor and along the shore of Ullswater everything was shrouded in mist and a thick frost coated everything on the ground and in the trees. However ascending through the forest it was possible to catch glimpses of the fells rising above the mist to see clear blue sky and to feel the warmth of the morning sun.

It was a truly wonderful place to be.

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.

Last Light At Castlerigg

Recently I shared a couple of pictures of the night sky over Castlerigg in Cumbria and today I am sharing a few images from earlier in the shoot (around 10.45pm) as the last daylight faded away. I used fairly long exposures to ensure some detail in these pictures and I think they all work really well.

The first shot is looking in the general direction of Helvellyn, the second is looking towards Blencathra while the third is looking towards the fells beyond Keswick. The low cloud gives the pictures a nice atmospheric feel and while they help create a powerful image I was frustrated because I was hoping for clear skies to get good shots of the stars. 

I got very little sleep that night as I stayed up in the hope of the perfect shot and then I waited for the sun to come up. You can see how that went over the next few days so please come back tomorrow for another selection...