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.

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...

Snow Capped

I really really love this picture. I had pulled into a little car park alongside Derwent Water to eat my lunch and looking back I saw this magnificent view. I took a number of shots from slightly different vantage points and I watched this cloud slowly moving towards me across the lake.

I love the colours in the sky and in the reflections, I love the pristine snow on the slopes of Skiddaw and I love the way the cloud appears to hang so low in the sky giving a great sense of perspective to the overall image. 

I am especially pleased to have captured this image because as I clicked the shutter first time nothing happened, my memory card was full and unusually for me I didn't have a spare with me. I almost decided that my day's photography was at an end but determined to capture what is one of the best shots of the day I scrolled through my card and deleted a number of images I had taken earlier in the day. I think you will agree that was a good decision. I think you can also see why, like so many other people I am so drawn to the Lake District and why I always have my camera with me.

Squaw Bay

Today's picture is taken in the shadow of Mount McKay looking out across Squaw Bay towards Pie Island. Beyond the island is the border with the USA.

This land is part of the Fort William First Nation Reservation.

As you can see it was overcast on this particular day and there were a few spots of rain. The clouds were really low and the tops of the hills were enveloped in mist. I used a slow shutter speed to soften the motion in the water and I chose to take this shot in black and white because I felt it would add a little more atmosphere. I really like this picture and hope you do too.

Towards Langdale

Here are two slightly different views looking across River Brathay towards Elterwater with Langdale in the distance. It is just possible to make out snow on the tops of the distant fells and reflected in the calm water. 

I love this spot and really like this view but I cant decide whether I prefer the first picture or the second with the fence leading down to the water's edge.  I'm probably going to say the first but its a close thing.  Let me know in the comments which one you prefer...

Along Route Napoleon

From the Mediterranean to Le Verdon, a reservoir in the Alpes-Maritime.

In an afternoon's drive along the D4085 or Route Napoleon in Provence we left the coast at Juan les Pins behind and headed into the mountainous region of Alpes-Maritime and Var to the Gorge du Verdon.  It was a spectacular drive with monumental views which you can see from today's selection of pictures.