Tranquil

I have visited this spot at Glenridding on Ullswater a few times. Last year I visited early morning when it was -6 C there was a thick fog and the edge of the lake was frozen. These boats were barely visible.

On my most recent visit there was a light breeze and the surface of the lake was  covered with small, even ripples. The light was not very good because of the low cloud but I had came here with a particular image in mind. I wanted to get  a nice even image with a degree of symmetry and I knew that I needed a good reflection. I used a 2 second exposure and I layered two ND filters to flatten out the ripples and create a smooth surface for the reflection and then in Lightroom I have adjusted the contrast to bring out the detail in the sky.

Overall I am really happy with this image and it is pretty close to what I had set out to achieve when I set out at the start of the day. I also got to try out a technique for long exposure that I hadn't really tried before so I would say it was a successful day out.

Sunrise over Ullswater

I think yesterday's image was pretty special but I think today's morning view is even better.

At the far end of the lake there is a light covering of mist and on the side of the fells you can see frost and ice.

I love how calm and still the water is, almost glass like and reflecting the sun perfectly. I call this a sunrise but actually it was almost 11a.m. but the winter sun remains low in the sky throughout the day.

A few minutes before I took this shot I met a couple who were also enjoying the lake, the woman went in for a swim but the water was too cold for her to stay in more than a few minutes. I asked her partner if she was doing it as a punishment or if she had lost a bet. He replied that actually it is good for you, leaving me to wonder if it is so good for you why didn't he join her.  Of course I know why he didn't, it was too flipping cold.

At The End of The Day

When I wrote the title of today's post I cringed a bit because I had recently told a friend that "At the end of the day" is a phrase that I don't like certainly when it is in a trite way as it very often is. I also thought of the song "A Country Song For Simon" by the band Hefner which starts with the line "don't you just hate all the people that say at the end of the day all the time". 

But, it is actually the perfect title for today's offering because it is just what this picture represents. It is so evocative of how our days by the lake ended, the stillness, the golden glow and the darkening sky, followed by a spell around the camp fire with marshmallows and a spot of skunk watching.