The Bluebells of Spring

A few shots of Bluebell season this Springtime

Canon 5d Mark3

I recently had the chance to upgrade from the aging Canon 5D Classic, to the much improved Canon 5D Mark 3. It is a colossal improvement upon its predecessor, and I took the opportunity to take it out to the Yorkshire Dales in order to stretch its' legs and learn my way around the many settings.

Birds

I have long been tasked with getting a shot of a pheasant for my fiancee. She has an unwavering adoration for these majestic birds, which I can appreciate to some extent, as the colour of their plumage is pretty special. I managed to bag a shot at the bottom of Catbells in the Lake District. Later that weekend, I managed to get pretty close to a partridge as well. 

Derwent Water

Usually when heading into Borrowdale from Keswick, I would make a bee-line for the landing jetty at Ashness. Descending from Catbells however provided me with the chance to explore the western side of Derwent Water. Littered with more jetties at Brandlehow, and a good footpath, it was great to take the opportunity to explore some compositions that I had not shot before

 

Catbells

The most accessible walk in the Lakes, suitable for children and grandmothers, a wise man once wrote. The forecast was hideous, predicting a 100% chance of heavy rain. Mother Nature decided to mix things up a little though, and although the cloud was pretty hefty, the frequent breaks in the whiteout offered amazing glimpses of the surrounding peaks. Catbells was not a strenuous walk at all, but kicked off a great 4 day weekend.

Aira Force

One of the great things about the Lake District, is that it holds a whole host of new waterfalls for me to explore. This is one of the most shot locations in the Lakes, but one that I hadn't visited before.

Ullswater Murk

On my first of three trips over to the Lake District over Easter weekend, my first stop was Ullswater, for a quick long exposure (if there is such a thing).

The light was particularly flat, which was a shame, as the water would have offered up some quite good reflections.

Sunrise at Willances Leap

Willances Leap is a well known viewpoint on the outskirts of Richmond. I had only been up there a couple of times previously, but decided it may be worth a look for sunrise. The sun rose a little too far north to make the composition work really well, but it was good to try out a few compositions for a future trip back.

Oliver Duckett at Moonset

An early start recently took me to Oliver Duckett, a folly connected to Aske Hall on the outskirts of Richmond. I had intended shooting some star trails, but there was more cloud in the sky than was forecast. However, all was not lost, as there were a nice range of tones in the sky, and the textures of the cloud seemed to work well on long exposure shots. 

Pendragon Castle

With a bag full of wire wool, it was purely by chance that I stumbled across the derelict ruins of Pendragon Castle one night. It would have been rude not to!

The Four Horse-Chestnuts of the Apocalypse

I know, they aren't Horse Chestnuts. We went for our first walk of British Summer Time on Sunday. While quite blustery, and despite a couple of short showers, we enjoyed some fantastic sunshine, which really helped to reassure that Spring is on its way!

Redcar Wind Farm

Some consider them a blot on the landscape, but I actually quite like the aesthetics of a wind turbine.

Blanket

Apologies for the single photo postings, I can only blame the weather last night for ensuring I stayed in the house and had a little time to run through some older shots. This one is the last of the sunlight, catching the hillside in high Teesdale.

The Road to Hartforth

I just love the winding roads that thread through the countryside on the edges of the Dales. 

Light like a painting.

The only passable landscape shot from a trip to Mallerstangdale a couple of weeks ago. While heavily overcast, the lighting gave a very atmospheric feel to the bleak landscape of this part of the Yorkshire Dales.

That Buttermere Tree

Having a look through some older files last night, and came across this unprocessed version of the Buttermere Tree. I'm starting to get excited about the four day weekend and the prospect of some time in the Lakes.

Richmond Castle by Moonlight

An evening jaunt under some clear skies took me to the Castle In Richmond. Once 11pm had passed, the lights on the keep were turned off, and allowed for some long exposures to draw out the smooth lighting from the moon. The light pollution from town gives a golden glow to the keep, which I quite like, and in a strange way, is reminiscent of the temple at Amritsar.

Long forgot

I don't often get chance to look back over older shots, to see if I have missed any that would be worth a process. However, a second glance at this one caught my eye, purely for the light catching the lower fells. I can't quite remember where, but this was taken in summer in the Lake District

The Forbidden Temple

An exciting evening jaunt with a friend saw us tracking down a Temple, which is seemingly one of the few un-photographed treasures in the country. Barely a photo exists of this building, and then it seems though the last time it was photographed was in the late 70s. I can't say too much about its location, but it is a fantastic building, and the clear North Yorkshire skies did us proud.

Not the right time of year...

This angle of Durham has got Autumn written all over it. Even in summer, when the trees are fully laden with leaves, I think this will make a much more pleasant shot. Nevertheless, as it was only the second time I had visited Durham, and the first time with my camera. I thought it worthwhile to try my hand at this oft-captured scene.

Steetley Pier

I visited Steetley Pier a short while ago, in the dark of night and a thick blanket of fog. On a late afternoon, conditions were slightly more favourable, and I got the chance to try out a few long exposures as I had hoped. Next up will be a sunrise shoot I hope!

Angel at dusk

The return trip from the Border Counties Rally saw a potentially great sunset thwarted by the low cloud that my life seems to be a constant battle against. However, the traces of colour in the sky made for a passable long exposure.

Border Counties Rally 2015

Took a hefty drive up the road on Saturday to catch the Border Counties Rally. Unfortunately, under the close scrutiny of the MSA, the second stage was cancelled due to some quads on the stage. However, the next stage at Elibank, near Innerleithen more than made up for the disappointment of the cancellation. With the sun out, and dry surfaces, the natural amphitheatre of the stage made for a thoroughly enjoyable afternoons rallying.