Motivated to Photograph Dartmoor at Its Best

How often do you set your alarm for 04:45 on a Sunday morning? Not very often I bet! But setting very early alarm calls is part of the course for landscape photographers if you want to capture photographs in the best light.

If I’d been sensible, I would have scheduled my dawn shoot of Dartmoor to the following week. The clocks would have slipped into British Summer Time and sunrise would have been a much more socially acceptable 07:30, and as a result I could have woken up an hour later.

Unfortunately, there’s no guarantee the weather forecast would be as favourable the following week. The conditions I like to photograph Dartmoor in are rare, but they are also infrequent enough that when they are forecast, I make sure I do my best to be out with my camera. Even if that does mean a 04:45 alarm call. Watching the sunrise over Dartmoor is all the motivation I need.

Photographing East Mill Tor on Dartmoor

On Dartmoor, there is a distinct difference between the forecasted weather and the actual weather. You can check all the weather forecasts for the following morning, only to turn up at your chosen spot and the weather is doing something completely different. The not knowing exactly what the weather is going to be like is part of the magic of photographing Dartmoor though.

After getting over the shock of my alarm call, I made a cup of coffee and jumped in the car with a sense of optimism. Arriving at the car park just short of East Mill Tor, I looked up at the sky and I could see lots of broken cloud. This could mean the ideal conditions I wanted for my photograph.

It had already rained the previous few days so I knew the pool that would form my foreground had water in it. I also needed the soft, warm light from the rising sun to illuminate the grass surrounding the pool and the tor itself. I didn’t want it to be too clear in the sky though as having some cloud in the sky is just as important as an interesting foreground. It’s a very specific set of conditions I was looking for!

As it got closer to sunrise, I could see a bank of cloud on the horizon which would block the light from the rising sun. I tried not to worry too much as the cloud was moving fast across the sky. It was going to be a game of patience and it would test my nerves!

Sure enough, my nerves were tested! Just as I thought the sun would break through, it would be covered by another bank of cloud. Sometimes the light would break through and cast beautiful light on the surrounding landscape, but never quite where I needed it!

The later it got the more difficult it would be to get the shot I wanted. The higher the sun gets in the sky, the harsher the light is. You can’t beat that early light just as the sun rises above the horizon. The cloud above East Mill Tor was also starting to clear, possibly leaving me with clear blue skies.

At one point, I honestly thought it was going to be another one of those mornings where I come very close to capturing the photograph I had envisaged, but ultimately gone home disappointed (but never disappointed that I’d spent time on Dartmoor).

Just as I was about to give up and go home in a grump, things started to change. Did I get the photograph? Well, you can find out by picking up the story in the video below. The video is much more than just the story of the photograph, it’s all about all the other things that make Dartmoor so special. Enjoy!

Dawn at East Mill Tor on Dartmoor - A Special Landscape Photograph

Here’s the photograph I captured in the video. I’m incredibly happy with the way it has turned out, particularly as at one point I was ready to give up. For me though, that is the magic of Dartmoor. It’s a rugged and raw landscape, but also a beautiful landscape. With all its micro-climates it can be difficult to predict the weather, but when you get those magical conditions, there is no other place I’d rather be photographing.

**A Perfect Dawn at East Mill Tor, Dartmoor, Devon** - Nikon Z7, Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S at 18mm, f/13, 1/20th sec at ISO 125, Kase Filters K9 CPL.

There’s More to Dartmoor Than Beautiful Viewpoints

I do have a specific set of conditions I prefer to capture my landscape photographs of Dartmoor in, but that doesn’t mean they are the only conditions I will venture out into Dartmoor. Far from it! You’ll find me wandering Dartmoor (often with my dog Monty) in all sorts of weather conditions.

Monty - my constant companion on my long adventures around Dartmoor.

Over the last few years, I’ve been trying to learn more about Dartmoor. While my photography is at the heart of what I love about Dartmoor, I’m also aware there is so much more to Dartmoor than just beautiful viewpoints. The more I learn about Dartmoor, the deeper the connection I have to it.

This is why in the video you have just watched, I took the time to explore the area around East Mill Tor. I’ve photographed East Mill Tor many times before, but this was the first time I took the time to find out more about the area and what I discovered was fascinating!

The exploration of Dartmoor, while fulfilling in its own right, has also led me to become a better Dartmoor photographer. I might not feel compelled to photograph all the things I discover on Dartmoor, but through the process of exploration I have found new locations and areas that I might never have been to before.

Now when I’m standing at a viewpoint waiting for the light, I feel I have a much better understanding of the area, and as result I have a better connection to the photographs I capture.

I am by no means an expert on Dartmoor. I have only just scratched the surface. Dartmoor offers a lifetime of discovery, but that’s a good thing!