First Stop, Venford Falls

For many years, Venford Falls has been one of my favourite Dartmoor locations to photograph. Its iconic twin waterfalls are a unique sight for Dartmoor and in the right conditions they can be extremely photogenic (though compositions are limited).

I took my favourite shot of Venford Falls back in 2016, and despite returning several times and producing very pleasing shots, I’ve never felt I’d improved over that 2016 image. However, I keep going back every year to see I can’t get a slightly better shot. After my most recent visit this year though, I’ve decided to give up.

The main problem for me is that the location has become very messy. It’s always been a bit muddy and a bit slippy, but the amount of natural debris that litters the location now makes it a bit of a mess. So, for me at least, Venford is off the shot list (for now anyway).

Let’s Go…Here!

As I’d already made the journey out into the middle to Dartmoor to photograph Venford Falls I thought it would be a bit of a waste of time and petrol just to drive home. But where to photograph? I got my phone out, opened OS Maps and started to have a scan of the area. Looking around it felt like I’d photographed everywhere that was worth photographing. Then I spotted Yar Tor.

Somewhere in my subconscious I was aware of Yar Tor but I couldn’t picture it (excuse the pun) so I wasn’t sure if it were a location worth photographing. With nothing to lose though, I set of to see what I could see!

Yar Tor

Arriving at Yar Tor I was initially underwhelmed. The views were lovely but there was little in the foreground to make for a compelling photograph. I kept my camera in my bag and do what I normally do when arriving at a Dartmoor location and that is to just wander about and view the scene with my eyes rather than through the viewfinder.

After a short while inspiration hit me, and I captured this photograph.

**Yar Tor #1, Dartmoor National Park, Devon** - Nikon Z7, Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S at 24mm, f/11, 0.4 secs at ISO 64.

By the time I captured this image it was getting late, so I decided to return the following evening.

Return To Yar Tor

Returning the following evening to Yar Tor on Dartmoor I was able to capture a different compisition. I had spotted it the previous night but thanks to some better light it was worth capturing this time.

**Yar Tor #2, Dartmoor National Park, Devon** - Nikon Z7, Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S at 17mm, f/13, 0.8 secs at ISO 64.

As the sun got close to setting the orange glow got stronger so I decided to head back the composition I captured the previous night to see if I could get a slightly different image, or at least an image with a different feeling.

**Yar Tor #3, Dartmoor National Park, Devon** - Nikon Z7, Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S at 18mm, f/13, 0.5 secs at ISO 64.

Despite me feeling sometimes that I’ve photographed everywhere on Dartmoor, it’s good to know there are still new gems to be found. I shall be returning to Yar Tor, and maybe I’ll just check in on Venford Falls on the way.