Bite-Size Blog Post #9 - Combestone Tor
Some locations require you to put in a bit more time than usual before you start to get the most from them. For me, Combestone Tor is one of them.
A Slow Burner
For a long time, I had ignored Combestone Tor. I’m not entirely sure why. Maybe it was because the couple of casual visits that I gave it previously hadn’t been that successful and I wrote it off. However, when I visited Combestone a few months ago I captured some images that I was unexpectedly pleased with. It could have been the weather conditions, the light, the colour, but whatever it was it had sparked my interest in this location again.
A few weeks ago, I decided to make another visit. The conditions were quite different from my last visit, but I still felt that there were photographs to be captured. I wanted to capture some different images this time and despite the variety of views at this location I still found it hard to pick out compositions.
Looking back at the images I captured on this most recent of visits I’ve concluded that this location is a bit of a slow burner. It’s one of these locations where you really must put in the time to get the most out of it. While I’m happy enough with the images I captured I feel I have still to find the very best that Combestone has to offer.
This is not a bad thing though. With autumn just around the corner, I’ve got a feeling Combstone is going to come alive over the next couple of months and I’m looking forward to returning already.
Combestone Tor #1, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor 14-30mm f/4 at 14mm, f/8, 0.6 secs at ISO 64, Kase Filters K9 CPL and ND Grad.
Combestone Tor #2, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor 14-30mm f/4 at 14mm, f/11, 1.6 secs at ISO 64, Kase Filters K9 CPL and ND Grad.
Combestone Tor #3, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor 14-30mm f/4 at 30mm, f/11, 1 sec at ISO 64, Kase Filters ND grad, 5 image panorama cropped to 6:17.
Stormy Combestone
After a day procrastinating on where to go I decide to head to Combestone Tor where they weather turns out to be a little stormy!
Procrastination
I keep saying to myself that I need to be a little more spontaneous with the locations I shoot but I struggle to let go of the side of me that likes to plan. For me, a plan is a recipe for success, or at the very least, a way to maximise the chances of success. I do like the longer days that spring and summer bring as this allows for more sunset shoots, but this has the downside that it gives me the whole day to procrastinate on where I should be going!
The evening I took these pictures was no different. I had been scanning my map trying to decide if I should go to the coast, or head up to Dartmoor. Even after deciding, I couldn’t make up my mind to go somewhere I knew or venture to a new location. I was feeling a little indecisive!
After checking maps and weather forecasts for what felt like hours, I decided that I would pay a visit to Yar Tor, a location that I had not visited in any capacity before. I’d seen a few photos of it on Flickr and I thought it looked interesting enough to warrant some investigation. The weather forecast was looking unsettled, but this could work in my favour.
Flying Visit or Final Destination
As I planned my route there, I noticed that I would drive by the car park for Combestone Tor. I had visited this location briefly in February, but the conditions were foul, and l left without taking the camera out. I had a bit of spare time so I decided that I would stop there first and give it another look.
When I arrived at Combestone I left my camera bag in the car and went to have a look around. I was surprised how differently I was seeing this location compared to my previous visit. I still wasn’t convinced that I was going to get any great shots from Combestone that evening, but I was sure it was worth heading back to the car to get my camera.
My attention was focused on the hawthorn trees rather than the tor itself. There are a few of them dotted around the area of the tor and each one was distinctly different from the other. The light was still quite harsh but if I waited closer to sunset, I could end up with some nice soft side lighting. I, therefore, had a choice to make. I could either wait it out at Combestone to see what would happen or carry on to Yar Tor.
Combestone Hawthorn #1, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor 14-30mm f/4 at 23mm, f/8, 1/30th sec at ISO 64, Kase Filters K9 circular polariser.
As I looked at the incoming stormy weather, I decided that to change my visit to Combestone from flying visit to my final destination.
Stormy Weather
One of the great things about being up on Dartmoor is you can often see the weather approaching. This is especially true when a storm front is coming in to replace clear skies. You can often see the tops of the incoming cumulonimbus cloud and they look hugely impressive. These big storm clouds will also bring heavy rain showers which you can also watch travel over the landscape.
Combestone Hawthorn #3, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor 14-30mm f/4 at 22mm, f/8, 1/160th sec at ISO 800, Kase Filters K9 circular polariser.
The storm clouds were transforming the look of the landscape and I was very much enjoying the process of integrating them into my compositions. I wasn’t sure how long I was going to be able to enjoy this weather though. I could already see that the sun was going to disappear behind the clouds well before sunset and I was sure to get a soaking before too long.
Combestone Hawthorn #2, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor 14-30mm f/4 at 20mm, f/8, 1/13th sec at ISO 64, Kase Filters K9 circular polariser.
With the weather moving in quickly I had to work fast to make the most of the interesting weather. Unlike my previous visit in February I was more inspired to seek out compositions. I still wasn’t feeling inspired by the tor itself. I just couldn’t seem to find a pleasing composition. I found the hawthorn trees far more interesting and I like the way I could integrate them into the compositions along with the weather.
Combestone Hawthorns - Approaching Storm, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor 14-30mm f/4 at 18mm, f/8, 1/25th sec at ISO 64, Kase Filters K9 circular polariser, 8 vertical image panorama.
It wasn’t long before the rain started and when it did it was heavy! Fortunately, the walk from the tor to the car park is only a few meters so I escaped a soaking. By the time I was back in the car, the rain was bouncing off the bonnet. As I started the drive home with the windscreen wipers working furiously, I was excited to get home and start processing. After all my procrastination earlier in the day I was glad that I’d made the effort to get out with my camera.