Bite-Size Blog Post #57 - Pew Tor Sunset - Dartmoor National Park
Revisiting Pew Tor after several years, I found tricky conditions but valuable practice, proving that even when the magic is elusive, it’s still important to practice your craft.
Discovering Dartmoor
My first experience of Pew Tor was way back in 2015, but it was another seven years before I returned to film for Discovering Dartmoor. Near Pork Hill car park, it is a relatively easy walk, especially compared to the climb up to its more majestic neighbour, Great Staple Tor, which I wrote about recently. I was reminded of this little gem when I saw a beautifully crafted photograph of Pew Tor by a local photographer in Outdoor Photography magazine.
Inspired by that photograph, and with fond memories of filming there, I set off rather quickly last Saturday. I say quickly because I had miscounted the time and ended up leaving a bit later than I had originally planned. Experience of photographing Dartmoor has taught me that the best light is often thirty to sixty minutes before the expected sunset, so I needed to get there early.
Arriving at Pork Hill car park, it was unsurprisingly busy for a Sunday afternoon, but after only a short walk I soon found myself a little more alone. It did not last long though, as Pew Tor was proving to be a popular location that day. With easy access from several parking areas, great views, and rock formations perfect for climbing, it is a magnet for families heading out for a walk.
While the children seemed to find scrambling over the rocks easy, the photography was a little more challenging. It was one of those afternoons where you feel some magic is about to happen, but it ends up missing something. Either there was not enough cloud, or there was too much, or it was blocking the sun. These are the conditions that really challenge you as a photographer, so I had to work with the light that was there and look for less obvious compositions.
So while these photographs might not represent the most interesting views of Pew Tor, they are still pleasing images and reflect my experience of the place that day. It is good to work hard for your photography sometimes. It is good practice, both in terms of composition and technical craft. Keeping your skills sharp is important because you never know when the next big moment might arrive, and I want to be ready.
Pew Tor, Dartmoor National Park, Devon - Nikon Z8 with Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S at 22mm, f/13, 1/60 at ISO 400.
Pew Tor, Dartmoor National Park, Devon - Nikon Z8 with Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S at 20mm, f/13, 1/60 at ISO 400.
Photographing Great Staple Tor - Dartmoor National Park
Remembering Alyn Wallace and chasing the light at Great Staple Tor.
Remembering Alyn Wallace
We’ve all heard the old phrase “doesn’t time fly” but the older I get the faster it goes because I can’t believe it’s been over two and half years since I last photographed Great Staple Tor. It only seems like yesterday I was wild camping there to try my hand at astrophotography. The fact that I tried it was thanks to the excellent book by Alyn Wallace (who is greatly missed). If you’re not aware of Alyn’s book then I strongly suggest you check out this blog post and see the real world video review I did.
Great Staple Tor is completely the opposite side of Dartmoor to where I live so I don’t make it there as much as I’d like to. However, I found myself with a little more time than normal one Saturday afternoon, so I jumped in the car to made the journey across the moor.
Chasing the Light
At first the weather was looking great. Showers, rainbows, lots of cloud and light dancing across the landscape. Soon though, I was in heavy rain and the likelihood of photographing anything was looking increasingly unlikely. I pulled over and considered turning around and chasing the better conditions I had just driven through. But I checked my weather app, and it assured me that the heavy showers would pass.
Arriving at the carpark for Great Staple Tor I was delighted to see that the forecast was indeed correct. It’s not often that happens but I wasn’t complaining. I was soon making the walk up past Little Staple Tor and onto Great Staple Tor. Things were looking very positive. Clouds in the sky, light across the landscape and the rock stacks (tors) were looking majestic.
Great Staple Tor, Dartmoor National Park, Devon - Nikon Z8 with Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S at 18mm, f/13, 1/6 at ISO 64.
I’ll Just Clone That Out
Dartmoor at the weekend can be a busy place. As the day goes on more people go out to enjoy the moor and good for them. It’s a wonderful place and I encourage everyone to get out there to discover Dartmoor!
At this time of year though, you’ll find less tourists but plenty of younger people out training for the Ten Tors event. There’s no way I would have done something like that at their age, so they have lots of respect from me. January on Dartmoor isn’t exactly forgiving.
Now, this might sound like a complaint, but I can assure it isn’t, but it was frustrating. With the conditions working in my favour for once I was happy. Happy creating dramatic images of Great Staple Tor. After a while three lads turn up and start chatting. No worries, they’ll move on soon and I’ll carry on shooting. But they didn’t. Instead they started to put up two tents right in the middle of my compositions. Just as the light was getting good!
Did I ask them to move? No, I did not! They have every right to be on Dartmoor. Just as much right as I did, and the fact that they very innocently planted a couple of tents where I wanted to photograph was just plain bad luck.
Great Staple Tor, Dartmoor National Park, Devon - Nikon Z8 with Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S at 14mm, f/13, 1/6 at ISO 64.
The good news was that they were relatively small in the frame, so for some of the photographs I just cloned them out. Or dare I say it, I used the AI remove tool in Lightroom! My approach to object removal is that if the offending object is temporary such as a branch, car, human, or even a tent, it is fair game for removal. If it’s something permanent like power cables, buildings, roads, it’s got to stay.
Besides, the arrival of the tents encouraged me to move onto Roos Tor where my interest was reignited for this unusual tor. A return visit there is on my list now! So, thanks lads!
I hope you enjoyed reading about my adventure and seeing the photographs I captured. What would you have done in my situation? Would you have asked the lads to camp a few more meters away? And if not, would you have removed the tent in post processing? Let me know in the comments below.
Bite-Size Blog Post #56 - Black Tor Sunrise - Dartmoor National Park
In this bite sized blog I make the long walk up to Black Tor to see if it’s not too late in the year to photograph it at sunrise.
It’s a Short Window
The walk from Meldon Reservoir car park to Black Tor is one I have taken on many occasions. There are magnificent views along the way and if you include High Willhays on your route you can also claim to be standing on the roof of Devon. For me, the photographic highlight though is Yes Tor, which is not far from High Willhays.
But Black Tor is not to be ignored if you are out with your camera. If you are looking to photograph it during the golden hours, things get a little more tricky though. There is only a small window during the summer when the sun sets in a direction that will illuminate the tor with the best light.
It’s even more challenging to photograph it at sunrise as the surrounding hills can block the light from the rising sun until well past the golden hour. So, for those few weeks either side of the winter solstice I try to make the challenging walk up from the reservoir car park to Black Tor and watch the sunrise.
Black Tor, Dartmoor National Park, Devon - Nikon Z8 with Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S at 15mm, f/13, 1/8 sec at ISO64.
My Only Attempt?
I missed out on photographing sunrise at Black Tor at the end of 2025 because I was delayed in my return from Scotland, and then there was Christmas. I don’t think I took any photos over Christmas!
Roll on 2026 and a late opportunity presented itself and I managed to capture the photographs you see in this blog. I do however think I was a little late in the window of opportunity as it took nearly 20 minutes for the sun to break over the hills, so the light was harsher than I hoped for.
Black Tor, Dartmoor National Park, Devon - Nikon Z8 with Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S at 21mm, f/13, 1/8 sec at ISO64.
One More Try?
I’ve reckon I’ll have one more go at it this weekend. I suspect I’m a bit late now for Black Tor sunrises, and a lot depends on the weather. Even if I do make the early morning walk and I don’t get the shot, it’s a fine way to start the day and I’ll make my walk a little more adventurous by walking up to the roof of Devon.
Bite-Size Blog Post #55 - Hound Tor - Dartmoor National Park
In this bite sized blog I head to Hound Tor for some daytime photograph!
Creativity After Sunrise
I love the light you get from a rising or setting sun. It’s warm and soft, and it can make the landscape glow. It can also test your commitment during the summer months when sunrise can be 5am and sunset as late as 9pm (at least on Dartmoor anyway). But if you thought these were the only times of day to take photographs you’d be mistaken.
While there’s no doubt that I prefer to shoot during the golden hours, by not taking photographs during the day, you’re missing out on hours and hours of creativity and fun. Admittedly, it can be a little more challenging as shadows are harsher and there more people about, but for those looking for a challenge the results can be rewarding.
A few weeks ago I had a few hours to kill so I took a wander up to Hound Tor. There was little cloud in the sky, the landscape was very contrasty, and I had to pick my out my compositions carefully. Aside from negotiating a busy location (Hound Tor is very popular with visitors), I had to look for compositions where strong areas of light and shadow would work.
When I found my composition, I knew it was going to be black and white, so I set my Nikon Z8 to Deep Tone Monochrome and got to work. This is the resulting image.
Houndtor, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z8 with Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S at 18mm, f/13, 1/100 sec at ISO 640.
I didn’t find much else to photograph that morning, but it did remind me of what an interesting location Hound Tor is to photograph. It’s a location that works well when I teach photographers about photographing Dartmoor.
I’m looking forward to going back. Not just at the golden hours, but during the day. As I looked about, I could see how the angle of the light would change during the day, opening up a new compositions. I can’t wait to see what I find.
A Glorious Morning at Great Links Tor - Dartmoor National Park
A photograph of Great Links Tor in the glorious morning light has eluded me for years but no longer thanks to this photograph. But why am I a tiny bit disappointed?
I Got the Shot, But I'm Slightly Disappointed!
Great Links Tor on Dartmoor is a hard location to photograph for a couple reasons. Firstly, it involves a strenuous walk with over 300 meters of ascent. I can make the walk in about 40 minutes, but with a heavy backpack of camera gear on my back, I can really feel it. Especially when it's a dawn shoot and I haven't quite left enough time to get to the summit with time to spare.
The other challenge is the weather. Great Links Tor sits at an altitude of 586 meters which makes predicting the weather a proper challenge. The weather at the start point of the walk can be very different than the weather at the top. I've often made the ascent in clear weather only to find Great Links Tor covered in cloud. You can check the weather forecast as much as you like, but sometimes you have to take a chance and go for it.
And go for it I do. Despite the 1.5 hr round trip in the car, and the 7 km walk, I still feel compelled to take a chance on the hope I will get a compelling photograph that will show how majestic Great Links Tor can be.
The risk has paid off though. Back in April 2023 I walked up to Great Links Tor for a sunset shot and while my patience was tested, it ultimately paid off with one of my favourite Dartmoor photographs. You can watch me capture that photograph in this blog post.
But with a great sunset photograph of Great Links Tor in my portfolio I craved a sunrise photograph to go with it. And so started my slight obsession with getting up early, and walking up to Great Links Tor in the dark. Prior to writing this blog post I had tried to capture a sunrise photograph of Great Links Tor that I am happy with several times. While each visit yielded a good photograph, I knew in different conditions I could capture something special.
Just to make things a little complicated, the photograph I wanted can only be captured during winter when the sunrises from a specific direction. This puts the pressure on!
As winter 2025 came round I was determined to try again and make what I expected to be multiple trips to Great Links Tor. I also thought this might make an interesting video story. How many ascents would I need to make? What would the conditions of each visit be? How frustrated would I get?
Well imagine my surprise when on my first winter 2025 ascent I get exactly the shot I was looking for. Setting off early in the morning, it was far from guaranteed that I would get the shot. The forecast was for clear blue skies which rarely makes for good landscape photographs. Arriving in the car park there were already a couple of vans parked up. This is often a sign that there are wild campers on the moor, and I have made the ascent to Great Links Tor before only to find a tent right in the middle of my favourite composition.
Sure enough, when I arrived there were wild campers there but fortunately well away from my composition. The camper was already awake when I arrived, and I enjoyed a very nice chat to him. But in the corner of my vision, I was keeping an eye on the conditions which were surprisingly looking very interesting. Despite much of the sky being clear there was some cloud above Great Links Tor and as soon as the sun rose above the horizon and lit the scene, I stopped chatting and got shooting!
This is the photograph I captured.
Sunrise at Great Links Tor, Dartmoor National Park, Devon - Nikon Z8 with Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4S at 14mm, f/13, 0.5 sec at ISO 64.
So why am I disappointed? It has nothing to do with the photograph. I'm really happy with it. I'm disappointed as I won't be producing a video documenting my repeated visits to Great Links Tor in search of my photograph! I mustn't complain as I felt really happy as I descended from Great Links Tor. I know I had a good shot in the bag.
So, is that me done with Great Links Tor? Of course not. There is always a different and possibly better photograph to be captured. It's just that I won't spend the winter focusing on when I will next go to Great Links Tor. I'm free to explore and discover some of Dartmoor's other winter locations. So make sure you sign up to my newsletter to find out where I go and what I photograph next.
When Dartmoor Turns Purple - Photographing the Magic of Heather Season
For a few short weeks each year, Dartmoor transforms into a purple landscape as the heather blooms across the tors. This video follows my journey across the moor, through sunrise, sunset, changing weather, and shifting conditions to photograph the heather at its absolute best.
The Changing Seasons of Dartmoor
The UK is a special place for landscape photographers, and I feel fortunate to live here. Every season dramatically changes the feel of the landscape and provides photographers with both opportunities and challenges. Those seasonal changes can also be seen at a local level where areas of the UK celebrate special natural events such as bluebells in Dorset, the autumn colours of the New Forest, or snowdrops in north Yorkshire.
But for me, the local seasonal event that I get most excited about occurs in late summer when the heather blooms across Dartmoor. I’m slightly biased as Dartmoor is my local area, but the purple heather adds a splash of colour to an already dramatic landscape. The other thing I like about the heather season on Dartmoor is that it lasts. Peak bluebells on Dartmoor, or thrift on the Cornish coast might only last a couple of weeks, but the heather will stay strong for 6 to 8 weeks. The longer something is about, the more opportunities there is to photograph it.
With this knowledge, I decided that I would focus my efforts this summer on capturing a series of strong heather themed photographs. Even if the weather was poor for a week, or I was away, I'd still have plenty of opportunities to get up onto Dartmoor and photograph locations I know are good for heather, or perhaps even discover some new ones.
So how did I get on? Well, I didn't get out as much as I wanted (no surprise there!), but I did get out enough times to create a collection of Dartmoor heather photos. It was a decent season, lasting nearly 8 weeks and I'm happy with the results. I do however appreciate that heather season finished a couple of months ago, but I'm finally ready to share it with you, and the photographs I captured. Enjoy!
Do you have a favourite seasonal event to photograph? Let me know in the comments below.
My Dartmoor Heather Collection for 2025
Haytor Heather, Dartmoor National Park - Nikon Z8 with Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S at 30mm, f/13, 1/50 sec at ISO 800
Bite-Size Blog Post #53 - First Snow of the Year on Dartmoor
A forecast of snow on Dartmoor was all I needed to read to get me to drop everything else and head out with my camera!
Let There Be Snow on Dartmoor!
For the last couple of months, I’ve had a bit of backlog of work. Not that I’m complaining, but it means I’ve been sacrificing the thing I love about photography, and that’s going out taking photographs! Sometimes when the weather forecast just doesn’t look good enough, I’ve opted to stay in the office editing, rather than taking a chance and heading out to take pictures.
However, when snow is forecast, I will drop everything and get myself out there! So, with light snow forecast on the western edge of Dartmoor I packed my bag, ready for an early morning start. Well, not that early. Sunrise is around 07:45, which as far as I’m concerned, that’s the middle of day (compared to spring!).
As I drove towards Okehampton, I did have a terrible thought. I hadn’t been to Dartmoor for such a long time that I’d got out of the habit of checking live firing times. I pulled over, and sure enough, the Okehampton range was live firing that day. Very annoying! Not to worry, I’d go to the one location that is accessible and might have snow on it, Belstone.
Arriving at the summit of Belstone it did indeed have snow on it, but only a light dusting. Enough to make it feel wintry. Not that I needed snow to feel that way. The freezing wind did a great job of that! The cold aside, it felt so good to be back up on Dartmoor, experiencing the wilderness and taking photographs.
I only captured one photograph which you can see below. The cloud cover was extensive as it was bringing in the snow, but the scene still makes for a good black and white photograph if you exclude most of the sky.
As I said, it was a great morning to be out on Dartmoor, and now that I’ve cleared most of my backlog of work, I’m really excited about spending a lot more time back out with the camera doing what I love.
Bite-Size Blog Post #50 - Vixen Tor - Dartmoor
Despite Vixen Tor being very much out of bounds and on private land, there are still some wonderful viewpoints to photograph.
One is Not Welcome!
If you've watched my free watch video series Discovering Dartmoor, you'll know that in episode five I visited Vixen Tor. Well, I say visited, you can't actually visit Vixen Tor as it is on private land and access is prohibited. It's not even a tor you can go and sneakily access as it's surrounded by a stone wall and barbed wire!
However, that doesn't mean you can't photograph it. It just means you have to be a little further back and capture the tor as part of the wider landscape. That was exactly the approach I took when I filmed there for Discovering Dartmoor and as result of being forced to look beyond the tor, I discovered a wonderful panoramic view. Ever since that afternoon I've been eager to get back.
With me living east of Dartmoor and Vixen Tor being location the Western Edge, getting there always takes a little more effort but given that it's only a short walk from the road, I really should go there more often! However, for whatever reason I only recently returned to Vixen Tor to see if I could improve on the panoramic image that I captured during Discovering Dartmoor.
My hopes were high when I looked over to Vixen Tor one afternoon recently. It was near perfect conditions. The light was warm and soft, the trees were displaying their autumn colours, and the wind was light. Oh, and no sheep to spoil the composition! However, while there were great clouds in the sky, some of them looking very moody, there was an annoying gap between the horizon where the tor sat and dramatic clouds above. It was unfortunately a large gap somewhat making it difficult to create a balanced composition.
Vixen Tor Panorama, Dartmoor National Park - Nikon Z8, Nikkor Z 24-12-mm f/4 S at 54mm, f/8, 1/60 sect at ISO 200, 9 image stitched panoramic.
Not to be put off by a lack of clouds I tried to make the most of the scene by placing the tor and the surrounding landscape much lower in the frame so I could include a little of the moody sky. Has it worked? I'm not 100% convinced, but the more time I spend the more I grow to like the photographs, and they represent the wonderful the view I experienced that afternoon, and it has inspired me to return again very soon!
Vixen Tor, Dartmoor National Park - Nikon Z8, Nikkor Z 24-12-mm f/4 S at 69mm, f/13, 1/13 sect at ISO 64..
Bite-Size Blog Post #49 - Sharpitor - Dartmoor
Despite it's near roadside location, the view from Sharpitor on the western edge of Dartmoor is something I'd not experienced before but when I found myself driving by one day, I just had to pull over and take a look.
Drive By Landscape Photography
Over my 10 plus years of photographing Dartmoor there still remain locations that I haven't photographed. That's hardly a surprise when Dartmoor is over 365 square miles in size! Some of these locations are remote or require additional effort to get to, but there are locations that are close to the road that I just haven’t visited yet.
Nestled on the western edge of Dartmoor, Sharpitor is one such location. It’s on the main road between Yelverton and Princetown, and there is a very convenient car park which only leaves you roughly a 15 minute walk up a gentle slope. So why have I never photographed this easily accessible tor before? Honestly, I don't know. It's not I wasn't aware of it, I guess just never got around to getting there.
That was until a few weeks ago! I was spending the day volunteering with the Dartmoor Preservation Association helping them to clear gorse from an area of land they own called High House Waste. It's not the type of work I'm used but I found it to be highly satisfying!
It was on my way home from my volunteering day that I found myself passing Sharpitor, so I pulled over, grabbed my camera and headed up the hill. Here's what I captured.
Sharpitor #5, Dartmoor National Park - Nikon Z8 with Nikkor Z 14-30mm f4 S at 19mm, f/13, 1/20 sec at ISO 64.
I needed to get back home so I wasn't able to wait for the light to soften at sunset but even so, the light on Dartmoor was lovely. Sharpitor itself isn't that interesting but it does offer some compelling foregrounds that help frame the more distant Leather Tor and surrounding hills. Now that I've been, it's definitely a location I'll be returning to!
Can You Go Green and Still Get the Shot? Part 1 - Photographing Dartmoor by Train - Ditching the Car
Most of use a car to get to the locations that we want to photograph, but is it possible to go greener and use public transport? In this video I ditch the car and take the train to #Dartmoor. Will this save the planet or is it just too impractical?
Can I Make my Landscape Photography Greener?
Being outdoors with your camera seems to be an eco-friendly activity, doesn't it? But if you scratch under the surface, you'll find that the environmental impact of landscape photograph is a complex issue. To understand that impact you need to look at various factors including travel, camera gear, power & charging, and environmental footprint.
What I'm not going to do in this video and blog post is address these issues in full and provide solutions. And I'm certainly in no position to lecture anyone on the environmental impact that their photography may have.
But what I would like to do is to see if there are some small changes I can make that might reduce the overall environmental impact of my landscape photography. One of the most obvious factors that I can look to change is how I travel. Virtually all my landscape photography involves travelling by car. Even a trip to Dartmoor can involve a 50-mile round trip.
But what if there was an option for me to get public transport to Dartmoor. Well, back in 2021 the Dartmoor Line which runs between Exeter and Okehampton reopened, and ever since trains started running again, I've been itching to give it a try.
Could this train service become a regular form of transport for me and my landscape photograph? Let's find out in the video below.
Belstone Tor Landscape Photographs
Here are the photographs you saw me capture in the video.
Belstone Tor #1, Dartmoor National Park - Nikon Z8 with Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S at 18mm, f/11, 1/25 sec at ISO 64.
Belstone Tor #3, Dartmoor National Park - Nikon Z8 with Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S at 18mm, f/13, 1/20 sec at ISO 64.
Belstone Tor #4, Dartmoor National Park - Nikon Z8 with Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S at 20mm, f/13, 1/20 sec at ISO 64.
The Dance of Light and Shadow - How Black and White is Changing My Landscape Photography - Part 1
What’s the point in creating black and white landscape photographs? Is it just a last-ditch attempt to rescue a poor photograph? In this video I tell you why I’m now using black and white and with intent. Join me on #Dartmoor to find out more.
Dartmoor - A Land of Light and Shadow
It's funny, but probably not wholly unexpected, that the more experience you gain with landscape photography the more likely it is that your photography tastes will change over time. And this is what has happened to me. Kind of.
I say kind of because the style of landscape photographs that I like to capture hasn't changed. I still take natural looking photographs with minimal editing, using a wide-angle lens, and with lots of contrast and colour. It's just that now I'm happy to occasionally drop the colour element and work in black and white.
Capturing black and white landscape photographs is nothing new, and there are plenty of great photographers capturing black and white images of Dartmoor, but for me it's a style of landscape photography I'm getting increasingly comfortable with.
In the video below I talk more about my adoption of black and white landscape photography, how the Nikon Z8 is helping me, and I do it all from the land of light and shadow, Dartmoor.
Enjoy and let me know in the comments below your experience of black and white landscape photography.
Yes Tor Photography Gallery
Here are the photographs you saw me capture in the video.
Yes Tor #1, Dartmoor National Park - Nikon Z8 with Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S at 17mm, f/13, 1/13 sec at ISO 64.
Yes Tor #2, Dartmoor National Park - Nikon Z8 with Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S at 14mm, f/13, 1/13 sec at ISO 64.
Yes Tor #3, Dartmoor National Park - Nikon Z8 with Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S at 18mm, f/13, 1/13 sec at ISO 64.
Yes Tor #4, Dartmoor National Park - Nikon Z8 with Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S at 23mm, f/13, 1/13 sec at ISO 64.
Yes Tor #5, Dartmoor National Park - Nikon Z8 with Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S at 30mm, f/13, 1/6 sec at ISO 64.
How Early Would You Get Up to Capture a Landscape Photograph?
Early morning for sunrise or late evening for sunset? Which type of landscape photographer are you? In this video I explain why I’m happy to set my alarm for 03:30 so I can see the sunrise at Bowerman’s Nose on Dartmoor.
Why Such an Early Start Just to Capture a Photo
There’s early starts, and then there are EARLY starts. Here in the south west of the UK during late spring and early summer when we approach the longest day, sunrise is as early as 5am and sunset after 9:30pm. (It’s even earlier and later in Scotland!). With those times I expect most of you are thinking that if you had the choice of sunrise or sunset photography, you would almost certainly pick a sunset shoot.
It appears I am a wired a little differently. I actually like getting up early in the morning. But 03:30? That seems a little too much effort, and in most circumstances you’d be right. It would be much easier to give up on sunrise landscape photography until late summer or early autumn.
However, there are some photographs that can only be captured at certain times of year, and sunrise at Bowerman’s Nose is one such photograph. As it’s such an beautiful location in spring, and you get a very different angle at that time of year, it’s one location I will happily set my alarm for 03:30. But, as I discuss in this video, it’s not just landscape photography that inspires me to get up that early.
Landscape Photographs of Bowerman’s Nose on Dartmoor National Park
Bowerman’s Nose at Sunrise #2, Dartmoor National Park - Nikon Z8 with Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S at 20mm, f/13, 1/8 sec at ISO 800.
Bowerman’s Nose at Sunrise #3, Dartmoor National Park - Nikon Z8 with Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S at 21mm, f/13, 1/8 sec at ISO 800.
Bowerman’s Nose at Sunrise #4, Dartmoor National Park - Nikon Z8 with Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S at 20mm, f/13, 1/8 sec at ISO 250.
Photographing Row Tor on Dartmoor for the 1st Time - A 5 Minute Photo Adventure
There are Still Places I Haven't Photographed on Dartmoor
Over the three years that I filmed my video series Discovering Dartmoor I greatly expanded my knowledge of Dartmoor and the locations worth photographing. That combined with my 10 years of experience in capturing of landscape photographs of Dartmoor, you might think that I've photographed most of Dartmoor. Nothing could be further from the truth though, and as Dartmoor covers over 365 square miles, there is plenty left for me to photograph.
One such location is Row Tor on the northern edge of Dartmoor. I'm familiar with Row Tor as I've parked close by numerous times on my way to photograph a neighbouring tor. And this is perhaps the reason why I've not photographed it before. With so many great tors nearby such as Belstone Tor, East Mill Tor, Yes Tor, Oke Tor and West Mill Tor, poor old Row Tor didn't hold much interest for me.
But have I been missing out? Just because Row Tor is small, doesn't mean it's not worth photographing. So, let's find out if it is in my latest 5 Minute Photo Adventure.
Row Tor, Dartmoor National Park, Devon - Nikon Z8 with Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 at 24mm, f/13, 1/4 sec at ISO 64.
Photographing Dartmoor's Yar Tor - A 5 Minute Photo Adventure
Yar Tor - A Dartmoor Gem Just off the Road
One of the things I love most about Dartmoor is the ability to wander away from the roads and venture into heart of the national park. It's in these remote locations you can find some of Dartmoor's finest tors and, in the right conditions, they can make for some truly wonderful landscape photography subjects.
But long walks and big climbs aren't for everyone, so fortunately there are plenty of Dartmoor locations worth photographing that are close to a road. One such location is Yar Tor which is just a 15 minute and relatively flat walk from the B3357. It might not be the biggest or the grandest of Dartmoor's tors, but for those photographers willing to work for their compositions there a few photographic gems to be had.
I wrote about Yar Tor for the first time last year, but I decided to return recently so that I could film one of my 5 Minute Photo Adventures which I am delighted to be able to share with you below!
PS - Yar Tor is definitely a location I will be returning to so that I can photograph it again so don't be surprised to see another video from this location in the future. Don't want to miss it? Subscribe to my YouTube channel and/or my newsletter.
Yar Tor - Landscape Photographs of Dartmoor
Yar Tor at Sunset #1, Dartmoor National Park, Devon - Nikon Z8 with Nikkor Z 14-30m f/4 S at 18mm, f/13, 1/5 sec at ISO 64.
Yar Tor at Sunset #2, Dartmoor National Park, Devon - Nikon Z8 with Nikkor Z 14-30m f/4 S at 22mm, f/13, 1/5 sec at ISO 64.
Yar Tor at Sunset #3, Dartmoor National Park, Devon - Nikon Z8 with Nikkor Z 14-30m f/4 S at 15mm, f/13, 1/5 sec at ISO 64.
I Shouldn't Have Been Surprised - A 5 Minute Photo Adventure from Rippon Tor on Dartmoor
With little chance of capturing a compelling landscape photograph and filming a video that will likely never get published, I was ready to go home. But never right off Dartmoor. Dramatic conditions can be just a moment away.
That Was Truly Unexpected
The best time to make decision on where to photograph sunrise on Dartmoor is the night before. I like to make my choice, go to sleep, get up the following morning, grab my bag and a coffee then just go for it. Trying to make location decisions at 5am will lead to procrastination or worse, talking myself out of it and going back to bed (which is very rare).
However, sometimes it's worth just a quick scan of the weather forecast when I wake up, and the morning of this adventure, I'm glad I did. My original location on the western edge of Dartmoor had clouded over earlier than expected and so I needed a quick change of plan. The cloud was coming in from the west, so there was a chance that I might get a break in the cloud cover if I headed to the eastern edge of Dartmoor. With no time to consider a list of a possible locations I opted for one where I knew I'd stand the best chance of benefiting from a break in the cloud, and that was Rippon Tor.
As I drove along the M5 I could see it was looking a lot clearer towards the coast and I did consider making a very last minute change and heading to Dawlish Warren beach, but decided against it and thought it was best to stick to Dartmoor.
As I walked up to the summit of Rippon Tor, I thought I had made a mistake. It was very cloudy and the chances of seeing the sun looked very slim. As I was there I though, I might as well get my camera out. While the photographs I was taken were compositionally sound, they lacked the contrast and depth that the morning light would give them. They all looked a bit grey and flat.
Despite the flat light, I decided to start filming a video for YouTube. I honestly thought the video would never see the light of day, but after a 6 month break from making videos, this would at least be good practice and help me get back into the flow. What happened next was a surprise. It shouldn't have been. This is Dartmoor after all.
Unexpected Light on Rippon Tor - Dartmoor
Here’s the photo you saw me capture in the video:
Unexepected Light on Rippon Tor, Dartmoor National Park, Devon - Nikon Z8 with Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S at 22mm, f/14, 1/3 sec at ISO 64.
Bite-Size Blog Post #44 - West Mill Tor - Dartmoor National Park
In the blog this week I head to West Mill Tor on #Dartmoor after I was told it was "it's much more interesting" than East Mill Tor. Find out if it is and see what I else I captured that morning.
East vs West
No, I'm not about start writing about the current political situation but rather East Mill Tor vs West Mill Tor. I recently shared a blog post featuring East Mill Tor and I received a comment on social media that said, "Might as well go to West Mill, it's a much more interesting tor". I'm not one to ignore some feedback, so I did just that and went to West Mill Tor.
It's not that I agree with the comment. East Mill Tor is in fact one of my favourite tors, but it did remind me that I haven't photography West Mill Tor in two years, and it was time to return. East Mill Tor and West Mill Tor, despite their closeness, are very different looking locations, but I wouldn't say that one is more interesting than the other.
All that east vs west stuff aside, West Mill Tor is worth photographing. As you can see from the photographs in this post, it was definitely worth shooting that morning.
When I arrived though, it wasn't obvious that it was going to be a good morning. There was a lot of cloud about, and because it was also cold, and windy enough that I felt I needed to hold onto my tripod, I wasn't exactly what you might call "feeling it". But there is one lesson I've learnt from the decade that I've been photographing Dartmoor and that's not to give up too soon. I have left a location too soon before and been very, very disappointed with my apparent lack of dedication to my art!
Waiting for the conditions to change doesn't mean one should just stand around scrolling Instagram. No, it's the perfect opportunity to explore a location. Even if I've found a composition that I'm reasonably happy with, I will use the time to move about my spot to see what else I can see. More often than not, even a small movement to the left or right can produce a very different composition. This should be demonstrated in the set of photographs below. All were taken within one or two paces of each other. It's one of the reasons why I like photographing Dartmoor. The foregrounds can be complicated/busy, but they provide you with a lot of compositional variety.
West Mill Tor #3, Dartmoor National Park - Nikon Z8, Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S at 18mm, f/13, 1/3 sec at ISO 64.
It can be a bit of a lottery with how the weather conditions will change on Dartmoor at dawn. Frequently they stay poor or get worse. But every now and again they clear up just enough to give you a little bit of light on the landscape. And sometimes all you need is a little bit of light. Some light to catch the tops of the grasses and to add contrast and depth to the tor.
It was a great morning up on West Mill Tor and I captured a series of photographs that I'm very happy with. I still wouldn't say that West Mill Tor is more interesting than East Mill Tor (or vice versa) but I am glad someone reminded me to go photograph it again.
Bite-Size Blog Post #42 - East Mill Tor - Dartmoor National Park
In my blog this week I head to one of my favourite Dartmoor locations, East Mill Tor.
East Mill Tor - A Gem in Northern Dartmoor
To me East Mill Tor is one of Dartmoor's more unique locations to photograph. It's not that the rock stack at the northern edge of the tor is particularly special or that the surrounding landscape has any distinctive features. The stand out element are the small pools of water that are dotted about. It's not the only location on Dartmoor where a tor is near water, but I can't think of any other Dartmoor location where the water is close enough to the tor so that they can both be effectively placed in a composition.
It's not an easy location to photograph effectively either. Direction of light is critically important and obviously there needs to have been sufficient rainfall to fill the pools with water. (With no other source of water they are just muddy holes in the ground without rain). The most challenging bit is setting up the composition.
There are some elements of the composition I can't control, namely the weather. Cloud cover is critically important. Blue skies can be boring, while too much cloud blocks the light from the rising sun. A little wind is OK, and I find some movement in grasses rather pleasing as it adds a dynamic element to the composition.
The bit of the composition that keeps me coming back though is the placement of the pool and the tor in the frame and what their relationship is. A wide angle lens makes the pool appear more dominate in the frame but then makes the tor look further away. Polarisation of the pool is also a fine balancing act. Too much and the water can look black, and too little polarisation and pool has too much reflected light on it.
The final part of the jigsaw for me is where to place the tor and water. Stepping left and right, or panning the camera left and right will change the position of the tor in relation to the pool. Where this objects are placed can significantly change the balance of the composition. Despite several visits to this location, and ignoring all the other aspects of shooting here, I don't think I've created a composition where the balance feels perfect.
East Mill Tor, Dartmoor National Park, Devon - Nikon Z8 with Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S at 18mm, f/13, 3 secs at ISO 64.
In the photo for this blog post I have the pool centrally placed and the tor off to the left hand side. Does it work? Yes. Could it be better? Possibly. I'll just have to come back and try again. But that's no bad thing.
Bite-Size Blog Post #38 - Oke Tor - Dartmoor National Park
Those Perfect Summers Evenings on Dartmoor
In my video series Discovering Dartmoor you will often hear me talk about how nice it is during the summer months to go for an evening walk on Dartmoor. If the wind is calm and the skies are clear it really can be one of life’s great pleasures. However, Dartmoor being Dartmoor, the conditions can be just as unsettled as they are in the summer as they are in the winter. So packing jackets and gloves is always recommend!
You might now be thinking that this is a story of being out in wintry conditions in the middle of summer. Well for once, it's not! This is a story of one of those summer evenings where the conditions were perfect for a nice stroll around my favourite area of Dartmoor.
As is often the case when the conditions are ideal for walking, I only go out with the intention of enjoying a walk and not to capture landscape photographs. That doesn't mean I won't take my camera with me, it's just means that the primary reason for going out is to enjoy a walk.
I started my evening walk with no real plan other than I'll park near Row Tor, head south and see where I end up. When I got parked the car, I could see East Mill Tor in the distance, so I thought that was a good a place as any to head to. I had been discussing East Mill Tor with a fellow photographer a few days before, so I decided to head there to review some compositions at both the north and south end of the tor.
Oke Tor Sunset #1, Dartmoor National Park - Nikon Z8, Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S at 15mm, f/13, 1/40th at ISO 200.
Expansive Views of Dartmoor
As I stood on the southern edge of East Mill Tor I took in some deep breaths and admired the landscape that stretched out in front of me. It was glorious! But where to go next? Scanning the horizon I could see Oke Tor. If I went there then I could make a nice little loop back to the car.
As I approached Oke Tor I could see the light dancing along the landscape and despite me not having the intention of capturing photographs that evening, I started to get excited about the possibility of getting the camera out. It was getting late though, and I was worried that there might not be enough time to get up onto the tor and to make use of the nice light.
Sure enough, I got up onto the tor and the light had gone. However, it was a beautiful evening, and I was in no hurry so I decided to be patient and waited to see what would happen. It was so peaceful there and I just stood there looking at the view. I could see patches of light illuminating the landscape but there were unfortunately not landing on the tor where I was.
Even as I stood there, I remember thinking that even if I don't get any photographs, I would return home having had a lovely walk and seen some spectacular views.
As most landscape photographers will tell you, patience is something you need to have lots of in this field of photography. It's not often you get rewarded for your patience, but on this evening, I was, and I captured a beautiful image of Oke Tor.
Oke Tor Sunset #2, Dartmoor National Park - Nikon Z8, Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S at 14mm, f/13, 1/3 at ISO 64.
As I walked back to the car, I thought about how fortunate I am to be able to experience Dartmoor in the ways that I do. I can freely walk all over Dartmoor and enjoy everything nature has to offer, and if I put myself in the right place at the right time, I can also use my camera to capture those unique moments in time.
Bite-Size Blog Post #35 - Hookney Tor - Dartmoor National Park
Sometimes it's the small rocky outcrops rather than the tors that are the highlight of a location.
In Search of Heather - Part 5
If you've been reading my blog over the last few weeks, you'll know that I've been busy exploring Dartmoor looking to capture some compelling images of heather. After a slow start, I've had a good run of capturing photographs I am happy with. Not one to quit while I'm ahead and finish on a positive note, I decided to push for another photograph by heading to Hookney Tor.
In part 2 of this mini heather themed series of blog posts I mentioned that I struggled with finding a balanced composition at Hookney Tor, so I eventually changed location and photographed Grimspound instead. However, I was sure that with a bit more exploration I would find a composition featuring Hookney Tor. One observation I made during my previous visit was that I thought that Hookney Tor might be better at sunset rather than sunrise.
Despite some pleasant evening conditions up on Hookney Tor, I continued to struggle to find a composition with the tor and the heather. In a moment of frustration, I walked to the viewpoint of Grimspound to capture some photographs, but I was using the same composition as my previous visits, and arguably, the images weren't as good.
Grimspound Heather, Dartmoor National Park - Nikon Z8, Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S at 24mm, f/13, 1/13 sec at ISO 64.
Over the years that I've been photographing Dartmoor National Park I've come to the conclusion that not all tors are worth photographing. Perhaps Hookney Tor was going to fall into this category? When it started to cloud over, I packed my bag and started walking back to the car.
It was at this point that I got inspired. On the path was a small rocky outcrop which was catching the light from the setting sun. There was even a small clump of heather to include in the composition. I frantically got my camera back out of the bag and grabbed a few shots. I was just in time as no sooner had I captured the image the light was gone.
Hookney Heather, Dartmoor National Park - Nikon Z8, Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S at 23mm, f/13, 1/4 sec at ISO 64.
While the image isn't as good as my previous heather photographs this year, I am still pleased with the result. Especially as I thought I was going home with no photographs. But I also learnt an important lesson. During my visits to Hookney Tor I had been very focused on the large rock stacks and making them part of my composition. What I also need to keep an eye out for is the small things. The small rocky outcrops of Dartmoor, that despite their size, can still make for good photographs.
Will there be a part 6 to my Dartmoor National Park heather series of photographs? I don't think so, but you never know!
Bite-Size Blog Post #34 - Honeybag Tor - Dartmoor National Park
My run of good luck with photographing the heather on Dartmoor continues with a visit to Honeybag Tor.
In Search of Heather - Part 4
In my last blog post I shared with you some of the heather themed photographs I captured at Chinkwell Tor. With the heather looking good at that part of Dartmoor National Park, I decided to keep the momentum going and heading to Chinkwell's neighbouring tor, Honeybag Tor.
It was a further 10 days on since I'd been to Chinkwell Tor so I had high hopes this would be the peak of heather season, and I was not disappointed. There were some beautiful clumps of heather mixed in with the yellow of the gorse bushes. I just needed to find a composition and more importantly, wait for a break in the cloud. I still had a bit of time before sunrise, so I decided to have a wee wander about.
Though I'd never properly taken the time to photograph Honeybag Tor, as I explored the area I started to pick out compositions. But my big worry was that most of these would suit a sunset rather than a sunrise, and what I thought were they good compositions didn't actually include any heather!
Dartmoor can be a tricky place to photograph though, particularly in flat light. It's hard to previsualise compositions. Or at least I can struggle to previsualise. Not to worry though, mother nature to the rescue! Just as I was about to conclude that the area had nice heather but no suitable compositions, the cloud broke and divine light shone on my composition!
Heather at Honeybag Tor #1, Dartmoor National Park - Nikon Z8, Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S at 21mm, f/13, 1/3 sec at ISO 64.
Knowing that light like that is very fleeting on Dartmoor I immediately got to work and started taking pictures. No sooner has I grabbed a couple of frames and tweaked my composition, the light disappeared. It was a very exciting few minutes and very much a typical Dartmoor photography experience! That is, you wait ages and just when you are on the cusp of giving up and going home, you get 5 minutes of light to work with, and then you are done.
Five minutes is all you need some mornings though. I'd captured my photographs, and I was happy. With two successful shoots under my belt, should I push for a third one? Find out next time.
Heather at Honeybag Tor #2, Dartmoor National Park - Nikon Z8, Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S at 21mm, f/13, 1/3 sec at ISO 64.