Bite-Size Blog Post #79 - Dawlish Warren
I had imagined a very different morning at Dawlish Warren, but with a little creativity I found a way to turn the fog and flat light into a photograph I really like.
When Life Gives You Lemons, Make Lemonade
I’m sure most of you are familiar with the saying, “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.” It’s a phrase that encourages you to turn something negative into something positive. It’s a phrase that could be applied to almost every trip out with the camera, because it’s very rare that you’ll get perfect conditions. Of course, that ignores the question of whether there is such a thing as perfect conditions in the first place, but perhaps that’s a conversation for another day.
The reason I bring up this popular saying is that it very neatly applies to my most recent trip to Dawlish Warren beach. It’s a beach I love and have photographed more times than I can remember. It’s a special place, and it keeps pulling me back.
On the morning of my most recent visit, I had a glorious sunrise in my mind’s eye. I was imagining reflected light on the water, the undersides of the clouds catching the first light, and perhaps a little glow on the groynes. I’ve seen these conditions before, and it can be very special when everything comes together.
However, what I had imagined was very different from reality.
Arriving at Dawlish Warren, I found the beach cloaked in fog. Or perhaps sea mist. I’m not entirely sure where the difference in definitions lies! Everything looked rather flat and grey. This wasn’t what I had come for, but I needed to find something in my creative toolbox that would allow me to make the most of the conditions.
I’d been given lemons, and I was definitely going to make lemonade!
Dawlish Warren Beach, Devon - Nikon Z8 with Nikkor Z 24-120mm f/4 S at 24mm, f/11, 60 secs at ISO 64, Kase Revolution CPL and 6 stop ND.
The key to getting a compelling photograph was to simplify the scene as much as I could. There was no colour to speak of, very little movement in the water, and the sky was blending into the sea at the horizon. For me, the creative solution was to remove what little colour there was and work in black and white, combined with a long exposure.
With the groyne being the only really definable object in the scene, I thought it could make for a striking composition. The simplicity of the scene actually became its strength. Rather than trying to capture everything in front of me, I could concentrate on that single structure and the atmosphere surrounding it.
So, was my lemonade tasty?
Well, I think it was. But I’d be interested to know what you think, so please leave me a comment below.
Dawlish Warren Beach, Devon - Nikon Z8 with Nikkor Z 24-120mm f/4 S at 24mm, f/11, 8 secs at ISO 64, Kase Revolution CPL and 3 stop ND.
Bite-Size Blog Post #78 - Birch Tor
A dry summer has left me wondering how this year’s heather season will unfold as I head to Birch Tor in search of Dartmoor’s purple landscape.
In Search of Heather
Late July, through August and into September are some of my favourite times for photography on Dartmoor. It’s heather season, and as summer progresses, the landscape gradually starts to turn purple. I find it gives me a whole new level of motivation to get out early in the morning.
But this summer is different.
Why? Well, unusually for the South West of the UK, it hasn’t rained. For weeks. In fact, I can’t remember the last time we had any proper rain. Of course, we can have long periods of good weather here and I’m more than happy to enjoy all the benefits that brings. But those periods are almost always interrupted by a few days of rubbish weather and a bit of rain.
This year has been very different.
It’s so dry on Dartmoor at the moment that the government has even issued emergency warnings, including restrictions on things such as portable BBQs. The ground is parched, the grass has turned yellow and the landscape is starting to look very different from the Dartmoor I’m used to seeing at this time of year.
So, will the dry weather affect the heather?
It isn’t a simple question to answer. Dry weather doesn’t necessarily mean there will be no heather, and there are plenty of other factors that influence how it develops and when it flowers.
I was thinking about all of this when I visited Birch Tor recently. I had been hoping to find the first real signs of the purple landscape I associate with this time of year, but I was disappointed to find very little heather in flower.
There could be several reasons for this. Perhaps I was simply too early and the heather on this particular part of the moor hadn’t reached its peak. Perhaps the exceptionally dry conditions have affected its growth. Or perhaps Birch Tor simply doesn’t produce the same spectacular display as its nearby neighbour, Grimspound.
Whatever the reason, I’m not going to write Birch Tor off just yet.
This is only the beginning of the heather season for me, and while I wasn’t able to capture the photographs I had hoped for on this visit, I’ll be returning. One of the things I love about photographing Dartmoor is how dramatically a familiar location can change over the course of just a few weeks.
And, even without the heather, the photographs I captured on this visit have given me plenty of motivation to return again very soon.
So stay tuned. There’s still plenty of heather season to come.
Birch Tor, Dartmoor National Park, Devon - Nikon Z8 with Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S at 16mm, f/13, 1/10 sec at ISO 80.
Birch Tor, Dartmoor National Park, Devon - Nikon Z8 with Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S at 16mm, f/13, 1/30 sec at ISO 400.
Dartmoor: Learning to Read the Landscape
Understanding how light interacts with the landscape is one of the most valuable skills in landscape photography. Join me at Bowerman's Nose on Dartmoor as I explain why this sunrise composition only works at certain times of year.
Understand the Landscape
Light is one of the most important elements in landscape photography. The quality of that light can make or break a photograph, and for me the very best conditions are often found during the hour around sunrise and sunset, commonly known as the golden hours.
During late spring and summer, photographing sunrise in the UK certainly isn't for the faint hearted. With the sun rising as early as 5am, the alarm often goes off around 3.30am, leaving just enough time to get ready, drive to the location and be in position before the first light appears above the horizon.
I have to admit though, I rather enjoy those early starts. There is something special about being on Dartmoor before the rest of the world has woken up. The anticipation builds as the eastern sky begins to glow, knowing that in a matter of minutes the landscape will be transformed by the first rays of sunlight.
Bowerman’s Nose, Dartmoor National Park, Devon - Nikon Z8 with Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S at 22mm, f/13, 1 sec at ISO 64.
That said, getting out of bed that early only feels worthwhile if I know the conditions are going to work. You might be treated to the most spectacular sunrise imaginable, but if the surrounding landscape prevents the light from reaching your composition, you've missed the very moment you came to photograph.
Bowerman's Nose is a perfect example of this.
The classic view of this distinctive tor only receives the soft light of sunrise for a relatively short period of the year. Although the hill behind it doesn't look particularly significant, it has a huge influence on how the morning light reaches the landscape. For much of the year, the sun rises behind that hill, meaning the light doesn't reach the tor until it is much higher in the sky and considerably harsher. During late spring and summer however, the angle of the sunrise changes just enough for the first light to illuminate the rocks beautifully.
Bowerman’s Nose, Dartmoor National Park, Devon - Nikon Z8 with Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S at 19mm, f/13, 0.4 sec at ISO 64.
Knowing when that happens isn't something you can learn from a map alone. I use planning tools to understand where the sun will rise, but they are only part of the process. Years spent exploring Dartmoor have taught me how the shape of the land influences the light, and that experience is just as valuable as any app.
In this video I capture Bowerman's Nose at sunrise while explaining the decisions behind the photograph. I'll show you why this composition only works at certain times of year, how the surrounding landscape affects the light, and why learning to read the landscape is one of the most valuable skills any landscape photographer can develop.
This video forms part of my Learning Landscape Photography on Dartmoor series, where I share the knowledge and experience I've gained from many years of photographing this remarkable landscape. If you'd like to continue learning, do take a look at the rest of the series. There is much more still to come.
Dartmoor: Learning to Photograph Remote Landscapes - Wild Camping on Dartmoor
Wild camping isn't simply about spending a night outdoors. It's about giving yourself the opportunity to experience and photograph Dartmoor’s landscape in ways that day visits rarely allow.
Dusk to Dawn
Most landscape photographers appreciate the quality of light at sunrise and sunset. On Dartmoor, the soft light from a low sun can transform a familiar scene into something truly special. Reaching some of Dartmoor's more remote locations at the right time, however, can require a lot of effort. With some tors involving a walk of 90 minutes or more, much of the journey is often completed in darkness.
My solution to this, particularly during the spring and summer months, is to incorporate wild camping into my landscape photography. With sunset as late as 9:30pm and sunrise as early as 5:00am, it makes sense to camp close to remote locations such as Wild Tor. Rather than spending hours walking to and from the location, I can spend more time enjoying the landscape and making the most of the changing light.
In this video I share my experience of wild camping at Wild Tor, one of Dartmoor's most remote locations. I explain why wild camping has become such an important part of my approach to landscape photography and the benefits it brings. I'll also take you through the camping equipment and camera gear that I carry on these backpacking adventures.
For me, wild camping is about far more than simply spending a night outdoors. It gives me the opportunity to photograph the landscape in conditions that relatively few people experience, from the last light of the day through to first light the following morning. It also allows me to slow down, spend more time in the landscape and appreciate Dartmoor in a way that simply isn't possible on a day visit.
Wild Tor, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z8 with Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S at 14mm, f/13, 2 secs at ISO 64.
If you enjoy long walks and a night beneath the stars, then wild camping can be an incredibly rewarding way to experience Dartmoor. If you're already an experienced wild camper but would like to explore Dartmoor with a knowledgeable local guide, I'd be delighted to accompany you on a guided photographic adventure. Please get in contact.
This video forms part of my Learning Landscape Photography on Dartmoor series, where I share the knowledge and experience I've gained from many years of photographing this remarkable landscape. If you'd like to continue learning, do take a look at the rest of the series. There is much more still to come.
Wild Tor Gallery
Bite-Size Blog Post #77 - Exploring Manaton
Finding the first hints of heather on Dartmoor reminded me that some evenings are more about the experience than the images I capture.
Early Signs of Heather
The area around Manaton is best known for one of Dartmoor’s most iconic tors, Bowerman’s Nose. As a landscape photographer, it’s hard not to be drawn to this glorious granite monument. It dominates the surrounding landscape and photographs beautifully throughout the year. Even though I’ve photographed Bowerman’s Nose numerous times, and I’m sure I’ll continue to do so, it’s important to remember that it isn’t the only thing that catches my eye in this part of Dartmoor.
So, on one beautiful, sunny summer evening, I decided to walk past Bowerman’s Nose and explore the plateau above it. It wasn’t the first time I’d wandered across this area, but it was the first time I’d set out with the sole intention of exploring it with my camera rather than heading for something familiar.
It can sometimes be difficult to visualise how a landscape will photograph when the light is harsh and the sky is completely cloudless, but there were enough hints of potential to keep me interested. One composition in particular really caught my attention. It’s still very much a work in progress, though, so you’ll have to stay tuned to the blog to see where that one leads.
What did surprise me was the heather. I don’t normally expect to see Dartmoor’s heather appearing until a little later in the month, but there were already patches beginning to bloom. It was only the earliest signs of colour, yet it was enough to get me excited. It immediately took me back to the wonderful evenings I spent photographing the heather across Dartmoor last year.
Manaton Heather, Dartmoor National Park, Devon - Nikon Z8 with Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S at 24mm, f/13, 1/125 sec at ISO 800.
Sometimes it’s important to remember that landscape photography isn’t just about coming home with spectacular images. It’s about enjoying the experience of being out there. That’s exactly what this evening became: just me, my camera, and a sense of adventure. I may not have captured any portfolio-worthy photographs, but discovering new possibilities, learning more about this part of Dartmoor, and simply enjoying the walk proved to be far more rewarding.