Photographing Dartmoor - Honeybag Tor - A 5 Minute Photo Adventure
Grab yourself a cup of coffee because it's time for another 5 Minute Photo Adventure. In this episode I'm photographing Honeybag Tor (nr Haytor) on Dartmoor. Can I capture some landscape photographs to help inspire you to get out with your camera?
Honey, Honey!
The area around Haytor is the closet area of Dartmoor to my home. It’s an area that I will often visit if I’m short of time or I don’t want to travel too far on a dubious forecast. On this visit, I was both short of time and there was a dubious forecast!
Having shot Rippon Tor and Emsworthy Tor extensively, and it is the wrong time of year to shoot Bowerman’s Nose at dawn, I decided that I needed a different location to photograph in the Haytor area. My first thought was to photograph Honeybag Tor, but despite a couple of previous visits, I’ve never felt I was able to make the most of it.
For this most recent visit though, I decided on a change of tack. Perhaps if I shot Honeybag Tor from Chinkwell Tor it might yield better results. The wide wide-open view would suit my style of photography and given that a cloudless sky at dawn that was forecast, the light from the rising sun could illuminate the wide expanse of Honeybag Tor, and even the surrounding landscape.
Did I manage to capture the images for which I was hoping? Or did the forecasted cloud roll in and block the sun? Let us find out in my latest 5 Minute Photo Adventure.
Dartmoor Landscape Photographs
Honeybag Tor from Chinkwell Tor at Sunrise #2, Dartmoor - Nikon Z7, Nikkor 14-30mm f/4 at 30mm, f/11, 2 sec at ISO 64.
Honeybag Tor from Chinkwell Tor at Sunrise #3, Dartmoor - Nikon Z7, Nikkor 14-30mm f/4 at 17mm, f/11, 0.6 sec at ISO 64, crop 4:5.
Honeybag Tor from Chinkwell Tor at Sunrise #5, Dartmoor - Nikon Z7, Nikkor 14-30mm f/4 at 21mm, f/11, 1/5 sec at ISO 64.
When Things Don't Go to Plan
Landscape photography is full of challenges. Some challenges come from elements you can't control such as the weather, but then there are the mistakes you make yourself. In this video and blog post, I head out to Dartmoor National Park to capture some landscape photographs but end up making a few mistakes. Lessons were learnt!
A Bit Rusty
Last week I shared with you the experience of my first landscape photography shoot for over 3 months. While I didn’t capture any amazing photographs, the experience of being out with the camera again was fantastic. Eager to keep the momentum going I decided to head out Chinkwell Tor with my dog Monty to see what we could find.
However, as you’ll see in the video below, it appears that I’m still a bit rusty, both in terms of preparation and camera skills!
As I said in the video, I’m happy to share with you the successes and failures of my landscape photography adventures. After all, if I can learn something then I’m sure you can too. Let me know some of your photography faux pas in the comments below.
Landscape Photographs from Dartmoor
Here are the photographs I captured while out exploring Chinkwell Tor.
Honeybag Tor, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor 14-30mm f/4 at 26mm, f/8, 1/60th sec at ISO 64, 3 image focus stack.
The Chink in Chinkwell, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor 14-30mm f/4 at 27mm, f/22, 1/5th sec at ISO 64.
Bite-Size Blog Post #12 - Dartmoor Mini Adventures
In this bite-size blog post, I share with you some of the photographs I have captured on my recent ramblings around Dartmoor.
Exploring Dartmoor Locations New and Old
When autumn arrives and the number of daylight hours shrinks, I’m forced to focus my photography on local locations like Dartmoor. Well, I say “forced” but let’s face it, photographing Dartmoor isn’t exactly a hardship!
Now that autumn is over I thought it would be a good opportunity to look back on the Dartmoor locations I have photographed recently. I tried to balance my time between locations I know well and those that I know less well.
Of the locations I know, I’ve featured photographs from Rippon Tor and Holne Bridge. I haven’t captured anything spectacular or new from these locations, but they are firm favourites for me so I can’t resist the temptation to photograph them. Especially Holne Bridge. It’s such a nice location during autumn!
There are also some photographs from locations that I haven’t previously explored. Tunhill Rocks look like it could be a location worth exploring again. I think in the right conditions and light it could yield several good compositions. Bench Tor and Honeybag Tor are like Tunhill Rocks in that they will be worth visiting again.
Perhaps one of the most exciting locations I have visited recently is a new one for me and that is the area around Trendlebere Down. My first visit to the area was to walk the dog and it wasn’t my intention to check it out for photography. That visit coincided with the autumnal colours coming through and as I wandered about it soon became apparent that could be an excellent location for a spot of photography. The photographs below feature the stone bridges I found but the view higher up looking down on the woodland has plenty to offer as well.
Through my mini adventures around Dartmoor I’ve visited both old and new locations, but it’s the area around Trendlebere Down that I’m most looking forward to photographing next autumn.
