Photographing a Snowy Dartmoor with the NEW Vallerret Skadi Gloves
Landscape photography, a new pair of thermal gloves, Dartmoor, snow, and my Nikon Z7. What's not to love. So, join me in my latest video as I photograph a snowy Dartmoor and tell you all about my new @Vallerret Skadi Zipper Mitt LRS Gloves.
The Best Photography Gloves - Improved!
Best is of course a subjective term. Different conditions can require different gloves. Perhaps I’d be better describing my Vallerret Skadi Zipper Mitt PSP gloves as my favourite winter photography glove. Well, that was until Vallerret released the Skadi Zipper Mitt LRS gloves <INSERT AFFLIATE LINK>! A new and improved version of their deep winter mitts.
In the video below I not only photography Dartmoor with a rare dusting of snow, but I also share with you my thoughts on these new gloves from Vallerret.
If you’d like to purchase a pair of the Vallerret Skadi Zipper Mitt LRS gloves you can do so directly from Vallerret right here.
Where Are the Landscape Photographs?
It’s normally at this point in the blog post that I share the photographs I captured in the video, and you may be wondering where they are. There’re not here because I’ve already published them in the blog post Photographing Dartmoor in the Snow earlier this year. The reason for the time gap between video and photographs is that the video featured gloves that Vallerret hadn’t announced yet, so I kept the video back until now.
Be sure to check out the blog post Photographing Dartmoor in the Snow to not only see the photographs from that video, but some of the other snowy photos I captured from Dartmoor back in January.
Saying Goodbye to My Nikon Z7
I'm changing my landscape photography camera so it's time for one last shoot with the Nikon Z7. Join me in as I visit two of my favourite Dartmoor locations to capture my final Nikon Z7 landscape photographs with the Z7.
One Last Adventure
Over the last four years my Nikon Z7 been a constant companion on my landscape photography adventures and it has helped me capture some of my favourite landscape photographs.
However, it is time to move on and the delivery of my new camera is just around the corner. I don’t get emotionally attached to my cameras, but I decided to celebrate the end of my photography journey with the Z7 by taking it out on one my last landscape photography adventure to Dartmoor.
So, join me on my latest landscape photography adventure and watch me press the shutter button on my Nikon Z7 for the very last time.
Bowerman’s Nose, Dartmoor
Bowerman’s Nose, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S at 18mm, f/13, 1/15 sec at ISO 64.
Belstone, Dartmoor
Belstone Tor Sunset #1, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S at 20m, f/11, 1/6 sec at ISO 64.
Belstone Tor Sunset #2, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S at 17mm, f/11, 1/6 sec at ISO 64.
Belstone Tor Sunset #3 , Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S at 17mm, f/11, 1/6 sec at ISO 64.
Some of My Favourite Nikon Z7 Landscape Photographs
A GREAT Landscape Photograph Deserves a GREAT Print
I love printing my landscape photographs from Dartmoor almost as much as I love taking them! In this video, I capture images of the iconic Great Links Tor, and then I’ll make prints of them using my new Hahnemuehle fine art papers that I got from Fotospeed.
The Wind - Friend or Foe?
Windy. It’s a word that I am using a lot recently to describe the conditions I’ve been experiencing while out photographing Dartmoor. The wind can make landscape photography challenging with fear that your camera will get blown over or that you’ll end up taking blurry photographs. As for shooting video, leaving my camera on a tripod (even with spikes) on its own while I go off and talk somewhere always makes me nervous!
The wind can also be an asset. Strong winds often mean fast moving cloud, providing me with the hope that any gaps in the cloud, while short lived, will shortly be followed by another gap.
The Journey to Great Links Tor
Looking at the weather forecast before I set out for Great Links Tor, I was hoping that the strong winds that evening would be my friend. There was lots of low cloud forecast, but some gaps were also predicted. I was hoping the wind would make sure those gaps kept coming and provide me with a few breaks in the cloud.
As I started my ascent to Great Links Tor; things didn’t look brilliant. There was a lot of cloud, and it was very low down. So low down that Arms Tor (around 130 lower down) was barely visible. As I ascended further, the cloud level did appear to rise, and I could just about now see Great Links Tor.
Patience is the Key to Landscape Photography on Dartmoor
Arriving at Great Links Tor, the full brunt of the wind hit me! The wind was fierce, which made it cold, and as I now was above the base of the cloud layer, it was also eerily dark. So, I did what every landscape photographer should do and that’s wait. And wait some more. And get cold. T hen frustrated. Then I considered going home.
However, patience is key and in true Dartmoor fashion I could see breaks starting to appear in the cloud, and patches of light formed on the landscape. I filmed a few pieces to camera to pass the time and then it clouded over again. I waited some more and then…. well, you’ll just have to watch my video to find out what happened!
Landscape Photographs of Great Links Tor on Dartmoor
Here are the Dartmoor landscape photographs I captured in the video. Let me know which is your favourite.
Great Links Tor at Sunset #3, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S at 16mm, f/11, 1/5 sec at ISO 64.
Links and Other Videos
I mentioned a lot of videos, playlists, and products in the video, so I’ve decided to list them here as well:
💰💰💰 Special offer from Fotospeed - Hahnemuehle Test Packs are half price until end of April at Fotospeed.com 💰💰💰
🛒 Get your Hahnemühle test pack here - https://fotospeed.com/papers/hahnemuhle.html?paper_test_pack=1
The paper I used to make the prints are
🛒Hahnemühle Fine Art Baryta 325 - https://fotospeed.com/papers/hahnemuhle/fine-art-baryta-325.html
🛒Hahnemühle Photo Rag 308 - https://fotospeed.com/papers/fine-art-paper/photo-rag-308.html
🔗 Check out Fotospeed's free ebook, Art of Printing, at https://fotospeed.com/ebook/artofprinting
🎞️ The printer I used in this video is the Canon imagePROGRAF Pro-300. 🎥 Watch my video review of this printer here - https://youtu.be/QF3_JXuu_Ag
🛒 Purchase the Pro-300 here - https://fotospeed.com/canon-pro-300.html
🛒 Finally, I purchased my matt board from Picture Frames Express - https://www.pictureframesexpress.co.uk/
🎞️ You can see how I use Picture Frames Express designer software here - https://youtu.be/FJYOckTLbyA?t=443 🎥
🎞️ See more of my printing videos in this handy playlist - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJU6FMi6Tvo_kuUIioDAagRJ6zsvo1X3P
🎞️ See how I manage and process my photographs in Lightroom in this playlist - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJU6FMi6Tvo97OcghsCsBlKGLXY2BcMdx
Capture and Print - Landscape Photography from Dartmoor
Is social media the final destination for your photographs? In this video, you can join me in the experience of capturing a landscape photograph from Dartmoor, and then doing the most important part of the photographic process, making a print!
Photographing Dartmoor - East to West
In my last blog post, Why I Love Dartmoor 2, I shared with you the experience of capturing a landscape photograph of East Mill Tor on Dartmoor. Thanks to some planning and a little fortune (always a requirement), I managed to capture a photograph of East Mill Tor with which I was incredibly happy.
Looking west from East Mill Tor you can see the appropriately named West Mill Tor. It’s not a location I photographed very often so with the excitement of my East Mill Tor visit still inspiring me I made plans to go west!
The Last of Those Early Alarm Calls (For Now)
While the weather forecast wasn’t as promising as my visit to East Mill Tor, it still had enough potential for me to set a 04:30 alarm call. It would be the last of those very early alarm calls as the clocks would be going forward in a few days. This would be only a temporary reprieve from the early alarm calls. Some of my favourite Dartmoor photography locations are best shot at dawn in the summer. It’s not unusual for the alarm to be set at 03:30 for those locations! (I’ll be doing more wild camping this year which will hopefully negate the need for some of those alarm calls).
Photographing Dartmoor Requires Patience
Though my alarm call for West Mill Tor might be early, you can at least park close by. It’s not much more than a 15-minute steady walk up to the summit, however, upon reaching the summit I was greeted with what can only be described as a strong and constant wind. This would make the photography hard and shooting video even harder!
And it’s at this point you pick up the story in the video below…
Links and Other Videos
I mentioned a lot of videos, playlists, and products in the video, so I’ve decided to list them here as well:
🎥 Watch my editing and printing session at Fotospeed here - https://youtu.be/1prQocy-GoI
🎥 The printer I used in this video is the Canon imagePROGRAF Pro-300. 🎥 Watch my video review of this printer here - https://youtu.be/QF3_JXuu_Ag
💳 Purchase the Pro-300 here - https://fotospeed.com/canon-pro-300.html
Use the discount code Julian15 and get 15% off Fotospeed papers at Fotospeed.com
💳 The paper I used to make the print is @FotospeedUK NST BW 315 And you can purchase the paper here - https://fotospeed.com/nst-bright-white-315.html
💳 Finally, I purchased my matt board from Picture Frames Express - https://www.pictureframesexpress.co.uk/
🎥 You can see how I use Picture Frames Express designer software here - https://youtu.be/FJYOckTLbyA?t=443
🎥 See more of my printing videos in this handy playlist - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJU6FMi6Tvo_kuUIioDAagRJ6zsvo1X3P
🎥 See how I manage and process my photographs in Lightroom in this playlist - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJU6FMi6Tvo97OcghsCsBlKGLXY2BcMdx
Landscape Photographs of West Mill Tor on Dartmoor
Here are the three photographs I captured in the video. Let me know which is your favourite.
A Wild West Mill Tor Sunrise #1, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor Z 14-30mm S f/4 at 14mm, f/13, 1/2 sec at ISO 64, Kase Filters CPL
A Wild West Mill Tor Sunrise #2, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor Z 14-30mm S f/4 at 14mm, f/13, 1/2 sec at ISO 64, Kase Filters CPL
A Wild West Mill Tor Sunrise #3, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor Z 14-30mm S f/4 at 16mm, f/13, 1/3 sec at ISO 64, Kase Filters CPL
Photographing & Discovering East Mill Tor on Dartmoor
Knowing more about the locations you photograph will give your images more meaning and connection. In this video, I photograph one of my favourite Dartmoor viewpoints and I also take the time to discover what really makes that location so special.
Motivated to Photograph Dartmoor at Its Best
How often do you set your alarm for 04:45 on a Sunday morning? Not very often I bet! But setting very early alarm calls is part of the course for landscape photographers if you want to capture photographs in the best light.
If I’d been sensible, I would have scheduled my dawn shoot of Dartmoor to the following week. The clocks would have slipped into British Summer Time and sunrise would have been a much more socially acceptable 07:30, and as a result I could have woken up an hour later.
Unfortunately, there’s no guarantee the weather forecast would be as favourable the following week. The conditions I like to photograph Dartmoor in are rare, but they are also infrequent enough that when they are forecast, I make sure I do my best to be out with my camera. Even if that does mean a 04:45 alarm call. Watching the sunrise over Dartmoor is all the motivation I need.
Photographing East Mill Tor on Dartmoor
On Dartmoor, there is a distinct difference between the forecasted weather and the actual weather. You can check all the weather forecasts for the following morning, only to turn up at your chosen spot and the weather is doing something completely different. The not knowing exactly what the weather is going to be like is part of the magic of photographing Dartmoor though.
After getting over the shock of my alarm call, I made a cup of coffee and jumped in the car with a sense of optimism. Arriving at the car park just short of East Mill Tor, I looked up at the sky and I could see lots of broken cloud. This could mean the ideal conditions I wanted for my photograph.
It had already rained the previous few days so I knew the pool that would form my foreground had water in it. I also needed the soft, warm light from the rising sun to illuminate the grass surrounding the pool and the tor itself. I didn’t want it to be too clear in the sky though as having some cloud in the sky is just as important as an interesting foreground. It’s a very specific set of conditions I was looking for!
As it got closer to sunrise, I could see a bank of cloud on the horizon which would block the light from the rising sun. I tried not to worry too much as the cloud was moving fast across the sky. It was going to be a game of patience and it would test my nerves!
Sure enough, my nerves were tested! Just as I thought the sun would break through, it would be covered by another bank of cloud. Sometimes the light would break through and cast beautiful light on the surrounding landscape, but never quite where I needed it!
The later it got the more difficult it would be to get the shot I wanted. The higher the sun gets in the sky, the harsher the light is. You can’t beat that early light just as the sun rises above the horizon. The cloud above East Mill Tor was also starting to clear, possibly leaving me with clear blue skies.
At one point, I honestly thought it was going to be another one of those mornings where I come very close to capturing the photograph I had envisaged, but ultimately gone home disappointed (but never disappointed that I’d spent time on Dartmoor).
Just as I was about to give up and go home in a grump, things started to change. Did I get the photograph? Well, you can find out by picking up the story in the video below. The video is much more than just the story of the photograph, it’s all about all the other things that make Dartmoor so special. Enjoy!
Dawn at East Mill Tor on Dartmoor - A Special Landscape Photograph
Here’s the photograph I captured in the video. I’m incredibly happy with the way it has turned out, particularly as at one point I was ready to give up. For me though, that is the magic of Dartmoor. It’s a rugged and raw landscape, but also a beautiful landscape. With all its micro-climates it can be difficult to predict the weather, but when you get those magical conditions, there is no other place I’d rather be photographing.
A Perfect Dawn at East Mill Tor, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S at 18mm, f/13, 1/20th sec at ISO 125, Kase Filters K9 CPL.
There’s More to Dartmoor Than Beautiful Viewpoints
I do have a specific set of conditions I prefer to capture my landscape photographs of Dartmoor in, but that doesn’t mean they are the only conditions I will venture out into Dartmoor. Far from it! You’ll find me wandering Dartmoor (often with my dog Monty) in all sorts of weather conditions.
Monty - my constant companion on my long adventures around Dartmoor.
Over the last few years, I’ve been trying to learn more about Dartmoor. While my photography is at the heart of what I love about Dartmoor, I’m also aware there is so much more to Dartmoor than just beautiful viewpoints. The more I learn about Dartmoor, the deeper the connection I have to it.
This is why in the video you have just watched, I took the time to explore the area around East Mill Tor. I’ve photographed East Mill Tor many times before, but this was the first time I took the time to find out more about the area and what I discovered was fascinating!
The exploration of Dartmoor, while fulfilling in its own right, has also led me to become a better Dartmoor photographer. I might not feel compelled to photograph all the things I discover on Dartmoor, but through the process of exploration I have found new locations and areas that I might never have been to before.
Now when I’m standing at a viewpoint waiting for the light, I feel I have a much better understanding of the area, and as result I have a better connection to the photographs I capture.
I am by no means an expert on Dartmoor. I have only just scratched the surface. Dartmoor offers a lifetime of discovery, but that’s a good thing!
No Tripod Head Photography - Kingjoy C85 Tripod & RB-40 Review
Most landscape photographers use a tripod. But what if I suggested you don't need a tripod head? In this video, I head out on location to capture landscape photographs with the Kingjoy SolidRock C85 Carbon Fibre Tripod and RB-40 Compact Head. Is it really practical to capture landscape photographs with no tripod head?
Have You Lost Your Head?
The idea of using a tripod without a ball or geared head for landscape photography sounds a bit odd doesn’t it. But the suggestion of leaving a bulky or heavy tripod head behind is exactly what tripod manufacturer Kingjoy is now giving you as an option. You may remember the name Kingjoy as I reviewed their C83 carbon fibre tripod recently.
The RB-40 Compact Head (yes, I know it’s still a head) isn’t like any other tripod head I’ve seen before. It’s small, flat, and light. The reason it can be this small is that aside from have an arca-Swiss style slot, and the ability pan, it does nothing else. It can’t tilt or tip. So, with the head locked flat, and therefore the camera as well, how do you adjust your composition?
This is where the Kingjoy C85 tripod comes in. The C85 has a levelling bowl as standard, allowing free movement of the surface area where the RB-40 attaches. To tilt or tip the camera, you simply do so by adjusting the levelling bowl (plate). But is this system any better than a traditional head? Will the limitations on the amount of tilt and tip be, well, too limiting for landscape photography?
To find out I head out on location to review and put to the test the Kingjoy SolidRock C85 Carbon Fibre Tripod and RB-40 Compact Head.
What do you think? Let me know in the comments below.
If you’d like to purchase either or both items, you can do so using the links below:
💳 You can purchase the Kingjoy SolidRock C85 Carbon Fibre Tripod HERE.
💳And you can purchase the Kingjoy RB-40 Compact Head HERE.
🎥 And you can watch a video review of the Kingjoy SolidRock C83 Carbon Fibre Tripod HERE.
Use the code kjbaird5 and you'll get a 5% discount.
Dartmoor Landscape Photographs - Belstone Common
Here are the photographs you saw me capture in the video.
Belstone Tor #1, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S at 18mm, f/13, 1/15 sec at ISO 64.
Belstone Tor #2, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S at 18mm, f/13, 1/30 sec at ISO 64.
Irishman’s Wall, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S at 26mm, f/13, 1/50 sec at ISO 64.
A Dartmoor View #1, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S at 15mm, f/13, 1/50 sec at ISO 64.
A Dartmoor View #2, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S at 16mm, f/13, 1/20 sec at ISO 64.
Why I Love Dartmoor
DARTMOOR is home to some of Britain's great viewpoints for landscape photography, but if you dig a little deeper, you'll discover so much more. In my latest video, I’ll show you one of those viewpoints and some of things that make Dartmoor such a special place.
Dartmoor - More Than a Great Landscape Photography Location
I’ve been photographing Dartmoor for over a decade, and I love the grand vistas of the open moorland. As a landscape photographer, I am truly fortunate to have a National Park with such a varied landscape on my doorstep.
For much of that decade, I was capturing photographs of Dartmoor without knowing or understanding what I was photographing. I would turn up to a location, photograph it, and then head home. There is nothing fundamentally wrong with that approach. When I go on photography trips to other places it’s an approach I often have to adopt.
As time went on though, I felt that I should know more about my local landscape and visit more locations on Dartmoor. If I was going to claim my love for Dartmoor, I needed to know and understand it. I’ll never know everything thing there is to know about Dartmoor, so my learning journey would be a journey that takes a lifetime.
You must start somewhere though. And started I have. To give you an example of how I’ve been expanding my knowledge of Dartmoor I’ve created a short video. In the video below I head to one of my favourite Dartmoor viewpoints, Rippon Tor. As far as Dartmoor tors go, it’s on the small side, but as I found, there is so much to discover. There’s a granite cross, granite mill stones, stone reaves, cairns, and 360-degree views.
I might not want to photograph all those things, but just knowing they are there makes the location more interesting. Suddenly you aren’t just looking at some magnificent views of Dartmoor, but you are standing on a place steeped in history. Even if I don’t photograph everything, looking for these items of Dartmoor history introduces me to compositions that I might not have seen or considered before.
Knowing more about Dartmoor has undoubtably enriched my photography and I hope this short video shows you why.
Rippon Tor - Dartmoor Landscape Photographs
Rippon Tor #1. Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S at 19mm, f/13, 1/10 sec at ISO 64.
Rippon Tor #2. Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S at 21mm, f/11, 2.5 sec at ISO 64.
Rippon Tor #3. Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S at 15mm, f/11, 1 sec at ISO 400.
Rippon Tor #4. Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S at 22mm, f/11, 2.5 sec at ISO 64.
Photographing Dartmoor in the Snow
Snow can transform Dartmoor into a winter wonderland for landscape photography. In this blog, I share with you not one, but two locations, where I was fortunate enough to photograph them in the snow.
Who Doesn’t Like a Snowy Landscape?
There aren’t many types of weather that get landscape photographers as excited as snow. Snow can transform even the most mundane of landscapes into something pure and beautiful. Depending on where you live, it can also be rare.
Living in the south-west of the UK, I don’t see snowfall that often. It will snow at least once during the winter months, but it tends to be a dusting of snow. This is unlike other places in the UK such as Scotland where snowfall can be significant.
Snow fall on Dartmoor for me is a double-edged sword. It transforms the landscape into a stunning winter wonderland but, accessing the moors can become challenging. Dartmoor has a mixture of busy A roads all the way down to narrow country lanes. Safe access to those roads during snow is not always possible. If I can’t get to Dartmoor, it doesn’t matter how great the snow is, I can’t photograph it.
The Transformation of Belstone Tor
I hadn’t been paying attention to the weather forecast and I certainly hadn’t considered that it might snow. That was until I got a message from a friend who was very excited about the prospect of snow and wondered if I wanted to join him on Dartmoor for a dawn shoot. I quickly checked the weather forecast and with a 95% chance of snow I immediately packed my camera bag for the following day.
There are a number of Dartmoor locations that sit on higher elevations but we chose Belstone because of its ease of access. It’s a short distance from the dual carriage way, there’s a car park in the village, and the elevation gain between the start of your walk to Belstone is sufficient enough that you can walk from no snow to the snow line (and beyond).
Arriving at Belstone village we were both pleased to see the weather forecast had been correct and it had snowed overnight. Excited, we started our ascent to the tor.
Arriving at the tor we found the landscape had received a good dusting of snow. It was far from a perfect white blanket, but definitely enough to give our photographs that wintery look. We still needed to be very careful where we walked though and we didn’t leave footprints in areas we later wanted to photograph.
A Snowy Irishman's Wall, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor Z 24-120mm f/4 S at 37mm, f/13, 1/10 sect at ISO 64, 16:9 crop.
We arrived plenty of time to explore the area before sunrise. We both know this location very well but things can look different in the snow so it was important to do a bit of wandering about. The first composition I picked out was of Irishman’s Wall, just as the sun started to light it up.
A Snowy Belstone Tor, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S at 19mm, f/13, 1/15 sect at ISO 64.
We then moved back to the main set of rock stacks to see what else we could pick out. I tend to shoot towards the sunrise at Belstone, but this morning all the action in the sky was towards the north. Perched high up on a rock I captured my image of Belstone Tor. The image still benefits from the light of the rising sun (to the right) and the incoming snow storms in the sky, but it could do with a little more snow.
Snow coverage is a tricky balance on Dartmoor. Too much and you lose a lot of the interest provided by those fantastic tors, and not enough, and it can look a bit messy. It’s still a good shot, but I would have liked a bit more snow. I’m never happy!
After a great morning in the snow, we headed off for some breakfast. We then planned to continue shooting Dartmoor and to make the most of the snow, but when we got the Great Staple Tor area, there was barely any snow. It also started raining. It looked like that was it for the snow on Dartmoor and we headed our seperate ways, both agreeing we’d had a brilliant morning.
A Surprise on Black Tor
A couple of days later I started to make plans for another dawn shoot. Black Tor (near High Willhays) had long been a location I wanted to photograph. It’s a location I’ve visited a number of times, but I’d never photographed it before. With the sunrising from a good direction, it seemed the perfect time to see what I could capture.
When I started my walk from Meldon Reservoir car park there was no sign of snow. I was expecting any either as I thought it would have melted since my visit to Belstone. So you can imagine my surprise when I reached Black Tor and I was able to capture the image below.
A Snowy Sunrise at Black Tor #1, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S at 17mm, f/13, 1/3 sect at ISO 64.
Again, not a huge amount of snow but enough to make things interesting. The main disadvantage of shooting snow a few days after it has fallen is footprints. Even with some of the more remote Dartmoor locations such as Black Tor, you’re not going to be able to avoid foot prints in the snow. I’ve did my best to avoid them, but all I can do is minimise their impact.
A Snowy Sunrise at Black Tor #2, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S at 16mm, f/13, 1/30 sect at ISO 64.
Despite that wonderful pre-sunrise sky, it was after the sun rose that the landscape came to life. As the sun broke the horizon and started to swing round, it started to illuminate Corn Ridge to the south and the foreground tor.
A Snowy Sunrise at Black Tor #3, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S at 15mm, f/16, 1/50 sect at ISO 64.
I don’t often shoot straight in to the sun, especially when it is clear, but some of the compositions I was picking didn’t leave me much choice, so I had to embrace it. As it turns out, including the rising sun wasn’t a distraction and I felt it worked well. If I’m being picky though, and I like to be picky, I prefer the composition below rather than the one above. The foreground rock formation is more interesting and it catches the light well.
A Snowy Sunrise at Black Tor #4, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S at 14mm, f/16, 1/40 sect at ISO 64.
Even as the morning progressed and the sun got higher in the sky, the light remained soft and I continued to find new compositions.
A Snowy Sunrise at Black Tor #5, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S at 15mm, f/11, 1/50 sect at ISO 64.
Looking at these images I’m convinced that if Corn Ridge in the distance had been covered in snow it wouldn’t have looked as photogenic as it does here. The colour of the ground in this area of Dartmoor during winter is a beautiful golden colour and it would have been a shame not to see it catching the morning light. The snow helps break it up and produce texture.
A Snowy Sunrise at Black Tor #6, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S at 16mm, f/13, 1/50 sect at ISO 64.
Proper Snow at Darmoors’s Highest Point
After a fantastic, and unexpected morning of great photography at Black Tor I decided not to go home, but to continue my journey. I put the camera away and decided to go for a walk to see how things looked from High Willhays (Dartmoor’s highest point).
On the way up from Black Tor to High Willhays the snow got deeper. (Google Pixel 6 Pro).
It’s only a short walk east from Black to High Willhays but there is an elevation change of nearly 120m. As I ascended there was a noticeable change in snow coverage and depth. It wasn’t difficult walking but if you went looking for it you could find the snow knee deep!
By the time I got to the top of the hill, the snow was knee deep in some places. (Google Pixel 6 Pro).
Around High Willhays there was plenty of snow and it looked beautiful. Rather than get the camera out again I just decided to keep walking and enjoy it. And I wasn’t the only one. I saw runners, walkers, dogs and even someone on a bike. You never know how long the snow will last so people were deciding to make the most of it.
Along the summit ridge there was plenty of snow. (Google Pixel 6 Pro).
My walk continued to Yes Tor and then I descended back to Meldon where you wouldn’t have known that some 300m above there was a blanket of glorious snow.
Looking back it had been a brilliant couple of days. From not even considering there might be snow on Dartmoor to spending so much time making the most of a rare weather event. I’m not sure if it will snow again this winter, but even if it doesn’t, I at least know I made the most of it when it was here.
I hope you enjoyed this blog post. Have you had snow where you live? Have you managed to get out and take your own snowy landscapes? Let me know in the comments below.
The Best Day for Landscape Photography on Dartmoor?
With a late sunrise, an early sunset, and a sun that stays low in the sky, the winter solstice is one of the best days for landscape photography on Dartmoor. However, as I find out, trying to do too much on the shortest day can lead to problems.
A Dartmoor Photography Adventure on the Winter Solstice
I learnt a few years ago that on or around the winter solstice is one of the best times to photograph Dartmoor. Sunrise isn’t too early, sunset isn’t too late, and the sun remains relatively low along the horizon during the day. This means that for the roughly 8 hours of daylight that you get, it is possible to shoot all day and still have a relatively short day out.
Another advantage of such a short day is that it is possible to reach some of Dartmoor’s more remote locations for sunrise and not have to set an alarm for 3am! This winter solstice I decided to take advantage of this by walking to Wild Tor for sunrise. It takes me an hour to drive to the car park, and then it’s another 1hr 15 min walk to Wild Tor. I was certainly glad that sunrise wasn’t until 08:10.
My plan was to photograph Wild Tor for sunrise, then walk back to the car and take in some other locations, hopefully benefiting from sun remaining low on the horizon. Then after my mornings work, I would get a late breakfast or lunch, and find somewhere else to photograph sunset.
A great plan for sure. However, I decided to try and squeeze in something else between my morning locations and afternoon locations. This led to a few problems. You can find out what and watch me capture the photographs you see below in this video.
I hope you enjoyed the video. Despite the challenges I had with finishing the video on location, there were still many more positives than negatives to take away from my day out with the camera.
Links Mentioned in the Video
Here are some of the links I mentioned in the video.
💳 Fotospeed Platinum Gloss Art Fibre 300 - https://fotospeed.com/platinum-gloss-art-fibre-300.html
💳 Fotospeed Platinum Etching 285 - https://fotospeed.com/platinum-etching-285.html
💳 Print mounts from https://pictureframesexpress.co.uk
💳 Ikea Mosslanda Picture Ledge - https://www.ikea.com/gb/en/p/mosslanda-picture-ledge-white-40291766/
🎥 My video on the Canon imagePROGRAF Pro-300 - https://youtu.be/QF3_JXuu_Ag
🎥 All my videos on printing - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJU6FMi6Tvo_kuUIioDAagRJ6zsvo1X3P
Landscape Photographs from Dartmoor
Wild Tor
Wild Tor #1, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S at 18mm, f/13, 0.4 sec at ISO 64.
Wild Tor #2, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S at 14mm, f/11, 1/5 sec at ISO 64.
Wild Tor #3, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S at 19mm, f/13, 1/6 sec at ISO 64.
Wild Tor #1, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S at 20mm, f/13, 1/6 sec at ISO 64.
Oke Tor
Oke Tor, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S at 16mm, f/13, 1/30 sec at ISO 64.
Yes Tor
Yes Tor #1, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S at 21mm, f/11, 1/3 sec at ISO 64.
Yes Tor #2, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S at 14mm, f/13, 1/3 sec at ISO 64.
On Location Review of the Kingjoy C83 Carbon Fibre Tripod
All tripods are the same right? Not exactly. While they all have three legs, some are better than others. When it comes to landscape photography you need something that is lightweight, stable and easy to use. In this video I review the Kingjoy SolidRock C83 Carbon Fibre Tripod out to Dartmoor to see if it can fit my needs as an outdoor photographer!
The New King of Tripods?
It’s very easy to assume that all tripods are the same. They all have three legs, and they support your camera. However, if you are a landscape photographer a tripod is an essential item and your tripod needs to be lightweight, stable, and easy to use.
I’ve had the same two tripods for years and it’s only recently that I’ve been looking about for something new. Why two tripods I hear you ask? One for stills photography, and the other for video. And yes, I need to do both at the same time otherwise I couldn’t make my YouTube videos. The reason I’m looking for something new is that as my cameras and lenses change, so do my requirements for tripods.
For my current setup of cameras and lenses I needed something robust, stable, and well built, but not at Gitzo level prices. I had heard some good reports about Kingjoy tripods but it’s not a brand I immediately think of when considering a new tripod. But when they reached out to me and asked if I wanted a loan of their C83 carbon fibre tripod I said yes. I’ve got nothing to lose and I might find myself pleasantly surprised.
With my loan C83 in hand, I head off to Dartmoor for some landscape photography to see if this is a tripod that I would buy.
If you’d like to buy a Kingjoy SolidRock C83 Carbon Fibre Tripod, you do so direct from Kingjoy UK here - https://kingjoyuk.com/products/kingjoy-solidrock-c83-carbon-fibre-tripod?sca_ref=2948686.NWDrPIWIBg
*** Use the code kjbaird5 and you'll get a 5% discount ***
Landscape Photographs of Beardown Tors
Beardown Tors Sunset #5, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S at 16mm, f/13, 1/25 sec at ISO 64, Kase Filters CPL.
Beardown Tors Sunset #1, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S at 21mm, f/13, 1/8 sec at ISO 64, Kase Filters CPL.
Beardown Tors Sunset #2, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S at 17mm, f/13, 1/6 sec at ISO 64, Kase Filters CPL.
Beardown Tors Sunset #3, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S at 30mm, f/13, 0.6 sec at ISO 64, Kase Filters CPL, 4:5 crop..
Beardown Tors Sunset #4, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S at 15mm, f/13, 1.6 sec at ISO 64, Kase Filters CPL.
East Mill Tor - Dartmoor - A 5 Minute Photo Adventure
Is there any point in returning to a location if you've already captured a great landscape photograph there? In this video I return to the spot where I took one of my favourite landscape photographs of Dartmoor to try again. But was this new photograph better, worse, or just different?
Better or Different - Just Keep Coming Back
The north has become my favourite area of Dartmoor to photograph. This is especially true now that we are getting closer to winter. The long Dartmoor grasses start to lose their green colour leaving them a pale yellow colour which beautifully reflects the light from the rising or setting sun.
A new favourite location in that area is East Mill Tor and I decided it was time to return to the location from which I captured one of my favourite Dartmoor photographs. That photograph, which I captured back in March 2022, hangs proudly on my office wall.
So why have I returned? Did I capture an image that was better than my previous image? Does it matter? Let’s find out in my latest 5 Minute Photo Adventure.
East Mill Tor - Dartmoor - Landscape Photographs
Autumn Sunrise at East Mill Tor #1, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S at 14mm, f/11, 1/13 sec at ISO 400.
Autumn Sunrise at East Mill Tor #2, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S at 19mm, f/11, 1/20 sec at ISO 400.
Photographing Glencoe and Vallerret Base Layers
There are few better places to visit as a landscape photographer than Glencoe in Scotland. However, at this time of year, the temperatures can be low enough to make any unprepared photographer give up and go home. In this video, I will share the joy of landscape photography at one of Glencoe's most famous viewpoints and I also try out Vallerret's new range of merino wool base layers.
Scotland at Its Very Best
Photographers are attracted to Glencoe for all sorts of reasons. One of the biggest reasons is that there are so many amazing viewpoints that are easy to access. There are some great photographs to be captured from either your car or with just a short walk. However, for those photographers willing to be a little more adventurous there are almost limitless opportunities, especially if you chuck the variable weather into the mix.
One such viewpoint is an elevated view of Stob Dear (Buachaille Etive Mòr). It’s always been a favourite of mine and I find it hard not to photograph it if I’m visiting Glencoe. On my most recent visit, the forecast was predicting lots of fog, and I had high hopes of a temperature inversion, and even though this didn’t occur, it was still an amazing morning of photography.
Keeping Warm with Vallerret Base Layers
While it might have been a sunny day on Glencoe, it was far from warm. The lower temperatures did therefore give me the chance to share my thoughts on Vallerret’s new range of merino wool base layers. You will be familiar with Vallerret’s range of photography gloves, and I have previously featured them in my videos. I suffer from cold hands and for me, my photography gloves are as important as my camera. I’ve had a few trips out with the camera ruined because I’ve been cold and miserable.
With winter just around the corner, the release of these new base layers from Vallerret was good news to me and I was happy to put them through their paces during my adventures in Scotland. You can learn more about them and hear my thoughts on them in the video below.
If you’d like to purchase any of these base layers you can do so directly from Vallerret right here.
Landscape Photographs from Glencoe
Buachaille Etive Mor (Stob Dearg) at Sunrise, Glencoe, Scotland - Nikon Z7, Nikkor 14-30mm f/4 S at 21mm, f/11, 1/5 sec at ISO 64.
Glencoe Valley at Sunrise #1, Glencoe, Scotland - Nikon Z7, Nikkor 14-30mm f/4 S at 21mm, f/11, 1/5 sec at ISO 64.
Glencoe Valley at Sunrise #2, Glencoe, Scotland - Nikon Z7, Nikkor 14-30mm f/4 S at 14mm, f/11, 1/13 sec at ISO 64.
Vallerret Base Layers on Location
Those Vallerret base layers were warm enough and comfortable enough to allow me to take these on location photographs. I don’t think modelling is my strong point though. Perhaps I’ll stick to photography!
Vallerret Merino Wool Zip Jersey.
Vallerret Merino Wool Long Sleeve Tee
Landscape Photography from Dartmoor - A 5 Minute Photo Adventure
I'm back!!! After taking some time to work on a photography project, I'm back producing videos for YouTube. To kick things off I head to one of my closest tors where I get some unexpected, but very welcome conditions.
An Exciting Return to YouTube
It’s been three months since I’ve shared any videos or posted anything on my blog, so it is with a natural sense of excitement that I’m sharing a new 5 Minute Photo Adventure with you! In the video, I will tell you a little bit about what I’ve been up to and what’s coming up over the next few months on my blog and channel.
Most importantly though, I share with you the experience of being on location and capturing landscape photographs of Dartmoor. This is something I’m passionate about! So, grab yourself a cup of coffee and join me on my latest 5 Minute Photo Adventure.
Landscape Photographs from Rippon Tor
Rippon Tor Sunrise Panoramic, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor 24-120mm f/4 S at 54mm, f/8, 1/30 sec at ISO 64, 6 image panoramic stitch.
Rippon Tor Sunrise #1, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor 14-30mm f/4 S at 18mm, f/13, 1/4 sec at ISO 64.
Rippon Tor Sunrise #2, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor 14-30mm f/4 S at 23mm, f/13, 0.4 sec at ISO 64.
Why I PRINT My Landscape Photographs - From Capture to Print
When does a photograph become a photograph? Can a photograph be more than just a collection of ones and zeros? For me, the photographic process isn't complete until I have made a print. In this video, I share with you my passion for printing by capturing a landscape photograph on Dartmoor and then making a print of it to display on my wall.
The Print is the Photographs Rightful Inheritance
I don’t often quote people, but Charlie Waite got it right when he said, “The print is the photographs rightful inheritance”. Ever since I Discovered the Joy of Printing 5 years ago, nothing has given me more pleasure than making a big print of one of my photographs. There is something hugely satisfying about watching one of your photographs gradually feed out the printer. It’s that final stage that is the most rewarding. Holding your photograph in your hands. Seeing it on a computer monitor just isn’t the same.
Over the years I have printed hundreds of my photographs, but very few of them end up in frames and on my wall. Most are printed and displayed on my picture ledges where I not only study and learn from them, but I also enjoy them. They might stay there for a few days, even a few weeks, but at some point, they are replaced with new prints.
I have two framed photographs on my wall, both commended images from the Scottish Landscape Photographer of the Year competition. While I am immensely proud of those photographs, I’ve always been aware that I don’t have a framed photograph of Dartmoor.
A Dartmoor Connection
Dartmoor is my local area. An area that I derive an immense amount of pleasure in photographing. So, I set myself the task of not only capturing a photograph of Dartmoor, but one that I would be pleased to print, frame, and hang on my wall. I wanted to capture a photograph that would inspire me to discover and photograph Dartmoor. I wanted a photograph that captured the things that I love about photography on Dartmoor. I wanted a photograph that would allow me to reconnect to a moment experienced on Dartmoor.
Sounds easy, eh? Not exactly. If you’ve been reading this blog for any length of time you know how hard photographing Dartmoor can be. Frustrating is a better word. It’s just as well I love being outdoors as the photography isn’t always satisfying.
Patience is the key with Dartmoor and with some planning and a little luck, I was finally able to capture a photograph that I could hang on the wall. In the video below you can watch me capture the photograph, print it, frame it, and hang it on my wall. My photographs rightful inheritance. Well said Charlie, well said.
East Mill Tor, Dartmoor
A Perfect Morning at East Mill Tor, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor 14-30mm f/4 at 23mm, f/13, 0.6 sec at ISO 64, pre-processed in DxO PureRAW 2.
Editing and Printing
If you’d like to see how I post processed this photograph, I’ve done a whole video on that which you can view below.
Lastly, if you’re interested here is a list of gear and services, I used to create the print.
How I manage and edit my photographs - video playlist.
Photograph printed with the Canon imagePROGRAF Pro-300 - my video review
Paper from Fotospeed
Picture frames from Picture Frames Express - see how I design my frames in this video.
The Rumps and Sandymouth - Classic Cornwall Coastal Photography Locations
In the blog this week I take you to two of Cornwall’s classic coastal locations.
Sometimes You Just Have to Go for It
Most landscape photographers will tell you that having a plan is a good way of increasing your chances of getting a good shot. I am no different. However, there are times when you just need to put things like the weather forecast to one side and just go for it.
I had been trying to schedule a meet up with a photographer friend in Cornwall but with work conflicts and rubbish weather forecasts, weeks were going by, and we weren’t any closer to meeting up. So, we decided not to worry too much about the weather and just take a chance. At the end of the day, even if the photography wasn’t that great, we will have met up, had a chat and got some chips.
The Rumps
On the first of our recent meetups for chips, chat, and photography we decided to head to a location known as The Rumps. I hadn’t shot The Rumps for a couple of years, so I was excited to be going back. The weather forecast was difficult to judge though. The tide was at a good height but the difference between a good shot and a great shot would very much depend on the light from the setting sun.
As we walked along the southwest coast path, I was reminded why I love photographing the Cornish coast and that in 2022 I should try to photograph it more. Lockdown had forced me to photograph Dartmoor more (which is no bad thing) but there is something special about Cornwall’s coastline.
We did a quick assessment of the light, and while we both felt that walking onto The Rumps themselves would provide us with some different looking photographs, the conditions very much favoured the classic viewpoint. All we needed to do was wait for the light. And wait we did. The time flew by though as we chatted away about photography and Star Wars and everything in between.
As the clouds danced across the sky, they kept tempting us with the chance of brilliant light, and just for a very brief time, it lit up the foreground. It was gone as quick as it arrived, but I was ready and captured this image.
The Rumps, Cornwall - Nikon Z7, Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 at 15mm, f/13, 20 sec at ISO 64, Kase Filters CPL and ND. Raw file processed using DxO PureRAW 2.
It might be the only shot from the night, but it still represents a very enjoyable evening. I’m not sure it would have been worth the drive if it hadn’t been for the chips and chat though!
Sandymouth
The following week it was the same again as we started the evening with chips and chat. Hey, why mess with a great formula! This time we decided to head up to Sandymouth where my mate had spotted a potentially good composition a few days before. Never underestimate the power of local knowledge. I was more than happy to trust his judgement so with a belly full of chips we headed up the coast to Sandymouth.
I’ve photographed Sandymouth a few times now. It’s a location that offers a surprisingly varied number of compositions. There are rows of rocks that look like mountain ranges stretching out to sea and on the other side of the beach, you can find some amazing sea pools in the sand (if you get lucky with the conditions).
What made the composition my friend had spotted interesting was the combination of sand and rocks. Of particular interest was the sand though. There were some beautiful ripples in the sand, which, if they caught the light, it could look spectacular.
As we waited for the light, we started to get a little nervous. Not for the reasons you might think. Like most beaches in Cornwall, Sandymouth is open to the public. That means people, dogs, and dragons. OK, I’m joking about the dragons, but you get the point. There is always the risk that a person, or more likely a dog, will run through the pristine sand we were hoping to photograph.
Fortunately for us, the beach was deserted so our precious sand remained untouched allowing us to make the most of the soft light from the setting sun.
Ripples of Time, Sandymouth, Cornwall - Nikon Z7, Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 at 15mm, f/13, 23 sec at ISO 64, Kase Filters CPL and ND. Raw file processed using DxO PureRAW 2.
As with the photo we took at The Rumps, this was the only composition we properly photographed but I think it was worth hanging out at that spot. Sometimes staying in one spot is the best thing to do.
I hope you enjoyed the photographs from these two Cornish coastal locations. If you are ever in the area, they are both well worth photographing.
Reviewing the SunwayFoto GH-PRO II + Geared Head on Location at Dartmoor
Why use a geared head? What's so good about the Sunwayfoto GH-PRO II+? What's new with the + version? Is this the best geared head for landscape photography? Join me on Dartmoor as I answer all those questions and I also capture landscape photographs in some unexpected conditions.
One Knob Makes All the Difference
When I published my video review of the Sunwayfoto GH-PRO II geared tripod head I was sure I’d found the perfect tripod for my landscape photography. So, when I heard that they had released the GH-PRO II+ I wondered how they might have improved it. What do you get in the + version that you don’t get in the previous version?
Fortunately for me, the team at Sunwayfoto were more than happy to send me out a GH-PRO II+ to review. With a new geared tripod head in hand, I set off to film my video review on Dartmoor. As always, if I am going to do a gear review video, I like to do it on location and do a little landscape photography at the same time.
While it came as no surprise that Sunwayfoto had improved my favourite geared head by simply adding just one knob, the real surprise of the evening was the beautiful, and very unexpected conditions I was able to photograph as the sunset.
In the video below you can hear all my thoughts on GH-PRO II+ geared head, why I use a geared head and you can see me capture all those wonderful images from Belstone Tor.
Landscape Photography from Belstone Tor on Dartmoor
Belstone Tor #1, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor 14-30mm f/4 at 15mm, f/13, 1/13 sec at ISO 64, Kase Filters CPL and pre-processed in Dxo PureRAW.
Belstone Tor #2, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor 14-30mm f/4 at 20mm, f/11, 1/8 sec at ISO 64, Kase Filters CPL and pre-processed in Dxo PureRAW.
Belstone Tor #3, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor 14-30mm f/4 at 14mm, f/11, 1/10 sec at ISO 64, pre-processed in Dxo PureRAW.
Belstone Tor #4, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor 14-30mm f/4 at 14mm, f/13, 0.5 sec at ISO 64, pre-processed in Dxo PureRAW.
Belstone Tor #5, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor 14-30mm f/4 at 14mm, f/13, 0.5 sec at ISO 64, pre-processed in Dxo PureRAW.
Belstone Tor #6, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor 14-30mm f/4 at 18mm, f/13, 1 sec at ISO 64, pre-processed in Dxo PureRAW.
Belstone Tor #7, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor 14-30mm f/4 at 17mm, f/13, 1 sec at ISO 64, pre-processed in Dxo PureRAW.
Photographing Dartmoor - Hound Tor - A 5 Minute Photo Adventure
Is it worth going out with your camera even when the conditions are grey and flat? I think so! In this video, I share the reasons why I went out to Dartmoor on an overcast morning to capture some landscape photographs. Grab yourself a cup of coffee because it's time for another 5 Minute Photo Adventure!
Oh No, the Weather Is Improving!
Last year I wrote about my personal challenges with photographing Hound Tor. That previous visit had inspired me to make more of an effort to get to know this grand Dartmoor location. I knew deep down I was missing out on capturing great images from this location. I just needed to put in the time.
However, as with any Dartmoor location, the weather directly impacts your ability and passion to photograph that location. Though I did check the weather forecast for Hound Tor, and there was a slim chance that it would be good, when I got there, it was grey and overcast. It was also cold, but at least it wasn’t windy.
Lacking inspiration, I wasn’t sure what I was going to do. Then I remember that anytime out with the camera can be time well spent. Why not use this time to practice my landscape photography skills and take the time to have a proper look around Hound Tor. Without the slim window of good light at sunrise, I could take my time a little more.
This is a good attitude to have because the conditions and light aren’t always good. In fact, they rarely are. So why not use what time you do have to get yourself ready for those days when the conditions are good. Photography is a skill, so why not practice it.
I thought this would be a good message to communicate. I had overcast conditions, time to make a video, and a location to explore. However, midway through making the video the weather started improving and rather than grey flat light, I started to get morning light reflecting off the tor!
I was worried that my message of what to do in flat light might be lost, but it was only a minor improvement. It did make me smile though. There I was trying to make the most of the poor weather conditions and in a rare moment on Dartmoor, the conditions improve! Dartmoor certainly keeps you on your toes!
So, grab yourself a cup of coffee, and enjoy this 5 Minute Photo Adventure for Hound Tor on Dartmoor.
Landscape Photography from Dartmoor - Hound Tor
Hound Tor #1, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor 14-30mm f/4 at 17mm, f/13, 1/15 sec at ISO 64.
Hound Tor #2, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor 14-30mm f/4 at 19mm, f/13, 1/20 sec at ISO 64.
Hound Tor #3, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor 14-30mm f/4 at 14mm, f/13, 1/20 sec at ISO 64.
Hound Tor #4, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor 14-30mm f/4 at 20mm, f/13, 1/20 sec at ISO 64.
I captured this panoramic image while making the video, but it didn’t make the cut so here it is a bonus.
Hound Tor #5, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor 14-30mm f/4 at 68mm, f/8, 1/125 sec at ISO 64, 5 image panoramic.
Photographing Dartmoor - Rippon Tor - A 5 Minute Photo Adventure
Chasing the light is a phrase often used by landscape photographers but in this 5 Minute Photo Adventure from Dartmoor, I literally find myself running around Rippon Tor chasing the light!
Chasing the Light
When photographing sunrise I always like to have a plan. For Dartmoor though, a plan is a necessity. Just rocking up to a random location on Dartmoor an hour before sunrise is not likely to give you the best chance of capturing an image. However, experience has taught me that I also need to be flexible and have a plan B and possibly a plan C!
My original plan was to photograph either Honeybag Tor or Hound Tor, but when I got to the car park at Haytor (which is near to both those locations), I could see that both locations had significant cloud cover. The car park at Haytor is a great spot for surveying not only the nearby locations but also for looking towards the coast where the sun will rise from.
Looking out to the coast I could see a small gap in the cloud from which I was confident the sun would break through and give me a little light on the landscape. The key to making the most of this light would be to select the right location. In this instance, there was only one option and that was to ascend to Rippon Tor. From there I would have expansive views of the surrounding area so no matter where the light landed, I would be in a good position to make the most of it.
Well, that was the plan anyway. As it turned out, I had a little more chasing of the light to do.
I do hope you enjoyed this 5 Minute Photo Adventure and the others that I have been publishing recently. Let me know your thoughts in the comments.
Dartmoor Landscape Photographs - Rippon Tor
Sunrise from Rippon Tor #1, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor 14-30mm f/4 at 18mm, f/10, 1.6 sec at ISO 64.
Sunrise from Rippon Tor #2, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor 24-120mm f/4 at 105mm, f/8, 1/40 sec at ISO 64.
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.
Landscape Photography with the Nikon Z 24-120 f/4 S on Dartmoor
Is the Nikon Z 24-120mm f/4 S Nikon's most versatile lens for landscape photography? In this video, I head out into the real world with my Nikon Z7 to put this lens to test to see how it performs when capturing landscape photographs of Dartmoor.
Nikon’s Most Versatile Landscape Photography Lens?
When I purchased the Nikon Z 24-200mm f/4-6.3 in 2020 it gave me the extra reach I wanted that the Nikon Z 24-70mm f/4 S couldn’t. You can watch my review of the 24-200mm lens here.
Over the time that I owned the 24-200mm, it helped me capture many great landscape photographs. It complimented my 24-70mm f/4 well, but I did find myself taking out both lenses, despite the obvious focal length overlap.
The Nikon Z 24-120mm f/4 S had been on the Z lens roadmap at the time that I purchased the 24-200mm, so for me, the consolidation of the 24-200mm and the 24-70mm was always going to be a possibility. Here we are now in 2022 and I have purchased the 24-120mm f/4 S and sold the other two lenses.
Has that been a good decision for me? I’ve lost a little focal length coverage, gained an S Line lens, and reduced my kit bag by one lens. In the video below, I’ll tell you more about the new Nikon 24-120mm f/4 S, its specifications, why I bought it, what it’s like to use, and of course, share some of the landscape photographs I’ve been capturing with it. Could this be Nikon’s Z mount “goldilocks” lens for landscape photographers?
