Stormy Combestone
After a day procrastinating on where to go I decide to head to Combestone Tor where they weather turns out to be a little stormy!
Procrastination
I keep saying to myself that I need to be a little more spontaneous with the locations I shoot but I struggle to let go of the side of me that likes to plan. For me, a plan is a recipe for success, or at the very least, a way to maximise the chances of success. I do like the longer days that spring and summer bring as this allows for more sunset shoots, but this has the downside that it gives me the whole day to procrastinate on where I should be going!
The evening I took these pictures was no different. I had been scanning my map trying to decide if I should go to the coast, or head up to Dartmoor. Even after deciding, I couldn’t make up my mind to go somewhere I knew or venture to a new location. I was feeling a little indecisive!
After checking maps and weather forecasts for what felt like hours, I decided that I would pay a visit to Yar Tor, a location that I had not visited in any capacity before. I’d seen a few photos of it on Flickr and I thought it looked interesting enough to warrant some investigation. The weather forecast was looking unsettled, but this could work in my favour.
Flying Visit or Final Destination
As I planned my route there, I noticed that I would drive by the car park for Combestone Tor. I had visited this location briefly in February, but the conditions were foul, and l left without taking the camera out. I had a bit of spare time so I decided that I would stop there first and give it another look.
When I arrived at Combestone I left my camera bag in the car and went to have a look around. I was surprised how differently I was seeing this location compared to my previous visit. I still wasn’t convinced that I was going to get any great shots from Combestone that evening, but I was sure it was worth heading back to the car to get my camera.
My attention was focused on the hawthorn trees rather than the tor itself. There are a few of them dotted around the area of the tor and each one was distinctly different from the other. The light was still quite harsh but if I waited closer to sunset, I could end up with some nice soft side lighting. I, therefore, had a choice to make. I could either wait it out at Combestone to see what would happen or carry on to Yar Tor.
Combestone Hawthorn #1, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor 14-30mm f/4 at 23mm, f/8, 1/30th sec at ISO 64, Kase Filters K9 circular polariser.
As I looked at the incoming stormy weather, I decided that to change my visit to Combestone from flying visit to my final destination.
Stormy Weather
One of the great things about being up on Dartmoor is you can often see the weather approaching. This is especially true when a storm front is coming in to replace clear skies. You can often see the tops of the incoming cumulonimbus cloud and they look hugely impressive. These big storm clouds will also bring heavy rain showers which you can also watch travel over the landscape.
Combestone Hawthorn #3, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor 14-30mm f/4 at 22mm, f/8, 1/160th sec at ISO 800, Kase Filters K9 circular polariser.
The storm clouds were transforming the look of the landscape and I was very much enjoying the process of integrating them into my compositions. I wasn’t sure how long I was going to be able to enjoy this weather though. I could already see that the sun was going to disappear behind the clouds well before sunset and I was sure to get a soaking before too long.
Combestone Hawthorn #2, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor 14-30mm f/4 at 20mm, f/8, 1/13th sec at ISO 64, Kase Filters K9 circular polariser.
With the weather moving in quickly I had to work fast to make the most of the interesting weather. Unlike my previous visit in February I was more inspired to seek out compositions. I still wasn’t feeling inspired by the tor itself. I just couldn’t seem to find a pleasing composition. I found the hawthorn trees far more interesting and I like the way I could integrate them into the compositions along with the weather.
Combestone Hawthorns - Approaching Storm, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor 14-30mm f/4 at 18mm, f/8, 1/25th sec at ISO 64, Kase Filters K9 circular polariser, 8 vertical image panorama.
It wasn’t long before the rain started and when it did it was heavy! Fortunately, the walk from the tor to the car park is only a few meters so I escaped a soaking. By the time I was back in the car, the rain was bouncing off the bonnet. As I started the drive home with the windscreen wipers working furiously, I was excited to get home and start processing. After all my procrastination earlier in the day I was glad that I’d made the effort to get out with my camera.
A Stormy Sunday at Start Point
In this blog post I head to Start Point on the south Devon coast to capture some landscape photographs during some stormy weather.
Risk vs Reward
As the crow flies, Start Point in Devon isn’t that far from home. Thanks to some narrow, twisty Devon roads though, the journey there can take up to an hour and a half each way. For that reason, I tend to only visit the location if I think I’m going to get a good photo.
Spectacular sunrises work well at Start Point so I’m always looking at which direction the sun is rising from and what the cloud cover will be before I commit to a trip to one of my favourite lighthouses on the South West Coast Path. The weather forecast for my most recent trip was a little different though. Heavy rain showers and thick cloud were forecast, but it was also forecast to start clearing around sunrise.
This could lead to some spectacular and dramatic weather conditions if everything happens at the right time. Would the risk of travelling all that way reward me with some spectacular landscape photographs?
Stormy Weather Landscape Photography
Despite the 5 am alarm calling causing my brain to become a little muddled when talking to the camera, I did manage to record my South West Coast Path adventure at Start Point. So sit back, relax, keep warm, and join me at Start Point for a spot of landscape photography!
I hope you enjoyed watching my little adventure to Start Point. Which image was your favourite? Have you been to Start Point before? Do you like capturing landscape images during stormy weather? Let me in the comments below.
My Landscape Photographs from Start Point
If you’d like to see the photographs from the video in a bit more detail, here they are.
Breaking Light at Start Point, Devon - Nikon D850, Nikkor 16-35 mm f/4 at 18 mm, f/13, 2 seconds at ISO 64, polariser, ND grad.
Calm in the Storm at Start Point, Devon - Nikon D850, Nikkor 16-35 mm f/4 at 18 mm, f/13, 81 seconds at ISO 64, polariser, ND grad, 6 stop ND.
Start Point Swirls, Devon - Nikon D850, Nikkor 16-35 mm f/4 at 22 mm, f/13, 60 seconds at ISO 64, polariser, ND grad, 6 stop ND.
A Stormy Dawn at Start Point Lighthouse, Devon - Nikon D850, Nikkor 16-35 mm f/4 at 22 mm, f/13, 1.3 seconds at ISO 64, polariser, ND grad.
Storms, Sunset and Start Point
In this blog post I tell you about how a passing storm at Start Point in Devon forced me back to my car but in the end it added a new dramatic element to my composition.
Favourite Location, New Viewpoint
In my video Top 5 Locations in Devon to Shoot Landscape Photography I took you to Start Point on the south Devon coast. I've shot there numerous times and thanks to the coastal weather I've come away with a wide variety of images. All my visits to Start Point do have one thing in common, they have been shot at dawn and all, roughly speaking, from the same viewpoint.
Just recently though I was inspired to shoot Start Point from a slightly different location. I've written about the power of inspiration on this blog before and how important it is to my development as a photography. However, it was a post by one of my favourite local photographers Matt Davis on Instagram that showed me a viewpoint that I hadn't considered before. It was still clearly Start Point, but you could see more of the rugged coastline and it was ideal for shooting at sunset. I had a plan!
Incoming!
It's about 1hr 15m drive from home to Start Point and while it's not that far as the crow flies, it does involve the navigation of a few of the smaller country roads that Devon has to offer so it often feels like a longer drive. With the weather forecast predicting cloud at different heights I felt the drive would be worth it for a great sunset and some drama in the sky.
Watching the storm approach from the west.
I arrived at the Start Point car park, got my bag, and headed down to the view point. As I looked west and out to sea I could see a very large rain shower coming my way. I knew from the forecast there might be the odd bit of rain but this looked a little more than just a shower. I stuck to my location, kept my camera in the bag, and waited. Firstly the wind picked up, then the rain started, and then the rain got very heavy!
Determined not to be put off though I decided to shelter on the other side of the ridge that runs down to Start Point lighthouse. It was a lot less windy by still wet. I got my phone out and checked my favourite rain app, Rain Today. All I could see over my location was a big, dark blue blob, indicating heavy rainfall. the good news was that it was only forecast to last 30 minutes, and once it had passed I would still have 30 minutes before sunset.
So I did the sensible thing and went back to the car, had a cup of coffee and ate some chocolate.
Run Julian, Run!
As I sat in my car drinking my coffee I could see what was going on in most directions. To the east, the direction the storm was going, it was looking very dark. To the west, it wasn't really looking much better. I was beginning to think I might not even take a single frame. Then the thunder and lightning started and it was at that point I was very happy to have made the decision to wait it out in the car.
Spectacular conditions immediately after the storm had passed. I had to be quick just to grab this shot with the phone.
As forecast, I could eventually start to see a break in the cloud to the west. I waited to the rain had stopped and then I grabbed my stuff and went for it again. As soon as I got outside I spotted a double rainbow out to sea. It looked spectacular. Photographers often say you get some of the most dramatic conditions for photography just after a storm and from what I could see this was certainly the case.
I knew these conditions wouldn't last too long so I instinctively grabbed my phone and grabbed a shot. I then got to work getting my DSLR out and all the associated gear. As I feared, by the time I actually got all setup the best of the action had gone. Not to worry, I still had time to get back to my original viewpoint and shoot the lighthouse and dark sky, but I would have to run. Which isn't that easy with the amount of gear I had and the muddy ground but if I didn't get there in time I would only regret it.
Drama Everywhere
I got to my view point and frantically got to work getting my shot ready. There was still plenty of drama going on. The sky was still dark and brooding, and the rugged cliffs along Start Point were getting pounded by the sea. Over to my right (to the west) the clouds were breaking and the low sun was producing some lovely colours. That particular bit of action was still just out of frame, so while I had a long exposure running I grabbed a quick panorama with my mobile phone.
I managed to grab this quick panoramic using my Nexus 6p phone. It's not perfect but it shows the scene as it was.
I kept shooting, varying my compositions slightly but the break in the cloud was just too far over to make for an interesting composition. In hindsight, I probably should have shot a panorama with the DSLR, but there was a lot going on and I didn't have much daylight left. However, I was still very happy with the moody shots I was getting like this one.
Nikon D750, Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 40mm, f/11, 129 seconds, ISO 100, Lee Filters Circular Polariser, Lee Filters Little Stopper.
I Must Be Mad
I have to admit that when the rain really started to chuck it down and I went back to the car to wait it out, I did question my sanity. It was looking like it was going to be one of those days where not only do I not get a decent image, but I don't even get the camera out of the bag. However, having read so many times about how some of the best images were captured right after a storm I decided to hold out. And I'm so glad I did.
Perhaps the only thing I should have done would be to have left the car when I had started to see the sky clear, and not when the rain had stopped. This would have given me a bit more time to get back to my location and start shooting immediately after the storm had passed. However, given that I still wouldn't have been able to get a break in cloud or light from the setting sun into my scene I was pretty happy with the results.
Nikon D750, Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 27mm, f/9, 60 seconds, ISO 100, Lee Filters Circular Polariser, Lee Filters Little Stopper.
Have you ever stayed out in horrible weather only to be treated for your perseverance? Do you sometimes think that landscape photographers are a little mad? Let me know in the comments.