Back to Bowerman's Nose
This week I photographed one of Dartmoor’s most iconic tors, Bowerman’s Nose. It’s not my first visit and it certainly won’t be my last.
What I’m Looking For
I can’t remember when it was, but ever since I saw my first photograph of Bowerman’s Nose on Dartmoor, I’ve wanted to capture my own image of this iconic tor. I’ve been there many times since but never managed to get the image I was looking for.
For me light is critically important when shooting Bowerman’s Nose. There are plenty of interesting compositions to be had, but without good light on the tor itself it’s just a flat vertical stack of stone. Flatter light might well work if the scene was covered in snow, but given that every time there’s a decent dumping of snow I can’t actually get up onto Dartmoor, it’s unlikely I’ll ever get that shot.
Snow aside, for me the best option for getting a good photograph at Bowerman’s Nose is when I get nice, soft, warm light from a setting sun. (Saying that though, I have been inspired by a recent photograph of Bowerman’s Nose by Neil Porter to photograph it in the morning, but I’ll save that challenge for another day). Anyway, the light is important for a couple of reasons. Firstly it gives the “nose” some contrast turning it from a flat bit of rock into something that looks 3 dimensional. The light also works well on the ground making the undulations and grasses more prominent in the frame.
Together with light and a reasonable amount of cloud I have pre-visualised the shot that I want to get from Bowerman’s Nose. The trouble is, I’ve never managed to get it. I’ve come close once, but the shot I want eludes me so I continue to return to Bowerman’s Nose in the hope that I get the shot one day.
To Exposure Blend or Not
With the desire to get the shot that I wanted I decided to return to Bowerman’s Nose on Thursday evening. I have to admit though the weather forecast wasn’t exactly optimal. I expected to get nice soft light from the setting sun but the cloud forecast was for clear skies. I’m rarely interested in blue skies but sometimes the haze or the very high cloud can go a nice colour as the sun starts to dip below the horizon. I thought it was worth a punt. Better to be out on Dartmoor than in the house watching TV….well, most of the time that is!
When I arrived on location the sky was even clearer than the forecast had predicted so I knew I was going to have my work cut out. The principle challenge was with the contrast between the dark and light areas on the scene. Even though it was only about 30 minutes before sunset the scene had a lot of contrast. As the “nose” typically breaks above the horizon in most compositions, it is almost impossible to use a neutral density graduated filter. To capture the scene I could either try and do it using one carefully exposed frame or capture two frames and exposure blend them later.
Bowerman’s Nose #1, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon D850, Nikkor 16-35 mm f/4 at 16 mm, f/13, 1/8 sec at ISO 64, Kase CPL.
When it comes to post-processing though I’m very much a light touch/5-minute edit type of person, so exposure blending isn’t top of my list of things to do. However, the HDR merge feature in Lightroom does a pretty good job of exposure blending these days without the need to drop into Photoshop to use layer masks. I’ve included images in this blog that use both a single frame and that have been exposure blended. Can you tell me in the comments which are which?
Bowerman’s Nose #2, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon D850, Nikkor 16-35 mm f/4 at 20 mm, f/13, 1/15 sec at ISO 250, Kase CPL.
It was a relatively productive evening in the end and I got a couple of images that I’m reasonably happy with. I’ve still not got that killer shot that I want but that always gives me a great excuse to visit Bowerman’s Nose again!
Just One Image
Sometimes you only have time to take one image. Sometimes that’s all you need.
Too Clear, Too Cloudy
In landscape photography there is one thing more than anything else that annoys me and that is the weather. It’s an element I have no control of and it seems that I spend more time checking forecasts than I actually do taking photographs. With shooting time at a premium I’m always keen to make the most of what time I do have by going to locations where the conditions will be optimal. Over the years I’ve discovered this is very difficult. On the plus side it does make those times when it all does come together even more satisfying.
Summer normally brings better weather and more importantly longer days so more opportunities for photography. However, the summer weather recently has been a bit of a mixed bag. It’s either been overcast and dull, or bright blue skies. I know some people can do wonders with their photography in clear conditions but I just don’t get on with it (unless I’m chilling out with a glass of wine). What I really want for my photograph at this time of year is somewhere between cloud and clear. It’s not much to ask is it.
The other night I was faced with another clear sky evening. I had the choice of staying in and being grumpy or heading out to do some exploring instead. As I was keen to discover some new locations I decided on the latter and head out anyway.
Middle Dartmoor
I had a quick look at my custom Google Map and saw a pin against Mel Tor in the middle of Dartmoor so that seemed as good a place as any to head out to. I wasn’t expecting to get any images, but I thought I’d better take my camera anyway. When I arrived at the car park I was presented with some beautiful, panoramic views of Dartmoor.
It was only a short walk to Mel Tor and while I didn’t think there was a photograph to be had there that evening I have made a note to return there for autumn because of the big wide views of the woodland below.
I then had the option of taking a look at Sharp Tor but time was getting on and I rather fancied taking a panoramic image of that view I had seen earlier. I wanted to get a better angle and elevation for the panoramic view though so I jumped in the car and drove towards Corndon Tor.
All You Need Is One Image
By the time I got to the summit the light was starting to fade. Although the sun hadn’t reached the horizon yet I knew the surrounding hills would start casting big shadows so I had to get to work quickly. I set up my tripod, took a test shot (to check for focus and exposure) and then took a series of images for my panoramic photograph.
By the time I’d done that the light was gone. I literally had time to take that panoramic image and that was it. Considering I didn’t think I’d take any images, or any decent images that evening I was pretty happy with the result!
Sometimes all you need is one image. It could be the first image you take, the last image you take, or indeed the only image you take.
Dartmoor from Corndon Down, Devon - Nikon D850, Nikkor 70-200 f/2.8 at 98mm, f/8, 1/5th second at ISO 64, 13 image stitched panoramic cropped to 16:7.
3 GREAT Landscape Photography Locations on Dartmoor
What are the best locations on Dartmoor for landscape photography? In this blog article, I'm going to show you 3 GREAT landscape photography locations on Dartmoor that I think will inspire you to photograph Dartmoor!
Landscape Photography on Dartmoor
Dartmoor National Park covers over 950 km2 so you can be forgiven for being a bit overwhelmed with the sheer number of landscape photography locations to choose from. Fear not though! I’m here to help.
After the positive feedback I received for my video 3 GREAT Landscape Photography Locations in Cornwall, I decided to produce for Dartmoor locations. Guess what I called it? Yes, that’s right 3 GREAT Landscape Photography Locations on Dartmoor! The locations I visit in the video aren’t necessarily a top 3 or best 3, just 3 great locations that I think will inspire your landscape photography.
After many hours of being frozen and blown about, I’m very happy to share with you the video, 3 GREAT Landscape Photography Location on Dartmoor.
A Bonus 4th Location
I’m also very happy to share with you a bonus 4th location. Wistman’s Wood is a popular Dartmoor location for landscape photographers and for good reason. Unfortunately the day I visited there was very little wind and so the midges were out and that made capturing images and video very difficult. Despite the challenges of the day though, I still managed to create a video that I hope you will enjoy.
More Information on Those Locations
If you want a bit more information on these amazing locations or the images from the video, then I've already published blog posts on the featured locations:
You can also see my 5 Minute Photo Adventure video of Belstone Common (where I shot the intro to the video), right here.
All Those Landscape Photographs
Here all the images you saw in both videos:
What Next?
As with the Cornwall video, the Dartmoor video required a significant amount of effort to produce. However, despite the work required I would like to create more videos like this. If there are other locations in the south-west that you would like to me to make a video on then let me know in the comments below.
Great Staple Tor
In the blog this week I head to Great Staple Tor on Dartmoor where I find I have to work very quickly to get even one shot.
Dartmoor, Here We Go Again
When I’m short of time, there are generally two places I’ll go to get my photography fix. If I’m in the mood for creating coastal images I’ll head to Dawlish Warren and if not, I’ll go to Dartmoor. I’m very lucky to live so close to Dartmoor, but I’m sometimes overwhelmed by the sheer number of different locations I could select to photograph.
Normally the weather will dictate which part of Dartmoor I will go to, but this time the forecast was generally clear all over Dartmoor. On clear days I like to shoot from Rippon Tor <insert URL>, but as I’d visited there recently I decided that I wanted another high elevation point to shoot from. After a little bit of thought, I decided that a visit to Great Staple Tor was in order.
Like most tors on Dartmoor, Great Staple Tor needs good light to make the most of it. That probably wasn’t going to be an issue given the forecast so all I was going to need was a few clouds in the sky so I wouldn’t end up with just a blanket of blue. A little bit of action in the sky always works well when shooting the open moorland of Dartmoor.
Great Staple Tor
As I found on my recent shoot at Rippon Tor <insert URL>, what the weather forecast states and what the weather actually is on Dartmoor can be two very different things. Arriving at the car park on Pork Hill it soon became apparent that it was going to be a very overcast morning. Not to be put off, I started my ascent up and soon reached Middle Staple Tor.
Normally you can see Great Staple Tor from Middle Staple Tor, but all I could see this morning was cloud. In fact, I had to check my map that I was going in the right direction! I soon reached my destination though and the cloud started to lift a little and combined with a cup of coffee, my spirits also started to lift.
It was definitely going to be a morning of waiting. The cloud would clear a little, but then get heavy again. One minute you could see for miles, the next you couldn’t even see the next tor. As time ticked by and sunrise came and went, I thought that was it and I wouldn’t be capturing any images that morning.
Then all of a sudden there was a clear spell and I got some morning light on Great Staple Tor. I quickly took these two images.
Late Morning Light on Great Staple Tor, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikkon D850, Nikkor 16-35 mm f/4 at 21 mm, f/13, 1/6th sec at ISO 64, Lee Filters ND Grad.
Dawn at Great Staple Tor, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikkon D850, Nikkor 16-35 mm f/4 at 21 mm, f/13, 1/6th sec at ISO 64, Lee Filters ND Grad.
Within a few minutes though all that warm light had gone and the sun disappeared behind a bank of cloud. I would have waited longer to see if the sun would make another appearance, but the sky soon clouded over so I decided that I’d probably had the best of the morning conditions.
While it obviously wasn’t the most productive of mornings, I did at least manage to get a couple of images, so it was far from a wasted trip. Besides, even if I’d captured no images that morning, watching the day start from high up the moor with a cup of coffee is rarely a bad thing.
Have you ever photographed Great Staple Tor? Do you shoot a location where the weather can change quickly? Let me know in the comments below.
Rippon Tor
The weather conditions on Dartmoor can change rapidly so sometimes it's worth hanging about to see if things improve. In the blog this week you can find out if my patience was rewarded when I recently visited Rippon Tor to capture some landscape images.
Big Blue Skies
The weather recently has been a bit of a mixed bag. Some days it's been grey, overcast and frankly a bit miserable. Not that you can't do landscape photography in bad weather, but it can limit your options. At the opposite end of the weather scale is the clear blue sky days. This type of weather is rather pleasant in the winter, but I don't find it inspires my landscape photography.
As I was checking the local forecast on my favourite weather service one evening all I could see was clear blue skies for the following day. It certainly didn't look like optimal conditions for a bit of landscape photography but I'm not one to pass up an opportunity to get out with my D850. As the weather forecast was largely the same for South West as a whole, I decided there was little point in travelling any further than my local area. But where could I go? Dartmoor of course!
Rippon Tor, Dartmoor
My preference when shooting the open moorland of Dartmoor is to have interesting skies. As this was not going to be the case for this shoot, I decided I would get myself to an elevated position. One of the closest high points for me is Rippon Tor at 473m. While definitely not the highest point on Dartmoor, it still offers impressive views of the Haytor area. Even though clear skies were forecast, the elevated viewpoint can help you take advantage of any distance haze in the sky. This can light up nicely in the right conditions and provide some nice interest in the sky when shooting with a long lens.
When I woke the following morning and left the house I could see clear skies and the stars above so it was looking like the forecast was going to be fairly accurate. As I headed up to Dartmoor things started to look very different. By the time I'd reached the car park for Rippon Tor, things looked very cloudy indeed!
It was pretty windy at the top of Rippon Tor, but that was to be expected. What wasn't expected was the amount of cloud. It was that fast moving type of cloud that always looks like it's about to clear but never seems to. Things didn't look much clearer down towards the coast where the sun was going to rise. Not one to be put off I thought it was worth hanging about to see if things would improve.
Just 5 Minutes More
Your enthusiasm can wear off quickly when it's cold and windy on Dartmoor. As the time for sunrise passed and it didn't look like things were going to improve, I was ready to give up and head home for a coffee. No sooner had I zipped up my bag though, the sky started to clear and the sun peaked up over the cloud and started bathing the scene in the soft morning light. I quickly unpacked the camera and took this shot.
Dawn on Rippon Tor, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon D850, Nikkor 24-70 mm f/2.8 VR at 29 mm, f/11, 1/4 second at ISO 64, Lee Filters Circular Polariser.
In retrospect, I didn't really take enough time to arrange my composition. I think the image would have worked a little better with a slightly more elevated view of the foreground. However, time was very much against me. Though the sun had just risen above the cloud, sunrise itself was a good 15 minutes earlier, and so the light was already getting harsher. I had to work fast to make the most of that lovely morning light on the side of the tor and on the undulations of the ground.
Now that I was back in the mood for taking some landscape photographs I decided I would capture a panorama. On a recent trip Fingle Bridge I met up with fellow landscape photographer Neil Porter and he recommended to me a relatively inexpensive levelling head. This great bit of kit would greatly simplify the process of levelling my camera in preparation for capturing a panoramic image.
The View from Rippon Tor (Panorama), Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon D850, Nikkor 24-70 mm f/2.8 VR at 52 mm, f/11, 1/10th second at ISO 64, Lee Filters Circular Polariser, 9 image stitch cropped at 6:17.
Shortly after capturing that image the weather conditions had improved markedly and in need of a cup of coffee, I decided that I'd had the best of the morning light. As I walked down from the tor I kept thinking about how upset I would have been with myself if I'd been in the car driving home only to see the conditions improve from the road. I was lucky that I hadn't packed up 10 minutes earlier!
How long do you wait before you give up waiting for the weather to change? Has your patience paid off and you've captured an amazing image? Let me know in the comments below.
Holne Bridge
Inspired by the autumnal colours I had seen at Fingle Bridge the previous week, this week I head to Holne Bridge on Dartmoor to see how the autumn colours are along the River Dart.
Embracing Autumn on Dartmoor
I don't know if it's my imagination but the autumn colours in Devon, especially Dartmoor seem to be much more vibrant this year. The yellows, oranges, and browns are really standing out on the trees. Woodlands are looking particularly spectacular.
After seeing the wonderful colours down at Fingle Bridge the other week, I was determined to get out again and make the most of this special time of year. But where to go? Easy. My custom Google Map to the rescue again! Holne Bridge on the River Dart was another location that had been on my map for a while, and this seemed to be the perfect time to go.
Holne Bridge
Though the weather forecast for that day was for rain showers, there was going to be a break for a few hours in the morning so off I headed to Dartmoor. I parked up just on the other side of Holne Bridge and started walking along the banks of the Dart. As expected the colours were brilliant, but it also appeared that the strong wind from the previous days had removed a lot of leaves from their branches.
Not to be discouraged by this I got the camera set up and took this image of the river Dart from the east side of the bridge.
Autumn on the River Dart, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon D850, Nikkor 24-70 mm f/2.8 VR at 25 mm, f/13, 10 seconds at ISO 64, Lee Filters Circular Polariser and ND Grad.
Just as I started getting into my photography it started raining. At first, I thought it was just a light shower, but the rain started to come down heavily. I soon regretted not taking my waterproof jacket! Never mind, I packed the camera away and decided that this would be a good time to do some exploring. My weather app told me the rain was due to stop in 20 mins so I wouldn't have long to wait.
While I was exploring the river bank looking for compositions, I spotted some woodland on the opposite side that I thought might suit an ICM shot. I had started experimenting with ICM when I was in Harris and Lewis and was interested enough with the results to try it again.
Holne ICM, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon D850, Nikkor 24-70 mm f/2.8 VR at 34 mm, f/8, 1.3 seconds at ISO 64, Lee Filters Circular Polariser.
As you can see I need to work on my ICM technique and compositions a bit more. However, it did at least pass the time until the rain shower had passed.
Once the rain had passed it was back to the job of capturing of autumnal images of the river Dart. There was still a fair amount of water flowing down the river making capturing engaging images a little more tricky. Too little water and the river looks dirty and bare, too much water and you just end up with a white blur.
To make sure the river represented an important element in the composition I headed upstream from the bridge until I got a place where the water was cascading around and over some large boulders.
Unfortunately, this was one of the very last images I had time to take that morning and I was soon heading home. Happy with the shots I had captured that morning the only problem I had was whether I should return again, go back to Fingle Bridge or try and find another autumnal location for my next trip out with the camera.
What types of shot do you like to take during autumn? Have you tried ICM? What is your favourite season to photograph? Let me know in the comments.
Fingle Bridge
In the blog this week I head to Fingle Bridge on Dartmoor to shoot some autumnal woodlands but some unexpected weather causes a change of plan.
Discovering Fingle Bridge on Dartmoor
I first learnt about the woodlands around Fingle Bridge on Dartmoor in Outdoor Photography magazine in their Locations Guide section (one of my favourite features in the magazine). I can't remember which issue it was in, but I do remember seeing the photograph and then putting the location straight onto my custom Google map.
This was a couple of years ago and since then I've only been back a couple of times, and generally without much success. I filmed one of my earliest YouTube videos there, so if you want to see how much I've improved my videos you can check that video out here.
Remembering Fingle Bridge
My original plan for the morning was to head up to the open moorland of Dartmoor and perhaps shoot Great Mis Tor or Great Staple Tor. The problem with that plan was the weather forecast. The morning sky was going to be largely clear with no cloud. Without some interest in the sky, I wasn't sure it would be worth photographing those Dartmoor locations.
I wasn't however, going to pass up the opportunity to get out with the camera just because of a clear blue sky. A quick scan of my custom Google map and I remembered all about Fingle Bridge. Perfect I thought! I could shoot the woodlands from the top of the valley for sunrise and then head down into the woodland as it gets lighter.
Misty Dartmoor
Arriving at Fingle Bridge it was still dark with only a hint of light from the sun. With sunrise still at least an hour away, I put on my head torch and started the walk up the Hunters Path. It was an interesting walk through the dark woodlands. When I pointed my head torch into the woodland I could several pairs of eyes staring back at me. I assumed they were deer and not some sort of wild beast or cat that prowls Dartmoor!
As I approached the top of the valley and got above the tree line I could see the valley and woodland stretch out before me. In the distance towards Hunters Tor I thought I could make out some low lying mist. We all know how attracted to mist landscape photographers, and I'm no different, so I decided to go an investigate.
Hunter's Tor is at the other end of the valley from Fingle Bridge so it was further than I had planned on walking. I'd given myself plenty of time that morning though so was able to extend my walk without missing sunrise.
Being Indecisive
Arriving at Hunter's Tor I could see a beautiful blanket of mist to the west. There were two small problems though. Firstly, it wasn't covering the woodland, and secondly, it was very thick and you couldn't actually see much of the land below.
It was at this point I got a little indecisive. I thought I could hang about Hunter's Tor and wait for it clear a little, or I could head back along the valley and shoot the mist from further away, or revert back to my original plan. I decided to head back along the valley.
By the time I got halfway back along the valley path the mist had started to clear, so I decided to head back to Hunter's Tor! Even though the sun hadn't risen, the mist was clearing fast so I had to run! Back at Hunter's Tor, I decided to make the most of the frosty conditions and mist, and captured these images:
Hunter's Tor on a Frosty Morning, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon D850, Nikkor 16-35 mm f/4 at 16 mm, f/13, 15 seconds at ISO 64, Lee Filters ND Grad.
Frosty Fingle, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon D850, Nikkor 16-35 mm f/4 at 22 mm, f/8, 0.8 seconds at ISO 64, Lee Filters ND Grad, focus stacked image.
Autumnal Colours along the River Teign
After capturing those images I decided that I would head back down to Fingle Bridge and maybe capture some shots of the River Teign. As I packed up and started the walk back I bumped into local photographer Neil Porter. I hadn't met Neil before but I was aware of his excellent work and we soon got chatting.
Neil offered me a lift back to Fingle Bridge which I gratefully accepted. The heated seats in his car were very welcome after standing on that frosty tor for an hour!
Arriving at Fingle Bridge we headed along the river and into the woodland to find the autumnal colours looking glorious. Neil has a lot of experience in shooting this area and he informed me that the colours would get even better over the next week or so. I made a mental note that I would need to come back to Fingle Bridge again very soon.
Autumn at the River Teign, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon D850, Nikkor 24-70 mm f/2.8 VR at 42 mm, f/11, 3 seconds at ISO 64, Lee Filters Circular Polariser and ND Grad.
Soon after capturing that image we started to see a few more photographers arrive. Happy with what I got, and with the need to get home, I left Neil and the other photographers to carry on shooting this beautiful autumnal location.
New Dartmoor Video
I hope you enjoyed the photographs from this location. If you did you might be pleased to know that I also did some filming while I was taking those images. The video from Fingle Bridge will feature in a Dartmoor video that I'm currently producing. I'm not sure when it will be out, but stay tuned to the blog, and be sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel.
Have you photographed Fingle Bridge before? What is your favourite autumnal location? Let me know in the comments below.
From Dartmoor to Dawlish
In the blog this week, I head to Dartmoor to shoot sunset, and then the following day head to Dawlish Warren to shoot sunrise.
A Good Time of Year
Late September is a good time for landscape photography. Sunset isn’t too late, and sunrise isn’t too early. This means I can do both back to back without feeling like it just killed me. I still remember back in July this year when I photographed Daymark tower for sunset and then Start Point for sunrise. While I had a lot of fun with the friends that joined me, the late finish and very early start just about killed me.
When some welcome settled weather came in recently, I thought I would maximise my shooting opportunities and go out and photograph both sunset and sunrise. But where would I go?
Dusk at Dartmoor
As is normally the way, I was, of course a little short of time so I had to go somewhere local. Fortunately for me, I live near Dartmoor so I’m a little spoilt for locations on my doorstep. Though the weather was settled, it was looking like there would be little in the way of cloud.
I had a number of ideas of what to shoot including the view from Rippon Tor and Honeybag Tor, but the conditions just weren’t going to be right for those elevated viewpoints. I remembered that Haytor Rocks often gets the evening light so I decided to photograph it from Saddle Tor. By photographing from Saddle Tor I could position Haytor Rocks above the horizon and into the only real interesting part of the sky that evening.
Haytor Rocks at Dusk, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon D850, Nikkor 24-70 mm f/2.8 at 62 mm, 1/3 sec at ISO 64, f/11. Lee Filters ND Grad, single image crop at 6:17.
The image I took is actually a panoramic crop from a single frame. My original composition had Haytor in the lower third of the frame with the rest of the frame being taken up by the sky. My original “big sky” shot might have worked a little better if there had been a bit more interest in the sky, but the lower band of haze in the sky was the only area to get colour. As it turned out, I rather like the panoramic crop so can be reasonably happy with the final output.
Dawn at Dawlish Warren
The morning weather forecast for the following day looked to have a bit more cloud so I decided to head to one of my favourite locations, Dawlish Warren. I tend not to visit Dawlish Warren during the summer months but now sunrise isn’t so early I decided it was time to visit my old friend.
Shooting at dawn is one of my favourite times of the day. There is a sense of excitement as the sun starts to rise and deliver some of its magical morning light. On this morning though, that display of golden light probably wasn’t going to happen. You can plan all you like, check tides, and look at weather forecasts, but if a bank of cloud happens to position itself in the wrong location, all that amazing light you were looking for can be lost.
It’s important to remember though that good morning light can occur 30 minutes before and after sunrise. Even though I didn’t get the best of the light as the sun approached the horizon, I’m glad I stuck around to capture this long exposure.
Into the Sea, Dawlish Warren, Devon - Nikon D850, Nikkor 24-70 mm f/2.8 at 48 mm, 339 seconds at ISO 64, f/11. Lee Filters Circular Polariser and ND Grad,
While this image was captured after sunrise, the long exposure helps capture what light there was and the calmness of the ocean that morning.
It’s always fascinating to see how other photographers interpret the same scene so I was really interested to see how Neil Burnell, who was with me that morning, shot the same scene. Check out his Instagram post to see his take on the beach that morning.
What is your favourite time of day to shoot? Do you use techniques like ICM or long exposures to create a sense of mood? Let me know in the comments below.
Unexpected Creativity from a Dreary Dartmoor
Sometimes landscape photography can be hard and this was certainly true of my most recent visit to Dartmoor in Devon. However, even when you are feeling creatively challenged, inspiration can appear to come from nowhere. Read on to learn how I got inspired on that dull, grey evening on Dartmoor!
A Quick Happy Birthday
Just before I tell you about my Dartmoor adventure, I just want to announce that this post comes on the day that this very blog celebrates its 2nd birthday! Two years ago today I decided to start documenting my photographic adventures.
As with any creative process, the writing has sometimes been easy and sometimes it's been hard. However, most of all it has been fun and its really helped me with my photography. I wrote a lot about the benefits last year when I wrote a post about the blog's first birthday.
Over the last 24 months, I've written a new blog post every week, and I see no reason why this won't continue into the future. Thanks to all the support and comments I get from everyone on this blog, and other social media channels, I feel inspired and motivated to keep this blog going. So thanks to everyone who has and continues to show support of my work. It is very much appreciated.
And now….
Landscape Photography is Hard
I love landscape photography. I have a real passion for it and there are few things as good as heading out into the wilderness with the camera to capture some landscape photographs. Sometimes the process of capturing those photographs is hard. The weather can be challenging or you can simply lack the imagination or creative energy to produce a good photograph.
For me, there is an additional factor that makes landscape photography hard, and that is time. I think most photographers, pro or amateur, suffer at the hands of the old enemy of time. The amount of time I can commit to my art is limited and more often than not I have to go out when the conditions aren't ideal.
Devon's Dreary Dartmoor
My most recent to Dartmoor is a great example of when I decided to head out with the camera when really I should have stayed at home. The weather forecast for most of the south-west was overcast and rain showers. The trouble was that if I didn't out that evening, it was going to be several days before my next window of opportunity and I had a real need to scratch that creative itch.
I wanted to go and shoot somewhere on the Cornish coast but I saw little point in committing to 3 to 4 hours of driving with the predicted weather conditions. I thought the best thing to do was to keep in local and head up to Dartmoor. The weather forecast for Haytor was looking poor, but it did predict a small break in the clouds that might yield some nice results. To be honest, I think I was being rather optimistic but I grabbed my camera and went out anyway.
Finding Something Out of Nothing
As I drove up the hill from Bovey Tracey to Haytor, things did not look great. While the clouds were at least above the hills, it all looked rather uninspiring. I decided to drive a little further on and park up for Emsworthy Tor.
As I wasn't in a particular hurry I decided to make the walk to Emsworthy Tor at a slower pace. As I walked I made sure I took the time to look for compositions. Occasionally I would hold my eye up to the camera to see what an image would look like, but nothing seemed to capture my imagination.
When I reached Emsworthy Tor I just stood there and wondered why on earth I even bothered coming out. Don't get me wrong. I love Dartmoor. It can look spectacular in many different ways, and it's rare that I can't find something to appreciate. The view in front of me was indeed impressive but that doesn't mean it was going to translate into a good photograph.
It soon dawned on me that the viewpoint I wanted to photograph wasn't going to work in these conditions. As I sat there looking at the great expanse that is Dartmoor, I thought about going home. In the distance was a large dark cloud that was sure to bring a heavy shower. Perhaps it was time for an early exit and a glass of wine.
Just as I was about to pack up and go I had a moment of inspiration. As I looked east there was a small break in the cloud, and from the north was that stormy looking cloud. I know from previous experience that approaching storm clouds can look dramatic when shot with a wide angle lens. So I quickly got the camera out and shot this image:
Approaching Storm on Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon D850, Nikkor 16-35 mm f/4 at 16 mm, 0.5 seconds at ISO 64, f/11, Lee Filters ND Grad.
I had to work fast to get the image because the cloud was rolling in fast. While the image would have greatly benefited from some scattered light on the distant tors, it does show Dartmoor as it was that evening, and perhaps reflects my mood a little.
I then wanted to fine tune my composition a little. I like the rocky tors in the foreground of the first image, but I felt that they were a too close to the bottom of the frame. I also felt that the clouds were a more important element of the photograph, so I decided to point the camera up more to give me this composition.
Storm Clouds over Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon D850, Nikkor 16-35 mm f/4 at 18 mm, 0.6 seconds at ISO 64, f/11, Lee Filters ND Grad.
I'm not sure which image I prefer. The sky in the first image is more appealing as the dark cloud hasn't covered all of the skies yet, but I prefer the overall composition of the 2nd image. To be honest, I'm just really happy to have captured anything. I was sure I was going to go home empty-handed and a little unhappy (creatively speaking).
It was a challenging evening but aside from the pleasing images, I can always take away two positives. Firstly, it's always great to be outdoors. Even if I took no photographs, spending the evening on beautiful Dartmoor is rarely a bad thing. Secondly, it was good to be out with the camera. That time out with the camera gave me more photographic experience and practice that I can put to good use when I really need it. You can be in the most amazing location with the most amazing light, but if you don't how to use your camera properly or know how to read a scene, you might come away with nothing.
Have you ever been out with the camera on a seemingly pointless adventure? Which of my two images did you prefer? Let me know in the comments below.
Friends, Failures and Being Frozen
In the blog this week I tell you about a trip to Brentor church with friends where the freezing weather resulted in a failed attempt at shooting a video on the D850!
Let's Go Back To Brentor
It's rare that I have a Saturday afternoon available for photography so when one did present itself a few weeks ago, I wasn't going to let it slip by. Even if the weather conditions weren't necessarily going to be great. Though the setting sun was in a direction that would give me good light on the church, the skies were going to be very clear. However, one of the things I've learnt over the years is to take some weather forecasts with a pinch of salt. But would I get an epic sunrise like I did on my last visit to Brentor?
Most of my trips out with the camera are a bit last minute. This makes it difficult to make arrangements to meet up with fellow photographers. So when friend and fellow photographer Andy Hobbs said he could join me on my trip to Dartmoor I was delighted to have the company.
Things I love About the D850
It's me doing some filming. A rare behind the scenes shot taken by Andy.
One of my goals of going to Brentor Chruch was to shot my video called 8 Things I Love About the Nikon D850. If you click on that link you'll see I have indeed published that video but you'll also see it certainly isn't filmed at Brentor.
My plan for Brentor was fairly straightforward. I would arrive a couple of hours before sunset, do some filming, and then capture a great sunset. What could go wrong?
When we arrived we found we had the best spot to shoot Brentor to ourselves. This is rare, especially for a Saturday. However, the skies were very clear and while this makes it all look very lovely, it is a bit of a nightmare for photography and for video because of the high contrast of bright and shadow areas. Then there was the cold. Brentor is notorious for being windy and cold.
When my hands were warm I was happy to double check the audio. Thanks again to Andy for the BTS shot.
The filming started off OK, and it was really great having Andy there to help out, but sometimes you just can't find your mojo. Maybe it was the strong light from the sun or just the cold wind, but it just seemed to take me an age to get into my stride.
While I managed to get all the scenes shot for the video, I, unfortunately, skipped a few steps that I would normally take to ensure certain things have worked correctly. When I later got home and went to edit the video I noticed that some of the clips shot towards the end had no audio. What probably had happened is that as I got colder I probably didn't rigorously check things after and it appeared that I had disconnected the mic from the audio recorder.
This failure to check my recordings, something I normally always do, resulted in the entire video shoot being scrubbed. To be honest, I also don't think it was my best time behind the camera so in some respects I was happy to shoot it again in a few days time at a different location.
The Photographs
Shooting that video was only half the purpose of the trip. Of course, I wanted to get some good landscape photographs as well. Unfortunately, the sunset wasn't the best I'd seen at Brentor, but we still got some nice light.
Filming was done, it was time to move onto capturing some still images. Thanks again to Andy for the BTS shot.
I took a couple of frames and I even tried out the focus shift feature of the D850 for the first time. I did a very rough focus stack in Photoshop, and while the image could do with a bit more finesse, it is clear the image has better sharpness from back to front than from the single frame.
Nikon D850, Nikkor 16-35mm f/4 at 23mm, ISO 64, 1/13th sec at f/13 - single image
Nikon D850, Nikkor 16-35mm f/4 at 21mm, ISO 64, 1/6th sec at f/4.6 - focus stacked
Despite the failed video and the lack of interest in the sky for the pictures, it was still time well spent out with the camera. It was great chatting with Andy and we had a great laugh. There might even be some funny video outtakes that I might publish one day!
So have you ever had things go wrong on a shoot? What's your worst disaster? Let me know in the comments below.
30 Minutes at Great Mis Tor
In the blog this week I head to Great Mis Tor to capture some snow landscape images of Dartmoor. The trouble was I only had 30 minutes to do it!
Tight Timelines
When my friend, who also happens to be a photographer, called me to tell me snow was forecast for Dartmoor and would I like to join him on a morning shoot, I just had to say yes. What better way to start the day than a quick hike up to Great Mis Tor to capture some morning light, and hopefully a little snow.
As is sometimes the way, the timing of this too good miss offer wasn't great. I had commitments that morning that I could not miss. So I decided to work out all the timings to see I could fit it all in.
I would need to get up at 05:30 to meet my friend at 06:30. It would then be a short drive of about 20 minutes to get to the car park near the start of the walk. It's then about another 20 to 30-minute walk up to Great Mis Tor.
Sunrise was going to be about 08:04, and I would need to be back in the car no later than 09:00. It was going tight that was for sure!
Beautiful Dartmoor
On the morning of the shoot, things started off as expected. We started our walk up to Great Mis Tor with great enthusiasm and chat about the recent Star Wars film and the lack of Game of Thrones in 2018. As we walked up there was a distinct lack of snow, but as we approached Great Mis Tor we found the ground covered with a light dusting of snow. It looked beautiful.
I'd never been to Great Mis Tor before and I surprised by how large an area it was. With only about 15 to 20 minutes before sunrise, I was going to have to work fast to work out what compositions I was going to shoot. I could spot different weather conditions all around me so I also knew things could and probably would change rapidly.
Go Go Go!
After a little scout about, the action started fairly quickly. I was mostly relying on my instincts as I went from spot to spot capturing images. I was glad that I was well versed in the workings of the D850 so I was able to setup and shoot with the camera with ease, allowing me to concentrate on compositions.
As predicted the weather and conditions changed rapidly. We had everything from pink clouds to snow showers to beautiful light on the surrounding hills. It was fun and exciting, but hard work. Here are the photos that I captured:
In retrospect, I wasn't able to make the most of my time there and I perhaps could have captured stronger images. It was always going to be a challenge though given the amount of time I had there, and my lack of experience with the location (and it's many viewpoints). Did I regret my visit? Of course not!
There is almost always something to be gained from a trip out with the camera. Firstly I got to visit a new location. Great Mis Tor is definitely a location I will photograph again. It was also great being up on Dartmoor. A walk on Dartmoor is always a special thing, but when it snows it can be magical. (If you want to see what I mean check out my vlog from Belstone Common). And finally, it was great to have the opportunity to catch up with a friend. Overall, time well spent in my opinion!
So have you had the chance to shoot any snowy landscapes this year? Do you take every opportunity to squeeze in time with the camera? Let me know in the comments below.
Snow on Belstone Common
In this blog post and video, I head up to Belstone Common on Dartmoor to catch the first snow of the winter.
Snow!
I think most landscape photographers like a bit of snow. It's rare to see here in the south west of England, so when it does come it can transform the winter landscape from dull and boring, to crisp and white. It can really change the look of a location and provide opportunities to shoot something a little different.
When my wife casually mentioned that snow was forecast my first reaction was for disbelief. It was November and probably a little early for snow. However, I'm not one to miss an opportunity so I checked the Will It Snow forecast and was happy to see that there was a 57% chance of snow on Dartmoor.
I got my thinking hat on and thought the higher up I went on Dartmoor, the greater the chance of snow there would be. I then remember Belstone Common, a location that I've photographed before. It's close to home, easy to access and importantly over 400m above sea level.
Despite the 50/50 odds on it snowing, I couldn't miss this potential opportunity, so I got my gear ready and made plans for an early start the next day.
You can see how I got on in my latest 5 Minute Photo Adventure video below:
The Images
Here are the images that I captured that you will have seen in the video.
Nikon D850, Nikkor 16-35mm f/4 at 18mm, ISO 64, 3 seconds at f/13, Lee Filters 0.6 ND graduated filter.
Nikon D850, Nikkor 16-35mm f/4 at 18mm, ISO 64, 1/5th second at f/13.
Nikon D850, Nikkor 16-35mm f/4 at 18mm, ISO 64, 1/5th second at f/13, Lee Filters 0.6 ND graduated filter.
Nikon D850, Nikkor 16-35mm f/4 at 19mm, ISO 64, 1/8th second at f/13, Lee Filters 0..6 ND graduated filter.
I hope you enjoyed the video and the images I captured. I certainly had fun up on Dartmoor that morning, despite the freezing temperatures. It really is mornings like that I look forward to. A lot of action, changing conditions, and plenty of opportunities to capture images.
So have you photographed any snowy scenes this winter? What is your favourite season to photograph? Let me know in the comments below.
Amazing Light at Brentor Church
In the blog this week I tell about how I was treated to a spectacular sunset at Brentor Church!
Finally, decent light!
For those of you who read my blog on a regular basis, you will know that I've not been the happiest of photographers recently. Despite being the very proud owner of a new Nikon D850, I've not been having much luck with the weather recently. This has played havoc with my creative adventures! However, this all changed a couple of weeks ago when I visited Brentor Church and I was treated to an epic sunset.
The night before I visited Brentor Church on Dartmoor, I also visited another Dartmoor location, Honeybag Tor. It was one of those evenings where you think your photographic mojo has completely deserted you. I found myself mumbling "why do I even bother" as I wandered back to the car.
I'm not one to stay down for too long though. The very next morning, armed with a cup of coffee I got back on the computer and started checking the weather forecast for that evening. Best thing to do when you've had a bad trip out with the camera is get back out there and try again. After all, I have talked about the value of practice and perseverance before on this blog. So I took on my own advice and got to planning a trip out with the camera.
I looked at the weather forecast, and even though it was forecast for nearly 80% cloud coverage, thanks to yr.no (a Norwegian weather service), I could see that most of that cloud would be high up. With virtually no lower cloud cover there would be a chance that just around sunset the golden light of the sun would illuminate the underside of that higher cloud.
After a recent visit to Brentor Church, I was keen to revisit this Dartmoor location. So with a good weather forecast, and a wonderful location picked, I set off with a positive, but cautious frame of mind.
What's It Called?
I normally like to share the details of where I've taken a photograph, so I normally try and include a map. While adding the map for Brentor Church below I noticed a couple of things.
The map above refers to Brent Tor, Brentnor, and St Michael's Church. So what is this location called? Well I did a little checking and to give the church its full name it's called The Church of St. Michael de Rupe (St. Michael of the Rock), which is located on Brent Tor, near the villages of Brentor, South Brentor, and North Brentor.
I believe the church is commonly known as Brentor Church. So looking at the Google Map above I can only assume that some of those location spots are user submitted and contain minor errors. Anyway, now we all know what it should be called and how to spell it!
Lost for Words
My plan for Brentor Church was not only to take photographs but to also shoot one of my 5 Minute Photography Adventure videos. However, as I was visiting the location on a Friday evening and the weather forecast was good, I knew there would be a good chance there would be other photographers there. The problem with that is that I just can't seem to present to the camera when someone else is watching! I'm just too self-conscious!
As suspected though, when I arrived, there were already a few photographers there. I told myself to just get on with it and get filming. But I didn't. To be honest, it was nice to keep the video gear in the bag and just chat to some fellow photographers. One of the photographers was from Wales and the other was a local photographer called Lee Smith (check out his work here). Both chaps were excellent company and we got to enjoy a very special sunset together.
Changing Light
Brentor Church, like many locations, benefits greatly from good light. The ideal conditions would be to have a dramatic sky, and the side of the hill and church illuminated by some nice side lighting from a setting sun. The image below gives you a hint of what that might look like.
Nikon D850, Nikkor 16-35mm f/4 @ 18mm, ISO 100, 0.6 sec @ f/13, Lee Filters circular polariser and ND grad.
On the night that I was there, that side lighting didn't last too long. Unfortunately, the sunset behind some distant low cloud. However, in the next photo, you can just about see the sky and clouds starting to change colour.
Nikon D850, Nikkor 16-35mm f/4 @ 22mm, ISO 64, 210 sec @ f/13, Lee Filters circular polariser, Little Stopper and ND grad.
And then, just as the sunset, the sky lit up in spectacular fashion! All of a sudden the sky was full of pinks and blues. This allowed me to capture my favourite image of the night.
Nikon D850, Nikkor 16-35mm f/4 @ 18mm, ISO 100, 5 sec @ f/13, Lee Filters circular polariser and ND grad.
The amazing sky can't have lasted much more than 5 minutes and you can see from the following two photographs how quickly the sky can change in a few minutes. I was glad I was up there early and had everything set up and ready to shoot before the action started.
It was a wonderful evening of photography. Not only did I get some images that I was very happy with but I had a great time chatting with some fellow photographers. I will get that video of Brentor Church done one day. Not that I need an excuse to visit this great location again.
So have you shot Brentor Church before? What was the best sunset you've photographed? Let me know in the comments below.
Belstone Common
In the blog this week I tell you about my recent trip to scope out new locations on Belstone Common on Dartmoor.
A Backup Location
A couple of weeks ago I told you about my unsuccessful adventure to find and shoot some stooks. However, I always knew there would be a risk that I wouldn't find any stooks, so I made sure I had a plan B. Nothing worse than going out with the camera and not taking any photos at all!
As usual, I had a look at my custom Google map to see what locations were nearby to my primary location. I quickly spotted Belstone Common on the northern edge of Dartmoor. I had marked this location as one that I needed to return to. As I hadn't been there since 2015 I thought this would be the perfect time to go.
When I couldn't find any stooks I was glad that I had the foresight to think of another location. It was only another 30 minutes in the car so it wasn't long before I had parked up and started the walk up into the hills.
Location Scouting
Though I had a backup location, one thing I wasn't able to plan for was the weather. While the forecast was suited well to taking pictures of stooks, it wasn't optimal for taking big vista shots on Dartmoor. However, if there is one thing that I have learned about Dartmoor is that the weather can be very different up there on the moor (as I found out on a recent trip to Brentor Church).
It's a nice walk from the car park up on to Belstone Common. If you are thinking of going yourself you should be aware that it is on a MOD firing range, so be sure to check if it is open to the public when you visit.
There is a lot to shoot up on Belstone and there are a number of viewpoints and tors to shoot. Though I had visited this location before, this trip was more about finding compositions for later dates. Given that the skies weren't that interesting I was happy enough just wondering about and doing some exploring.
Nikon D750, Nikkor 16-35mm f/4 @ 31mm, f/13, 1/25 sec, ISO 100, Lee Filters ND grad.
The first shot I took (above) was of Winter Tor and beyond. I really like this view as it gives you a nice wide view of Dartmoor as it stretches off into the distance. I took this shot around 90 mins before sunset so the light is still a bit too harsh for my liking, but in terms of a location to return to it's definitely on the list. Next time I might try it at dawn and perhaps with a longer lens.
Not Enough Time
The great thing about Belstone Common is that there is so much to shoot. Unfortunately, as I arrived only a short time before sunset I did have to rush around a little. I felt there was so much more to explore. However, that gives me a great reason to return!
Nikon D750, Nikkor 16-35mm f/4 @22mm, f/13, 0.6 sec, ISO 100, Lee Filters ND grad.
With time running out and sunset due in 30 minutes I started my descent back to the car and to a location, I had spotted on the way up. I took the image above just before the sun went behind a cloud, killing off any hopes of a dramatic sunset. However, as with the previous image, it is a location that I will visit again.
As I continued my descent back to the car I was happy with what I had captured and pleased that I had made the decision to visit Belstone Common. I would definitely be back!
Goodbye Nikon D750
As I write this blog it looks like that this might well have been the last trip out with my Nikon D750. It's time to trade in for a different camera. But which one I hear you cry! Well, with any luck I'll be revealing which camera it is on next weeks blog post.
So do you always head out with a plan B location? Do you do a lot of location scouting? Which camera do you think I'm getting next? Let me know in the comments below.
Brentor Church
In the blog this week I head off to Brentor Church on the edge of Dartmoor. Read about how the cold weather almost sends me home early but by sticking around for a break in the weather I was treated to some lovely evening light.
A Bit of Inspiration
I often look for inspiration using my personal locations map that I created using Google Maps. One evening I was looking for something local to shoot when I noticed a map pin on Brentor (St Michael de Rupe) Church on the edge of Dartmoor. I've shot the location a few times but never got an image that I was really happy with, so I thought this would be a good time revisit the old church on the hill.
The weather forecast was for broken cloud and no rain, and the direction of the sunset was favourable for good lighting along the side of the hilltop and church. I had been stuck in the office all day and I was looking forward to getting outside into the fresh air and taking some images.
Wild Dartmoor
The weather at home that day had been very summery so when it came to outdoor clothing I decided to keep things light and I left the thermals and down jacket at home.
When I arrived at Brentor things were a little different than they were at home. Why I should be surprised by this I don't know! It is Dartmoor after all and having four seasons all in one day isn't exactly unheard of. Certainly not to be put off I got my bag out of the car and made the short walk to the viewpoint.
To say that there was a bit of breeze up there would be an understatement! It's not necessarily the height of the location but more that it is very exposed. It wasn't long before I had put on my lightweight jacket, shortly followed by hat and gloves (which I always keep in the bag, fortunately). With the skies being overcast and my body temperature dropping, I was soon feeling uncreative and considering making an early exit and going home.
Game On!
If there is one thing you can count on when photographing Dartmoor is rapidly changing conditions. While I was sitting there gradually getting colder I was keeping an eye on the weather behind me. I could see in the distance some significant breaks in the cloud which I was hoping would lead to more interesting skies and give the sun a chance to break through. So I toughened up and waited!
I got the camera all set up and ready. Breaks in the cloud and splashes of light can be fleeting, so I needed to be ready. I then waited patiently and watched with eagerness as the rays of the sun that were breaking through the cloud gradually got closer and closer.
When the weather did break over Brentor it did so for only 10 or so minutes. I captured a few frames keeping an eye on the cloud converge over the old hilltop church and how the light was breaking on the hillside.
Nikon D750, Nikkor 16-34mm f/4 @ 18mm, ISO 100, 1/6 second, f/13, no filters.
The quality of the light can change dramticaly over a short space of time.
The quality of light can really make or break an image and without light from the setting sun as it broke through the cloud this image would have been much flatter. It's not to say that this image is perfect, far from it, but given the conditions I was working with I was happy with the results.
I tried a few variations on my composition and I even tried increasing the ISO for a shorter shutter speed. I thought that the shorter shutter speed would freeze the grass blowing in the wind, but I decided that keeping the movement of the grass better reflected the mood I was looking for.
So my evening up on Dartmoor was a bit of a roller coaster. Nothing hampers your creativity more than being cold and I really should have known better to head up to Dartmoor without a warm jacket! But I'm glad I stuck it out as at the end of the day as I got some nice images and a lung full of fresh air.
So have you photographed Brentor church before? Would you like me to make a 5 Minute Photo Adventure video there? Have you ever been out with the camera without suitable clothing? Let me know in the comments below.
Summer Solstice in Devon
In this blog post, I share my Summer Solstice Landscape Photography in Devon video. Join me as I head to two classic Devon locations, Dawlish Warren beach and Dartmoor, and take images either end of the longest day.
Summer Solstice Plan
I'm always thinking about what my next YouTube video will be about. I keep all these ideas in a notebook so that when I'm looking for a fresh idea I have some inspiration. I was looking through the list the other day and I spotted something that I had added some time ago. The idea was relatively straightforward. On the day of the summer solstice, I would shoot one dawn photo and one sunset photo.
With sunrise on the day being around 5 am I needed to go somewhere local. I like to get to a location 1 hour before actual sunrise so wherever I was going to be I would need to be there for 4 am. Now, I like getting up in the morning as much as the next landscape photographer, but even I was going to struggle to get up that early in the morning!
So I looked at my custom Google locations map and spotted a favourite local location, Dawlish Warren beach. Sure I would still need to get up at 3:15 am, but the weather forecast was good and the sun would rise from a direction that would give me some good light (hopefully).
For the sunset location, I would also need to go somewhere local. I knew that when I returned from Dawlish Warren beach that I would still have the school run to do, then a full day of work, and then I had some family commitments. In all likelihood, it would be nearly 8 pm before I headed out. Even with sunset being around 9:30 pm, that didn't leave me a lot of time to get somewhere. To be honest, even if I was able to get out earlier I didn't want to have a big drive to do when I'd already been up since 3:15 am!
I'm really fortunate that I live near Dartmoor so this seemed like a great place to go. I was thinking about going to Bowerman's Nose, but as I had just recently shot a video there, I decided that a good option would be Emsworthy Tor. Though Dartmoor would be busy in the evening with people watching the summer solstice sunset, Emsworthy Tor is a little bit further off the beaten track so should be a little quieter. It's a classic Dartmoor location and if I were to get some good evening light I could be onto a winner.
So how did I get on? Let's take a look at the video:
As I said in the video you can take a look at the images (plus a couple of bonus ones) in a bit more detail below.
Dawlish Warren
5:12 am, Nikon D750, Nikkor 16-35 f/4 @ 30mm, ISO 100, 4 seconds, f/13, Lee Filters Circular Polariser.
5:41 am, Nikon D750, Nikkor 16-35 f/4 @ 19mm, ISO 100, 30 seconds, f/13, Lee Filters Circular Polariser and Little Stopper.
Emsworth Tor
9:14 pm, Nikon D750, Nikkor 16-35 f/4 @ 24mm, ISO 100, 0.8 seconds, f/13, Lee Filters Circular Polariser.
9:22 pm, Nikon D750, Nikkor 16-35 f/4 @ 18mm, ISO 100, 1 second, f/13, Lee Filters Circular Polariser.
I hope you enjoyed watching the video and looking at the images. Did you go out for Summer Solstice to do some photography? What's the earliest you've ever got up in the morning to take a photo? What's the latest time you've seen the sunset? Let me know in the comments below.
Bowerman's Nose - 5 Minute Photo Adventure
In this blog post, I show you my 5 Minute Photo Adventure video of Bowerman's Nose on Dartmoor. I also discuss the image I took there and how it compares to the previous images I took of this unique location.
I have a bit of a long history with Bowerman's Nose on Dartmoor. I last wrote about this location back in October 2016 in a post entitled Perseverance - Photographing Bowerman's Nose. In that post, I talked about my desire to capture an image that I felt did this unique location justice. On paper, it shouldn't be too difficult to shoot but it's a location that needs good light. I've come close a couple of times and last time I got pretty close to what I was looking for.
Probably my best image of Bowerman's Nose.
But there's more to this location than just my desire to create an image that meets my vision. Simply put I like shooting there and I think you would to. To help inspire you I thought I would create one of my 5 Minute Photo Adventure videos.
You can see the Bowerman's Nose video right here:
Near Epic Conditions
As you'll have seen in the video, I had near epic conditions. It was looking like I wasn't going to get any good light when all of a sudden the sun dropped below a cloud and bathed the moor in a bright orange light. It was spectacular.
If only the light had reached Bowerman's Nose... Nikon D750, Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 35mm, ISO 800, 1/50 second, f/16, Lee Filters ND 0.9 soft edge grad.
What that image is really missing is light on the side of Bowerman's Nose. The light being scattered on the trees in the background is lovely and if it had just reached where I was it could have lifted the image from OK to spectacular. Just take a look at the image at the top of this blog post to see what a difference good light can make to Bowerman's Nose.
I've seen Bowerman's Nose in all sorts of light, and this last visit to shoot my video has actually inspired me even more to visit it again. I know this location has all sorts of potential and I hope you have seen that to. As I said in the video, Dartmoor is one of the best places to come as a landscape photographer and if haven't already been hopefully this video will give you that extra nudge.
Have you photographed Bowerman's Nose? Have you experience near epic conditions? Let me know in the comments below.
Venford Brook
After a heavy rainfall, I decided to head off to Venford Falls again to see if I can't improve on the images from my last visit. I also discover that there is plenty more to photograph around Venford Falls as I go exploring downstream and take some intimate landscapes.
It was only a few weeks ago that I wrote about a visit to Venford Falls. In the blog post I told you how I attempted to improve on an image of the falls that was in my portfolio. Though the area around the falls was lush and green, the lack of rain had made it look a bit dry. So while the image was good, and a little different from the image of last year, I wasn't sure it was any better.
Back to the Falls...Again
If you read that blog post and saw the images you may have thought there would be little point in returning so soon and at the same time of year. However, not only did I want to take an image of the falls after a rainfall, but I also wanted to explore the area around the falls a bit more.
Fortunately, as is the way in the UK, I didn't really have to wait to long for the next downpour of rain and soon I was heading back to Venford Falls. With the ground being a bit wetter the walk down the steep hillside tot the falls was a little treacherous, but I was happy to see the green on the rocks was looking, well, rather moist!
So looking at the 3 images it's still hard to say which is better. My most recent image improves the image from the 9th of May thanks to the rainfall, but I'm not sure it's better than the image from 2016. I prefer the size and placement of the foreground rock in the most recent image, but I still prefer the look and clarity of the pool from the 2016 image. Honestly, I still think there is room for improvement so I may just have to go back and try again!
Just before I move on to Venford Brook, there was another shot that I wanted to take on this visit.
Nikon D750, Nikon 16-35mm f/4 @ 20mm, ISO 100, 2 seconds, f/16, Lee Filters Circular Polariser.
As you can see this is a much wider angle of the falls adding some trees and sky to the top of the composition. I'm not sure these elements add too much to the image, but they do provide a better sense of scale and place. What do you think?
Venford Brook
With my waterfall shots in the bag, I decided that I was going to follow the brook downstream to see if there was more to shoot than just the falls. I was happy to find that I didn't have to wonder to far to find something interesting.
Nikon D750, Nikon 16-35mm f/4 @ 30mm, ISO 400, 0.6 seconds, f/16, Lee Filters Circular Polariser.
The brook had carved an interesting flow down the moss covered rocks and I thought it might make for an interesting intimate landscape image. This kind of landscape photography isn't normally something I go for. I'm normally a big vista type of photographer, but sometimes you see something and you know you need to make an image from it.
Nikon D750, Nikon 16-35mm f/4 @ 31mm, ISO 400, 0.5 seconds, f/16, Lee Filters Circular Polariser.
If you've read the shooting details of those images you will have noticed that I shot the images of the brook using ISO 400. With this type of shot it's easy just to extend the exposure as long as you can but with water in rivers and streams, 0.5 seconds is just about right. So raising my ISO shortened my exposure time without any noticeable loss of image quality.
I was glad that I'd spent the time doing a bit of exploring around Venford. While the falls are very attractive and make for great photographs, it's important not to get too attached to a specific location, particularly if there are good images to be had just downstream!
So what did you think of the images of the waterfalls? Do you have a favourite? Do you take intimate landscapes? Let me know in the comments.
Venford Falls
In my blog this week I tell about a recent trip to Venford Falls where I hoped to create an even better version of the image that's in my portfolio. Would an additional 12 months of Photography experience help me achieve this goal?
A Favourite Location
There's no doubt in my mind that Venford Falls is one of my favourite locations. Ever since I saw an image of it over on Flickr, I knew I had to shoot it. Well, as soon as I managed to find it that was! I liked it so much I featured it my video My 5 Favourite Landscape Photography Locations in Devon.
History has taught me that Venford Falls is best shot around May time when the foliage is green and lush. So when I started planning my shoots for May, Venford Falls was on my list of must do locations for the month.
Not Enough Water
The great thing about Venford Falls is that it is feed by a stream that is fed by Venford Reservoir. This means that it almost always has a constant flow of water and together with its sheltered location it makes it an ideal location to shoot anytime of the day. However, upon my arrival at Venford Falls one sunny May evening, one thing became immediately apparent. There was a lack of water!
It wasn't a lack in water in the falls themselves but a lack in moisture on the face of the falls. Between to the waterfall flows themselves there is a rock wall which is typically covered in moss and other green plants. Due to the recent dry spell all that green was dry as a bone. If you hadn't visited Venford Falls before you might not have noticed, but it stood out for me. So while everything was green, it didn't have that lush look I was after.
Making a Better Shot
Aside from being one of favourite locations, I've also produced one of my favourite images there (which you can see on my portfolio page). One of my goals with this trip though was to try and make an even better image. This looked unlikely given the lack of moisture in the surrounding ground, but maybe I could work the composition to see I could minimise that area in the frame.
So did I make a better image? If I'm honest, no. It's a very similar image in terms of composition but when I compare the detail that dry area in the image still stands out. The image that is currently in my portfolio is better. It's not perfect though, so I will be heading back to Venford Falls as soon as it has rained!
I also took some test shots of some wider compositions. I didn't connect with them when looking at them on the back of the camera, but now that I've seen them on the computer I'm changing my mind. I've always like the tight shots of the waterfalls as the sky rarely adds anything to the image, but I think they are worth revisiting if I'm honest. I can't wait to get back to Venford Falls!
So have you been to Venford Falls? Did you shoot wide or get in closer? Have you ever improved on one of your favourite shots? Let me know in the comments below.
Snow, Glorious Snow!
In this blog post, I tell you about a recent visit to photograph Dartmoor in the snow, how I learnt a little more about a favourite location, and how I can plan my shoots more effectively.
Weather Forecast Addict
Though I do whinge about winter with its short days and fewer opportunities for landscape photography, it is also the season for snow. Snow down here in the south-west of England is rare, especially at lower elevations, but every now and again some of the higher ground will get a coating of the white stuff.
All it took was the rumour of a possible snowfall to get me excited and straight onto regularly checking the snow forecast for Dartmoor. As the weekend approached the number of times I was hitting refresh on my browser steadily increased. The "snow risk" percentage went up, then down, then up again. Towards the end of the week I was also checking the Dartmoor Webcam desperately hoping to see a dusting of snow on the ground.
Do You Wanna Build a Snowman?
When I finally saw a little snow on the Dartmoor Webcam I decided that I was going to get up early the next morning and head to Dartmoor. Even without snow, the conditions up on Dartmoor can be arctic so the first step in getting organised was to get out all my winter layers. I know from bitter experience that if I found myself freezing cold that my enthusiasm for photography would be short lived and I would be home with a cup of coffee and bacon roll before sunrise.
When I left in the morning there was no sign of snow but I already knew that I would have to go to higher ground. My planned location of Emsworthy (one of My 5 Favourite Locations for Landscape Photography in Devon) would probably be high enough so I wasn't overly worried. Sure enough just as I passed Haytor everything started to turn white. There wasn't a huge amount of snow, but I was sure there was enough to work with (or at least build a snowman).
Waiting for the Light
The signs looked good early on.
Naturally, snow on Dartmoor attracted a fair few photographers to come out so I wasn't overly surprised to be sharing my Emsworthy location with a couple of other local photographers. There's plenty of room at Emsworthy for three photographers so there were no issues over who was where and it was nice as always to have a chat and a coffee while waiting for the sun to come up.
My vision for the image I was hoping to get was relatively straight forward. In the foreground are small clumps of ground, which when illuminated by the rising sun would hopefully turn the snow a nice golden colour. This coupled with the tree and the tor in the foreground, and some dramatic clouds would make a good image. All I had to do was wait for the sun to rise and bathe the ground, tree and tor in golden light.
Always Learning
Landscape photography is rarely easy and conditions can change rapidly, for the better or for the worse. As I patiently waited for the sun to rise the cloud started to clear. Those nice big pink clouds that I thought would be a key feature of the image cleared from the sky leaving it almost clear. Not to be put off though I continued to wait.
Another problem was that when the sun had risen over the horizon, it wasn't high enough to shine over the hill behind me. What I hadn't taken into account was that during the winter months the direction of the sunrise meant it would be around 30 minutes before the sunlight would hit the foreground at my location. The problem with the sunlight 30 minutes later is it can be a bit harsh and will have lost some of its morning warmth as you can see with the image that I took below.
Nikon D750, Nikkor 24-70 f/2.8 VR at 38mm, F/11, 1/40 sec, Lee Filters ND Grad, post processed in Lightroom CC.
So while my first image lacks the punch I was hoping for I did learn something from the experience. I've shot Emsworthy a few times in the morning, but that doesn't necessarily mean that it's a good sunrise location all year round. Though I use The Photographer's Ephemeris to plan my shoots I've learnt that not only do I need to pay attention to the direction of sunrise, but the height of the surrounding ground.
Alyn Wallace has actually produced an excellent video on how he uses The Photographer's Ephemeris to plan around changes in ground elevation. I shall be watching his video a few more times! Also, be sure to check out Alyn's work, it's inspiring stuff.
Goodbye Snow
Unfortunately the arctic conditions didn't last the weekend.
The snow on Dartmoor didn't really last past that weekend so I was unable to go back out and try again. So while I was unable to get the image I was hoping for it was great, as always, to get out with the camera and practice the craft of photography. I also learnt something new about one of my favourite locations and how to plan a little bit better. So overall I call that shoot a success!
So have you been out with your camera in the snow recently? Do you use The Photographer's Ephemeris to plan your shoots? Let me know in the comments below.