Using Light to Add Depth to Your Landscape Photographs
How does light transform the landscape and add depth to your photographs? In this video, I head up to Great Staple Tor on Dartmoor where the changing light provides me with the chance to show you how to use light to add depth and contrast to your landscape photographs.
Chasing the Light
Photographers often use the phrase “chasing the light” and for good reason. Light is possibly one of the most important elements in a landscape photograph. Light can change the look, feel and mood of an image. Light can add depth and contrast to a photograph. Nowhere is this more evident to me than it is up on Dartmoor. I’ve lost count of the number of times that I’ve been stood in front of a spectacular tor only for my photograph to look dull and two-dimensional thanks to flat light.
Dartmoor is also a great place to see how light can add depth and contrast to your landscape photographs! I recently visited Great Staple Tor where the constantly changing cloud cover reminded me how quickly the light can change on Dartmoor and how that changing light can be used to good effect.
Not one to pass up the opportunity to create a video on the subject I created this video. Enjoy!
Landscape Photographs from Great Staple Tor
Below you’ll find the photographs you saw in the video plus a bonus photo that I took early on that didn’t make the video.
Dawn over Great Staple Tor, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor 14-30mm f/4 at 14mm, f/18, 1/4 sec at ISO 64.
Dawn over Great Staple Tor #2, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor 14-30mm f/4 at 20mm, f/11, 0.4 sec at ISO 64.
Dawn over Great Staple Tor, Dartmoor, Devon #3 - Nikon Z7, Nikkor 14-30mm f/4 at 14mm, f/11, 0.4 sec at ISO 64.
Dawn over Great Staple Tor, Dartmoor, Devon #4 - Nikon Z7, Nikkor 14-30mm f/4 at 16mm, f/11, 1/15th sec at ISO 64.
When Things Don't Go to Plan
Landscape photography is full of challenges. Some challenges come from elements you can't control such as the weather, but then there are the mistakes you make yourself. In this video and blog post, I head out to Dartmoor National Park to capture some landscape photographs but end up making a few mistakes. Lessons were learnt!
A Bit Rusty
Last week I shared with you the experience of my first landscape photography shoot for over 3 months. While I didn’t capture any amazing photographs, the experience of being out with the camera again was fantastic. Eager to keep the momentum going I decided to head out Chinkwell Tor with my dog Monty to see what we could find.
However, as you’ll see in the video below, it appears that I’m still a bit rusty, both in terms of preparation and camera skills!
As I said in the video, I’m happy to share with you the successes and failures of my landscape photography adventures. After all, if I can learn something then I’m sure you can too. Let me know some of your photography faux pas in the comments below.
Landscape Photographs from Dartmoor
Here are the photographs I captured while out exploring Chinkwell Tor.
Honeybag Tor, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor 14-30mm f/4 at 26mm, f/8, 1/60th sec at ISO 64, 3 image focus stack.
The Chink in Chinkwell, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor 14-30mm f/4 at 27mm, f/22, 1/5th sec at ISO 64.
The Joy of Landscape Photography
What does photography mean to you? In this blog post and video, you'll join me on my first trip out with the camera in 3 months and I'll tell you why landscape photography brings me so much joy.
The Pros and Cons of NOT Taking Photographs
Not being able to go out and take landscape photographs for the last three months has been an odd experience. At first, I really missed it, but as time went on and I gave it less thought the less I missed it. I stopped worrying about weather forecasts, what I was going to photograph next, and I could even look at a sunset without cursing myself for not being out with the camera.
The time spent planning for and going on photography trips was replaced with other activities like cycling and walking my dog.
Then the time finally came around when I could venture out with the camera the weather was what could only be described as uninspiring.
Had this three-month sabbatical from landscape photography showed me that I don’t care that much for it? Perhaps I was kidding myself about my passion for photography and I was merely caught up in an unsatisfactory game of constant content production?
Getting Back Out There
Deep down I knew this wasn’t true and as with the last lockdown what had happened was that I had lost a bit of my photo mojo. All I needed was to get out there and experience the wilderness again. I knew as soon as I was standing on top of Dartmoor tor, watching the sunrise with my camera again I would remember why there is nothing more fulfilling and creative than a spot of landscape photography.
Landscape photograph is and will remain an integral part of my life and I am passionate about sharing those experiences with you here on my blog. I wanted to take you along with me on my first trip out with the camera since 31st December 2020, so I of course created a video for you to watch. I hope you enjoy it!
So, what drives your photography? What makes you set a 4 am alarm call to photograph sunrise? Let me know in the comments below.
Those Photos from Belstone Tor, Dartmoor
Here are the photographs you saw in the video.
Belstone Tor Sunrise #1, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor 14-30mm f/4 at 17mm, f/11, 0.6 sec at ISO 64.
Belstone Tor Sunrise #2, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor 14-30mm f/4 at 14mm, f/11, 1/6th sec at ISO 64.
Belstone Tor Sunrise #3, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor 14-30mm f/4 at 17mm, f/11, 1/6th sec at ISO 64.
Belstone Tor Sunrise #3, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor 14-30mm f/4 at 22mm, f/11, 1/8th sec at ISO 64.
Bite-Size Blog Post #13 - A Little Bit of Dartmoor
In this bit size blog I share with you the last of my pre-lockdown Dartmoor photographs.
Greator Rocks
Last year (2020) I spent a lot of time capturing photographs around the Haytor area. It’s an area full of wonderful locations but as the year ended, I was starting to think that I had photographed them all. Now, that’s not to say that I was done with the locations I had visited. Far from it. Many of these locations will continue to deliver amazing photography opportunities and new compositions. It’s hard to get bored of Dartmoor. Especially with the changeable conditions that only Dartmoor can deliver.
That all said, I’m still on the lookout for new locations or locations I’ve only visited briefly. As I looked on my locations map, I spotted Greator Rocks. It’s a location that I have walked to a few times, but I only remember photographing it once (and unsuccessfully). I thought it was time for a return visit with the camera.
I was excited about visiting Greator Rocks again, but for some reason, I lost my mojo when I got there. I just couldn’t get into the flow. I’m not sure if it was the location, the conditions, or I simply wasn’t in the zone that morning. It happens. Anyway, here is a couple of shots from that morning.
Greator Rocks Sunrise #1, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor 14-30mm f/4 at 17mm, f/11, 1/13th sec at ISO 64.
Greator Rocks Sunrise #2, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor 14-30mm f/4 at 15mm, f/11, 1/10th sec at ISO 64.
Great Staple Tor
We finish of this bit-size blog post with an image I captured from Great Staple Tor. While it’s far from one of my best images, I’ve decided to share it because it’s the last photograph I will be sharing from Dartmoor for a little while. The reason won’t come as any surprise. Lockdown. Unfortunately, until the current restrictions are reduced, I am unable to visit Dartmoor to photograph it. I miss it greatly, but I take comfort in the fact that it will still be there, cold, wet, and windy, when sprint arrives
Don’t panic though! This isn’t the end of the blog. I’ve still got some pre-lockdown photographs to share with you and some new videos in the works, so stay tuned!
Great Staple Tor, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor 14-30mm f/4 at 14mm, f/11, 1/15th sec at ISO 64.
Winter Landscape Photography On Dartmoor and Vallerret Gloves
In my latest video I head to Belstone for some Dartmoor snow and to capture some wintery landscape photographs. I’ll also tell you all about my new Vallerret photography gloves.
Dartmoor Snow
There can’t be many landscape photographers who are familiar with Dartmoor National Park that don’t excited about the possibility of snowfall. I’m certainly one of them and this was confirmed a few weeks ago when I found myself checking the weather forecast a lot more than usual! The forecast had been predicting varying levels of snowfall but it always seem that at the last minute, the forecast would change.
This went on for a few days. After spending days looking at my packed camera bag, I finally decided enough was enough, and to hell with the forecast, I was going to head out the following morning. I didn’t necessarily need a complete blanket of snow to capture the images I was hoping to get. I just needed Dartmoor to look a bit wintery.
Belstone Common
The forecast for the following morning was for light snow showers, but more importantly than that were the forecasted sub-zero temperatures. To maximise my chance of getting those wintery conditions I needed to go somewhere on Dartmoor that had an elevated viewpoint. For me, Belstone Tor at 479 m is a great balance between elevation and journey time (driving and walking time).
In the video below you can see how I got on and how I went about capturing the photographs you can see in this blog post.
Vallerret Skadi Zipper Mitt Review
In the video, you will have also seen me talk about an essential item of photography gear for winter, the Vallerret Skadi Zipper Mitt. I’ve always suffered from cold hands and these gloves have been a welcome addition to my kit bag, especially on frosty Dartmoor mornings! As it was such a wintery morning when I was shooting this video, I thought it was a good time to share my thoughts on them.
If you’d like to pick up a pair of these gloves, then just click the link here.
Dartmoor Landscape Photographs
Below you will find the photographs I captured in the video. As a bonus, I’ve also included the first image I captured just before sunrise, so you can see the difference the morning light from the sun makes. I have to say though, even without the golden light I still really like that first photography.
A Snowy Dawn at Belstone, Dartmoor National Park, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor 14-30mm f/4 at 20mm, f/11, 0.5 seconds at ISO 64, Kase Filters K9 CPL and ND grad.
Sunrise and Snow at Belstone #1, Dartmoor National Park, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor 14-30mm f/4 at 19mm, f/11, 1/4 seconds at ISO 64, Kase Filters K9 CPL and ND grad.
Sunrise and Snow at Belstone #2, Dartmoor National Park, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor 14-30mm f/4 at 16mm, f/11, 1/4 seconds at ISO 64, Kase Filters K9 CPL and ND grad.
Rippon Tor - A 5 Minute Photo Adventure on Dartmoor
In the blog this week I head up to Rippon Tor to shoot sunrise and I also share with you what I think the key to making a successful landscape photography video is.
Rippon Tor, Sunrise and Fog
There are few better ways to start the day than by grabbing your camera and heading up to one of your favourite viewpoints on Dartmoor to watch the sunrise. Fortunately, at this time of year sunrise is at a time where it doesn’t feel unnatural to be awake. I think back to some of the early alarm calls I had this summer to get up for sunrise. No one should be waking up at 3:30 am!
I’m fortunate to live close to Dartmoor so when the weather conditions don’t turn out how I expect them, I don’t feel I’ve wasted a lot of time. Even then, any morning up on Dartmoor is a positive experience regardless of how the photos turned out. My most recent visits to Rippon Tor hadn’t yielded the types of images I wanted to get from this location so when I saw fog was forecast one Sunday morning that was all the encouragement I needed to return.
I’d seen forecasts of fog for the Haytor area before but thanks to those micro-climates you find on Dartmoor, I’d often arrive there to find none. My most recent visit was slightly different though as there was a thick bank of fog in the valley below Emsworthy Tor. As exciting as this was, it wasn’t really in a position where I felt I could take a good photograph. If the conditions hadn’t looked more favourable up on Rippon Tor, I might have taken a risk and done some exploring.
As I approached the summit of Rippon Tor, I could see another bank of thick sea fog that would prevent me from getting the light just as the sun broke over the horizon. I had made the poor choice of leaving too early from Rippon Tor last time there was a lot of cloud and fog out at sea, only for the sun to break through as I descended. I wasn’t going to make the same mistake this time.
In this 5 Minute Photo Adventure, you can see how I got on on my latest visit and I also share with you what I think the secret is to creating a successful landscape photography video. Enjoy!
Do you find it difficult to get accurate fog forecasts? What’s your favourite type of foggy photograph to take? Let me know in the comments below.
Rippon Tor Photographs
Here are the images you see me capture in the video. Enjoy!
Rippon Tor at Dawn #1, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor 14-30mm f/4 at 28mm, f/11, 1.6 seconds at ISO 64, Kase Filters CPL, 4:5 crop.
Rippon Tor at Dawn #2, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor 14-30mm f/4 at 25mm, f/11, 1.3 seconds at ISO 64, Kase Filters CPL.
Rippon Tor at Dawn #3, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor 14-30mm f/4 at 15mm, f/11, 1 second at ISO 64, Kase Filters CPL, 4:5 crop.
Rippon Tor at Dawn #4, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor 14-30mm f/4 at 15mm, f/11, 1/5th second at ISO 64, Kase Filters CPL, 16:9 crop.
Bite-Size Blog Post #12 - Dartmoor Mini Adventures
In this bite-size blog post, I share with you some of the photographs I have captured on my recent ramblings around Dartmoor.
Exploring Dartmoor Locations New and Old
When autumn arrives and the number of daylight hours shrinks, I’m forced to focus my photography on local locations like Dartmoor. Well, I say “forced” but let’s face it, photographing Dartmoor isn’t exactly a hardship!
Now that autumn is over I thought it would be a good opportunity to look back on the Dartmoor locations I have photographed recently. I tried to balance my time between locations I know well and those that I know less well.
Of the locations I know, I’ve featured photographs from Rippon Tor and Holne Bridge. I haven’t captured anything spectacular or new from these locations, but they are firm favourites for me so I can’t resist the temptation to photograph them. Especially Holne Bridge. It’s such a nice location during autumn!
There are also some photographs from locations that I haven’t previously explored. Tunhill Rocks look like it could be a location worth exploring again. I think in the right conditions and light it could yield several good compositions. Bench Tor and Honeybag Tor are like Tunhill Rocks in that they will be worth visiting again.
Perhaps one of the most exciting locations I have visited recently is a new one for me and that is the area around Trendlebere Down. My first visit to the area was to walk the dog and it wasn’t my intention to check it out for photography. That visit coincided with the autumnal colours coming through and as I wandered about it soon became apparent that could be an excellent location for a spot of photography. The photographs below feature the stone bridges I found but the view higher up looking down on the woodland has plenty to offer as well.
Through my mini adventures around Dartmoor I’ve visited both old and new locations, but it’s the area around Trendlebere Down that I’m most looking forward to photographing next autumn.
East Dartmoor - A 5 Minute Photo Adventure
In this 5 Minute Photo Adventure I head out to east Dartmoor to capture some autumnal landscape photographs.
Discovering Dartmoor
I’ve been photographing Dartmoor for many years and yet I’ve barely scratched the surface when it comes to exploring this amazing national park. There are some areas that I have yet to visit and some that I have explored and photographed numerous times. One of the locations that falls into the latter category is Haytor. There are many locations around the Haytor area worth photographing including Emsworthy Tor where I undertook a project to photograph it every month for a year (click here to see how I got on).
Just a short distance from Haytor is an area known as Trendlebere Down. I discovered this area of east Dartmoor while looking for some new locations to walk my dog. On my first visit, I was instantly captivated by this beautiful location and it was made even more stunning by the vibrant autumn colours. How did I not know about this place before? I knew I would have to return with the camera.
Over the autumn period, I visited this location numerous times and I was also inspired to create one of my 5 Minute Photo Adventure videos. While filming the overcast and windy conditions made the photography challenging but I still wanted to share a small portion of what this location has to offer.
I hope you enjoy this 5 Minute Photo Adventure video and it will inspire you to look more closely at an area you know well. You never know what you might discover.
Autumn on Dartmoor Photographs
Here are the photographs you saw in the video. Enjoy!
Bridge Over the Bovey #1, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor 14-30mm f/4 at 17mm, f/8, 2.5 seconds at ISO 64.
Bridge Over the Bovey #, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor 14-30mm f/4 at 17mm, f/8, 0.5 seconds at ISO 400.
Autumn on Trendlebere #2, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor 14-30mm f/4 at 20mm, f/6.3, 1/4 seconds at ISO 800.
In the Danger Zone
In this 5 Minute Photo Adventure, I head further and deeper into Dartmoor National Park than I've ever been before. I leave civilisation and walk along open moorland for an hour until I reach the Danger Zone! There I find a new location to photograph and I experience some wild Dartmoor weather.
That Looks Interesting
Some days I have a clear plan of where and what I’m going to shoot. I go out with conviction and even though it might not turn out how I had hoped, I know I gave it my best shot. There are also days where I just sit in front of my computer scratching my head on what to do. This indecision is often caused by a weather forecast that doesn’t favour any particular location or scene.
It’s these times that I often look to try and go somewhere new. I’m taking a risk with the weather so I might as well take a risk on a new location. Though I’ve got plenty of locations on my custom Google Map that I haven’t visited, this time I decided to check through my back catalogue of Outdoor Photography magazines instead.
As I browsed my collection of magazines with a cup of coffee, a location called Oke Tor on Dartmoor caught my eye. I looked it up on OS Maps and saw that it was just a little bit further on from one of my favourite locations, Belstone Tor. I also noticed that Oke Tor was just inside the Okehampton military danger zone so I made sure to check if the zone would be inactive before making any further plans. Fortunately, no firing was planned so I made plans to enter the danger zone!
With plans made to visit a new location and with the weather forecast predicting anything from clear blue skies to heavy rain showers I thought it might be an adventure worth filming. While it is always nice to show a polished video with great images, I’ve always said that I wanted to show a realistic side of landscape photography on this blog as well.
While the video below is a bit rough and ready, and the photographs are not my best work, I wanted to share with you the adventure of going somewhere new for the first time, battling the weather and grabbing those early compositions. I hope you enjoy it!
Oke Tor (Dartmoor) Photographs
Oke Tor #1, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor 14-30mm f/4 at 14mm, f/11, 0.4 sec at ISO 64, Kase Filters K9 CPL and ND Grad.
Oke Tor #2, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor 14-30mm f/4 at 18mm, f/11, 1/4 sec at ISO 64, Kase Filters K9 CPL and ND Grad.
Oke Tor #3, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor 14-30mm f/4 at 15mm, f/11, 1/4 sec at ISO 64, Kase Filters K9 CPL and ND Grad.
Oke Tor #4, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor 14-30mm f/4 at 14mm, f/14, 1/3 sec at ISO 64, Kase Filters K9 CPL and ND Grad.
Oke Tor #5, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor 14-30mm f/4 at 14mm, f/11, 1/3 sec at ISO 64, Kase Filters K9 CPL and ND Grad.
Oke Tor #6, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor 14-30mm f/4 at 14mm, f/11, 1/3 sec at ISO 64, Kase Filters K9 CPL and ND Grad.
Bite-Size Blog Post #9 - Combestone Tor
Some locations require you to put in a bit more time than usual before you start to get the most from them. For me, Combestone Tor is one of them.
A Slow Burner
For a long time, I had ignored Combestone Tor. I’m not entirely sure why. Maybe it was because the couple of casual visits that I gave it previously hadn’t been that successful and I wrote it off. However, when I visited Combestone a few months ago I captured some images that I was unexpectedly pleased with. It could have been the weather conditions, the light, the colour, but whatever it was it had sparked my interest in this location again.
A few weeks ago, I decided to make another visit. The conditions were quite different from my last visit, but I still felt that there were photographs to be captured. I wanted to capture some different images this time and despite the variety of views at this location I still found it hard to pick out compositions.
Looking back at the images I captured on this most recent of visits I’ve concluded that this location is a bit of a slow burner. It’s one of these locations where you really must put in the time to get the most out of it. While I’m happy enough with the images I captured I feel I have still to find the very best that Combestone has to offer.
This is not a bad thing though. With autumn just around the corner, I’ve got a feeling Combstone is going to come alive over the next couple of months and I’m looking forward to returning already.
Combestone Tor #1, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor 14-30mm f/4 at 14mm, f/8, 0.6 secs at ISO 64, Kase Filters K9 CPL and ND Grad.
Combestone Tor #2, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor 14-30mm f/4 at 14mm, f/11, 1.6 secs at ISO 64, Kase Filters K9 CPL and ND Grad.
Combestone Tor #3, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor 14-30mm f/4 at 30mm, f/11, 1 sec at ISO 64, Kase Filters ND grad, 5 image panorama cropped to 6:17.
Alone and Together
Landscape photography can be a solitary endeavour and while I truly do appreciate that alone time, it is in the sharing of those images that brings me the greatest satisfaction. Like many photographers, I share my images online, but after reading an article in Outdoor Photography magazine I was inspired to create a new image and print, then give it to someone in my audience. I wanted to create a moment of togetherness.
Landscape Photography on Dartmoor
I have a bit of a love-hate relationship with photographing Dartmoor. The conditions up on the moor can be miserable, sometimes even a little cruel for the landscape photographer. If it’s not clear blue skies it’s grey, overcast, and wet. It’s rare for that perfect mix of weather conditions to be present at the right time. Well, it doesn’t happen very often when I’m there.
All that said, when the conditions are magical it is a proper treat to be photographing Dartmoor. It’s exciting, demanding and most of all enjoyable. I don’t always have the video camera along with me when things do go well on Dartmoor but in a rare moment of luck, I had it with me when I got some great conditions up on Chinkwell Tor recently.
In the video below, I share with you the experience of capturing the photographs in this blog post and I select one of those images to create a print. I also tell you that I want to do something special with that print. Want to know what that is? Well, it is all to do with the theme of Alone and Together, but you’ll have to watch the video to find out more.
Chinkwell Tor Photographs
Here are the photographs you saw in the video in a bit more detail. Enjoy!
A Chink in the Sky, Chinkwell Tor, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor 14-30mm f/4 at 15mm, f/13, 1.3 seconds at ISO 64, Kase Filters ND grad.
Chinkwell Tor Sunrise #2, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor 14-30mm f/4 at 26mm, f/11, 0.8 seconds at ISO 64, Kase Filters ND grad and CPL.
Chinkwell and Honeybag Tor #1, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor 14-30mm f/4 at 20mm, f/11, 0.6 seconds at ISO 64, Kase Filters ND grad and CPL.
Chinkwell and Honeybag Tor #3, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor 14-30mm f/4 at 16mm, f/13, 1/5th second at ISO 64, Kase Filters ND grad and CPL.
Widecombe Rainbow #2, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor 14-30mm f/4 at 14mm, f/13, 1/3rd second at ISO 64, Kase Filters ND grad and CPL.
Bite-Size Blog Post #8 - Friends, Dartmoor and Breakfast
In a rare treat I get to show my friend and fellow photographer Chris Sale one of my favourite Dartmoor locations.
Friends
It’s not often that I get to catch up in person with my good friend and fellow photographer Chris Sale. I live in Devon and he lives in the Lake District, so we aren’t exactly on each other’s doorsteps. When Chris mentioned he was making a trip to Cornwall he suggested we meet up. I was expecting Chris to select a nice coastal location in Cornwall but when he asked if I would take him somewhere on Dartmoor, I knew exactly where to go.
Dartmoor
Of all the locations I’ve photographed on Dartmoor, I think Belstone Common must be one of my favourites. I’ve taken a ton of photos here, published many blog articles and filmed a few videos from this location. Unless the weather is truly awful there is normally something to shoot. The 360-degree views provide lots of opportunity for shooting anything from wide-angle landscapes to telephoto landscapes.
That doesn’t mean its necessarily an easy place to shoot but it can be rewarding. Chris must have had luck on his side when we went up though. The weather forecast was looking a bit stormy but these are exactly the conditions that can work well up on Belstone.
We were treated to some excellent conditions. We had to work hard though as the light came and went very quickly, but it’s mornings like this that I live for as a landscape photographer.
Belstone Cloudy Sunrise #1, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor Z 14-30mm f4 at 14mm, f/11, 1.3 seconds at ISO 64.
Belstone Cloudy Sunrise #2, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor Z 14-30mm f4 at 14mm, f/11, 1 second at ISO 64.
Belstone Cloudy Sunrise #3, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor Z 14-30mm f4 at 14mm, f/11, 1/4th seconds at ISO 64.
Belstone Cloudy Sunrise #4, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor Z 14-30mm f4 at 14mm, f/11, 1/4th seconds at ISO 64.
Belstone Cloudy Sunrise #5, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor Z 14-30mm f4 at 18mm, f/11, 1/6th seconds at ISO 64.
Breakfast
It was a fantastic morning. Great photographs and great company. The other thing that makes Belstone one of my favourite locations to go to is a visit to the Whitehouse Restaurant on the way back. They do a great breakfast and both Chris and I felt it was well deserved treat!
Landscape Photography with the Nikkor Z 24-200mm
I’ve purchased the Nikkor Z 24-200mm f/4-6.3 for landscape photography and this blog post you can watch a video of me putting it to good use and see some sample images.
A Good Choice for Landscape Photography
I try not to create too many videos on gear. There are lots of channels out there that are dedicated to such things and they can often provide a much more comprehensive review and set of tests. I tend to only make videos about gear if it’s for an item that I have personally paid for and will be in my kit bag. Even then, my videos tend not to be reviews but more about sharing my experience with a bit of gear.
The latest bit of gear I’ve purchased is the Nikkor Z 24-200mm f/4-6.3 and in the video below I tell you why I purchased it and most importantly I go out on location to take some photographs with it. I then also return home to show you the images and to make some prints with them. So, it’s not so much a review but more a video on my personal experiences with the lens.
Even though I wouldn’t class this video as a review, I do help you found it useful if you are considering purchasing this lens. If you have any questions, please let me know in the comments below.
Nikkor Z 24-200mm f/4-6.3 Sample Images
Rising Sun over Rippon Tor #2, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor Z 24-200mm f/4-6.3 at 32mm, f/13, 1/5th sec at ISO 64. Kase Filters ND grad.
Rising Sun over Rippon Tor #1, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor Z 24-200mm f/4-6.3 at 24mm, f/13, 1/6th sec at ISO 64. Kase Filters ND grad.
Chinkwell Tor Sunrise #1, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor Z 24-200mm f/4-6.3 at 24mm, f/11, 1/100th sec at ISO 400. Kase Filters ND grad.
Widecombe Panorama, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor Z 24-200mm f/4-6.3 at 83mm, f/8, 1/40th sec at ISO 64, panoramic stitch with 6:17 crop.
Widecombe from Chinkwell Tor, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor Z 24-200mm f/4-6.3 at 145mm, f/8, 1/20th sec at ISO 64. Kase Filters ND grad.
Bite-Size Blog Post #5 - Two Tors
In the blog this week I visit Dartmoor to photograph one of my regular locations and to photograph somewhere new.
Two Tors
Thanks to the weather, the long days and the company of a good friend I managed to make a few trips to photograph Cornwall. I love shooting the Cornish coast. There’s just so much variety and there always seems to be somewhere new to discover and photograph.
As much as I love Cornwall, I don’t want to completely ignore my local area. In this bite-size blog post, I’m going to share with you some of the photographs I’ve been capturing from Dartmoor. There is a panoramic image from a new location, Bell Tor, and a couple of images from an old favourite, Belstone Tor.
My eyes have been opened to Bell Tor, and the surrounding area and I hope to make a video from this location soon. It has a lot of potential and I’m excited about the possibility of sharing it with you in a bit more detail. In the meantime, though please enjoy the photographs I captured.
Bell Tor
Bell Tor Panorama, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 at 19mm, f/8, 1/20th sec at ISO 64, 8 image panorama cropped at 6:17.
Belstone Tor
Belstone Tor Sunset #4, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 at 14mm, f/13, 0.6 sec at ISO 64.
Belstone Tor Sunset #2, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 at 18mm, f/13, 1.3 sec at ISO 64.
Belstone Tor Sunset #3, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 at 22mm, f/13, 1.6 sec at ISO 64.
Bite-Size Blog Post #4 - Day Out on Dartmoor
One day, three locations! There is plenty to photograph when you have a full day to spend on Dartmoor.
Dartmoor
I’m no stranger to photographing Dartmoor. You’ll often find me arriving first thing in the morning before the sun is up or waiting near a tor for the sun to set. What doesn’t happen very often is that I spend the day photographing Dartmoor.
A few weeks ago I was asked by a fellow photographer if I wanted to join him for the day and participate in a shoot for a magazine. When an opportunity like this is presented to you the only answer should be yes!
Though shooting during the middle of the day isn’t normally my favourite time of day for landscape photography it was actually a good experience. Given the right conditions and light, there are still plenty of great photographs to be had.
We visited Bowerman’s Nose, Emsworthy Tor and Brentor. I hope you enjoy the photos!
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.
Back to Bowerman's Nose - Part 2
In part two of my two-part blog from Bowerman’s Nose, I return to capture my planned images of sunrise.
Sunrise at Bowerman’s Nose
In part one of this two-part blog from Bowerman’s Nose, I talked about returning to one of my favourite locations, planning for a sunrise shoot and sharing with you some of the images I took that evening. In part two I’m going to share with you the story and images from my sunrise shoot at Bowerman’s Nose.
At first, I wasn’t sure if the forecast conditions were going to be worth the 03:30 alarm call. As much as I love sunrises rise there is still something about a 03:30 alarm call that still fills me with dread. I’m much happier to take a risk on a 5 am alarm call, but anything alarm call that starts with 3 am needs to carefully be considered. Without a clear and concise weather forecast, I should have just postponed for another day but the images I had captured in part 1 had inspired me to take a risk. I set my alarm for 03:30 and crossed my fingers.
The alarm went off and by the time I was in my car with a large, strong cup of coffee, I was surprisingly upbeat and excited. Even before I set off, I could see the sky was looking interesting so I was hopeful that my early alarm call might pay off.
Around Sunrise
Even though I had explored the area at sunrise to try and work out where I would want to shoot from at sunrise, there was still an element of working out on the fly. You can plan and visualise all you want but sometimes it’s not until you are there, and you can see what the light is like that you can work out what your compositions are going to be for that particular trip.
Bowerman's Nose Sunrise #1, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor 14-30mm f/4 at 16mm, f/13, 5 secs at ISO 64, Kase Filters K9 circular polariser.
I don’t mind having this unknown element in my plans. It adds a little excitement to the adventure! As the sun rose the colours and the light continually changed forcing me to move around the location trying out different compositions.
Bowerman's Nose Sunrise #2, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor 14-30mm f/4 at 20mm, f/11, 0.4 secs at ISO 64, Kase Filters K9 circular polariser.
One of the main changes between shooting the tor at sunrise is that it becomes possible to photograph it from the other side. The side I show in these photographs would typically be in shadow at sunset. I found it interesting to see how different the tor looked at this angle.
Bowerman's Nose Sunrise Panorama #1, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor 14-30mm f/4 at 20mm, f/11, 1/6th secs at ISO 64, Kase Filters K9 circular polariser, 7 image stich panorama.
After Sunrise
After capturing my sunrise images, I packed my back and intended to go home. I had been exploring the hill behind the tor and as I descended back down the hill, I began to wonder what some of my sunset composition would look like with the light coming from a different direction. As I had plenty of time to spare, I decided to hang around a little longer and wait for the sun to get high enough to illuminate the areas of the ground currently in shadow.
Bowerman's Nose Sunrise #3, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor 14-30mm f/4 at 17mm, f/8, 1/30th secs at ISO 64, Kase Filters K9 circular polariser, 4 image focus stack.
It took a little longer than I thought for the light to reach those areas and I was starting to get concerned that the light would then be too harsh. Fortunately, even though it was an hour after sunrise, the light remained soft and golden, illuminating the foreground nicely. Though the compositions are like those that I might take at sunrise, I like the way the light from the rising sun makes them subtlety different.
Bowerman's Nose Sunrise #4, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor 14-30mm f/4 at 15mm, f/11, 1/80th secs at ISO 64, Kase Filters K9 circular polariser.
After taking those images I felt I’d had a successful morning and I’d captured some nice images. At the very least I felt that the 03:30 alarm call was well justified. Even without the photographs, it was a beautiful morning up on Dartmoor. With light winds and warm (for Dartmoor) temperatures, it was one of those mornings where is just fantastic to watch the start of the day.
As I left Bowerman’s Nose, I started to feel tired and hungry but also delighted that I’d made the effort to get up early. I love the buzz you get when you just know you’ve got some images on your memory card that are going to process well.
One thing is for sure, I will be returning to Bowerman’s Nose for another sunrise shoot. I won’t, however, be looking forward to that very early alarm call!
Back to Bowerman's Nose - Part 1
In part one of a two-part blog I return to Bowerman’s Nose on Dartmoor to capture some sunset images and prepare for my return at sunrise.
Bowerman’s Nose - An Old Friend
Amongst all the Dartmoor tors, Bowerman’s Nose must be one of the most unique there is. I’m not claiming to have seen all the tors, but for the tors I have seen none come close to the size and shape of Bowerman’s Nose. Since I discovered it, I have been trying to capture an image of the tor that makes the most of its uniqueness and the surrounding landscape.
I have come close to getting a shot that matches my vision but there always seems to be something that isn’t quite right. That could too much cloud, not enough cloud, lack of light, or even direction of light. Maybe I’ll never be 100% happy with my shots from there. Maybe I don’t care, and I use this as an excuse to keep returning. I like shooting Bowerman’s Nose and over the years I have come to think of this location as an old friend. There is a certain comfort in returning to this unique location.
Planning for Sunrise
I hadn’t considered shooting Bowerman’s Nose at sunrise until I had spoken to friend and fellow Dartmoor photographer Neil Porter. Neil has captured some spectacular photographs of Bowerman’s Nose at sunrise and he recommended that I give it a try myself.
Photographing Bowerman’ Nose at sunrise isn’t an all-year-round option though. The hills behind the tor block the sunrise at certain times of year meaning that some planning with TPE is required. Using my local knowledge, some data from TPE and some handy tips from Neil, I worked out the rough window of opportunity to capture the tor at sunrise.
One thing was clear from the window of opportunity was that I was going to have to get up early in the morning! Even though I don’t live too far away, with a sunrise time of around 5 am, the alarm call was still going to be unsociable. I’m a morning person but a 3:30 am alarm call is still something I don’t go for without good reason.
Shooting Sunset
Weather planning aside I decided that I should head back to Bowerman’s Nose for a sunset shoot first so I can plan for my sunrise shoot. It would be a good opportunity to refamiliarise myself with the details of the location and plan out where I might place myself for sunrise. A bit of planning is rarely a bad thing and as a bonus I might even get some nice sunset pictures.
Bowerman's Nose Sunset #1, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor 14-30mm f/4 at 23mm, f/13, 1/8th sec at ISO 64, Kase Filters K9 circular polariser.
It appeared that luck was on my side this time and I did indeed get some bonus pictures. While the shots I captured weren’t necessarily good enough for my portfolio I’m still pleased with them. They are a good representation of what I saw, and they remind me of how pleasant Dartmoor can be when you get nice conditions.
Bowerman's Nose Sunset #2, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor 14-30mm f/4 at 22mm, f/13, 1/10th sec at ISO 64, Kase Filters K9 circular polariser.
It was not a wasted trip. Not only did I get some pleasing images, but I also now had a good idea of what and how I was going to shoot Bowerman’s Nose at sunrise.
Bowerman's Nose Sunset #3, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor 14-30mm f/4 at 18mm, f/13, 1/6th sec at ISO 64, Kase Filters K9 circular polariser, four image stitched panorama.
I hope you enjoyed these sunset images of Bowerman’s Nose and if you want to find out how I got on then check out part 2 of Back to Bowerman’s Nose.
Developing Compositions on Dartmoor
Creativity breeds creativity. A recent idea for a video got me to explore a location I know well in a bit more detail.
Creativity Breeds Creativity
One of the side benefits of having a YouTube channel is that I find myself constantly thinking of new creative ideas for videos. These ideas often drive me to try different types of landscape photography or even different genres of photography. Most of all though it gets me to push the boundaries of my landscape photography.
I recently had an idea for a video that would challenge my photography and force me to think carefully about how I was composing my images. At a minimum, I was going to have come up with some new compositions from a location that I knew well.
I’m not going to reveal what this idea is at the moment but what I will do is share some of the images I captured while I was out developing the idea on Dartmoor (16th March).
Belstone Common
Anyone who has been reading this blog long enough will know that one of my favourite spots on Dartmoor to photograph is Belstone Common. With 360-degree views and lots of interesting rock formations, it offers a lot of choices when it comes to compositions. It should be the perfect place for my latest idea.
Belstone Tor #2, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor 14-30 f/4 at 16mm, f/13, 1.8 secs at ISO 64, Kase Filters K9 CPL.
When I looked back at my collection of images from Belstone one thing jumped out at me. Despite me knowing there are a wide variety of compositions to be had at Belstone, I’d only captured a few of them. I had unknowingly got myself into a creative rut. My latest idea would be the perfect opportunity to sort that out.
As I was going to head up to Dartmoor to do some exploring and to try out new compositions, I wasn’t that bothered about how the weather was looking. I would have gone up there even in grey overcast conditions but as it turned out the weather forecast was predicting average to favourable conditions. Not conclusive by any stretch but with a bit of luck I might get something that I could work with.
Belstone Tor #2, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor 14-30 f/4 at 15mm, f/8, 1/5th secs at ISO 64, Kase Filters K9 CPL. 4 Image focus stack.
Sunset on Dartmoor
Having shot Dartmoor mostly at dawn for the last 6 months the one thing I noticed straight away on my first sunset shoot there was that there were other people about! The locations I go to on Dartmoor rarely see other people first thing in the morning, so it was nice to go up there during the day and be greeted with smiles and hellos.
Belstone Tor #4, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor 14-30 f/4 at 20mm, f/8, 0.5 secs at ISO 64, Kase Filters K9 CPL. 4 Image focus stack.
Being up on Belstone Common without my mind focused on capturing one image I found myself more relaxed and open to exploration. I walked the entire length of the Belsone Tor ridge, once north to south, and then in reverse. I stopped several times to take photographs either finding new compositions or variations in compositions I had previously taken. It was a surprisingly creative time.
Belstone Tor #6, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor 14-30 f/4 at 19mm, f/13, 1/6th sec at ISO 64, Kase Filters K9 CPL.
While I did get the old glimmer of nice light, I didn’t get anything too dramatic. That doesn’t bother me too much though. The main thing was that I discovered new compositions that will suit my new creative idea nicely. All I need now is a window of opportunity to return to Belstone Common so I can execute my idea! Stay tuned to my blog to find out what it is.
Just a Little Bit of Snow on Dartmoor
Even the slightest chance of snow is enough to make me set my alarm for 4:30 am and head up to one of Dartmoor’s highest tors.
Who Loves Snow?
There is something about snow that makes some UK based landscape photographers very excited, and I admit, I’m one of them. I think this is for two reasons. First is that we don’t often get a lot of snow in the UK. Some parts of the country like the Highlands of Scotland get more than say Devon, but it is rare for us to get widespread heavy snowfall. The other appealing aspect of snow is how it can transform a location. Your favourite viewpoints can take on a different look and it can make some locations that you would never normally photograph suddenly become beautiful. So when I heard that snow was forecast on Dartmoor I immediately started to make plans for a dawn shoot.
Do You Want To Build a Snowman?
While the weather forecast was predicting snow, I already knew it wasn’t going to be a great big dumping of the stuff. While the forecast was predicting a 95% chance of snow, it was only forecast for short periods and on the very highest reaches of Dartmoor. I guessed that it would be similar conditions to the time I got snow up on Belstone Common (which you can see below). There certainly wasn’t going to be enough snow to build a snowman.
Great Mis Tor
To make the most of what snow there was going to be I needed to choose a Dartmoor location that was both high, reasonably easy to access, and offered some interesting compositions. Two tors spring to mind that meet these criteria, Great Staple Tor and Great Mis Tor. With Great Mis Tor being around 90 meters higher than Great Staple Tor I opted to go there. Experience has taught me that even a small difference in height can mean the difference between snow or no snow.
When I arrived at the car park for Great Mis Tor things looked positive. There was already a light dusting of snow. By the time I got to the Tor things were looking not too bad. As expected, it wasn’t a blanket of snow but I felt there was enough to work with. It reminded me of my last visit to Great Mis Tor where I also had snow that morning.
A Snowy Dawn at Great Mis Tor #1, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor 14-30mm f/4 at 14mm, f/13, 1/5th sec at ISO 64, Kase Filters K9 CPL and ND Grad.
While the addition of snow to a scene is often a welcome addition, that doesn’t mean that the photography becomes easy. With only a little bit of snow what I really needed to add something to the scene was a bit of morning light. There were plenty of showers passing through and they would leave gaps in the sky, but I never really got a decent break in the light. As is always the way, there were many patches of great light in the surrounding landscape, just not where I was!
A Snowy Dawn at Great Mis Tor #2, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor 14-30mm f/4 at 14mm, f/13, 1/5th sec at ISO 64, Kase Filters K9 CPL and ND Grad.
Looking back at my images I feel they are lacking something. I know that I talk about the quality of the light a lot but it really can make a difference when shooting Dartmoor. I’m more than happy to Embrace the Grey at the right locations, but this rarely works for me on Dartmoor. Don’t get me wrong, the images are pleasing enough but even without good light, I think the compositions need a little tweaking. I’ve only shot Great Mis Tor a couple of times so I can’t expect to instantly come away with great compositions with little experience there. I’ll just need to keep going back. Which is no bad thing?
A Snowy Dawn at Great Mis Tor #3, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor 14-30mm f/4 at 17mm, f/11, 1/13th sec at ISO 64, Kase Filters K9 CPL and ND Grad.
Photography challenges aside, I had a great time. I know standing on a snowy, windy tor, 538m up isn’t everyone’s idea of fun, but for me, it was the perfect way to witness the start of a new day. The photos capture what I saw that morning and combined with the experience of actually being there, it made for a perfect morning in the wilderness.
Have you managed to capture any snowy images this year? Is snow a bonus or a hindrance for your photography? What snowy scenes do you like to capture? Let me know in the comments below.