Back in the lake District

[thereyougo!]

Back in the Lakes again, having stopped off on the way up to look in on Focus on Imaging in Birmingham, and today (well yesterday) has been a blustery sometimes squally day, but with some sun too. I walked through several hail storms and my camera spent much of its time in and out of my pack. It's been a day of contrasts as these shots will attest to:


Pentax 645D FA 45 - 85mm f/4.5 at 45mm and f/16 with cokin Soft Grad ND8 0.3 secs



storm-approaches by singingsnapper, on Flickr


I always find this tree an interesting subject


Pentax 645D FA 45 - 85 at 75mm f/22 0.4 secs



Storm-gathers-in-Langdale by singingsnapper, on Flickr


After yet another hail storm, the sun started to set with very dramatic result in the clouds above:


Pentax 645D FA 45 - 85 at f/22 and 2 secs again with Cokin ND 8 soft grad



Colourful-Langdale-sunset by singingsnapper, on Flickr


I turned around with my camera and saw a macabre sight. There was a sheep with it's neck seemingly broken and it was draped around a tree by the side of the River Brathay.

 

[fokker]

These are pretty cool, are they processed much? I think possibly the ND8 grad is a bit strong, it seems to have made the sky and ground close to the same EV

 

[baturn]

#1. It's a landscape. Why portrait orientation?

 

[thereyougo!]

#1. It's a landscape. Why portrait orientation?

I wanted to make the most of the dramatic sky. Just because it's called landscape orientation doesn't mean you can't sometimes use portrait orientation. Majority of my landscapes are in landscape but there will always be some in portrait.

 

[thereyougo!]

These are pretty cool, are they processed much? I think possibly the ND8 grad is a bit strong, it seems to have made the sky and ground close to the same EV

I needed to use the ND8 on the last shot as the highlights would have blown otherwise. They have been processed in Nik's Color efex and silver efex for the B&W. Also levels and curves in CS5

 

[Joel_W]

Nice set. My favorite is #3. Great composition and exposure. In picture #2 there is just too much open space on the right that detracts from the impact of the tree as the central subject. Picture #1 would be a much stronger composition with a little less of the grass foreground.

 

[thereyougo!]

The weather has been fantastic today and not too bad over the weekend.


I often walk around the Rydal valley and brave the stepping stones known as Rydal steps. This is a shot about 15 minutes after sun down



stepping-stones-b&b by singingsnapper, on Flickr


I like the style of the large houses at Under Loughrigg. The lakeland stone really adds character and with the Fairfield horseshoe as backdrop this is one f my favourites:



Under-Loughrigg-house by singingsnapper, on Flickr


A traditional white washed cottage is opposite it:



White-house-under-Loughrigg by singingsnapper, on Flickr


Finally, I was back at my regular location on the banks of Elterwater as the light disappeard over the Langdale Pikes:



Last-light-falls-on-Elterwater by singingsnapper, on Flickr

 

[thereyougo!]

Decided to grab a CSC - Sony NEX C3 with two lenses as often when the weather is bad I walk without a camera which means I have to rely on my iphone for photos if conditions change. The Sony is just about small enough with the 18 - 55 E mount to put in my inside pocket of my Gore Tex coat, so is a great alternative camera. Today a friend and I made our way just a few miles to the east to climb Pen-y-Ghent from Horton in Ribblesdale and the clag was forecast to be down so I took this camera with me.


Nothing to see from the summit at all when we got there but it started to open out a bit as we descended:


Sony NEX C3 E mount 18 - 55:


1. 18mm f/16



descending-from-Pen-y-ghent by singingsnapper, on Flickr


2. Further down 35mm f/14



Horton-Scar by singingsnapper, on Flickr


As we reached the bottom, quite a few sheep were quite curious and interested in posing:


3. 24mm f/11 1/60



photogenic-sheep by singingsnapper, on Flickr


This decided he wanted to show me his better side as he bleated and turned around:


4. 24mm f/11 1/80



This-is-my-better-side! by singingsnapper, on Flickr

 

[thereyougo!]

Back in the Lake District and so far (touch wood) the weather is holding out. Took a gentle 12 mile walk yesterday and took over 400 photos giving my 180mm macro a good tryout.


Canon 5D mk III EF 24 -70 L at 25mm and f/16 1/25 ISO 160



Brathay-terrace by singingsnapper, on Flickr


The bluebells are stil out:


Canon 5D mk III EF 24 - 70L at 24mm and f/14 1/40 ISO 400



A-path-through-bluebell-wood by singingsnapper, on Flickr


Coming back towards the end of the day looking across the River Brathay towards the Langdale Pikes


Canon 5D mk III EF 180mm f/3.5 L macro at f/11 1/160 ISO 800



Langdale-evening by singingsnapper, on Flickr

 

[thereyougo!]

Evening reflections, Rydal Water


Canon 5D mk III EF 180mm f/3.5L macro at f/11 1/200 ISO 800



Rydal-Water-evening-reflections by singingsnapper, on Flickr

 

[thereyougo!]

Heading home as it's our wedding anniversary tomorrow (Thursday) and I was happy I had my camera in my hand when this steam train pulled into Oxenholme station:


Canon 5D mk III Sigma EX DG 85mm f/1.4 at f/4 1/250 ISO 50



steam-train-at-oxenholme by singingsnapper, on Flickr

 

[thereyougo!]

Back in the Lake District where the weather has been so poor that they have cancelled the Great North Swim on Lake Windermere - because of too much water! Could only happen in the UK!


The Olympic flame came through Ambleside a day or two ago. Here is one of the torch bearers:


Canon 5D mk III EF 28 - 300L at 300mm and f/8 1/320 and ISO 1600 (very dark and damp afternoon -the bearers on the following day would have had a very unpleasant time of it)



Ambleside-torch-bearer by singingsnapper, on Flickr


This little steamboat is one of the on water convoy for the torch, as the torch would be taken on to a boat down to Bowness:


Canon 5D mk III Carl Zeiss 35 f/2 at f/8 1/80 ISO 200



The-Shamrock by singingsnapper, on Flickr


in black and white:



The-sharock-in-black-and-white by singingsnapper, on Flickr


A very wet day yesterday and looking down a pier at Waterhead:


Canon 5D mk III CZ 35 f/2 at f/8 1/125 ISO 125



wet-day-at-waterhead by singingsnapper, on Flickr


A swan stood in the rain on the beach at Waterhead:


Canon 5D mk III CZ 35 f/2 at f/8 1/80 ISO 200



Waterhead-swan-in-the-rain by singingsnapper, on Flickr


A barn in Galava Field between Waterhead and Ambleside:


Canon 5D mk III CZ 35 f/2 at f/8 1/40 ISO 125



Ambleside-Barn-on-a-wet-day by singingsnapper, on Flickr

 

[Hobbytog]

Rydal Water is a super image. Great colour and sharpness.

 

[Mot]

I'd have to agree with Hobbytog, the colours are really warm and the reflections alomost look like an oil painting!

Good to see you shot the Torch! I was considering going to the Blackpool or Windemere stages but, as you probably noticed, the weather was absolutely horrendous!

 

[Ernicus]

+1 on the water reflections image. Lots to look at overall, nice pictures, but the water reflections is the one I will remember in twenty minutes as I look at flowers n stuff.