Don’t Be Too Hasty
Derwent Water. Keswick.
Great images don’t always happen. Sometimes the conditions work against you. Fantastic sunsets aren’t guaranteed and living in the U.K. just about anything can change with the weather in a matter of minutes.
Perseverance is the key with landscape photography. Even if you are happy with the conditions and you are happy with your shots, you should stick around a little while longer. Golden hour often lead in to a great blue hour once the sun has set.
Nikon Z7, 30mm, f11, 1/3sec, ISO64
It can be difficult to resist the call of a warm pub and a cold pint but the rewards can more than make up for it. On a recent trip to the Lake District, I had planned a sunset shoot at Castlerigg stone circle. This Neolithic circle sits on the hills just above Keswick town centre, from its location you get fantastic views of some the lakes most famous peaks; Helvellyn, Skiddaw and Blencathra are all visible. My plan was to shoot the sunset as the light lit up the fells and the stones themselves, making them glow orange. Although it wasn’t the greatest sunset, I came away with an image I’m happy enough with. Not portfolio perfect but it captures the scene and the location.
Once the best of the light had gone, we headed back down in to Keswick. Rather than heading straight to the pub for food and drink, we decided to check out the iconic fence in the lake at Crow Park.
It turned out to be well worth its. As blue hour began, there was just the last hints of the sun’s warm glow between the mountains. The reflections weren't mirror perfect but I’m happy with the overall mood and feeling that the image portrays.
