Exploring new places alongside enjoying the familiar has become a bit of a 'thing' for me to do in recent years at the Lake District. A stroll along River Brathay to Skelwith Bridge is always a perfect excuse to eat great food at 'Chesters by the Lake' and wandering around Ambleside and Windermere is a relaxing experience.
Naturally when I'm in the Lakes I try to capture the best photos I can of the surrounding scenery and details, and each year I look to improve. On this trip I revisited the Cathedral Quarry as I wasn't completely satisfied with my photos on a technical level and discovered through YouTube that you could see more of it from up-top.
Inside Cathedral Quarry. It's quite a stunning space.
To keep things fresh I also wanted to explore somewhere new, so I went for a walk with my brother to a nearby spot. Initially this was going to be a short walk in one direction and then back, but unexpectedly we just kept going until we reached the top of Lingmoor Fell. There were stunning views to take in against the cold winds!
Walking up to Lingmoor Fell with my brother.
Last time I wanted to try some long exposure photography, but forgot my tripod...rookie mistake! I didn't make the same mistake this time - this allowed me to try my hand at capturing movement of water and High Dynamic Range (HDR) photography (a range of exposures are taken for the highlights, shadows and dark areas, then combined into one image to give a greater range of tones).
So how did I get on this time? Take a look to find out and read on to the bottom for a little competition...
Little waterfall along River Brathay near Woodburn Bridge.
I spotted this collection of trees and reeds just off the path where the high water level created a busy reflection. I figured with a long exposure I might get an unusual looking photo...
...this is what I got from a 30 second exposure.
Elterwater.
Burlington Slate.
Heading up Lingmoor Fell.
Reaching the top of Lingmoor Fell. The view was stunning, although I did have to brace myself against the wind and cold to get this photo!
Looking down towards River Brathay & Elterwater.
The paths back down.
Returning to Cathedral Quarry I explored a different viewpoint...
...last time I was here I explored this lower section.
The stunning inside. As I took a series of photos from this spot a robin fluttered behind me. I didn't know what the sound was until I saw it perched on the wall on the right (it's a little spot on the wall, look below).
...a close up of the robin from the above photo.
...and there were some of the photos I took at the Lakes for this visit. I was pleased with what I captured, but as always there's room to improve. Next time I want to continue exploring some new places and see new sights.
As always thanks for taking a look at this blog. Now for the competition...
...to coincide with getting a new printer I want to start doing print giveaways. This one is open to people in the UK and I will give a lucky winner a print of their choice from this blog post. To be in with a chance all you need to do is leave a comment underneath the 'Subscribe' box telling me what photo you would like as a print and why. I'll pick my favourite comment as the winner. Get your answers in by the end of this Sunday (28th of January) if you want to take part - good luck!