Just itching to get out
Since I got back from my French trip to shoot the lavander in Provence, I have been pretty busy in the gallery catching up with orders, I've been dying to get out to shoot some images. However as usual time and weather have conspired against me. I made plans to go out yesterday afternoon, settling on having a wander up the River Wye, an area I had not been to before, strangly enough!
The weather looked menacing on on the way it absolutely stonked it down, perhaps this was not a good idea. Pressing on I stopped off at a small group of trees I have often wanted to shoot, they always remind me of poodles. The view from up the hill was cracking and I could see right to the end of the Dove Valley, and Ax edge moor beyond.
The hills of Parkhouse and Chrome centre of image. Fuji Xt1 55-200mm
The Poodle trees against a clearing sky, Fuji Xt10 10-24 mm with nd grad
I eventually found a space to park the car, expecting the place to be busy, I was amazed to find I had the entire river to myself. The day turned out to be warm with some fantastic sunshine which provided me with some enchanting light. I was amazed at how dark it became under the tree canopy, it was a lovely winding walk up the river eventually reaching Litton.
The weir at Cressbrook with the famous Rubicon wall in the background, Fuji Xt1 55-200mm
Weir closeup Fuji Xt1 55-200mm
A Swans feather Fuji Xt1 55-200mm
Contre jour lighting the webs amongst Wild Chervil, Fuji Xt1 55-200mm
Worker Bees on Wild chervil, Fuji Xt1 55-200mm
The River Wye at Cressbrook, Fuji Xt1 10-24mm (Velvia Setting)
Contre jour lighting this leaf study, Fuji Xt1 55-200mm
A smaller
A smaller weir on the River Wye at Litton, Fuji Xt1 10-24mm I love the colours in this image.
The limestone provides a nice canvas for this flower study Fuji Xt1 55-200mm
A small pool of light spotlights the vivid green of the Ivy, Fuji Xt1 35mm 1.4
Submerged tree stump reflections Fuji Xt1 35mm 1.4
Green on green leaf study Fuji Xt1 35mm 1.4
A tiny pool of light highlights the simple elegant beauty of this grass study. Fuji Xt1 55-200mm
The light just catching these grass heads provides the right contrast for this study, Fuji Xt1 55-200mm
Reflections captured with the Fuji Xt1 and the marvellous 55-200mm
Dead tree contrasts perfectly against the warm tones of the limestone Fuji Xt1 55-200mm
Rubicon wall basks in the late afternoon sunlight Fuji Xt1 10-24mm
Dappled sunlight highlighting this group of wild chervil Fuji Xt1 55-200mm.
It was perhaps the nicest couple of hours I've had in the Peak so many shooting opportunities made for some interesting studies. It's quite weird but one of my most used lenses when out shooting in the landscape is the 55-200mm. Since the new firmware version updates to the Xt1 this lens snaps into focus everytime.
I think this place will be lovely in autumn, I will look forward to going again, when the leaves start to change.
A couple of days in Canary Wharf
Last month I was fortunate enough to have a couple of days away in Canary Wharf London. I was looking forward to shooting some images of this iconic city landscape, a far cry from the hills and moors of Derbyshire.
The place is simply fantastic, a miniture city in itself, glass, steel and concrete structures soaring into the sky. Housing thousand of workers who swarm in every day. Its a great testement to the vision of turning this once run down and forgotten part of London, into something resembling Manhatten. I was fortunate enough to be given a couple of days of brilliant weather. Which worked so well for me and the images I had in mind. Not once during the 2 days did I encounter any hostility to me shooting images around there. My kit for the visit comprised of Fuji Xt1 and X pro 1 bodies, 10-24mm, 55-200mm, 35mm and 18-55 lens.This was all packed into my F stop Gura backpack, possibly the best bit of kit I have owned for carrying and comfort. Combined with the small size and weight of the Fuji X cameras and lenses, I was totally comfortable with carrying this gear around on what became 2 very warm days.
Using the Xt1 and the X pro 1 leaves you totally unnoticed by everyone, I just looked like a tourist. Its such a pleasure to shoot with these amazing little cameras, I'm certainly looking forward to the new updates to the firmware in June, I think the updates are going to address a number of issues that people have been waiting for to be reolved, and will certainly give Fuji a breather until the next itineration of cameras comes along. I certainly don't feel the need for more and more megapixels, I print large for the gallery and find the files from the Fuji to be able to resize very well. I find the quality of the X files so easy to manage in post processing, I want to be out shooting images, not sat behind a monitor for hours on end.
On an end note I found the whole trip away from my usual subject matter to be so refreshing., it's nice to be able to shoot something different, and another visit is definately on my to do list for this year.
Parkhouse and Chrome Hills
I've been wanting to visit these hills again, its been awhile since i was last over that way. The weather yesterday was fantastic, a lovely warm spring day, with a incredible blue sky and wisps of high Cirrus cloud. Ideal weather for some serious monochrome photography. Leaving the car in the little village of The Earl of Sterndale, I made my way thorough the numerous gates and out across the pastures until I reached the Gluttons Farm.
Once through the farm I struck upward until reaching a small copse, then walked up the spine of Parkhouse Hill. What fantastic views it gave me, the breadth of the Dove valley and the spine of Chrome Hill. Mind you the midges were out in force, and quickly swarmed around me due to it being a near windless day.
Descending Parkhouse is quite steep, and loose underfoot so care must be taken ! Save for the odd passing car going upto the farm I was totally on my own, in one of the most picturesque locations in the Peak district. It's funny how we call it the Peak comprising mostly of high moorland, that is until you come to Dovedale and see these spiny ridged beauties. Certainly care must be taken in places, especially on Chrome Hill as in places the drop is sheer. Once again the views from Chrome are pretty majestic, and you can see right over Axe Edge moor, and the high quarried face of Harpur Hill. All the images were made using the Fuji Xt1 and the 10-24mm and 55-200mm lenses.
Landscape workshop day
Had a great day out with Andrew yesterday, who had journeyed up from Bristol to join me on my Landscape 1-1 workshop. Given the appalling weather over the weekend, I thought it would be touch and go as to the day going ahead. Fortunately the light up at Curbar and Padley Gorge was great, although up on Curbar edge it was a tad windy.
Finished the day off over on Stanton Moor, when the rain fell late afternoon. All in all an enjoyable day with great company, and Andrew came away with some nice images. Will he be a Fuji convert, We shall have to wait and see. Some images from the day. All the images taken with the Fuji Xt1 10-24mm, 55-200mm lenses.
Shooting the Eclipse
I was really looking forward to shooting the Eclipse, its such a special event, and one that I was determined to try and include in my favourite Derbyshire landscape. After consulting with my shooting files (the brain) I picked the place where I thought woud give me the best view to capture it. I chose Curber Edge with those gritstone outcrops, I thought would make a really good image.
Thankfully we had cloud, without it the shoot would be difficult in the extreme, I would have had to overcome a massive exposure difference to retain the elements which were key to the image. The other key factor was to figure out the best angle that would allow me to use the 55-200 mm lens, which would give me a nice view of the Eclipse, plus keeping the elements of the foreground in the frame.
So the drive over to Curber was filled with constant checking of the cloud cover, it was patchy all over tbh, however on getting up on top of the edge, it was very overcast, would we even get a glimpse of the event? As it turned out we had 2 fleeting moments of the clouds parting to show the moon passing by the sun.
I only shot 60 frames in the 2 hours I was there. Such was the poor light, It was amazing how gloomy it got, and also how cold.
Watcher of the skies Fuji xt1 10-24mm
The moment the clouds parted Fuji xt1 55-200mm
I was so pleased with the images, that and with a huge element of luck with the weather, gave me the best opportunity to capture an image that encompassed everything I love about the Derbyshire landscape, with a moment that I will never see again.