Keswick

Explore #3 - 13/12/17

Another visit to the lakes for a few days and another visit to this great spot on Derwentwater, the water level was a lot lower today than last time and a as result had retreated quite a way up the shoreline, I'd got here late this morning due to a malfunctioning toast machine in the hotel, that apparently takes 30 minutes to warm up! (I'd be getting a new one I think...) anyway when I got here I was fifth to arrive, 4 other photographers already set up at the location (good to meet you).

As it happens I didn't end up taking anything for about 20 minutes so waiting for my toast turned out to be the right plan, rather than go hungry.. some nice light this morning, just added a 6 stop to smooth the water right out and a grad to keep the sky and the snowy mountains in check. A classic location and one I cant see myself getting fed up with as it's just beautiful, just need to get that one killer sky!

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Keswick, Lake District

With absolute no chance of getting to the Lake District at the moment, I've been looking at my images from there instead, This is an image from almost 3 years ago now, and a wonderful morning on Derwentwater, at sunrise.

There was no real clouds this morning to catch any rising light, but the light hitting the fells and onto Derwent Isle was just superb, along with a very light wind and a nice still lake made me lean towards this type of symmetrical image vice a 'big sky' image.

It took a few attempts to get it how I wanted it due to the geese that kept deciding to swim or fly into the frame, thankfully the lure of the Keswick boathouse opening and potential food lured them away and let the water settle right down again.

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didn't happen quite as planned....

wondering who has nicked the sun.........

A peaceful morning Keswick style. I don't like to mess around with photoshop too much, probably because i'm unless with it but I took the liberty of removing the moon's reflection from this one as quite frankly it was a bit messy!

Morning!

FOUR DAY LAKE DISTRICT AUTUMN WORKSHOP Tues 31st October - Fri 3rd November 2017 £795 www.melvinnicholsonphotography.co.uk/product/lake-distric...

I...

Another image taken during the beautiful sunset on Wednesday evening. I took Derek and Martin, my two clients down to the landing stages at...

FOUR DAY LAKE DISTRICT AUTUMN WORKSHOP Tues 31st October - Fri 3rd November 2017 £795 www.melvinnicholsonphotography.co.uk/product/lake-distric... ...

Finally got my PC sorted out so should be able to comment / upload images again with it shutting down every 2 seconds, came pretty close to getting thrown into a skip.

Anyway another image from Derwentwater around sunrise in very different conditions, and not exactly what I was hoping for, it's not often you make a good image out of a scene with a plain sky but mist certainly helps! with that in mind I've gone for a different image here with the second fence line and tried to keep it as simple and symmetrical as possible.

No matter how many times you visit a place even if the weather isn't eactly what you would have liked, it's great to be able to come away with something different to what you've already got previously.

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Lakeland Mist and Lady Derwentwater.....by the way is it Derwent Water or Derwentwater?

I love this location and had hoped for a decent sunset, I'd arrived almost 1.5 hours before as I wanted to scout out a few more areas and compositions and not be on the last minute for once, I'd even remembered to bring my wading wellies this time too unlike the last visit.

Once I'd got set up and did a bit of 'gardening' (removing bits of rubbish out of the lake) it was just a matter of waiting for some decent light to appear (or not as is usual), there's another part of the stone jetty out in the water here so it makes a great spot to put all your stuff down like a work bench...

Anyway, I'd started watching youtube videos to kill a bit of time with my legs dangling in the water (fur lined wellies a must for this in Feb!) the lake was really peaceful so I was pretty relaxed, the noise of the Keswick Launch Boat broke the silence as it passed by in the distance, I watched it scurry past and carried on watching my program.. now I know it's basics physics but when a boat moves along on water, that water gets displaced and needs to go somewhere.. I'd totally not cottoned on to this and about a minute later was hit with 2 good sized waves that were making their way into the shoreline at a rapid rate of knotts... amazingly the only thing that got soaked was my tousers as my bag protected the camera gear and the camera stood firm on the tripod, remarkably my phone stayed bone dry as well.

You've got to laugh as it's such a daft mistake to make when you look at it! It won't happen again... by the time sunset came the stone jetty had dried off, unlike my trousers, but with the light becoming quite intense I wan't really concerned, and getting a free bath in the lake had been more than worth it.

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Light painting on the rowing boats with my head torch

Another from the lovely morning the other week

Explore #2

A curious morning weather wise in the Lake District... I had got up early to head for Derwentwater for sunrise, it had all the promise of being really good, as it turned out it was completely naff, got 1 image with I was only half happy with, 20 minutes after sunrise I decided to give it up and go back the 5 miles or so to the hotel for breakfast.

Some time afterwards I set out again and was planning to heading down towards Ambleside, however on a whim something made me go back to Derwentwater again for whatever reason to see what the light was like as it had brightened up somewhat, so glad I did as within about 5 minutes of arriving the light became really good and I was rewarded with a lovely calm lake, far better than at sunrise, a stunning scene looking out towards Catbells. I had about 10 minutes of this nice warm light illuminating the Autumnal colours on the fells and trees, and then once again it was rippled lake and poor light.

Just as I had finished shooting and was walking back to the car I got a phone call off the hotel to say I had left my wash bag in the room (par for the course with me) , as I'd gone North instead of South I'd have to drive back past the hotel anyway so it all worked out nicely for once!

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A very full Derwent Water......

There are probably better places to watch a sunrise but not within a 2 hour drive!

One Day Derwentwater Landscape Photography Workshop Saturday 16th June 2018 8am - 4pm £75pp

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Another stitched pano from the Autumn 2015. Eerily quiet at the Keswick Launches as Sunday begins in the calmest of fashions. My only company being a...

Top tip of the day, if you like shooting in these kind of places at these times of the day then buy yourself a pair of good wellies, infact get some really nice warm ones that will keep you feet warm as well as dry, but far more important than actually buying the wellies.... don't then leave them in the boot of the car as you are on the last minute for sunrise and find you can't get the shot you want as it involves wading....

As always nothing ever goes quite to plan, and I wasn't planning on visiting this spot this morning but after getting chatting I walked over here with 2 other photographers from Middlesbrough (both of which had their wellies on) The light, and sky was just fantastic on this morning, while they were setting up the shots they (and I) wanted in the water I was shorebound and had to come up with something else, as it happens I really like this shot which I probably wouldn't have taken had I been able to go further into the water so I guess things happen for a reason, in the water next time here though there's definitely more to be had.

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Editing some older images this morning I came across this one I had already edited but never posted up and it was just languishing away in the folder so I decided to share it on here, and may get a print done while I'm at it.

A gorgeous morning on Derwent Water with a pastel sky and great serenity across the water, the water level being the perfect height to use this fence and get good reflections as sometimes it can be hardly visible.

Catbells to the rear is catching the first of the mornings sunlight.

New images uploaded to my website here

Bit of a right place, right time moment, well I kind of like it!

Waiting for the sun to defrost a partially frozen Derwent Water a month or so ago.....it was 15°c there today!

Derwent Water........someone has left the plug out since the last time I was here in early December........... Taken just before sunrise.

Lake Derwent at Sunset Panoramic

Keswick rowing boats at sunset

What it says in the title really

A66 road bridge crossing River Greta nr Keswick.