Formby Red Squirrels

Formby Red Squirrel, originally uploaded by KingKobra.

Ok, so its been ages since I updated the blog. I completely forgot about it.

Anyway, since my last entry, the 350D camera has been sold and replaced by a 40D. Nice upgrade for minimal cost after selling the 350D and a bit of kit that wasn't compatible.

Had a drive out to Liverpool today, or Formby to be more precise. There is a National Trust reserve, where they protect red squirrels, and seeing as I had never seen one in the wild, thought it might be worth the 180 mile round trip.

The weather had given ok for Liverpool, so headed out and arrived about midday. It was ckoudy, and freezing cold. So cold even the sand on the beach was almost frozen solid.

Spent about 2 hours wandering around the woodland, not seeing a single squirrel until the last five minutes, then this one appeared and hung around long enough to rattle off about 100 shots of it before it headed back into the trees.

It was great to actually see one, but sad that there weren't more about.

Autumn Dawn

The Stillness of the Morning, originally uploaded by KingKobra.

Autumn is upon us.

A 5.30am start this morning, and a drive out to the Peak to catch the sunrise.

Firstly a quick stop at Spitewinter on the road between Chesterfield and Matlock for a few shots of dawn breaking over Chesterfield. It was good to see the first light of the day creeping over the horizon... it was bloody cold though!

Onward through Chatsworth where it was really foggy, so headed up to Curbar Gap to get some shots of the fog in the valley/ It was quite a sight. You couldn't see any of the villages at all, just a few houses on the very edge of Curbar village and that was it.

Sad to say I failed in getting any serious shots of the fog. Need more practise. I only succeeded in some snaps.

Up to Stanage Edge, but the morning light was now leaving, and becoming too harsh, so went straight through Hathersage and onto the Snake Pass. Got a few shots of the waterfall towards the top of the pass, but by now I was pretty hungry, so went down to the butty van at the car park down by the Ashopton Viaduct.

The mist was rising off the perfectly still water of the reservoir, so couldn't resist in getting some photographs of the brilliant reflections it was giving.

Cat and Fiddle

Cat and Fiddle, originally uploaded by KingKobra.

Drove out to the Cat and Fiddle today. Not been up here for many years, and it wasn't anything like I remembered it. It obvously hasn't changed at all, but its not how I recalled it.

Anyway, it was pretty boggy as soon as you went off the track, and the warning of abandoned mine shafts didn't fill me with confidence either, so I didnt stray too far away from the track.

There is a fantastic view over Cheshire, and you can easily see the radio telescopes at Jodrell Bank, but it was far too hazy today to get a decent shot of the distant view.

I settled for a few shots of the general area around the inn instead. Next time I'll bring some food with me and venture a little further.

Stand Woods, Chatsworth

Went out to the woods behind Chatsworth House today, mainly just to checkout if the autumn colours were hitting the trees yet. Some of them are going a nice colour, but I think it will be a couple more weeks before the golden tones come out properly.

I do need to buy a map of the woods though as we did get lost at one point.

There was some filming going on at the house itself. Some movie called The Duchess starring Keira Knightley, but the only people we saw were a bunch of extras in full costume walking through the car park.

The Spurn Lights & Bridlington

The Spurn Lights, originally uploaded by KingKobra.

Headed out for the day today, to two places I've never been before. Spurn Point and Bridlington. We also stopped off at the Humber Bridge to get a few snaps of that on the way past.

It was a bit grey to start off with, but the cloud soon burned away to give a great sky for photography. Blue with some nice wispy clouds.

The drive down to Spurn Point was an adventure in itself as the single track road meanders down the spit of land that is sometimes only about 20 feet wide with sea on both sides.

It was pretty warm by the time we arrive, just after lunchtime but not many people there and luckily no-one had disturbed the sand out my the low light, so I managed to get several shots of the lighthouses without worring about having to clone out footprints, although I did get my feet wet.

Stayed on the point for a couple of hours before heading out to Bridlington. It wasn't planned, but I saw it wasn't that far away, so we headed there just to scope it out. First things first though when we got there. I spotted the yellow M of McDonalds, and I hadn't brought any food with me, so I got those priorities straightened out.

Had a wander down the harbour for an hour, and determined it was somewhere to come again one day for a little longer as we only put an hour on the car. I got a cool picture of a seagull, with flamborough head in the background, but of course something had to be amiss, and this time it was the seagulls feet. Another one for the bin.

World Series by Renault, Donington Park

World Series by Renault, Donington Park, originally uploaded by KingKobra.

A bit of motorsport this weekend, with the free, yes free, World Series by Renault at Donington Park. Now, I follow motorsport, but I never heard of this event until I saw it mentioned in a photography magazine, that it was free entry.

Free entry to something on this scale. Its just unheard of.

Well, went on the Saturday with Mart L., expecting it to be quiet, but how wrong was I, as we queued on thr approach roads to Donington for over an hour.

We spent most of the day either trackside, or wandering round looking for a good viewpoint. Attempting to enter the paddock area wasn't worth it as there was a mass of people trying to get in.

Managed to get a few reasonable shots, but as it the case at motor racing circuits, 10 foot high fences ruin most shots.

Roche Abbey, South Yorkshire

Roche Abbey, South Yorkshire, originally uploaded by KingKobra.

Headed out into South Yorkshire today with Mart L.

I wanted to give the new IR filter a trial run, so we went to Roche Abbey just outside Maltby. Never been before, but I'm trying to make more use of my English Heritage membership, and it looked like a good IR subject.

Took plenty of pictures as I wasn't really sure of exposure times, but it looks like the camera can produce good results at about 30 to 60 seconds if there is good sunlight.

Once done there, we went to Consibrough Castle as it was only 15 mins up the road, and was another place I never visited.

I wasn't happy with any of the photographic results from Conisbrough. The castle is nice enough, but not very photogenic. It may be better to photograph from outside the town as it surrounded by hills. Something to try one day.

Sunset at Stanage Edge

Sunset at Stanage Edge #2, originally uploaded by KingKobra.

Not been out for ages, so it was good today.

Headed up to Stanage Edge for the sunset. Not been up there for sunset before, and it is better than Curbar. Its much higher, and have a clear view across the high peak.

Looked like there had been a road accident. The road from Burbage down to Hathersage was closed, and we saw a crane lifting a car out of the valley back onto the road. Don't know what happened to the occupants.

Late Summer Sunrise

Late Summer Sunrise, originally uploaded by KingKobra.

Wow... another early morning for me.

It wasn't at all planned this time. I just happened to wake up just before 6am, and through a gap in the curtains could see a clear blue sky. So, I chucked some clothes on, grabbed the car keys and headed out with camera gear.

First off I headed up into Holymoorside. There is a great view over Chesterfield from up there, and luckilu for me a field full of hay bales. Only on getting the stuff out the car did I realise the tripod was still on the kitchen table, so had to make the best of hand held shots.

When I'd done there, I headed out to Curbar Gap. Still looking for one of those mist in the derwent valley shots, but there was no mist this morning, so carried on through Baslow and into Chatsworth.

There was a nice bit of sunlight falling on the spire of Edensor Church, so I grabbed a few shots of that, and headed into the park itself.

Now, I've always wanted some pictures of the deer in Chatsworth, but for some reason never got round to it, so it was great to see some deer on the road side of the river. I went down the Chatsworth drive a few hundred yards to get some shots. The deer seemed not to be too phased about the car. None of the pictures were brilliant, but not bad for a first unplanned attempt.

I played 'chase the hot air balloon' on the way home, but it was getting further and higher, and by the time I found a suitable place to pullover, it just wasn't a photo anymore.

Not a bad hour and fifteen minutes out, but now I need to go back to bed.

Sunrise in the Hope Valley

Sunrise in the Hope Valley, originally uploaded by KingKobra.

I'm soooo tired....

Getting up at 5am isn't good for the soul, but last night the met office said it would be a clear morning, so I grabbed my gear and went out into the peak to catch the sunrise.

First of all I headed out to Monsal Dale in the hope that there would be some mist sitting in the valley. Unfortunately there wasn't. Can't have everything I suppose.

Next stop, the collapsed road in Castleton. The A625 closed here in the 1970's because landslips were making it difficult to maintain the road. Its a footpath now, with the only vehicles those wanting access to a farm about halfway up the road.

I waited here for about 20 mins, while the sun rose... shivering...

I didn't really plan on going anywhere after that, but I thought I would drive up to Surprise View, just outside Hathersage. By the time I got there, the skies we're clouding over. It looked quite impressive as the cloud was moving at a fair rate in front of the sun, and was casting some cool beams of light in the sky.

I tried to get a few shots, but none of them could convey what was happening at the time.

Then it started drizzling a little. Looking skyward, I held little hope in it improving anytime soon, and indeed even now as I write this, its cloudy outside.

Another sunrise captured, not really as impressive as the first time, but I guess I'll get used to the downside to sunrises eventually.

Youlgreave - This Way

Youlgreave - This Way, originally uploaded by KingKobra.

Well, we didn't actually go to Youlgreave....

Starting from the roadside parking just outside Monyash we headed into Lathkill Dale. I never went into the dale from this direction before, so it was interesting from that point of view.

Its a little treacherous at times having to scramble over slippery limestone boulders, and is pretty muddy in places.

Anyway, we headed down the dale, past the dry Lathkill House Cave, Indeed there was no water in the river until about another kilometre downstream, past where Cales Dale joins Lathkill Dale.

We went down to the waterfall, and rattled off a few shots. I got a few I like, but for some reason I neglected to notice a stray tree branch that managed to get into all the shots and all but ruin them. I'll know for next time.

We headed back upstream to the footbridge, and went up to One Ash Grange Farm, and onto the Limestone Trail back to Monyash. Little in the way of photo-opportunities presented themselves to me. Don't get me wrong, its a lovely place with cool views over the area, but nothing that would make a good photo in my opinion.

Hope Valley,Dove Dale & Bakewell Pudding

Hope Valley from Mam Tor, originally uploaded by KingKobra.

9 o'clock start today and a trip out into the Peak. Headed out to Castleton and Mam Tor for starters. Nothing like a brisk walk up Mam Tor first thing in the morning, and beleive me, this was nothing like a brisk walk. I haven't walked to the summit of Mam Tor for about 25 years, and man could I tell. I'm not in the greatest of shape :)

Rattled off a few shots from the summit, but to be honest its just so difficult to capture the expanse of the landscape. You can see for miles in every direction, and its hard to get a composition that does it justice.

Spent about two hours around Mam Tor, then headed back to the car. Next, a 45 min drive south, through Buxton and down into Dove Dale. Now, I knew there would be a few people there as it was hot and sunny, and the kids are off school, but I wasn't prepared for just how many people would be there. The car park was almost full, and there were people everywhere. Not a situation condusive to taking photographs.

Anyway, I used the time just to wander down the river a little way. Its only the second time in recent years that I've been there, and last time was during the winter so it was nice to see the dale during summer.

Headed back home after a couple of hours, via Bakewell to pick up a Bakewell Pudding, something else I've never experienced.

Bakewell at Twilight

Bakewell at Twilight, originally uploaded by KingKobra.

Had a run out to Bakewell in the heart of the Peak District this evening. I think we got there about 30 mins too late, as the sun was lower than I expected it to be, and wasn't giving the nice evening sunshine I was hoping for.

Nevertheless, Mart S., and I rattled off a few shots of the river, and the 13th century bridge. I also too the opportunity of the low light, and the fast moving river to get a few long exposure shots of the river, but the vegetation around the banks was also moving so those shots were unusable.

We had a wander over to the church, hoping it would be illuminated. It was, but only one side of the clock tower which reduced its potential.

The light was dropping fast, so we headed back to the bridge and got some long exposure shots from the bridge, with car light trails.

Having done in Bakewell, we headed out to Edensor, again hoping the church would be lit. Unfortunately not though. We did have a small stroke of luck though. The Chatsworth estate were testing out different lighting effects on the house for Christmas. The whole west front of the house was illumitated a deep blue. I took some pictures, but none of them had long enough exposure times, and we didn't stay long enough to get better shots.

Finally we headed into Matlock, as Mart S., wanted some pictures of St Giles Church, as we knew that this one was lit at night. The only downside was a somewhat over zealous Neighbourhood Watch scheme, where some lady seemed to take offence at our presence.

The Roaches, Staffordshire

Hen Cloud, originally uploaded by KingKobra.

Mart L. and I went out to the Roaches for the afternoon. Its quite a hefty drive, being on the very western edge of the Peak District, overlooking Tittesworth Reservoir.

This trip was more of a recce trip, just to see where all the good photo opportunities were. Its quite a cool place overall, with better views than any of the other gritstone edges in the park. Today we could far into Cheshire, and even the Welsh mountains very distant in the haze.

Definately some promise there for sunrise/sunset, and some wintertime shoots.

Over Owler Tor, Hathersage Moor

Over Owler Tor, Hathersage Moor, originally uploaded by KingKobra.

Up to Hathersage Moor today. I only really grabbed one decent shot. The light was in that inbetween stage, about an hour before the golden hour, and it was quite cloudy so exposures were a little difficult as I was tending to lose either shadows, or getting a white-out in the sky.

I did three exposures of this view, and combined them in Photoshop to get this HDR image.

Only when I uploaded the shot to Flickr did I realise I had done this shot before.

Early Riser

Summer Sunrise, originally uploaded by KingKobra.

This is a first for me.

I woke up just before 5.30 this morning, and for some reason was compelled to get out of bed and get shooting. So there I was, the first time I had been up and about at that time since doing the paper-round when I was a kid.

I had no idea where to go, but quickly thought somewhere high, with a good view over Chesterfield would be good. I headed out to Spitewinter, and got a few shots with the early morning mist, and the layered effect of the landscape.

I then drove into Beeley and through Chatsworth. The mist was quite heavy here, and I was hoping that if I could get high again, maybe at Curbar or Baslow Edge, then I could get above the mist and get some cracking shots. Anyway, the mist was thinning out again at Curbar, and wasn't anything spectacular, so I headed back home past Leash Fen, and got a few shots there of the cattle in the light of the sunrise.

It maybe the first time that I went out for some sunrise pictures, but I doubt it will be the last.

Linacre, Old Brampton & Baslow Edge

Wellington Monument, Baslow Edge, originally uploaded by KingKobra.

It is the Bakewell Show for the next few days, so there's no way I was heading out in that direction today.

Instead, it was a short trip to Linacre Reservoirs, where Mart L. and I walked up to Old Brampton, and back down to the reservoirs.

After that, it was up to Baslow Edge. We hadn't walked to the very end of the cliffs before, so today was the day that we did it, and found the Wellington Monument.

One discovery we made today was that we have now done Linacre, Curbar Edge and Baslow Edge to death for the summer months. Theres only so many times you can take the same picture of the same view and make it work. We decided to go there again once autumn kicks in.

Any trips to Linacre over the next few weeks will be for wildlife shoots rather than landscapes.

Star Trails 31/07

Star Trails 31/07, originally uploaded by KingKobra.

This is something I've always wanted to try out, and for some reason never got round to it. Anyway, this one is the first time for me, and exposed for around eight minutes.

There is alot of ambient light where I live, so its not great. Any longer on the exposure and I think the trails would have been obliterated.

This really is something I want to follow up, and get out somewhere where the ambient light won't be such an issue, and hopefully get some exposures of around 30 minutes. The exposure time is limited to battery life, as long exposures just eat up a battery.

I may try taking multiple exposures, changing the battery between exposures, and try layering them together is PS afterward.

Upperdale, Derbyshire

Upperdale, Derbyshire, originally uploaded by KingKobra.

Wow, two sunn days on the trot. Mus be record.

Well, today Mart L. and I visited the River Wye. Parking the car in the free car park in Upperdale, and walking up to the old Monsal Dale station on the Monsal Trail, and walking down the old trackbed until the tunnel overlooking Cressbrook, then taking the footpath along the hillside leading down into Water-cum-Jolly.

It was here at the weir that I got to use my ND4 filter for only the second time. Rattled off a few shots of the weir from downstream a little, and got some movement in the water. Metering was a nightmare 'cos it was quite dark in the shade under the trees, but there was a lot of bright highlights because the sun was very strong today. The pictures aren't by any means great, but in the OK bracket.

We followed the river upstream a little, until it was time to head back to the car with 3 hours and about 3 miles of walking covered.

Stanage Edge, Derbyshire

Stanage Edge, Derbyshire, originally uploaded by KingKobra.

I 'think' this is the first time I have visited Stanage Edge. Sure, I have seen it always looming in the distance, but I dont remember ever going there before.

Its the place you see on most tv documentaries when they talk about the Ice Age.

This was also pretty much the first time I used my tripod in anger, as I wanted to get a few shots to try my hand at some HDR photography, where a tripod is needed to ensure the multiple exposures line up.

Mart L., and I spent a good two or three hours up there, and it was cool to walk down the edge and have different view than that from Curbar. Going to make it a place to visit for some sunsets.

Peak District Scenes - The Website

Hopefully, I'll soon have enough photos that are good enough to launch a website. I purchased the domain name some time ago, but for one reason or another, never got round to doing anything with it.

If, and when, I get enough shots that are worth displaying in a proper online gallery, then I'll do something about it.

Peak District Sunset

Peak District Sunset, originally uploaded by KingKobra.

After a pretty flawed trip to Curbar Gap, sometime in April, I decided to go back again just a couple of evenings ago. The sun had been shining for most of the evening, and the storm clouds from earlier in the day were still around, but breaking up, so I figured it would make for a cool sunset.

Dragging the two M's, out with me (thats Martyn S. and Martin L.), we drove out to Curbar. As we were driving there, it began to lash it down again, but luckily it steadied down a little by the time we got there.

Biggest mistake of mine? Well, I forgot the lens was still set to manual focus, and rattled off a good thirty or forty pics before realising. It was too dark to check focus in the viewfinder... oh well.