My usual Friday off work that I try to dedicate to photography didn’t quite work out this last week. Given I had Monday off and work is busy I was asked to cover meetings on Friday, so was not able to get out and about. Rather than just not bother this weekend I wanted to keep up the momentum I’ve had this calendar year and decided to visit a location I’d wandered through previously.
Windgetherer Rocks are above a small village called Kettleshulme, which is near Whalley Bridge. It’s on the hills above the road between Whalley Bridge and Macclesfield. The Weather apps were saying there was a chance of mist and maybe fog, but also a possibility of a sunrise with some decent light. Is my mind was made up.
It was pretty murky when I arrived and parked the car. Undeterred, I set off to explore the area and see what I could find. This image stood out to me immediately I got up onto the top of the ridge line. That sounds like a grand hike, it’s not. I love a good stone wall but im not sure if this is or isn’t a wall but it leads off into the murkiness.ot the best shot ever but a decent start.
Turning 180 degrees and following the top of the ridge line (or slip line) whichever you prefer, I came across the scene in the above image. This is very typical of this part of the Peak District but I do like the big stones in the foreground with the line of stones leading off into the distance. Murky distance I grant you but you get a sense of the landscape beyond, just.
This is an alternative version of the previous image, not much difference due to the crop, but the first is landscape and the second is portrait.
As I wandered along the ridge, my eyes were drawn to what was effectively away off to the right as you look at the last two images. There is a fence and a tree line and eventually I came across the gate and the wall in this next image. I like a good gate and a wall and I think the murkiness adds to the sense of wonder about what is down that path, and in that forest. Given I didn’t have much time on Saturday morning I decided not to explore that area and maybe look around there another day.
This and the next image are both of a scene a little further along the ridge line, but what caught my eye was the tree bending (or appearing to bend) in the wind. It was a bit counter intuitive as the wind was blowing in the opposite direction. A wall running through the images again offers a good leading line into the images. Its just a shame it was such a murky morning and absolutely no sign of the sun or light of any kind that was fleetingly promised by the weather apps.
These are not portfolio images but are decent enough from a first explore in less than ideal weather conditions.
All these images were taken in my Sony Alpha 7IV, with the 24 to 70 f2.8 GM lens. With a first try out to my walk around tripod which is a 3 Legged Thing Corey mark Ii.