The weather forecast in England has been for typical for this time of year. It’s getting colder and wetter, but this weekend we had lots of mist and fog. Which means that we can get some nice atmospheric images out and about when the rain eases off a little bit.
You will recall that I’m doing a project on the Companion Stones in the peak district so I was keen to take advantage of the misty conditions as well as start to look for other locations to get some images, whilst we have restrictions on travel in the current lockdown.
The Mystery of the Bleak House Stone
Last weeks blog I outlined the search I made for the Bleak House Stone, and how I searched in vain. Intrigued by my lack of success at finding the stone I decide to contact the curator of the website, which I duly did. I have to say the curator was incredibly helpful and gave me a very specific map and photograph of the road signs that would lead me to the location of the stone. However, he did say that it was overgrown and needed some attention.
When I woke on Saturday morning there was mist and rain but undeterred, off I went in search of the stone. It was rather weird being back in the same location but 7 days apart. The previous week it was dry but cold, this week it was misty and wet, but armed with the location on my phone I soon found the grassed over spot where the stone was.
As I stood there it was easy to visualise why I couldn’t find the stone the previous week, it was buried under quite a growth of weeds. This stone isn’t on a footpath as such, so doesn’t get the footfall around it that the others do.
The Broken Stone
As you can see from the image as I cleared away the weeds etc, it was clear that the stone is broken into two parts. Not sure how or why, or even if this was a pure accident but this needs a repair. I took an image on my phone and sent it through to the curator of the website who will arrange for a repair in the spring.
I guess this means I’ll have to go back and take more images of it when its repaired and back in all its glory.
The Tale of Two Reservoirs
The search for alternative locations to shoot whilst we are in lockdown (both now and the future ones) continued on Sunday with a walk with a friend around both Jumbles Reservoir and Elton Reservoir. I’ve not visited these locations before but the reviews on google where decent enough, to inspire me to brave the misty and rainy elements to explore these two areas.
The good thing about reservoirs and also by the same token the bad thing, is that they have facilities and this attracts lots of visitors. Not a bad thing you say, and I would agree, coffee and sausage butties went down great.
It does, however, bring lots of folk out to walk their dogs and kids and themselves. I really mustn’t complain everyone is in the same boat in lockdown, so masks and gel and me and my friend set off to explore the reservoir.
Misty Reflections
Mist adds a little something to an image that would not otherwise be there, and the muted colours adds a significant amount of atmosphere to an image. We really didn’t have to walk far before a lovely image caught my eye. It struck me that there is a lovely shape to the three line that’s growing in the water. It’s probably more accurate to say that the tree’s have fallen over into the water and continued to grow.
There is a nice reflection but the water wasn’t totally still and I didn’t have my tripod with me to have a go at a long exposure shot. I do have a variable ND filter for my 16 to 55 f2.8 lens that is the mainstay of my A6600, but long exposures need shutter speeds of 10 seconds plus and this is just not achievable hand held.
The water or the sky.
Given that this is a public space, the walkways and access across the water, have to constructed to a robust standard. I did take pictures of the bridge across but with it being a public walkway recently constructed it’s not very exciting. What I did spot whilst we walked over the bridge was the second image. There are some better reflections here but it’s the almost indiscernible difference between the sky and the water. This is a very atmospheric and I do like the way that the dark waters lead your eye out towards the horizon, which is hard to tell water from sky. This image would have benefitted from the long exposure shot but that will be the next time we visit.
I can vouch for the coffee at the visitors centre, which was wonderfully well planned to ensure social distancing, but it was time to head off to explore Elton Reservoir. Unless you knew this area you would not know that this was there. Alternatively, you are inquisitive like me and scour OS maps for places to visit. My OS Map App told me that these two locations where very doable, in one day to walk around.
The Green Stuff?
I think that this reservoir is typical of a lot of urban reservoirs in its construction but also in that yacht clubs tend to have a presence. It’s fair to say that there wasn’t as much organised walking around but it was clear where folk had been walking, but it was incredibly muddy once we left the main walking paths.
It intrigued me that you could see green colours in the water, and we discussed the fact that it was a reflection off the moss on the reservoir wall, but on closer inspection it was some form of green algae in the water. Someone can tell me what that is I’m sure.
The Vista
It really was tricky walking around the paths that where essentially mud baths, and we both decided that wellies are required. In fact we came across a family whose little one announced that we shouldn’t walk any further as it was “just to muddy”. Little did he know that there was much more to come the direction they were walking.
This final gives you a sense of the landscape around the reservoir as well as some of the wider sights we could see as we walked (or should I say trudged) along the muddy paths.
You will not be surprised to hear me say that these two locations will get visited again very soon.