The simplest of walks.

 No matter how short the walk I have got into the habit of always taking the camera. The best photo opportunities will always happen when you have left it at home.
 Just as I was letting the hounds out for a leg stretch this evening I saw the sun setting over in the west. Out of our track and onto the lane gave me a better view of the scene so I quickly moved into a position for a decent compostion. It's hard not to take the same old view with the setting sun so the challenge was to turn a simple view into something more interesting.

Snow lane.

 I felt that here the sun reflecting off the banks of snow really helped to lead the eye into the picture and the small tree just hid the sun a bit so that it didnt look too burnt out. Sunsets can be very nice but personally unless the sky colours are naturally "stunning" and not overdone in Lightroom I find them a bit boring. Much better to let nature do its job and as a photographer look for and capture a composition that does the sunset justice.

 Following this shot I had time to walk further down the lane in this picture towards the trees, the hounds were having a good run round anyway. Down in the trees the sun was filtered by the branches but it was the melt water on the tarmac which caught my eye as it was picking up the sun nicely.

Gold Road.

So I got two pictures for the price of one. What did I say about taking the camera with me?

 

Goldsborough Gold

 Another evening for a late walk. This time I drove a short distance though the village of Cotherstone and up the dale towards Hury reservoir. Further on I parked along the quite road and set off up to Goldsborough. Yet again the moor was well covered in snow which made it difficult going. As we headed up the hill away to our right I could see the sun over Shacklesborough at this time hidden behind one lone cloud but with the possibility of dropping down inot the open shortly.

Goldsborough.

With perfect timing the sun lit up the flanks of the low crag, blue sky above and warm glowing snow. There wasn't going to be much time before the sun sank below the hoizon so we stepped out to reach the top of the hill. Deep snow on uneven ground doesnt make for a quick pace but we did it and still with time to spare..just.

Sundown.

From below the crags we got the best view of the sun, its glow reflecting off the icy surface of the snow. It was perfect and my efforts had been rewarded.

 As usual these photos where taken with just the Lumix, no filters or tricks and the colours as they were captured in camera, why did I need to do any more? Nature at its best.

 

The snowy wastes.

 It wasn't until later in the day when I was able to get out with the dogs for a decent walk and it looked promising for a good bit of light towards the end of the day. I headed off up to West Plantation and a track that leads up to Gilmonby Moor. The snow was still fresh and deep with no signs of previous visitors. During the day the sun had been quite warm and this had thawed some of the snow. The unusual thing was that the loose snow had thawed quicker than and that had even been slightly compacted so as I walked I could see the tracks of birds and small aminals and their marks were standing proud of the surrounding snow.

Grouse Tracks.

The low evening sun cast shadows from the tracks....very odd. As we progressed onwards the gate to the morr was so deep in snow drift that instead of opening it we just stepped over it. Now out on to the open moor the going was very tough, at least a foot of fresh snow, in places solid enough to take my weight but the next step down into the depths, hard work. It seemed like ages before we reached the lunch hut which sits alone on the moor. Today it looked not unlike Scotts Hut with the low sun and whiteness.

The Lunch hut.

There was quite a stong wind in the cold air and with the sun disappearing fast it was time to re-trace my steps..yet more hard work but at least this time I was able to use the footsteps in the snow that I had made previously.

The last of the sun.

Soon we were back in the plantation and it was just about dark as we reached home. Well worth the effort to see this sort of scenery and light.

 

 

And still there is snow.

 Never would I have thought that here in late March I would still be out getting photogrpahs that were more akin to deep winter. At least some of the lanes were bing cleared so I ventured back up to the lanes that were filled in with snow on recent days.

The sheep were still roughing it out round the feeders.

The road near us continues up to a couple more remote farms which must have been cut off over the past few days and it was good to see the council workers clearing the route so they could get out.

Snow blower in action.

The walls that line the lane are stone but quite fragile so the snow blower was called in to throw the snow up and over the barrier which made for quite an impressive sight.

 Still no sign of a thaw here though.

 

Andy Beck Images- a bit of background.

 I just thought that I would post a bit of background on myself and my photographs mainly for those who have just found me and my work through various media.

 Yep, that's me.

I am fortunate enough to actually be a full time professional artist and this is me in my studio (with one of my photographs not a painting). We live in a farmhouse in Teesdale, County Durham, high on the North Pennines.

 To me photography is a hobby which brings in an income which suppliments my artwork. I love going out and finding those subjects which have the potential for a good photograph or even a future painting whether it is locally here in the dale or further afield. Our location means that we are ideally situated to reach areas such as the Yorkshire Dales or the Lake District in a short space of time.

 I am not only a self taught artist but also a self taught photographer. My early days with a camera were in the mid '70's with a Zenith 35mm and then an Olympus OM1 and I learnt to develop and print my own photographs in a basic darkroom. (Those were the days). Nowadays I, like most photographers have moved on a bit with the advancement of digital kit. However, I would like to think that my early experiences have given me a great base for my current work.

 Quite a few people seem to be surprised that nearly all my current photographs have been taken on a fairly straightforward compact camera, a Panasonic Lumix LX5.

Lumix LX5

To me this camera is a great little camera, it's simple, robust, shoots in RAW as well as Jpeg and has a reasonable zoom. Nearly all the time I shoot with it set on Manual or Aperture Priority as this gives me control of the shots.

 Occassionally I use a Canon 350d, even though this has a lower resolution it does allow me to fit filters for certain shots. However, more and more I just use the Lumix. Shortly I will possibly invest in a decent DSLR with a better range and quality.

 As you may have seen in my photographs, I like to experiment a bit in my subjects even though most are landscapes I find it enjoyable to pick detail from the environment such as trees and walls. It makes it more interesting for me and hopefully for you as the viewer.

I tend to do as little work on the images as possible on the computer. I only use Photoshop Elements, this is to tweak the levels, sharpness and even at times the colour. To me, the image should be "real" and not an overworked computer enhanced fantasy. They may have their place but not in my portfolio I'm afraid.

 Selling my work is not my highest priority but it is nice when it happens. There are plenty of other wonderful photographers out there who I can't compete with and nor would I want to. No, to me, to get out with the dogs, always take the camera and look for a possible shot is all I am about. The fact that so many of you seem to enjoy what I do is all well and good. Hopefully I will inspire you to get out there yourselves and enjoy the landscape and look at it anew and hopefully get your own decent shots.

Have fun!

If you would like to see my artwork then do take a look at my website: www.theteesdalegallery.co.uk or even become a follower to this blog.

Thanks.

Andy



 

Wild winter.

 Today was really a case of revisitng the locations of yesterday. No one was travelling far in this weather but at least today the sunshine made a welcome appearance. There was no let up in the stong winds though.
 Walking back up to the Sleightholme lane I was quite surprised to see that since yesterdays visit an attempt had been made to clear the deep drifts. However, no sooner had the diggers done their best but it left a gap for more snow to take its place. Impressively, the dumped snow now formed high peaks on the lane edge and in the sunshine it looked like mountain peaks.

Mountain Ridge?

Apart from the fencepost which is above the wall height this could be mistaken for an unknown ridge of Munroes...out of scale of course.

 I made my way as yesterday along towards West Plantation. Today the drifts were much deeper so I decided to take some shots of the sheep which were sheltering along side the wall. The light snow coated their fleeces and made a dramatic scene.

Snow Sheep.

The balck and white simplicity seems to make this scene bleak and harsh, just how it was. Swaledale Sheep are a hardy breed and they stay out all year. Cold and snow is better than heavy rain I suppose.

And the snow came...again

  Well, the forecasts were right. Along with strong winds we have had an overnight fall of snow which has found us blocked in. No chance of driving anywhere today so it was a case of walking around the local vicinity. Mind you, it did look rather different with the snow banked up againt the walls and filling the lanes. The spindrift swirled around any obstacle forming neat shapes on the leeward side.

Sleightholme Lane.

Beyond this point there are three dwellings, no chance of them driving along here today. The lane was completely filled in for the next 500m. The form of the snow was quite graceful in shape.

The Winter Wall.

 This wall leads towards West Plantation. To get here we had to cross fields where the snow had been almost blown clear. As a consequence of the wind the banks of snow reached many wall tops forming deep drifts. It was dramatic and picturesque but a harsh environment. Soon it was back to the house and the warmth.