I took a trip to Elterwater to photograph those famous trees on the River Brathay and to film a video telling the story of how I got into photography and ended up living in the Lake District. I wasn’t happy with the video but I did end up with a few nice photos.
When I arrived there was a thick layer of mist on the river and surrounding area. With visibility at times down to just a few meters I wasn’t even able to see across to the other side of the river.
As I waited for the mist to clear I was occasionally treated to glimpses of Birkrigg Park on the other side of the river. The Herdwick sheep were quietly enjoying their breakfast until someone in the distance let off a shotgun sending them scurrying for cover.
The trees that I intended photograph are very well known, unmistakable even when shrouded in mist. I would have liked the them to have been slowly revealed as the mist lifted but the area surrounding them was the last to disappear.
When the mist eventually lifted I was treated to clear blue skies – good for the soul if not good for photography. It was so calm that the surface of the river was like a mirror reflecting the trees beautifully.
As the sun rose in the sky I moved on to photograph the view across Elterwater towards the Langdale Pikes. Whenever I visit the River Brathay I find it impossible to resist stopping and grabbing a few shots of this scene.
One final shot before I left, this time a wider shot to include much more of Elterwater itself. I need to do some research to figure out when the sun will be in the best position to photography this view.