The other Golden Hour

As I said yesterday we get two bites at the 'golden hour' cherry.
Today's Blog has pictures taken up on Kings Hill at sunrise.
Kings Hill is between Housesteads Crag and Sewingshields Crag, kit's a fair old hike but, I hope, worthwhile.
When I set out there was no mist about, I thought conditions were right but when I arrived at Kings Hill there were just a few wisps rising from Broomlee Lough over the top of Sewingshields.

 Mist starts to rise from Broomlee Lough and drift across the peak of Sewingshields Crag

I was suprised at the position of the rising sun, in my mind I see Hadrian's Wall running east to west in a straight line but, common sense tells me that's not the case.

I do have a great programme the Photographer's Ephemeris which will show you exactly where the sun, sunrise, sunset or moonrise is at any point of time. Very useful I find.

As the sun started to rise it get very cold, I could see the breath of the Aberdeen Angus cattle keeping me company with their version of the dawn chorus.

Mist increased and it was a constant battle to keep my ND grad filter clear, it's always the same you wait around for ages not doing much and then it's a mad rush to capture images before the moment passes.

My head swivels about checking to see what's happening around me.

Sewingshields Crag

 

Light changes quickly and I zoom in and out trying to find the best composition.

 

 

Leaning across a low point on Hadrian's Wall I catch the sun and the line of the Wall.



Please do not climb on or over Hadrian's Wall, I know it's tempting but it can loosen the stones damaging the Wall and you might fall, one visitor was killed when he stepped back on the Wall at Birdoswald, and fell hitting his head.
I rush back and forwards trying, not always successfully, to stay upright

The Hadrian's Wall Path isn't even and stray bits of rock peak through the grass catching the unwary toe now and again.

Like Excalibur the camera is held aloft while I take the bruises.

The view west along the line of Hadrian's Wall

Couple of years ago I was on Kings Hill at the same time of year. Then the mists were wreathed through the gaps in the crags all the way to Winshields Crag and with the rising early morning sun catching the mist it made a beautiful sight.

I've been hopoing to retake something like that shot but not on this occasion.

The Golden Hour, looking SE from Kings Hill

As I've said in the past I'm useless with Photoshop and try not to do anything other than levels, contrast and sharpening on my photographs (and sometimes I forget the sharpen bit of the process) So colours are as the camera recorded them. I thought this shot was a good example of why it was called The Golden Hour.

Hadrian's Wall as it heads down from Kings Hill and heads up to Sewingshields Crag

I came down to the Pennine Way stile that crosses the Haddrian's Wall Path at this point, making my way up onto the other side of the Wall just for a change of view.

It's a bit of a mad scramble but I hoped it would be worth it. Mother Nature had other plans and hid the sun behind a generous bank of cloud so my efforts came to nothing on this occasion.

Never mind there's always another day.

Thanks for getting this far

As always the pictures are copyright and cannot be used with my written permission.