04/05/2011

Slipping and sliding

Quarter past four when the alarm went off this morning, it was unbelievably hard to persuade myself that I wanted to get out of a warm bed and head out into a frost covered morning.
I'd looked at Metcheck last night and I knew the weather was about to change so if I didn't go out this morning then it might be a long wait for my next opportunity.
So off I went to Cuddys Crag, I was tempted to stop at Cawfields, some nice mist gathering there but I pressed on to the Cuddys Crag layby.
The climb up was hard this morning, I was puffing and panting fit to bust, I don't know why some mornings I find it more difficult than others, but I do.
Not so much mist about here but it was looking nice with a covering of frost, so I set my tripod into the regulation grooves ( just kidding, but so many pictures are taken from this exact spot that there should be an 'X' marks the spot)


The classic viewpoint for Cuddys Crag with Hadrian's Wall running through the frame.

Once again a lack of cloud meant my opportunity for photographs would be short, the sun is coming up straight into the camera and very quickly becomes too bright.
Twenty past five and the sun was appearing I dashed up and down getting as many variations as I could.


The sun rises over Hadrian's Wall, in the foreground is Housesteads Crag

I read in one of my camera magazines last month that flare in a shot is the new vogue, so I have left some in todays picture, I'm not a fan of flare but sometimes it's unavoidable and it's the very beggar to get rid of in Phoroshop, well for a photoshop-phobe like me it's all but impossible.




Light filters through the gap between Cuddys Crag and Housesteads Crag
By ten to six I was heading over to Housesteads Fort for a quick check, sheep and lambs were just starting the day and I quite liked the long shadows they cast so I'm including that picture as well.


The Bradley Farm sheep grazing around Housesteads

As I was making my way down the grassy slope at Housesteads I slipped and I was carrying my camera on my tripod with ND grad in the holder, the filter broke into several bits and at £50 to replace them it made it an expensive trip. Fortunately it was probably coming up to time to renew it anyway I would have cried had it been a new one!
BTW I love Lee filters but they are almost impossible to get, everywhere is waiting for stock, so I buy HiTech Filters and they work just as well and they're cheaper.

As always photographs are copyright of Joan Thirlaway and cannot be used without written permission

2 comments:

David Richardson said...

As usual very atmospheric shots. Other than slipping and loosing a filter I bet it was nice to be about on your without any other souls!

JoT said...

Thankyou David, I'm always glad that I make the effort once I'm there.