Last Light over Winnat's Pass

[Lesley Jones]

As usual, things went a bit pear-shaped the morning I was supposed to leave for the Peak District and I didn't set off until lunch time. Arriving just before 6.00 p.m. I thought there was still plenty of time to drive up to this pass, climb the lowest bank and walk along the edge. It was a horrible trek up a near vertical hill and everywhere was covered in stinging nettles. Even worse was the fact that the sun plunged behind me some 45 minutes before sunset. I literally rushed out to the edge (and yes... that is a road at the bottom), threw down my tripod and grabbed the last of the light on the opposite ridge.

It's a good thing I'm not bothered by heights...

 

[Rob MacKillop]

Beautiful. The road really lifts the picture, I think.

 

[Beth Carter]

gorgeous! love the soft light and comp. you can't tell you were rushed with this photo.

 

[Milan Vjestica]

The timing looks good. The lighting adds some nive contrast.

 

[Chris Dodkin]

Worth the hustle Lesley - lovely scene, and the light looks superb

I like the way you've used the grass in the foreground to frame it all out - very nice

 

[Brian Moore]

Great shot and lovely light, Lesley.

 

[Lesley Jones]

Worth the hustle Lesley - lovely scene, and the light looks superb

I like the way you've used the grass in the foreground to frame it all out - very nice

Grass in the foreground Chris - it meant I wasn't about to plunge over the edge. The cliffs on my side were almost vertical. Cars going up and down the pass looked like ants. (Interesting point... this is now the only way out of Castleton in this direction as the main road passing under the "Shivering Mountain" in the distance suffered from a severe landslide back in the 1970s). It was fun driving up here at 4.30 in the morning to find sheep fast asleep on the road

 

[Dan Cattermole]

Beautiful!! Love what you've done here.
I'm all for stories behind the acheivement of photographs. A photo is a photo, but with a story I feel that it can be more apreciated with what and how it was achieved. I've wrote essays on some of my shots in the past, and enjoyed every moment of writing it.
Love it Lesley! Get in!!

 

[Julian de'Courcy]

Lesley glad you got home safe and as Dan says the story adds depth to an image. Just wish I could climb such hills. Love this type of view and have seen many in the past in the Beacons, when you arrive at the top not knowing what is over the edge on the other side and it is just a big WoW when the view reveals itself.

 

[Ralph Thornton]

There's a lot of potential in this location. The light on the right summit is quite nice and the flows of the terrain is pleasing. I like the composition. What do you think of the jet contrails?

 

[Chris Dodkin]

Ralph, I getting that you try an exclude any influence of mankind from your images?

 

[Ralph Thornton]

Ralph, I getting that you try an exclude any influence of mankind from your images?

Not always. But I do prefer natural landscapes. Clouds can be such beautiful additions to a scene especially when they have such beautiful and delicate designs or colors. But jet contrails often cut through those patterns like a knife. So I try to avoid them when ever can. It's a personal preference though and I understand not everyone feels that way.

 

[Pete Askew]

Not much more I can add Lesley other than to add that I think it's a lovely shot also. The contrail doesn't worry me too much and I quite like the way it sort of mirrors the road. The light is super and you caught it just in time by the look of it. Especially on the distant hill.

 

[Lesley Jones]

I'm in two minds about the contrails. They are certainly a reminder that the scene isn't entirely "natural" and yet in the three days I was in the Peak District, I doubt I could have got every shot without them. Certainly the last evening on Higger Tor had dozens of them at any one time if you turned all the way around - this is a small country with a lot of air traffic. I think a wind blown contrail could add more interest to a sky than no cloud at all. I'm not for removing elements of a photograph unless absolutely necessary and I would never replace one sky for a better one. For instance, although I waited for a few cars to pass, if there had been no time left then I would be happy to remove the little distracting specks. It's just a personal thing. I will polish up the truth a bit, but I won't lie about what was really there

 

[Beth Carter]

But jet contrails often cut through those patterns like a knife. So I try to avoid them when ever can. It's a personal preference though and I understand not everyone feels that way.

not too hard when you live in montana.. try living near an international airport. or, like me, an air force base where if you don't hear a plane take off every 10 minutes you wonder if there's a problem.