As the 2023 autumn season comes to an end, the weather forecast for the weekend was looking very promising.
Mild daytime temperatures with cold nights and the prospect of frost which create good conditions for a misty morning.
I had one day available, Saturday, so plans were made and alarm set for an early rise the next morning.
Once underway, my hopes for a misty morning were heightened has I passed Bassenthwaite Lake, it was covered in a canopy of mist, then has I drove around Keswick and began the rise up towards Castlerigg, I could see Derwent Water was also covered in mist.
I was very happy, but, once alongside Thirlmere, not an once of mist anywhere, as was Grasmere and Rydal Water, my hopes of seeing any morning mist were now evaporating as fast as the vanishing mists.
As I turned out of Ambleside and headed for Elterwater, signs of mist along the rivers surface, could I be in luck after driving all this way?
I pulled in to the roadside parking area at the Skelwith Bridge Hotel, I was surprised to see it nearly full, surly there wasn’t that many photographers at the River Brathay already, after all it was still 25 minutes to sunrise.
As I opened the gate on to the meadows that border the River, I could only smile to myself, cold conditions, with ground frost, and, banks of mist, YES.
I walked not 50 meters before I had the camera out of the bag, 1 shot, 2 shots, 3 shots, I was in seventh heaven.
I eventually got to the path that follows the rivers route and was planning my pitching point, but has I got closer I could see a line of people, then another couple, then some more, and more, all photographers hunting that elusive photograph, I counted at least 16 in total, in all the years I have been shooting landscape photography, I have never seen this may photographers in one place.
I was late, too late to grab one of the “honey pot” locations, so I had a stroll about, and decided to go up the bank, a place that I have never shot form before.
One set up I stood and watched the ever-changing flow of mist, intertwined with the rising suns light, looking down the river and back towards Elterwater and the Langdale Pikes.
I was perplexed, the views along the river were astonishing, but when turning to my right the views towards the Langdale Pikes were just has enthralling.
I was like a kid in a sweet shop, snap, snap, snap, as the conditions changed and differing compositions came and went.
A hour and a half went in the blink of an eye, some of my fellow photographers had departed the scene so I had a stroll down to the river side to view what compositions were available as the sun began to rise over the ridgeline to the east.
I found a lovely scene which forms the featured image for this post, the sun breaking over the hill to illuminate the mist that was glued to the waters surface and helped pick out the gorgeous reflections in the waters surface.
The sun then began to strike the various copses of trees that are spread around the meadows, it was then a matter of picking out the images that attracted my interest, what I ideally wanted was any side, or backlight autumnal coloured leaves.
I think that I managed a couple of good images, here is one, what do you think of the photo, does it capture the autumnal colours of the leaves, please comment if you wish.
I now began to notice the excellent reflections in the water which were becoming more noticeable as the mists began to rise revealing these lovely images, a example of these views is attached below.
To finish off I could not omit to include one of the many panoramic images that I took which (I think) capture the atmosphere of the morning. All told a thoroughly enjoyable 3 hours, which were arguably the best mornings photography of the year.
Until my next adventure, thank you for finding the time to read this news update, stay safe and enjoy your weekends.
