News – Page 2 – Tony Tomlinson Photography

10/11/202410/11/2024

Using my new Camera for the first time

Autumn, Borrowdale-Valley, Cumbria, Grange, Lakedistrict, Landscape, long-exposure, River-Derwent, tony-tomlinson-photography, UK

The proof is in the eating, so they say, so after waiting for several weeks to trade my old photography system and receiving my new, Its finally time to try the camera and lenses out.

The light as been pants for the last two weekends, but I had to bite the bullet and get out, so on a overcast, grey and damp day, I’m off to try out my new camera.

I headed for Grange, in the Borrowdale valley with the aim of looking for some compositions of the River Derwent as the water is crystal clear, along with a trek through the woodlands to capture some autumnal colours.

Once you have used one camera, you can use any, (so they say) and to a point this is true, but I soon ran in to muscle memory issues as I was instinctively going for buttons that I have been using for 20 years or more.

It will take time to become accustomed to the new layout, but the issues are not insurmountable, presently these minor issues are just slow me down a little.

Photography wise, I was struggling, the light was pants, and I have missed the best of the autumnal colours, however I found a little beck with moss coloured rocks and brown autumnal coloured leaves scattered around the scene so I took a little time to compose a image. Not the best in the world, but a reasonably interesting one.

The river levels were low, a reflection of the reduced rainfalls recently, the lovely turquoise coloured pools drew my attention, but compositions were hard to come by.

I found one large pool called “Wilkinson’s Dub” which was a lovely colour, with a shrub on the far bank being reflected in the water, so I used a K&F polarizing filter to remove some of the glare to try and get a different type of image, this image is below, do you think it works?

I then came across a disused quarry which provided some contrast to the remaining autumnal colours of the woods.

As I trekked through Low and High Hows Woods I took a couple of snaps, one of a tree which, to me had a branch that looked like a birds face, can you see it?

OM-1 Conclusion:

Of course it will take some time to become fully accustomed to the OM-1 camera and its controls, I still need to customise some functions, but this will be done in time.

My main concern was one the quality of the images, as the four thirds sensor is substantially smaller than the full frame variant that I have been using for many years. I wont know the full answer to this question until I print a A2 sized print to make this assessment.

One big positive is that after two and a half hours lugging all all my new kit around in my backpack, I managed this with no issues, the weight saving was very obvious, long may this last.

07/11/2024

Time to Change.

tony-tomlinson-photography, om-1-kmII-camera

I have been reviewing my photography exploits for 2024 and found that this year has been the lowest number of location visits and number of images that I have taken for many years.

Upon reflection there are a number of reasons for this, family matters have taken precedence, which has impacted on my availability for photography activities, however the main reason is that I have lost my enthusiasm for photography, I have, on many occasions planned to get out into the landscape, only to knock it on the head for the most trivial of reasons.

During this summer when I have been out, I have really struggled to carryy the weight and bulk of my photography gear.

Don’t get me wrong, the Canon equipment that I have used for 23 years has served me very well, and provided many excellent image quality, but boy, is it heavy and bulky.

So, upon the chance conversation with a fellow photographer, I was introduced to the world on four thirds photography.

I dully carried out some research, and assessed what equipment was available, and would this meet my needs.

I was very conscious that the four thirds sensor is substantially smaller than that of a full frame one, which I have become accustomed to using, but the 4/3 system brings massive benefits by way of camera and lens weight and size.

Rightly, or wrongly (only time will tell) I took the plunge, and decided to trade-in my full frame Canon equipment and purchase the following OM equipment

OM-1 Mk II CameraZuiko Digital ED 60mm f2.8 macro lens

M.Zuiko Digital ED 7-14mm f2.8 Pro lens

M.Zuiko Digital ED 12-40 f2.8 Pro lens

M.Zuiko Digital ED 40-150mm f2.8 Pro lens

M.Zuiko Digital ED 100-400 f5-6.3 IS lens

These OM items directly replaced the following:

Canon R5 Camera
Canon RF 14-36 RF f4 L lens
Canon RF 24-105 FR f7 L lens
Canon RF 85mm f2 macro USM lens
Canon EF 70-200 f4 L lens
Canon RF 100-400 f5.6/8 USM Lens
Canon RF 100-500 f4.5/7.1 L lens

This change of equipment has provided me with a weight saving of approximately 2.3Kgs over my previous canon equipment.

All I need now is some decent weather to get out with the new OM equipment, and check the quality it produces, I print up to A3 size, so it will be an interesting comparison once I print a couple of Images.

I am looking forward to having a much lighter bag to cart about though.

05/10/202405/10/2024

This Scene is worth the trip across the Atlantic.

Harpers-Ferry, West-Virginia, Maryland, USA

This Scene is worth the trip across the Atlantic. (Thomas Jefferson, the 3^rd U.S President, 1783)

I recently visited my son and his wife who now lives in Frederick, Maryland, USA.

The area of America was originally populated with Europeans, mostly German, hence the many German sounding towns, such as Frederick, Gettysburg and Chambersburg, with a smattering of English sounding towns, namely, Cumberland, Carlisle, Bedford, and York

We visited a small historic town of Harpers Ferry, this town, which is located in Jefferson County, West Virginia, near the Blue Ridge Mountains and at the joining of the Shenandoah River (now there are the lyrics of a very well know song, can you name it?) and Potomac River, which continues to flow to Washington D.C. I was very surprised to learn of the history of this small town, it has a population of only 269, but thousands of visitors arrive throughout the year.

A link to information about Harpers Ferry can be found here.

Chesapeake & Ohio Canal

Harpers Ferry as mentioned stands on a small headland where the Shenandoah and Potomac rivers join, but it is also the site of the first man made canal in the USA, this being the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal, this was used to transport various cargo’s from Cumberland, Maryland to Washington D.C. Unfortunately, the arrival of the railways saw the decline and ultimate closure of the canal.

A link to more information about the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal can be found here.

Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Bridge — The remaining bridge crossing what remains of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal

Railroads

The first railway company to begin services to Washington was the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, with the creation of Harpers Ferry station, with two bridges which cross the Potomac River and enters the Harpers Ferry Tunnel on the eastern shore of the river. We were standing not 6 feet away for the railway, when three massive locomotives trundled past us pulling a huge, long train containing gravel, the train took over 5 minutes to pass us.

U.S Locomotive crossing the Potomac River at Harpers Ferry

Rivers

We walked along the shore of the Shenandoah River when we came across a flood marker, the height of these floods was shocking, the highest mark being 29.4 feet above where we stood which was the flood of January 1996.

When we were there the Shenandoah River was flowing high and fast due to the recent high levels of rainfall from Storm Helene falling in the mountains, the water being dark brown in colour, however when we walked along the rail bridge which crosses the Potomac River, these water s were crystal clear, a strange phenomenon to view.

A link to more information about the Shenandoah River can be found here.

A link to more information about the Potomac River can be found here.

Looking from the Shenandoah River (dirty water) towards the Potomac River (clear water)

Looking from the Potomac River (clear water) towards the Shenandoah River (dirty water)

Looking towards the Shenandoah River with fast flowing flood water. Also in the photo is the old bridge supports of a bridge which was washed away in a flood.

Potomac-River, Harpers-Ferry, West-Virginia, Maryland, USA — Looking down the Potomac River from the Jefferson Rock

Jefferson Rock

We headed up the side of the mountain to visit the Jefferson Rock, named after the man, himself, which is a rock which is perilously balanced on a lower rock, it is this view which the quote at the start of this article came from. Around 1860 the four sandstone support stones were added to prevent the top stone falling into the valley below which now contained domestic dwellings, these remain to this day.

Jefferson Rock with the four supporting columns which were added at a later date.

A link to more information about Jefferson Rock can be found here.

Within the town of Harpers Ferry, the authorities are determined to hold onto the history of the town, and to help this, the locals dress in historical clothing, with notices and signage being written in a historical manner. Typical buildings that demonstrate this historical heritage are the St Peters Roman Church, with the current version being built in 1896.

St Peters Roman Catholic Church, Harpers-Ferry, West-Virginia, Maryland, USA — St Peters Roman Catholic Church

The Harpers Ferry General store also demonstrates the historical elements of this town.

Harpers-Ferry-General-Store, Harpers-Ferry, West-Virginia, Maryland, USA — Harpers Ferry General Store.

The day was very enjoyable, and surprisingly informative, with more memories made with my son and his wife who we don’t see enough of.

Oh, by the way, did you guess the name of the song? It is Take me Home, Country Roads, written by John Denver the lyrics can be found here.

02/09/202402/09/2024

Ullswater: My Nemisis

Ullswater is a bit of a nemesis for me, I’ve visited it many times, but rarely have I come away with many portfolio images.

This weekend was a fine example, the forecast for Saturday was ideal, but my glass back ensured that I was unable to make the trip, so the second best option was to visit on the Sunday even thought he forecast was nothing special.

I arrived well before sunrise so that I could find a good viewpoint, but was hindered by the shear number of wild campers along the shore of the lake, not that I have any problem with them, its just that I like to keep my distance from the tents, especially being about so early.

A mooch about didn’t find anything worth photographing, just one blue hour panoramic image along the lake looking towards Pooley Bridge from Glencoyne Bay, I decided to convert this to black & white during post processing.

Ullswater Panoramic

I then re-retraced my tracks back along the lake shore towards Mossdale Bay to find the boathouse.

I captured an O.K image from here where I tried to use the brickwork and character of the building to tell a story about the image. do you think I have achieved this, please let me know by way of a comment?

Ullswater Boathouse

From here I didn’t find anything worth photographing, so I drove up to Brothers Water to see if there was anything interesting there.

When I arrived at Brothers Water, the lakes surface was flat calm, but by the time I picked out a composition the wind had picked up causing ripples along the waters surface. So the waiting began, I was sure the wind would drop and allow me to get a nice reflection shot, waiting is the name of the game after all.

Hartsop Dodd reflection in Brothers Water

I got chatting to a fellow photographer who was present, he being from Cockermouth and me from Maryport. We had a interesting chat about all this photography, then said our farewells.

As I was about to leave, I decided to get a shot of the lone copse of trees on the edge of the lake, this image was probably the best of the morning, see below.

Copse of Trees

On reflection, another visit to Ullswater with no decent photos, flat light, and lack of compositions seen to this. This is why I see Ullswater as my nemesis, its a place where I rarely come away with anything special.

Still it was nice to get out again, as I need to make more of an effort and start getting out into the landscape more often.

Many thanks for reading, stay safe until the next news article from me.

29/07/202429/07/2024

Crummock Water, Changing for Ever

Tony-Tomlinson-Photography.co.uk, Crummock-Water, Weir,

During a recent photo session at Crummock Water I did a little research for the news feed on my web site, what I found was a bit of an eye-opener, so if you are not aware, here is a brief outline of the planned changes which Untied Utilities want to happen with these being completed by the end of 2028.

United Utilities have, for many years, extracted water from Crummock Water for the West Cumbria area.
As part of Untied Utilities legal obligation to operating a reservoir, they are required to conduct regular weekly inspections, as well as a 10-year inspection undertaken by an independent Qualified Civil Engineer (QCE). In the previous inspection by the QCE at Crummock Water, repairs and upgrade work was identified which needed to be carried out by 2028 to comply with the Reservoir Safety Act 1975.

The work would require replacement of the weir, improved overflow system and replacement of the wave wall. If Crummock Water was retained, significant construction and disruption would be required. This would also introduce large expanses of new concrete and assets that would have a significant impact both visually, and to the environment.

The need for additional works is reviewed every 10 years in-line with current legislation, so there is no guarantee that if the weir was kept, the site may still require significant additional investment in 10 years’ time.

In a nutshell, to keep Crummock Water as it is today, it is going to cost Untied Utilities to maintained the weir and ensure it is safe.

So, to save United Utilities a few pounds, they are suggesting that as the current weir does not provide any flood attenuation benefit to help manage flood risk downstream, removal of the weir would be the most cost-effective method for them.

Removal of the weir will lower the outlet level within Crummock by approximately 1.35 meters, with the new outlet from Crummock Water consisting of two naturalised river channels, each approximately five meters wide.

The two new outlet channels, combined with a natural ‘rougher’ surface act as a throttle, holding back water during a storm event and slow the flow of water passing forward from the lake in comparison with the existing forty-meter-wide smooth outlet weir.

Park Beck work will remove this concrete channel and return the natural curves of the watercourse. This would reduce the rate at which the water enters into Crummock Water, with multiple channels that would create several points of entry during high flows and remove the pathway for flood water to bypass Crummock Water and flow straight into the River Cocker.

What does this all mean to the current weir and extract point for Crummock Water, firstly all existing concrete structures plus pumping station are to be removed, the level of the lake is to be reduced by 1.35 meters and returning the area its natural habitat.

Image produced by United Utilities of how the proposed changes will look at the western end of Crummock Water.

Image produced by United Utilities of how the proposed changes will look at Park Beck entry into Crummock Water

How do Untied Utilities propose to manage the large volume of water that is to be extracted from the lake, after all it is a substantial size, it is 2.5 miles long, 0.6 miles wide, and has an area of 2.5 square kilometers, that will be sizable volume of water that needs to be released, water from Crummock water flows into the River Cocker, which then runs in to the River Derwent at Cockermouth, onwards into the see at Workington?

United Utilities have produced a series of images which demonstrate how the reduced lake levels may impact on Crummock Water as a whole.

Once the works start, entry to the Lanthwaite Car Park, Lanthwaite Woods and access to the lakes circular footpath will be prohibited.

Currently there is access around the full shoreline of Crummock Water, it remains to be seen if United Utilities are committing to keep access available to the public as there is a distinct lack of bridges and pathways in the above images?

There will be substantial upheaval and disruption during construction works with enabling works and construction works lasting a planned 3 years.

Further information about the proposed changes at Crummock water can be found at:
https://www.unitedutilities.com/Crummock/
https://www.unitedutilities.com/globalassets/documents/pdf/crummock-panels-september-2023.pdf
https://www.unitedutilities.com/globalassets/documents/pdf/crummock-bed-level.pdf

07/07/2024

Crummock Water – A summers sunrise

tony-tomlinson-photograohy.co.uk, Crummock-Water, summer sunrise,

Having spent the last 6 weekends on short holidays, visiting family, or attending concerts, it was time to drag my backside out of my bed and get out with the camera again.

The weather forecast was a bit hitty or missy, but what the heck, the alarm was set for the ridiculously early time of 3.15am, even though I was only going to Crummock Water, which is about 30 minutes travel time from where I live.

The car was parked, and I was of towards the lake, well before sunrise, with the hope of some misty conditions, has I had driven through some thick pockets of mist on my journey here.

I arrived at the lake side and took some time to take in the view and conditions, we had mist was floating along the waters surface, with me hoping for some colour to be cast into the sky as the sun rose over the hills to the east.

tony-tomlinson-photography.co.uk, Crummock-Water, Sunrise, Mist, — Red Pike Panoramic

A took a couple of images during the Blue Hour, mainly to check composition and framing, it was not long before we had some hint of pink in the shy to the west, everything was looking good.

The waters surface suddenly became alot calmer, which produced a mirror like surface, things were going form good to great, I snapped away over a period of 40 minutes as the conditions were ever-changing, switching between 4 x 3 format and panoramic format.

Tony-Tomlinson-Photography.co.uk, Crummock-Water, Sunrise, Summer, — Crummock Water Sunrise

After a hour or so, I decided to move further round the shoreline to get a different perspective on things.

We had some lovely light, mist and reflections on display, I was as happy as a kid in a candy store.

Once the sun was up and above the hills, I tried my hand at a bit of woodland photography as there were some interesting shaped trees along the shoreline, admittingly, I do struggle with woodland photography, I find it so hard to pick out interesting aspects of the confusion.

This got my brain cells working, try and find some interesting foreground to complement the gorgeous scenes along the lake, so off I set trying to pick out items that I thought would add a interesting element to the photo.

Tony-Tomlinson-Photography.co.uk, Crummock-Water, Summer- Valley, Mountains — The valley formed by the Rannerdale Knotts and Red Pike

I also threw on the telephoto lens to pick out detail of the scenes in front of me, I was in full flow now, and was so pleased that i had found the desire to get up and out with the camera, hopefully the flame has been re-ignited.

During the three hours that I was at Crummock water, I only saw two other people who were walking their dog. What a really enjoyable morning I had, and a couple of decent photos to boot.

Thank you for taking the time to read this news update, and until next time, take care and stay safe.