It’s 2:30am and my alarm is making a noise. I turn it off and start to contemplate just what on earth I’m doing. I convinced myself it would be a good idea to photography the night sky and as I look out the window to see if the sky is clear, there are no excuses to stay in bed.

I wasn’t expecting perfect results on my first attempt, this was more of a fact finding mission where I learn how to plan a shoot, set up my camera and see in the dark. Alport Heights was chosen as the location, it’s one of the taller hills in the area and has several radio masts built on top of it that I believed would provide some interest. Research I had done beforehand showed that the core of the Milky Way would be visible between 3:30–4:30 and at that time the moon wouldn’t be visible.

Many factors have to align so that what I wanted to achieve could happen. Looking back, I realise I’ve enjoyed the preparation and research before even going out with the camera, then when all of that comes together to produce the photograph I first imagined is extremely satisfying. My previous visit to Peak Tor is a great example of a previsualised image and the planning resulting in what I wanted to accomplish.

Below are the photographs from Alport Heights. I couldn’t see the Milky Way as I believe there was too much light pollution, unless returning and improving my technique can help to reveal more detail.

Statistically, Peak Tor isn’t impressive. With an elevation of approx. 190m above sea level and an elevation gain of 85m from the bottom of the Wye valley, it doesn’t sound exciting.
However, if you travel between Rowsley and Bakewell you can’t help but notice it. Peak Tor has a distinctive shape and a cluster of Beach trees sit on top of it. To me it is the “round hill with trees on top” . It sits where the River Wye joins the Derwent and appears to guard this location.

I couldn’t find a composition that worked in the square crop I usually like. Perhaps a location further away or a wide angle lens would suit a square image. The 4:3 aspect in the image above provides context to where Peak Tor sits and the landscape that surrounds it.
The photograph was taken just after sunrise and it looked almost as I imagined it would. I did think the sun with light up the trees more, however I like the patterns the sun hitting the side of the hill has created.

After what feels like an eternity, signs of Spring are starting to show. It was great to go for a walk after work today and see the usual suspects starting to flower. Here we have some Crocus on the left and Snowdrops on the right

I always try to take a camera with me when I go to work. I never know when an oportunity will present itself, either on the road or when im at a site.
This was one such opportunity when near Leicester. I have a unique vantage point near Bradgate Park that offers views over the city.
A telephoto lens compresses the scene and the different light throughout creates distinct layers. I have darkened the clouds at the top to mirror the trees in shadow below.
Within the layers moving upwards we have the A46/A50 junction, County Hall in the middle and Saint Georges tower block (right), Saint Peter’s Boiler House (centre), with an unnamed tower block to the left on the top layer.

Creating this website came with the challenge of learning WordPress, which I’m slowly doing. Something I didn’t see coming was the challenge of answering the question of “why do I take photographs?”

Aside from the usual “I like that” or “to remember a place”, I struggled to put into words just exactly why.
This lead my to think about a project I recently started called “waypoints”. The aim of this is to showcase buildings, structures or other objects that I seem to navigate by or see as being a marker of home or the area I live in. I like to know where an unfamiliar road goes, what that tower on the horizon is or what used to be here. I build up a map in my mind of an area.

So, where does photography fit in? I think it’s just another way for me to create this map in my mind. If I want to photograph something I will look at it from different positions, in different light or different times of day. Perhaps this leads me to feel more connected to the area I live or visit.

For now, the “about me” page will remain in the draft phase, but I think I’m getting a little closer to publishing it.