Anglezarke - In Colour
The forecast said "mist". MIST! A phenomenon vanishingly rare around these parts it seems, but here was the Met Office with their super computers predicting the stuff for an hour or two just after sunrise on Tuesday morning. This seemed like an event worth getting out of bed early for. As it turned out, I overslept slightly, creakily getting up just in time to see a spectacular sunrise through my kitchen window and cursing myself for not having the willpower to have been up a little bit sooner.
Anyway, looking out across my next door neighbours garden I can usually see The Nab, with Rivington behind it, but on this morning Rivington was not to be seen and The Nab was looking a little murky, so I decided against going back to bed and got dressed instead.
Twenty minutes later I was driving along Higher House Lane, trying to decide on the best location to head for. To my right, The Nab, now much closer, looked pretty clear of any residual mist whatsoever, so pressing on to Anglezarke reservoir seemed like a smart move, it lies at the bottom of a valley and is a large body of water, perhaps the mist would be gathering there?
As I continued along the lane, I came across a gap in the hedgerow on my left revealing White Coppice and the fields before it. This is where the mist was to be found! I hastily jumped out of the car, set the camera on the tripod and took a few shots before continuing on to Anglezarke where I was certain there would be even more mist!
There wasn't, not a hint of the stuff, but the trees looked good and the light was nice, so I just hung around there for a couple of hours rather than doubling back and heading over to White Coppice.
On this occasion I'd brought the Nikon Z8 + 24-70 f/2.8S. As light levels were low, most of these images were shot on a tripod and the woodland shots in particular were taken with a CPL adjusted to minimise reflection on the foliage and boost the perceived colour.
Whereas last week's selection from the same area looked better in black and white, I think these work better in colour. Maybe it's down to the light? Last weeks set were taken later in the day and the light was much harsher, here it's shortly after sunrise and what mist there was in the air above the woods was acting like a huge softbox, diffusing the light to give a more delicate look. my mood during editing and the cameras used may also have had an impact.
The Misty Moors
This is the view that made me stop and jump out of the car. I took a number of shots at this location, including some with the 70-180 f/2.8, but this was the one that, for me at least, captured the atmosphere of the morning the most.
Shortly After Sunrise
Before I headed into the woods at Anglezarke, I took a short wander in the opposite direction towards Stronstrey Bank, to see if there was much sign of the mist around there. There was a little bit as you can see here, but nothing compared to what I'd seen earlier looking across the fields, so I turned back and headed into the woods instead.
Autumn is Coming
There's definitely a hint of autumn creeping into palette on this shot. This is looking across the reservoir. What looks like a hill in the distance is actually just the trees on the far bank.
Line of Defence
An interesting row of trees that line the East shore.
Over The Wall
This one's become a bit of a favourite tree for me along this stretch of the shore.
A Pile of Rocks
Here the light on the mossy rocks caught my attention. It's a shame there's such a big gap in the canopy on the top left, I think it throws the balance out a little. I did try for other compositions, but this was about as good as it got. Still, the light on those rocks is nice.
Dam of Doom
Looking North towards the Heapey embankment, this is the dam that's kept me out of these woods for the best part of two years as they've been rebuilding it. Having visited it a number of times during that period, I can confirm that they had a massive team working on it to get the job done and the road open again as quickly as possible. Why, on one occasion, I think I counted nearly four engineers on site.
The Watcher
Another one that doesn't quite work as intended. I was drawn to the view of the distant tree through a gap in the nearby foliage, with the contrasting colours of the balsam and turning leaves. More nicely lit rocks in the foreground should have acted as a counterbalance, but I couldn't find a vantage point that quite worked (I think I'm backed up against a particularly agressive holly bush at this point).
Crumbling Walls
I love the crumbling dry stone walls dotted around this place. I'm unsure if they were built as boundaries for the reservoir or date back to earlier smallholdings from before the valley was flooded. Either way I bet they've seen some sights. Pity they're in such a serious state of disrepair.
Here Comes The Sun
By this point (about an hour in and 500ft along the waterfront) the sun had risen high enough to spill light into the valley, although it was still hidden behind a curtain of mist lingering over the moors.
The Crowd Goes Wild
A slightly off the wall personification here, but the two trees at the end look like a dancing couple, holding their finishing move while the trees in the foreground give them a standing ovation.
None Shall Pass
The end of the line for this particular route.
