This week I’ve been up into the Peak District not once, not twice, but thrice, chasing some landscape photography. Higger Tor was my destination on each of these occasions and 7am was my time of arrival each day.
The first occasion was a recce. I didn't even take my camera gear. I wanted to see how the light fell throughout the morning. Plus, having never been up Higger Tor before, I wanted to see the lay of the land. It is so much easier to have an idea prior to the shoot rather than trying to find a shot on the day. Especially for landscape photography at sunrise!
Another view from Higger Tor, those beautiful hues given by the sun just risen over the hills to the left of shot
The second visit was for the shoot. However, despite checking the weather forecast thoroughly the night before, I arrived to find nothing but grey low cloud blocking any light and reducing visibility down to not much. So another bust…..all part of the landscape photography deal here in the UK.
And so to the third visit. We had almost clear skies. There was a bank of cloud low on the horizon, but this would just serve to diffuse some of the light and create haze rather than block the light completely.
The battle was very much on though because, whilst the light was playing ball, the other elements were not. It was freezing. Literally. The ground was frozen, there were pockets of hail fall, and the wind! Well the wind was hard. Driving wind which was blowing the camera all over the place, and not just the camera….I was taking a beating. It was tough. And in those conditions, really difficult to keep motivated whilst I waited for the sunrise.
If you want to experience just how windy it was then check out the video I will be uploading to You Tube this weekend, just click here - Let's Click Photography
I got the shot I wanted, well close enough considering the conditions, but the day itself had only been half the battle. Each of the days I visited meant a 4.45am alarm call; getting up on that third day was tough. Honestly, I almost didn't. I knew what I was in for and another potential disappointment was not that alluring. The 65 minute drive to location, and even worse the 90-100 minute drive back (there’s not much traffic at 5.45 in the morning, but there’s a heck of a lot by mid morning). The lack of sleep. The hike in the dark. The cost of fuel. The freezing conditions! There was a lot to put me off.
But I have learnt over the years that you have to graft for your craft (a saying I heard recently on a podcast - I’m having that!!) and this is all part of that graft. Even on the days when I don’t get a shot I still feel come back feeling good about it……and then I remember I have to work!
View from Higger Tor at Sunrise. Surprise View is on the right hand side and, lurking in the shadows beyond, is the top end of Padley Gorge
And yes, believe it or not, I actually do work haha! Much as I’d love it to, this landscape bit does not pay the bills. So photography for me is all about the work (honestly, I work more now than I ever did before starting this…easy 60-70 hour per week).
And sadly there aren’t really any short cuts in photography. All the gear in the world cannot get you a sunrise shot if you aren’t out before sunrise. The true photography hack is will power and hard work. And so it is that at 4.45am three times this week, I have been up. I’ve been out the door for 5.30am. I’ve been climbing the ascent at 7am. And I have battled the elements. And it was not easy.
…..But if you want the shot in landscape photography, you have to do it; you have to ‘graft for your craft’
Dave
If you are interested in seeing some of the ‘work’ that I get up to, you can click and check out: Bamber Photography & Film