Blink and it’s May
A landscape photography blog by Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire based landscape photographer Rob Thorley Photography.
It had been a busy few weeks if not months. I was doing most of my videography “practice” sessions up on The Roaches. It’s local and very convenient for myself. I also know the location very well, which is a bonus when wanting to find things to practise on.
I hadn’t been busting a gut to get out for sunrise. For one the weather had been a bit pants, and more generally given that I was in “video mode” I’d been leaving my main camera gear at home and travelling much lighter.
The image below is one of the few stills that I took during this period. The shot is a little twist on one of the “classic” compositions of Hen Cloud from The Roaches. What caught my eye with this compostion was the way the image was layering up. In my mind the gorse was mirroring the angles formed by the mid ground and Hen Cloud, which I thought was very pleasing.
Hen Cloud through the gorse.
During this time I also headed out a little further afield to Danebridge. It felt like it was the annual pilgrimage to the Bluebells. I actually shot more video of the River Dane whilst I was there and came away from the Bluebells thinking I’d just photographed exactly the same images as last year. Whilst coming away with “exactly” the same images as the previous year is probably a failing on my part I think if I go out to photograph bluebells in 2025 I’ll need to find myself a different location.
One thing I did do when I went to Danebridge was to go later in the day. I recalled from my visit last year that I thought the bluebells would be better with some afternoon sunlight coming through the canopy. I was pleased for one that I’d remembered that little nugget of information, and for two I think I was right.
Bluebells at Danebridge in the Peak District National Park.
It was on the way home from Danebridge however that I captured probably my favourite image of late. I don’t shoot too many of my landscape photographs in black and white but this edit just seemed to suit the subject. Whilst taking the image I also made a mental note that the spot I was in and more broadly speaking the surrounding area had a lot of potential for autumn and misty mornings.
Black and white photograph of trees at Danebridge.
I appreciate this post is a bit of a ramble bit I hope you’ve still enjoyed it, and the images shared.
You can view more images from my gallery of other Peak District locations and nature subjects.
