Autumn is here and so a quick trip to the Lakes was called for to see how the colour was developing. What I wasn’t expecting was “tripod wars” at dusk on a jetty.
Even though the Lake District is only 2 hours away, it is still not somewhere I have got to know for many reasons, more being drawn to Snowdonia or further north to Scotland. However Autumn is here and so a quick trip to the Lakes was called for to see how the colour was developing.
As it was, the colour had certainly started, but it looked like it would be another couple of weeks until it would arrive, as long as an autumn storm doesn’t sweep through and blow all the leaves from the trees!
As I write this Storm Callum has just battered the UK with heavy rain and winds up to 60 mph in the Lakes, so there might not be many leaves left when I get up there next weekend (forecast allowing)
As it was only a quick trip to check out locations, we arrived late morning and started at the famous Grot at Rydal Hall, then headed to Grange for a walk through the woods to the top of Castle Crag via Dalt Quarry. Then having no inspirationfor a sunset location, we headed for a safe location at Ashness Gate Jetty. The few images that I made from these locations can be seen below.
In all it was a pleasant and peaceful day, until at the jetty! As you would expect, any jetty in the Lakes attracts photographers like “wasps to a picnic” and true to form as the golden hour started half a dozen photographers were lined up in position.
Enter a small workshop who were being guided on how to get the ritual shot looking down the jetty. The workshop leader was considerate of the other photographers and enquired if they were intruding into anyone’s shot, when suddenly one photographer started shouting and gesturing at the small group on the jetty to get out of his shot. Now judging by the angle of this camera, if they were in his shot he must have been using a fish-eye and his composition must have been terrible!
Next thing, this photographer is up on the jetty, grabbing hold of one of their tripods and trying to man-handle the small group off the jetty – with more shouting and more gestures! Very quickly the other photographers closest to the jetty, intervened and calmed the situation down.
I should add, that this small workshop group were 3 women and a woman workshop leader. For them to be accosted in this way whilst out to enjoy a day learning the joys of landscape photography was disgraceful.
One non-photographic onlooker, commented “I am glad I don’t do photography; it seems very violent”.
The closed motorway, diversions and heavy traffic on the way home, seemed peaceful compared to earlier at Ashness Gate Jetty
