The great lakes
How do you differentiate your shots when they’re taken at a popular tourist hotspot? Ian’s solution was to go panoramic…
My interest in the Lake District spans over 25 years, and since retiring from the Police Service, just over two years ago, I decided to try and photograph this beautiful location in a different way to the usual ‘standard’ seen in books and magazines.
I have been involved in photography since 1983, when I attended Newcastle College of Arts and Technology. I studied black-and-white photography in various formats and the use of the darkroom equipment. My first camera was a Canon A1 – a film camera, and the first of its kind to have a red LED readout in the viewfinder. Since then I have progressed with the digital age, starting off with a Canon EOS 50D followed by a 7D, and now my current camera the 5D Mk III.
Although I am based in County Durham, I’m lucky enough to have a caravan in
the Lake District, which made an ideal base from which to shoot my project. I decided that all the images would be panoramic, so I knew the lighting would be critical to capture a sequence of identical exposures, along with various Lee Filters.
The Lake District has microclimates that vary from one area to another. I knew this would present its own challenges, irrespective of photography issues, but this is what I wanted to capture.
I carry my equipment in a Lowepro Pro Trekker 400 AW bag, which weighs 12kg when fully loaded and, along with my Manfrotto tripod, meant I had my work cut out to get to the top of some of the fells I had in mind. The shot of Ullswater from Hallin Fell was taken from a height of 388 metres at the summit.
I love my Canon 5D Mk III and, when coupled with the Canon TS-E 24mm f/3.5l II, it takes extremely sharp images and combines them very accurately with no distortion using the shift mechanism.
all the images would be panoramic, so the lighting would be critical to capture a sequence of identical exposures