Feb 2019
The evening before my Fairfield walk, I’d arrived at our hotel in what was a gorgeous late afternoon – sunny and very warm. Richard hadn’t yet arrived so I decided that, although there was only an hour and a half of daylight left, I ought to at least go up to the lovely Alcock Tarn with my camera!
click on photos for full size/resolution – all the Zenith film SLR
I flew up the steep path after noting that they’ve replaced the bridge at the foot of Greenhead Gill after it was washed away in last year’s floods (or perhaps the year before).
I’d wondered before I set off whether I’d be fit enough to get back down by dark as I only had an hour and a half and hadn’t really done much hillwalking after my hip op by this stage. I was pleased to be up at the tarn in around half an hour – must be getting my fitness back at last. I always used to tear up hills in the late evenings before my hip started playing up but hadn’t done so for years now. It was gratifying to be able to do it again! 🙂
On reaching the tarn, the light was warm and lovely on the golden bracken and dead grass of the fells…
Looking at Great Rigg before entering the tarn’s enclosure wall
Looking past the end of the tarn to Windermere
My prize photo of the walk!
As in my last post, I have a few other beautiful photos of Alcock Tarn which I’ll include here as I don’t remember putting them in a post at the time…
I have this on my wall at home but the one below is equally nice I think
After mooching around taking photos, I only really had half an hour before dark to get down the very steep fellside at the far end of the tarn (I won’t go back the same way) so I had to rush off down. Near the bottom, there is a lovely path takes off under the fell, mainly through woodland and just above the village. This made a lovely finish to my walk!
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The Adventures of a Mountain Coward 
I really enjoyed this post, Carol. Your photos are breathtaking, and I’m so impressed that you take them on a film SLR! You’re very talented. Alcock Tarn looks jaw-droppingly beautiful and evening light always adds something special to a scene, let alone somewhere as amazing as this. You really do get to some outstanding places. Well done. 🙂
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a totally manual film SLR at that! Partly why I don’t want to change to a digital SLR as I’d have to re-learn everything I know!
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I don’t blame you at all Carol. I did a photography ‘O’ level and I did a little bit professionally, and I used to love developing my own films and printing the photos. There’s a real art to it. I’m very impressed with your photos – and I don’t blame you for not wanting to swap. Stick to what you know, and what you’re clearly so good at. Fabulous work. 🙂
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I have to admit to not processing my own films!
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I only got into it because of the photography course I did. I don’t do it any more because I let the photography lapse. But you don’t need to do your own processing to produce fantastic work like yours. 🙂
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recently, that hasn’t been the case though. I think that, now not many people are using film, the processors chemicals get really old and don’t give good results a lot of the time. Better to have control I suppose – although I’m sure colour processing is pretty hard to do
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Oh that’s awful, especially if you’re paying for a service. They should process photos properly and with decent chemicals. I didn’t do that much colour processing, you’re absolutely right, it is hard to do. It’s a bit like people making their own filo pastry – it’s not worth it for the hassle and expense. I preferred processing black and white because it was more straightforward and more fun, and in many ways it allowed for more creativity. I think it’s wonderful that you still use film. 🙂
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I like film anyway – I find the colours more honest – not always nicer but definitely more honest. Digi cameras seem to invent colours to make photos look prettier or something!
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I’m certain that’s the case, everything has to be highlighted and in over-bright colours in digi. But that doesn’t always do the subject – particularly people – any favours! It’s a classic case of modernity missing the point. It’s all about so-called progress, but that’s often not what it’s cracked up to be.
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I look better in black and white – I look to have less chins due to more shadow I think 😉
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Me too, that’s exactly what I mean. 🙂 I think we all look better in monochrome!
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actually, I always think your hair looks gorgeous in photos – lovely shade and style – I wish mine would grow
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Oh thank you, that’s kind! It goes all wavy and big like it was in the Buckingham post when I’ve had it in plaits all night. It can be a pain to look after though when gets knotty and then it drives me mad. I guess I have it like that because it looks a bit medieval-ish. That’s the idea anyway. 🙂
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Fantastic photos on film. I really like the colours. Always good taking photos in the evening. Also good to survey the mountains and plan a route. “Mooching around” is a saying I haven’t heard before. Take care. Bob
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there are a lot of moochers here! 😉 Evening photos are great – I never do early-morning ones as I’m not ‘that way round’ – more of a night owl. I think sunsets are just as good as sunrises anyway and I’m in a better state to enjoy them!
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Always feels good after an enforced layoff to get walking outdoors again properly, as everything is fresh and exciting anew. Like eating packet food on backbacking trips to save weight then the taste, smell and sensation of real food afterwards. ( maybe basic packet food like dried noodles and soup have improved since my day but I would not eat it in the house unless I had empty cupboards :o).
Nice photo set.
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I always eat completely different things, which I wouldn’t dream of eating at home, when I’m bothying or whatever.
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It really is a grand area of Britain/
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I have to admit that the Grasmere area isn’t my favourite but that is one of my favourite spots and short walks. I’m more a Buttermere/Crummock Water valley fan myself – that and the North-western fells…
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your photos are so beautiful that they don’t look real!
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I was certainly impressed with the sudden improvement in film quality – a lot of makes of film have been rubbish for years now with a total lack of colour and saturation. I was pleased to get these to scan in 🙂
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Your work is just incredible. 🙂
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