Heather Season has arrived here in the Lake District and there can be no better time to be out with the camera. The desire to capture the beauty of this small but expansive flower is strong. No two seasons are ever the same due to the weather conditions, particularly following a very hot and dry summer as we have experienced here in the UK this year. The heather has arrived earlier than usual.

Not wanting to miss out this year I decided to head to one of my favourite locations, Holme Fell in Coniston, There is usually a good covering of heather ranging from pink to purple. Sunday arrived and I headed out with my husband John, my camera and a variety of lenses,

As we got closer to Coniston the rain started to fall! We decided to continue with our plan and donned our waterproofs after parking at Glen Mary Bridge Car Park. As we walked past Yew Tree Farm my excitement rose as I noticed the patchy fog on the fell side beyond. I captured the obligatory photography before continuing on.

The walk through Harry Guards Wood was lovely and interspersed with glimpses of the distant fells and trees shrouded in mist. It was hard to walk on without capturing an image, or two.

As we left the woodland behind and found our path towards Ivy Crag I turned to look back and noticed the birch trees poking through the swirling mist. It was a stunningly beautiful scene and I spent a while watching it change minute by minute, refining my composition to make the most of the scene before capturing several images. My favourite appears below.

We started our ascent to Ivy Crag with the mist rolling in and obscuring the views. We were at the summit cairn for a good 10 minutes before it lifted momentarily revealing stunning views which were then snuffed out again. I noticed the grasses and heather on the summit were coated in rain drops and decided it was a great opportunity to get the macro lens out and practice the skills which I learned when attending a recent workshop with Simon Booth. I really enjoyed the challenge of finding compositions which showed them off and recorded the moment.

With the mists still blocking the views we decided to eat our packed lunch. It was so peaceful, with only the occasional walker passing below us on their way to the summit of Holme Fell; not that we could see the summit at the time due to the continuing blanket of fog!

Suddenly the mist cleared, again only momentarily. I was completely unprepared, camera safely covered to keep it dry. The scene that unfolded was like a painting — purples and browns of the heather and open fells stretching before us in simple lines to distant ridges. It was enough to encourage is to stay, despite the newly arrived gusting winds.

We didn’t have to wait long before the mists broke again revealing craggy outcrops and slate-grey of the nearby rocks and distant slate mines. Trees were wrapped in mist with only small parts appearing and the tarn was glistening below us. Now was the time to get the camera out and to capture the beautiful scenes appearing before us over the next 20 minutes or so. The mist then lifted and the air warmed and it was time to pack up my things, with a sense of calmness and feeling happy that I had enough images to enjoy until I return. The walk back to the car was filled with chat about what we had experienced.

Reflecting on our time at Holme Fell, I realise that on misty mornings photography feels like a quiet, patient conversation with the fell: waiting gently often rewards you with delicate droplets on a bloom, a scene that slowly comes together in soft light, and images that will remind me of that beautiful, peaceful time for years to come.

Heather at Holme Fell

Judging Photographs for Competitions