One Last Evening Walking
That sounds like a bit of an ominous title, but since full time working from home became a thing for our studio, I've been able to regularly enjoy evening walks in the local countryside during the working week. However, the clocks go forward this weekend here in the UK for archaic reasons, meaning it'll either be going dark or actually be dark by the time I've finished work for the next few months which rules out heading up onto the moors for a few hours after work until the evenings start to get longer again next year.
So, for my final evening walk of the year, I decided to return to the old favourite of White Coppice to Great Hill and after carrying more than an extra stone's worth of kit for the last few walks, I decided to go minimal in terms of kit, just taking a camera body, single lens and what other bits and pieces I might need (such as lens cloths, filters and head torch) that would fit in my pockets. Mind you, minimal in this case ended up being the Nikon Z7 and 24-70 f/2.8S, which is not the lightest lens, but it's markedly better for IQ than anything else I own for that system and as a kit, this did feel light as a feather compared to what I've been lugging around for the past few weeks. So much so, that I surprised myself and managed to walk from White Coppice to Great Hill in just over an hour (including many photographic stops), which is not much slower than my pre-heart issues fitness. Carrying the big Fuji kit up little mountains over the past few weeks has clearly had some benefit!
As I drove to White Coppice, it looked like it was going to be a pleasant evening, with broken clouds on the horizon and bright autumnal colours all around, but by the time I'd arrived at the cricket ground it had clouded over, sucking all of the intensity and much of the colour out of the world around me and apart from a few breaks, this is pretty much how it remained for the rest of the walk.
All images taken handheld with the Nikon Z7 + 24-70 f/2.8S lens. Processed from individual raw files in Capture One Pro 23. Although I brought my filter kit with me, it remained in my pocket for the entire walk as it was a bit dull and I didn't feel anything would have particularly benefitted from using any of them, not even the CPL.
1. Many Shades Of Autumn
This plucky little tree, clings precariously to the sheer rock wall overhanging Black Brook and always catches my eye. At this point in time, it looks like it's sporting all the colours of autumn from green through yellow to rusty brown.
2. Quarry View
This is looking back towards Chorley North from the top of the quarry workings beside Black Brook (the little tree in the previous shot is down in that gorge on the lower left somewhere). The light was a bit flat, but the clouds had a nice quality and at this point I was hopeful that I might get a decent sunset. When will I learn?
3. Coppice Stile, Now a Tourist Attraction?
Over the last 12 months a local organisation has taken it upon themselves to erect information signs at some of the moorland farm ruins. Now, I'm all for educating people about the history of these unfortunate victims of progress, but I really wish they'd been a bit more discrete with the size and location of these things as, from a photographic point of view, they ruin the mood and look of these sites. (unedited shot, just to give some context)
4. Coppice Stile Sans Sign
I've long had a favourite shot of Coppice Stile, peering through the gap in the wall, but that viewpoint is now ruined as that massive sign is now dead centre in front of the Hawthorn tree, so I've been experimenting with other views to try and hide the damned thing. This viewpoint isn't too much of a compromise and places the sign out of view behind the wall, but it's not quite as good as the path is hidden and the lower branch is obscured by the wall.
5. The Nab
Stopping for breath to admire the view from Coppice Stile looking back across The Nab towards Harrock Hill in the distance, which is where all of the nice light appeared to be lurking on this particular evening.
6. The View From Heapey Moor
This was taken a little further along the path, showing The Nab in its entirety, with Coppice Stile on the far right. Even from this far back you can still clearly see that sign on the full res image. Anyway, at this point, it looked like something exciting was about to happen with the light, maybe rich orange colours? Crepuscular rays? Nah, dull blue-ish grey is what I was treated to.
7. Last of the Leaves at Drinkwater's
The mature trees that line the track as it runs past the Drinkwater's ruin are looking a bit sparse at the moment and, hey, there's another one of those signs by the wall.
8. Sunset at Drinkwater's
Looking back as I left Drinkwater's farm.
9. Sunset at Drinkwater's 2
Taken a little further along the path. I took about half a dozen different variants of this view as I continued along the path, but I think this and its predecessor were the best of the bunch. The sky colours have been enhanced with a bit of a white balance nudge towards yellow / magenta and saturation boost.
10. The View Towards Blackburn
This was taken as I approached the summit of Great Hill and is pretty much straight out of camera, I've just cropped it and brightened it a little bit.
11. Winter Hill
I took this as I sat and contemplated the view. I had the summit shelter, a simple crossed wall affair, to myself and there was practically no wind. Typically, when it's like this, I'll sit on one of the other quadrants, either facing Blackburn or Brinscall as I tend to forget how nice this view looking towards Winter Hill is. At this point it's about 10 minutes before sunset, so the light is pretty directional, shining from the West, even though the sun was never sighted again for the remainder of the evening.
12. Descending To Great Hill Farm
I discovered this path and view around this time last year, taking one of my favourite pictures of the year in slightly surreal conditions (imagine a nice golden sunset and fog), an A2 print of which currently adorns the wall above my fireplace. The conditions here weren't quite as magical, but, for me at least, it still captures the peaceful mood on the moors that evening when I was the only person up there at that point.
13. After Sunset
As I made my way down towards Great Hill farm, I decided I didn't really feel like trudging along the boggy path that leads back to Heapey Moor, instead I followed what I think was a sheep farmers quad track following the contour around Great Hill (you can just about see what I was following, curving towards the right edge of the picture) rather than descending further. This presented me with this new aspect over the farm ruin and moor beyond that I quite like. I'm not sure what the auto white balance was thinking with the colours here, but I quite like the look in this instance, so I didn't bother to tweak it. Contrast, shadows and highlights have all had a bit of a poke though.
