Photographing the Lake District: The Most Beautiful Places to Visit (Fotovue Photographing Guide)

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An easy walk from Skelwith Bridge to Elterwater takes you along the River Brathay with small copses of trees accenting the scenes beautifully. It’s easily accessible for walking, making it a popular location all year round. SIMON: One of the most exciting parts of photography for me is the exploring part - I love the feeling of discovering something, making a composition work and then enjoying the resulting image that feels unique, personal and creatively fulfilling. Exploring in the hope of finding something can feel counterproductive if you're not time rich, but I'd aim for just one photo that I'm particularly happy with. Strap on your walking boots, enjoy a hike and be open minded. There are still plenty of areas which see very few photographers. What is the best season to photograph the Lake District?

I had been at nearby Brothers Water (an exceptionally beautiful tarn), but given the misty conditions I took the opportunity to photography on of Ullwater’s little islands, something I’d wanted to do for some time in conditions like this. This image was taken from the wall along the roadside. If you do shoot from here, do take every precaution as the road can be a busy one. Beyond the wall there is a bank from which lots of compositions can be made.

1. Rydal Water

Now, without further ado, let’s take a look at my top tips for Lake District landscapes: 1. Visit during the autumn and winter The views into the Newlands Valley are also very good and offer lots of potential for images. Early and late shooting times provide the best chances of some low-angled, soft light. But, with inclement conditions, light can break through the cloud at any time of day, creating a layered effect with the surrounding hills and fells. 7. The Duke of Portland Boathouse,Ullswater It also makes a great subject for a panoramic image. I like to include the contrasting flash of vibrant green on the other side of the lake, and its reflection. Viewpoint 2 (Loughrigg Fell) Viewpoint 2 (Loughrigg Fell) There are a number of little islands on Ullswater; this particular one is called Wall Holm, and I love for it Scots pines which can be beautifully silhouetted. I hope my top ten locations for landscape photography in the Lake District will prove a great starting point for when you visit, but this article barely scratches the surface.

Despite being the longest lake in England ( at 11 miles long), and therefore covering a large area, Windermere is often overlooked by photographers and seen as no more than a location to pass by on the way to something more interesting. Towering above the head of the valley it is a perfect inverted cone with precipitous slopes above grassy banks. The drive along the north-western bank of the lake is sensational. There’s plenty of places to stop and hop out of the car for a photo, but it does take a bit of time to get here.

Blencathra

I would take a selection of ND filters if you like to shoot long exposures and Graduated ND filters a polarising filter to help balance the light in your images. Hallinn Fell, Gowbarrow Fell, Silver Crag, and Place Fell provide elevated views of the area, but most photographers will want to stay close to the water’s edge to shoot reflections and foreground. Buttermere is arguably one of the very best Lakes to visit with your camera. Following the B5289 from Borrowdale, take the Honiston Pass (which is a spectacular drive). Once you reach Buttermere, the potential for great landscapes will be immediately obvious. Once owned by Beatrix Potter, it will take you the best part of an hour to walk around the tarn – but arguably the best viewpoint is from near the Scott Memorial (east side), which provides a high, far reaching view of the tarn in context with its mountainous surroundings. Detailed OS maps featuring the locations (and the best pubs), written directions and smart phone usuable ///what3words and scannable lat-long QR-codes make getting to a location straightforward.

There are lots of footpaths to explore and several hides which look out over a tarn and wetland, perfect for bird watching. In my opinion, the first couple of hours of daylight are best. If you can get them, still conditions and clearing mist make for some wonderful atmospheric images. However, if you can keep rain off the lens, damp, murky conditions (which tend to be quite frequent in the Lake District!) can also work quite well, in conjunction with long exposures to smooth out the lake surface.Park on the road near St Mary’s church at Rydal. This is the road up to Rydal Hall. The parking here can be limited, so arrive early to get a space (there’s an honesty box to leave donations to the church for parking). Walk down the road and turn right, then access a footbridge over the River Rothay from the A591, close to the Badger Bar pub. Unsurprisingly, the best shots will be when it is still and there is mist hanging atmospherically over the water. Mist and reflections are undoubtedly the Holy Grail of conditions for most landscape photographers who visit the lakes, so keep a close eye on the local forecast and visit when the forecast looks promising. 6. Kelly Hall Tarn If you don’t fancy climbing up to Loughrigg to shoot the ‘big’ view, explore the southern end of Grasmere shoreline instead, where there is a weir and good views stretching over the lake toward the Daffodil Hotel.

This shot was taken near the roadside, but you can also access the lakeshore slightly higher up via a footpath (near Hassness Country House), and the views from this point give a slightly different perspective again. In this guide, I share plenty of Lake District landscape photography tips to get you started. I’ve also included seven of my favorite locations. Of course, in a place as beautiful as the Lake District, it’s impossible to mention every awe-inspiring view, so I highly recommend you spend some time exploring the area on your own. This particular image was taken in the height of a summer, with barely a cloud in the sky (some photographers might tell you that’s another thing to avoid in your landscapes – clear sky!). There is a little pay and display car park just off the B5285 at Monk Coniston; the jetty is only a short walk from here. Visit in the evening when it is less likely for people or fishermen to be standing on the jetty, and skies are more prone to being interesting or colourful. 8. Tarn Hows

3. Blea Tarn

It’s a fabulous location that creates a real sense of scale and perspective. For this particular image I used the golden rushes as a bit of a leading line and the broken ice not only creates some contrasting texture, but also adds to the foreground interest. The broken ice combined with Blencathra's first dusting of snow that winter gave the image a real wintry feel and added to the overall power of the image. LEE: Dress appropriately for the time of year you’re visiting, but even in the summer months be sure to have some kind of waterproof coat with you. Have some good walking boots as the terrain can be quite diverse and also be sure to take a reusable water bottle with you if you are planning on doing some of the walks.