Wake up guys, it's nearly next year!!

OK. As I write this it is the middle of November and the year has but six more weeks to run. And then it is next year. We shall say goodbye to this year. It will be consigned to the history books. We will no longer be able to look forward to it, it is now in the past. Gone, but not necessarily forgotten. Next year, on the other hand, is just around the corner. It is, even as I write, getting closer by the minute.There is not long to wait, and I am looking forward to it. I want to plan ahead.

As I have pointed out before, the Lake District tourism industry is now a 12 month operation. Gone are the days when the cruise boats stopped running in October. Now they are on the go 12 months in the year. Once upon a time, the furniture in the region's Historic Houses disappeared under dust sheets at the start of November. Nowadays those same dust sheets remain folded in the linen cupboard, released only when the decorators call round every few years.

In the 21st century the Lake District has become an all year round tourism destination, and in recognition of this fact I decided that the Lake District Holiday Ideas blog should have an article devoted to highlighting those attractions that never close. Trouble is, that information changes each year. So instead of having one article, we'll be having one every year, or rather, we'll be updating the original one each November.

It's amazing what you find in the country

Those that read my last post will be pleased to know that I have already been putting my new found photographic skills to good use.

On Sunday I was enjoying an afternoon stroll, and walked past a field that has the Langdale Pikes as a backdrop. Last week I would have taken a photograph of the field with the pikes in the background, as in real life they look really good. But, as has been pointed out me, photographs are not real life, they are 2 dimensional images, and you have to look a bit closer at the view to get the best out of it.

So instead of taking a picture of the Langdale Pikes, I took a picture of this tree stump being attacked by a giant stick insect. The Langdale Pikes just happen to be in the background, but that is not really relevant.

The thing is that we used to keep Stick Insects. Someone gave us 2 of them, and assured us that there was no way on this earth that they would mate. About six weeks later I noticed that not only were there two very large stick insects in the tank, but several hundred very small ones. It seemed that the stick insects had already mated.

Of course, the golden rule here is never to take on a pet that you know nothing about. By the end of the week we had about a thousand stick insects, and it was not until a plumber called at our house the following week to service the boiler that I found out why.

The plumber was only a plumber during working hours. At other times he was a nailed on, grade A stick insect enthusiast. And he was more than happy to leave our house carrying not only his tools, but a box containing about 500 baby stick insects. But more importantly he spent about an hour with us telling us how to get the most out of our new charges, as well as pointing out the reason for our insect population explosion.

That was several years ago. We no longer have stick insects because we have given them all away, but one of them seems to have really thrived, as the picture below, taken in the aforementioned field, clearly shows.

How not to be an ace photographer!!

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. Well as a writer who is, and always has been, totally useless with a camera, I have to disagree. But only because I am one of those people who, despite trying very hard, have never got the hang of photography. I've tried, I really have. I've read books and been on courses, but somehow I never seem to get it quite right.

So when my nephew, a photographer by profession, offered to give me some tips yesterday, I was happy to receive them. Before we started I did point out to him that turning me into an ace photographer would be something of a challenge, but he just shrugged his shoulders and told me that anyone can do it, you just have to follow a few basic rules.

He started by telling me that the number one golden rule is that photography is all about using the available light, and then manipulating it to best effect. For autumn landscape photography that means being up and about at the Golden Hour. Apparently, despite being in the singular, the golden hour is actually two hours. The one just after the sun has come up, and the one just before the sun goes down. Evidently, the light at this time of year takes on a golden hue at these times. 

This seemed quite logical to me. So far, so good.

Then he told me that I can add to this effect by changing the camera's white balance setting to give the pictures a warmer feel. And having confidently offered this nugget of information, he then asked if I knew how to change the white balance setting. And that was when my eyes glazed over. The thing is, I haven't got the foggiest idea of what a white balance setting is.

“Give me your camera,” he said, “and I'll show you.”

So I gave him my camera, and all he did was say “Ahh”. It was not so much what he said, as how he said it. His voice carried a tone of heavy disappointment. He kind of weighed my camera in his hand for a second or two, and then asked “Why didn't you say that you only had a compact?”

“It wasn't cheap,” I replied defensively, “it cost over fifty quid, and it fits really well into my bag.”

My defensive utterings fell on deaf ears. “You can't change the white balance on this” he told me.

“Right, so what you are telling me is that my camera is no good and I need a better one,” I replied.

“Not at all,” he said, “it's not worse, just different. You need a slightly different technique, that's all.”

Ah bless, he was trying not to upset me, but I could tell from the disappointment in his voice that he really was not too impressed with my choice of camera. He thought for a moment and then said, “Right, well, golden rule number one still applies, so don't rub that out.”

“OK”

“But forget what I said about white balance.” He looked at my camera again and asked “how old is this?”

“Not very old,” I replied, “I got it in 2001.”

There was a heavy sigh, followed by an embarrassed silence, before he started on the revised version of golden rule number 2.

“Right, well,” he started, “since there is not a lot you can do with the camera, it's really all about composition.”

I'll not re-tell the whole conversation here. It lasted about an hour. Suffice to say that he suggested a number of things that I could do to produce a half decent photo.

Like not trying to photograph wide landscapes or stuff that is a long way away. Instead I should concentrate on things which have light shining on them. And if I really must insist on trying to capture the landscape in all it's glory I needed to think about creating some kind of visual pathway within the picture to keep it interesting. Maybe following the line of a river or road as it winds it way down a valley. Or choose a subject in the landscape that has a contrasting colour, like a white house.

Also, when photographing an object like a boat or a steam train, try to get it when it is not moving. And get people in the photos if at all possible. Evidently, a picture of a steam train in a station with all the people getting out of the carriages is far more interesting than one of just the engine.

It was all good stuff and very interesting and informative, but by the end of the hour he could see my eyes glazing over again.

“Actually,” he said,” maybe you could try choosing subjects that are totally different, like an unusually shaped tree. Or perhaps something on the ground, like a flower, or snail or something like that.

“A snail?!!” I said.

He looked at me in desperation. “Anything low down,” he answered, “I don't know, what kinds of things do you find in the lake district in autumn?”

I was going to say 'sheep poo' but thought better of it. I didn't want him to think I was not taking him seriously.

“How about the moss in a wall,” he continued, “ or the bark on a tree, or maybe horse chestnuts, or berries, or holly. ANYTHING! As long as it is interesting.”

“What about a puddle?” I asked.

“So you think puddles are interesting?” he replied, a sarcastic tone entering his voice.

“ A puddle with a reflection of an unusual tree in it would be,” I suggested.

He thought for a moment. “Reflections on a still lake, now they are good, particularly if you have autumn colours mirrored on the surface.”

“We're back to landscapes then,” I said.

He sighed.

Despite his obvious exasperation, I felt we were getting somewhere. My creative juices were beginning to flow, so I got some pictures I had taken and asked him to review them and make a few suggestions as to how they could have been improved.

After looking through them, raising an occasional eyebrow as he did so, he put them down and said “Do you have a tripod?”

So that's the answer. After all these years it turns out that I am not useless at photography after all, I just can't hold the camera steady.

No such luck, it turns out that I have to do all the other stuff as well as keeping the camera steady. Curses, I thought I was on to something for a moment. Anyway, in for a penny, in for a pound, as they say. Next week I shall put my new found knowledge into action and try to take some half decent photos. So all I can say is watch this space!