Hardcastle Crags

Have been posting some of these to the gallery over the last few days, but thought I'd post them here as a collection, as that's how they hang together in my mind.

Have been visiting Hardcastle Crags in West Yorkshire to soak up autumn over the last few weeks. As some of you may know, I tend to take a lot of pictures of water and seascapes in particular, so set myself a project to do something I'd never really done before: my first proper close up look at autumn in a woodland setting. I chose Hardcastle Crags specifically as I knew it had water running through it, which is where I thought me and woodland might meet.

I've taken plenty of your more traditional big vista waterfall shots along the way, but what I found to be most interesting the more I visited was the leaves, and what happens to them once they've fallen from the trees and hit the water. So that's what this collection of pictures is primarily about.

I know there are various personal preferences out there in the milky water vs natural texture debate; my only thoughts on that up front are that where I've used either I've used them consciously, deliberately and specifically either to aid composition or contrast with the leaves.

That's enough waffle from me. Here are the pictures:

1.




2.




3.




4.




5.




6.




7.




8.




9.




10.




C&C very welcome as ever.

Best

Bill,

They hang together as a collection very nicely, and would be interesting to see these in a gallery as a set of large prints.

For me no's 1,4 and 9 stand out as a set of ethereal abstracts.

They are all superb, and have common elements which must make the set even stronger. 2, 6 & 8 are the standouts for me. I especially admire the deep tone of the rock, and the contrasting white swirly stuff! The pin sharp little leaves just add even more, adding up to very rewarding images. They certainly would make brilliant exhibition material. Great work!

Its always good when people choose different ones as their favourites. It suggests consistent quality. 1st and last for me are top class. But a well rounded set

I really like them as a set with the theme of the leaves running throughout.

And I like that you are varying the settings to give a wide range of different visual effects across the set. As has been mentioned, they would look great large in a physical gallery.

I have just started to experiment with water flowing in rivers such as you have here and I noticed how by extending the exposure just a little you get some nice, almost drawn or painted type effects as the water and bubbles and debris pass the lens. But you have a full range of effects which is great to see.

My favourites are 3, 8, 9, and 10. Picture 10 I am surprised at as I'm generally less keen on the really long exposure milky effect but the structure of the lines within the picture is really intriguing.

I love 9 as it breaks the colour rules of all the others with a bit of blue and because it shows the moving water in a blurred scribble effect but lets you know what is going on by showing the trapped leaves in sharp contrast.

For this same reason I am less keen on 4 because within the picture itself, I do not know if the whole thing is just out of focus or whether it is the movement effect - there is no direct reference. However, as part of the set, I do know that it is the movement effect, so it adds a further dimension to the group as a whole.

3 I love for the patterns and shapes and the dynamics in the image and 8 for the colours, the contrast and the rendering of the water rushing past stuck leaves. And I like the square format.

Having been to two similar locations recently and having been overwhelmed with the range of visual information presented, I can see that setting yourself a nice little project such as this is a very sensible strategy and one that I think you have turned into a great success.

I think you already know that I like these Bill, they are 'right up my street' so to speak. The only one that doesn't really do anything for me is #3, but this is just personal preference. The set as a whole is brilliant - I must look up Hardcastle Crags and see if I can find time to go there (difficult at present due to work and home commitments), but if I do, I don't know how I could produce anything that would stand side by side with these.

Regards
David

Any one or all of these would look good on a dentists or Dr surgery walls as calming effect on patients

Thanks all for taking the time and the trouble to comment on these... very useful as ever to hear people's personal preferences on specific pictures vs the whole... and detailed thoughts on each... Andy, you saw a couple of things that I hadn't: the blue in no. 9, the fact there is no conspicuous point in focus in no. 4 (the water is actually in focus, but you're right, it doesn't look like it because of the motion blur)... all very useful... thank you...

Also useful to know with a project like this that there is some degree of visual coherence to them as a set: you're never quite sure if it just looks that way in your own head...

All good stuff... till the next time...

Best

I can only agree with others Bill - these work brilliantly well as a set. The last one is the stand out for me with the stark black hard rock and white soft water contrast. I went through a phase of doing exactly these sort of shots a couple of years back across North Yorks - Richmond, Bolton Abbey and Aysgarth falls mainly and your set has inspired me to get out and do it again.

Hardcastle Crags is one of the places that I have been meaning to visit for some time and I think I have just found an excuse

Regards
Carl

Really nice set of images. I especially like the last four but every time I look at them I think a different one is the best one. As a set printed up large on the wall, they would work well.

Best wishes, Kris.

# 4 adds a mystique thats especially engrossing. 1,3,6 and 9 are scrumptious - all are well conceived and produced. A special collection. Tony

These are just superb! For a comparative novice there's so much to be learned about technique by studying the exif data of this set that it's like a free course in water photography! Thanks, Bill, for sharing these - as Carl says, they inspire you to take a new look at a familiar location.

I have really enjoyed these images, I really wish there was somewhere near I could go to try and emulate. Thank you for sharing

Thanks again all for taking the time and trouble to feedback on these... Much appreciated...

Best

Interesting - very interesting