Tag: travel

2026…English Lake District.

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A spur of the moment discussion over the phone and the decision made…Lets hit the Lake District for a couple of
nights. The weather forecast was for cold and clear. Setting off in the wee hours, after a 6hrs drive we arrived in Keswick. Below you can see a few photos of that trip.
I used the Nikon Z5ii with the following 2x lenses 24/70 f2.8 & 100/400 f4.5 to 5.6. Principally because this set up
gives very versatile focal range. Plus my handy Fuji X100vi take anywhere camera.

You may think ? Well that’s not very pretty…Yep, sure enough it is a very practical location to rest, refuel, and do
the necessary things that humans do enroute on the M6 motorway…. I could not resist the high contrast lighting.

We caught some of the last light on Derwentwater when we arrived.
Catbells on the left and Causey Pike on the right. A quick grab shot with the Fuji X100vi.

Fitz Park football pitch, Keswick.
Fuji X100vi.

Same again, different angle this time.

The Langdale Pikes.
Nikon Z5ii & 100/400 lens.

Single track road leading to Wasdale Head, Wastwater.
Fuji X100vi.

Wastwater looking towards Wasdale Head and the Cumbrian mountains.
Yewbarrow Fell is centre left, Great Gable in the centre, Scafell Pike on the right.
Nikon Z5ii & 24/70 with a 6 stop filter to smooth the water out.

Rusty old hut on the Cumbrian coast (Drigg sand dunes and beach).
Nikon Z5ii & 24/70.

This time looking at the sea.
Fuji X100vi.

Back in Keswick for some last light over Derwentwater again.
Fuji X100vi using the built in ND filter to smooth the water.

St Johns in the Vale. White farmhouse illuminated by the sun coming into the valley.
Helvellyn at the top with a dusting of snow.
Nikon Z5ii & 100/400.

Abstract boat reflection on Ullswater.
Nikon Z5ii & 100/400.

Light and shadow revealing the different layers of the fells. Ullswater area.
Nikon Z5ii & 100/400.

Green tips of the trees. Ullswater.
Nikon Z5ii & 100/400.

Blencathra, the sun revealing Sharp Edge a very popular route to the summit.
If you follow the Edge towards the summit the dark line is the path. There is a small figure just visible.
Nikon Z5ii & 100/400.

Finishing off with another shot of Derwentwater in portrait mode.
Nikon Z5ii & 24/70.

North Somerset & North Devon photo session.

~ AK ~ 15 Comments

03:00 start, round trip drive of about 420 miles…This time my friend Frank was at the wheel. Locations to
tackle….Burnham-On-Sea for the wooden lighthouse, Dunster Castle quick shot from the roadside, Selworthy yellow thatched cottages and church, Porlock Weir and then onto Clovelly.
Camera, car and several coffee’s to fuel the photo session.
Would the light and the weather gods be with us ?…….Sort of…?

Twinkling lights of Burnham-On-Sea (tide out)….Cold crisp air…The first glimpses of light.
Nikon Z5ii & 24/200mm lens. 65×24 aspect ratio.

Burnham-On-Sea….Looking towards the other end of the beach.
Nikon Z5ii & 24/200mm lens. 65×24 aspect ratio.

Burnham-On-Sea, wooden lighthouse c1832 stands like a sentinel on the hard compact sandy beach.
To do this justice you really need to be there a high tide, and do a very long exposure for a more surreal look
(next time). However I do like the pinky pastel very early morning light.
Nikon Z5ii & 24/200mm lens.

Dunster Castle 11th century taken from the A39 on a layby enroute to Selworthy.
Nikon Z5ii & 24/200mm lens.

Selworthy Church 15th Century.
Nikon Z5ii & 24/200mm lens.

Selworthy Church inside, vertical view in this aspect you can see the light striking the floor leading to the altar.
Nikon Z5ii & 14mm Viltrox lens.

Selworthy Church inside horizontal view. In this aspect you can see the windows on the left and right.
Nikon Z5ii & 14mm Viltrox lens.

Walking from the church via a wooden gate this is the first yellow thatched cottage you come to.
I’ve seen them quite a few times and I’m still impressed with the exterior design and chocolate box look.
Nikon Z5ii & 14mm Viltrox lens.

There are a few of these dwellings facing a green. The sun breaks through and lights up the front of the cottage.
Nikon Z5ii & 24/200mm lens.

Now were at Porlock Weir. Three cottages with their backs to the sea facing the small harbour.
Nikon Z5ii & 14mm Viltrox lens.

Although slightly distorted view…This shot reveals the cottages frontal view at low tide. A muddy basin.
The lock Gates are to the right (currently under repair).
Nikon Z5ii & 14mm Viltrox lens.

Old, old groynes leading to the entrance of Porlock Weir.
Nikon Z5ii & 14mm Viltrox lens…As you can see from the sky the weather is on the turn..Moody and foreboding.

Military bunker with a face, slowly sinking into the stoney beach.
Nikon Z5ii & 24/200mm lens.

Stoney beach and brooding sky.
Nikon Z5ii & 14mm Viltrox lens.

Porlock Weir. Sailing boats and no water.
Nikon Z5ii & 24/200mm lens.

The Red Lion Hotel at the bottom of Clovelly Village. A very steep cobbold footway from the top leads you down to this point…Look closely, it’s called Fish Street.
Nikon Z5ii & 14mm Viltrox lens.

Fishing boat returns to Clovelly Harbour.
Nikon Z5ii & 24/200mm lens.

Cobbold streets, tiny cottages and the salty air of Clovelly.
Nikon Z5ii & 24/200mm lens.

I hope you like this little dander to North Somerset and a touch of North Devon. If you fancy visiting I strongly suggest going in the spring when it’s not so grey and cold. Please note Clovelly is privately owned village / estate.
In December 2025 the entrance fee was £9.90 per person.

Urban Observations 24th November.

~ AK ~ 2 Comments

I decided to have a walk around a small part of central London.
Blackfrias Bridge to Tower Bridge and back. On the north bank first, crossing the river via the Millenium Bridge to the south side. Principally I was looking for evening shots of the city.
The wind was blowing from the east along the River Thames…It was very, very cold, gloomy with crisp clean air.
Trying out a new lens on the Nikon Z5ii, the budget Viltrox 14mm that gives an exaggerated field of view, some examples you will see below. All in all 20 reasonable photos were taken with the Nikon Z5ii, Viltrox 50mm, Viltrox 14mm & the Fuji X100vi using a small tripod when light levels were low.



Nikon Z5ii & 14mm Viltrox.

Nikon Z5ii & 14mm Viltrox. Behind me is St Paul’s Cathedral. looking towards the Millennium Bridge and the Tate Modern art gallery.

The Millenium Bridge, oddly not to many people (probably the weather) looking towards St Paul’s Cathedral.
Nikon Z5ii & 14mm Viltrox.

Leaf and reflections in a large puddle. Nikon Z5ii & 14mm Viltrox.

Illuminated alleyway. Nikon Z5ii &1 4mm Viltrox.

Shad Thames. Nikon Z5ii & 14mm Viltrox.

Shad Thames with a different perspective….Low down to the cobbles. Nikon Z5ii & 14mm Viltrox.

Lights of the city start to glow in the dark. Nikon Z5ii & 50mm Viltrox.

Tower Bridge. Nikon Z5ii & 50mm Viltrox.

Christmas market, close to Tower Bridge try to lure customers. Nikon Z5ii & 50mm Viltrox.

The Tower of London on the far left, HMS Belfast with Tower Bridge in the background.
Nikon Z5ii & 50 mm Viltrox.

Old building (close to London Bridge) new shop and glass and steel offices behind.
Nikon Z5ii & 50mm Viltrox.

Ghostly people on Blackfriars Bridge walking towards me (long exposure).
Nikon Z5ii & 14mm Viltrox.

Fuji X100vi.

Just a glimpse of St Paul’s dome. Fuji X100vi.

Millennium Bridge and St Paul’s. Fuji X100vi.

Fuji X100vi.

Looking from the south side of Blackfriars Bridge. Fuji X100vi.

Similar to the one above taken with the 14mm Viltrox…But this time shot on the Fuji X100vi.