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

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Between Windermere and Bowness there is the National Trust owned land of Miller Ground, which runs along part of the eastern shoreline and commands wonderful views of the Langdale Pikes across the water. Aira Force is an amazing 70 ft high waterfall surrounded by beautiful woodlands with a stone bridge at the top of the fall. The grounds are owned by The National Trust so expect to pay for parking here. Meanwhile, a short walk away at Crow Park, is a wooden gate and wire fence that provides a great subject when partly submerged by high water. Walk to Friars Crag too and explore the views south to the jaws of Borrowdale. When you are shooting lakeside, the best conditions are typically still, cool, misty mornings and Derwentwater is a great morning location throughout the year. 2. Ashness Launch One of the most remote valleys in the Lake District, take a short walk up the slopes of Great Gable at the head of the valley. Then turn and look down the flat fields and ancient drystone wall patterns of Wasdale Head with Wastwater behind, all beautifully framed between Lingmell and the Wasdale Screes on the left, and Yewbarrow on the right. 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.

Another classic, especially in the autumn when Catbells seems to turn red and gold, and the pure blue of the Lake below is just magical. Another absolute classic and captured in all seasons and weathers, go for early morning reflections or snow-capped peaks. A short distance from Ambleside, a walk up Loughrigg Fell soon gives you enough height for a view down the lake, a stile is often used here for the foreground, but you can almost certainly find a point of interest yourself without too much difficulty. It will take you roughly another 20 to 30 minutes to reach the very top, depending on your pace, but it’s well worth the effort. It also gives some great views over the other side of the fell, to Loughrigg Tarn. Viewpoint 3 (Whitemoss Common) Viewpoint 3 (Whitemoss Common) 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 TarnThere are lots of footpaths to explore and several hides which look out over a tarn and wetland, perfect for bird watching. Topographic maps • Sat nav and map co-ordinates including ///what3words and scannable lat-long QR-codes for your smart phone • Sun compass

For the many walkers that visit, it’s the chance to get away from the urban environment and explore the region’s unspoilt peaks and fells. With four mountains reaching over 3000 ft, and many more with spectacular viewpoints over the various valleys and lakes, there’s a challenge available to suit everyone’s ability level. The four mountains are Scafell Pike (3208ft / 978m), Scafell (3164ft / 964m), Helvellyn (3117ft / 950m) and Skiddaw (3054ft / 931m). All of these mountains have hiking trails, but they have varying levels of difficulty and you should research them before going. The Lake District (or Lakeland) is by far the UK's most popular national park and it's easy to see why. The Lake District, is a mountainous region in the northwest corner of England, in the county of Cumbria and home to England's highest mountain, Scafell Pike (978m). Known for its panoramas of craggy hilltops (or fells), mountains, tarns and lakes, this area attracts over 15 million visitors a year and is a real draw for photographers. Unlike many national parks around the world, people live and work within the park and their lifestyles, working practices, homes and traditions are intertwined with the location making it a fascinating place to explore and photograph. And as I mentioned in Tip 2 above, always inform someone of your planned route. You’re heading out into the wilderness; better safe than sorry! Must-visit Lake District locationsIn the book's first section, author Stuart Holmes describes 70 locations and hundreds of viewpoints for the reader to visit. Each location chapter starts with an overview describing historical, literary, geological, and natural history features including the photographic potential. Detailed directions with maps and sat nav information are given, along with access information including whether a location is accessible by wheelchair. I had originally shot this image in landscape format as I really wanted to get the breath of Blencathra and its wonderful shape into the scene. But in the end, I decided that this cropped version in portrait had greater impact – sometimes, and quite often in landscape photography, less is more.

The little tarn itself wouldn’t be much to look at without its surroundings, but it acts as a perfect mirror to some of the most shapely mountain peaks and fells in the whole of the Lake District. Viewpoint 1 (Shoreline). Viewpoint 1 (Shoreline)

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Buttermere is a beautiful lake set in a remote part of the Lake District. In the rain and wind, the mighty crags that surround it form a forbidding barrier to other valleys. But, on a calm day, some of the best lake district views unfold before you. Instantly recognisable as the quintessential Lake District image, Blea Tarn is a perfect balance of water and mountains in just the right measures to make an interesting and rewarding photography location. It’s a popular place for photographers and non-photographers alike, aided by a National Trust car park right on its doorstep. Within a few yards you are standing on the southern edge of what must be one of the most photographed mountain lakes in the world. Covered are lakes, tarns, jetties, bridges, valleys, waterfalls, woodlands, villages, cottages and farmhouses, grand panoramic viewpoints, shows and events, historic houses, castles and gardens. This edition also includes two outliers, St Bees Head on the west coast and the Appleby Horse Fair. LEE: With over 15 million visitors going to the Lake District every year, a lot of them being photographers of some level, you may find it hard to find a unique shot of any location within the Lake District...but I implore you to try! Whenever I visit a location, I refer to Google to see what the most popular shots of a location seem to be and then use that to look for something different. Try shooting different angles or using something in the foreground to frame your subject. Grasmere is another classic beauty spot. One of the best places to park is at White Moss, just off the A591. From here you can explore both Rydal and Grasmere, with Rydal Cave, Loughrigg Fell, Loughrigg Terrace and shoreline views of Grasmere all within walking distance.

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.The eastern shoreline also offers some superb photographic opportunities and a walk to Silver Bay from Patterdale will provide you with some great access to this quieter side of Ullswater. It’s a thoroughly enjoyable walk that will reward you with many fine views. I’ve usually photographed this area in very still, calm conditions and, similarly to Buttermere, the reflections of the surrounding fells can make for some very interesting images. Although the wider, panoramic approach definitely works here too, I liked the more abstract feel of trying to capture the weird shapes and symmetry of the nearby crags and fells for this image. At the foot of the lake, close to the village, are great lakeside views and the pebbly shoreline is home to exposed, gnarly roots. There is also a shapely lone tree on the shore here, which is understandably popular among photographers as it provides a great anchor in a wide-angle composition.