Nigel at Roanhead nr. Dalton-in-Furness is a beautiful fishing pond which was originally an iron ore mine and shaft, flooded when the mines came into disuse. Al...
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Nigel at Roanhead nr. Dalton-in-Furness is a beautiful fishing pond which was originally an iron ore mine and shaft, flooded when the mines came into disuse. All the surrounding ponds are named after the mine owner's children. Black Combe can be seen in the distance.
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Behind The Lens
Location
I took this at Nigel Pond, Roanhead, near Barrow in Furness, Cumbria, UK, not far from where I live. It’s a flooded mine shaft popular with anglers and nature lovers. There are a few ponds here, each named after the mine owner’s children. Roanhead is a site of special interest, one of the last remaining strongholds for Natterjack toads. The mountain in the distance is Black Combe, the smallest mountain in the English Lake District.Time
It was around midday to early afternoon on an early summer's day. The tide was out on the nearby estuary and so the air was still and calm. Perfect conditions to relax by the pond. As you can see the pond has a simple calmness though the jetty here is approached only after an enthusiastic scramble through the trees and scrub, making it a quiet and private place to rest.Lighting
There was just enough cloud to keep it cool whilst allowing natural daylight through and the sky reflecting from the water lit the trees around beautifully.Equipment
I shot this on a fixed lens camera I was testing out. I needed something I could keep in the car for candid unexpected shots (I love sunsets and seascapes) and so I was testing a Fuji Finepix S2980, which I now adore! I had no tripod with me but with the camera set to auto scenic the iso, shutter speed, and aperture were at their optimum.Inspiration
This is a beautiful place for a photowalk. I was testing the camera’s potential in many conditions on this day and was really pleased with this shot. I had been taking shots all day that I wanted to see as prints and when I saw this in print I instantly saw a saleable shot, and one that I'm proud to hang above my fireplace. Call it intuition, call it luck, but this is my favourite shot from many cameras of this lovely place.Editing
I used a simple paint program to apply a little straightening and Photomatix Pro to add some drama to the clouds and a painterly effect to the middle ground.In my camera bag
My trips find me with a custom backpack containing my trusted Nikon D200 with my favourite lens attached which is a Nikkor 35-70mm f:2.8 AF. Extra lenses in the bag are an AF-S Nikkor 35mm 1:1.8G, a Micro-Nikkor 105mm 1:2.8 macro, and a Sigma 70-300mm f/4-5.6 DG Macro telephoto zoom. Oh, and a tripod. The weight of this kit demands a tripod at low light!Feedback
Take pictures that you would be happy to display and occasionally go for the fun element - as in head off for that elusive shot. I draw a lot of inspiration from other photographers too. Always take a tripod with you and if you’re on a hike take only as much equipment as you need. If I’m landscaping my 35mm is lens enough whilst the 35-70mm is a superb all-round lens. Take a look around you through the lens. You’ll soon see things that wider vision overlooks. Most of all have fun!!