Landscape Photography of the Lake District

It doesn`t matter where you are in the Lakes the scenery is always terrific, ideal subjects for landscape photography. I particularly enjoy the Lakes in Spring and Autumn when the rich light combines brilliantly with seasonal colours and the often changeable weather. The seasons never fail to inspire me.

Helvellyn is the most popular mountain in the Lakes and Striding Edge on its eastern flank a must do scrambling edge, land plummets on either side of its knife edge ridge - not to be taken lightly even in good weather. My walk up began in darkness in Grisedale and the early start was rewarded with a stunning mountain panorama and a wonderful crisp light. By the time other walkers and climbers arrived I had taken many cracking photographs and that early light had lost its magic.

Enhance your home or office environment with one of these exceptional fine art landscape photographs of the Lake District by Ed Collacott. Choose from the following print options:

Crinkle Crags, Bow Fell and the Upper Langdale Valleys, Lake District National Park

Alfred Wainwright called this ridge walk the best ridge mile in the Lakes and I`m not going to argue with him. Photography can be a frustrating business in the Lakes, as this particular morning proved. Some light but never enough and always in the wrong place and some clouds but usually too many and again in the wrong areas.

Finally, later than I would really have liked, a balance was struck. The resulting image manages to capture the drama and scale of the landscape that had been evolving in front of me for the past few hours.

Great Langdale and the Langdale Pikes, Lake District National Park

What a cracking view. The lower slopes of Lingmoor Fell to the left with Pike of Stickle, Harrison Stickle and Pavey Ark dominating the centre. Dungeon Ghyll can even be seen on its way down from Stickle Tarn.

Great Langdale in the central fells is one of the most popular areas in the Lakes and rightly so for its combination of rugged mountains, fine walking and terrific scenery. This shot is one of those rare occasions when all the elements of a successful image come together almost immediately. I had noticed the potential here, set up the tripod and camera and within minutes sun had flooded the foreground with light and at the same time enough had filtered through to give that wonderful dappled effect high on the Pikes.

I have often waited hours when nothing happens and photography becomes a frustrating business, but moments like these really do happen. Front cover of 2007 calendar.

Buttermere, Fleetwith Pike, Haystacks and High Crag, Lake District National Park

Haystacks (with Great Gable behind) was Alfred Wainwrights favourite mountain and it is certainly a wonderful mountain to wander over and around with stunning views in all directions.

I had been driving for several hours and reached Buttermere with the promise of this lovely evening light. I parked, put my boots on, grabbed my camera gear and almost ran up the fellside to find a good vantage point. I was lucky to find this viewpoint and worked quickly, heart pumping, to capture this shot, bathed in this glorious light. This turned out to be the most successful image of the whole weeks work.

Loweswater, Crummock Water and Grasmoor, Lake District National Park

It doesn`t matter where you are in the Lakes the scenery is always terrific, as this view in the less popular western fells proves. Taken in early Spring the last of the snows are seen on Grasmoor but the climate is already warming up lower down in the valleys.

I particularly enjoy the Lakes in Spring and Autumn when the rich light combines brilliantly with seasonal colours and the often changeable weather. The seasons never fail to inspire me.

Wast Water, Yewbarrow, Great Gable, Lingmell and Scafell Pike, Lake District National Park

This classic viewpoint is also used as the symbol for the national park authority. It typifies the elements that the Lakes are so well known for, rugged mountains, picturesque lakes, fine scenery and the greatest sense of wilderness to be found in England.

Wast Water, with it scree slopes, often seems a dark and forbidding place but in this warm late light a more welcoming face is presented. Taken in late Autumn the first snows of winter can be seen on Scafell Pike, at 977 metres, England's highest mountain.

Derwent Water and Catbells, Lake District National Park

This is a seriously fine and very popular area for taking photographs, both around the lakeside, especially when the clouds are down, and on the surrounding fells. This well known viewpoint shows Catbells in a soft, gentle dawn light. The panoramic views from Catbells itself are stunning and make the easily accessible walk up, very popular - do it early to avoid the crowds.

Ullswater Lake, Cumbria

Ullswater is a typical Lake District narrow "ribbon lake" formed after the last ice age when a glacier scooped out the valley floor, the deepened section filled with meltwater when the glacier retreated, and it became a lake.

The surrounding mountains give Ullswater the shape of an elongated "Z" giving it three separate segments (or "reaches") that wend their way through the surrounding hills. Close by is England's third highest mountain, Helvellyn.

Watendlath Beck, Derwent Water

Probably better known as the stream that flows under Ashness Bridge, a honey pot for photographers with fine views over Derwent Water to Skiddaw. It's also on the way to Watendlath hamlet, a lovelly spot hidden away from the main tourist stream.

Few people explore further but as this shot proves it's well worth it. The canopy cast enough shadow to allow a slow shutter speed and heavy rain had swollen the beck - a bold statement against the deep spring green.

Helvellyn and Striding Edge, Lake District National Park

Helvellyn is the most popular mountain in the Lakes and Striding Edge on its eastern flank a must do scrambling edge, land plummets on either side of its knife edge ridge - not to be taken lightly even in good weather.

My walk up began in darkness in Grisedale but promised much. Excitement increased as dawn approached and the early start was rewarded with stunning mountain panoramas and a wonderful crisp light. By the time other walkers and climbers arrived I had taken many cracking photographs but that early light had lost its magic.

Sadly Striding Edge was off limits, I carry a heavy tripod and camera bag, not an ice axe and crampons. The great weather meant I could stay up for several hours and enjoy the real sense of winter wilderness to be found high up in the fells. Another one of those special days out for landscape photography./p>

Angle Tarn, High Raise and High Street, Lake District National Park

Wandering the fells often produces unplanned but surprisingly successful photographs. I had climbed Place Fell for sunrise shots of Helvellyn. The weather was amazing, cold crisp and clear - far too good to go back down, so off I wandered for may hours. Although close to midday this shot is full of the vibrancy of winter in the Fells.

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Fine Art Landscape Photography of the Lake District