Track through Whinlatter Forest.

This is one of the tracks leading uphill through Whinlatter Forest in Keswick. I took the photo in August 2015. This is somewhere I would happily return to every time I visit the Lake District - I'd never run out of photographic inspiration there.

Camera/lens settings: ISO 400, f/11, 1/30s, 18mm, hand held.

Metal farm gate reflected in a puddle in the Newlands valley.

I took this one in August last year on a walk around the Newlands valley. We'd just walked alongside the river and were crossing the valley bottom approaching Portinscale. This view is back up the valley towards Stair.

Camera/lens settings: ISO 200, f/11, 1/250s, 18mm, hand held.

Rain clouds on Grisedale Pike, viewed from Whinlatter Forest.

This is from last August in Keswick. We'd been climbing steadily higher in Whinlatter Forest and I was getting quite frustrated at the lack of opportunities to see the view, so I was thrilled when the trees opened up at this point and I saw the approaching rain clouds. They only stayed this vivid for a few moments, getting thicker and less defined as they got closer to us.

Camera/lens settings: ISO 200, f/11, 1/200s, 18mm, hand held.

Boats on a wooded track at Nichol End Marine, Derwentwater.

I took this on holiday in Portinscale, Keswick, last year. This is the track that runs down through the woods to the water's edge at the marina. I like the juxtaposition of the woodland greenery with the blues and whites of the boats - they look out of place together yet still complement each other.

Camera/lens settings: ISO 800, f/11, 1/160s, 18mm, hand held.

Bare tree trunks in foggy Whinlatter Forest.

My husband and I went for a walk at Whinlatter Forest with the dogs on this damp morning during our holiday to Keswick in August last year (the kids were at an adventure centre for the day). I took my tripod intending to get exactly this type of shot, as the clouds were low on the hills, creating atmospheric, foggy conditions. This type of light also seemed to make the greens and russets on the ground and tree trunks even more vivid.

Camera/lens settings: ISO 100, f/11, 2.5s, 48mm, tripod.

Looking up the sunny Coledale valley

Here's another photo of the lovely Coledale valley (from August this year). It's taken from the path beneath Grisedale Pike, looking up towards Coledale Hause at the head of the valley.

Camera/lens settings: ISO 200, f/11, 1/200s, 18mm, hand held.

Launch heading out onto Derwentwater.

I've just come back from a week's holiday with my family in Keswick. It was beautiful as always - we even got some sunny weather! I took loads of photos - they'll keep me going on the blog for another year until we go back. Today's photo is from a walk around Derwentwater. We got the launch half way, walked along the shore under Catbells, then hopped back on the launch to return to Keswick. This photo shows the launch heading back out onto the lake after dropping us off. The lovely mountain in the background with the clouds sitting on top of it is Blencathra.

Camera/lens settings: ISO 100, f/11, 1/200s, 55mm, hand held.

Clouds above a Cumbrian mountain range at sunset

I took this in August last year, whilst standing near the Castlerigg Stone Circle, Keswick, waiting for the sun to set. I thought these clouds were dramatic enough on their own to not need the shapes of the stones in the foreground. They were also partly framed by the simple shadowy line of the mountain range and field underneath.

Camera/lens settings: ISO 100, f/9, 1/80s, 22mm, hand held.

Colourful bunting flying from a boat mast

Something a bit different tonight - these little flags were tied to the mast of one of the little boats that takes visitors across Derwentwater, Keswick. I took the photo whilst we were waiting to set off in August last year. This picture really makes me happy - it reminds me of the child-like excitement I feel every time I get that boat - it never wears off!

Camera/lens settings: ISO 100, f/11, 1/200s, 36mm, hand held.

Castlerigg stone circle at sunset (3)

Lake District again today - getting excited about my upcoming holiday! This is the third image I've posted from this evening visit to Castlerigg stone circle at Keswick and, I think, the best so far. I've learned a lot about processing raw files in Lightroom since I started this blog, meaning I can produce much improved jpegs of these images. I also changed the crop to a panoramic scale, which I think works much better.

Camera/lens settings: ISO 200, f/8, 1/60s, 28mm, hand held.

Looking along Derwentwater towards Skiddaw and Blencathra

Here's another view from the path descending the southern slopes of Catbells, looking along Derwentwater towards Keswick (taken August 2014). The mountain on the left in the background is Skiddaw; the one in the centre is Blencathra.

Camera/lens settings: ISO 100, f/11, 1/200s, 18mm, hand held.

Derwentwater viewed from the slopes of Latrigg

Another from our holiday to Keswick in August last year. I thought this little tree perched on the edge of Latrigg added a bit of foreground interest to this sweeping panoramic view of Keswick, Derwentwater and the surrounding fells.

Camera/lens settings: ISO 100, f/11, 1/160s, 26mm, hand held.

Dark clouds over Catbells and Derwentwater, Cumbria.

I took this on a walk around Derwentwater in August last year, on a dark, cloudy afternoon. You can just see a distant break in the clouds beyond the mountains where the sun was seeping through, with the resulting light reflecting off the lake.

Camera/lens settings: ISO 100, f/8, 1/60s, 26mm, hand held.

View of Skiddaw from Derwentwater shore

Here's another one from our last holiday to Keswick in August 2014. It was a dark, late afternoon - we'd been on a boat ride along the lake and were walking back to Keswick along the shore, in and out of the trees. This photo had a real purply/blue hue to it after I processed it, so I thought I'd try being a lot more obvious with the colour, using the split tone application in Lightroom. It's a moody photo anyway, so I think it really suits it.

Camera/lens settings: ISO 100, f/11, 1/50s, 18mm, hand held.

Looking from Latrigg towards Whinlatter Forest, Keswick

Here's another lovely view from Keswick, taken in August last year. We'd just walked up Latrigg, the hill that sits below Skiddaw, overlooking Keswick, and were about to return down the path at the bottom right of the photo. You can see the edge of Skiddaw on the right, the Whinlatter Forest on the far left hillside and the edge of Bassenthwaite Lake in the distance.

Camera/lens settings: ISO 100, f/11, 1/200s, 24mm, hand held.

View across Keswick towards the Newlands valley

I took this one in August 2014 from the top of Latrigg, the hill overlooking Keswick. The mountain running alongside the lake (Derwentwater) on the left is Catbells; Causey Pike is centre right and the rest of the Newlands Fells are in the background.

Camera/lens settings: ISO 100, f/11, 1/200s, 30mm, hand held.

Path along Catbells ridge looking towards Skiddaw and Bassenthwaite Lake

This is another view from the top of Catbells - this time looking back over the path along the lower ridge (if you zoom in you can see people on their uphill climb). Bassenthwaite Lake is visible on the left of the horizon with Skiddaw and Keswick on the right. The lovely green Newlands valley is in the fore- and mid-ground.

I love Catbells - it's only a small mountain, but has all the character and views of the bigger ones. It was a great introduction to Lake District climbing for my sons - this year we'll move on to something bigger!

Camera/lens settings: ISO 100, f/11, 1/200s, 26mm, hand held.

Castlerigg stone circle at sunset (2)

Here's another image from Castlerigg stone circle in Keswick, Cumbria, taken on our holidays in August last year. The very first image I posted on this blog was also from that session - I prefer this one, though - it has more drama.

I'll list the camera settings below but, to be honest, I had to do so much post-production to reduce exposure and highlights and restore contrast, that they're almost irrelevant!

Camera/lens settings: ISO 100, f/9, 1/50s, 20mm, hand held (leaning on a stone for steadiness!).

River Greta between Keswick and Threlkeld

This one's from our holiday to Keswick, Cumbria, in August last year. I took it from beside the old railway line path between Keswick and Threlkeld and, although I can't remember the exact point, I think the mountain in the background must be Blencathra.

Camera/lens settings: ISO 100, f/9, 1/50s, 40mm, hand held.

The Derwent Fells at the head of the Newlands valley

I took this from the top of Catbells, Keswick, in August last year. The view is across the Derwent Fells (2 of them being Robinson and Hindscarth, I think) at the top of the Newlands valley.

Camera/lens settings: ISO 100, f/11, 1/100s, 22mm, hand held.