Photography | alan frost photography

A photographic journey ….. Revisiting Buttermere in the Lake District after 12 Years

I ask myself – what took me so long?

In all the years I have been making photographs, there have been certain locations which are deserving of the comment; ‘one day I hope to return’. The Lake District, and Buttermere in particular, definitely falls into this category and I hope you can understand why from the images you see here.

After a long interlude of twelve years, I am pleased to say that a few weeks ago I was walking along the shoreline of Buttermere once again. It was quite early in the day and although the sky was overcast, there were some bright patches of light reflecting off the surface of the water. In many respects these are ideal conditions for black and white photography.

Who knows but one day I would like to head to The Lake District again. If I do, I’ll try not leave it quite so long. After all none of us get any younger and to reach some of the best locations for photography it can involve quite a trek. Hopefully my legs will still get me there! If not these photographs and others captured during our stay will always serve as a reminder of this very beautiful place. That’s the great thing about photography. The images themselves do not have to be 10 out of 10. If all they do is bring back happy memories about a certain time and location, then pressing the shutter to record these moments is a very worthwhile thing to do.

Incidentally all these images were captured with the Leica Q3 and processed in Capture One and Nik Silver Efex Pro. After a few months in use I can truly vouch for what a great camera it is.

There will be more posts of the Lake District coming soon but in the meantime you might like to look at my Lake District Gallery Page. It shows a number of images from my previous visit to the area back in 2013.

Northbound again to the Lake District ….. patiently waiting for the editing to begin

This blog has been rather quiet recently for one very simple reason. I headed north to the Lake District and then up to Scotland for three weeks and I have now returned home. Whilst this trip was holiday first, walking and photography were the draw to head north to some of my favourite destinations.

In the past I would have taken a laptop with me and started editing and processing ‘on the hoof’ so to speak. But on this occasion I decided I would wait until I returned home. In some ways it would extend the holiday, as I could look forward to downloading the images and seeing what I had captured for the first time. Yes I could view them on the back of the camera but they look very different on a large monitor. I also think there is something to be said for allowing time for the images to gestate before any processing is undertaken. I have heard of some photographers who will wait months or even years before they edit a photograph. I am not that patient, but I do believe waiting a few weeks is beneficial. You approach the image afresh, perhaps seeing something in the picture which wasn’t immediately evident at the time the shutter was pressed. I do think a little time results in a better photograph.

The image above is of Derwentwater in the Lake District. It’s a scene I remember taking and I was keen to process the image. There will be many more of course, so as I work through the files, I am looking forward to sharing some of these with you in the coming weeks.

Two very special cars at the 82nd Goodwood Members Meeting

There were so many wonderful cars to see that it seems inappropriate to choose just two, but I will anyway.

The first is arguably one of the finest and you could say most beautiful racing Ferraris ever built, the Dino Spider 206S.

Introduced for the 1966 racing season only 13 spider versions were manufactured – making this a very rare and valuable car, so to see one racing at Goodwood was a very special moment.

The styling is a scaled down version of the revered Ferrari 330 P3. The 206S has a Formula 1 derived 2 litre V6 engine which revs to 9,000 rpm and has a very impressive power to weight ratio, as the car tips the scales at approximately 660kg.

I make no apology for including a selection of colour images – after all a Ferrari racing car can only ever be in one colour – red.

*Garlands for the two drivers, and the scars to prove it was a tough race.*

The car took part in the Gurney Cup and won in magnificent fashion, coming from 16th place to be the first to cross the finishing line – although it did pick up some battle scars during the race when it rear-ended a Ford GT40.

You can watch the whole race by clicking on the official Goodwood video below.

Goodwood official video of the Gurney Cup at the 82nd Member’s Meeting

For more information about this car you might like to watch this short video by Max Girardo.

The 206S driven by Max Girardo of Girardo and Co

*The Ferrari Dino Spider 206S captured during the practice session.*

The second car is the John Player Special Lotus 97T. I have always loved the black and gold livery and Formula One cars of the 70’s and 80’s. But what makes this car so special is this was the very car driven to victory by Ayrton Senna at the Portuguese Grand Prix at Estoril in 1985. The Member’s Meeting coincided with the 40th anniversary of Senna’s maiden Formula One win in horrendous wet-weather conditions. He finished the race having lapped almost every other car in the field and was over a minute ahead of his nearest rival, Michele Alboreto in a Ferrari. It was a masterclass in car control; racing in conditions which today would almost certainly have stopped the race going ahead. The genius of Senna was established on that day 40 years ago.

It was a privilege for me to stand so close to this car in admiration of the not just the car but one of the all time greats, who sat behind the wheel and demonstrated his unique driving talent to the world.

*Ayrton Senna – one of the greatest racing drivers ever.*

At Goodwood the car was driven around the track by Ayrton’s nephew Bruno Senna.

Official Goodwood video of the Lotus 97T at the 82nd Member’s Meeting

Goodwood have also compiled a video of some of Senna’s greatest drives, which includes his maiden victory at Estoril. Well worth watching.

Official Goodwood video of Greatest Senna drives

If you enjoyed this entry then you might want to read my last post –

Am I a petrolhead? … capturing the spirit of the 82nd Goodwood Members Meeting

The answer to the question is quite definitely yes. Ever since I was a young boy back in the 60’s I have had a passion for cars. From playing with Corgi toy cars on the carpet, to looking forward to the next monthly car magazine. When I reached the age of 17 I couldn’t wait to pass my driving test and then having my own car. I have very little engineering or mechanical knowledge and I greatly admire those that can service and bring a set of four wheels back to life but all cars both old and new appeal to me, more so when their engines come to life and to see them on a motor circuit.

A couple of weeks ago I attended the 82nd Members Meeting at Goodwood. The Festival Speed and The Revival Meeting are world famous events and I have been very fortunate to attend many of these meetings over the years years, however the Members Meeting is a smaller event by comparison. As well as fewer people there is full access to the paddock and sections of the track which are ordinarily out of bounds.

The range of machinery both on display and racing very competitively is quite extraordinary. Enthusiastic spectators watch great car control as they speed around the fast and challenging historic Goodwood circuit. From Edwardian cars in The S.F Edge Trophy to a shoot out of GT3 cars which were raced between 2006 and 2012. There is something for everyone.

Some cars from various eras are truly works of art only to become museum pieces or stored in an air conditioned garages as the owner watches their capital value increase over the years.

Goodwood doesn’t reflect this aspect of car ownership. Cars worth many hundreds of thousands of pounds are raced nose to tail by very skilled drivers. In other words they are still being used for their original purpose and long may this be the case. I am very aware we are entering a time of electrification in the car industry but it would be sad day if these celebrations of automotive history came to an end.

From a photographic point of view there is so much to see. Here are just a selection of images which I like to think capture the feel and atmosphere of the weekend.

*Sunday 7.45am – Start/Finish straight before the day’s racing begins*

*No need to be reminded where these photographs were taken*

*Detail of a vintage Bentley badge and radiator grill*

*The Arundell Cup winners’ garland – the 1962 Cooper-Ford* *T59*

For more information and a video about the Porsche 997 at the Members Meeting – click here.

*John Player Special Lotus 97T Formula One car which was driven by the late great Ayrton Senna*

*Gordon Murray Automotive T.50s Niki Lauda*

*The Gordon Murray Automotive commissioned Cosworth 3,994cc* *V12 engine for the T. 50s which red lines at an astonishing 12,100 rpm.*

For more information about Gordon Murray Automotive – click here.

*Waiting for the race to start – the S.F Edge Trophy for Edwardian cars*

*Porsche GT3 R Hybrid from the Intelligence Performance division*

*3.5 litre Jaguar XK120 roadster from 1954*

Click here for more information about the background to the above car.

*Often seen racing at Goodwood the Aston Martin DB4GT ‘lightweight’ driven by four-time Indycar Champion Dario Franchitt*i

Below are links to some other events I have photographed at Goodwood in previous years.

Bugatti Type 35 at the 81st Goodwood Members Meeting

Car details in mono at The Goodwood Revival

Goodwood Revival – the cars and the people

The Silver Arrows at the Goodwood Revival Meeting

Continuing to document the Dorset countryside … and loving the Leica Q3

It’s only been a few weeks since I purchased my Leica Q3 and in that short period of time I have already grown to love this camera. I have become familiar with its controls and settings. I am really enjoying the 28mm field of view and my eye has quickly adapted to see potential compositions using this focal length. The addition of a hand and thumb grip plus a soft release button have improved the handling and it now feels very comfortable to hold and use. The files are simply stunning and the dynamic range of the sensor is unlike anything I have used in the past.

My collection of images of the Dorset countryside near to my home continues to grow. Here are just a few photographs I have made with the Leica Q3. Seeing these images on screen is one step away from making prints, and I am increasingly inspired to do so in the near future.