Locations To Take Your Camera

Wasdale

Wast Water

I have lost count of the number of times I have worked around Wasdale. Not only on workshops but when out with my own camera taking images just for myself. To me, it is one of the greatest places in the Lake District to go and photograph.

Why?

Just standing on the by Wast Water will give you a clue. Even if the clag is down! This is your starting point before you venture deep in towards Great Gable and from then on, you just keep walking straight ahead and off into some of the most fantastic locations.

This particular part of the lakes is remote and it is not long before you are right out in deepest mountain country. Without sounding condescending you should be ‘suited and booted,’ prepared for the eventualities of ‘real’ mountain weather and its terrain.

There are a number of ways to get there by car.

The spectacular is via Hard Knott and through Eskdale or you can access via Birker Fell (my preferred route) or by driving around the coast and dropping in via Gosforth. Any of those will give you excellent views of this area.

Once you are there….well, the vista is simply as good as anything you will experience anywhere in this country. It begs for you to put on those boots and walk around.

I know because that’s exactly what I have done countless times and on many days I have hardly seen anyone.

I have to say that since Covid that isn’t the case but I find mid week is always best.

This little guide will not ‘touch the sides’ of this ‘three sided amphitheatre’ but will concentrate on Wast Water itself.

It’s surrounding ‘amphiteatre’ will follow in another guide.

A FEW OF MY FAVOURITE LOCATIONS AROUND WAST WATER

By pressing on the title of the image you will be taken to the online shop!

The starting point for most people has to be by Wast Water itself and if you simply want a good image to take home of a classic view, then you really are spoiled for choice!

THE SLABS AND THE SHELTER

The beauty of this spot is that if the rain is driving behind you, then ‘set up’ in the shelter and fire away! You are on ‘the slabs’ and they offer a great foreground from lots of different angles.

A note of caution, be mindful of how slippy they can be when there has been rain. Yes, surprisingly it rains there…..!

THE SHORELINE

Take your pick but I have always preferred down by the large rocks behind the island. this area offers a myriad of choices and of course the seasons and the water level create different feelings to the photograph. Even if you cannot see Great Gable, it still makes a compelling image.

SUNRISE

I prefer winter so I don’t have to get out of bed too early and there is generally always somewhere to find a decent spot.

Says it all!!

THE UNUSUAL

Sometimes we get lucky and arrive finding ‘freak’ conditions and it is the classic situation of ‘right place, right time.’

This was one of those days.

There wasn’t a breath of air and everything was still. Pure pot luck but I always say that the more you go, the greater the chance you have of obtaining images such as this.

Those are a few very simple places to plant your tripod as you arrive by Wast Water and they will change every time you visit.