Photographing the Lake District: The Most Beautiful Places to Visit (Fotovue Photographing Guide)

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As already mentioned there are various spots to park along the lake edge but please do not park in passing places or obstruct traffic. Local roads are well maintained but many are narrow and twisty, so take care and make use of the pull-ins to slow down and pass other cars. There are several steep mountain passes in the area; Hardknott and Wrynose are the most challenging driving conditions with hairpin bends, blind summits and steep inclines so make sure you test your clutch and brakes before setting off and don't attempt them if you are not a confident driver. Others include Honister, Kirkstone, Newlands Hause and Whinlatter. Surface water after heavy rain will make conditions even more dangerous so avoid driving on these roads if very wet.

What equipment would you recommend a photographer takes when visiting the Lake District? (clothing and camera equipment) I hope my top ten locations for landscape photography in the Lake District will prove a great starting point for when you visit, but this article barely scratches the surface.I also offer an annual bestselling Lake District Calendar, two landscape photography book called Capture Lakeland Volumes 1 and 2, Lake District postcards and mini landscape prints gift items. In the above image I wanted to use the drystone wall as a leading line so I was actually looking above the crag and standing on Lingmoor Fell to get this image, but there are many options for compositions on Side Pike itself. While there is plenty to explore in the Penrith and eastern areas of the lakes, Ullswater is the jewel in the crown. Being approx. 9-miles in length, it is the second largest lake in the Lake District.

The Langdales are incredibly picturesque. Great Langdale is a long, U-shaped glacial valley with steep sides and pretty patchwork fields. The Langdale Pikes – a group of peaks on the northern side of the dale – feature in many of the best views of the area. Side Pike offers excellent and relatively accessible views via a 10-15 minute steep climb. Blea Tarn nestles in the Little Langdale valley, adjacent to its larger cousin, just over the other side of Lingmoor Fell, Great Langdale. This entire area is festooned with breath-taking locations and a walk anywhere from either of these two valleys will be rewarding. And I haven’t even mentioned the west side of the lake. Suffice to say I wouldn’t dismiss Windermere as a place for landscape photography. Despite being very busy for much of the year and not having any spectacular mountain scenery close by, it can nevertheless offer some really beautiful photographic moments – you just have to look for them. LEE: With over 15 million visitors going to the Lake District every year, a lot of them being photographers of some level, you may find it hard to find a unique shot of any location within the Lake District...but I implore you to try! Whenever I visit a location, I refer to Google to see what the most popular shots of a location seem to be and then use that to look for something different. Try shooting different angles or using something in the foreground to frame your subject.

5. Crummock Water

Covered are lakes, tarns, jetties, bridges, valleys, waterfalls, woodlands, villages, cottages and farmhouses, grand panoramic viewpoints, shows and events, historic houses, castles and gardens. This edition also includes two outliers, St Bees Head on the west coast and the Appleby Horse Fair. I would take a selection of ND filters if you like to shoot long exposures and Graduated ND filters a polarising filter to help balance the light in your images.

Derwentwater is a large lake and you will find a number of jetties dotted along its shores. The best known is Ashness Launch, near Barrow Bay along the B5289. While this is a popular and well-known viewpoint, it is a good sunset location and it can be a wonderfully peaceful spot. Of the many jetties positioned around Derwent lake (see above), Ashness Jetty – situated a few miles along the east shore of Derwent Water – is one of the most photographed.

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There are a number of little islands on Ullswater; this particular one is called Wall Holm, and I love for it Scots pines which can be beautifully silhouetted. This beautiful spot offers views galore, and the line of pines at the upper end of the lake are classic, as is the lonely birch tree at the village end of the lake and captured in all moods and weathers. Park on the road near St Mary’s church at Rydal. This is the road up to Rydal Hall. The parking here can be limited, so arrive early to get a space (there’s an honesty box to leave donations to the church for parking). Walk down the road and turn right, then access a footbridge over the River Rothay from the A591, close to the Badger Bar pub. Towering above the head of the valley it is a perfect inverted cone with precipitous slopes above grassy banks. The drive along the north-western bank of the lake is sensational. There’s plenty of places to stop and hop out of the car for a photo, but it does take a bit of time to get here. Aira Force is an amazing 70 ft high waterfall surrounded by beautiful woodlands with a stone bridge at the top of the fall. The grounds are owned by The National Trust so expect to pay for parking here.

If time allows, I‘d recommend a walk along Lingmoor Fell from Side Pike. As you climb higher the fells, which are so beautifully wrapped all around the Little Langdale and Great Langdale valleys, become ever greater in number. You’ll find 360 degree views that really are quite staggering. There are not too many places in the world where you can discover a combination of breathtaking lakes, picturesque valleys, lush woodland, dramatic waterfalls, pretty tarns, soaring mountains, and even coastline – all neatly compressed into just one region. However, the Lake District, in North West England, is home to all of these things and consequently Lake District photography hotspots are popular. One of the most remote valleys in the Lake District, take a short walk up the slopes of Great Gable at the head of the valley. Then turn and look down the flat fields and ancient drystone wall patterns of Wasdale Head with Wastwater behind, all beautifully framed between Lingmell and the Wasdale Screes on the left, and Yewbarrow on the right. The views into the Newlands Valley are also very good and offer lots of potential for images. Early and late shooting times provide the best chances of some low-angled, soft light. But, with inclement conditions, light can break through the cloud at any time of day, creating a layered effect with the surrounding hills and fells. 7. The Duke of Portland Boathouse,Ullswater At Pooley Bridge, near the north eastern head of Ullswater, you will find the Duke of Portland Boathouse. This is a picturesque building with views looking south west down the Lake, which is easily accessed from the main A592 road. There is very convenient parking in a lay-by behind the boathouse, and it’s only a couple of hundred yards walk to reach the best viewpoints.LEE: There are sixteen lakes in the Lake District and many Tarn’s (small mountain lakes) each with many areas of interest around them. One of my favourite areas within the Lake District is the town of Ambleside that sits at the head of Windermere, England's largest natural lake. There are a variety of walks and hiking trails around Windermere (as well as the rest of the Lakes) varying from gentle walks around the lake to more strenuous hikes in the fells. The Lake District (or Lakeland) is by far the UK's most popular national park and it's easy to see why. The Lake District, is a mountainous region in the northwest corner of England, in the county of Cumbria and home to England's highest mountain, Scafell Pike (978m). Known for its panoramas of craggy hilltops (or fells), mountains, tarns and lakes, this area attracts over 15 million visitors a year and is a real draw for photographers. Unlike many national parks around the world, people live and work within the park and their lifestyles, working practices, homes and traditions are intertwined with the location making it a fascinating place to explore and photograph. Unsurprisingly, the best shots will be when it is still and there is mist hanging atmospherically over the water. Mist and reflections are undoubtedly the Holy Grail of conditions for most landscape photographers who visit the lakes, so keep a close eye on the local forecast and visit when the forecast looks promising. 6. Kelly Hall Tarn The four mountains are Scafell Pike (3208ft / 978m), Scafell (3164ft / 964m), Helvellyn (3117ft / 950m) and Skiddaw (3054ft / 931m). All of these mountains have hiking trails, but they have varying levels of difficulty and you should research them before going. However, the reality is that Lake District weather is anything but predictable and, fantastic as it is when we do get the desired weather, the likelihood is that it will be grey, damp, and possibly windy. Don’t let this put you off, though. Many of our best images have been taken either during bad weather, or as light has suddenly broken through dark cloud.