It's hard to imagine on a day like this when I photographed the scene, with only the bird song keeping me company, and a gentle breeze blowing through the tree tops above, that this area was once a place for a thriving industry. Look hard enough and you can find the hints of its past memories of the 500 people who worked this site. Little clues scattered in pockets of the landscape memories from another time.
Seldom do we have time to really indulge in photography when conditions are at their peak. The forecast this morning was completely accurate. With a morning to explore as the mist slowly cleared, revealing more as the sun rose and began to burn though the cloud, I was lucky to be at the right place on this occasion.
I enjoy photographing woodland for many reasons; it can be a much more methodic, considered approach and less rushed. It’s the variety that each season offers over the year, the same view never stands still, always in constant change.
It was this collection of birches that caught my attention. Neatly arranged on the small hill side gathered around the gritstone, an echo of a previous time. The sun had risen and was strong enough to burn through the mist, adding warmth and shape to the scene, bringing the greens to life. Each tree stood tall, each with its own character, perhaps a nod and a reflection of the people that worked the quarry many years ago.
