England

[wfwhitaker]

I'm thinking about taking the plunge and going to the UK for a week or ten days sometime in 2009. Where to go and what to see aren't really the issues right now. When to go is the question. I've heard to avoid summer and was thinking mid to end of September would be good. But I'd like to hear what other people have to suggest.

[Frank Petronio]

We did a family trip to the Lake District in mid-September and it was perfect timing -- still good weather and not crowded at all. YMMV.

A small car coated in rubber is a really good idea for the narrow roads... get the rental car insurance.

[Struan Gray]

The most traditionally beautiful time is late May or early June. Late September is one of my favourite times, but you'd be taking more of a risk with the weather.

A lot depends on what you like to do: towns, countryside, big cities, or wild places? Also, how much is this a photographic trip: some things only happen in the summer, others go on holiday. September is the changeover month.

[Joanna Carter]

I'm thinking about taking the plunge and going to the UK for a week or ten days sometime in 2009. Where to go and what to see aren't really the issues right now. When to go is the question. I've heard to avoid summer and was thinking mid to end of September would be good. But I'd like to hear what other people have to suggest.
Well, let's see, there's the Lake District, the Northumbrian coast, Suffolk, the north Norfolk coast, Somerset, Cornwall, North Wales, the Gower, the Yorkshire Dales, Glencoe, the Western Isles...

The only problem is, in ten days, you will have to limit yourself to one venue if you really want to get the most out of it. There is just so much to shoot.

As to timing, we usually hold our UKLFPG workshops (free) in May and early September.

Of course, then you have to consider how you are going to get your film into and out of the country without getting it X-rayed. If I were you, I would organise to get film delivered from one of our excellent LF specialists here in the UK and then leave it with one of our excellent labs to mail back to you, once processed.

But, whatever else you do, join us on the UKLFPG forums www.lf-photo.org.uk/forum and try to liaise with some of our members who know the areas you are thinking of visiting.

As for Frank's thoughts on cars, I drive a Volvo V70 all over the place, you just have to remember that we don't drive on the right side of the road, we drive on the correct side of the road ;-)

Seriously though, if you can find a rental company that does the Citroën Berlingo, it really is a great small car with four seats and plenty of room to stow gear in the back.

[Darryl Baird]

Go anytime except August... everyone's on holiday and some of the galleries and businesses will close for a brief time...

Other than rain, the weather is seldom harsh. Tends to rain a good deal in April & May (and into June), fall months of Sept & Oct are lovely, July is crowded with other tourists.

In my trips to the UK I've joined either the National Trust or English Heritage group (both if you can afford) to allow access to many, many sites of historical significance.

http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/

http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/

These sites also have events on their premises and the schedules might help you to decide on the timing of the trip.

It's hard to get to some areas without a car.. although I use the train often, the schedules don't always fit my needs. Once the differences are mastered, driving in England is a blast. An automatic transmission makes the adjustment much easier, although more expensive. Do take out the full-coverage insurance and expect the rental car company to thoroughly inspect the car upon your return.

Here's a link to a video dedicated to UK driving...
http://homepage.mac.com/darrylgbaird/iMovieTheater4.html

[Ash]

You're going to be taking a gamble regardless of timing. English weather is notoriously....dull.

I think we got about 2 weeks of "summer" and it was spread over a day here and there. I'd recommend before summer as opposed to after. So maybe June if you can. Weather usually holds up pretty well unless you manage to pick a week of rain. Problem with going into September and October is the lack of sunlight as the days get shorter.

I agree that August is a bugger. It's the month of my birthday and everybody takes that time to go on holiday or go out places. You'll find all major attractions busy and the roads slightly more crowded.

Whenever you come over, don't sleep in late thinking you got a good few hours to see the sights. The best light is in the morning as you know, England is no exception.

I'm not sure what to suggest, but I'd say earlier rather than later, to make the most of English daylight (which is almost always....dull).

[Frank Petronio]

http://homepage.mac.com/darrylgbaird/iMovieTheater4.html pretty much sums it up, it is a lot like Luke Skywalker flying one of those fighters through the notches and grooves of the bad guy's spaceship.

We took our then 3-year old and my wife's 80-something parents (on their "last" big trip) and rented a mini-van to tour the Lake District. While the main roads are fine, the narrow Beatrice Potter country lanes were quite narrow with a mini-van.

Now try to imagine having your Mother-in-Law in the backseat the whole time....

And now you can understand my family's dynamic and how I get the leeway to do the other stuff I do. lol

[Ash]

Now try to imagine having your Mother-in-Law in the backseat the whole time....

And now you can understand my family's dynamic and how I get the leeway to do the other stuff I do. lol

Now itt all make sense!

:D

[Darryl Baird]

Dull? I know you remember the 2007 summer floods in SW England... you and I were within a few miles of each other... we luckily didn't get stranded on a high spot like all those other drivers.

here's what Stonehenge looks like in the rain...


You're going to be taking a gamble regardless of timing. English weather is notoriously....dull.

I think we got about 2 weeks of "summer" and it was spread over a day here and there. I'd recommend before summer as opposed to after. So maybe June if you can. Weather usually holds up pretty well unless you manage to pick a week of rain. Problem with going into September and October is the lack of sunlight as the days get shorter.

I agree that August is a bugger. It's the month of my birthday and everybody takes that time to go on holiday or go out places. You'll find all major attractions busy and the roads slightly more crowded.

Whenever you come over, don't sleep in late thinking you got a good few hours to see the sights. The best light is in the morning as you know, England is no exception.

I'm not sure what to suggest, but I'd say earlier rather than later, to make the most of English daylight (which is almost always....dull).

[Ken Lee]

The whole place is... heavenly.


http://www.kenleegallery.com/images/forum/etonp2.jpg

[Joanna Carter]

The whole place is... heavenly.


http://www.kenleegallery.com/images/forum/etonp2.jpg
Hmmm, Taken with your phone:rolleyes: :eek: :confused:

[Ken Lee]

Next time, if I'm fortunate enough to return, I will bring a Large Format camera... I promise !

[Sandeha]

May/June or September. Once upon a time we had drought conditions in August, but the past few years August has been like a monsoon season.

And you're right, where doesn't really matter.

[Graham Patterson]

On our trips back to the UK (I'm an expat), I usually aim for late May. It's a gamble on the weather, but that isn't my primary reason for visiting 8-).

[BradS]

I've been in late April and early May. It is an interesting time to be there. I guess we got lucky as the weather was mostly...crisp and beautiful. There were a few days of heavy fog / light drizzle driven by cold wids...but, it could hardly be called rain. :)

[wfwhitaker]

Thank you for all the responses. I'm probably going to aim for mid- to late-September. May-June does sound nice, but the later window provides me more time to research, plan and get the funds together (keep your eye on the classifieds... ;)) And if the weather's changing then, all the better. I'll be travelling alone and travelling light. I've about got the 6 1/2 x 8 1/2 kit together; hopefully I'll know how to use it after another year. There is so much that I would like to see that it doesn't really matter where I go, although I do want to see at least one of the cathedrals. Rather than to try to take in too much and spread myself too thin, my plan is to decide on one or two areas and stick close to the ground. That hopefully will afford me a more intimate interaction with the landscape and the people, both of which are important to me.

Joanna, as you can see I'm taking your advice on limiting the venue. I've signed up for UKLFPG; awaiting approval. Driving on the correct side of the road may not be such a big deal; I'm not right-handed, I'm correct-handed. I was hoping for a Mini, but I'll check out the Citroen, even if it is French.

Darryl, thanks for the links. Lots of good information. And I like your umbrella.

[Darryl Baird]

Some tourist-heavy spots will be utterly deserted (possibly with some good reason :p ) in fall. We visited the Wye River in September/October and found parts of the area hopping and others were sleepy to the max.

Example: Symonds Yat West (East was buzzing with walkers, kayaks, and pub crawlers)

[Struan Gray]

I am assuming you are not much interested in gritty urban documentary photography. If you are, pick a large-ish northern city and spend your whole time there. Places like Leeds or Newcastle have a lifetime of photography within the city limits. Most have cathedrals or at least an abbey church. Liverpool has two.

But, if you're after a less intense and more picturesque experience I would suggest you spend your time in one of the quieter county towns near to a national park or a distinctive cultural landscape. Exeter and Dartmoor make a good pair, as do Ely and the fens, or Rochester and darkest Kent. Nobody goes to Lincolnshire these days. The south end of the Yorkshire moors or the Peak District offer any number of small towns with dinky old buildings and dramatic landscapes on their doorsteps. Places like Selby and Shipton in Yorkshire have small jewels of medieval architecture and the markets are for locals to buy useful things in, rather than endless stalls full of tourist tat.

My personal favourites are further north though. Northumbria and the Scottish Borders have a rugged charm and a less touristy economy than, say, Edinburgh and the Scottish Lowlands. How could you not be attracted to an area called "The Debatable Land"? Morayshire and Galloway are two forgotten areas of Scotland which are rewarding to the careful observer, and in September the West Coast from Oban northwards is putting on it's autumn show of subtle light mixed with viscious storms.

Did I mention Pembrokeshire? Or mid-Wales? Or the New Forest? The Dorset Coastline?

It should be clear that almost any rural area of the UK will give you good photography. A lot depends on what you like, and what other activities you want to pursue. Scotland, for example, is useless for cider pubs or clotted cream. Somerset doesn't have many mill towns. There are no mountains in Kent. Unless you have a strong desire to visit a particular landscape or town, stick a pin in the map and have a potter.

[Frank Petronio]

Where did they film "Straw Dogs"? Go there!

[Darryl Baird]

...and have a potter.

Struan, could you translate this into English?;)

[Joanna Carter]

Struan, could you translate this into English?;)
http://www.askoxford.com/concise_oed/potter_1

[matthew050204]

Well , for the UK I’d say definitely visit London because even if you don’t really like big cities, London has a charm of ist own and visiting it has to be done. Then Brighton and Dover, not only are they really sweet little towns, but the coast is really really amazing for landscape photography as well. The colors are just beautiful, you get breathtaking shots from there. Also, from an architectural point of view, I liked Cambridge a lot .. there’s many beautiful old buildings that could make potentially very good pictures.

[Andy Brown]

I'll put in a quick word (or two) for Cornwall which is Garden Central for the UK. We have:
The lost Gardens of Heligan, Caerhays, The Eden Project, Trewithen, Trebah, Trevarno, Trelissick, Lanhydrock, Tregrehan, Cotehele & Tresco Abbey to mention but a few. Then there are the beaches, Fistral, Porthcurno, Rock (and many more). The abandoned mines (hundreds) Castles (Tintagel St. Mawes & Pendennis) Fishing ports: St. Ives, Polperro, Mevagissey, Padstow old-fashioned seaside resorts (Looe, Newquay and super cool ones (Fowey, Padstow, Rock) Did I mention spectacular cliffs and coastal scenery (The Lizard, Polzeath, Bedruthan Steps) Then there are tall ships, and open air theatres plus cosmopolitan shopping centres (Charlestown, The Minack, Truro) I could go on and on...

Best time for gardens is spring which here means from February onwards. September on is also good, because the downside is that we are awash with tourists from april on, petering out from the middle of September. Beware also the very narrow roads. And if you happen to get lost down a particularly narrow lane and see a yellow car parked outside a white cottage, that'll be where I live!

Andy

[uniB]

It really depends on what you want to photograph, or whether photography is your main aim of a visit.

If it's the best photographic light you want then I'd say October to March is the best time - the sun doesn't get to rise too high in the sky, so the golden light last much longer. You also get much more interesting colour, in the summer months the land is all a bit too green and the shadows are harsh, oh yeah, it rains all summer these days too!

I'm in the Peak District - Yorkshire, and at this time of year the countyside takes on a lovely shade of orange/brown, not just in the trees but on the ground too.

London is a mono world of city what ever the time of year, do yourself a favour and head out of town to head for Pembrokeshire, North Yorkshire, the Lake District or Rannoch Moor

[Alick Newman]

The old joke goes you know it`s summer in England when the rain gets warmer but the important thing to realise is that in GB we don`t have climate, we have weather. That is why every British artist has (had) to be first and foremost a water colourist, as there is no other medium that enables one to capture the constantly changing sky as fast as it changes, and I include Turner and Constable as masters of the medium. When you come you will almost certainy get days of pretty constant grey, and a day or two of wall to wall blue, but you have to be prepared to either capture an image rapidly, or else to wait while the skyscape cycles through phases, as it will. There are not too many places on the planet where the space above the horizon is as changeable as the British Isles. You cannot ignore it.
Enjoy.

[Pete Watkins]

If you want to photograph a city you won't beat Oxford. In my opinion it's the most photogenic city in the U.K.
I really don't want to slag off Cornwall but the derilict tin mines around the coast are nice, the rest of the county is nothing exceptional. Cambourne is a real dump, Sereavo without the trams. Truro has potential but Cornwall is miles away from the rest of civilisation.
The Isle of Wight is wonderful if you have the time and can afford the ferry fares, go from Southampton and take a handheld camera (the boats vibrate like hell).
North Yorkshire is one of our secret treasures (shame about the ale). The Whitby area is fantastic, the former home of Frank Meadow Sutcliff. He used L.F. and is one of the reasons why I'm lugging big wooden cameras around, again shame about the beer.
Watch the replys, the John Smiths supporters Club will probably put a Yorkshire curse on me now!!!
Best wishes,
Pete.

[Rodney Polden]

Great photo, Andy Brown! With a castle, a standing stone, a beach, some nice woods and fifty peaceful sheep, what more could anyone wish for? Cornwall may be out of the way, but sometimes that's just what you're looking for. Bodmin Moor and Dartmoor have some really inspiring and moody scenery for the LF photographer, particularly if you're working in b/w.

Whatever else one can say about the UK, it certainly has variety, and you're never more than 50 miles away from a whole lot of different scenes.
I used to make audio-visual programs for the British Tourist Authority a long time back, and I was often blown away by how many different subjects could be found in a very small area.

The west of Scotland can be a great area for some amazing light on occasions - liquid gold slanting in under purple skies, and clarity of the air that goes on forever.

Weather changes fast too, but the south of England is much less rainy than the movies make out (US film directors maybe?). Much less annual precipitation than most US cities:
L.A. 302mm
S.F. 475mm
London 594mm
Toronto 752mm
Detroit 806mm
Chicago 814mm
N.Y. 1033mm
Seattle 1037mm
Boston 1047mm
Wash DC 1101mm
Sydney Oz 1138mm
Tokyo 1563mm

But take a raincoat anyway, won't you.

[Andy Brown]

Thanks for the positive feedback Rodney. After having had my knuckles rapped for my temerity in suggesting Cornwall, I was feeling a bit bruised. However, I have another suggestion which has a lot of the charming features of the Cotswolds, but fewer tourists, and that is Exmoor. Wild and remote in places, but still easily accessible from London, it has scenery, pretty villages, wildlife and still feels like real countryside, not a museum.

Oh well, I'm sure any potential tourist will have enough suggestions for twenty holidays by now. :-)

Andy
p.s Love the Highlands myself (my father is from there) but please no more pictures of Bucaille Etive Mhor. It's been done to death now.

[monsta]

dungeness on the kent coast is always worth a visit, very strange place.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3209/3020385908_9c7f6123bd_o.jpg