I set aside my first day of sabbatical time out from my job to go walking and photographing in the Staffordshire moorland Roaches. I have been looking forward to trying out my newest camera, a Pentax K3, with my wide angle zooms and filters.

Everything did not go to plan! Only an hour into shooting I had an accident. I chose, unwisely now, to go over a stone wall into a field with well placed rocks in the foreground and the Roaches behind. There were a few cows grazing quietly a couple of hundred metres away. As I was framing a shot, a large cow came charging straight at me. Instinct took over and I legged it back over the wall, slipped and fell on my hand, badly spraining my right elbow! I nursed my injury in my car nearby whilst figuring how to get the camera, tripod and bag back out of the field before rain came in. Thankfully the cows retreated and I recovered my gear. This is the photo that caused me some pain!

Roaches long exposure in early summer

I tried gamely to find a couple more scenic locations and take some more shots for the next hour, but the weather didn’t improve nor did my elbow. I gave up and drove slowly to A&E (grateful for an automatic car). My story caused much amusement and sympathy in equal measure, and I notch up the experience as part of a future ‘what to be wary of’ in taking landscape pictures.

Anyway here are the other two pictures from the morning that I thought worthy of blogging. The Staffordshire moorlands are just half an hour from home and ideal to explore for photo opportunities. I will go again when all healed up!

Moorland barn and winding road

Leaning tree

landscape long exposure Pentax K3