After what felt like an endless week of temperatures sitting in the mid to high 30s, Sunday finally brought some relief. At around 23°C, it was the first day in over a week that actually felt comfortable enough to spend several hours outdoors without feeling like you were melting.
If you've been wondering why there haven't been many new photographs appearing on Bowes Photo recently, the weather is largely to blame. As much as I love getting out with the camera, standing on exposed hillsides or walking for miles in extreme heat isn't particularly enjoyable. Rather than forcing myself out, I decided to wait until conditions were a little more comfortable so I could actually enjoy the experience.
A few weeks ago I also uploaded my first YouTube video in nearly nine years, where I talked about returning to photography and said I'd aim to upload a new video every week. Unfortunately, life has had other ideas. Between work becoming increasingly busy and the exceptionally hot weather, my motivation to film and edit has definitely taken a bit of a hit. Rather than rushing something out for the sake of sticking to a schedule, I'd rather take my time and produce videos I'm genuinely happy with. The weekly uploads might not have happened just yet, but the plan is still very much alive.
With the cooler weather finally arriving, I decided it was time to dust off the camera and head north to one of my favourite viewpoints: Sutton Bank in North Yorkshire.
I've visited Sutton Bank before, so I already knew it offered incredible views across the Vale of York, but every visit feels a little different depending on the weather and the light. On this occasion the visibility was fantastic, with layer upon layer of countryside stretching towards the horizon.
It was here that I captured this panoramic image from what many people describe as "The Finest View in England." That's certainly a bold claim, and while I don't know if I'd confidently say it's the finest view in the country, it's unquestionably one of the best I've experienced. What makes it even more special is how accessible it is. You don't need to complete a challenging mountain hike to enjoy scenery like this—it's only a short walk from the visitor centre, making it a place almost anyone can experience.
The outing wasn't about chasing a particular photograph or ticking another location off a list. After spending so much time indoors avoiding the heat, it was simply nice to be back outside again with a camera in my hands, taking my time, enjoying the fresh air and reminding myself why I fell in love with landscape photography in the first place.
Hopefully this marks the start of getting back into a more regular routine. I have plenty of locations I'd like to visit over the coming weeks, more photographs to share, and yes—more YouTube videos are coming too. Thank you to everyone who's continued to visit the website, follow along on social media and support Bowes Photo while I've been a little quieter than usual. It really is appreciated.
