In June, my wife Jennifer and I spent a week walking the Dales Way in northern England with our good friends Karl and Rina. The route covers about 80 miles, starting in the market town of Ilkley and ending on the shores of Lake Windermere in Bowness. It was a holiday, not a photography trip, but I almost always bring a camera wherever I go. For me, photography enhances the experience of walking. I find it helps me pay closer attention to the landscape, the light, and the weather.
The Dales Way, established in 1969, is a long-distance footpath that winds through the Yorkshire Dales National Park, an area known for its rolling hills, dry stone walls, ancient farmsteads, and timeless pastoral scenery. The national park preserves a rural landscape shaped by centuries of farming and settlement, and walking through it feels like stepping into another era. I carried my Canon R5 with a 24–105mm lens and photographed everything handheld, without a tripod. When it wasn’t raining, I kept the camera on a shoulder strap so I could shoot quickly without needing to stop and hold up the rest of the group.
Rather than chasing dramatic sunrise or sunset scenes, I photographed along the trail during the day as we walked. While the images may not be as bold as some of my more dramatic landscape work, I found the soft light, moody skies, windswept hills, and vibrant greens of the countryside to be incredibly photogenic. As a collection, the photos offer a genuine sense of what the Yorkshire Dales looks like: its landscapes, its history, and the way of life that continues there today.
I hope you enjoy this gallery of images from our walk.
(Click to enlarge)
