Back to the Moor

I now live much closer to the moor than I did before November 2020. I can drive to the foot of Rippon Tor in less than twenty minutes from leaving my front door. But I didn’t, until the second week of April 2021, because of the lockdown. It was quite late when I set out, and long after sunset when I started back. As I walked uphill from the Rippon Tor gate I became a little mentally distracted by the presence of a van selling ‘Authentic Italian Pizzas’ at the foot of Saddle Tor. It made an interesting foreground subject to ‘walk into’ the landscape that held Greattor rocks and Hound Tor in the distance. I noticed just the one customer as I climbed the path to Rippon Tor summit. Near the top the low light was becoming a bit special, and I noticed 3 teenagers had settled themselves at the highest point to view the sunset.

I was rather pleased to see a much younger generation clearly captivated by it, and would not have dreamt of disturbing them. I was happy just drinking in that last half hour back on the moor again, after so long, but I still wanted to make some photographs. These photographs were made as the light faded and subtle colour replaced glaring sunlight. It was extraordinarily windy, but still an absolute joy to be back in this magical place again.

I walked back to the roadside, and was passed by a couple of the teenagers who said they were sorry if they had spoiled my photographs (they hadn’t). I noticed in the meagre light that was left, that the Authentic Italian Pizza van was making its move.

I don’t know why it’s taken so long to publish this post. I seem to have been struggling to find the incentive. But I’ve also been working on an idea to offer small print collections and card sets for sale not from this site, but from my new Etsy shop, which has just opened. I’ve experienced many problems with the plug-in I was using to sell prints online, and that is why I have decided to sell a smaller number of print sets through Etsy instead. Each new post will have a unique link to my Etsy shop where I will offer some of those images as a boxed set of A4 prints, and also (soon!) greetings cards and smaller A5  print sets.

I’ll print them all myself, but offer them at fair prices, with the aim of giving people the opportunity to buy a set of small fine prints on quality paper. The A4 prints will be presented in a rigid cardboard box, encouraging their close examination, and the feel of quality, weighty paper in the hand, rather than behind glass, at a distance. It’s also a really cost effective way to buy a set of ready-to-mount-and-frame images for a themed wall! Please see this link to view the print sets from this posting.

Thanks for reading!