The Nike of Cumbria

Added 1649701669 by Randall Hobbet.

I’ve told this story before on other forums but not here yet on PP. This is Ivory Flame at Hardknott Pass in England's Lake District at the end of a rainy blustery day. She has a special place in my heart because she was not only my very first fine art shoot back in 2012 but she also modeled for my first outdoor shoot the next year; a shoot I did together with photographer Tim Pile. As a novice I was nervous about it all, but Tim and Holly were old hands at it and I learned that you could work quite close to the public if you were careful and chose your moments. I also learned that rainy weather is not necessarily a deterrent… just be patient for breaks in the rain.

Briefly, this day we shot from the Lake District to the coast around Seascale, getting soaked at one point when caught by a fast moving squall away from the car but overall it was an exhilarating day for me. As we returned to Windermere climbing up to Hardknott Pass we looked behind us and saw a glorious scene with crepuscular rays of the sun shooting through a break in the storm clouds. Stopping just 50 yards short of the pass we couldn’t be sure of what might be suddenly topping the pass from the east but we could see the headlights of cars toiling up the switchbacks behind us and they looked to be at least 10 minutes away. We set up on a little knoll just off the road and Holly braved a brisk and chill wind to give us one final thrilling set for the day. There’s nothing like the excitement of shooting outdoors — I will never forget it.