Being snowed in on Boxing Day brought me loads of lovely feedback online

Written on January 4, 2015

I grew up in Buxton but have missed it since moving first to South Africa and then ending up in Leek, Staffordshire. Now I visit as much as possible to either meet with clients or to spend time with my family.

Whilst enjoying a lovely Boxing Day buffet with my parents we noticed that the snow coming down “like billy-o” (thanks mum!). I then couldn’t get out of town due to having a car with the engine of an electric wheelchair and ended up staying the night. With a lonely cat back at home in Cheddleton I had to find a way to take my mind off being stranded and went for a midnight dog walk down through the Pavilion Gardens to the Crescent.

I was not disappointed, despite worrying about drunken snowballers, and here are a few pics from my midnight stroll.

Snow in Buxton

First stop; The Duke in Burbage. Some lucky person has been snowed in.

Screen Shot 2014-12-30 at 13.45.38

Burbage Church gates.

Screen Shot 2015-01-06 at 11.02.27

The rest of the dog walking team.

Screen Shot 2015-01-06 at 11.02.16

Who’s walking who?

Screen Shot 2015-01-06 at 11.02.40

Pavilion Gardens nicely lit up.

Screen Shot 2015-01-06 at 11.02.48

Screen Shot 2015-01-06 at 11.02.59

The bandstand in the Pavilion Gardens looking magical in the snow.

Screen Shot 2014-12-30 at 13.45.50

A few different angles of Buxton Opera House. This was my main reason for the walk as it is always lit up beautifully!

Screen Shot 2014-12-30 at 13.45.59

Front view.

Screen Shot 2014-12-30 at 13.46.33

This one is my favourite, framed by snowy branches with the falling snow illuminated by the streetlamp.

Screen Shot 2014-12-30 at 13.46.43

Winter snow falling all around Buxton

Photographing The Crecent is quite tricky at the moment with all of the fences in front of it. Usually I’d shoot up towards the second floor windows and crop out the fences but the snow kept falling onto the lens, so focused on the end section instead.

I had to adjust the white balance on all of the photos in post processing as the street lamps were turning the images orange. Luckily the snow is a great point to do a reading from but you can see a little bit of unusual colour in the sky from adjusting the colour of the building.

Screen Shot 2014-12-30 at 13.47.07

A view from The Slopes into Spring Gardens. Spot the snowman.

Screen Shot 2014-12-30 at 13.46.52

Screen Shot 2015-01-06 at 11.04.51

I was getting getting a bit chilly now and wasn’t looking forward to the walk back up Burbage in the snow so tried to find the flattest route, Broad Walk. It felt like being in Narnia.

Screen Shot 2014-12-30 at 13.47.15Screen Shot 2014-12-30 at 13.47.24

Looking down Burlington Road.

Screen Shot 2014-12-30 at 13.47.36

The crossroads at the bottom of College Road.

Screen Shot 2014-12-30 at 13.47.46

The feedback from these photos on Facebook has been absolutely overwhelming, thank you so much everyone who has liked or commented, it’s really encouraging.

Skyrim, or Derbyshire?

On the way back to Buxton the following Sunday to pick up the car we stopped at The Roaches to get a few more pics before the show melted.

Screen Shot 2014-12-30 at 13.48.48

Screen Shot 2015-01-05 at 00.38.24

If you see any photos you like please contact me for print prices.

Competition win

I’m never too lucky with competitions but I sent a few photos to Explore Buxton who encouraged me to post them on their Facebook page. I ended up winning a beautiful Phil Sproson Photography calendar. Phil is one of the top landscape photographers in the Peak District and who I have been following closely since returning back to the UK.

Thanks to everyone who showed interest in my work during the Christmas period!