Dale Head (1/214)
Dale Head was the first fell I ever felled and I didn’t even know it. My friend Olivia and I were on another impromptu holiday, this time in The Lake District (it kind of became a thing after our initial lets-just-get-to-know-each-other-on-holiday to Scotland in 2013). We were staying at YHA Borrowdale Hostel, walked outside, looked around, pointed and said: “We’ll climb that one” and that’s exactly what we did the next day.
It’s a bit strange we never really plan these trips (especially because I’m a planner and a self appointed hiking safety captain) but somehow it just works. We were in Borrowdale in February 2019 (blissfully unaware of what was to come), so we were prepared for wintery conditions. Luckily it was a clear day, though the visibility on the summit was maybe a couple of metres if that.
It’s been a while, but I don’t remember the walk as being particularly gruesome despite it being winter. The views over the valley were stunning, though I think I might have enjoyed it more had I known more about my surroundings and the history of walking these fells. That being said, I really enjoyed the hike and I’m pleased with the photos.
Photo taken with an iPhone 8 in 2019 (released in Sept 2017)
Photo taken with the Canon EOS 7D Mark II
I always struggle with choosing which camera to use on these walks. I had my Canon EOS 7D Mark II with me (I had recently upgraded to a ‘professional’ model) and my iPhone 8 (then quite a recent model). It’s just so easy to whip out your iPhone and quickly take a photo without holding up your walking party, but as seen on the photo, the quality of the Canon is just outstanding. It’s just too bad it’s so heavy. Also, I always struggle to keep it dry but on hand when it starts raining. I end up putting it away in my bag and then just taking photos with my iPhone, but then there’s the loss of quality again!
Click the image to download the gpx file of the walk to download to your favourite walking app
After having another look through my photos, it turns out I’ve taken the same photo on both my iPhone and my Canon the day before we went on the walk and I’ve added them side-by-side as a comparison. Just for complete transparency, the Canon photo was shot in RAW and edited in Lightroom, then exported to jpg. The photo taken with the iPhone 8 has been edited on the iPhone. The iPhone version is far from bad, it has a nice depth to it, good realistic colours and plenty of detail, even in the distance. But it pales in comparisonto the Canon. The detail and depth is stunning, both close by and in the distance and you have complete control over the colours and every other aspect of photography. The added benefit is that if you want to blow this photo up to frame, you’ll be far better off with the Canon as well.
I guess my personal verdict is that it’s worth all the hassle of a Canon, which is why I keep hauling it around with me. I might do some research into a waterproof/hikingproof waist camera bag. I’ll keep you posted!
a couple more photos taken with my iPhone 8
