Bowerman’s Nose - An Old Friend

Amongst all the Dartmoor tors, Bowerman’s Nose must be one of the most unique there is. I’m not claiming to have seen all the tors, but for the tors I have seen none come close to the size and shape of Bowerman’s Nose. Since I discovered it, I have been trying to capture an image of the tor that makes the most of its uniqueness and the surrounding landscape.

I have come close to getting a shot that matches my vision but there always seems to be something that isn’t quite right. That could too much cloud, not enough cloud, lack of light, or even direction of light. Maybe I’ll never be 100% happy with my shots from there. Maybe I don’t care, and I use this as an excuse to keep returning. I like shooting Bowerman’s Nose and over the years I have come to think of this location as an old friend. There is a certain comfort in returning to this unique location.

Planning for Sunrise

I hadn’t considered shooting Bowerman’s Nose at sunrise until I had spoken to friend and fellow Dartmoor photographer Neil Porter. Neil has captured some spectacular photographs of Bowerman’s Nose at sunrise and he recommended that I give it a try myself.

Photographing Bowerman’ Nose at sunrise isn’t an all-year-round option though. The hills behind the tor block the sunrise at certain times of year meaning that some planning with TPE is required. Using my local knowledge, some data from TPE and some handy tips from Neil, I worked out the rough window of opportunity to capture the tor at sunrise.

One thing was clear from the window of opportunity was that I was going to have to get up early in the morning! Even though I don’t live too far away, with a sunrise time of around 5 am, the alarm call was still going to be unsociable. I’m a morning person but a 3:30 am alarm call is still something I don’t go for without good reason.

Shooting Sunset

Weather planning aside I decided that I should head back to Bowerman’s Nose for a sunset shoot first so I can plan for my sunrise shoot. It would be a good opportunity to refamiliarise myself with the details of the location and plan out where I might place myself for sunrise. A bit of planning is rarely a bad thing and as a bonus I might even get some nice sunset pictures.

Bowerman's Nose Sunset #1, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor 14-30mm f/4 at 23mm, f/13, 1/8th sec at ISO 64, Kase Filters K9 circular polariser. — **Bowerman's Nose Sunset #1, Dartmoor, Devon** - Nikon Z7, Nikkor 14-30mm f/4 at 23mm, f/13, 1/8th sec at ISO 64, Kase Filters K9 circular polariser.

It appeared that luck was on my side this time and I did indeed get some bonus pictures. While the shots I captured weren’t necessarily good enough for my portfolio I’m still pleased with them. They are a good representation of what I saw, and they remind me of how pleasant Dartmoor can be when you get nice conditions.

Bowerman's Nose Sunset #2, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor 14-30mm f/4 at 22mm, f/13, 1/10th sec at ISO 64, Kase Filters K9 circular polariser. — **Bowerman's Nose Sunset #2, Dartmoor, Devon** - Nikon Z7, Nikkor 14-30mm f/4 at 22mm, f/13, 1/10th sec at ISO 64, Kase Filters K9 circular polariser.

It was not a wasted trip. Not only did I get some pleasing images, but I also now had a good idea of what and how I was going to shoot Bowerman’s Nose at sunrise.

Bowerman's Nose Sunset #3, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor 14-30mm f/4 at 18mm, f/13, 1/6th sec at ISO 64, Kase Filters K9 circular polariser, four image stitched panorama. — **Bowerman's Nose Sunset #3, Dartmoor, Devon** - Nikon Z7, Nikkor 14-30mm f/4 at 18mm, f/13, 1/6th sec at ISO 64, Kase Filters K9 circular polariser, four image stitched panorama.

I hope you enjoyed these sunset images of Bowerman’s Nose and if you want to find out how I got on then check out part 2 of Back to Bowerman’s Nose.