Christmas Morning at Ambleside on the bank of Lake Windermere

25 December 2012

Christmas Day!  I woke up early to shoot some early morning photos of Lake Windermere. A fine mist hung over the calm lake and there was a light drizzle. I figured it was best to just shoot from the window of my room at the Waterhead Hotel instead of going out into the rain with my gear.

Lake Windermere in the morning mist.

Ambleside Pier viewed from the bedroom at Waterhead Hotel.

When we went down for breakfast, we were greeted by Santa offering us a a glass of Buck Fizz and Christmas gifts.

Going down the stairs to the breakfast area.

Staff at the hotel dressed as Santa welcoming us at the breakfast room.

Christmas stocking with our Christmas gifts from the hotel. One for each person.

View of Lake Windermere and Ambleside pier from breakfast room. Still drizzling and we were supposed to go for a morning walk after breakfast!

Christmas Day Breakfast at the hotel.

Breakfast on Christmas morning at Waterhead Hotel.

We were blessed. The drizzle stopped after our breakfast. The hotel had organised a traditional Christmas morning walk for the guests to enjoy the stimulating and invigorating Lakeland air.  We somehow got the timing slightly wrong and hence missed the hotel-organised morning walk around Ambleside. They left without us.

It turned out to be blessing in disguise as it gave us an opportunity to go for a walk on our own.

We went to the nearby Borrans Park and that was where I could take my time to shoot some fantastic photographs of Lake Windermere.  Something that I would not be able to do if I was with the party from the hotel. The lighting conditions in the morning after the drizzle was perfect. Perfectly calm waters and misty lake.

Here are of the photos we shot.

Panorama of the boats on Lake Windermere on Christmas morning.

Close-up of the boats.

I just love the pictures of the boats on the still water. Especially this one with a dash of red in the hull to provide the accent.

Still and calm conditions to provide a mirror lake.

Ducks in formation on serene Lake Windermere.

View of the mountains from Borrans Park, Ambleside, Lake District.

View of Waterhead Hotel from Borrans Park, Ambleside, Lake District.

Father and son team on slippery lakeside rocks.