M J Turner Photography

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M J Turner Photography

All images captured by Award-Winning Photographer Matthew J Turner. Based in Cumbria, England.
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11/06/2026

Some glorious evening light appeared across the Lake District the other night, painting Bassenthwaite’s shoreline in gold. The sun broke through heavy clouds to illuminate the pastures around Church Bay, aptly named for the tiny St Bega’s Church seen nestled among the fields. From this vantage point, the church feels almost lost within the vastness of the surroundings, yet perfectly placed in its own heavenly spotlight.

📍Church Bay of Bassenthwaite

10/06/2026

Sometimes the best shots are the ones you don't plan for. Captured yesterday evening in the Lake District, this picture ended up being my favourite from the entire outing, even though it wasn't the scene I had set out to photograph. I was completely captivated by the gorgeous interplay of light and shadow, with golden-hour sun dancing in bright patches over the rolling pastures stretching beyond the waters of Bassenthwaite Lake. This luminous sweep of illuminated fields contrasted perfectly with the brooding silhouette of Binsey yonder, standing watch as the northernmost outpost of the national park.

📌 Binsey beyond Bassenthwaite, Lake District.

04/06/2026

I’m feeling much more myself now that the summer heat and blue skies have given way to moodier weather. Still shaking off a lingering bug though, today I kept things gentle, and High Rigg was the perfect choice. Modest in height yet ringed by loftier fells, it offers grand views of Lakeland’s giants for barely any effort.

From here, the view north across the lush pastures of St John’s in the Vale towards Blencathra — or Saddleback, as it’s more affectionately known — is simply spectacular. The passing storms brought an epic atmosphere, and this moment, when the mountain was swallowed by cloud and rain, felt especially dramatic.

Image: Saddleback beyond St John's.

28/05/2026

Isn't it fascinating how we are all wired so differently?

While many I know seem to welcome the onset of summer with open arms, I instead find myself recoiling. A little more restless, a little more melancholic. As the heat builds, the evenings elongate, and the sun-washed sky turns bluer, something in me grows heavier.

There is such a thing as Seasonal Affective Disorder, which is usually linked to winter’s darkness, yet mine feels strangely reversed — the brighter the world becomes, the dimmer I feel inside. A quiet, inexplicable sadness.

I rarely unpack my camera on hot, cloudless days, as it's just not the light I look for. But this scene spoke to me in a language I instantly understood. The harsh, brutal contrast of blazing sun against deep shadow was a perfect reflection of my own internal landscape. I saw myself embodied in that solitary foreground rock, holding its ground on the thin edge between light and dark.

It was a fleeting moment; minutes after I clicked the shutter, the sun shifted, and the rock was swallowed by the shadows. But in that brief window, the scene told my story.

Image: Blea Water

18/05/2026

This valley is among the first views I remember from my early days of fell‑walking — childhood wanderings in the early 2000s that shaped my love of these northern fells. It was here, in this corner of the Lake District, that I first set foot upon the hills, and even now, every return feels like coming home. The Dash Valley has always held a special place for me, seen here from Binsey — the northernmost of the Wainwright summits. From this vantage, the cascades of Whitewater Dash are framed beautifully by the surrounding contours, and on this day, the striking dappled light drew the eye straight into the heart of the valley.

Image: Dash Valley

14/05/2026

Today delivered some beautiful yet chaotic conditions to the Lake District.

Enduring a painful barrage of hail was completely worth it for this unmatched atmosphere. The heavy, suffocating squall seen sweeping across this scene had only just passed directly over me. As it rolled away to batter the rest of the fells, I scrambled to set up my equipment while the landscape emerged from its grip.

Skiddaw, usually a commanding presence to the left, remained completely swallowed by the departing storm, but the trailing shower cast a soft, luminous glow across Bassenthwaite Lake, highlighting it in a way that felt both fleeting and rare.

📌 Bassenthwaite Lake from Binsey.

11/05/2026

A spontaneous drive out to Uldale Common rewarded me with this unforgettable sunset recently — arriving just as the sun broke through the clouds and poured golden light across the valley. From the slopes of Green How, the view falls gently towards the village of Uldale, with Binsey — the northernmost of the Wainwrights — rising beyond. I used the foreground fenceline to draw the eye towards that radiant glow below, where fields and walls caught the last warmth of the day. It’s one of my favourite local scenes, and at this time of year, the alignment of the setting sun makes it feel perfectly placed, and all the more special.

📌 Binsey beyond Uldale.

07/05/2026

Rising like Carlisle’s very own colosseum, this striking industrial relic was captured from the aptly named Rome Street during yesterday morning's sunrise. I have always been drawn to the weathered textures and rich, warm tones of the red brick wall that leads up the pavement here. In this composition, it serves as an ideal foreground, creating a natural leading line that guides the eye straight towards the towering iron framework of the No. 4 gasholder — a remnant of Carlisle's historic gas works.

The lighting was a matter of pure timing. For just a few brief minutes, the morning sun managed to break through a narrow gap on the horizon. That fleeting window of brilliant light provided the perfect opportunity to capture a crisp, radiant sunstar bursting over the crest of the wall, adding a dramatic focal point to the already atmospheric morning.

05/05/2026

Heavy clouds and shifting afternoon light brought an incredible sense of depth to the Scottish Borders yesterday. Looking out over the lowlands, the shapely profiles of Ruberslaw and the Eildons stood out quite prominently. My favourite moment was when a small patch of deciduous woodland in the lower left caught a sudden shaft of sun, separating itself from the surrounding dark evergreen forestry.

Ruberslaw and The Eildons - Scottish Borders.

24/04/2026

Today would’ve been Molly’s sixteenth birthday. She missed it by just nine weeks — nine small weeks that have somehow felt so much longer without her beside me. I miss her every single day. But there’s comfort in knowing I now have a peaceful place to visit her out in the Lakes, where her ashes rest beneath a sapling I planted for her. In fact, I visited just yesterday, and it was bursting with new life. I love the thought that, in time, she’ll grow within the boughs and branches of that tree, and one day I’ll be able to sit in the shade of her canopy. This photo was taken just last year on the hill that’s now her final resting place. Happy birthday, ole girl x

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Carlisle
Cumbria

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http://www.mjturnerphotography.com/

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