2 Years in the Highlands
I had lived in the Northern Highlands of Scotland for 2 years and loved every minute of it. It is one of the most beautiful places I have ever been to and I have a very close relationship with the landscape and the people. But, I felt like a change.
Now, don’t get me wrong, I love the northern Highlands and I’m sure I will return one day again to live. But life for me is all about gathering experiences, different experiences and I wanted to experience life of living somewhere different. So off I travelled to the Cairngorms to experience life in the mountains.
I have now bought an old whisky house on the Malt Whisky Trail of Speyside. Surrounded by mountains, the sound of the River Spey just yards from the front door is the only noise I may hear all day. Perfect.
As a professional landscape photographer it is also providing me a fantastic opportunity to explore new areas. Much like a singer/songwriter, their best work can often stem from new experiences, good or bad. So, no matter how hard it was to leave the Northern Highlands, the Cairngorms has opened up a world of new experiences to me.
Bow Fiddle Rock
I have only just started to scratch the surface, in fact I have spent much of my first 2 months exploring the wonderful Moray & Aberdeenshire coast. I had no idea it was so beautiful. The first image I took when I moved to Speyside was one I had promised myself that I would never take. There are 5 trillion images of Bow Fiddle Rock on the internet and I figured the world could do without seeing another one. The problem is, I have very little self-discipline and so late one afternoon, whilst driving through Portknockie, I found myself on Bow Fiddle Beach and doing what I had promised I would never do: take a photograph of Bow Fiddle Rock. Now, don’t worry, I’ve given myself a thorough hiding and I shan’t do it again….However, there is no denying this location is a must for any landscape photographer to consider visiting if in the area. It certainly helps if the tide is in as well.
This image here is an exposure blend of 2 photographs. The main part of the photograph was taken at a 1/60th second with the sea taken at 30 seconds.
The sea was then painted in to the main photograph in Photoshop. I also focus stacked the images as I was fairly close to the rock in the immediate foreground. 4 separate shots were taken and blended together in Photoshop to secure full focus throughout the image.
When I was at photographic college back in the early 80’s I took a girlfriend to the cinema to see a film. Little was I to know that the events of that night would stay with me right up to this very day. Not just the girlfriend, who became my wife, but the film. It was called Local Hero starring Burt Lancaster. I loved it and vowed to one day visit the main film location in Pennan. This desire intensified when I moved to the Highlands but it was only just recently that I had an opportunity to finally visit the small village on the Aberdeenshire coast.
Pennan
You must forgive me for the the few hours I spent there, I was totally absorbed by the beauty of Pennan and over 30 years of memories came flooding back as if they were yesterday. I was lucky, as the tide was coming in, which was totally unplanned on my part but nevertheless a welcome addition. I also had no idea there was going to be a late evening sun glow above the surrounding cliffs. Which just goes to show, luck can play a major part when securing a decent image.
This image is an exposure blend of 2 photographs. I wanted to add a degree of calm within the majority of the water whilst maintaining the energy in the crashing waves. Therefore, the majority of the water was shot at 5 seconds with the waves and the rest of the image taken at a 1/60th sec. The 2 images were blended together in photoshop.
Crovie
Continuing along the Aberdeenshire coast, I passed through such wonderful places such as Crovie, Gardenstown before arriving at a gorgeous 17th Century Harbour. As an avid watcher of the blockbuster Netflix/BBC drama, Peaky Blinders, I know Portsoy Harbour was used in some of the later episodes and so it was a must visit for me. However, just before first light and with the harbour to myself, nothing could have prepared me for the jaw dropping beauty of Portsoy Harbour. It was like stepping back in time and easy to see how a period drama could be set here. I can’t imagine the film crews had to do much to change the scene – it was gorgeous. It reminded me of some of the old quaint Cornish Harbours that I have seen. Beautiful.
Portsoy Harbour
On this occasion, I knew the tide would be in and had timed my arrival around the high tide. It is a location which offers 4, 5 or maybe even 6 different angles. Each one is as good as the last. However, I opted on this one below, but to be honest I could have picked any one of them. Portsoy Harbour offers so many possibilities for the photographer but I feel it is best photographed at high tide. When I was there the previous evening the tide was out and the water barely reached the harbour wall with all the boats beached. Which just goes to show, forward planning can play a major part in securing a decent image.
This is 2 images blended together to capture a still water and a “true to life” sky. The water was captured at 30 secs and the rest of the image at 1/8th sec. The sky and boats were then painted in over the 30 sec exposure.
The summer months gets a bad deal with landscape photographers. Many dislike it because of the harsh light and the ridiculous early sunrises and late sunsets. Now although I agree with these sentiments, I honestly don’t mind the summer months. It is a privilege to be a full time landscape photographer, it is an honour to have this opportunity to travel through spectacular landscapes. Time is precious, time spent in the wilderness or with nature is priceless. Time enjoying the solitude and tranquility of the outdoors is special. Time enjoying the solitude and tranquility of the outdoors, with a camera is magical.
Rattray Head Lighthouse
Time is limited, but there is always time, don’t waste it by writing off the summer months. We have as many hours in the day as geniuses like Albert Einstein, Charles Darwin and Leonardo da Vinci had. And look what they achieved. As Rudyard Kipling wrote in his famous poem “If”…..fill every unforgiving minute. That includes the summer. The summer just provides different challenges but no less opportunity to capture something worthwhile.
That said, the image here of Rattray Head involved no sleep and a drive through the night to take. But it was worth it to get there before sunrise. This small slither of pre sunrise glow was the only light on show for the rest of the day.
Findhorn Beach
Findhorn Beach was a place I had heard a lot about whilst living in the Highlands and was certainly a place I felt worthy of a visit. The drive into the small town is lined with opulent houses on one side and the bay on the other which gave me the feeling of being similar to some of the Dorset towns I so used to frequent. Alas, this was where any comparison ended, for Findhorn stands alone as a beautiful Scottish Highland seaside village with a gorgeous coastline and these beautiful beach huts.
Now, I don’t know what it is about the British Beach Huts, maybe it’s because it reminds me of my childhood holidays and all the warmth and safety those memories have. But, I just love photographing them. Choosing to arrive when I knew the tide was out, I wanted to capture them with the vast expanse of sand in front of them and the distant mountains in the background. So often, I see images of the Findhorn Beach Huts taken from behind and looking out to sea.
However, I felt with this perspective I was still able to provide the image with a sense of location by using the sand and the open space, allowing the image to breathe whilst giving a much better sense of scale. The evening light was an added bonus with very little editing required.
Corgarff Castle
My final image of the week was taken much closer to home. I wish I could say there was some magical mysterious historical backdrop to this castle, but alas it appears to have a fairly uneventful past. But, nevertheless, Corgarff Castle does offer a fabulous image. Especially when the rushing clouds overhead open up momentarily casting bright rays across the middle of the scene and lighting up the subject. Which just goes to show, timing can play a major part in securing a decent image.
That was the end of my first week exploring the coastline near to my new home. I hope you enjoyed it and now for more exploring, but this time into the mountains, the rivers, the bothies and the wildlife.
