Category Archives: Photographs: Scotland

A Doorway

A Doorway
“A Doorway” — Decorated doorway in a stone building, Aberdeen, Scotland.

For some reason I can’t quite define, doors seem to be a popular photographic subject. Perhaps it is curiosity about what lies behind them — both the prospect of something being hidden and the notion of leaving one space and entering another. I often photograph them without quite knowing why, only intuiting that they appeal to me. Here I liked the contrast between the cold and angular nature of the stone structure and the the organic forms painted on the doorway.

Continue reading A Doorway →

Windblown Trees at Loch Stack

Windblown Trees at Loch Stack
“Windblown Trees at Loch Stack” — Two windswept trees backed by Loch Stack and Scottish highlands mountains.

The last few days of our drive around northwest Scotland followed an indirect route. After more or less tracing the North Coast 500 route from Skye toward Durness, our plans had us making a longish detour to the historic lodge at Altnaharra. This meant leaving the NC500 and heading south into the highlands on less-traveled roads. I made this photograph along the detour late in the day.

Continue reading Windblown Trees at Loch Stack →

Three Peaks, Rain Clouds

Three Peaks, Rain Clouds
“Three Peaks, Rain Clouds” — Distant highlands peaks in light rain, beyond tree-covered hills.

Arriving at this spot involved one of the driving adventures that characterized much of our time in northwest Scotland. We followed a main road northward from Skye, and here we diverged to the west toward the coast. As we topped a rise we looked back and saw this spectacular scene — spots of sunlight on nearby hills, light rain falling between us and three distant tall peaks, and a dramatic, cloud-filled sky.

Continue reading Three Peaks, Rain Clouds →

Chair, Steps, and Door

Chair, Steps, and Door
“Chair, Steps, and Door” — A white chair on steps in front of a black door, Kirk of St. Nicholas, Aberdeen.

I look for a various things when photographing cities — people, architecture, color and texture, special light, subjects that characterize the area… and things that just seem a bit odd, out of place, and hard to explain. This photograph falls into the last category, though I also like the contrast between the pure white of the chair and the darkness and heaviness of the rest of the scene.

Continue reading Chair, Steps, and Door →