This day was a bit of a venture into the unknown. Since we had two nights in Ullapool, we decided to drive a big loop out to Applecross, a place that is fairly isolated, even by Scotland standards. It is on the far west cost, looking out over the waters toward Skye and other islands. When we arrived we took a quick drive through the village and then headed up the hill toward Applecross Pass to begin our return to Ullapool.
Continue reading Precipice and Valley Below Applecross Pass
Perhaps I have already mentioned that we experienced a lot of “gray” weather during our May visit to northwest Scotland? In fact, the locals told us that it was colder, wetter, and grayer than usual for this time of the year. We even saw new snow on some highlands peaks, and we had at least some precipitation just about every single day. That weather, along with early May time frame meant that we did not see a whole lot of lovely green landscape. But there were a few exceptions, including this spot at Applecross Bay.
Continue reading Trees, Stream Bank
I photograph when we travel, typically using quite different equipment and techniques than for my landscape photography. While the latter usually uses relatively large and heavy equipment, I downsize in a major way for travel. This is partly due to the realities of travel — we go light and I don’t want or need a big bag of cumbersome gear. (That would actually decrease the overall quality of my photography, which is something I’ll write about at some point.) But it isn’t just the gear — it is also the whole approach. I shoot handheld with a small camera, and I often approach the subjects as a street photographer.
The decision to render this as a monochrome photograph was a bit of a surprise to me. Those round shapes on the wall above the sidewalk are blue lights, and when I made the exposure I thought that they might be a key element. But when I finally got to this image in post, I much preferred the mood of the image in black and white, so I had to let go of that preconception about the lights and color. (As much as pre-visualization is a crucial skill, sometimes post-visualization wins the day!)
G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist. His book, “California’s Fall Color: A Photographer’s Guide to Autumn in the Sierra” is available from Heyday Books, Amazon, and directly from G Dan Mitchell.
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I confess that I barely, if at all, remember making this photograph, nor can I say precisely where in London I made it. I grabbed it while in a particular mode of street photography that is the antithesis of how I might photograph, say, a landscape. I shoot handheld. I carry a small camera with a single small prime lens. I work very quickly, often not even slowing down to frame the subject, and continue on. In this case, I shot “blind,” holding the camera down at my side. (That created a little problem. More below.)
There are a few things about this photograph that could make some viewers a bit uneasy. First, I did not ask for permission and I doubt the subject was even aware that I made the photograph. There was no time, and if I had asked, the photograph would have been a very different thing. (BTW, sometimes I’m in public and I see that I might end up in someone’s photograph like this — and I remind myself that it is OK since I do it, too!) Second, the original image had a serious problem. It was badly tilted, perhaps as much as 20-degrees. I liked the image, but I had to crop radically to get the framing I wanted, and there were still problems. How did I fix it? For the first time, I allowed an AI tool to generate some content in the corners of the frame. Still not sure how I feel about that, but it seems worth experimenting with at least.
G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist. His book, “California’s Fall Color: A Photographer’s Guide to Autumn in the Sierra” is available from Heyday Books, Amazon, and directly from G Dan Mitchell.
Blog | About | Instagram | Flickr | Facebook | Threads | Post | Email
Links: Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Info.
Scroll down to share comments or questions. (Click post title first if viewing on the home page.)
All media © Copyright G Dan Mitchell and others as indicated. Any use requires advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.