In case you haven’t heard, it is wet in Scotland. I knew this, having been there before, but coming from the relatively dry California climate, it is still quite a contrast. One thing that still takes me by surprise at first is the size of the streams and rivers that rise over short distances — and that they are everywhere. We stopped and photographed this roadside cascade as we were departing Skye to head north.
Continue reading Marsco and Waterfall
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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