Bite-Size Blog Post #60 - Kilchurn Castle, Scotland
A return to the west Highlands offers a familiar landscape, shifting light, and a reminder that the experience often matters more than the photograph.
1st Attempt of Many
It’s great to be back in the west Highlands of Scotland. My homeland. The place where I grew up.
I love it here as it holds so many memories. The places are familiar, and the unpredictable weather is strangely comforting. It’s also a wonderful opportunity to catch up with family. In fact, I’m writing this blog post on the train home from Glasgow after a lovely lunch with my sister, aunt and uncle.
Earlier in the day, though, I was up early, sneaking in a bit of photography at a place I’m very familiar with, Kilchurn Castle. It’s a castle I grew up with, as it’s only a few miles from the village where I was raised. I will actually pass it on the train home, but unfortunately it will be dark, so I won’t see it.
Not to worry though, as I spent a lovely hour there this morning, crossing fingers, saying prayers and doing strange Celtic dances in the hope I could will the morning light to break through the cloud.
I didn’t want the cloud to go completely. It was adding a great deal of atmosphere to the scene, but I needed just a little light to illuminate the hills or the castle so the photo had a bit more depth.
Alas, it wasn’t to be, but the experience of being there was amazing. Glassy reflections on the loch, cloud rolling over the nearby Munros, and the somewhat deafening sound of the geese with their morning song. It was one of those mornings where you leave feeling fulfilled, even though the photographs didn’t quite work out.
Not to worry though. I’m here for an extended period of time, and the castle is close by, so I’ll be sure to return again and again. And of course I have Glencoe just up the road. And what a place of photographic opportunity that is.
Kilchurn Castle, Loch Awe, Scotland - Nikon Z8, Nikkor Z 24-120mm f/4 S at 28mm, f/8, ¼ sec at ISO 64.
Mountain Landscape Photography - A 5 Minute Photo Adventure from Ben Cruachan
The ascent of a Munro is a rare treat for me these days so I was really excited when I recently got the chance to walk up Ben Cruachan to do some mountain landscape photography in the Scottish Highlands.
Hill Walking in Scotland
It’s rare for me to have the opportunity to walk up a Munro these days. I live hundreds of miles away from the nearest one, and when I am in Scotland it’s usually for a family holiday and so disappearing for a day in the mountains can be a little tricky.
I almost managed an ascent of a 3000+ ft Scottish mountain last year but some unexpected snowfall put all of the Munros out of reach due to my lack in snowy mountain skills. So when I planned a return visit to Scotland over Easter, I was eager try and squeeze in an ascent.
As is the way with family holidays though, my time was squeezed, so I had to select a mountain that I could do in a few hours!
Photography from the Summit of Ben Cruachan
When selecting which mountain I was going to walk up I need only have looked out the window from where I was holidaying. Ben Cruachan, standing at 1126 m high, it definitely qualifies as a Munro, and I could make a quick ascent and still be back down before it got too dark.
In order to get up to the summit in time for sunset I need to strip my backpack down to essential camera gear. So I just took my Nikon D850, my Nikkor 24-70 mm f/2.8, my tripod, and a few filters. I had considered taking the drone but the wind was too strong. (Though it was very still at the summit….how annoying!)
I also decided to take my vlogging camera because I thought my little mountain adventure would make for a great 5 Minute Photo Adventure. So if you want to see how I got on, then check out my video below:
It was unfortunate that the conditions weren’t a little better. The sun really fizzled out in the haze along the horizon so I didn’t get much in the way of light on the mountains. However, just watching that dramatic sky from such an amazing location was reward enough for me.
Do you ever get the chance to combine landscape photography with hill walking? What’s your favourite hill or mountain? Let me know in the comments below.
Landscape Photographs from Ben Cruachan
Before I go here are the photographs you saw me capture in the video.
Drochaid Ghlas from Ben Cruachan, Argyll, Scotland - Nikon D850, Nikkor 24-70 mm f/2.8 VR at 24, f/13, 1/5th sec at ISO 64.
Stob Dearg from Ben Cruachan, Argyll, Scotland - Nikon D850, Nikkor 24-70 mm f/2.8 VR at 24mm, f/13, 1/5th sec at ISO 64.
Glencoe - One Location, 3 Compositions
It’s almost impossible to drive through Glencoe and not want to stop to take some landscape photographs. In the blog this week I make an unscheduled stop in Glencoe and take 3 photographs from one location.
Glencoe
There are some locations for landscape photographers that are virtually impossible to drive through without stopping to take a photograph. In my mind, Glencoe is one such location. It is stunningly beautiful and impressive no matter the weather. I still have many happy memories of my last visit.
Check out this video of my last visit to Glencoe.
A few weeks ago I was heading up to Harris & Lewis for a week-long photography trip. With such an amazing destination one could be forgiven for trying to get there as soon as possible. However, when your route takes you through the heart of Glencoe there was no way I wasn’t going to take at least one photograph.
Fortunately for me, my journey from Devon would allow me to arrive in Glencoe for around sunset. With so many locations to pick from in Glencoe, what would I photograph?
Stob nan Cabar and Lochan na Fola
I first discovered the beauty of this location on a workshop I attended last year. Despite its grandeur, it’s not that well photographed and can be easily missed despite its roadside location. As I photographed it at dawn last time, I thought I would try it at dusk this time.
I wasn’t feeling any pressure to take an image so I spent a little more time experimenting with my composition. While I would normally only post one image from a location, I thought it would be interesting to show you the three variations I have.
Stob nan Cabar from Lochan na Fola (Vertical), Glencoe, Scotland - Nikon D850, Nikkor 16-35 mm f/4 at 16 mm, 0.8 seconds at ISO 64, f/13, Lee Filters Circular Polariser, ND Grad.
Stob nan Cabar from Lochan na Fola (Landscape), Glencoe, Scotland - Nikon D850, Nikkor 16-35 mm f/4 at 18 mm, 1.0 seconds at ISO 64, f/13, Lee Filters Circular Polariser, ND Grad.
Stob nan Cabar from Lochan na Fola (Panoramic), Glencoe, Scotland - Nikon D850, Nikkor 16-35 mm f/4 at 16 mm, 0.8 seconds at ISO 64, f/13, Lee Filters Circular Polariser. 8 Image panoramic stitch, cropped to 6:17.
All three images benefit from the beautiful autumnal colours of the ground, and just the right amount of cloud cover to get some light reflected from the setting sun. While I do like all three, I think it is perhaps the first image I prefer the most. Though this scene would typically be shot in landscape orientation, the portrait orientation of the first image works well.
There are a couple of things I like about the first image. First of all the reflection is larger, and clearer giving it more impact. I also like all the triangles in the image. There is, of course, the mountain and its reflection, but also from the cloud in the top right of the image which leads you back to the mountain.
It was a long drive from Devon to get to Glencoe so I only had time to shoot this one location, but what a location. It was unfortunately dark when I drove back through Glencoe, but even this brief opportunity to photograph it again means its right up near the top of my list of locations to photograph again.
So which image composition did you like best? What is your favourite Glencoe location to photograph? Let me know in the comments below.
P.S. Harris & Lewis
Oh, that Harris & Lewis trip I mentioned at the start of this blog…well…I hope to have a blog and video posted right here in a couple of weeks time.