Bite-Size Blog Post #62 - Return to Kilchurn Castle
A walk to Kilchurn Castle turns into an unexpected battle with a bog, leaving me soaked, muddy, but still determined to get the shot.
Man vs Bog
Anyone who has photographed Kilchurn Castle will know that the most direct route from the layby down to the loch involves crossing a very boggy stretch of ground. It is a walk that really calls for welly boots, and I have often had a quiet chuckle watching tourists attempt it in bright white trainers.
The waterline on my trousers is how deep my legs went into the bog!
Despite my confidence and sense that I knew exactly what I was doing, I had a nasty surprise on the way down this morning. I knew the ground could feel unsteady in places, but what happened caught me completely off guard. Both legs suddenly sank deep into the bog, past my knees and nearly up to my waist. I stood there for a moment, stuck fast, wondering what on earth to do next.
Channeling my inner Bear Grylls, I resisted the urge to panic and came up with a plan. First, I carefully removed my camera backpack and set it aside. Then I leaned forward, stretched my arms out to find firmer ground, and with a fair bit of effort managed to drag myself free. By the time I escaped I was covered in mud, soaked through, and my boots were full of water. It probably should have been the moment to call it a day, but I still had photographs to take.
Round Two
As I mentioned in last week’s blog, I am staying near Loch Awe for a short while and I’m hoping to make regular visits to Kilchurn Castle. This was my second visit, and although I had not planned on battling a bog, it was good to be back.
With some recent snowfall, I thought there might be a chance to give the scene a slightly wintry feel, even if the calendar says otherwise. It did add something, and I opted for a slightly different composition this time, placing the horizon through the middle of the frame to make the most of the reflections. Even so, I feel like the image is still missing a touch of drama. Then again, perhaps I had already used up my share of that for the day.
While my photograph from the previous visit remains my favourite, I have no doubt there will be a round three.
Kilchurn Castle, Loch Awe, Scotland - Nikon Z8, Nikkor Z 24-120mm f/4 S at 43mm, f/11, 1/8th at ISO 64.
Bite-Size Blog Post #52 - Loch Etive
The view down Loch Etive from the village where I grew up is something I will never bore of, especially when the light is great.
A View of My Homeland
Regular readers of this blog will know that I like to make regular trips back to my homeland in the highlands of Scotland. When I finished high school, I couldn't wait to leave and get to Glasgow, but now that I'm older (a fair bit older) and living in Exeter, I can't wait to get back!
It's not just that I have family who still live up there but it's also the draw of seeing that beautiful landscape again. Becoming a photographer has really opened my eyes to the beauty of the landscape and I appreciate it more than ever. Returning to Scotland is a joyful experience and seeing how it changes from season to season, and even from minute to minute is something I greatly value.
I recently took time off work and part of that holiday was taken in Scotland. I visited Edinburgh and of course Glen Coe, but I also made some time to visit my family in the village where I grew up. One our favourite things to do as a family is to go for a walk to the viewpoint that looks over Loch Etive and Ben Starav. Even when the weather is poor it's a stunning view. A view I will never bore off. Fortunately for me, on this visit the conditions were lovely and I was able to grab a quick shot. No time for tripods, filters and waiting about, so it was a quick handheld shot, but what a view!
Loch Etive, Scotland - Nikon Z8 with Nikkor Z 24-120mm f/4 S at 120mm, f/11, 1/200 sec at ISO 1250.
Bite-Size Blog Post #51 - The Devil's Beef Tub
A scenic tourist drive between Moffat and Edinburgh reveals a location that forces me to pull over and admire the view.
Let's Save That One for Later
A few weeks ago, I took time off from work for a little holiday. Nothing extravagant, just a little vacation staying within the UK. I needed to take time to relax. My problem is that I can't seem to go on holiday without wanting to take all my camera gear with me. My idea of relaxing is to go on adventurous walks and take photographs!
This holiday, however, was not going to be that type of holiday. I would be going on adventurous walks, but the focus of those would be just to enjoy the experience of walking. And that's exactly what I did.
But clearly, I wouldn't be writing a blog post if I hadn't taken my camera gear with me! Of course I did, but I significantly cut down the amount of gear that I took. In fact, I really only took the camera with me so I could get nice photographs of my holiday.
It was fortunate that I did as during my drive from the Lake District to Edinburgh I drove past a location called The Devil's Beef Tub. A wonderful location with rolling hills and a dramatic hollow with a patchwork of colours and surface vegetation. Even in the middle of the day the scene stood out while driving along the road. So, I pulled over, grabbed the camera and captured this recce image. Sure, it's not going to win any awards, but it's given me a great reference shot for when I have time to plan a proper shoot there. And it's also a good reminder never to leave home without your camera!
The Devil’s Beeftub, Scotland - Nikon Z8, Nikkor Z 24-120mm f/4 S at 24mm, f/11, 1/125 sec at ISO 400, handheld.
Possibly My Favourite Viewpoint for Landscape Photography in Glencoe
Join me on another 5 Minute Photo Adventure to see why the view from Beinn a' Chrùlaiste towards Buachaille Etive Mòr is probably my favourite viewpoint in Glencoe.
Glencoe - A Landscape Photographers Favourite
Ask any landscape photographer which areas in Scotland are on their must shoot list you'd be hard to find a photographer that doesn't have Glencoe on that list. You might argue that there are better areas in Scotland to photograph, or areas that have been photographed less, but Glencoe resolutely remains a go to location for those armed with anything from a mobile phone to a large format film camera.
It's close proximity to Glasgow makes it relatively easy to get to but what really attracts photographers are it's many stunning viewpoints, many of which are on or close to a road. You'll find plenty of rivers and lochans to photograph, but the main star of the show has to be the mountains which dominate the area. I don't how many times I driven up onto the plateau at Glencoe, but each and every time the view takes my breath away.
Favourite or Best Glencoe Viewpoint
I would of course never proclaim that any particular Glencoe viewpoint is the best. The term best is very subjective and will vary from photographer to photographer. Even if you ask just one photographer, the answer you will most likely get is "it depends". Time of day, time of year and weather all play role in selecting which viewpoint is best for that moment in time.
There is one viewpoint in Glencoe that I keep coming back to you. It's a viewpoint that I will make the effort to photograph on just about every visit I make to Glencoe. With the exception of a small window in the winter where the sun rises from an awkward angle, it is my go to viewpoint. The viewpoint I am referring to is the view of Buachaille Etive Mòr (Stob Dearg) from the side of Beinn a' Chrùlaiste.
Buachaille Etive Mòr Sunrise #1, Glencoe, Scotland - Nikon Z8, Nikkor Z 24-120mm f/4 S at 28mm, f/8, 1/6 sec at ISO 64, Kase Filters CPL.
It's not the easiest of viewpoints to reach. With a full camera backpack on, the all up hill walk takes me 45 minutes (on a good morning). The walk isn't particularly technical (unless its snowy or icy), but it is a bit of a lung buster (depending on your fitness). Despite the effort required, I have never stood on the side of that mountain, watching the light from the rising sun illuminate the peak of Stob Dearg regretted. Sure, I've been cold, wet and hungry sometimes, but it's never taken away from the enjoyment of that special moment.
Buachaille Etive Mòr Sunrise #2, Glencoe, Scotland - Nikon Z8, Nikkor Z 24-120mm f/4 S at 41mm, f/8, 1/6 sec at ISO 64, Kase Filters CPL.
A 5 Minute Photo Adventure in Glencoe
So it should come as no surprise that on my recent visit to Scotland and to Glencoe I did that very thing. I set the alarm (very early), drove to Glencoe, and marched myself up to what is possibly my favourite viewpoint in Glencoe. If you want to know why I did this, then grab yourself a cup of coffee and watch the 5 Minute Photo Adventure video I made that morning.
Bonus Location - Lochan na h-Achlaise
My route home that morning took past another one of Glencoe's finest locations, Lochan na h-Achlaise. Normally by this point hunger would have me driving straight home for breakfast, but when I saw the reflections on Lochan na h-Achlaise there was no way I couldn't stop to take a closer look. It was late in the morning (relatively speaking to sunrise) so I already knew I probably wouldn't get any great photographs, but I had to at least try.
Lochan na h-Achlaise Reflections #1, Glencoe, Scotland - Nikon Z8, Nikkor Z 24-120mm f/4 S at 59mm, f/11, 1/60 sec at ISO 200, Kase Filters CPL.
The most interesting thing about stopping there wasn't the stunning reflections but the fact that as I was walking along the lochan I met another photographer from Exeter! I travel all that way and I bump into someone from Devon! It's a small world for sure.
Lochan na h-Achlaise Reflections #1, Glencoe, Scotland - Nikon Z8, Nikkor Z 24-120mm f/4 S at 46mm, f/11, 1/60 sec at ISO 200, Kase Filters CPL.
I hope you enjoyed this short blog post and video. What are your favourite Glencoe locations and what you most like to shoot next you are there? What's the furthest you've travelled only to bump into someone from your local area? Let me know in the comments below.