Landscape

“The Earth is art, the photographer is only a witness.” – Yann Arthus-Bertrand

This is one of my favourite photo’s and another one shot on the phone. A lovely Norfolk beach walk and my husband took his shoes off. This gave me an opportunity to take this shot. Not sure what it is about shoes but they make great subjects. This photo offers more questions that answers and the heavy vignetting was designed to look like the fading out at the end of film.

After I took this picture I was really taken with how the breaker actually looks like the shape of a person, an iron man maybe… being engulfed by the crashing waves. This image gives to me a sense of sturdiness and standing strong against a massive force. Being immovable against what is trying to wash us away.

This will be one of many Scotland photographs but no apology made when it provides some of the most stunning landscape. This was taken just on the path between Fort William and Castle Inverlochy.  I was blessed that day with some outstanding shots of which this is one of my favourites. I naturally lean towards a black and white image but the colours in this (with a little help) are fabulous.

This was taken in the Isle of Skye…. I hunched low and got this. A time when everything just seems to come together.. the colours… the mood… 

This is a bridge is on a walk just off from the Glenfinnan visitors centre, on the road to Mallaig. Glenfinnan is famed for the Harry Potter train and the viaduct. The bridge lends itself well to practicing perspective due to the bridge not being straight. This, I feel makes it more interesting on the eye and more fun to photograph.

This picture was taken in the Autumn so there was a blanket of orange and golden leaves on the lane. The wood of the seat was a similar colour, and the original photo was warm and rich. This black and white version was done to, hopefully, enhance a sense of loneliness and mystery, the empty seat situated looking down to a curve in the track, as if a child may play and wait for someone special.

Time for a colour one and this picture really screamed to be kept in colour. I love the decreasing circles and your eyes are drawn into the centre. There is a real contrast of arches, circles and sharp angles. the sky really helped get the sharpness of the design.

I look at the camera settings and wonder what I was doing with the shutter speed so high, but I think it is a reflection of how little I knew back then (2008) about camera settings. My settings would certainly be a bit different now.. although the f stop is fairly accurate for the depth of field I was going for. Technicalities aside, I feel that this is quiet an atmospheric photo, the mountain haze and the ever distant mountains offering a softer contrast to the more detailed foreground. I like how you can follow the roads through the mountains too… gives a sense of journey.

I decided to try this landscape in black and white as well as the colour. I really like how this makes the mist seem more ethereal. I find that by having a colour and black and white image together I tend to look at both more closely and critically.

L9 (B&W): & L9: Aberystwyth Iphone 7 plus

These two pictures were taken on the beach at Aberystwyth. I love how the lines of the clouds and the shoreline all lead your eye to the hill in the background but you are also drawn to the person on the left. Not sure quite what they are doing but either taking photos or reading… 

I was so grateful that this obliging paddle boarder came into shot and gave a real personal feel to the shot. Really captures the tranquillity of this place (Loch Arkaig). The weather was really kind and enabled me to get the wonderful blues of the sky and fairly good reflections in the Loch.

Wasn’t totally happy with any of the shots that I took this day which is a shame when it is was one of the snowiest days we have had in years. This was rescued by a bit of editing and the addition of the oldy world feel to it. 

When I edited this initially it was intended to be a colour version (which I still have of course) but I just thought that I would see how it worked in black and white and I got a little excited when I came up with this. Mainly thanks to the Dehaze button on lightroom but this has given me the exact feel that I wanted.

This is a great example of how I think a black and white conversion can really save a photo (as well as a lot of other editing). I nearly gave up on this but again with the dehazing button it helped bring the photo to life. If I was to take the photo again I would definitely up the ISO so I could have a higher f stop and possibly increase the shutter speed a bit more too so the waves would be sharper. Oh well  just means, back to the beach I must go. I have put the unedited picture below so you can see what I mean.

This is what you get for taking photo’s in the golden hour. My confidence of whacking the ISO up is improving and this if giving me a little more control over the other settings. I think I would have dropped the shutter speed more to be able to increase the f stop but I am still quite pleased with the result. 

This is another beautiful capture of the late afternoon sun, although technically not a strong photo. What I have tried to do here is use the ‘rule of thirds’ by giving equal balance to the gorse foreground, the sunlit tress and the cloudy deep blue sky. Again I think to drop down the shutter speed and increase the f stop would probably have produced clearer set of trees but this is why I am learning… 

This photo is why I love a wide angle. The was a view of Ben Nevis that I had never seen before and a break in the rain afforded me some amazing shots. If you look hard enough you can see the track that winds up to the right and away from you to the summit. My route to the summit of Dun Deardil  was a little more sedate.

And here I am at the top looking at the path that guides your eye into the distance. On a clear day these views are just unbelievable. In terms of technicality I would probably have had the shutter speed a tad slower, the ISO up a bit and whacked up the ISO to give me a a sharper photo, particularly in the distance

This isn’t a great photo.. but I love it.. why.. the dog.. what is he looking at? A stray dog that in that moment has found something wonderful to look at… 

I think bare trees always look better in black and white.. there is some remnants of decaying buildings at the foot of this barren tree, stone and wood.. lifeless… victims of a harsh environment

I have tried to add a splash of colour just to the cyclist to see what the effect was. In an ideal world the shutter speed would have been faster which means that I would have needed to increase the ISO, but this was a quick had to take with what I had and thankfully it came out ok.

Through mud, bog, wet feet, dropping my fitness tracker in a puddle, I managed to get to this remote bothy. It is probably one of the most scary bothys that I have seen but the trip is worth it with the 360 views. 

I was walking with a good friend and we happened but this wonderful piece of stone art. I used the wide angle to really get this effect and really happy with it.. I have been told that it would look good as an album cover… always open to offers!!!

L23:     Norfolk Beach,       SS: 1/60, f/4, 105mm, ISO: 100           L24:    Isle of Skye        Iphone 7 plus

There is really something wonderful about foot and paw prints. Especially in the sand.. it is the sign of someone and some animal having been and gone.. only the knowledge of their existence is known to you and you are left with so many potential stories.