Torridon photo course


Dawn over Loch Clair, looking towards Liathach. A couple of weekends ago I was on a photography course in Torridon. It was a revelation. Not, unfortunately in photographic terms, but of the beauty of this part of Scotland in autumn. I know my own east coast stamping grounds well in all seasons, but this was the first time I'd been on the west coast outside of the narrow band of June to August. It was empty (save a few bands of tripod-toting photographers, and the cars of hill walkers at road ends and wider verges of the single track roads). The sun was low and the light (on Friday and Sunday) reflected off the tawny hillsides. I had never imagined such warm colours in an almost treeless landscape.

The shot above was taken on Sunday morning, towards the end of an early session at Loch Clair. We were in the minibus at 7 am, in the dark, slowed momentarily by a stag walking slowly down the road in front of us. On location (how pretentious that sounds) by 7.30, as the blue light gave way to rose and silver, and I sustained a tripod injury while trying to coerce what to me is basically machinery into capturing the beauty of the dawn.

Sunday at least had a dawn. On Saturday we were also out by 7, and bracing ourselves and tripods against rain and gale-force winds at the same location, and then after breakfast at Loch Maree.



My aim for the weekend had been to get a concentrated infusion of technical know-how and that wasn't forthcoming. However, looking back from a couple of weeks distance, I'm realising that I did learn some things about composition. The most frustrating thing was to know what I wanted to capture in terms of the quality of light, and not to be able to manipulate the camera to do that. I am singularly dim when it comes to f-stops. The old horror of maths lessons at school rears its head.

Throughout, I was concentrating so hard on trying to take artful photographs that I didn't take shots of what would normally appeal to me in a landscape. It was a very strange experience - 'trying too hard' is how I sum it up to myself.

I'll leave you with another shot of Liathach, again one of frustration as the clouds scrolled and crimped over the summit quicker than I could fumble with my f-stops, and I walked ankle deep into the loch before I'd realised it, in search of the perfect composition.


Comments

  1. 7 am? Talk about suffering for your art!

    The Pentlands have been pretty impressive these last two weekends, but can't compete with rocks like that! Nice snaps!

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  2. Your photos are beautiful. Never mind about silly old f-stops! I have trouble with them too! You have captured that wonderful light and your photo of Liathach is spectacular. We were there on Saturday and it was truly beautiful, intense colours and such strong contrasts of light and shade. Well done you should feel very proud. Luckily you found the perfect composition at ankle depth, and not up over your knees!

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  3. Well done for moving out of auto mode - I am far too comfortable there. The NW of Scotland is just breathtaking and empty at this time of year. stunning pics. xx

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  4. Such dream-like pictures! And I agree, the technicalities are just too hard. I can only understand as far as how to change the scenes and the rest all is Greek and Latin!

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  5. Regardless of your frustrations, you've captured some great shots of an amazing landscape here. I love these wide-open, mountainous views.

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  6. That first shot is just so very beautiful.

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  7. I think these are simply stunning. But then I am a point and shoot photographer, f stops put me off learning any more. What camera do you use? Perhaps you could use a point and shoot as well as the other, just to get the odd unthought about photo? Or is this a total nono on these trips?
    I think autumn any where is the best time of all.

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  8. It sounds as if you had quite an interesting weekend a couple of weeks ago. I am still amazed at the beauty of Scotland. This Loch Clair is so beautiful and the picture you took is gorgeous. I love looking at the reflections of the mountains in the water. You captured that well in your last picture too. I hope your tripod injury wasn't too bad. I can imagine that happening to me as I am so clumsy with any kind of equipment. I banged my shin bone on my left leg with a chair I was trying to unfold.

    Hope all is well with you now. I think your pictures are spectacular. I am, however, no expert on photography, but it looks mighty good to me. Don't be too hard on yourself. I'm told that it takes quite a while to learn all that one needs to learn in order to be a professional photographer. My granddaughter in law is a pro now and she went through a pretty rigorous training cycle. She has all the great equipment now and has photo shoots each week, about eight or nine, so that keeps her busy and earning a fair amount of money.

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  9. Hi Linda,
    What a fantastic photo. I remember some years ago wild camping with my brother in the area, and we had a night next to Loch Clair. It was pouring with rain all the time and I would have loved to see it as you did. Take care.

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  10. They all look perfect to me. Well done for going on a course.
    I'm glad to hear you go to the west between June and August. Can you please dispel the myth that 'Scotland is full of midgies' (the implication being that this is so in every part and at all times).

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  11. In the days before P & S when I just used a SLR I could play with the f-stops with ease but now it just seems something else to confuse myself with. Funny how the brain (or the person) gets lazy!
    Love your 1st shot!

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  12. You took a wonderful collection of shots and congrats on getting out of auto, it's a big step!

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  13. gorgeous photos! I really need to come to Scotland in the Autumn. It is so beautiful. I like your last picture the best. It is so still.

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  14. Such beautiful photos!! Barefoot Mama

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  15. Well, I think these photos are stunning. But I am feeling like the thicko in the class here: what the f is an f stop?! I would love to move on from my utterly and infuriatingly basic point&click camera, but am terrified of all the technical info. I think I am allergic to techy manuals.

    I've never been to Torridon so it's really nice to see a glimpse of it.

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  16. It's nice to know I'm not alone in feeling that f stops are a stage too far. But I do want to conquer them! There are lovely photos on all the blogs of commenters here, and I wouldn't know which involve technical knowledge and which don't. It's not something I look for when visiting other blogs, and I'm certainly not driven by the technical appeal - I just want to do more with my camera, which is a Pentax something-or-other DSLR which we bought because it was massively reduced in a camera shop closing down sale.

    Dancing Beastie, an f stop as 'explained' by Wikipedia is "the diameter of the entrance pupil in terms of the focal length of the lens; in simpler terms, the f-number is the focal length divided by the "effective" aperture diameter". Yes, I laughed too at "in simpler terms".

    More importantly, to all who haven't experienced it yet - come to Scotland in the autumn - it's stunning!

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  17. It's nice to meet you Linda!

    From one who has no idea what she is talking about (technically), your pictures are amazing!

    Blessings, Debbie

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  18. Linda, I consider f-stop to be one of the most important technical aspects of photography - in fact, that's the parameter I explicitly set on my camera for almost all my photos. You don't have to understand the technical definition, and most cameras will automatically adjust everything else when you set an f-stop. What you do need to understand is how it affects depth of field (i.e. the lower the f-stop number, the less in the photo is in focus). It's worth trying some shots in a controlled environment to see this, but it's not worth missing a great shot for it.

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  19. Amazing and I love the reflection.

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  20. I'd never heard of f-stops until this post (would have thought it was something to do with music!) - but your photographs are really stunning. I'm sure that's not entirely due to the beauty of what you were photographing. I particularly like the tryptich you've made. And it's interesting what you say about 'trying too hard'. It can be very difficult to relax into a challenge. Well done for giving it a go!

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  21. The first photo is so beautiful. Scotland any month of the year has the scenery and light to create staggeringly gorgeous scenery but mind the rain!.I love Loch Maree too.

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  22. Thank you for the explanation of f-stops. (I agree with Christine, they sound as if they should be on an organ, not a camera.) All is now entirely clear. I think.

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  23. That is such a beautiful place, and I like the way you have captured it. I always enjoy seeing the same place photographed at different times of the day / weather conditions.

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  24. The photos are so wonderful. I really like your reflections in the water.

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  25. I feel for you with all the f-stops and walking in to the loch. It was Definitely worth it. You got some good postcard mountains here.

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  26. These two pictures are rather nice...kind of relaxing...kind of makes me think I'm probably living in the wrong part of the world to relax in...

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  27. I don't know Linda...these shots are pretty near perfect!!! Maybe you should've been teaching the class!!!

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