Slickrock and Shadow

Flower Field in the Peaks District:  Stone walls, sheep and lovely skies add to the scenery. What do you do when something very small catches your eye?  How do you photograph minuscule objects while simultaneously including the greater landscape?  These challenges generally call for at least 2 things, usually 3: 1.  A wide-angle lens which can include so much in every directions. 2.  Very close proximity to the tiny object. 3.  Narrow aperture is third, which is necessary to show everything sharply in focus.  An open aperture could focus on the small object while blurring the background. This lovely small yellow-orange flowers in the Peak District challenged me greatly.  So small at only a centimeter each, I doubted my ability to really show them off.  Setting my tripod at its' lowest height, nestling into the grass, getting down, crawling around, moving a few longer wet grass shoot away from the lens is how I hoped to succeed. ...

Beachy Head Lighthouse, as seen from the cliffs high above Beachy head is extremely photogenic.  Some pictures of those massive white cliffs are instantly recognizable as England.  They are featured in several movies.  Though the "white cliffs of Dover" are what we learn in school, Beachy Head is what we see in the pictures.  Dover is a bit further east but not as spectacular. What is there to photograph here? 1.  The White Cliffs of Beachy Head can be shot in isolation or with some of the sea birds to give sense of scale. 2.  Coast Guard Cottages -- these are further west and require a circuitous drive but the view with the white cliffs in the background is unparalleled! Coast Guard Cottages and the White Cliffs at Beachy Head, United Kingdom 3.  Birling Gap -- This looks west towards those Coast Guard Cottages and shows the "Seven Sisters". View towards Birling Gap (lighthouse in distance) with Seven Sisters -- the chalk cliff peaks...

Road through Winnats Pass I saw some spectacular photos of Winnats pass when researching the Peaks District.  They impressed me so much I decided to go here for my sunrise.  I started off hiking along the southern edge which became higher and higher.  Deep grass was easily negotiated because there are some footpaths running here and there.  I hiked out to those prominent rocks in the upper picture and shot a mostly-cloudy sunrise.  My result is the photo below. Winnats Pass at Sunrise The small town in the distant haze is Castleton, UK.  I went there for sunrise and found some clouds, a little bit of light peeking through and some colors in the sky.  Looking down, I found much more to be excited about: green like I never see covering all the hills, crags and slopes.  From high up on the canyon precipice I watched the light slowly come into the world.  The vibrant green color and steep canyons here reminded me of Hawaii. After hiki...

Walking to Duddo Stone circle through a vast wind-swept field! Imagine a stone circle in England that stands on a mound with fields in every direction:  nothing to block the view from this ancient stone circle.  The Duddo Stones form a 5-stone circle that can be walked to over a flat farmer's field.  Near Duddo, UK, this circle is a bit off the beaten path in Northumberland.  A few small signs will point you in the right direction.  A right-of-way path goes through some fields.  After about 1/2 a mile of walking, you'll see this view of the stones with a direct path to them. The stones are rough with deep creases and irregular shapes.  Some distant fields are yellow with rapeseed. All 5 Duddo stones Duddo Stones with deep gouges and lines. Duddo Stones in a big universe And to get the spooky and eerie feeling, I processed this shot in black and white. Black and White:  Duddo Stone Circle

Skyfall, the place Skyfall is a catchy name for a James Bond movie.  The actual location Skyfall is near Glencoe, Scotland.  When exploring around I couldn't resist the urge to see this place, to say I'd been to Skyfall myself. What's there?  Air, mountains, valleys, green growth, big skies. What's not there?  People, James Bond's home, civilization. This panorama is at the end of the road (it's a dead end) looking back over the terrain from Kings House to Skyfall.  Deer jump across the roads, clouds pass surprisingly quickly across the sky and times doesn't seem to matter.  I'd recommend a visit.

Buachaille Etive Mor with Tall Grass Buachaille Etive Mor is a spectacular landscape, an icon for the entire country of Scotland.  This particular mountain is so unique in its triangular shape as it stands over the Glencoe Valley.  There are few things that are more Scottish than this to a photographer.  The best views are from the South and East which means sunrise is the best time.  I woke up very early in order to visit the Black rock cottage first.  Then I had enough time to go into the fields around the mountain itself, getting a lot closer to it.  Beautiful tiny white flowers are visible in my second shot.  If you click on the shot and get a larger view, these are easier to see and I think they landed nice contrast to the massive mountain in the distance. Buachaille Etive Mor Triangular Shape Black Rock Cottage with Buachaille Etive Mor in background

Glencoe, Scotland at dawn My first morning and my first shot in Scotland is posted here.  I woke up early, so early at about 3:30 am so that I could actually see the sun rise at about 4 AM.  June in Scotland's highlands means really long days and short nights.  Catching sunrise feels like severe sleep deprivation here! Driving along the road through Glencoe Valley I searched for a good location.  This massive mountain and its' quaint cottage made me stop and shoot.  I wandered along the stream looking for the right height and location to capture this mountain reflection in the calm stream.  The cottage stands far enough away that it cannot be reflected.   Everything felt cool and quiet.  That's what I think of when I see this photo.