Old Man of Storr
One of the most dramatic sceneries in Scotland on the Isle of Skye. At least for me. The light is continuously changing, so every shot one makes of this lands...
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One of the most dramatic sceneries in Scotland on the Isle of Skye. At least for me. The light is continuously changing, so every shot one makes of this landscape is somewhat different
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Nov, 2015Views
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Behind The Lens
Location
I took this photo on the Isle of Skye (Scotland). It is my view of an iconic Scottish landscape: The Old Man of Storr.Time
Most of the time, when I make my landscape photos, I get up very early in the morning. But on Skye, you have most of the time many clouds passing by, so the light conditions are soft. Depends on what kind of feeling you want to get in your composition. This particular photo was taken in june around 10am. The climb towards the top was not too difficult but it took quiet a while and on top where I placed my tripod I had to be careful, because there were pretty strong sheer winds. I had to take a very low position with my tripod including myself in order not to get blown off the mountain. In order to get my perfect photo (according to me), I watched the clouds moving - and they were moving fast - until a very soft ray of light shined in the valley. That was the decisive moment to take the shot. I guess in this case I was just lucky.Lighting
Always take in consideration that the light changes fast on Skye. It is quiet possible when you arrive, light conditions are good and that by the time you arrive at your specific point where you wanna make your composition, everything could be changed.Equipment
I used my Nikon D750 FF camera, with a Sigma 24 - 105mm f4 lens and a soft grad filter from Formatt Hi-Tech and a tripod.Inspiration
Scotland always inspired me to make photos. And last year I found the time to go there and make some captures. It left a great impression on me, so I definitely will return several times to make photos. But the Isle of Skye, well.... that is something special... The light changes all the time, so each time your same photo could look completely different, that's what makes it interesting, but also challenging. By the time you set up for parameters, light conditions already changed. Nature is really playing with you. But in a way, it is fun and keeps you busy. Of course, the nature and silence is overwhelming. And that makes it more attractive to go there.Editing
I use Lightroom in post-processing, eventually to correct my white balance, contrast, shadow & highlight. I try to get the most of it correct when I shoot my photo, in order to work less in post-processing.In my camera bag
Strangely, I don't have much with me. I learned to make photos with the equipment I have at that specific moment. The best photo you can make at a certain moment, is with the camera you have at that moment (could be a smartphone). But what do I most of the time take with: Tripod: Sirui R-4213X with K30 Ball head Camera: Nikon D750 Lenses: Sigma 24-105mm f4 and Nikon 50mm f1.8 Filters: Formatt Hi-Tech: Polarised filter, Big stopper, little stopper, hard grad (3, 6 and 9ND) and also the same in soft grad filters.Feedback
Best advice I can give is: is there a perfect moment to capture The Old Man of Storr? The answer is: no. I guess each season has it charmes. I went during the month of may & june, because I wanted to go in the dry months and I also wanted to shoot some photos of puffins on the Isle of Lunga while they are nesting. The only month I probably avoid, is August. Then Scotland officially has the wettest month of the year and the holiday season has started, so it could be somewhat crowded. In that case, you definitely should get up vey early in the morning to take that shot. Further on, prepare yourself in orde to make the shot. Look up where you could make the best shot for yourself, have a look the day before if possible. And check the weather conditions. But most of all, do not forget to enjoy what mother nature gives us to enjoy. And always be careful in the mountains.
