Sunrise in Fort William
A shot from an early morning walk in Fort William in Scotland.
A shot from an early morning walk in Fort William in Scotland.
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Apr, 2016Views
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Behind The Lens
Location
I took this photo in Fort William in Scotland during a trip my parents and I took together. We had just come up from Glasgow the previous evening and were staying at a wonderful little place named the Lime Tree Hotel.Time
I woke up around 4:30 am to head out along the water and make sure I caught the sunrise. It was too dark at first, but as the sky began to lighten, I was delighted to find the heavy clouds lingering over the landscape along with soft rose-gold light and a touch of haze.Lighting
My parents also have an interest in photography, and when I told them I would be waking up at 4:30 in the morning, they decided they would join me, though they almost sounded resentful! In the end it was nice to have them around to share the moment. I love waking up early to photograph landscapes and cities: there's something about being awake around 4 or 5 am that is truly magical: there's no one around. It's "late enough" from the previous night that just about everyone is home for the night, and early enough in the day that the early-risers haven't gotten up yet.Equipment
I used my trusty Nikon D300 to take this shot. The lens on it was my Nikkor 50mm f/1.4D, stopped down to f16: I was trying to slow down the shutter speed enough to soften the movement of the water (though it wasn't moving much). I tried some shots with slower shutter speeds and ND filters, but I ended up liking the ripples that did show up in this one. My tripod is a Gitzo GT2942, with the G1278M ball head: fairly light, fairly sturdy, and nice to travel with.Inspiration
I was so excited to travel through Scotland, and the Highlands in particular. We had taken a walk through the town the evening before and I just thought I needed to capture this place in as beautiful a light as I can find. I was particularly enamoured with the combination of the water, the town, and the mountains.Editing
I shoot RAW, so of course there has to be some post processing, but to be honest, this one didn't take very much. I just dialled up the vibrance a little bit, pulled back on the highlights in the sky to some extent, and bumped the contrasts up a little bit.In my camera bag
I have a terrible habit of dragging everything I possibly can in my bag (which is a LowePro Vertex 200AW, and fits a fair bit of gear). If I'm going for anything longer than a day trip, what I most consistently have in there is: Nikon D300, with the Tokina 11-16mm f2.8, the Nikkor 70-200mm f2.8, the Nikkor 50mm f1.4, Nikkor 80-400mm f4.5-56, the SB-900 flash, some extension tubes, my Gitzo GT2942 and a Panasonic Lumix GX1 with a 30mm f2.8 or 14mm f2.5 on it. If it's a day trip, it depends on where I'm going, but I might just pick a lens and force myself to use just that. I find that kind of creative constraint quite satisfying, though I wouldn't be able to bring myself to do it on a longer trip! More recently I've been shooting more film, so I'll grab either my Nikon F90 with my 50mm f1.4 on it, and a roll of Ilford FP4 Plus, or my Mamiya RZ67 with a 140mm f4.5 with some Fuji Velvia.Feedback
The photos that are often the most fun, the most stunning, the most curious, or the most interesting are the ones that would be difficult or unusual for most people to witness. In the case of a landscape, especially one with a town or city in it, I find that this means getting up very early. There are plenty of people who will go for years without seeing the place that they live in completely void of life, and that's what you find at the very early hours of the morning. That, and amazing light. Also, remember when shooting a landscape that you are at the mercy of the elements. Sometimes you'll wake up early, expect to have amazing light, and it just won't happen. Be ready to try again, and again, and again. And don't be discouraged by poor weather and bad light: when you have neither of those, you may still find a fantastic subject, which will make the photo just as worthy.
