Trotternish Ridge in Winter
A cold, early, but pleasant walk was needed to get to this breathtaking location along the Trotternish Ridge on the Isle of Skye. Taken between Christmas and Ne...
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A cold, early, but pleasant walk was needed to get to this breathtaking location along the Trotternish Ridge on the Isle of Skye. Taken between Christmas and New Year the Winter weather highlights the natural beauty of this picturesque, tranquil landscape.
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Feb, 2017Views
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Top Shot Award 22
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Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
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Behind The Lens
Location
This was taken along the Quirrang on the Isle of Skye, looking south over the Trotternish Ridge. A truly beautiful, calming place.Time
To achieve the desired lighting, naturally an early start was required. Fortunately it was Winter, around December 29th, so not too early. Arriving at the Quirrang about 6.45am, it was about a 20 minute walk to this particular spot. Once I'd found a suitable composition it was just a case of waiting and hoping the conditions came together for the desired shot. Fortunately for me, I was blessed with lovely light and a good sunrise.Lighting
As expected with sunrises, I knew the hardest light would be coming from the left. Therefore to allow a balanced exposure across the image I used a graduated filter, angled for the bright sunrise.Equipment
Although I have progressed to better equipment over the years, this shot which I am very proud of, was taken on an entry level Nikon D3100 with the kit 18-55 lens @ 18mm. Obviously with the D3100 being a DX format, this was equivalent to about 27mm. In addition, I used the graduated filter mentioned previously, and the mandatory sturdy tripod. Plus plenty of warm clothes!!Inspiration
The isle of Skye has an endless supply of breathtaking landscape to immerse yourself in. Taken on one of my earliest trips there, I knew this area could yield beautiful shots. Hence it being one of the most popular destinations on the island. So taken inspiration from many previous photographers, I headed to the Quirrang to try it for myself.Editing
Practically untouched, just a little shadow lifting.In my camera bag
Having updated my equipment over the years, my normal bag has a variety of equipment depending on my destination. With landscape being my personal choice, I would normally be carrying my Nikon D850, Nikon 16-35mm f4 lens, Manfrotto tripod, a variety of filters, polarising, graduated and ND. In addition I always make sure I have spare batteries and memory cards, plus lens cloths. If I am down by the sea, or out early morning, it is amazing how often the lens needs to be cleaned between shots.Feedback
Whilst not particularly challenging, to get to this location there is some amount of hard walking involved, plus a bit of scrambling to get to the desired spot. For those who are not as physically able, the Quirrang still offers some breathtaking views that are less than 200 metres from a car park, with nothing more than a gentle walk to reach. The main thing with any shot of this type, is a tripod and filters, with the widest lens you have to capture the amazing vistas. Obviously if you don't have filters you can take multiple shots at various exposures and blend them in post processing.
