A couple of years ago, I organized a photo trip with friends in the beautiful Scottish Highlands. We spent one week in the Glencoe region and a second on the Isle of Skye. The Highlands are truly a photographer’s paradise. To plan the trip, I relied mainly on the Landscape Photographer’s Guide for both regions, having bought the eBooks on LPM’s website.

During our week in the Glencoe region, we headed one day to the Loch Achtriochtan site as suggested by LPM’s guidebook. After having taken many lovely images we were on our way back to the main road. I spotted a little road following the River Coe. After half a mile along the road, I parked the car and headed on foot down toward the river bank.

I was struck by the beauty of the stream in the middle of the mountains, and the textures and colours of the rocks. They were set off by a dramatic cloud cover. I installed my tripod and my wide-angle lens. To be able to show the energy of the water, I opted to use a fast shutter speed.

We found that the Scottish Highlands wonderful to photograph. There are so many places containing all the important elements of composition: lines, curves, textures, patterns, shapes, colors, and frames. When driving a vehicle in the Highlands always be prepared to stop and park safely. On several occasions during our trip, as a joke, we asked each other, “Do we have to go back home?”