September of 2014 was my first trip to the Scottish Highlands. We went principally for the hiking, but photography was a secondary and important trip objective. One day, I was scouting images on the Applecross Pass. I parked the car on the side of the road and set up my tripod and camera. I was thrilled to see this beautiful, curved valley containing a sinuous road leading my eyes to the loch and the distant mountains. It was a gorgeous scene topped by lovely clouds.
All the important elements of the composition were there: lines, curves, textures, patterns, shapes, colors, and framing elements. I took the shot with a focal length of 36 mm (35 mm equivalent). This image was taken at 57°24’39.3651″ N 5°42’4.7376″ W. Once again, this perfectly illustrates why the Scottish Highlands are deemed a photographer’s paradise.
When driving in the Highlands, keep your eyes and creativity open. Be prepared to park safely on the side of the road.
This explains why, in 2016, I organized a photo trip with friends to the same area. To plan the trip, I relied mainly on the Landscape Photographer’s Guide, having bought the eBooks on LPM’s website.
