Show Notes

This is the second of the films that I made back in March before the Coronavirus Pandemic.

I saw the night before that a light snow was forecast and an image that I had been after for a while was an image that I felt emphasised the Caledonian forest in winter conditions. So when I saw that snow forecast, I immediately knew where I was going to go: Abernethy forest and Loch Garten.

I wasn’t expecting a spectacular sunrise but as I drove over to the loch that was exactly what I witnessed. I knew I wasn’t going to arrive in time, so I just enjoyed the fiery oranges that lit up the sky during my drive.

The snow persisted through the morning, sometimes getting heavier, and I really had a good time doing some forest photography. I got some images that I feel show off the season of winter: snow, grey but not necessarily devoid of life and substance.

I hope you enjoy the film and the pictures!

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Onto the Images…

Quite a simple composition but it’s one we are all familiar with, a lake, a forest and a mountain, all are dusted with a light snow. So evocative of winter, yet so simple.

This was the type of image I had in mind for that morning. The snow encrusting the bilberry bushes of the forest’s understory and the trunks of Scot’s pine rising up.

The only way I would like this image more would be if there was a light mist in the background, but otherwise this is exactly what I was after.

Not an award winner but an image that tells a story to me…

The depth of greys in this image and the way the sun ripples across the lake is what drew me to take this image.

As I explained in the vlog, I went down to the shoreline to get some footage to act as b-roll, but I was struck by the serenity of the scene that I decided to capture this image.

The quietness of the scene is emphasised in the muted colours.

I was fiddling about trying to get this ICM image for quite a few minutes in the footage that I didn’t include in the film.

I was quite happy with the result. A lot of my ICM pictures are quite dark or vivid with strong, bright colours, and I hoped that the snow and wintry conditions would produce a more muted result.

The white of the snow makes the browns and greens of the trees stand out just a little more than if it was the normal forest scene, because the snow is covering the brighter greens of the bilberry and moss.

I always have fun doing ICM photography and if you want to know more about it, then you can read about the technique here.

I love the snowflakes just caught in the background as they fall to the ground. A bit of golden light coming from the righthand side just catching them and lighting the roots of the Scot’s pine.

The lattice work of roots at this point is remarkable and this is my favourite image (so far) that I have managed to capture of these intriguing natural maze.

The last image of that morning and I really like it! I love the snow pasted onto one side of the trees and it definitely evokes the sense of the forest in winter.

Overall I had a great morning that day, I got some images that I was really happy with and it was the first time I enjoyed making a YouTube video!

About the Film

Just a little information about the film and how I made it, as well as some links to equipment.

I edited the film using the Free Version of DaVinci Resolve. It’s an incredibly powerful piece of software that I am still trying to understand and will possibly write an article about in the future.

The music in this video is a track that I licensed from Premium Beats by ShutterStock called:

Hidden Valley and The Expedition by Origami Pigeon.

A short Kit List

These are affiliate links, which means if you follow them and make a purchase I will earn a small commission for referring you to Amazon UK. You can find out more about affiliate links here.

Main Vlog Camera is a simple Panasonic G80 with the kit lens, its a great little mirrorless camera that I got for the sole purpose of creating YouTube videos. It’s capable of filming in 4k and seems to do everything that I want it to.

Rode Mic, I got this little microphone to boost the audio quality from the inbuilt microphone.

Action Camera, I use this to film myself when walking. It’s a simple DJI Pocket Osmo camera that has a motorised 3 axis gimbal head, which means that I stay in focus and static while the landscape around me moves. It’s also capable of filming in 4k and the audio quality is quite good.

Voice Recorder, to boost the audio quality when it’s windy or I’m using the action camera I use this handy little voice recorder with a lapellier microphone to record audio.

Voice Over Microphone, I use this microphone to do recording at home, so if I forget to mention something or I want to change what I’m talking about I can use this microphone to record in the studio for clear, crisp audio.

For a complete Landscape Photography Kit List you can read through what equipment I take with me when I go out here.

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Written by Daniel Long

Daniel Long created DRL Photography as a place to showcase his work as a photographer. Daniel has learnt a lot about photography and wishes to impart this knowledge with you, although the world is an ever changing place and he always says “you can never learn everything.” So as he makes his way, he continues to learn knew techniques, skills and information about photography. He focuses on Landscape and Wildlife photography and Daniel has a special focus on Scotland, his home away from home. As well as writing about photography and taking pictures out in the field, Daniel offers guided photography days so he can share his knowledge and locations in an effort to give his clients the best opportunities possible. Have a browse around this website to see his images, guided experiences and articles about photography. If you have any questions don’t hesitate to get in contact.