Golden Light on Loch Insh and Loch Alvie
Show Notes
I went out one early morning hoping, as we always hope as landscape photographers, for some sunrise colours creating a dramatic and colourful landscape. I went to Loch Insh, I’ve photographed it before in winter and got a great composition with a small decrepit boat sitting on the edge of the loch.
It was still dark when I arrived, for once I had given myself plenty of time! But when I got to the path to the boat it was completely flooded, the heavy rains raising the level of the loch, blocking my access and therefore I had to change plans for a different composition.
Making my way along the path to a point where I can look out across the loch, I struggled to find a composition. But I got one set up but when the colours started to fill the sky the best colour was in a different position. Oh well! It happens! But it was very disheartening that morning.
But luckily, the light was amazing as the morning developed. There was a golden light that landscape photographers adore. A radiance on the landscape that made perfect conditions for photography. I managed to capture that golden light on the trees of both Loch Insh and Loch Alvie and it was an amazing morning that I won’t forget anytime soon!
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Onto the Images
As my plans were thwarted by high water, I struggled to find a landscape across the loch that I liked. What I thought were reeds in the image are actually small trees! That’s how high the water was!
It’s quite a flat image and I probably should’ve left when I knew it wasn’t going to work, but that’s the way it goes sometimes. I’ve learnt many things over the past few years working as a photographer, but the main one is you are not always going to be in the right place at the right time, and the work that goes into each successful image is way more than the viewer realises. Often requiring repeat visits until the photographer is able to capture the right conditions for the image they had in mind.
Photography is the subject that perfectly combines knowledge, time and luck to get successful results.
One subject that I will always come back to are trees, plants, funghi, basically anything of the natural world. It’s fascinating the way nature has evolved. The various patterns, textures and shapes. It’s endlessly fascinating!
On that day, all around the loch there were these exposed route networks from the trees, and of course I was inspired by them! In the video I was unsure about how I was going to process these image. I liked the greens of the moss and the contrasting colours of the tree bark but I was also drawn to convert the image to black and white.
As you can see I clearly decided black and white was the best option, and that was because the grass around the tree was putting me off. I would have kept it in colour if the moss covered tree roots were surrounded by something other than grass, a contrasting colour to make the green standout. But in the end, black and white allowed me and you to focus on the pattern of the tree roots.
Luckily as I was heading back to the car I saw the most magnificent golden light across the whole landscape that I rushed to capture as best I could from a vantage point not too far away. The bridge that crossed the loch seemed like the best place to capture some images.
This image speaks for itself, I wanted to capture the golden light on the trees and the reflection on the loch, simple and delightful.
My next composition was looking directly at the island that sits in the loch, right in the mouth of where the loch feeds into the river spey. In hindsight for sunrise I should’ve been at this vantage point to take advantage of the colours and to get a more interesting composition. But hindsight is always 20:20. . . .
Having grabbed the above two images from one side of the bridge, I turned around and saw this wonderful scene. The golden light just kissing the autumnal colours that are beginning in the trees. I love the cloud just kissing the top of the hill in the far distance and my next image managed to catch the clouds over that hill from a different angle.
My favourite image from the morning! The combination of golden light, reflection, clouds, everything about this image makes it in my favourite from the morning! I can’t write anything else about this image. Why I love it is evident in the image and I hope you can see it too!
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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 tracks featured in today’s film were licensed via a subscription with Epidemic Sound. (By following that link, if you purchase a subscription then I will be gifted with a month free for referring you to their services)
Feel So Lucky by Cody Francis
Weather Any Storm by Cody Francis
Starting Again by Cody Francis
Wandering Nomad by Cody Francis
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.
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.
