Show Notes

I awoke one early morning to see heavy clouds moving through the landscape, the good news was that they were broken, which meant there was a possibility of a good sunrise landscape photography session. The problem with not planning ahead the night before is you are then rushing in the morning trying to get on location before the magic happens! 

I decided on a location I have visited before on this channel and drove around to Loch Garten. I had plenty of time to find a composition luckily, but when the light eventually came I rushed to another area as the light was better. However there was no composition there! So a quick shot before heading back to the composition I had found, which was now well illuminated… 

Luckily I got the shot I had wanted. I then went for a leisurely stroll through the woodlands, hoping for some autumnal colours to catch my eye. I was either blind or not concentrating because several times in the background I miss some promising compositions, and I ended up settling on one which I don’t like now. 

I’m probably going to talk about this video some more in a couple of weeks because editing it together I noticed I made some mistakes and, although I had a good morning and enjoyed myself, I don’t like the pictures that I captured that morning! 

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Onto the Images

I grabbed a quick test shot before the sunrise started. I quite liked the blue tones and I wasn’t sure if there was going to be any light or not. As always in landscape photography, I was hoping that there would be a decent sunrise, that the light would ignite the clouds with vibrant colours and golden shafts of light would create a dynamic mountain range in the background.

With hindsight, I’m not too sure about this composition. At the time I was happy with it, but now I’ve edited the pictures and I’ve examined it more it just feels a bit unbalanced. The rock in the foreground too large and there’s a lack of anything interesting across the rest of the image.

Did the light change that???

When the light started, I could see it off to the east but I was looking south. I just grabbed the cameras and marched off to the east with the hope that I could create an image with that light before it went. The problem with Loch Garten when looking east is there is no foreground interest nor is there any interesting background.

I just took this image as a record of the sunrise colours because I didn’t like the composition at all and I still don’t. In the vlog I explain why I don’t like this image, and the bare bones of it is it is an image of nothing. There is nothing of interest in it at all. Even the forest silhouette is uninteresting.

I should’ve just waited a few more minutes at where I was before. That way I could have taken the image I had lined up and then recomposed while there was still some light. Instead I faffed about at this spot and then had to rush back to capture my original composition before the light I had waited for disappeared.

I managed to get back into position before the light faded away. My planning actually paid off, I thought there was the possibility the heavy clouds would be illuminated by the rising sun and they were. But as always it wasn’t quite what I expected, a lovely soft peach colour.

This version has a better balance than the one above as the peach coloured clouds are on the top right balancing the heavy rock in the bottom left. But it’s not a winning composition. I think the image I discussed of the 3 boulders is better, even though the competition judge doesn’t like their overlapping nature.

The last image I took that morning and now I don’t know why I took it. I must have had a reason and even my explanation in the vlog sort of makes sense, but I don’t know why I settled on this composition and didn’t work it a bit more.

After the sunrise loch image above, my intention was to find some compositions that focused on the interaction of autumn in the caledonian forest by which I was surrounded, but I was either blind or couldn’t focus because watching the footage back and editing the vlog together I noticed several compositions that I wish I took the time to examine and create images.

This is an ok image, it’s just I know that I can do better. I must have been very absent minded and tired that morning. Now I’m going to have to wait until next autumn to get another shot, oh well!

I hope you are looking forward to the next instalment! Don’t forget to subscribe to my YouTube channel.

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)

• Be Nice by Spring Gang

• Forest Pond With Stars by Polar Nights

• Go All In by Deanz

• Now I’m All Yours by Spring Gang

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.