Anyway, last Saturday night I'm at home and thinking about heading out to get a sunset shot (7.30pm for those of you who require all the details). As usual I have no idea where to go, although there are a few options. First up head down towards Biggar (25-30 miles away) and find a shot there as I am going to be exhibiting in the BiggART festival as part of the Biggar Little Festival (first big plug, pay attention as you may miss the second). Second option is to head over in to Fife(another 25+ mile trip) and get another seascape sunset.
What do I do then?
I go for the complete outside option and decide I am going to drive 90 miles up to Glencoe to see if I can capture a sunset there. Now at this point in my decision making process it is the best idea ever, but by Callander I'm having second thoughts as the cloud has thickened up.
For those of you who have never been to Glencoe the drive involved motorway driving followed by lots of driving on an A road along with the lorries, camper vans, cars with caravans and the annoying slow drivers (which there were a lot of).
Sorry, just had to pop away there as it sounded like the washing machine was taking off, turns out it was just a seriously heavy downpour of rain that's flooding the farm track.
Where were we? Oh yes, Callander.
By 8.45 I've made it to The Green Welly Stop in Tyndrum and it is still cloudy, but all of that is about to change. Well I lie, it is going to take a further 15 minutes of driving to change.
I head up towards Bridge of Orchy and beyond to Loch Tulla. Now the drive from Tyndrum to Glencoe village is about 30 miles of stunning landscape that evolves from forest to mountains to moorland and to top it all off a drop down from the moor to what can only be described as Lord of the Rings country.
Back to the drive. I head past Loch Tulla and get to the hill leading up to Rannoch Moor, I look in the rear view mirror and see a Ford Transit Camper Van gaining on me so I do the only thing I can, accelerate. No! I am not petty honest.
As the road levels out I start to see a hint of golden light on a little hill to my right and my luck is improving. This small beam of light gives way to this scene below at Locan Nah Achlaise.
I see a layby and as there is no traffic around pull in and leg it across the road to get what I called my back up shot. Once this was in the bag I returned to the car and headed on towards Glencoe itself.
I got round to Glencoe to see the glorious sunlight fading fast but decide there is still something special to shoot and continue driving.
Just after the Kings House Hotel there is a bridge over the River Etive and I decide I am going to park up and get a photo from beyond the bridge and down by the river. It seemed like a good idea to park on the east side of the bridge and walk across it and then down the banking to the river. It was not a good idea as cars heading east would suddenly appear and I had to be quicker than Ussain Bolt to cross the bridge. Mental note, park in the layby on the west side and walk back.
Anyhow, I get down to the river and select a spot to set up and take another shot of Buchaille Etive Mor (I told you I like it in another post. If you have not read it why not????). The end result was this shot.
On the right you can just see a faint hint of red light as the sun drops behind the mountains and all that is left is the fading light.
Well, having got the shot I pack up and head back to the bridge and prepare to cross. However I look up the hill and see a car coming down it fairly quickly so I leg it across safely. I park myself on the grass verge as a Honda NSX roars past me in the fading light. Ok I'm a car geek and I'm proud of it, I just wish I had got a shot of it.
Back at the car I pack my kit away and head home not quite sure what the end results will be and as I got home at 12.10am I wait until the morning. Safe to say I am more than happy with the results and on Thursday enter the shot of Buchaille Etive Mor in to the Take a View Landscape Photographer of The Year (and yet another subtle plug).
Do I think I can win the competition? No I don't, however I love this shot and think it is very special and want people to see it along with the other 6 I have entered.
To sum up it is good to take a chance and stick with it as the end result can be amazing. Also, choose your parking spots wisely as running like a muppet is not good when avoiding cars on the road.
Thanks for reading and take care.
