Photo of the Month: May 2014

Pittenweem harbour, East Neuk, Fife

18th May 2014, Pittenweem, East Neuk, Fife

Pittenweem harbour in the East Neuk. It has the largest fleet of commercial fishing boats in Fife as well as a fish market and some of the oldest buildings in the East Neuk.  I have spent many hours here photographing along the quayside.  On this particular evening the inner harbour was like a millpond as the sun was setting on a brooding sky. A graduated neutral density filter added some definition to the sky and the final image was created by stitching together two overlapping frames. 

Technical Info:

Taken with a Canon EOS 5D mkII
Zeiss Distagon T* 21/2.8 ZE lens

EXIF: ISO-100 / 2.5 sec @ f/11  x 2 frames, stitched

Lee filters: 0.6 Soft GND

RAW File converted to TIFF in Canon DPP, developed in Adobe PSE9

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Go Perthshire: The Hermitage, Dunkeld, Perthshire

The Hermitage is a National Trust for Scotland woodland situated on the banks of the River Braan along a section called the Falls of Braan where the river tumbles in a series of cataracts before its confluence with the River Tay.  It forms part of the larger Craigvinean Forest which is itself part of the Tay Forest Park.  Click on the following link to download the comprehensive TFP Guide.

The footpaths around The Hermitage are linked to the trails of the Dunkeld & Birnam walks network, 36 miles of waymarked walking routes over a variety of terrain from flat paths to steep hillsides.  The Hermitage is right in the middle of this network.  It is signposted off the A9 where there is a large Pay and Display car park (free to NT & NTS members).  The path from the car park is wide and flat and suitable for wheelchair users which takes you, in little over 3/4 mile / 1 km, to The Hermitage.  Alternatively, two other FREE car parks can be used: Inver Brae Car Park to the south of Inver, just over the railway bridge, and there is also a small car park at Rumbling Bridge on the A822.  All car parks have large Information Boards to direct you to The Hermitage along the path network. 

In the autumn The Hermitage is a landscape photographers paradise when the yellows, oranges and reds of the deciduous trees contrast with the dark greens of the coniferous trees.  The Black Linn Falls at The Hermitage are spanned by a single arch stone bridge which makes a great viewing platform for the falls and also makes a fine composition itself from the banks of the river.  Note:  since 2011 the bridge does not provide access to the far side of the river as erosion has closed the path leading onto the bridge from that side.
 

From 11 am - 5 pm at weekends and in school holidays (not winter) the Big Tree Cafe in the main Hermitage car park serves home made soup, home baking, local dairy ice cream, tea, coffee, hot chocolate and cold drinks. 

Alternatively,  Dunkeld and Birnam cater extremely well for tourists and day-trippers with hotels, B&B's, pubs and cafes as well as a Co-Op supermarket (in Dunkeld). 

Satellite map of The Hermitage and Dunkeld area below.   

Go Ochils: Lower Glendevon Reservoir, Perthshire

I took a drive up into Glen Devon tonight to search out potential locations at both Upper and Lower Glendevon Reservoirs.  There is parking at the roadside where the private road signed for Frandy Farm leaves the main A823 road through Glen Devon.  Alternatively, drive 2km along the private road to Frandy Fishery (seasonal) and seek permission to park at the lodge. The track can be rough in places and livestock is allowed to roam freely.  From the fishery I made my way to where the road ends at Upper Glendevon Reservoir.  There wasn't really much potential here unless your forte is for concrete dams, walkways and overflow channels.  It was all a bit bleak.  

Returning to Frandy I noticed the outflow tower on the other side of the lower reservoir so once I was below Frandy Farm I pulled over and went for a look.  The evening was very warm, humid and quite still.  Ideal conditions for the scourge of every landscape photographer in Scotland; the midge, or little b*stards as they are mostly known by.  Once I reached the reservoir they descended on me, the camera, the lens and the filters.  I was fighting a losing battle.  At least I kept the fishermen amused with my constant blowing across the filters to stop the buggers from landing and waving my arms about like a mad man with a hood up and hat on.  The conditions were far from ideal too with the sun due to set too far to the north west for this location in July.  The outlet tower makes a good subject though with some interesting stone architecture and ironwork, although the final section of the bridge to the tower is out of bounds due to gates and locks, etc.  I will return in the autumn when the sun has moved around and the midges are no more.

A satellite map of Glen Devon and Glen Eagles is below.  Auchterarder is the nearest town, 5 miles to the north, and has B&B's, pubs, cafes, banks and shops.  For those burdened with heavy bags of money, fear not because The Gleneagles Hotel is there to help you lighten the load.