Photo of the Month: November 2015

Four of a Kind

3rd November 2015, Devilla Forest, Fife

Devilla, a productive forest managed by Forestry Commission Scotland, on the A985 between Dunfermline and Kincardine and only 5 miles from home. Much of the forest is native Scots Pine, planted in regimental fashion, but recent forestry activity has thinned areas of the forest allowing more light to penetrate.  Today was a foggy autumnal day and I went to Devilla specifically to photograph in the fog. I know where these trees are from previous explorations of the forest. They are not readily identifiable from the forest road, but by taking 10 paces 'off-road' all is revealed. I used the low vegetation to fill the foreground and frame the trees. The last of the leaves have lifted the foreground and the fog has created a lovely softness.

Technical Info:

Taken with a Fuji X-T1
Fujinon XF 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 R LM OIS WR lens @ 34.5mm

EXIF: ISO-200 / 1/20sec / f/11
Lee filters: None
RAW File converted to TIFF in Fuji RAW Converter powered by Silkypix, developed in Adobe PSE9

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Photo of the Month: October 2015

 Mysterious Ways


7th October 2015, Thrunton Woods, Northumberland

Thrunton Wood, a Forestry Commission woodland in Northumberland 5 miles North of Rothbury and just off the A897. It is a commercial woodland covering 10sqkm with plenty of forests roads as well as two waymarked trails in the northern section of the forest. Fog and rain gave the woods an eerie atmosphere as we walked the Castle Hill Trail (5 miles). I had been searching for a suitable composition to photograph throughout the walk but nothing really grabbed me.  It wasn't until we were returning to the car park along Thrunton Crag that I saw what I was looking for. I was immediately taken by the recession along the track created by the fog, the branches over the track, the dark tree trunks on either edge of the frame and the earthy tones of early Autumn.


Technical Info:

Taken with a Fuji X-T1
Fujinon XF 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 R LM OIS WR lens @ 18mm

EXIF: ISO-200 / 0.4 sec / f/11
Lee filters:

RAW File converted to TIFF in Fuji RAW Converter powered by Silkypix, developed in Adobe PSE9

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Photo of the Month: June 2015

Cast a Giant Shadow

14th June 2015, summit of Beinn Ghlas, Perthshire

Ben Lawers, at 3984ft (1214m) and on the north side of Loch Tay, is the highest mountain in Britain outside the Nevis and Cairngorms ranges.  The mountain path starts from the car park at Ben Lawers National Nature Reserve and climbs over Beinn Ghlas, which, at 1103m is also one of the highest peaks in Britain. I reached Beinn Ghlas a little after 8pm to explore its summit with a view to photographing Ben Lawers at sunset (due soon after 10pm). Just before 9:30pm the sun appeared from the clouds far to the NW and strong backlighting has cast giant shadows of Ben Lawers (L) and Beinn Ghlas (R) onto the hillsides on the far side of Loch Tay.  The tops of the shadows are 8km away. The clouds were only partially in direct sunlight which added another element to the composition.

I completed the ridge walk to Ben Lawers after sunset before retracing my steps down to my car well after midnight. A headtorch was not required until I reached the NNR below Beinn Ghlas as there was still enough ambient light in the sky to walk along the mountain paths unaided.  

Technical Info:

Taken with a Fuji X-T1
Fujinon XF 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 R LM OIS WR lens @ 18mm

EXIF: ISO-200 / 1/28 sec / f/8
Lee filters: 0.6 Hard GND

RAW File converted to TIFF in Fuji RAW Converter powered by Silkypix, developed in Adobe PSE9

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