A Wee Wander around the Wrynose Pass

[Stuart Mc]

Like most camera time has been limited for me over Xmas, so made a concerted effort to get out yesterday for more than an hour! No plan as such just had a scout out the window and went where the cloud and mist was.

A weird day as everything either side of this valley I shot these in was clear blue sky. I was a little frustrated with the first one as the light was exceptional but I couldn't get high enough so had to settle for this. I've played with a square crop with just the gate as well so would be interested to hear if this works.

1&2 were exposure blends as grads were pretty useless with the dynamic range in those:

Duddon Light by Stuart McGlennon, on Flickr

The Fort by Stuart McGlennon, on Flickr

Wrynose Mist by Stuart McGlennon, on Flickr

 

[RichieTee]

Not much else to say than they are 3 beautiful scenes exceptionally well captured Stuart

 

[Stuart Mc]

Not much else to say than they are 3 beautiful scenes exceptionally well captured Stuart

Cheers mate, could do with some more wintry conditions up here mind!

 

[SFTPhotography]

Blends look good. All have their merits as compositions but one has its merits for the drama of the distant light.

 

[RichieTee]

Cheers mate, could do with some more wintry conditions up here mind!

It's taking its time isn't it. I'm off up to Glencoe and Skye next week and was keeping my fingers crossed for at least a spinkling of the white stuff.

 

[SFTPhotography]

It's taking its time isn't it. I'm off up to Glencoe and Skye next week and was keeping my fingers crossed for at least a spinkling of the white stuff.

No luck. I spoke to @Steelo on facebook today. No snow to speak of really in either place. I might do a new year run to Skye as I don't drink alcohol and driving there is torture with traffic, on that day it'll be dead.

 

[Bobsyeruncle]

Great shots. Love no1. I like the tones, and the light.

 

[Bobsyeruncle]

No luck. I spoke to @Steelo on facebook today. No snow to speak of really in either place. I might do a new year run to Skye as I don't drink alcohol and driving there is torture with traffic, on that day it'll be dead.

How long does it take you to get to Skye?

 

[sirch]

As has been said they are all very good but my pick would be the second, the sunlight on the wall and the way the wall leads nicely to the setting sun is just great.

 

[TheAndyA]

Beautiful! They have a certain richness to them.

 

[Dale.]

Lovely.

3 for me.

If the gate had been open in the 1st image, I would have chosen that image but that looks a risky proposition by the looks of the gate.

 

[Stuart Mc]

Great shots. Love no1. I like the tones, and the light.

As has been said they are all very good but my pick would be the second, the sunlight on the wall and the way the wall leads nicely to the setting sun is just great.

Beautiful! They have a certain richness to them.

Lovely.

3 for me.

If the gate had been open in the 1st image, I would have chosen that image but that looks a risky proposition by the looks of the gate.

Thanks gents, was a bit concerned the gate and the stile might work against each other a bit but I'm coming round to that one now.

 

[Craig_85]

The third one is spot on mate, really like that.

The blends look good, nice compositions too. Only advice would be the second one, the advantage of blending is you could have chosen to retain some brightness in the blue sky top right corner, I feel it is a tad dark if going for realism. However, if you want it dark so your eye does not go there then it's fine!

 

[Stuart Mc]

However, if you want it dark so your eye does not go there then it's fine!

Cheers Craig, yep it's a slight added vignette so not total realism as you say, main concern was just controlling the hotspots in both images so it served its purpose.

 

[Stu Meech]

Love the light in 1, very well controlled and the foreground works nicely.

I would agree the blue sky in 2 is a bit dark but of course each to their own on that one!

 

[SFTPhotography]

How long does it take you to get to Skye?

About four hours.

 

[Stuart Mc]

Blends look good. All have their merits as compositions but one has its merits for the drama of the distant light.

Love the light in 1, very well controlled and the foreground works nicely.

I would agree the blue sky in 2 is a bit dark but of course each to their own on that one!

Cheers guys

 

[Cloudforest]

No. 2 for me Stuart. I like the light on the top of the wall on the right and the way that the wall line leads the eye into the valley.

 

[jimbosloan]

Great shots Stuart composition spot on and a tricky lighting situation
did you bracket exposures ?

 

[saffronsnapper]

Beautiful set Stuart. The colours and composition have a real depth to them and I think the dark sky works in the second. No 3 is the pick of the bunch for me though.

 

[13DC82]

Love the 2nd one.

 

[jerry12953]

No 3 almost works for me but I just wonder if you crossed the stile and took pictures from the other side of the wall? Those god beams and the quality of the light in the valley are beautiful and I feel the contrast between that on one hand and the wall/stile/gate on the other is a bit jarring.

 

[joetheslug]

Great shots. Like Jerry, why didn't you go over the style? Still, I like all three. ..

 

[Stuart Mc]

Great shots Stuart composition spot on and a tricky lighting situation
did you bracket exposures ?

Thanks alot, not bracketing in the conventional sense as they're not an HDR merge, just 2 exposures, one each for sky and foreground.

No 3 almost works for me but I just wonder if you crossed the stile and took pictures from the other side of the wall? Those god beams and the quality of the light in the valley are beautiful and I feel the contrast between that on one hand and the wall/stile/gate on the other is a bit jarring.

Great shots. Like Jerry, why didn't you go over the style? Still, I like all three. ..

Thanks, to answer the question I did indeed cross the stile but I didn't have my long lens with me, plus it's a pretty bland expanse of boggy heathland stretching probably a good mile or so with very little for foreground interest. If I'd had the long lens with me I would indeed have picked out something to simplify/isolate the great light more. As I mentioned in the description, that shot was very much off the cuff and a case of making the best of what I had available. Ideally I'd have been up a fell looking across to that great light but given the time it hung around for it would have gone by the time I got high enough.

 

[PaulJ1969]

Great shots Stuart but I can't pick a winner between 1 and 2, love the mood of number 1 and also love the leading lines in number 2 that draws you into the valley

 

[smr]

Although the light looks nice and dramatic the composition of 1 doesn't work as well for me as #2 and #3 - which are fantastic.

Very hard to pick between the last two pics. Great captures.

 

[Stuart Mc]

Although the light looks nice and dramatic the composition of 1 doesn't work as well for me as #2 and #3 - which are fantastic.

Cheers, seems to be a bit marmite the first image which were my thoughts when I was taking it, just wish I'd had more time to find somewhere better.

 

[Seniorshot]

All 3 great images. Difficult to choose a favourite, but Ii would have to go with no1 - the view, the lighting the colours and the composition all fabulous.
To be ultra picky though, one thing is bugging me about the composition and that's the gap after the wall on the left - it keeps drawing my eyes out of the scene. Perhaps a square format with the base of the stile on the extreme left might be better ?,

 

[ancient_mariner]

Wonderful shots Stuart, the first being the best for me with that amazing light play and the way the blending has kept detail and given a subtle richness.

 

[alfbranch]

I really like 3

 

[Stuart Mc]

All 3 great images. Difficult to choose a favourite, but Ii would have to go with no1 - the view, the lighting the colours and the composition all fabulous.
To be ultra picky though, one thing is bugging me about the composition and that's the gap after the wall on the left - it keeps drawing my eyes out of the scene. Perhaps a square format with the base of the stile on the extreme left might be better ?,

Thanks I was looking at a square on just the gate but I'll have a look at that also, thanks

Wonderful shots Stuart, the first being the best for me with that amazing light play and the way the blending has kept detail and given a subtle richness.

Thanks Toni, I do like using grads but these blends really do come into their own on these type of scenes.

I really like 3

Cheers Alf

 

[16648511]

Very impressive, my favourite is the first.

 

[CanonLady]

Beautiful images.
I really like 1 & 2

 

[Tannachy]

Beautiful, I miss light like that. Here in Australia, daytime photography is almost pointless unless there's a storm coming in.