The Buachaille Cartoon Images.

[Dale.]

I'll be honest, it's a bit of a nemesis to me, in all my attempts, I have never taken an image of Bauchaille Etive Mor that I am proud of. Never. There are so many wonderful, dramatic and wow images of it but sadly for me, none of them are mine. Mine of it often remind me of cartoons.

Everytime I go there and take images, I get them home and load them into LR and my heart sinks, I almost feel nauseous, everytime.

I'm posting a typical image from a few weeks ago, a new spot that I've not tried before although I havedone further up river. The images looked fairly decent on the back of tha camera and I couldn't wait to get them home. This one is a fairly quick edit and isn't that far removed from what was in camera. There's something about it that isn't right though,

could be, in order of likelyhood.....

1, the light and the wrong time of day thing, the sun was high although it wasn't high noon. The sun was still behind high, lumpy clouds, with small breaks in them.

2, the above and then my bad processing of it,

3, I don't like to blame my tools, but could there actually be something with my camera? ( unlikely, as I took an image later in the day that was full of colour and contrast, SOC )

4, or is it just The Bauchaille, maybe it only really works in certain conditions, far removed from what I got?

5, I'm just not good enough to get the best from it.

I make the effort, I don't just turn up, this was taken during a period of no sleep for 41 hours, it was midge infested and after a decent drive. Despite that, I know it's still possible to be at a location at the wrong time and I think that's probably what this (and my other attempts) are but I'm always happy to hear and listen to opinions.

Bear in mind, this is a very quick edit and more could be gotten from it in more skillful hands than mine I'm sure, but you get the idea.


thanks.

 

[keety]

For me it would be

1: Light light and light.

The sun is overhead, meaning none of the rocks of the mountain cast any shadows really so there's no contrast to the image. Added in it looks a bit hazy as well (atmospherics)....


Great landscape photography tends to be about being in the right place at the right time and that's either down to good homework or pure luck. The technical side of things is by far the easiest aspect.

 

[Dale.]

For me it would be

1: Light light and light.

The sun is overhead, meaning none of the rocks of the mountain cast any shadows really so there's no contrast to the image. Added in it looks a bit hazy as well (atmospherics)....


Great landscape photography tends to be about being in the right place at the right time and that's either down to good homework or pure luck. The technical side of things is by far the easiest aspect.

Thanks.

I have a very strong suspicion you're spot on about the light.

5 should be 3 above and vice versa, it's more likely I'm not reading conditions correctly than there being something wrong with my camera.

 

[dweeble]

I am totally not a landscape photographer, but I do know the hill in question and to me that is a very fair rendering - light isn't always dramatic.......

And after 41 hours without sleep, I'd be doing well to hold the damn camera the right way round.

And I am certain a mask and good play around in PS or darktable would sweeten it much, at a trade-off of no longer representing the reality when you took it.....

Soyez brave!

 

[Bobsyeruncle]

I think you're being a bit hard on yourself Dale.....
Its crap, but not that crap
Kidding.
It's only crap because I wasn't there....

 

[Peter10d]

For a daytime shot in the summer it is a good shot, however if you revist in the winter I am sure you will be much happier. The Buachaille looks gorgeous with a dusting of snow or some atmospheric low cloud around it.

 

[LongLensPhotography]

1 and only 1. When it looks really good it looks really good and you know it before you begin. Morning golden hour is when you want to be there, and as the last comment I also suggest winter setting with snow although that's entirely optional.

P..S there is not much wrong with this image and it probably would find its place in tourist brochure or travel catalog where they want generic midday images for daytime crowds. I still fail to understand the logic of leaving all the pretty places well before the golden hour begins.

 

[Dale.]

For a daytime shot in the summer it is a good shot, however if you revist in the winter I am sure you will be much happier. The Buachaille looks gorgeous with a dusting of snow or some atmospheric low cloud around it.

Yup, coming slowly into the best time of year, can't wait.

1 and only 1. When it looks really good it looks really good and you know it before you begin. Morning golden hour is when you want to be there, and as the last comment I also suggest winter setting with snow although that's entirely optional.

Agreed. I was a little further down the road for morning golden hour, at Lochan nah Aclaise. The light was awful there, it was still dark when I arrived, the pesky midges were horrendous too, so bad, they were actually affecting images. They were even in the car. It didn't improve much when daylight broke, from a light point of view or midgey point of view.

P..S there is not much wrong with this image. I still fail to understand the logic of leaving all the pretty places well before the golden hour begins.

Thank you.

1 and only 1. When it looks really good it looks really good and you know it before you begin. Morning golden hour is when you want to be there, and as the last comment I also suggest winter setting with snow although that's entirely optional.

I still fail to understand the logic of leaving all the pretty places well before the golden hour begins.

This too. In my defence, early morning golden hour was a huge flop( despite what the forecast promised ) and it was still 10 hours or so to the next one in the evening when the sun lights up the hills from the other end of the glen. It would be rude to pass this on my way to that shot and not explore this one for next time. Have to take an image whilst there.


I'm begining to think though that Glencoe is like a box of sweets, there are so many and it's easy to eat them all at once, ie, all in one day. I think it's time to set out just for one shot/ composition, refine each visit if you like, bag the image, then explore possibilities for next time. It should get easier now as summer passes, from a sleep point of view and day length point of view.

I shouldn't complain, it's only 2 1/2 hours up the road, some peeps would die for that.

PS, evening golden hour was a flop too.

 

[keety]

Use the day for either scouting or catching up on sleep!

 

[dweeble]

And invest in a midge trap to keep yourself sane while waiting for the light!

 

[Steelo]

Looking from my own personal perspective of somewhere I've shot a lot over the years, it's the wrong time of day in the wrong conditions (those both merge into one in this particular instance as it can be shot throughout the day if conditions are right) and wrong time of year (the are looks so much better when it's all golden browns). I guess it depends what you want from the location though, as I wouldn't even get the camera out if I turned up and it was like that, yet other folk only go for these type of shots.

What is it that you want from here? You'll never get a dramatic image in those conditions, yet you will, and have, got a "nice image" which some go for, others don't. You're being harsh on yourself, but I also know the feeling when you have a nemesis location.

 

[Dale.]

Use the day for either scouting or catching up on sleep!

Sleep, felt like a long lost friend. I did lose almost 2 hours of my day somewhere, not sure where though. :sleep:

And invest in a midge trap to keep yourself sane while waiting for the light!

I had a spray (Jungle Formula) which was useless but my head net did ok, it's a camo one that I usually use for wildlife photogrpahy, I'm glad I forgot to take it from my bag before departure.

Looking from my own personal perspective of somewhere I've shot a lot over the years, it's the wrong time of day in the wrong conditions (those both merge into one in this particular instance as it can be shot throughout the day if conditions are right) and wrong time of year (the are looks so much better when it's all golden browns). I guess it depends what you want from the location though, as I wouldn't even get the camera out if I turned up and it was like that, yet other folk only go for these type of shots.

What is it that you want from here? You'll never get a dramatic image in those conditions, yet you will, and have, got a "nice image" which some go for, others don't. You're being harsh on yourself, but I also know the feeling when you have a nemesis location.

Thanks Martin. I learned some valuable lessons, hopefully some better conditions coming soon. I'd love to get it in brewing storm type weather but that might put paid to my beloved reflections.....or a dusting of snow. I'll keep trying though, I will nail it one day.

 

[Steelo]

Thanks Martin. I learned some valuable lessons, hopefully some better conditions coming soon. I'd love to get it in brewing storm type weather but that might put paid to my beloved reflections.....or a dusting of snow. I'll keep trying though, I will nail it one day.

That's just it, I don't think you'll get your reflections and moody atmosphere together. Always good to have a challenge and to leave locations with a reason to return to time and again though

Also the lack of sleep thing....it really does effect the way you take images. We done sunrise til sunset every day for 7 days on Harris/Lewis in the middle of summer, so only 2 hours sleep per day/night, and I know my images suffered for it, as I came home with very little I liked.

 

[Dale.]

That's just it, I don't think you'll get your reflections and moody atmosphere together. Always good to have a challenge and to leave locations with a reason to return to time and again though

I love reflections (blame Steve ) but whilst they are high on my list, they're not the end all, be all for me. I'm really looking forward to the next few months.

 

[Steelo]

I love reflections (blame Steve ) but whilst they are high on my list, they're not the end all, be all for me. I'm really looking forward to the next few months.

Getting to the best time of year for Glencoe now-Oct...then November for Skye

 

[SFTPhotography]

I like that picture. Given me this over a stormy type scene any day. Just rock up earlier is my only C&C

You can get both together if you time it right...but it's horrible spring brown earthy nasty hues in mine

_DSC3137 - Version 3 by Stephen Taylor, on Flickr

Much nicer in the summer

_DSC3582 - Version 2 by Stephen Taylor, on Flickr

Even in the harsher light it works

_DSC4064 - Version 5 by Stephen Taylor, on Flickr

I say honestly 2 hours after sunrise is fine...3 might push it a bit and same before sunset.

 

[SFTPhotography]

Looking from my own personal perspective of somewhere I've shot a lot over the years, it's the wrong time of day in the wrong conditions (those both merge into one in this particular instance as it can be shot throughout the day if conditions are right) and wrong time of year (the are looks so much better when it's all golden browns). I guess it depends what you want from the location though, as I wouldn't even get the camera out if I turned up and it was like that, yet other folk only go for these type of shots.

What is it that you want from here? You'll never get a dramatic image in those conditions, yet you will, and have, got a "nice image" which some go for, others don't. You're being harsh on yourself, but I also know the feeling when you have a nemesis location.

Mate...NO!!!!

It's ace in summer and autumn - particularly once the heather is out. 2-3hrs earlier with that cloud cover and this would be a drop drawer image I reckon.

 

[Steelo]

Mate...NO!!!!

It's ace in summer and autumn - particularly once the heather is out. 2-3hrs earlier with that cloud cover and this would be a drop drawer image I reckon.

For you maybe, not for me. I don't like the greens, and "nice" 50/50 reflections do nothing for me whatsoever, they don't stir the soul, they make me feel nothing. It's why everyone is different I guess.

 

[SFTPhotography]

For you maybe, not for me. I don't like the greens, and "nice" 50/50 reflections do nothing for me whatsoever, they don't stir the soul, they make me feel nothing. It's why everyone is different I guess.

For me 100% and practically for no-one else. Nothing quite stirs my soul and fills me with life like a reflection