Uploads from Douglas Griffin

Blue Dawn, Loch Lurgainn

nobody@flickr.com (Douglas Griffin) — Sun, 19 May 2013 05:21:43 -0700

A cold dawn at Loch Lurgainn in Inverpolly, Wester Ross.

I love to return to familiar spots at different times of the year to see the effect of seasonal variations. As well as the change in colour of the vegetation, there is also the very significant difference in the way the first or last rays of the sun illuminate the landscape as it rises or sets in different parts of the sky. And of course unless the sky is completely clear or completely overcast, there is always some variation in the quality of the light each time.

I have been going to Inverpolly for many years but the first time I photographed at this precise spot was in early November 2011, when the autumn colours were at their height and the sky flushed pink as the sun rose. On this occasion I chose exactly the same composition, but this time shortly after sunrise the light was about as different as it could be, with an eerie blue quality. The sky to the west and to the east was overcast, but the clear sky overhead was reflected in the waters of the loch.

Thanks to everyone for the very kind comments and favourites on the previous image on my photostream, 'Kelp and Sand Patterns, Achnahaird' - as always, very much appreciated. :-)

Website: Douglas Griffin Photography
Twitter: @dgriffinphoto

Kelp & Sand Patterns, Achnahaird

nobody@flickr.com (Douglas Griffin) — Fri, 17 May 2013 08:00:54 -0700

Douglas Griffin posted a photo:

After a break of more than two months I was able to get away with the camera this week.

Yesterday evening I found myself at Achnahaird. The skies to the east, which had been heavily overcast for much of the day, began to clear before sunset to create one of the finest spectacles I have ever witnessed as the setting sun lit the sky from the west. From snow-capped An Teallach in the south all the way across Inverpolly to Suilven and Quinag in the north – everywhere there were scenes of heart-stopping beauty. Whether through lack of practice, lack of ability or a combination of both I was unable to find a composition that would come close to doing the scene justice. In an attempt to clear my mind a little I headed down to the beach and was stopped in my tracks by this side-lit piece of kelp, surrounded by dendritic drainage patterns – it irresistibly suggested a fossil of some prehistoric sea creature.

Website: Douglas Griffin Photography
Twitter: @dgriffinphoto

Pebbles and Sandstone, Clashach Cove

nobody@flickr.com (Douglas Griffin) — Sun, 24 Feb 2013 02:46:32 -0800

Douglas Griffin posted a photo:

A further detail of some of the pebbles and sandstone at Clashach Cove.

The multicoloured pebbles are very typical of this wonderful location. I was attracted to this particular scene by the strong graphic shape formed by the curved edge on the right of the frame.

Website: Douglas Griffin Photography
Twitter: @dgriffinphoto

Sandstone Lichens, Coire Dubh Mòr

nobody@flickr.com (Douglas Griffin) — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 09:59:47 -0800

Douglas Griffin posted a photo:

The geology and climate of Glen Torridon combine to produce the most wonderfully-coloured lichen communities. During a walk in Coire Dubh Mòr I was stopped in my tracks by one small sandstone boulder in particular; as well as the yellow- and ochre-coloured lichens typical of the area, it also featured some beautiful grey/blue specimens.

Website: Douglas Griffin Photography
Twitter: @dgriffinphoto

Ancient Pinewood, Glen Derry

nobody@flickr.com (Douglas Griffin) — Thu, 03 Jan 2013 10:35:33 -0800

Douglas Griffin posted a photo:

The pine trees of lower Glen Derry, in the Cairngorm mountains of north-east Scotland. This ancient woodland has a timeless quality and is one of the most quietly-beautiful places that I know of.

The Scots name 'Glen Derry' is derived from the Scottish Gaelic Gleann Doire, lit. 'glen of grove'. (Source: 'The Place Names of Upper Deeside', Watson & Allan, Aberdeen University Press 1984, p. 88).

Website: Douglas Griffin Photography
Twitter: @dgriffinphoto

Embers, Ballochbuie

nobody@flickr.com (Douglas Griffin) — Fri, 28 Dec 2012 03:55:48 -0800

Douglas Griffin posted a photo:

An image from the ancient pinewoods of Ballochbuie, in the Cairngorm mountains of north-east Scotland.
Just next to one of the trails we came across this recently-fallen pine. We arrived just as it was being caught by the last rays of the winter sun, low in the south-western sky. For a few minutes its wood seemed to glow like the embers of a fire.

With Season’s Greetings to all of my Flickr friends and contacts and All Best Wishes for 2013.

Website: Douglas Griffin Photography
Twitter: @dgriffinphoto

Beach Art II, Tràigh na Margaidh

nobody@flickr.com (Douglas Griffin) — Thu, 08 Nov 2012 10:22:21 -0800

Douglas Griffin posted a photo:

Thanks to everyone for the very kind comments on the previous photo. I hesitated over posting it because while I was fairly happy with it, I wasn’t sure of the extent to which I had been influenced by seeing those patterns first-hand.

The same goes for this photo, the second of the two images that I made at this beach. The patterns here are less clean but seemed to have a peculiarly three-dimensional quality and involuntarily I found myself looking at a charcoal drawing of a forest. I wasn’t 100% happy with the composition here, especially the untidy shapes at the bottom of the frame, but it was something of a race against time as the patterns were degrading fast and I was also very keen to make use of the temporarily overcast conditions. I just had time to set up the tripod on the wet sand, compose the shot and check the focus before the sun re-emerged from behind the clouds.

Since it was possible to place the entire subject in the same plane as the sensor, both images are pin-sharp throughout the frame; individual grains of sand are clearly discernible when the photos are viewed at full size.

Website: Douglas Griffin Photography
Twitter: @dgriffinphoto

Beach Art, Tràigh na Margaidh

nobody@flickr.com (Douglas Griffin) — Tue, 06 Nov 2012 10:39:19 -0800

Douglas Griffin posted a photo:

Last month I spend a week on the Isle of Mull with my wife and children. This was our first time on the island, and we were struck not just by the dramatic Hebridean landscapes and seascapes but also by the incredible variety of wildlife on display. We encountered eagles and otters, and spent one very memorable late afternoon at Fidden observing of a colony of grey seals. We also took the opportunity to visit the neighbouring island of Iona, which proved to be one of the highlights of our week.

The image above is of patterns left in the sand by the recently-retreated tide at Tràigh na Margaidh, a beautiful secluded beach on the north coast of the Ross of Mull. Apparently these are classic ‘dendritic’ drainage systems, which occur in a much larger scale in river deltas; the resultant patterns are visible in satellite images of the earth.

This beach is known locally as ‘Market Bay’. During the 18th and 19th centuries, large numbers of cattle from the islands of Coll and Tiree were landed on the Ross of Mull on their way to market. Clean, sandy beaches such as this one and the one at nearby Kintra were favoured by the drovers. With the boat moored afloat, the cattle were driven into the sea to swim ashore; the sand gave a soft landing. The seawater not only cleaned the cattle but disinfected wounds that had been sustained during the sea crossing. (Source: ‘Island Voices’, Ann MacKenzie, Birlinn 2002).

Website: Douglas Griffin Photography
Twitter: @dgriffinphoto

Light and Shadow, Loch Maree

nobody@flickr.com (Douglas Griffin) — Sun, 23 Sep 2012 03:57:40 -0700

Douglas Griffin posted a photo:

An image from the second evening of my recent trip to Wester Ross. The day had been punctuated by heavy and frequent showers, but towards sunset the skies began to clear. I spent a wonderful hour watching the shifting patterns of light and shadow as clouds moved across the slopes above Loch Maree from the north west.

Slioch (Scottish Gaelic: An Sleaghach, ‘the spear’) dominates the area around Loch Maree, and nowhere more so than in the area around the outlet of the River Grudie. A small wood of ancient Scots pines has survived here. I wanted to combine these two elements in the composition, since for me they are the defining features of this outstandingly beautiful place.

Website: Douglas Griffin Photography
Twitter: @dgriffinphoto

Remnants, Loch Maree

nobody@flickr.com (Douglas Griffin) — Sat, 22 Sep 2012 07:17:06 -0700

Douglas Griffin posted a photo:

I have just returned from a short camping trip to Wester Ross. Based at Shieldaig in Torridon, I spent two mornings at probably my favourite location on the Scottish mainland, Loch Clair, and two evenings at Loch Maree. The two mornings at Loch Clair could hardly have been more different – on the first it was overcast and raining; on the second there was no cloud at all and absolutely no atmosphere. However, on each of the evenings at Loch Maree I was able to make images that I hope will prove to be ‘keepers’.

This is the image from the first evening. I found this precise location towards the end of an afternoon spent exploring the area back in January, but on that occasion I didn’t have time to find a composition that I was happy with. This time I arrived with plenty of time to spare. After an unusually dry summer, the weather has evidently been fairly wet here recently – to reach this spot I had to cross boggy ground that was almost more water than land!

Website: Douglas Griffin Photography
Twitter: @dgriffinphoto

Seilebost Marram

nobody@flickr.com (Douglas Griffin) — Mon, 20 Aug 2012 10:38:17 -0700

Douglas Griffin posted a photo:

A quiet dawn in south Harris, seen from the marram-covered dunes at Seilebost. I needed the midge net for this one.

Website: Douglas Griffin Photography
Twitter: @dgriffinphoto

Ceapabhal from Tràigh Iar

nobody@flickr.com (Douglas Griffin) — Sun, 19 Aug 2012 03:51:11 -0700

Douglas Griffin posted a photo:

I returned last night from a two-week-long family camping trip to Lewis, Harris and the Uists. This was the first time in many years that my wife and I have been to the Western Isles, and it was the first time that we’ve been there with the children. Our trip surpassed all expectations – the weather was generally superb - and at times I found myself wondering if there can be a more beautiful environment on earth than the chain of machair and shell-sand beaches which runs down much of the islands’ west coast. I think that until you’ve actually seen the colour of the sea out there, it’s difficult to believe that it can take on so many tones of green and blue.

Since I didn’t want things to be revolving around my need to be in a particular place at a particular time I didn’t get that many opportunities for photography. However, I did manage to familiarise myself with a few locations, which I hope will be useful when I return to the islands specifically with photography in mind.

This shot was taken from Tràigh Iar (‘west beach’), towards the end of a sultry day on south Harris. I was watching the kids swimming in the sea at the south end of the beach when I noticed that the sun was about to dip behind a veil of cloud in the west. I just had time to collect my photographic gear from the car and race along to the other end of the beach, from where there is an unrestricted view of Ceapabhal, the westernmost hill on the island.

Website: Douglas Griffin Photography
Twitter: @dgriffinphoto

Lewisian Gneiss, Tràigh Allt Chailgeag

nobody@flickr.com (Douglas Griffin) — Fri, 15 Jun 2012 10:39:18 -0700

Douglas Griffin posted a photo:

A further detail from the cliffs of Lewisian Gneiss at Tràigh Allt Chailgeag. These rocks were formed between 2,500 and 3,000 million years ago.
You can read more about Lewisian Gneiss here.

Website: Douglas Griffin Photography
Twitter: @dgriffinphoto

Bluebells & Birch, Loch a’ Mhuillin

nobody@flickr.com (Douglas Griffin) — Fri, 08 Jun 2012 09:34:26 -0700

Douglas Griffin posted a photo:

A further image from the woods at Loch a’ Mhuillin. Amongst the many birch trees my eye was caught by this young one which was growing almost horizontally out of the shaded slope towards the brighter foreground. Again, the bluebells provided an extra splash of colour.

Website: Douglas Griffin Photography
Twitter: @dgriffinphoto

Shelf Life, Tràigh Allt Chailgeag

nobody@flickr.com (Douglas Griffin) — Thu, 07 Jun 2012 10:19:44 -0700

Douglas Griffin posted a photo:

This beautiful little beach features some exceptionally impressive rock formations at its centre and western end. From speaking to a geologist colleague at work I understand that this is probably Lewisian Gneiss. Here I was delighted to find that this small shelf had been colonised by flowering sea pinks, adding a lovely touch of delicacy and colour.

Website: Douglas Griffin Photography
Twitter: @dgriffinphoto

Loch a’ Mhuillin

nobody@flickr.com (Douglas Griffin) — Wed, 06 Jun 2012 10:27:42 -0700

Douglas Griffin posted a photo:

I returned yesterday from a camping trip with my family in the far north-west of Scotland. We took advantage of the long weekend and fine late-spring weather to re-visit some spectacular locations – Oldshoremore, Sandwood Bay and some of the beautiful beaches along the coast between Balnakiel and Loch Eriboll.

This image was made at the Loch a’ Mhuillin National Nature Reserve, which features the most northern remnant of native oak woodland in Britain. The wood itself is difficult to access, but the disused road leading towards it goes through some beautiful mixed deciduous forest. At this time of year the bluebells provide an extra splash of colour.
Despite the bright skies overhead, at times there was just enough shade to permit photography. I would have liked to have spent a bit more time to improve the balance of this composition, but in these sheltered areas the midges (and ticks) were making life fairly intolerable!

Website: Douglas Griffin Photography
Twitter: @dgriffinphoto

Garvie Bay

nobody@flickr.com (Douglas Griffin) — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 03:01:44 -0700

Douglas Griffin posted a photo:

Arriving at Garvie Bay (Scottish Gaelic: Bàgh Garbhaidh) in the late afternoon I spent a wonderful couple of hours watching the play of light on the Assynt hills, with only some dunlin and oystercatchers for company. This image was made shortly before sunset, as a rainbow appeared near Suilven.

Website: Douglas Griffin Photography
Twitter: @dgriffinphoto

Contrasts, Clashach Cove

nobody@flickr.com (Douglas Griffin) — Sat, 31 Mar 2012 06:20:01 -0700

Douglas Griffin posted a photo:

A further detail from Clashach Cove, on Scotland's Moray coast.

Website: Douglas Griffin Photography
Twitter: @dgriffinphoto

Clashach Cove

nobody@flickr.com (Douglas Griffin) — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 10:18:53 -0700

Douglas Griffin posted a photo:

Another shot from Clashach Cove. I seem to be spending a lot of time in caves these days! This was the third time that I’ve been to this location in recent weeks; the foreshore was still largely buried by sand so I returned to the scene of some of my previous Flickr uploads.

I felt that I had exhausted the possibilities from the previous angle, and so decided to have a look at what might be possible looking ‘along’ rather than ‘across’ the fins of rock. It took me a long time to find a composition that I was happy with, and I had to stoop really low at the side of the cave to frame this image. Now that we’re past the equinox, the sun is setting just far enough north to light up these rocks towards the end of the day, thereby revealing some extra colour in the sandstone. I hadn’t anticipated this; I had been initially attracted to this scene simply by the peach-like texture and tone of the sand-covered foreground rocks. The little touch of colour provided by the sunlight was an unexpected bonus, although managing the contrast proved to be quite tricky. By aligning the 0.3 and 0.45 ND grad filters in opposition it was possible to avoid over-exposing the pale foreground rock.

Website: Douglas Griffin Photography
Twitter: @dgriffinphoto

Contours, Clashach Cove

nobody@flickr.com (Douglas Griffin) — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 11:19:50 -0700

Douglas Griffin posted a photo:

A landscape in miniature at Clashach Cove, on the Moray coast of north-east Scotland.

I returned to this location yesterday afternoon, towards low tide. I was very surprised to find the foreshore at the eastern end of the cove almost completely choked with sand – normally this particular stretch of coast is virtually sand-free. I returned to the cave area where I had made an image a couple of weeks ago; I felt that I hadn’t quite done it justice on that occasion since I had to frame the image in something of a hurry in rapidly-fading light. This shot lacks the pebbles of the earlier image (they are presumably buried under the foreground sand) but overall I am much happier with this composition.

I am absolutely enchanted by Clashach Cove and by this spot in particular; the beauty of form and tone really has to be seen to be fully appreciated. Its particular beauty is all the more special for being ephemeral due to the constant erosive action of the sea; slight changes in the rocks were visible even from only two weeks previously.

Update 25/07/12 - This photo has been shortlisted in the 2012 UK 'Landscape Photographer of the Year' awards.

Website: Douglas Griffin Photography
Twitter: @dgriffinphoto