Double Vision, a photo from Highland, Scotland

Photographer's Note

I mentioned Loch Caruisk in my previous post. It is situated amidst the Cuillin Hills, and although it is possible to walk there most people take the boat trip from Elgol Harbour on Loch Scavaig. The boat operates daily between April and October, weather permitting, and drops people off close to the loch and returns later to pick them up. On the way the boat stops at a seal colony. Occasionally dolphins are sighted. There is time to walk the perimeter of the loch before being picked up, but we spent so long taking photos we had to return the same way or miss the boat.

The walk to Loch Caruisk isn’t easy. Starting from Camasunary there is an obstacle to cross known as the ‘Bad Step’. This consists of a sloping rock formation a bit like a gangway made from a crack in the rocks. Miss your footing and you’re in the sea. Unless you’re good at scrambling and have a good head for heights it’s best to give it a miss and catch the boat.

Loch Caruisk is a freshwater loch surrounded by the Cuillin Hills. It is said to be one of the wildest places in Britain. When the volcanic Cuillins were formed millions of years ago it was a volcanic bowl. During the Ice Age the granite was smoothed and polished by glaciers. Today the ‘bowl’ is filled with water to form a deep loch.

I took this image just after arriving and completing the short walk from the drop-off point. So far the wind hadn’t disturbed the surface of the loch and the reflections were clear. Later, as we walked round the loch, the wind rippled the water and spoiled the reflections, although the POV shows the scale better. A very short river runs from Loch Caruisk into Loch Scavaig. (a sea loch)

To see the map view click the link (right)

ISO200, FL18mm,

This is my last post of 2009, a year of difficulty for many countries in the world. My best wishes for good health and happiness in 2010.

Hellas, Modeste, leonorkuhn, bona, chawax, Gerrit, Cricri, cbrman, subhendu_bagchi, pasternak, Longroute, Wandering_Dan, jaywalker, Bartleby, Didi, josepmarin has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

swiatopelk777 (0) 2009-12-30 4:19

Hi Kath!
Very fine mirror. Nice light and colors. Superb landscape. Good POV, capture and white frame. Ideal title.
Greetings from Warszawa!

Hellas (7123) 2009-12-30 4:29

Brilliant beauty, excellent reflections and restful atmosphere! Finest resolution and light management!

Best wishes for a happy and prosperous new year!
Athanasios.

Glint (6171) 2009-12-30 4:35

Hello Kath,
you have a superb clarity here. Sharp (of course) with nice 'deep' reflections and perfect light and colours.
all the best for the New Year,
Bev

bema (26591) 2009-12-30 4:43

Hello Kath,

beautiful capture of that loch, mostly iґm impressed by the clarity of the colors and the perfect sharpness, also the reflections on the water look real great..

have a nice week, and a very good start into 2010..

greetings Bernd

dta (98848) 2009-12-30 4:50

Hello KAth ,
A fantastic wild landscape of the Highlands , more classical than the previous one . The light , colors , and reflection are outstanding . It is amazing to see how the grass is brown in autumn . Is the climate so cold ?
Regards

Modeste (638) 2009-12-30 4:59

Hi, Kath, you pictures 're always so gorgeous and technically perfect.
Loch Caruisk's really a noteworthy site, we can know it thanks to your photos !
Friendly.
Yves

jtclee77 (492) 2009-12-30 5:39

Really nice landscape shot you captured. Such a pretty scene and love the reflection in the water. Great capture and thanks for sharing. Really beautiful

LOOOK13 (19046) 2009-12-30 5:46

Hello Kath.
A lovely shot, whith a fantastic colors, good POV, and composition extra.
Congratulations.

leonorkuhn (16237) 2009-12-30 7:46

Hi Kath,

Wonderful day to take pictures! Amazing scenery, very beautiful colors and magnificent reflections, almost perfect mirror.

Have a happy New Year
Leonor

Dyerco (10185) 2009-12-30 8:25

Hi Kath
Beautifully done. The detail and the warm tones in the rock complimented by the blue sky. Superb reflection and well timed by the looks of your later image.
Happy New Year.
Phil

carper (96) 2009-12-30 8:46

beautiful kath,
a fine shot here, a nice place and a well seen composition, technical very good. I wish you and your family a good 2010.
regard

PixelTerror (0) 2009-12-30 8:54

Hi Kath
Ahah also here a song title (Foreigner) and a fitting theme for those having been strong on the bottle side in the last days or looking forward to it (it does not mean: me !), beautiful place where you made good use of the ideal weather conditions to deliver a luminous image with great clarity.
My best wishes to you, see you next year :-)
JY

weetrees (166) 2009-12-30 9:10

Excellent capture the mirror effect is just brilliant
great dof
great pov
well saturated
excellent contrast
Regards
John

gilou530 (34) 2009-12-30 10:19

salut kath
un paysage aride austйre mais d'une beautй naturelle sous cette lumiйre et ces reflets avec un angle de vue superbe, beau travail
amitiйs
gilbert

john1 (4028) 2009-12-30 10:30

Hello Kath,

Wonderfull landscape and marvelous reflection, the colors and sharpness are superb.
Great light and POV, I whishes you a happy new year 2010 and your family.
Best reagards.
John

bona (15057) 2009-12-30 11:53

Amazing photo Kath it looks a 3D image! Great colors. The rock formation and reflection are suberb.
thanks for showing the highlands.
Happy New Year
Andre

delkoo (68) 2009-12-30 13:07

hi kath,
i must admit that this one is quite good indeed, light, colors and reflection are just perfect.
let me wish you an happy ,peaceful and prosperous New Year.

didier

francio64 (39888) 2009-12-30 13:26

Hello Kath,
I had the pleasure of see your photo gallery.
I saw that you have some spectacular photos and want to make you my compliments.
Even this picture is an example of your ability.

Beautiful reflection of the mountain on the water.
Excellent management of light and excellent sharpness.

Compliments!
I wish you a happy 2010

Francesco

chawax (20764) 2009-12-30 14:18

Hi Kath,
Not an easy place to go from what I read in your note, but it really worths it ! Moreover you had good conditions, with no wind, and therefore very nice reflections. I love the autumn colours and the very beautiful light (not a very scottish sky, isn't it ?). The kind of photo that gives me the will to go back to Scotland ! I hope to do so in year 2010 ;)
Regards,
Olivier

coco (30439) 2009-12-30 14:43

Hi Kath.

I love the vivid colorus of the photo and the reflections, as also the whole composition.

Regards from Barcelona.

Gerrit (62042) 2009-12-30 14:50

Hi Kath,
beautiful rugged landscape and fantastic mirrorshot.
The light and colors are beautiful.

danyy (0) 2009-12-30 23:28

Bonjour Kath,
j'aime la maniиre dont tu nous imprиgnes de la beautй des Highlands йcossais, rйgion trиs sauvage et dйpeuplйe. Joli POV avec une symйtrie esthйtique, des couleurs naturelles et prononcйes et une mise au point trиs prйcise.
J'aime beaucoup.
Bonne et heureuse annйe 2010.
Daniel.

Graal (103040) 2009-12-30 23:47

Hi Kath,
beautiful Scotland nature. Another nice image. Pleasant light and colours. I like the reflections also. Well photojob and presentation.
Happy New Year 2010 to You and family!
Aleksander

emka (158900) 2009-12-31 0:39

Hi Kath,
Another fantastic landscape of Scotland. Beautiful reflections , I always hope to see them and usually have no luck. beautiful brown grasses covering the mountains.
I wish you and your family healthy prosperous and happy 2010!

Regards

Malgorzata

Cricri (176) 2009-12-31 1:42

Hi Kath
Bel effet de miroir, de jolies couleurs naturels sous une trиs belle lumiиre ce qui permet d'apprйcier les dйtails
Happy New Year to you too
cricri

cbrman (21685) 2009-12-31 2:11

Hello Kath,

Une trиs belle image accompagne la fin de cette annйe.
La couleur de la montagne est superbe et apporte une trиs belle accroche dans cette scиne.

Happy New Year 2010.

A+

Dominique

subhendu_bagchi (26091) 2009-12-31 3:16

Namaste Kath,
here you have presented a nice mirror image with great light and colours. Reflection is really great. The middle rocks are superb. Inclusion of rocky land in FG completes the composition. Excellent shot. Tfs.
May new year will bring a lot of joy and peace to our world and for you.
Subhendu

pasternak (15185) 2009-12-31 3:49

Nice reflection shot, very well composed with these stones in the middle, the colors match very well

Happy New year
A

Longroute (19600) 2009-12-31 7:23

In my short visit of Skye I didn't suspect of such a marvel!
What a reflections! And what a really wild enivironment!
This is a first class landscape photo, so appealing and so evocative. Great clarity and shining colours: a real feast for the eyes.
TFS.

My best wishes for a Happy New Year,
Donato

mesutilgim (0) 2009-12-31 10:18

Helle Kath,
Another great capture, another great entry with good (both) photographycal and informative elements !
TFS and a happy new year to you and to all your beloved ones from the beautiful city at Bosphorus !
Best regards
MESUT ILGIM

jaywalker (16105) 2009-12-31 10:19

Hi Kath, WOW! That was my first thought when I sore this picture, it is really beautiful & the reflection just amazing, great sharp quality & excellent light with wonderful clarity, great work & TFS, kind regards Wilson. Happy New Year.

Wandering_Dan (3449) 2009-12-31 12:45

Hi, Kath -

Strong northern light here, and a sense of barrenness. Nonetheless, it makes me want to go there - as does the latest issue of National Geographic, which has a major story on the Hebredies. Have you seen it?

Happy 2010 - and may it be better for all of us!
Dan

pajaran (117113) 2010-01-01 1:12

Dobar dan u novoj godini, neka bude veseo.
Surova a lepa priroda, dobri refleksi i boje ove mnogo lepe fotografije, odradili ste je.
Imajte lep i veseo praznican dan, Paja.

Bartleby (13552) 2010-01-01 15:57

Hi Kath,
a wonderful reflection for this loch. A nice picture to end the year with. I can't believe the blue sky you got here ! Anyway, the colors are fantastic.
Best wishes to you for 2010!

Philippe.

izmirli (3989) 2010-01-02 8:07

merhaba my friend kath
happy new year 2010 for you and your family.
best regards.
gьrkan akзakır.

hardyuno (4652) 2010-01-02 8:10

Dear Kath,
it is a very fine reflection and composition. The combination of mostly two colours gives harmony and calmness to the image. I like it, thank you for the interesting note, too.

A happy and healthy new year to you and Rob
Hartmut

sacimar (38173) 2010-01-02 12:36

Hi Kath,

beautiful double vision...this place is impressive, it's a good picture with great colors and light management, TFS,

Happy 2010!

Sergio

darek1978 (13361) 2010-01-02 18:38

Hi Kath,
This is trully graphical and attractive. The calm water works perfectly as a mirror. I like the tranquil atmosphere as the brilliant light. You have done really a pleasant photo. Well done!
Thanks for sharing,
Darek

Didi (61589) 2010-01-03 3:38

Hi Kath
Wonderful savage place with nice reflections on the water and nice lights ont the mountains.
Best wishes for 2010 with plenty of pictures.
Cheers

MarianneS (15338) 2010-01-03 3:58

Hi Kath,
A superb mirror, so that we can appreciate this beautiful landscape twice.
Great light and colours, the result is beautiful!
Yes, 2009 was a difficult year for many people... let's hope 2010 will be easier. Happy New Year!
Marianne

josepmarin (59385) 2010-01-03 4:20

Hello Kath,
There is a nice effect of horizontal symmetry in this framing, due to the beautiful reflections of these hills on the calm water of the lake.
The light and the colors are magnificent, and you have obtained a great sharpness in the image, thanks to an impeccable photographic work.
My best wishes also for you and your family in 2010.
Hugs,
Josep

plimrn (21344) 2010-01-03 10:49

Hi Kath,
Very nice framing with the curve of clouds, the reflection and a bit of the near shore. You're right about the WS, a great perspective but missing the reflection. Good thing you didn't wait to capture the reflection as I might have. Also love the great clarity of the colors with the lovely blue/gold contrast.

I see people are glad to have you back, we've missed your excellent work.
HLJ, Pat

npecanhuk (79329) 2010-01-04 3:01

Hello Kath!
Very pleasant and beautiful picture!
Sharpness, exposure, pov, dof, colors and composition are all excellent!
That symmetrical reflection is wonderful and a real highlight in this image!
TFS - congratulations!
A very Happy 2010!
Neyvan

Bluejeans (64251) 2010-01-04 5:34

Ola Kath ,
Que magnifico reflexo й uma paisagem muito bonita mas бrida , bonitos tons de azul de cйu , bom contraste de cores, parabйns!!
Um abraзo Gonзalo

Waylim (25436) 2010-01-06 22:09

Hi Kath,
If not for the foreground rocks and landscape, you could litterally turn it upside down an dit would looks just fine. Not what I come to expect from Scottland, I always imagine it to be perpetually green and rainy. That's what so great about being here sometimes, we learn so much from other people picture, even of places we have been, we are only there for a short time. Excellent photo as always. Thanks
Way