Fall 2012, Vermont.

Gateway to the Alpine Lakes Wilderness

Grand View Barn

Lochan An Ais Panoramic

Snow-capped peaks reflect in the waters of Lochan An Ais in the Highlands of Scotland.

Gloom by the Sea

It was a gloomy day in Scotland while looking across a red sand beach to the mountains on the Isle of Skye.

Try, try, you must. Fail you will.

This is the Quirang, Isle of Skye, Scotland. A famous location with a countless number of photographs of the prehistoric appearing geography and epic scenery worthy of the next Peter Jackson trilogy. I took this on the same trip to Scotland I spoke about before. Taken nearly two years ago. This image is a failure to me but that’s ok. The landscape was amazing. The light was dramatic at times, you just had to wait for it and be vigilant. This lone tree clinging to the hillside was interesting. It’s been photographed many times before as I later found out. Again, this was another one of those famous/iconic-like locations in Scotland and I had no idea at the time.

I spent a good 15 minutes or so climbing down and walking around the soft turf trying to find a good angle to capture this tree. To no avail though. The tree is lost against the background in this photograph. Why? One reason could be the absence of the ‘right’ light. The mountains in the background had some nice light but the land behind the tree and the rest of the foreground was baked in flat and uninteresting light. Some of the colors and tones of the tree matched the background as well. Could light have fixed that? Could a different perspective have fixed that? Perhaps. 

I didn’t know what I didn’t know back then. I think even today I would struggle to find a good composition if presented with this scene with camera in hand. Although, I would love the chance again.

The rugged shores of Elgol, Isle of Skye, Scotland

Looking back at how I’ve grown, changed, progressed, with photography. This image was taken almost two years ago when I first visited Scotland. I had no idea what I was doing and where I was going. I had no idea I was walking into iconic-like places there, such as here, the beach in the small town of Elgol on the Isle of Skye in Scotland. If I only knew then what I know now, perhaps I would have a few more photographs to share. I will return there one day but not with the goal to come back with more photos that are “better”. Instead I’d like to think that I can look at it all with new eyes and perspective and maybe if I’m lucky, I’ll come back with a few more photos to share. If I don’t, at least I’ve had another experience with the chance to learn and to grow my photography.

Watching the sun set over Mt.Mansfield from the Stowe Pinnacle

Sunset, Stowe Pinnacle

Cedar Breaks National Monument

Moments before a late-May snowstorm, the clouds broke and painted the landscape.