July: month in review
Each month I aim to pick an image that, in my mind at least, captures the flavour of that month. It might not be the best image from the month, or the most spectacular of subjects; it just needs to illustrate something about the month.
Dunnottar Castle, Stonehaven
Fujifilm X-T3 | 25mm f/8.0 1/160s ISO160
What’s this month’s image? Upping the grandeur after last month’s post, this is Dunnottar Castle near Stonehaven, on the Scottish North-East coast.
Did you do anything to it? Nope… Dunnottar pretty much does all the heavy lifting, but the weather adds to an already glorious scene.
What’s it doing here? Dunnottar Castle is pretty much the dictionary definition of a honeypot location; it’s been photographed more times that I care to mention, from any number of angles, in all weathers and often by photographers much more competent and capable than I. The sample below shows the castle from a number of angles, but probably the most famous view is the centre view, which illustrates the natural protection provided to the castle by the landscape
The main image, taken from a viewpoint slightly to the north, obscures some of this natural protection. I’d hoped, when taking the image, to put a little more emphasis on the location and setting, using the wild flowers as foreground, rather than the splendour of the castle. The entire area is one of outstanding natural beauty and, while the castle dominates the views, a short walk from the castle itself is rewarded with great views along the spectacular coastline that is a feature of the area.
The images were taken on an overnight stay up north. I have driven through Stonehaven in the past, but hadn’t previously spent any time in the surrounding area. We were impressed with the variety of landscape and wildlife on offer - some stunning beaches, cliffs and not too far away an RSPB reserve that, in the summer months, is home to puffins. Although it was late in the season there were still about a dozen puffins still holding on, which was lovely to see. The photographs, however, were drivel.
Have you been up to much else? It’s been a busy month. In addition to a couple of trips to the speedway, which you can read about here, we also managed a trip to the opposite end of the country, namely the Mull of Galloway in the South-West corner. Again, we were really lucky with the weather and the whole area really is very pretty. While the views were great, I was quite pleased with a couple of ‘long lens macro’ shots I caught using a 70-300mm lens with a tele converter to avoid spooking the wildlife. The best of the bunch are below.
Any recommendations? A couple…
Reading: I was lucky enough to be gifted a copy of The Scottish Landscape Photographer of the Year by one of the members of the club (thanks Margaret). The images are obviously fantastic and provide, in equal measure, inspiration and a sense of inadequacy…
Listening: I managed to get hold of a CD version of The Sisterhood’s Gift. I bought this album on vinyl back in 1986 on a trip to Dublin but my capability to play vinyl has, sadly, long gone. It is a delightfully spiteful little album, released more to secure commercial rights than for its artistic merit. That said, it’s a quirky piece and, while not everyone’s market, is a mesmeric and original listen.
Viewing: With all of the above, not much worth writing home about…
Lastly, any final words? I’ll probably have a quieter month in August, avoiding the school holidays…
