Scotland is a place that I have enjoyed visiting since I was a child, perhaps because my mother is Scottish, but more likely because I am drawn to the mountains and coasts that are so beautiful.
I know the highlands well, having been fortunate enough to visit many times over the years, and I am now lucky enough to share my passion and knowledge of the highlands in my role as a workshop leader for one of the UK’s leading landscape photography tour and education companies.
Earlier this year, I was leading a workshop in the Glencoe area and, after a lunch stop, was driving my group to photograph the waterfalls in Glen Etive. As we approached the waterfalls, we were greeted by heavy showers with some very transient sunlight breaking through the clouds. I knew we had to act fast, so I found a space to park the minibus and told everyone to grab their cameras. There was no opportunity to change lenses as the rain was falling heavily, so we just had to make the best of what we had in our hands.
We had a few minutes of amazing light watching as the light and showers changed every few seconds – although there was a rainbow behind us, I felt the light breaking through the heavy showers ahead of us presented more interesting compositions. Conditions were certainly very challenging with rain blowing in the direction we were shooting, and a number of frames were spoiled by rain on the lens front, despite frequent wiping of the lens. I managed both portrait and landscape compositions, but this was my favourite, allowing me to include some of the river that flows down the glen, leading towards the light that was breaking through and illuminating the side of the valley and distant mountains, capped with snow and barely visible through the rain.
What are the TWO most impactful features that make your image a good photograph? Don’t be shy!
For me, the light and weather conditions elevate this image above the ordinary into something more compelling.
If you could make this photo again, what would be the ONE thing you would like to do better or differently?
I’m happy with it as it is, but a little less rain blowing into the lens might have allowed a landscape composition free from raindrops!
Mark Lawrence shared this photograph with the FRAMES Facebook Group.
Photographer
Mark Lawrence, London, UK
Equipment and settings
Nikon D850 with Nikon 80-400mm lens
80mm, ISO64, 1/200 sec., f/11
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