The Accusing FInger, a photo from Highland, Scotland

Photographer's Note

Just back from a couple of days in the Glencoe area.

Unfortunately the cloud cover was near ground level on Saturday and the blizzard today wasn't to helpful either.....

Needless to say i found the odd thing here and there to shoot.
This tree for example caught my eye as i was driving down Glen Etive.
The great thing about this area is you genuinely don't need to get out your car to shoot magnificent landscapes, it helps if you do mind you.

In this shot the low cloud cover helped the composition as the backdrop is normally glowering hills so the tree would have been lost.
The river for reference is the River Etive. from this vantage point there was a sheer drop of around 20 odd feet to water so crystal clear it was blue. The water was difficult to judge the depth but i reckon it was no shallower than the drop itself and you could see every tiny rock on the bottom.

Tech spec

GPS co-ordinates are just about spot on i took them from google maps after going down the road on street view till i seen the tree :-)

153 second exposure to get this ethereal look a combination of moving clouds mist and water.

tripod

17-40mm L (5dmkii)
remote.

All work is copyrighted to John Farnan © 2013 and is not in the public Domain. No person may copy, distribute, or share this image without the written permission of John Farnan. Do not use the sharing buttons around this artwork without first contacting him on copy@johnfar.com
Especially not the pinterest / tumblr sharing options
Thanks
John
My Facebook page

macondo, tyro, daddo has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

Ciol (104) 2013-02-10 10:32

Magnifique composition d'image, pour mes yeux novice, le premier plan ressort très bien vis à vis de la brume en arrière plan.

jtkitty (227) 2013-02-10 10:48

Stunning photograph, really lovely scenery despite the winter chill.
Cheers!!!

Noel_Byrne (7426) 2013-02-10 10:59

Hi John,
This is a superb composition and the image has a fantastic mood. The misty mountains in the background are really great, and a real cold feel to the shot, which suits the subject perfectly. Really nice, thanks for sharing.
All the best
Noel

federico (1601) 2013-02-10 14:13

hi john
really nice and inspiring shot, good subject and well done vertical framing
regards
fred

ACL1978 (5789) 2013-02-10 17:51

I believe the blizzard you mentioned in your note is the same one that just dropped two feet of snow on my front yard the other night, John - hopefully it had run out of steam a bit before getting to you.

You really do get amazing color and light from these ultra-long exposures - this one almost has the look of carefully done HDR because of the vibrancy of even its darker areas. The tree itself is a stark and interesting subject, alone in this rocky area, and the water adds some nice light to the bottom half of the shot. Amazing that with a long exposure like this the water is so clear that the bottom can be seen in perfect detail! Thanks.

Andrew

emka (58194) 2013-02-10 23:52

Hi John What a bad luck with the weather in Glencoe area. I also had fog and clouds there. But in spite of this the photo has mystic feeling. Artistic shot with this bare tree against the fog covering the valley.

WArm regrads

MAlgo

GiovanniG (1619) 2013-02-11 0:20

Hi John,
Superb capture. Masterfully composed with great color and detail throughout your capture. I love the mists in the hills and the rill leading to the delights of tree and mountains. Well done John!
GiovanniG

girni (344) 2013-02-11 0:40

bonjour,
bon choix du vertical; l'arbre mort est le point clé dans la brume; très beau paysage
Nicole

macondo (17949) 2013-02-11 4:03

Hello John.
Great title and excellent photo. I think you're dead right about the benefit of the cloud behind the gnarled tree. You were lucky to have everything so still, bar the water, for such a long exposure. The resulting richness of colour and the detail make it an exceptional picture. The composition is also very balanced, harmonious. Thanks a lot for the map link - I had to zoom out a long way to place the spot in relation to For William. Great note, too.
Regards,
Andrew

tyro (13111) 2013-02-11 16:39

Hello John,

Thank you for reminding me of this one! I had, in fact, seen it earlier but didn't have time to critique it.

This is an utterly stunning photograph and yet another picture which clearly shows that the best photographs are not always taken in the best weather - which, I suppose, is just as well considering the country in which we live!

Your composition is excellent, the line of the rocks on the left (the right side of the river) and the river itself leading the eye well into the depths of the image toward the mountains sheathed in mist. The broken dead tree is perfectly placed too, making a stroing statement and standing out beautifully against the mist too.

Gorgeous true colours, perfect exposure and stunning details and sharpness.

Beautiful!

Kind Regards,

John.

P.S. And I don't believe that this picture was taken from he comfort of your car either!

daddo (18517) 2013-02-17 14:31

So this is the mother country of the Picts? A tough place bred tough people. The water looks crystal clear, the scene timeless.Strong composition. By the way, I also have the accusing finger in my Australia gallery.Regards. Klaudio.

olive224 (1233) 2013-02-18 2:06

Hi
Very nice shot
I like the tree over the mist, and the whole mood of this composition
very well done
Cheers
Olivier

chawax (14906) 2013-02-18 13:33

Hi John,
Wow, fantastic shot ! With the misty weather and this dead tree you created an incredibly sad atmosphere. I love it !
Regards,
Olivier

Glint (5573) 2013-02-19 3:23

Hello John,
good title! Love this shot as it is full of drama and atmosphere.Nicely composed with the tree pointing up the glen. I like the way the water reflects so well the misty sky. Excelent!
Bev