The Way to the Fairy Pools Photo

Photographer’s Note

I have seen many photos of the Fairy Pools and as they look so beautiful I assumed they would be well signposted. As you go along Glen Brittle on the Isle of Skye towards the sea you will see a car park with a sign saying ‘Fairy Pools’. Look around and you will find no other sign. At the end of the car park there is a gate into the forest. After walking for over a mile in the forest and seeing no sign of anything I would call a ‘Fairy Pool’ we gave up and walked back to the car.

Back at the cottage we found a little book of short walks, which included the ‘Fairy Pools’, so the next day off we went down Glen Brittle again, and parked at the same car park. This time we crossed the road and went down the path marked to ‘Sligachan’. After about 100m another path branches off to the right and follows a tumbling stream and waterfalls down hill. You have to cross the stream using the ‘safe and non slippery stepping stones’ and make your way along a short path to the ‘Fairy Pools’. Easy! .....Well!... it would have been if it hadn’t been raining heavily all the previous night and most of the morning. The ‘safe and non slippery stepping stones’ were under rushing water. Encumbered with camera and tripod there was no way I was taking the risk to ruin my camera when I would be sure to fall in. Actually there was a young couple without cameras also wanting to see the Fairy Pools, and they set off further down the path sure they would find a way across, but as we were taking shots of the waterfalls they returned defeated, so I didn’t feel such a ‘wuss’. You will also see the problem if you follow the WS link below.

We hope to return another time, maybe this autumn and surely…third time lucky…?

The stream is called Alt Coir’ a’ Mhadaidh in Gaelic and this is a close up shot of a little trio of falls at the top of the path. In the WS is a wide view taken from lower down looking up. If memory serves me right these three falls are the ones you can see right at the top.

ISO100, FL26mm

Edit
We finally made it

dareco, axiotea, mikolaj_kawa, snunney, bakes888, sandpiper, ChrisJ, leonorkuhn, cbrman, Buin, UlfE, coco, saxo042, gunbud, jwmunro, Wandering_Dan, Gerrit, jlbrthnn, Emile, Cricri, Sistercosmo, MLINES, Graal, danos, subhendu_bagchi, ruisc_pt, paura has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

mikolaj_kawa (31335) 2009-08-13 1:15

Hello Kath! Excellent vertical composition. Fantastic waterfall. Dynamic exposure. Perfect shot. Great effect. Well done!

snunney (35522) 2009-08-13 1:22

Hello Kath,
A well composed shot of these lovely cascades. The exposure is well time to capture the rushing waters to very good effect. I like the soft natural looking tones and light.

[2]

bakes888 (18353) 2009-08-13 1:36

Hi Kath. If nothing else you came home with some photos. Nice catch, good handling of light and exposure times and well composed to lead the eye through the scene. Thanks for sharing.
Cheers, Paul.

PixelTerror (86861) 2009-08-13 1:46

Hi Kath
Very nice waterfall that looks great with the silky effect, seems the water is not very clean as the highlights are a bit brown
Have a nice day JY

mortijo (12416) 2009-08-13 1:52

An excellent shot! The water looks creamy due to the slow shutter speed. Good accompanying note.
Regards
John

delkoo (34810) 2009-08-13 1:59

hi kath
Another classic yet very unique shot....taken with expertise!

ther milky effect on the water is simply superb.

didier

sandpiper (1635) 2009-08-13 2:05

Hi Kath

Excellent composition and long exposure. I like the workshop one too. Its interesting to see teh discoloured water from the rainstorm.

Chris

danyy (69499) 2009-08-13 3:13

Bonjour Kath,
ce filé bien réalisé montre que l'eau n'est pas des plus limpides. Le cadrage est très bon ainsi que le choix bien entendu, du format vertical.
De belles lumières compte tenu du long temps de pose. Petit repproche: le sharpen un peu trop poussé.
Cheers.
Daniel.

aneeshans (145) 2009-08-13 4:25 [Comment]

Show Comment

ChrisJ (70443) 2009-08-13 4:37

Hi Kath

Well at least the Falls here, were running! There's nothing worse than a long hike, to a dry waterfall! I like the subtle color contrasts between the blue skylight reflections in the water, & the reddish brown tints, from the suspended mud & soil. Good motion blur & framing. Tfs!

sacavem (8525) 2009-08-13 6:43

Olá Kath,

Absolutely spectacular. The log, still in the foreground, absolutely makes this shot.
It adds grounding to the movement of the water which is captured beautifully with the slow shutter speed. The colours are deep and beautiful. Well done.
Best wishes,
Filipe

leonorkuhn (14071) 2009-08-13 7:12

Hi Kath,

It was difficult to find this place and get close to the pool, but it is worth it. The composition is beautiful. Nice effect obtained with the long exposure. Well done!

Greetings
Leonor

cbrman (19051) 2009-08-13 8:52

Hello Kath,

Des chutes très bien captées. J'aime bien le filé qui est judicieux sur ce genre de prise de vue ! La luminosité est excellente et permet de profiter de tout les détails.
Bravo !

A+

Dominique

Buin (38310) 2009-08-13 9:41

Hallo Kath!
This is a masterpiece - of mother nature AND the photographer ;-) I like very much how the flow of the water is reproduced here. A wonderful contrast tpo the rocks around. A really beautiful place ...
Greetings from still summerly Germany!
Frank

npecanhuk (14756) 2009-08-13 9:45

Hello Kath!
Like someone else has already said: a masterpiece!
The effect on the waters is very nice and truly attractive! The whole image is quite pleasant and gives me a real sensation of peace in the heart!
TFS - congratulations!
Best regards,
Neyvan

UlfE (9188) 2009-08-13 11:37

Hi Kath,

I smiled when I read your note. This is what easily could happen, but luckily enough there seem to be plenty of other beautiful waterfalls in the Isle of Skye. This is an excellent shot and love the silky look of the water and how the water finds different ways down the mountain side. You have captured it perfectly from this perspective. TFS and have a nice evening!

Cheers,

Ulf

coco (28146) 2009-08-13 13:14

Hi Kath.

Congratulations for this impressive shot. I love the way you composed and managed the light in this photo. And also, as usual, a very good note for the photo.

Regards.

saxo042 (16316) 2009-08-13 15:40

Hi Kath,
This is a very good composition with these veils of water along a diagonal. An excellent picture and very interesting colours. A map reference would be interesting also!
Kind regards
Gunnar

gunbud (28165) 2009-08-13 16:29

Hi Kath,
These enchanting falls look very impressive in this tightly cropped vertical format.
The expousre is perfect for that mystical milky look and the image enjoys a beautiful natural frame of grass and rocks.
Regards, Tom

jwmunro (6255) 2009-08-13 19:06

Hello Kath -

You have become a master of moving water - well done! Why the brown tint to the water? Was the stream muddy?

Thank you for sharing

John

Dyerco (9310) 2009-08-13 19:15

Hi Kath
The half second exposure was just right to catch the water in motion. Nicely composed with the water coming down on an angle.
Phil

Wandering_Dan (3297) 2009-08-13 19:46

Hi, Kath -

Jay Maisel tries to teach the "rule of 180 degrees" - that is, look in the opposite direction; there might be something even better. Look around you, he was saying, and don't get too hung up on the photo you planned on getting.

This photo is a case in point. Sure, the fairy pools would have been nice, but look what you got instead! Great use of tripod and composition, and the 1/2 second timing is just right to blur the water without overdoing it. And in front you have the rocks and the water forming a great V diagonal as a finishing touch.

The WS is OK, and useful for showing the overall scene, but this is the one with the punch!

Best,
Dan

Waylim (11159) 2009-08-13 20:53

Hi Kate,
Oooh, Look at the creamy water falls, that's how I like my coffee, with lots of milk where you only see and taste just a slight flavor of the coffee along with a slice of coffee cake, Yum. Okay, mind off the food. This is lovely shot, love the successive layer of cascade making it way down toward us and to the pool. I have a feeling we'll see the pool next post. Good one Kath, the vertical format obviously is the right choice to compose this one giving it depth, and it accentuated the height of the falls. Beautiful light and well balanced colors. The slow shutter speed gave that soft smooth texture to the water falls is quite fantastic.
p.s.
I'm honored making it to your fav list, I'm in great company. Thanks
Way

axiotea (16305) 2009-08-13 21:10

Hello Kath
What a pity, you could not go till the 'Fairy pools' but your explanation and photo in ws are good enough to understand the reason and hope you'll be more lucky next time ;)
I like how you've 'freezed' the cascade flow and the choice of the vertical format!
Cheers
Marilyn

dareco (17104) 2009-08-13 21:19

The water looks great, a nice capture of the motion. It looks so smooth and silky. TFS

Gerrit (36313) 2009-08-14 0:38

Hi Kath,
wonderful waterfall in stages. I like the definition of the water - not too silky - and the contrast with the sharp foreground.
Regard, Gerrit

ktanska (16695) 2009-08-14 4:58

Hi Kath,
This is one of your most dynamic waterfall shots, and you have plenty of them. On a dry season it wouldn't look the same, if there ever is such on that region. I like those brown tones on water and grass. Taken at early May greens of summer aren't there yet.
Kari

jlbrthnn (39039) 2009-08-14 6:18

Hello Kath,
What a ventures! for finally photographing this superb waterfall. The spectacle was worth some efforts well. Excellent image, dynamics and agreeably coloured. congratulations.
Have a nice day
Cordially
Joël

Emile (20151) 2009-08-14 6:56

Hola Kath.
Beautiful waterfall with the silky effect thanks to your good exposure, the vertical format goes very well in your wonderful photo, lovely place. Great light management and colors.
Wish you a nice weekend.
Best regards.

Cricri (43790) 2009-08-14 12:27

Hi Kath
Très jolie cascade, j'aime le cadrage et l'effet de l'eau, celle en WS est très intéressante a voir aussi
Good week end
cricri

Sistercosmo (2691) 2009-08-14 14:25

Hi Kath,

oh yes, sometimes trying to get a photo can be very challenging. I would have acted the same way - no need to put the camera at risk!!

Wonderful shot, Kath! The silky water is dreamy and your pov is great. I love it!

Have a great weekend and take good care!
Linda

darek1978 (11509) 2009-08-14 16:56

Hi Kath,
This one is intense and simply fabulous like a painting with such lovely hues and textures all used so nicely and framed very well. An excellent use of a long exposure time. I'm very impressed. Congratulations!
Best regards,
Darek

gneufeld (15235) 2009-08-14 19:27

Hi Kath,
We are again travelling, this time spending time with our kids and grand kids on Vancouver Island. So I am not really on TE at the moment, but saw your image and took a liberty to post a worshop. I rarely do so on your work because it is typically not to be improved upon by the likes of me. However, as I looked at it, it just seemed lacking something? I therefore made slight modifications in CS2, which you can observe there. Hope you don't mind, and have a great weekend. TFS. Gerald

[workshop] [compare] +

MLINES (10984) 2009-08-14 19:37

Hi Kath, Very good POV and the flow of the water over the rocks is well captured and presented. The tinge of yellow in the water matches well the dry grasses. A very relaxing place to be by the look of this fine image. Only thing missing is the gurgle sound. TFS. Murray.

emka (22389) 2009-08-14 23:01

Hi Kath,
Maybe no Fairy Pool but very nice cascade. as you write there was reaining all the night, maybe the reason is that water is a bit brown and there is a lot of water in the stream. Nice silky effect due to the long exposure. Beautiful moss on the stones.
I understand your feeling but even beautiful shot of the turquoise water would be not worth of the broken leg or camera.

Regards

Malgorzata

Graal (58786) 2009-08-15 0:00

Hi Kath,
beautiful place, fantastic waterfalls. Friends all told You. I like this place and photojob also. Well done.
Gr., Aleksander

rodgerg (25079) 2009-08-15 7:02

Hello Kath,

A very good use of vertical format and an image rich in warm colors in the vegetation and of details well collected. The white color of the water is too well collected. An impression of depht too with the differents plans well delimited.
Best regards,
roger

danos (33330) 2009-08-15 9:20

Hi KAth,
splendid the view of these falls with the pause waters to be captured perfect.I like this perfect scene with all this magical environment and the good handling of light as the clarity of the scene.Well done.

have a nice afternoon,Danos

subhendu_bagchi (3540) 2009-08-15 9:37

Namaste Kath, a grand view of a grand falls. Vertical view looks fantastic. Half a second exposer done the appropriate blur of the stream. Tfs.
Subhendu.

syrus_persia (2222) 2009-08-16 0:33

salam Kath

A great waterfall, with good perspective. Excelelnt colour & sharpness. Tfs!

cyrus

Angshu (34141) 2009-08-16 6:56

Hello Kath
You're posting too fast for me! This picture of the waterfall works very well because of your judicious use of the slowish shutter speed. Actually you're quite an expert in photographing falls! Like the way you composed this shot in a diagonal, with a cascading up view!
Best Regards
Angshu

baba_flies (8115) 2009-08-16 11:39

Hello Kath! What a beautiful detail of this water fall. We are really spoilt with pictures like this one. Sometimes, when I go through a magazine, I often think, hm, I have seen better pictures here on TE, if they only new x or y ... Really pretty this one, with the silky water, it still "runs down" and yet you gave it your own handwriting by making it smoother than it would be. Really nice, congratualtions. Have a wonderful night, Barbara.

TopGeo (22249) 2009-08-17 15:45

Hi Cath! I don't know if they exist fairies but exist here their veils? Important picture of details of big time captured and beautiful vertical frame!
Bravo
Georgios

gervaso (5706) 2009-08-21 9:35

Hello, Kath!

Wonderful effect of movement in this waterfall! And the waterfall itself also seems to be beautiful and pleasant to bath, if it´s not so cold. Great shot with good timing! Well done!

ruisc_pt (6209) 2009-08-24 11:33

Excellent shutter speed and sharpness.
TFS Kat
RC

vasilpro (9497) 2009-08-31 9:48

Hello Kath,
A superb waterfall photo with an excellent chosen exposure time and beautiful soft colors.
Regards, Vasilis.

paura (39376) 2009-10-05 5:33

Kath,
A fantastic place presented here in very well taken photo. I especially like the framing and the beautiful long time exposure effect. Beautiful photo job.

Regards

Paulo

westcoastgirl1 (1567) 2009-10-21 21:14

Hi Kath

Your efforts paid off for this shot. Fantastic! Great job with your time elapsed shot. The water looks like silk. I am just learning how to play with this, so fun isn't it? Great composition. Sharp details seen. Presented well.

Congratulations on this shot,
Tosca