The Road to Talla Linnfoots in Winter, a photo from Scottish Borders, Scotland

Photographer's Note

Although probably impassable today after the snow we have been having in southern Scotland, this picture of the little road leading to Talla Linnfoots farm in the Scottish Borders was taken last winter.

Taken in late afternoon, the sun was just dropping behind the hills on the right, still shedding some light on the east side of the reservoir and the trees beside it. You can see from where I took this picture if you look at View:[map]. This picture was taken from almost exactly the same spot in summertime and this one was taken in early autumn.

Talla reservoir is on the right of the picture, almost completely frozen over. It was built at end of the 19th Century and opened at the beginning of the 20th and contributes, with the Megget and Fruid reservoirs nearby, to the water supply of Edinburgh. Talla Linnfoots farm lies in the distance, at the southern end of this stretch of water.

Shot in RAW using a polarising filter and converted and edited in PSE6.

All comments/critiques/advice welcome!

mikebottomley, saxo042, williewhistler, graffer, macondo has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

Bergenphotos (2168) 2011-01-08 17:21

Hi John.

Wow, these mountains look exactly like those I can see from my house! The tree to the left creates an optimal autumn feeling, and the road is a great contributor to the nice composition of the image. The contrast between autumn and winter is magnificent. This is one of those inspiring photos which makes it tempting to travel to Scotland and the Scottish Highlands.

Fredrik

mikebottomley (449) 2011-01-08 17:49

G'Day,John,
What a great composition, with the road,and fenclines leading in, and then, the colour combo hits the viewer, the patch of sunlight is magic. A great winter shot. Nice border and good note to go with it. I have only one concern...where did you park the car ?
Best regards Mike.

chawax (14906) 2011-01-09 1:44

Hi John,
I remember the one you posted of this place in summertime. It looks like a nice place at any time of the year. I love here the contrast between cold atmosphere on the frozen reservoir and snowy mountains and the warm light on the trees and the road on the left. Very good sharpness too.
Regards,
Olivier

saxo042 (31802) 2011-01-09 2:13

Hi John,
A very beautiful view here indeed! It is also quite enjoyable to see this view in different seasons. Last winter doesn´t look too bad, not so much snow as I believe you have had this winter. Now I am looking forward to see a springtime picture from this very place.
Kind regards
Gunnar

williewhistler (7299) 2011-01-09 2:28

Hello John,I like the way you have used the iron fence to lead through the frame,the low and soft winter light emphases the grandeur of the mountains,very nice.
Best regards Les.

npecanhuk (53913) 2011-01-09 2:50

Hi John!
Beautiful winter picture!
Sharpness, exposure, chosen pov, dof, colors, pp, contrasts, horizontal format, black borders and composition are all excellent!
TFS - congrats,
Cheers,
Neyvan

graffer (1800) 2011-01-09 3:12

Hello John,

For comparison I copied and pasted this and the earlier image side by side – see WS – [where I have also superimposed thirds grids].

Interestingly, the earlier image progresses from a light foreground to a darker background, and this one does completely the opposite.

Which one works better?

I think I prefer this latest, more panoramic image compositionally: the line of the further end of the loch follows the lower horizontal line of thirds, and the distant small wooded valley runs down to the loch at a powerpoint.

The upper horizontal third lies where the sunlit snowy mountain top meets that lovely blue sky and the dark diagonal edge of the mountain slope at the right stands out against the sunlit mountain immediately behind it.

The road makes a strong lead-in at the bottom left corner, and the autumn colour of the trees provides a warm counterpoint to the rest of the snowy landscape.

A fine crisp winter picture.

Kind regards,

Peter.

[workshop] [compare] +

romanaa (7372) 2011-01-09 3:29

Hello John,

I reckon, this one is best from your all seasons series. The cold air makes the view clearer and the contrast of blue white and red tones is fabulous.

Bravo

Best wishes

Romana

macondo (17949) 2011-01-15 19:36

Hi John.
Missed this one, but glad I caught up with it.
Superbly coloured on the left, and showing excellent exposure of the snow in the sunlight and the shade. The viewpoint makes wonderful use of the curving road and fence, following the shore of the frozen reservoir. Looking again, I notice the dappled nature of the light. The road's vanishing point is well located in the frame, and there's a pleasing diagonal to be drawn by the eye from the bottom left corner to the top right.
Thanks for the map refs which show Talla Linfoots farm and your position very well.
Regards,
Andrew

bartekp (4200) 2011-01-16 12:01