Field Lines

It is fair to say that winter so far this year has been largely non-existent so it’s no surprise that with snow forecast last week photographers across the country began refreshing their weather apps every minute in the hope that some of the white stuff would fall nearby.

Instead of venturing north to the highlands, as many would would be doing so, I made my way south towards Scotland’s highest villages and an area I have been meaning to recce for sometime.

The forecast was looking good, snow on the Friday evening and mist and fog on Saturday morning. I had identified one specific location I wanted to visit but the plan thereafter was to spend drive and explore around the wider area to see what else I could find.

Unfortunately conditions didn’t materialise as forecast but that didn’t detract from what was an enjoyable and productive trip. I spent quite a bit of time at the planned location and whilst I waited, hoping, for the conditions to change I grabbed a couple of record shots.

So I didn’t get a shot I had hoped I would but I now have an understanding of what might work for me at this spot which I wouldn’t have had I not taken the time to visit and understand the location.

It was good to then spend time exploring the local area. My Google Streetview research showed up lots of woodlands but it was disappointing to see so much of it has recently been felled. It demonstrates that you can’t rely on the internet and you still need to the groundwork yourself, something which I find enjoyable and rewarding, particularly when you come across a potential shot.

The location below was towards the end of my recce and as I was driving, my eyes caught the parallel wall and tracks running up through the field. I was parked up safely in a layby and after a short walk back along the road I was able to get the shot.

Nikon D800 | Nikon 70-200mm F4 at 160mm | ISO 100 | F8 | 1/20s