Notes and Images from a Small Island (Practice 6 Day 5)

I hoped for sunny spells and stormy skies today and to a certain extent Skye delivered.  But I am not very inspired, which leads me to contemplate what the optimum number of practice days might be for me.  Should I take a day away from the loch I have visited for the past week, or should I attempt to push through my negative mood?

I set up my tripod in a different place to previous days, trying to get closer to the area where I had taken the reflections a couple of days ago.   This may sound simple, but I am working in an area of soft-bottomed peat bogs where it is all too easy to find oneself sinking into the dark red soil or falling into the many burns that criss-cross the area.

I start working with double exposures.  I intend to capture the natural movement of the trees being buffeted by the strong winds, by using a slow shutter speed and focusing on the water rather than the moving trees.  I intend only to give a glimpse of the water below the trees in the final images, to provide an anchor and a tiny piece of context.   The leaves are glistening from the heavy rain that fell overnight providing specular highlights.

As I work, I realise that my tripod is gradually sinking into the boggy ground!  I move to firmer ground and take a few more shots.  I am not hopeful that my efforts today will improve on some of the work I produced earlier in the week. . .

Having ‘lived’ with these images I think there is potential here.  By focusing on the water and nudging the subject, the trees, out of focus it certainly provides a glimpse of that which lies behind sensory perception.  The gnarled, lichen-covered branches, the glistening leaves and a hint of the context combine to provide a tapestry-like aesthetic.  Furthermore, I have done this, not by extensive work in Photoshop, but entirely ‘in camera’.