Earlier this year I was lucky enough to visit the Isle of Skye in Scotland. It is one of the most beautiful places I have ever been, with dramatic mountains, gorgeous waterfalls and some amazing black sand beaches. There was so much to explore I barely scratched the surface in the week I was there but I was able to produce a massive amount of content from the spots I did visit. The only downside to my trip was the constant rain! It was very challenging trying to get out in breaks in the weather, shooting in the rain without damaging my gear and constantly wiping the lens to clear the water drops. This is one of the biggest problems with travel photography I find, that you are in a location for such a short time and if the weather doesn’t play ball you are screwed. Luckily there were enough breaks in the rain and one full day at the end with nice weather when I could get out and spend the whole day shooting. Winter especially is a tough time as the weather in most places is bad but up in Scotland it is really something else, I am amazed I didn’t get blown off the side of a mountain or destroy my camera!
While I was there I went all around the island capturing the landscape and trying to practice different techniques and improve my photography. One thing I’d never done before, (and I know this is bad!) was use a tripod for landscape photos. For long exposures and astrophotography I will use one, but I’d never done it for landscapes despite every guide, tutorial and other photographers telling me this was an absolute must for crisp shots. So this trip I wanted to use as a chance to learn and practice, I went out every day with my camera and tripod and I played around to practice new things. I was trying to pay much more attention to the details in my shots, how the composition looked, if something was distracting in the foreground, how sharp the whole image looked etc. I think this is an important thing to do as a photographer, too often we get used to just doing what we do and getting results but going back to basics and really practicing them can help you build on your skills and develop as a photographer. I was also with my parents on this trip which meant I had access to all their lenses which allowed me to do things I can't normally do with my limited selection.
I want to talk a bit about the scenery in Skye because it is simply magical. The dark rocks and vibrant vegetation create amazing patterns on the ground. Massive snow-capped mountains rise up in the distance, large waterfalls pour off cliffs and rivers and lakes cut through the landscape. It really is a photographer’s paradise and somewhere I hope to visit many more times to explore the area in different seasons. There are black beaches similar to Iceland and beautiful blue seas around it. Any direction you look there is a breathtaking view that you just have to stop and photograph. I would love to visit Sky again soon, perhaps with some other photographers so we can all explore together and learn from each other.
Skye also has several small towns that I explored, they were filled with shops and cafes and I could have easily spent some time doing some of my more normal urban photography but I chose to focus on Landscapes for this trip. Away from the towns, there are plenty of famous spots to visit: The Old Man of Storr, the Fairy Glen, Fairy Pools and Mealt Falls to name just a few. You could easily spend a whole week just driving around the main spots before you even get a chance to start walking off the beaten path to find some more unique shots. I met a helpful shop owner who told me about a few different spots to check out that were a bit quieter but just as beautiful as the tourist traps. One of these was an alternative to the fairy pools where I was able to capture some beautiful long exposure shots of the waterfalls and the colourful rocks beneath.
All in all my trip to Skye was absolutely amazing and I would highly recommend visiting to anyone, especially for photography but even just for a great place to get away for a bit. Hopefully, in the future, I will return to the Isle of Skye so I can capture more of this amazing place and I also want to travel more around the UK focusing on my landscape work. With so many beautiful places around the country, and quite a few within driving distance of Manchester, it seems a shame to not get out in nature more and develop my photography further. I’d love to hear from you, let me know if you’ve been to Skye and what your favourite spot was. Or if you have any recommendations of other places I should visit next then I would absolutely love to hear them, let me know in the comments below.
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