If you see a chance, take it

Sunset at Bow Fiddle Rock, Portknockie, Moray Coast, Scotland - The Bow Fiddle Rock is so called because it resembles the very tip of a bow. It was formed by erosion of a rock called Cullen Quartzite.

© All rights reserved Steve Pellatt. Please do not use this image on websites, blogs or any other media without my explicit written permission.

 

Back to my trip to Scotland. On the day in question the area I was staying in had a lousy forecast so I decided to chase the weather. I travelled about 1.5hrs to Carrbridge to shoot the old pack horse bridge (still to come). I then spent a while dithering about whether to drive another 1.5hrs to shoot Bow Fiddle Rock which caught my imagination when I first saw a photo. I decided to go as there was no guarantee I'd be up that way again and if some storm came and it collapsed I'd kick myself.

 

I got there about 2.5hrs before sunset and it was one of those typical moody grey (fairly featureless) skies Scotland often produces. Unfortunately the tide was further out than ideal so shots from the beach were not as good as I'd have liked. decided then to walk back up to the 'overlook' and I set up near another Tog. Behind me there was just a little occasional gap in the clouds on the horizon so wondered if some light might fall on the rock just before sunset.

 

I was shooting long exposures and had to zoom in as the tide had left a messy foreground. As I was shooting and chatting to the other Tog I noticed some light starting to fall on the rock. I had time to get 3 x 30s exposures with some light evident of which this shot shows it best.

 

I also decided to try a more painterly edit than is my normal style for this sort of shot as I wanted to try something a little different and get viewers opinions. I thought the painterly effect matched the long exposure??

 

I know there are many better shots of Bow Fiddle Rock on here but it's a case of the back story to the shot making it mean something to me and feel lucky to have had those 2nins of light as the sun set.

 

The 3hr drive back to my B&D involved some of the heaviest rain I've driven in and when I had some aquaplaning as I was going past a lorry up a hill it wasn't fun! Anyway, suffice it to say I made it back OK and am really please I took the chance to see Bow Fiddle.

 

Thanks for viewing & reading.

Done