CAPTURE NEW HORIZONS

Scott's View is a viewpoint in the Scottish Borders, overlooking the valley of the River Tweed, just 3-miles from Melrose off the A68.   It is reputed to be one of the favourite views of Scotland's famous poet, playwright and novelist Sir Walter Scott, hence the name. According to a popular story, Sir Walter Scott stopped at this point so often on the way to his home at Abbotsford, that his horses would halt without command.  After his death in 1832, his funeral cortège passed this way en route to his burial at Dryburgh Abbey, and his horses stopped at his favourite view to allow their master a last look at the Borders landscape. In fact, although the funeral procession did pass this way, the halt was due to 'some accident'. We decided to take a detour out to Scott's View on our way to Melrose to see the Abbey.  The clouds were dark and brooding but it didn't take away from the breathtaking view across the valley.  The image was taken on the ...

The town of Melrose in the Scottish Borders is famous for the birthplace of Rugby Sevens and for the ruins of the 12th Century Cistercian Abbey.  The Abbey was founded in 1136 by King David I and it was largely destroyed by the English Army of Richard II in1385.  The Abbey was rebuilt and what remains is mainly from the early 15th Century and is reputed to be the most beautiful monastic ruins in Great Britain. Melrose Abbey is also the place where the heart of Robert the Bruce is buried. The Scottish King was buried at Dumfermline Abbey after his death in 1329 but the king requested his heart be buried in Melrose. An excavation was led to find a sealed casket, but it was not opened, and it was actually discovered by high school students involved in the dig. The casket was placed in a sealed lead cylinder, and was then re-buried in the abbey back at its proper resting place. We arrived for our visit late in the afternoon on Saturday 4 March and we pretty much had t...

While the Fujifilm X-System cameras have changed how I work by replacing my Nikon DSLRs, I will be the first to admit that for sports and wildlife photography the DSLR is still king.  This is mainly down to the fact that Fuji haven't yet added a fast telephoto lens.   However the doesn't mean that the X-T1 and the current lens line up isn't capable of taking images in this genre, it means that a photographer has more flexibility using a DSLR.  I've already proven that in the right conditions the X-T1 / X-Pro1 are capable in getting wildlife shots (see blog HERE ) and also for sports photography (see blog HERE ). Anyway I had another opportunity to put the X-T1 and 55-200mm through its paces yesterday at to level rugby match.  I attended the friendly match between Leicester Tigers and Edinburgh at Melrose and while I was there as a spectator, not a member of the press, I managed to get myself at the front, just 2 metres from the touchline.   I put ...