CAPTURE NEW HORIZONS

2013 has been a year of Highs and Lows but with more high points making it a good year.  In the past 12 months we visited for the first time the Austrian Styrian Alps, Vienna, Budapest, Austin in Texas, Imola in Italy, Toulon in France, Tokyo and Suzuka in Japan.  We also revisited Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium, Sao Paulo in Brazil, Fuji in Japan, Shanghai in China, Bahrain and Le Mans, Paris and Le Castellet in France.   In addition to this travelling in Europe, Asia and the Americas we visited Northumberland in the north of England and the Isle of Mull in Scotland.  However the big change for 2013 was the relocation to Dunbar in East Lothian in August and the advantages that brings by living in the south of Scotland and its proximity to Edinburgh and the Highlands. We set the goal of posting something on this blog at least 365 times in 2013 and we achieved this on Christmas Day.  In 2014 the goal will be to provide more inspirational images and also gi...

When I'm presented with a beautiful scene, whether it is a harbour front or a wide landscape, it is very easy to get sucked into the big picture and shoot the wider shot.  Of course there is nothing wrong with this but I try to look for the little details as well that might make an interesting picture. Take this shot of a boat tied up in Tobermory Harbour on the Isle of Mull.  I've taken hundreds of shots of the colourful houses and shop fronts and of the bay looking out towards the Sound of Mull but sometimes you have to stop and look for the details. The rope was providing the perfect lead in line for the image and the boat was side on.  Standing in front of the brightly coloured Mishnish Hotel and using the Fuji X100 with the wide angle converter, I used lined the shot up along the mooring rope and placed the boat at the very top of the frame.  In post processing I converted the image to black and white in Silver Efex Pro2 and blurred the edges slightly to...

This shot was taken from the deck of the Mull Charters boat as we headed back to land after the trip out to see the Sea Eagles during our recent trip to Mull. Ulva is a small island off the coast of Mull and it is a short 200 metre ferry crossing to get on the island.  The building on the edge of the quay is the Boathouse, which is a coffee shop / gallery and serves fantastic snacks to anyone going over to walk around Ulva.  Unfortunately we didn't get chance on this trip to partake in a cup of tea and a scone.  Maybe next time. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- PLEASE SUPPORT THIS BLOG BY CLICKING THE NEW GOOGLE ADVERTS It doesn't cost you anything to click on an advert but we get a small fee for every click thru from Google and this helps support this blog - thank you for helping --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------...

If you are near the sea there are Sea Gulls, they are the sparrows of the coast.  I think these birds get a raw deal because they are so common they tend to be ignored or treated as a nuisance.  While out on the Mull Charters boat last month taking pictures of the White Tailed Sea Eagles (see blogs HERE and HERE ), I also snapped the various gulls that followed the boat in hope of getting some food.   Here are some of the shots taken on the Nikon D800 and Sigma 50-500mm lens - ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- PLEASE SUPPORT THIS BLOG BY CLICKING THE NEW GOOGLE ADVERTS It doesn't cost you anything to click on an advert but we get a small fee for every click thru from Google and this helps support this blog - thank you for helping ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ALL IMAGES ARE T...

On our many trips to the Isle of Mull we often think about owning a house on the island.  While we are travelling around Mull we sometimes stop to take in the view and sometimes someone has built a house to take advantage of the beautiful scenery that we've stopped to admire. This house below Aros Castle at the western end of Salen Bay is a case in point.  The white washed house sits on the shoreline at the end of a private drive with views over Salen Bay looking across the Sound of Mull to the mainland. It even has a beach on its doorstep.  How much it is worth is anyone's guess, but I like to dream that one day we could own a house like that in such an idyllic location. Image taken on a Fujifilm Finepix X100 with 23mm f2 Fujinon lens ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- PLEASE SUPPORT THIS BLOG BY CLICKING THE NEW GOOGLE ADVERTS It doesn't cost you anything to click on an a...

This was the scene two weeks ago when I was travelling down to Salen from Tobermory to photograph the derelict trawlers early in the morning.  I saw a survey vessel heading back towards Oban through the Sound of Mull so I pulled the car over to take some shots of the scene with the Nikon D800 and Sigma 50-500mm telephoto.  On the left of the picture is the Scottish mainland and on the right is Mull. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- PLEASE SUPPORT THIS BLOG BY CLICKING THE NEW GOOGLE ADVERTS It doesn't cost you anything to click on an advert but we get a small fee for every click thru from Google and this helps support this blog - thank you for helping ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ALL IMAGES ARE THE PROPERTY OF MACLEAN PHOTOGRAPHIC AND CANNOT BE USED FOR ANY PURPOSE WITHOUT PRIOR PERMISSION If...

On a very sunny morning after visiting the derelict trawlers at Salen (blog here ) I decided to head over to the Cnoc Fada standing stones at Dervaig to do another photographic visit. I first visited these stones last Easter during an Islandscape Photography workshop but on that occasion the light was a little flat. On the morning in question the sun was coming up over the hills and I knew the light in the clearing of trees where the stones were situated would be very different than it was 13 months before (blog here ). When I arrived I was proven to be correct with the sunlight streaming through the pines and hitting the stones to give a dappled effect. Here are the final images from my second photographic visit to the standing stones at Dervaig. All Images taken on a Nikon D800 and Nikkor 105mm f2.8G VR micro or Nikkor 17-35mm f2.8 AF-S ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- PLEASE ...

Cloud cover over the mountain tops of Mull Like all Scottish islands there are white washed houses dotted around the base of the mountains.  I spotted a cottage on the shores of Loch Na Keal as we traveled out on the Mull Charters boat to see the Sea Eagles.  The cloud level was low and covering the tops of the mountains, giving a typically moody Scottish landscape, which I love to photograph. Living in the shadow of the mountain White Tailed Sea Eagle live on the misty mountains of Mull and this is what we were on our way to see CLICK HERE to see the blog on the Sea Eagle trip All Images taken on a Nikon D800 and SIgma 50-500mm f4/f6.3 lens   ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- PLEASE SUPPORT THIS BLOG BY CLICKING THE NEW GOOGLE ADVERTS It doesn't cost you anything to click on an advert but we get a small fee for every click thru from Google and this help...

On our visits to Mull we try to visit as many places on the island as possible but the Ross of Mull, on the south side of the island hasn't had much attention from us on the last couple of trips.  We decided to change this in 2013 and we took a drive to Burnessan alongside Loch Scridain. The weather was beautiful so we stopped for a picnic and explored the shoreline with it's many rockpools and view across the Loch towards Ben More.  Sea Pinks growing on the rocks with Ben More in the background Low down on the shoreline Sea Weed Strawberry Anemone  Strawberry Anemone The rocky shoreline of Loch Scridain Burnessan All images taken using a Fujifilm Finepix X100 with a standard 23mm f2 lens or with a WCL X100 wide angle converter fitted (19mm f2) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- PLEASE SUPPORT THIS BLOG BY CLICKING THE NEW GOOGLE ADVERTS It doesn't...

On the first morning of our stay on Mull I got up early to go for what has become a traditional walk on the path towards the lighthouse on the entrance to Tobermory Bay.  However I didn't get very far on this morning because the sight of thousands of bluebells and wild garlic flowers had me reaching for my camera. Here are some of the images I captured - All images taken on a Nikon D700 or Nikon D800 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- PLEASE SUPPORT THIS BLOG BY CLICKING THE NEW GOOGLE ADVERTS It doesn't cost you anything to click on an advert but we get a small fee for every click thru from Google and this helps support this blog - thank you for helping ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ALL IMAGES ARE THE PROPERTY OF MACLEAN PHOTOGRAPHIC AND CANNOT BE USED FOR ANY PURPOSE WITHO...

This is another shot from the Sea Eagle trip we took on my birthday last Friday while on Mull.  This shot was taken as one of the birds flew close to the boat looking for the fish that had been thrown over the side.  This is the closest I have ever been to a wild eagle and it was an amazing experience, one that will never be forgotten. Image taken on a Nikon D800 and Sigma 50-500 f4/6.3 - 1/1000 @ f8 - ISO1000 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- PLEASE SUPPORT THIS BLOG BY CLICKING THE NEW GOOGLE ADVERTS It doesn't cost you anything to click on an advert but we get a small fee for every click thru from Google and this helps support this blog - thank you for helping ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ALL IMAGES ARE THE PROPERTY OF MACLEAN PHOTOGRAPHIC AND CANNOT BE USED FOR ANY PURPOSE WITHOUT PRIOR...

At 3169ft (966m) Ben More (Beinn Mhòr in Gaelic, meaning "great mountain") is the only 'Munro' on the Isle of Mull.  A Munro is a Scottish mountain over 3000 feet (914 metres).  In the 2012 revision of the tables, published by the Scottish Mountaineering Club, there are 282 Munros and 227 further subsidiary tops. The best known Munro is Ben Nevis, the highest mountain in the British Isles. Clouds rolling across the peak of Ben More Ben More One of the many waterfalls on the way up to the ridge I have to admit that I didn't climb to the top of the mountain because my fitness level and heavy camera bag forced me to turn back before the top but the view from the start of the ridge was stunning. On the way up to the ridge The view from the start of the ridge.  In the distance is Loch Na Keal ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- PLEASE SUPPORT THIS BLOG BY C...

This is the scene from the shores of Loch Buie near to the bridge leading to Lochbuie House and Moy Castle. The village of Lochbuie is situated at the head of Loch Buie on the south coast of the Isle of Mull some 14 miles from the ferry terminal at Craignure. The area is renowned for its scenic landscape, shimmering beaches and abundant wildlife. Lochbuie is also steeped in history as the home of the Clan Maclaine of Lochbuie, an offshoot of the Clan MacLean of Duart, who resided at Moy Castle and then at Lochbuie House. For more information on Lochbuie CLICK HERE ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- PLEASE SUPPORT THIS BLOG BY CLICKING THE NEW GOOGLE ADVERTS It doesn't cost you anything to click on an advert but we get a small fee for every click thru from Google and this helps support this blog - thank you for helping ----------------------------------------------------------------...

It isn't very often when you come across a retail outlet that stops you in your tracks but the Old Post Office at Loch Buie on the Isle of Mull did exactly that when we visited last week.  The shop isn't operated by a person standing behind a till taking your money, there is an honesty box by the front door where you leave your money for the goods you have taken. In this day and age where shop lifting and crime is a common theme in towns up and down the country, this was completely refreshing and a joy to behold.  There was plenty of stock on display worth hundreds of pounds but still the shop was not manned.   We bought coffee and tea (kettle and fresh water available to use), crisps, fizzy drinks and other items and duly left the correct money in the box by the door.  Wheels of Mull cheese, worth over £5 each), meat, souvenirs and other items were also available to buy. Thank you to the owners of the Old Post Office, you have restored ...

Rock pool and Sea Pink ( Armeria maritima) on the edge of Duart Bay looking towards the mountains of Mull and Torosay Castle. This was taken while we were walking around the landward side of Duart Castle looking for alternative views to photograph.  This scene caught my eye and the Sea Pink on top of the rock provided the perfect foreground focal point. Nikon D800 - Nikon 17-35mm f2.8 AF-S - Lee 0.9 ND Grad ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- PLEASE SUPPORT THIS BLOG BY CLICKING THE NEW GOOGLE ADVERTS It doesn't cost you anything to click on an advert but we get a small fee for every click thru from Google and this helps support this blog - thank you for helping ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ALL IMAGES ARE THE PROPERTY OF MACLEAN PHOTOGRAPHIC AND CANNOT BE USED FOR ANY PURPOSE WITHOUT PRIOR PERMISSION...