Photographs from Scotland

The 2020 Scotland trip, revised for 2024, finally happened. I’m working on a post about our experiences in Scotland and what to expect if you plan on visiting, but in this post, I wanted to share some of the photos I captured from Scotland and the background of each one.

Overall, I wasn’t feeling it at first. I’m used to that, as it can take a while to become focused. I had to capture some failures before getting into the keepers, but this process was different as I was also sick. Thankfully, that sickness didn’t last much past that first day, but I think the lingering exhaustion affected my ability to get into the mindset of photography. Photography requires an eye for composition and creativity, which isn’t easy when your mind is foggy. I started really “seeing” Scotland when we left Glasgow to begin our road trip around the country.

Photo 1 - Glen Nevis Estate

We were going to Steall Waterfall and stopped at one of the numerous parking areas to take in the view. There were cars parked and numerous people hiking in the distance. Before we continued our drive, I took this low-angle photo in the middle of the road. I like the simplicity and vibrance of this photo and the somewhat painterly presentation. The road curves and leads into the hills to an unknown location but draws the eye down that road to the center peak. It’s a simple photo in composition, but overall, I feel this is a good feeling and representation of a Scottish landscape.

Photo 2 - Road Work Sign

This was taken later in Scotland, as the last portion of this trip ended in Edinburgh. There were crowds of people in bustling areas, and I had to switch my mindset to street photography. Everything before this was mainly in the realm of travel photography. This photo contains two elements that I think work well towards the impact of the photo. First, the sign's colours match the colours of the barriers. Second, the motion of the digging man on the sign corresponds to the motion of the unidentified people walking above.

Photo 3 - Highland Council

This photo was captured on my way back to one of our Airbnbs during a morning walk. I was packed up, and while Lisa was getting ready, I decided to take a walk around the grounds as there was a hiking path around the back of the homes that led down to the water. I like this photo for a few reasons, including the colours and the shadows. The vibrance of the foliage, along with the colour of the car center frame and the shadows that cross the chairs at the back of the house. It’s tough to beat that early morning light. I had to take advantage of the gorgeous weather. Also, the fence in the foreground frames it nicely with a leading line from bottom left to middle right.

Photos 4 and 5 - Edinburgh Streets

The original captures of these street scenes in Edinburgh did not contain many colours, so colour was not a focal point. I felt that a black-and-white treatment was a good representation of the city. Edinburgh is an older city with aged architecture. The weather was overcast with a featureless sky, and the streets were damp from recent rainfall. I also believe that since both photos are almost devoid of human life or vehicles, they add some timelessness to the images.

Conclusion

I’m delighted with the photos I took in Scotland. However, it did take a while to get warmed up because I was under the weather when I started the trip. It was an incredible drive through the country, and we saw some fantastic scenery. The entire portfolio of images of Scotland can be found here in Travel.