# Scottish Highlands



## B2ONGO (May 5, 2011)

Out for a drive to Ullapool at the weekend. Weather wasn't great, heres what I came home with. I've been trying to better my PP skills, might have overdone it with some of these so it would be nice to know what you think.

I had difficulties with shot 2. The light was poor due to the tall surrounding trees. I used a soft grad and some photoshop adjustments to try and bring back the over exposed sky, still not happy with it.

Any comments, tips or advice welcomed. :thumbs:

1. 
Loch Awe - Scottish Highlands by Michael~Ashley, on Flickr

2. 
Blackwater Falls - Garve by Michael~Ashley, on Flickr

3. 
Rhue Lighthouse - Scottish Highlands by Michael~Ashley, on Flickr

4. 
Fishing Boat - Loch Awe by Michael~Ashley, on Flickr

5. 
Rhue Lighthouse 2 - Scottish Highlands by Michael~Ashley, on Flickr

6. 
Rock Ness - Scottish Highlands by Michael~Ashley, on Flickr

7. 
A Highland Holiday - Loch Ness by Michael~Ashley, on Flickr


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## ShiningScotsman (Jun 20, 2012)

No tips or advice as I am working my way up to being a novice lol

But.....they look fantastic....amazing work in my humble opinion


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## B2ONGO (May 5, 2011)

Thanks, there are a few niggles that are bothering me with the shots. 

The halo around the trees in 2 are a result of trying to save the sky. Found it difficult to expose for the water and the sky - even with a grad filter stacked onto my ND110.

The light rays in 5 are maybe a bit overdone. I've tried to emphasize them in PS but maybe they look a bit false.


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## Brazo (Oct 27, 2005)

The weather at the moment really puts me off togging but looks like you have made the most of the grey skies and delivered some cracking shots. 

I used to have the deckchair lol! Not sure on that shot though.


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## bigslippy (Sep 19, 2010)

Great postcards , where you buy em :lol: just kidding , great pics and I've never seen the Ness that still before and it's just along the road from me :doublesho


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## EddieB (May 13, 2006)

Love number 4 - got some fantastic colours in there considering the dullness!


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## bretti_kivi (Apr 22, 2008)

that'll be because it's not still 

critique, as usual IMO: 6 and 7 are right up my street. Both, in my eyes, very, very good, really like the deckchair and the sky detail in 6 makes the shot. 

The rest... I see the top halves as being too dark. Pretty much everywhere. Now, that might be a filter, might be what you were looking for.... it seems mildly "unreal" to me and I don't (generally) really like that in a photo. 

1: the base of teh boat muddies into black on the monitor I'm looking at this on. The top end of the prow also meets the hills, which disturbs me. Lightening it with an interesting curve appears to help in my eyes, but does bring up the detail in the hill, so the "brooding black horizon" effect is limited. 

2 really needs paler trees IMO, which would bridge more between the bright sky and the dark rock. Is there a vignette applied?


4 might also work in b/w.

I don't like the leaning lighthouse in 5 at all and agree that the light is mildly overdone. 

Does this help? If you've got alternative versions of some of them, it would be interesting to see them.

- Bret


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## B2ONGO (May 5, 2011)

Thanks Bretti - as usual I really appreciate you taking a bit of time to offer some constructive critique. 

The dark skies are intentional, just a personal taste thing I think, probably influenced by living up here in the highlands lol. 

Everything else you said I agree with and kinda noticed after getting home, especially keeping the boat in 1 separate from the horizon, schoolboy error and I'm annoyed about that. Something I didn't check when out at the location. 

The leaning lighthouse is down to lens distortion from my wide angle lens, havent figured out how to correct it properly using photoshop. Every time I try the lighthouse is straight but everything else warped. 

Anyways, thanks again for the feedback - its all a learning curve for me.


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## B2ONGO (May 5, 2011)

Brazo said:


> I used to have the deckchair lol! Not sure on that shot though.


Its funny, everyone thats commented on this shot has taken something different from it. Some find it a bit sinister, some relaxing, some surreal.

I like that.


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## EcosseGP (Jul 5, 2011)

Wow I love all the photos especially the deck chair one ... Sums up our Scottish weather


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## Edward101 (Jun 5, 2009)

With the distortion issue click on edit --> transform --> skew.

Im sure skew will be the right one trying to think from when I last used it! Providing you have Photoshop that is? Not sure what program you are using.

The deck chair shot is definitely the pick of the bunch - some really nice shots, as mentioned the graduated filter effect is a bit too strong. Also with the lighthouse I would personally use the dodge tool a bit to give a bit more crispness to the whites. I feel possibly the levels and curves could be tweaked to give a bit more range in tones.

Nice shots though, really good scenery :thumb:


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## B2ONGO (May 5, 2011)

Thanks Edward - good advice. :thumb:


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## Edward101 (Jun 5, 2009)

No problem :thumb: I really want to get up to Scotland again to do some landscape work. Mainly at the moment concentrating on other projects so not got the time 

Really love Mull for landscapes, really good over their - probably my favourite part of Scotland as I seem to just be able to find some many picturesque scenes


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## Grommit (May 3, 2011)

Numbers 6 & 7 for me. Lovely


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## B2ONGO (May 5, 2011)

Had a go at fixing the distortion. Not perfect but hopefully a bit better.


rhue edit by Michael~Ashley, on Flickr


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## Edward101 (Jun 5, 2009)

Much better buddy! Have you used the shadow/highlight tool in advanced mode to bring out more detail? Might be quite nice to pick out more detail in the layers of rock.

Sorry Im being picky, but its a nice shot so deserves alot of attention to get it just right


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## Les Brock (Apr 18, 2012)

Cracking pics chap !:thumb:


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## Wout_RS (Jun 13, 2012)

damn good photo's!


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