Location Scouting in Glen Nevis
Show Notes
I went on a spontaneous day trip with my girlfriend down to Fort William, a couple hours away from where we live. We decided to have a wander to the high street and some chips by the sea.
I decided to combine this trip with an exploration of Glen Nevis, an area I had never been to before and while we were driving down the road the light was dancing all over the mountains through magnificent clouds.
I just had to get out and get some pictures. So we had a quick exploration around the River Nevis and I got some impromptu pictures in the bag. The turned out to be a great location scout and I know I will need to return down there!
As I am learning how to make videos, with each new one I am proving and creating a better YouTube channel, so please subscribe and follow along on this journey!
Onto the Images
Two images of the same spot and composition but they are still very different. It was the light cascading across this mountain that made me stop and get out the camera.
I am really happy with the result! The colours and light moving across the landscape and I was extremely lucky with the reflection! I was not expecting that and was completely blow away by the view.
Which image do you prefer? I can’t decide between them but the square one might be winning just ever so slightly…
The light was not as vibrant looking in this direction but the mountains and clouds were fantastic and I couldn’t help but continue exploring and experimenting with compositions.
I am not too sure about this composition. I wanted the rapids to form an interesting foreground element with the mountain beyond featuring as the main subject, but the rapids were just not big enough to provide a strong draw into the picture.
I am sure there is a composition to be had along this river looking up at that mountain but it might require wellies and a day of exploring to get it just right…
The trees in this field were staggeringly beautiful, mature alder trees and they had very strong dark green foliage. I wanted to make a picture of them in some way, but the light was moving fast and I decided on this one.
The idea is that the tree balances the strong mountain behind it by positioning the mountain on one side and the tree opposite. As well as that the tree creates another plane of dimension to the image.
It’s a simple composition but that doesn’t mean it is a bad one!
Again sticking with that tree but this time I wanted to capture the other mountain next to the one that I photographed above. The idea behind the composition is the same as that one. All about balance and dimensions.
I think that for a first visit to this valley in the last hours of the day I managed to get a few good images and I look forward to going back and exploring around for more. I will spend some time with the trees in the field and really look for composition that works with the trees.
After a quick look around for any more compositions in that field, we left and quickly went across Fort William to Corpach. This is a rather famous location for one good reason.
This boat acts as the perfect foreground element to the grand mountains behind it, and it is one of the best spots to photograph the majesty of Ben Nevis.
The light was fading quickly and there wasn’t much colour in the sky just that smudge of orange on the rain laden clouds. But this was my first time shooting this classic location, so I am quite happy with the result regardless.
So, what was a rather spontaneous day trip turned out to be a great evening of photography and location scouting. Glen Nevis definitely deserves some more attention for exploration as the landscapes were astounding!
I hope you are looking forward to the next instalment! Don’t forget to subscribe to my YouTube channel.
About the Film
Just a little information about the film and how I made it, as well as some links to equipment.
I edited the film using the Free Version of DaVinci Resolve. It’s an incredibly powerful piece of software that I am still trying to understand and will possibly write an article about in the future.
The music in this video is a track that I licensed from Premium Beats by ShutterStock called:
The Explorer by Origami Pigeon.
A short Kit List
These are affiliate links, which means if you follow them and make a purchase I will earn a small commission for referring you to Amazon UK. You can find out more about affiliate links here.
Main Vlog Camera is a simple Panasonic G80 with the kit lens, its a great little mirrorless camera that I got for the sole purpose of creating YouTube videos. It’s capable of filming in 4k and seems to do everything that I want it to.
Rode Mic, I got this little microphone to boost the audio quality from the inbuilt microphone.
Action Camera, I use this to film myself when walking. It’s a simple DJI Pocket Osmo camera that has a motorised 3 axis gimbal head, which means that I stay in focus and static while the landscape around me moves. It’s also capable of filming in 4k and the audio quality is quite good.
Voice Recorder, to boost the audio quality when it’s windy or I’m using the action camera I use this handy little voice recorder with a lapellier microphone to record audio.
For a complete Landscape Photography Kit List you can read through what equipment I take with me when I go out here.
Related Episodes
Written by Daniel Long
Daniel Long created DRL Photography as a place to showcase his work as a photographer. Daniel has learnt a lot about photography and wishes to impart this knowledge with you, although the world is an ever changing place and he always says “you can never learn everything.” So as he makes his way, he continues to learn knew techniques, skills and information about photography. He focuses on Landscape and Wildlife photography and Daniel has a special focus on Scotland, his home away from home. As well as writing about photography and taking pictures out in the field, Daniel offers guided photography days so he can share his knowledge and locations in an effort to give his clients the best opportunities possible. Have a browse around this website to see his images, guided experiences and articles about photography. If you have any questions don’t hesitate to get in contact.
