Harris and Lewis Pt 1

Hi all... in January of this year, back in a previous life, some way before lockdown when we were allowed to well, actually go out, I managed to get away up to the Outer Hebrides in my van for a few days. It's always a treat to be able to make the trip, and has become almost an annual event for me, and something I really look forward to. Blowing away the cobwebs (quite literally this time - 45mph winds as standard). On this occasion, I decided to head back to Luskentyre on Harris. And also up the road to South West Lewis. I had to cut this one short - massive storm was coming in, and I had to be back home for the day job, and couldn't risk getting stuck on the islands. So. Here are some shots from my trip... Lewis first. Will post Harris in a bit. All Pentax K1ii and various lenses, inc DFA 15-30, DFA 24-70, PLM 55-300, and F 17-28.

1. Detail, Grimersta River.



2. Sea Stacks, Mangersta



3. Sea Stacks, Mangersta. Fisheye.



4. Sea Stacks, Mangersta



5. Sea Stacks, Mangersta



6. Sea Stacks, Mangersta



7. Incoming, Mangersta. Looking South.



8. Mangersta Sea Stacks. Afterglow.



9. Uig Sands, Dawn



10. Uig Sands



11. Uig Sands



12. Uig Sands



13. Mangersta Beach



All thoughts, comments, observations etc v welcome as ever...

Best

Stunning scenery captured well here. I particularly like the atmosphere in 5&6. Great abstracts too.
Thanks for sharing.

All superb, really like 7 for it's calm before/after the storm appeal.

Envious of your photography skills, but more so your drive and energy!

Great photography!

Rick

Fabulous images, I love No1

Yet another great selection Bill

No.13. Mangersta Beach looks like a complex ink drawing, I bet choosing the precise composition wasn't quick or easy! Love the contrasty, dark emphasis.
No.1. Detail, Grimersta River is excellent - changing a water flow into sinuous fibres in different lanes is genius.
The various Sea Stack images have a lovely variety of lighting/colouring and I particularly like your choice of shutter speed - getting that great flowing movement of the crashing waves just right (IMO). The only one I'm not quite as keen on is the Fisheye shot - I think the foreground is a little too much for me, but I can see that if you cropped it out a bit you'd lose the encompassing circular look that you've created.
Probably my favourite is No.9. Uig Sands, Dawn - a lovely dark cloaking feel just before the light really breaks through all with a simple composition - must look great enlarged!

Thanks for sharing Bill - Can't wait to see Part Two

Very nice set number 7 for me.

Another great selection. What a wonderful place to be as well, but you probably made a wise choice to leave before the storms hit.

An awe-inspiring location and wonderful photography. The light in no.2 in particular is beautifully captured.

Some stunning shots, some that inspire thought and awe.

Great set!

I might be a bit cheeky and suggest a slight colour shift in the 3rd image (Fisheye). The subject matter is excellent but the colours don't flow with the rest of the set.

Edit: Upon looking at it again it seems to be the sunset colours that are causing the shift - perhaps on its own the image would stand out a bit less.

That opening image is quite something, Bill. I'm thinking there's more than a myth or two equating hair with power - I'd definitely title this one 'Nature's hair'. Regarding the Sea Stacks I agree with Lenny above - the crashing waves are just right, especially in 5 and 6. And I'll second his assessment of #13, what a capture (and so much to see in it - keeps the eye and mind alert) . #11 is meditative yet vibrant (again, great choice of shutter speed - giving just the right amount of not-quite-movement to the grass). #9 is the dark one (the Beatles' 'revolution #9 just popped into my head as I wrote that - and I think it actually fits the image's strangeness), with a deep sense of solitude (perhaps loneliness is the better term?) emanating from the apparent separation of the individual dwellings, each one facing different parts of the stark surroundings - and yet there is also a sense of comfort in their relative proximity, as if they are looking after each other. 1, 9, 11, 13 - my pick of the lot!

The second one for me please Bill

I'm going for the abstact'y pattern trio, with the first one being outstanding

Wow! Ball park, hitting it and outer spring to mind!

Love that opening image, the way the lines reminds me of a giant roll of mint humbug rock being rolled out ready for finishing and cooling! I think its ace!

Pic 2 - Awesome composition and the light kissing the tops of the stacks and cliffs

6 - Awesome

10 - Isolation

13 - If I had a mic, I'd do a mic drop and walk away! Simply stunning!

Absolutely stellar. It's archetypal beach shots with pzazz up the wazoo.

In short, very nice. Love the lot of them. 1, 5, 9, 13 really appeal to me.

Thanks Al, Rick, Peter, John L, Phil, John R, John S, Haris, Serge, Peter, Barrie, Gareth and Ben... was quite a trip...

Al and Rick, yes, the wind had started to drop by the time I got out to the bottom end of Lewis... pretty exposed headland, so glad of it... ended up having a very beautiful evening... had been as windy as I've been out in with a camera in this country down in Harris...

John L, yes, no.13 was a bit of a puzzle... one of those ones where you know there's huge potential but you're trying to work out what the strongest pov is... and where you have to be very clear with your choices... as soon as you walk forward into the sand, it destroys the pattern... no.1 was a surprise... I'd driven past the river the previous day and thought it looked interesting, so stopped on my way back... and found a spot that looked promising... but took me a while, and plenty of attempts to work out what it might be... no worries re Fisheye shot... I was trying to see if I could shed a bit of new light on Mangersta... and wondered if the fisheye might do it... liked how it puts the Stacks into context, but might be a bit too weird! No. 9 was a surprise... had been heavy cloud and flat light all through the dawn, which suddenly (as it often does round these parts) started to break up into layers...

John R... yes, discretion is the better part etc... turns out I'd have been stuck, as it happens, so pretty pleased I managed to get away in time...

John S... yes, I was rather hoping it might keep on doing this for a while on the light front, but as so often, it really didn't look like this for long...

Haris... thanks for thoughts re colours in 3... yes, I know what you mean... prob my fault for posting them out of order... in terms of sequence of shooting, it would be number 7... proper sunset, and just before the afterglow shot of 8...

Serge... yes, it was the "hair" thing I was trying to go after... quite a surprise at first, but started to appear as I slowed the shutter speed down so went after it... something to do I think with the (mottled) river bed below, and the (dark) skies above... quite unusual... 13 was a 360 degree puzzle and the sort of thing I usually end up staring at for ages till my eyes go a bit funny... 11 was windy! Wild and soft at the same time... and 9 as you say really was all about the solitude... there's something dark and wild there...

Barrie, yes, agree, there are views aplenty in the Hebrides, but there's always something else going on... one of the things that keeps drawing me back...

Thanks Gareth... haven't ever seen a humbug being made, but you've got me all interested now! 10 was a personal favourite place... looked interesting on the map, so wanted to have a look... massive... just massive... and huge tidal range... one of those places that goes on for ever...

Ben, thank you, excellent choice of language... I'll be adding to my dictionary...

Thanks again all... will post some Harris shots in a bit...

Best