Agreed - absolutely superb shot.

Just joined my local club a week or two ago and they played all the winners from the North Counties photography thing on Wednesday night. As the winners went through I recognised your name. Cracking image and well done.

You've just reminded me - got some light painting ones of Ardvreck Castle on Loch Assynt I haven't looked at yet.

Cheers again

Couple more added from last week. Still going through them.

Pier at Elgol. Wellies are always handy..














More work on the halo





Another Reflections shot





Trying to be minimal - better angle might have included a bit of an island on the horizon that might have improved it. Just realised I've put up the one before the dust spot removal....





Snapshot from above the motorway on the way home. Fog closed right in and I was very tired on the drive home so I turned off. Missed the best of the conditions but took this as a wee one to play with.

An excellent set indeed. Third is my favourite for the simplicity and colour.

Ah! Really awkward to shoot as the sky had such strange light. I went to landscape format for the next shot but the sun broke through the cloud and basically burnt everything out. Heres a warts and all shot just before the long exposure above (I always take a normal length exposure first to check the histogram). You'll note how dull the tones actually were. My mate has a far better shot of it than me - I'll give him a shout as I don't know if he's played with any of his yet.

Excuse the dust spots - produced just for the circle thing.

A few more from last week that I've gone through. A couple I quite like and a couple that are near misses. I think the real atmosphere was down in the mist itself. Beautiful view from above but maybe not right for atmosphere.

Another of the church at Keswick on Sunday morning.





View of Skiddaw a wee while after sunrise




Not a normal shot for me but I was trying out the little 40mm ltd and liked the texture in the ropes.





Trees on Loch Assynt not long after dawn. Not one I'd normally put up but I was intrigued by the bright ring in the sky encircling the sun (sun is actually behind a small cloud behind the trees). If anyone knows what it is let me know. Strange.





Some trees down below Falcon Crag. Awkward to get to but I'll be investigating them next time its misty. Could be a nice vantage point.





Another from the curiously colourless dawn on Loch Assynt hence the mono toning (playing with a demo of silver efex). Not quite there but I liked the arrangement of the rocks and their angles.





One that I'd like to have worked out. I'd just put everything away when the launch came out of the mist and the autofocus went on the 60-250 so missed the optimal position. A shame as it could have been a belter.





A postcard shot of Derwent Water to finish. I really need to get back into the Scottish ones.

I was actually quite interested in the Samyang - not too far away in Penrith so easy enough to sort something out.

Thank you

I've travelled a fair bit throughout Europe (drove through France, Switzerland, Italy, Austria and Germany just a couple of months ago) but I have to say I have never been so at home as I was in Sutherland. It was superb at every turn and the mountains were amazing, primeval things. The beaches were fabulous, turquoise water and white sands.

Joe Cornish's book "Scotlands Mountains" arrived this week - fabulous views of this very area.

Cheers again folks

I'd kept a low profile for a bit Mark as there seemed to be too much squabbling going on. I tok up photography as a way of relaxing (although its got to be a bit more than that). There are a number of excellent photographers on here that I can learn from and certainly pick up Pentax related tips so I decided to keep posting.

I've never really had an issue with flare - if I'm shooting into harsh light (a very rare occurrence) I don't tend to use them which is probably why I don't get flare. Light is key at all times and I tend to shoot at certain times of day when the quality is at its best - dawn and just after is way and above my favourite time of day.

The B&W 10 stopper is my favourite piece of kit. Can make even dull days interesting.

Thanks very much folks - appreciate the nice comments.

Just counting down the minutes till I can get up to Sutherland again. Majestic scenery but unfortunately the conditions meant I have no good shots of Suilven, Stac Pollaidh or any of the amazing hills up there. On the last morning we picked a high viewpoint looking over Suilven and Canisp for dawn. It didn't really work out but was amazing to watch them develop their own cloud formations as dawn progressed. I'd actually seen a wee croft up in the hills behind us that was way off the (very minor) road with only a tiny rocky track leading up to it. It was only at dawn that I realised it was there due to a small gap in the hills allowing it a view of Suilven - thats the second picture. You don't get any idea of the scale but I've put both these in to give an idea. A bit more thinking required next time to do them justice. A mate and I will be going up in February and a bit of winter walking will be done to get the right viewpoints.