Dramatic sunset beams

Down on Tralee beach just before sunset today. I had been hoping to photo the sun's orb as it dropped below the horizon but distant cloud blocked it. Luckily, before that happened I got these shots with dramatic dark shadow beams. The CalMac ferry is heading out of Oban towards Mull on its way to the outer isles. There's also a wee fishing boat to the right. The "mirage" effect on this one is quite jolly and the seagull just happened to pass at the right moment in the second picture.

We seem to be one of the few parts of the UK without snow so far this week, but it was a chilly -5C when I took these at about 3:30pm.

First of December

We are having daytime temperatures of -3C and the east od the UK has had up to 25cm of snow. But the Grampian moutains are keeping the snow away from the west coast and the crisp, cold air is producing terrific lighting in mid-afternoon as seen in this view of Ben Cruachan and Loch Etive from the Connel Bridge.

I used my 30x telephoto lens to take this shot of Cruachan from the same spot.

November freeze

Frozen floodwater at the top of Tralee beach, Benderloch.

Loch Etive mid-November 2010

 Photos taken from the north shore of Loch Etive, late afternoon.  Still some autumn colour present and the first winter snow on Ben Cruachan.

In the Forest

It was a lovely sunny but cold weekend after the first hill snow of the winter. I took a walk up Ben Lora through the forest and got this image of the mid-afternoon sun through the conifers. Its an HDR shot using six differently exposed photographs.

Steve now has a shop

Photographs and Artwork by Steve Eccles of Benderloch in the Scottish West Highlands.


I now have a sales area where you can purchase prints of my photos. On offer are a range of services including greetings cards, mounted prints, posters, and for that special occasion, framed prints with a choice of frames to suit you and the mood of the picture.


Prices range from £1.60 for cards up to around £80 for large framed prints (P&P extra). Some volume discounts available.


Click here.

Loch Etive

  A lovely weekend in the West Highlands Temperature just warm enough not to need a coat during the afternoon but it been getting down to one degree above freezing at night with some white frost visible at dawn.

This was a shirt sleeve walk along the north shore of Loch Etive at low tide.

Loch Etive and Ben Cruachan

Heron ready to pounce

Ardchattan Kirk on the left

Ardchattan Kirk Cross

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One of the Celtic crosses on a memorial in the graveyard at Ardchattan Kirk on the shore of Loch Etive. I felt the sun through the clouds and behind the cross made for a dramatic #hdr picture.

 

Cloud and Shore

The weather has been poor for a few days so it was nice to see the sun again today. This evening a mackerel sky started to break and produced these dramatic clouds.

Earlier in the day I at an art exhibition  in Appin and afterwards wandered onto the shore of Loch Linnhe where I shot this view looking south down the loch.

Noticed this rusty nautical chain in the shingle which made a nice HDR photo composition with the contrast of the Sea Mayweed flowers. (I think that's what they are - there are more in the picture above.)

Another cloud study view

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Following last night’s sunset view from my study (see below) today the clouds were a little different.

Sunset from my study

A quickly taken photo of the brief sunset we had last night. Ten minutes later it was raining.

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Sun and skies

My usual walk to the beach the other evening provided a chance for some interesting sunset-time photos including this pastel like effect:

We’re looking at Ben na Cille on the west side of Loch Linnhe and here ir is again some moments later:

Once down on the beach I had a play with some stones keeping the camera just inches away

and produced this scene of pseudo standing stones against the sunset.

By the side of the beach track flag iris are now in bloom:

On the way home the sky was being reflected in the windows of St Modan’s church.

Woolfest Benderloch 2010

A short film I made at Woolfest, the 2010 Festival of Wool held at the local market in Benderloch,
We see wool spinning and "waulking" - the ancient process of shrinking the newly woven tweed as practised in the Scottish Highlands and Islands accompanied by traditional Gaelic songs.

Summer gales

Scottish schools broke up for the summer holidays last week so inevitably the hot, sunny weather has disappeared to be replaced by a day of gales and heavy showers.






This was Sunday afternoon, July 4th on the beach at Benderloch. Stone throwing into the breakers was one way of keeping warm.

June orchids

This year's weather seems to have been good for the wild orchids growing by the old gravel pits. This shot was taken from ground level using multiple exposures to capture the range of tones in the flowerheads.

A close-up - perhape I should call it a bee's-eye view.

Midsummer sunset panorama

Panorama taken from Ben Lora, Benderloch about 10:15pm on midsummer's day. The view to the Morvern hills looks over the village to Loch Linnhe and the island of Lismore with Loch Creran and the Port Appin peninsula on the right.

Walking to the beach the low sun was streaming through the wood and catching the flowerheads of this cow parsley.

In the old gravel pits area above the beach are numerous marsh orchids this year. There's been very little rain recently and the usually flooded areas have dried out. Maybe this has helped the orchids growing on the margins as they do seem taller and more plentiful than usual.

Looking south over Tralee Bay about 10pm. The sun was setting to my right and the moon shone over the sea.

My final view of the evening looking back to the beach from the gateway.

Pastel sunset

I liked the way the colours mixed in this shot of the sunset from the beach last night.

Striking sunset

I've been taking a walk to the beach shortly before sunset on three out of the last four evenings. I was mainly doing video of the sunsets but took a few static shots as well. Here  are some of the photos I obtained.

Through the conifers on the way to the beach.

Just above the shingle east end of the beach was this group of late flowering narcissi, dramatic against the changing sky colours.

Still in the shingle area, a low-level HDR shot where the green of the seaweed adds a nice counter to the oranges and yellows.

The sun disappears over the hills of Morvern.

The previous night the colours were different and the main interest was in the sky shadows cast by the clouds after the sun had set.


I liked this scene enough to make a pencil sketch and took the photo as an afterthought when the effect was fading.

The pencil sketch of the view.

Around Connel bridge

Stopped of at Connel bridge viewpoint to do some sketching today and couldn't resist taking a few photos too.

Above the rock pool (hdr)

The bridge

Thrift flowers by the rock pool (hdr)

Looking over the entrance to Loch Etive to the hill of Ben Lora above Benderloch








Finally, more thrift on lichen covered rocks.

Lambs

These lambs very obligingly posed for me against the sunset. a couple of evenings ago.

Spring at Connel Bridge

The tree coming in to leaf nicely sets off this afternoon's view of Connel bridge. (HDR image)

The view from the seat by the bridge today.