Storm over the isle of Rum
Back to that ‘essence’ topic again.
As I work through the bunch of transparencies lying around, i’m aware that I just seem to be interested in those which impart a sense of mood and that have an ‘elemental’ aspect to them.
I do a couple of workshops on the Isle of Eigg each year, because I feel it’s a great place to study the same landscape time and time again.
What I’ve noticed over the last three years of visiting Eigg, is how the light changes so rapidly there. Mood and drama come and go so quickly. It’s very hard to impart that with a wide angle lens sometimes. The isle of Rum is a big presence on the landscape and often the mood and changing light happens in and around the Cuillin ridges of this mountainous island. I’ve just never really managed to capture it because it’s so easy to go wide angle all the time.
Well this shot was a deliberate effort on my part to look beyond the immediate beach, and take advantage of the rain in the distance.
Rain is a beautiful thing. It’s atmospheric properties can’t be overstated I feel. Rain can be used to veil subjects – to conceal them, turning them into opaque tones of mystery.
They have a saying on the isle of Eigg.
“If you can’t see Rum, it’s because it’s raining, and if you can, it’s because it’s not raining – yet’.
That’s one of the many reasons why I love Scotland’s landscape. It’s moody, it’s changeable, it makes for surprising gifts in the way of fleeting light. It’s also a challenge at times, and when things do conspire to provide a beautiful moment, the moment is more enjoyable because you know, deep down, that it’s rare and something to be absorbed and enjoyed greatly.
Seconded. Another sight is afternoon sunlight on the sea looking west to a Hebridean island, eg http://thelightcavalry.zenfolio.com/blog/2012/4/over-the-sea-to-skye
Comment by markadams99 — 11 August, 2012 @ 9:47 pm
I find these images very elegant. Much like looking at the spirit of the landscape rather than the physical.
Comment by Omer — 11 August, 2012 @ 10:28 pm
Hi Mark,
Were your images shot from near Applecross towards Skye? I’ve so often ‘visualised’ those shots myself, but I’m no telephoto shooter. I often drive past and think better of it. I have to spend a lot of time convincing myself to go telephoto – I don’t know why. But I really enjoyed looking at your images. Mark.
Comment by Bruce Percy — 11 August, 2012 @ 10:40 pm
Hi Omer,
Yes, I like the idea that an image can be vague, less a composition of a meaningful location but instead – a picture of atmosphere. I think that’s what you’re saying about the ‘sprit’ (in my language – ‘essence’), rather than looking at the landscape (the literal).
For me, and by the sounds of it – for you too – images are graphical-emotions, and it’s irrelevant what the shot is about, so long as it takes us somewhere in our imagination. :-)
Comment by Bruce Percy — 11 August, 2012 @ 10:43 pm
Bruce, a couple of miles north of Applecross there’s a big stretch of sand which can turn into bars of light at lowish tide in the afternoon.
I have your blog on feed, having come across it recently, and hope to join one of your courses when the stars are aligned. I learn your honesty and self-critiques. Your superb images risk the anemia of perfection and a too mauve colour key. You should fool around more in search of emotional and esthetic impact.
Comment by markadams99 — 11 August, 2012 @ 11:35 pm