We were so pleased to be back at Forsinard Lodge this time for a week of water photography including the sea, lochs, waterfalls, and water droplets. Everything water.
On our first day, we went to Berridale Bridge, a beautiful small bay that helped us relax and get into the photography zone as a warm-up.
After having some refreshments in a nearby cafe, we continued on to Dunbeath. This lovely coastal village is the birthplace of the author Neil Gunn. There were plenty of interesting sights to photograph, and it was a great opportunity to use flash with David's expert advice at hand.
In the afternoon it was a leisurely drive over to Loch Mor. This place felt remote and beautiful. We took photos of the flowing weir, experimenting with different camera speeds and filter
On Tuesday we set off with David and Janet to photograph Big Burn. This beautiful area has numerous photographic opportunities ranging from waterfalls to mosses. You could spend a few days here and still find something different to capture.
We ended the day on the beach attempting to photograph Dunrobin Castle but the lighting made it difficult to get a good shot. It's a great excuse to return and try again.
David and Janet are very easy to be with. You can ask them anything about photography and they can advise you. It doesn’t matter whether it’s equipment, technique, creativity or settings they can help.
Wednesday was a day in the studio and not a bad idea given the weather took a turn for the worst. We had an interesting and challenging time photographing falling droplets and refraction on droplets. We enjoyed learning how to set the scene up and finding out what worked and what didn’t.
Our fourth day already and it was off to the coast. We crossed the Kyle of Tongue and headed to a remote beach where we didn't see any other people. This is one of the things we appreciate about Wild Arena and being at Forsinard; you go to a lot of places where it is very quiet and it is unlikely anyone has photographed there before. Such a rarity these days. We liked the rock formation in this area and also spotted seals and various seabirds.
We could have stayed at this beach all day but there were other places to visit. We drove to Talmine and spent time in a small harbour where we captured the waves crashing against the sea wall and more detailed shots of water droplets on seaweed.
All too soon it was our last day. We had asked if we could spend the day photographing Loch landscapes.
We drove out over the hills towards Loch Naver stopping along the route to capture photographs of the lochs that caught our eye. Patience was needed as we waited for the right moment to press the shutter, as the correct light can make all the difference to the shot.
An interesting thing to visit and photograph was Broch Dun Dornaigil. Although it was a challenging shot to take it was worth it. On the way back to Kyle of Tongue, we came across many birch trees and we stopped to photograph them. What's great about being with Wild Arena is that you set off with a plan in mind and actually achieve it but there is also flexibility where David and Janet are willing to stop if you happen to spot something you want to photograph, and there are plenty of things.
During our time here we saw red deer, hen harriers, osprey, black guillemot, black-throated divers, shags, cormorants, sky larks and many other small birds.
All too soon it was the end of a wonderful week of photography. A very good week with excellent company and tasty meals. We can’t wait to get back to Forsinard to see what other delights it gives us.