Zen Scrapbook

I have heard from a lot of people that they are struggling with Lightroom of late. Admittedly I was an avid fan of Apple's Aperture when it was available and it did take me some time to get used to Adobe's Lightroom.

Cramond is a village that lies north west of Edinburgh between the Forth River and the Almond River. The line of concrete pylons was built from Cramond Island to the shore to complete the anti-boat barrier (which is often misidentified as an anti-submarine barrier - the water is far too shallow). It was constructed during World War 2 to protect the Forth Rail Bridge and Rosyth dockyard.

I attended a course on "QGIS Conversion Training" on Friday, run by EDINA at The University of Edinburgh. For those that don't know QGIS (Quantum Geographical Information System) is an open source alternative to ESRI's ArcGIS.

Over the last few years QGIS has become more popular, partly as it is now as powerful as ArcGIS and partly due to it being open source (therefore free). Many companies are now switching to it as it doesn't require long term costly contracts with ESRI, and it runs on all the major Operating Systems (Windows, Mac OS X and Linus).

The course was excellent and although I have had previous experience of QGIS this course really filled in a lot of gaps, it covered:

Setting up QGIS

Working with Data

Creating Data

Geoprocessing

Advanced Visualisation.

I was pleasantly surprised at how good the course was, how well run and how well presented it was. It was quite possibly the best course I have been on. EDINA will be running this course again in the future, if you are interested get in touch with Tom Armitage, who will be able to give you more information about the next date that the QGIS course will take place and costs associated with it.

I have become acutely aware that the darker my mood is the darker my photo edits become. I guess that is why they are called moodscapes.

A few shots from Cambuskenneth Abbey, near Stilring. It is a ruined Augustinian monastery. The abbey is mostly reduced to it's foundations although the campanile (bell tower) still stands. The abbey fell into disuse during the Scottish reformation when the abbey was looted and burned. The campanile was restored in 1859 and the crown acquired the land in 1908, Historic Scotland now mange the area. 

Never has the rain been so hard when I got to Carrbridge on Wednesday. To say I was disappointed would be an understatement. While the rest of the UK baked in 30 degrees Scotland froze it's ass off in a balmy 16 degrees, with thunderstorms and rain (and hail in some locations). Still, you can't do anything about the weather without an industrial revolution and a hundred years of polluting so I had to suck it up! I will return to this location later in the year.

On the bright side, I discovered the magic of Haggis Lasagne at the Cairn Hotel while waiting on the rain to go off, it's a cosy place with the worst wifi in Scotland but the Haggis Lasagne was unbelievably good. I've put a link to their website, be warned, the website matches their wifi...

Carrbridge's most famous landmark is the packhorse bridge, from which the village is named. The bridge, built in 1717, is the oldest stone bridge in the Highlands. It was severely damaged in the "muckle spate" of 1829 (a great flood in August 1829), which left it in the condition seen today. It is now unstable and walking over it is not recommended. The packhorse bridge celebrated it's 300th anniversary in May this year. There is discussion as to whether it is the oldest stone bridge in Scotland or the oldest in the Highlands.

The choices we make reveal the true nature of our character.

Going for an almost 320 mile drive today to get a picture, passing through the Cairngorm mountains and up to the capital of the highlands, Inverness. Truth be told I am going for a little more than a picture. But, a great shot at Carrbridge of Scotlands (allegedly) oldest stone bridge with a great sunset would be nice. It'd be a tough trip to go back on a nicer evening to get that shot. But I guess that's the kind of choices I have been making lately.

I have been on an unfamiliar path for a while now and I haven't been taking the time to look around and see what is going on, assessing my surroundings and asking myself questions. I think the questions we ask ourselves shape our path. I have travelled a fair amount recently, looking for new paths to follow and I have been disappointed at where I have been.

Time for a new direction, via Inverness if nothing else.

After driving to Glencoe I thought it was worthwhile driving on to Corpach to finally visit the abandoned boat on the seashore. I have always been fascinated with old boats like this, I like to wonder what their story is and how they come to their final resting place.

It's an old fishing vessel, and I couldn't really find much information about it, apart from the news story that it's emergency beacon caused a major air and sea search. Apparently the beacon may have been triggered as it deteriorated. The report said that the vessel was abandoned "at some point" during the past ten years.

With a break in the particularly miserable weather we have been experiencing in Scotland over the past week I took the opportunity to drive back up to Glencoe. I specifically wanted to get some photographs of Buachaille Etive Mòr. This is probably the most recognisable mountain in Scotland, a large pyramidal form that can be seen when travelling into Glen Coe from the Rannoch Moor side on the A82 (not that there is any other roads to travel on).

The Scottish Gaelic translation of Buachaille Etive Mòr is 'the herdsman of Etive'. I forget how many times I have summited this mountain and the munro's that are on its ridge but it remains one of my favourite places to be.

David Stirling was the founder of the Special Air Service. He was born in Doune, Stirling (1915). He entered the second world war as a sub-lieutenant and volunteered for the newly formed No. 8 Commando Unit which in 1941 formed a group called Layforce which was trying to reduce the advance of the German Africa Corps in North Africa.

Stirling was frustrated when Layforce was disbanded as he saw a opportunity for a small mobile force being able to cause considerable damage to the enemy. After discussions with British Deputy Commander in the middle east (General Ritchie) the formation of the Special Air Service took place.

He was captured by the Italians in 1943 and after four escapes they handed him over to the Germans where he was placed in Colditz Castle. He spent the rest of the war there. In the 15 months up to his capture it has been reported that the SAS had destroyed over 250 enemy aircraft on the ground, hundreds of vehicles and a huge quantity of stored supplies.

Field Marshall Montgomery was quoted as saying "The boy Stirling is quite mad, quite, quite mad. However, in a war there is often a place for mad people."

A bizarre and beautiful folly (folly - costly ornamental building with no practical purpose, especially a tower or mock-Gothic ruin built in a large garden or park). Yes, I had to google the definition.

The Pineapple, often described as the most bizarre building Scotland, is located in Dunmore Park, near Airth in Stirlingshire. The Pineapple was built in 1761 by the Earl of Dunmore as a summerhouse where he could appreciate the views from his estate. At this time pineapples were among Scotland's most exotic foods. The Dunmore estate was broken up and sold in lots in 1970 and the Pineapple was originally bought by the Countess of Perth and subsequently given to the National Trust for Scotland.

To be honest I am not sure what the National Trust is doing with this amazing place, it's almost as if they don't want people to visit it. The road into the car park is very poorly signposted and the road itself is derelict. There are some nice woodland walks around the folly and the gardens. From what I witnessed, on a sunny Friday afternoon, it is very popular and many people take the time to visit. Don't take the lack of people in my photographs as a sign of how popular this place is though, it's more a sign of my patience than anything.

For some reason I remember going to this building when I was very young and thought it was somewhere in the south of Scotland. Much to my amazement, it's roughly 15 minutes drive away. I have been planning to visit the Pineapple for some time and as it was a rather nice sunny day it seemed like the perfect time to go. I am happy that I took this chance with some free time that I had today.

An impromptu trip to Glencoe with @alycoste at the weekend. With lightning and thunderstorms predicted for the Saturday we used the power of positive thinking to keep the bad weather away. Ok I used the power of positive thinking and Alayne laughed at my attempt to sway the universe. Although it was very humid on Saturday afternoon, the rain kept away, mostly. Sunday was very hot and sunny and we both got sunburnt! Ah Scotland, how I love your twisted sense of humour. We visited four different areas over two days, The Lost Valley, Ballachullish, Glencoe Lochan and Glen Etive.

The Lost Valley

A valley that the McDonald's used to hide stolen cattle in. I have no idea how they got cattle up into this area though, in some areas it's a bit of a scramble to get up! There are lots of great places to stop for photographs, especially the pools and waterfalls on the way up to the valley floor (it's a hanging valley).

Ballachulish

Surrounded by some of the most dramatic and beautiful scenery in Scotland, Ballachulish is a perfect base for exploring the amazing landscape of Glencoe. This village used to be the 'slate capital' of Scotland and the disused quarries can be still seen nearby. The bridge connects North and South Ballachulish. We got there around nine at night hoping for a great sunset but as can be seen there was a fair bit of cloud still hanging around.

Glencoe Lochan

Glencoe Lochan is a tract of forest located just north of Glencoe village. It was planted/transplanted from the Pacific Northwest of Canada in the nineteenth century by Donald Alexander Smith and the area around the lochan is often said to look like a miniature Lake Louise in British Columbia. His wife, Isabella, became homesick after moving to this estate in 1895 and he built this Lochan in an attempt to abate his wife's depression. Alas, she moved back to Canada anyway. Another Scotsman spurned by a crazy Canadian woman. ;-)

Glen Etive

My final set of photographs from my recent trip to The Netherlands. I spent the day in Rotterdam with @catwith8lives soaking in the sun and wandering around the city. Rotterdam is a major port city in the Dutch province of South Holland. It has a long seafaring history. During the second world war it was almost totally destroyed and since then it is renown for its bold modern architecture.

I haven't spent a lot of time in Rotterdam, although I have a few photos in my back catalogue. I was eager to take some shots of the Erasmusbrug, which you will notice from the images below is missing. The shots I got of it were just so bad I would be embarrassed to display them publicly. The light was 'weird' and I couldn't get the angle I wanted and I have about another 40 excuses I could use, but really my problem was that I wanted the shot to be at night and long exposure. I guess I will take this into account the next time I am there and not go on the sunniest hottest day ever in the middle of summer. The ‘Erasmusbrug’ (Erasmus Bridge) is one of the icons of Rotterdam. One of Holland’s most famous bridges, it was officially opened by Queen Beatrix in 1996 as an important connection between the Northern and Southern parts of Rotterdam. One day I will get the shot that I want, it just didn't happen on this day...

Two interpretations of The Hague. Much like my thinking when I am here.

I always enjoy being here. I enjoy spending time with my friends and hanging out in Huppel de Pub, 't Ogenblik and of course getting my hair cut in Studio Noordeinde. Much of my time here is now spent meeting clients or taking photographs.

Wednesday offered an opportunity to visit the historical city of Leiden. Leiden is a city in the Dutch province of South Holland. It’s known for its centuries-old architecture and for Leiden University, the country’s oldest, dating from 1575. The university houses the Hortus botanicus Leiden Botanical Garden, founded in 1590, where the tulip was introduced to Western Europe. The Museum de Lakenhal displays works by the Dutch Masters including Rembrandt, who was born in Leiden. I didn't get to the botanical garden or the Lekenhal museum, but I did have pleasant walk around the city canals and the Leiden market! 

It has taken me since Sunday to actually getting round to writing and editing the photographs I like from my trip to Giethoorn. Giethoorn is a mostly car-free village in the northeastern Dutch province of Overijssel. It’s known for its boat-filled waterways, footpaths, bicycle trails and centuries-old thatched-roof houses. It borders a section of the Weerribben-Wieden National Park, a marshy area once popular for peat and reed harvesting. Needless to say much fun was had with @catwith8lives in a rented boat on the canals and lake.

It was my second trip to this village and the weather was much more cooperative, it was mostly sunny and cloudy which which made for impressive skylines. This trip was also much more relaxing without the time constraints of being on an organised tour.

I might be a little late posting this but it's worth reading anyway. ;-) 

Apple realised a series of photography videos yesterday for the iPhone 7, a how to guide if you will. Sixteen videos that covers everything from how to shoot a great portrait to shoot a backlit subject. The videos are all around 30 seconds long and although they are for the iPhone 7 the skills are transferable to most iPhones and other smartphones.

Have   added one of the videos below (this one is on how to shoot a close up). The entire series can be found here.