― Scapes Critique ⇒ A Walk On The Moor at Dusk- Isle of Harris

[minniev]

Gorgeous, Minnie, simply gorgeous. I have visited Ireland any times and know what you mean about the peat bogs. My mother was born in Norther Ireland; as I child, I would ask her what her older brothers did for work (she was the 9th of 13) and she would reply; "Oh, they worked on the roads." I had no idea what that meant till my first visit and saw that the roads were built over the bogs, and were constantly slipping back into the bogs with use. They had to be rebuilt every year.

I can almost smell the heather from the clarity of your photo. Stunning light. Great memory .. Matt

Thank you Matt, I am glad it conveyed so much of what I wanted it to. As you know, that's what we seek, but it is elusive!

[uuglypher]

In a slight departure from the classic wide-view kitchen sink look, I experimented with a more intimate version to try somewhat vainly to capture the feel of being on a remote moor alone at dusk. It is impossible to appreciate their beauty without showing a closer view of the tiny details of Scottish heather, which blooms at end of summer. The lodging house where I stayed is visible in the distance against the hills. If you ever tried to imagine, as I did, what a walk on a moor was like- I had no idea the ground was so boggy, even on hilltops and slopes, The peat holds the water so there is no drainage. Good boots are essential, a stick is trouble, and my usual manner of crawling around on the ground for angles got very messy.

All suggestions or edits welcome.

The full-frame image is a breath-stripper! From the detail of the precariously but perfectly late sun-lit bloomin' heather to the
the progressive steps of depth recession through the landscape any viewer who has trekked such moors can feel the cold, wet knee or rump as one kneels or deeply squats (respectively) to get such a perspective in the viewer!
A wonderful capture, Min.

For those able to view stereo pairs this image lends itself incredibly well to 3D conversion. (Min has a tendency to produce a high proportion of such images, capturing a plenitude of monocular depth cues!)

[Graham Smith]

In a slight departure from the classic wide-view kitchen sink look, I experimented with a more intimate version to try somewhat vainly to capture the feel of being on a remote moor alone at dusk. It is impossible to appreciate their beauty without showing a closer view of the tiny details of Scottish heather, which blooms at end of summer. The lodging house where I stayed is visible in the distance against the hills. If you ever tried to imagine, as I did, what a walk on a moor was like- I had no idea the ground was so boggy, even on hilltops and slopes, The peat holds the water so there is no drainage. Good boots are essential, a stick is trouble, and my usual manner of crawling around on the ground for angles got very messy.

All suggestions or edits welcome.

A fine picture Minnie especially considering the weather conditions.

[minniev]

In a slight departure from the classic wide-view kitchen sink look, I experimented with a more intimate version to try somewhat vainly to capture the feel of being on a remote moor alone at dusk. It is impossible to appreciate their beauty without showing a closer view of the tiny details of Scottish heather, which blooms at end of summer. The lodging house where I stayed is visible in the distance against the hills. If you ever tried to imagine, as I did, what a walk on a moor was like- I had no idea the ground was so boggy, even on hilltops and slopes, The peat holds the water so there is no drainage. Good boots are essential, a stick is trouble, and my usual manner of crawling around on the ground for angles got very messy.

All suggestions or edits welcome.

The full-frame image is a breath-stripper! From the detail of the precariously but perfectly late sun-lit bloomin' heather to the
the progressive steps of depth recession through the landscape any viewer who has trekked such moors can feel the cold, wet knee or rump as one kneels or deeply squats (respectively) to get such a perspective in the viewer!
A wonderful capture, Min.

For those able to view stereo pairs this image lends itself incredibly well to 3D conversion. (Min has a tendency to produce a high proportion of such images, capturing a plenitude of monocular depth cues!)
IMG_1124.PNG

Thank you Dave. In this case, I was kneeling, and wet from knees down! I'm glad that slight cast of late light across the flowers shows up, it's pretty subtle.

[minniev]

In a slight departure from the classic wide-view kitchen sink look, I experimented with a more intimate version to try somewhat vainly to capture the feel of being on a remote moor alone at dusk. It is impossible to appreciate their beauty without showing a closer view of the tiny details of Scottish heather, which blooms at end of summer. The lodging house where I stayed is visible in the distance against the hills. If you ever tried to imagine, as I did, what a walk on a moor was like- I had no idea the ground was so boggy, even on hilltops and slopes, The peat holds the water so there is no drainage. Good boots are essential, a stick is trouble, and my usual manner of crawling around on the ground for angles got very messy.

All suggestions or edits welcome.

A fine picture Minnie especially considering the weather conditions.

Thanks Graham. I resigned myself to the weather quickly, and tried to work around it. It had its sweet spots, too, of course, and since I had nothing to compare it to, I was happy!

[PietFrancke]

seeing the place and where you are I can tell that a straight line is not the way to go to get someplace. It gives me a sinking feeling to think about walking back in dusk and meeting the hound who is home there.

[minniev]

seeing the place and where you are I can tell that a straight line is not the way to go to get someplace. It gives me a sinking feeling to think about walking back in dusk and meeting the hound who is home there.

There are no straight lines there, but few hounds either and those are both elegant and leashed. A million or so sheep wander at will through the boggy land, and the occasional cow. The sinking feeling is merely your boots miring up to your knees in the peat.

[uuglypher]

Min,
This imAge called to mind a mystery that I've pondered since my first trip to Scotland in 1970...One can slog across a sodden moor, high Wellies sinking into water just under the protruding heather ... and even on a 30° slope have no sense that the water is flowing downhill...'tho it must be??????

Is that just me, or did you get the same feeling?

[minniev]

Min,
This imAge called to mind a mystery that I've pondered since my first trip to Scotland in 1970...One can slog across a sodden moor, high Wellies sinking into water just under the protruding heather ... and even on a 30° slope have no sense that the water is flowing downhill...'tho it must be??????

Is that just me, or did you get the same feeling?

Exactly. I thought to find sold footing on steep slopes and angles that would normally shed water. Nope. Bog can hold water at a pretty sharp incline and remain quite happily boggy on an angle.

[St3v3M]

This Is What You Were Made For! S-