A critical tool in photography is a sturdy tripod. Photography is capturing light and time. A tripod not only steadies the camera, it helps slow you, and to help be certain of the precise image you want. And of course, it steadies the camera. Several times in Scotland, the spring winds were over 50 mph, and it was necessary to put the camera on the tripod and push it down from the top to keep it steady, even at a high shutter speed.
When we cancelled the rest of our photo tour and drove back to Inverness, we made one last photo stop in Invermoriston where the River Moriston flows into Loch Ness. So the trio of a Scot, an Aussie and a Yank stood on the bridge, and captured scenes as the weather changed from sunshine to rain to snow to sunshine to rain in less than an hour. The bridge is over an extended waterfall, and the first image is of water rushing around a large rock. A tripod is essential to capture this five seconds of water flowing on to Loch Ness. Perhaps it’s the birth of a new monster.
Rock and flow
Waiting out the rain, then it turned to snow, then the snow moved off to the west, and I ran across the bridge to get the last of the snow in the distance. It looked as if this would be a final fitting scene to take of Scotland. The snow and rain had saturated the colors in the tree bark, the lichens, the purple branches of the birch and the green of the distant pines still in the snow. Anchoring the scene was the 1813 bridge, so perfectly using the landscape and fitting in it. The two spans spring from the rocky banks and meet on the rocky pier in the middle of the river.
Old Bridge over the River Moriston
The snow quickly left, and blue sky returned as Ian and I enjoyed scene when Alister said, “Mates, look this way.” The sun was low over the mountain to the south, fog and steam were rising out of the trees, and the tall pines on the top of the ridge were casting their shadows through the fog. Another use for the tripod. It held the camera while my extended hand helped block the sunlight from hitting the lens pointed toward the sun. Then it was time to fold the tripod, and continue on the way home.
Above the River Moriston