Less Can Often Be More

24/02/2024

Over the past month or so, I have undertaken a few road trips around the north of Scotland. The locations visited are either places I have noticed on previous trips or places identified through research. Whilst these trips include a element of “lets have a look and see”, careful planning and research to identify the best possible locations, time of day to visit etc. are a very important part of ensuring you are in the right place at the right time. Although that is not always true. Sometimes pure chance puts you in the right place at the right time, although you have to also be able to see the potential of the shot. This image of the north ridge of Bruach na Frithe on the Isle of Skye's Cuillin Ridge is just that.
The day was dull, overcast and grey with the Cuillin ridge well "clagged in". We were just having a drive around and with no real thoughts of any photography, and had pulled over to sit for a while, watching the grey, overcast clouds and low mist swirl around the distant mountains. With little or no real expectations I swapped out to the telephoto lens and did a “Thomas Heaton”, that is simply zoom into the distance mountain and capture a small vignette of the scene. Whilst not exactly a portfolio shot, it's a decent image capturing something of the mood and atmosphere of the Scottish Mountains in winter. And a good example of how doing a “Thomas Heaton” can result in some rather unexpected shots, although to be honest I have been employing this technique since before Thomas was born. I always advocate the importance of rather than looking at the whole scene, it is probably sometimes better to just identify those smaller elements that tell the whole story. Often less is more.

And if you are wondering who Thomas Heaton is, check his web site, Thomas Heaton.co.uk