long exposures ...

I wish i could take workshops every week ... i love love love them! It's true ... i mean ...

1. i love learning 

2. i love being inspired 

3. any excuse to take photos

So in the depths of my August when i was feeling uninspired & stuck in the rut i signed myself up for a couple of very different workshops once of which was totally new to me. I have always admired landscape photographers & long exposures specifically but as hard as i try i can't get them right so this was my chance to learn ... & it was awesome. I spent a beautiful fall afternoon shooting on the Norfolk coast & understanding filters & getting the look I had been dreaming on (resulting in me buying said filters & waiting rather impatiently for everything to arrive so i can go practice what i have learnt). So here is something very new & a little different to keep you occupied. & don't forget to head on round the circle of Sisterhood Stories starting with something else very different on the blog of Karrie Drake. & have a wonderful wednesday! 

day one of Scotland ...

Day one in Scotland ... we were lazy! I must add we had a very tired cranky little boy (little did we know just how bad that would get) & the weather wasn't great. It was grey & blaaaaaah ... cold i can handle, rain i can handle ... blah (that's a weather term by the way) i can't handle. It's had to be inspired by blah! 

So we started off by checking out Oban ... it's got a harbor & a main road & not much more to it. & here you can see the very beginning of the boat pictures ... there will be a lot of them. I think they became my "bicycle" of Scotland! 

                                Lensbaby Composer Pro & Edge 80

With nothing else planned for the afternoon we took the Munchkin & headed to The Scottish Sea Life Sanctuary which was a whole 10 minutes from our cottage & a ticket lasted a week (perfect for the munchkin). It was a little slice of Jacob heaven ... & i liked the jelly fishes! 

                                Lensbaby Composer Pro & Sweet 35

                                Lensbaby Composer Pro & Double Glas

So having explored the aquarium with a gradually increasingly grumpy Jacob we found a little haven of tranquility ... the sanctuary was on the shores of Loch Creran & oh my was it beautiful. The kind of beautiful that takes your breath away. It seemed i had officially arrived in Scotland (well the Scotland i pictured in my head). Unfortunately up to this point i had only taken my lensbaby with me but i knew i would be returning!

                 Lensbaby Composer Pro & Double Glass

                                Lensbaby Composer Pro & Edge 80

So after dinner (keeping mind this is Scotland so basically my bed time) i headed out to work on some long exposures, making a return to the shoreline of Loch Creran (i couldn't help myself) with my 24-70mm for company ...

                                Nikon 24-70mm

... & then across the bridge at Connel down to the edge of Loch Etive. Well the skies weren't that pretty (it was overcast) but i have to admit it wasn't colour i was looking for, just practice & learning a new skill. & i am all kinds of happy with the results. 

                                Nikon 24-70mm

                                Lensbaby Composer Pro & Edge 80

I loved being out there, enjoying the peace & quiet ... it sounds stupid but taking a moment for yourself makes all the difference. You focus better, you see clearer & you can simply enjoy being.

Have a wonderful night.

xx