The Fairy Pools
Earlier this month I had the opportunity to visit the Isle of Skye on the Northwest coast of Scotland. The scenery here is spectacular! Mountains, lakes, waterfalls, seaside cliffs and beautiful valleys are found all over the island. You just have to get a bit lucky with the unpredictable and often changing weather, so that you can enjoy all that there is to experience.
This image is from the Fairy Pools, an amazing series of cascading, crystal clear, blue colored pools that are fed by a stream coming off of the Black Cullin mountains. I was surprised how many separate pools there were...I figured there would be 4 or 5, but there are easily dozens that step their way down the gentle slope. Most of the pools also feature a waterfall and the water is so clear that you can see every pebble and stone under the surface. If you are brave enough, you can swim in the larger pools. I did see a few people strip down to their bathing suits and jump in for a short time, but they climbed out quickly. The water looks appealing, but it is very cold coming down from the mountains.
This shallow pool is one of the furthest upstream. There were hundreds of people hiking that afternoon, but most of them stopped and spent their time at one of the lower pools. As I walked, each pool seemed more appealing than the last…so I kept going until I arrived here...a picturesque spot with the mountains towering directly behind the waterfalls. I had it all to myself for about 30 minutes before some others joined me.
It was such a peaceful place on a beautiful afternoon. I didn't want to leave, but after three straight days of wind and rain, I decided to take advantage of the great weather and check off a few more places that I wanted to explore. It turns out that leaving was a good choice as I photographed a beautiful sunset that evening at Niest Point. I am looking forward to sharing that image in the coming weeks.
Looking Down On Darwin
This amazing place is the Natural History Museum in London. It is easily one of the most interesting buildings I have had the opportunity to visit and photograph. This is the massive main corridor filled with arches upon arches upon arches.
I arrived when the museum was opening and was one of the first in the door. I thought it would fill up with people quickly, but I had time to walk around for 10-15 minutes as one of the only people inside. I took several photographs from various spots and kept climbing the flights of stairs until I reached the top platform. From here you have a great perspective of the entire hall, looking down and seeing all three levels. If you look closely, you will see a white statue at the far end of the hall…that is a statue honoring Charles Darwin.
I did not have a tripod, so I had to take this handheld…which presented a bit of a challenge. Aligning a camera properly to avoid distortion in lines, shapes and arches takes a steady hand and careful positioning. It has taken me a lot of practice, but I have become better at this technique was able to get the symmetry that I wanted for this image.
I could hear several people entering the hall as I finished shooting. Moments later, a group of about 30 elementary kids came charging up the stairs. All of them were wearing the same bright yellow “field trip” t-shirts and shouting Harry Potter phrases. Looking back, I probably should have taken a picture of that scene as well. :)
