Lighting
Light is everything. It creates the mood and tension in an image. Clouds are the intermediate palette upon which to base your background. Clouds can bring tension. Or they can direct light toward your subject. It is often fleeting to have the right light. Blink and it’s gone. I try to pay attention and take advantage whenever I can.
Uphill
We use a fitness device to track steps and levels climbed. I’m not naming names. The pictures do not begin to give you the feeling of climbing lots of stairs. There were at least 500 to the top. And, there was no way but to walk. It was a lot of steps. Are you with me? Dumbarton Castle, who knew? I also found out that you can game the fitness device so I consistently did more levels and steps than Colleen. It drove her crazy when we essentially climbed the same levels day after day and my device recorded I had more levels than she.
Perefect?
Hardly. It’s not easy in the rain. Most enthusiasts leave their camera in their case in the rain. Water and electronics do not mix. There is unmistakable joy in feeding the pigeons. The idea and concepts translate though the focus and blur are present. We were wet. We were happy. I wish our timing had been better to catch a concert.
Too numerous
I limit myself to a post a day. Jules, long ago admonished me. Too many posts were too many and too confusing. So, I cheat. She never complained about more than one pic per post. Still… I pick by browsing Lightroom. And an image strikes me. Sometimes they are not perfect – most times. But there is this” je ne sais quois” look. Done. This one made me smile. You’re just going along minding your own business and then you are “struck.” It wasn’t even an image I flagged in my first pass. But, in retrospect, it’s different, out of my norm. … too many images, too little time… I know I have not gone deep into my library. It’s a regret, no time to dwell.
Willow Tea
Who knew? Cranston – Stuart and Catherine. They invented it. He thought of it; she ran with it as his biggest competitor. A famous architect of the time designed her Willow Tea shop. It’s all retold in the Kelvin Grove museum. And! We had a reservation that very afternoon. How neatly serendipitous is that! Really! The décor was as it was shown in the museum right down to the distinct high-backed chairs. My research assistant (wife) outdid herself this time, for sure! Chuckle, I was tickled pink!
Woe
There, but for the grace of God… Thomas Cook, venerable travel agent to the wealthy – you book and they coddle you from start to finish – up and went, belly up – fini – closed, shut, bankrupt. They even ran their own airline. Thousands upon many more travelers were stranded in the midst of holiday. It was shock in Scotland where we traveled. And the effect was still evident in Glasgow where planes were parked forlornly on the tarmac the day we departed. We were on our way, tipping our hat to the stranded and counting our blessings.
Brig o doon
It follows after I mentioned Brig o doon (yesterday)… the movie and the musical. Colleen adored the movie. I was indifferent having heard of both and having avoided them in my life until now. Here we were. Memory. New and fulfilled. Priceless. We had dinner (unplanned) in the nearby restaurant/inn – where the wedding reception was being held. Cullen skink, but of course! And, we both still smile at how it was a perfect day brought to us by the British Airway pilot action that never happened (cancelled). Just like the rain, if it does, go with it. Happiness is working without a plan.
America
On the road in America, you see stuff – industrial and rural. The rural landscape gave me crosses. And the early morning light made the industrial blight seem almost blissful. Crossing a bridge – adventure! There is a time and place for all things.
I’m cold
The folks in Scotland are a hardy lot. They walk around in the cool weather without proper dress. I would submit that you must be cold. You look cold. But as a kid I walked out of the house without an umbrella into the rain.
Monotone
Here’s something more artistic. We were returning to the car after dinner. There! Monotone. Powerful.
