Anticipating Changing Light

In late October this year, my fellow camera club member Neil MacGregor & I embarked on a long weekend  photo outing based in Glencoe. Our hope was for splendid autumn colours usually due at this time of year, but due to the strange weather patterns this year autumn was late! Undeterred we looked forward to our little expedition. To add to our woes, the weather forecast was not promising, with more or less constant rain & high wind forecast. In the lead up to this weekend, I had been whetting my appetite for this photo fest by pouring over books by my favourite photographers, David Ward, Joe Cornish & Charlie Waite, & one of the observations that I took from their pictures, which gave me hope for the coming weekend, & that was many of their successful pictures were taken just as the weather turns. With this in mind we concentrated of the weather forecasts & used the great photo tool "the photographers ephemeris" to anticipate the best locations to setup our cameras.
The picture featured here was taken late in day on the shores of Loch Leven looking towards the Pap of Glencoe. I had consulted "the photographers ephemeris " to pre-visualise  the scene for the placement of the late evening light, hoping the setting sun would shine along the length of loch & illuminate the Pap with warm light. As you can see despite the planning, nature had a plan B, just as the sun went down, a bank of cloud to our west, blocked the sunlight reaching the mountain, instead it lit up the heavens above in a glorious pink & golden hue.
So the next time you look out the window & mulling over whether to go brave the elements or not with your camera, remember the best light is not only at sunrise or sunset, but also during the transition between good / bad or visa versa weather, & hone your skills at anticipating the moment & location for that wonder shot.

….Alan