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Ian Cameron | all galleries >> Transient Light >> Scotland. > Life In The Freezer
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Ian Cameron

Life In The Freezer

Loch A Chroisg, Achnasheen, Scotland.

For three days running the temperature around the Highlands of Scotland dipped to around minus sixteen degrees celcius. Loch A Chroisg is notorious for collecting mist which in the right conditions turns to freezing fog accelerating the deposit of frost on every branch twig and blade of grass. I can honestly say I have never seen such extraordinarily beautiful conditions the depth of frost was over two inches. It actually formed on my camera bag and camera while I watched. This tree shows some indication of the frost and the misty atmosphere where the background slope is gently lit by direct sunlight.

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Pentax 67 II ,90-180 zoom,Fujichrome Velvia
0.45ND grad, f/16 at 1 second. full exif

other sizes: small medium original auto
Josée V.13-Jan-2009 00:27
Spectacular shot !!!! BV
Ian Cameron12-Jan-2009 23:44
Hi Zane thankyou for your comments. It was an astonishing day and I do have wider aspect shots in the landscape format but the foreground does have a few more trees come to attention perhaps diluting the authority of the one. As ever the truth lies somewhere in compromise, (something I love playing with in my photography. The lens used is a 90-180 zoom (medium short telephoto), just out of shot is a vivid blue sky peering through the mist it weakened the shot to include it hence my choice of lens. I am also backed up onto the edge of the loch (one leg was in deep water this just about enabled me to include the dreamy trees above the frosted birch. This was actually the widest I could shoot without getting very cold and very wet, yet still exclude the skyline.
Zane Paxton12-Jan-2009 22:40
I love the hint of the trees in the background that is washed with light; that really makes the image. I wish we could see a bit more of that context that the tree is a part of. (Of course that is easy for me to say from California where it is warm enough to have the window open to enjoy the sunny day outside). What is the primary subject? The tree or the frozen mist? The tree dominates the composition (by size)and the frozen mist is then demoted to a counterpoint or supporting aspect. But the expressive power comes from the bigger context. So I'm wondering why the choice to not to start with the bigger context and the wash of light and let the tree be the smaller conterpoint (which it would be if it occupied less image real estate). Just asking on the thought process of not necessarily aligning the compositional choices with the place's inherently most expressive characteristics (the light and frozen mist being more expressive than a singular and otherwise unremarkable tree). It's subtle I know, but at your level of artistry, the distinctions are finer.
lou_rozensteins12-Jan-2009 22:20
Amazing, considering we are having 34 degrees Celsius some days now. A wonderfully descriptive image. Well done.
Terje Hamnes12-Jan-2009 21:28
One of your best! Spectacular!
Mikael Larsen12-Jan-2009 18:33
Spectactular!!! v
Dougie Young12-Jan-2009 18:16
Magic shot..:>
Steve Sharp12-Jan-2009 18:02
Just amazing, you really captured the cold snap at its absolute best.
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