Celebrating 100 Posts With WordPress

Staircase, St. Stephen’s Basilica, Budapest

Bed, Bodie Ghost Town, California

Big Ben, London, England

Sunset, Loch Leven, Scotland

Sunrise, Phuket, Thailand

Last week I surpassed 100 blog posts here on WordPress, which I feel is something of a milestone. I’d like to say a big thank you to everybody who continues to visit, like and comment here on Flights Camera Satisfaction. It really means the world to me! This adventure was born out of a desire to share and improve my travel photography, and I’m so happy to have you along for the ride.

I thought I’d put together a post with the five most popular shots I’ve posted in the short time I’ve been online. I considered picking my personal favourites, but being incredibly indecisive and self-critical I may well have reached 200 posts before making any final decision on those! Clicking the headers will take you to the original posts if you’re interested to read more.

A Boat On The Water

I spotted this boat out on Loch Leven and couldn’t help but snap away. Resting softly on the calm waters against a backdrop of beautiful colours we had come to expect from Scotland, this was a picture-perfect view if ever I’d seen one. It could almost be a painting. Using a handheld point and shoot camera I raced against the sun trying to get the best shot I could while there was enough light left to capture it.

I wonder who has the privilege of taking this boat out and enjoying the loch on a nice summer’s day. Not that I am presuming there are many good weather days up in the north. We were visiting in October and quite lucky to see clear skies. I guess the water isn’t very deep and you just wade out to get in. However I didn’t test my theory! Despite the sunny weather it was still very cold and I was quite happy taking photos from the shore.

With the benefit of hindsight I wish I’d shot lower to the ground. I’d prefer the shorter of the two masts to rise above the horizon of the mountains behind in a similar way to the taller mast. I think that would make for a slightly more interesting composition. Apart from that, I’m pretty happy with the end result given the tools at my disposal!

Where are the best reflections you’ve seen in a natural landscape? Have you ever raced to capture a picture-perfect view before sundown? Please get in touch!

You might also like:

• A Boat On The Water
• A Fairytale Feeling In The Scottish Highlands
• Post-Processing in Lightroom: Loch Leven Sunset
• Lost And Searching For Loch Katrine

A Fairytale Feeling In The Scottish Highlands

We followed this grassy path around Loch Leven to see a stunning view of the sun setting behind the mountains in the distance. It was a lovely little walk, and completely unexpected. Don’t you find that those are the best moments? The ones we’re not expecting.

The landscape looks a bit mystical to me, it has a fairytale-like quality. But I can’t quite put my finger on why! The colours throughout our trip to Scotland were just incredible. I couldn’t get enough of the yellows, browns and oranges that seemed to be in every direction.

Post-Processing in Lightroom: Loch Leven Sunset

A new year, a new medium! I’ve decided to venture into the world of video, and thought it would be interesting to show you how I post-process my photos using Lightroom. It’s such a powerful tool and I’m still often surprised at how much detail it can find in seemingly dull images.

Lost And Searching For Loch Katrine

A very happy new year to all of my fantastic readers! I hope that 2014 is filled with joyous moments and wonderful memories for each and every one of you. One of my goals at the beginning of 2013 was to start a blog, and thanks to your support throughout the last 6 months I am still going strong without any plans to slow down in the new year. It really does mean a lot to me, so thanks again. I can only hope my photos over the coming year are interesting enough to keep you with me until the end of 2014!

Sunset Over The Loch

While road tripping around Scotland we were lucky enough to see a beautiful sunset just after we arrived at Loch Leven. There was a nice short walk along the water outside our hotel, so we took a stroll before settling in for dinner. With a brisk chill in the still autumn air it was a lovely evening. As we wandered further around the loch one of the most colourful sunsets I’ve seen began to paint the sky with oranges, pinks and yellows. It complemented the landscape perfectly and was a great way to end the day after a long, scenic drive up from Stirling.

This shot was taken using my old Panasonic TMZ6 with some fairly heavy adjustments to the shadows and highlights in Lightroom. I’m looking into getting some videos up in the new year to show some of my post-processing because I always think it’s really interesting to see the tools other people use. If you know of any good recording software please let me know!

You might also like:

• A Boat On The Water
• A Fairytale Feeling In The Scottish Highlands
• Post-Processing in Lightroom: Loch Leven Sunset
• Lost And Searching For Loch Katrine

Weekly Photo Challenge: Unexpected

Many things about Scotland were completely unexpected to me. The majestic, simply breathtaking landscape was the biggest surprise. Followed closely by the distinct lack of any pubs along its winding country roads. Whilst driving in England you rarely pass more than 5 miles without seeing a cosy cottage pub. I’m not sure why I thought Scotland would be the same, but it certainly wasn’t!

This shot was taken at Glen Coe in the Scottish Highlands, and the small white house was definitely unexpected. A fantastic location for a home, it’s tough to beat the scenery even if it is a little remote. Having said that I don’t even know if it’s inhabited, I didn’t get close enough for that. I think for now I’d like to keep it a mystery and just imagine what it must be like living with such an incredible landscape on your doorstep.

Has a destination ever taken you completely by surprise? Have you ever seen something unexpected on your travels? Know of any great country pubs in Scotland?! I’d love to hear from you.

You might also like:

• Weekly Photo Challenge: Beginning
• Weekly Photo Challenge: One
• Weekly Photo Challenge: Unexpected
• Weekly Photo Challenge: Layers

Photo of the Week: Reflections in Loch Katrine

With the colours of Autumn starting to appear on the trees around Geneva, I’ve been thinking back to the trip we took last October. Driving through the Scottish Highlands was definitely one of the highlights of 2012 for me, and I’m so glad we went at this time of year. Although the colours weren’t perhaps at their best, the variety of yellows and greens on display was fabulous. And nowhere was this more apparent than Loch Katrine.

Weekly Photo Challenge: Good Morning!

While my shot for this week’s photo challenge may have been taken at sunset, it’s one of the first things I see every morning. Taken at Loch Leven in the Scottish Highlands, this picture hangs on the wall in our living room. Looking at it each morning takes me away, just for a moment, to that time and place. It’s a fantastic way to start the day, and I love watching the changing light of sunrise bring the colours in the image to life.

It’s great to have some of my own photos up in our apartment, they serve as a constant reminder of good times and never fail to lift my mood. Do you have any photos hanging in your home? Do they make you smile in the morning?

You might also like:

• Weekly Photo Challenge: One
• Weekly Photo Challenge: Unexpected
• Weekly Photo Challenge: Layers
• Weekly Photo Challenge: Habit