Scotland's answer to Half Dome????

[Dave (Isle of Skye)]

I arrived at this scene and the light was absolutely perfect, but by the time I had set my kit up, which I did as quickly as I could, a bank of low clouds had rolled across the sky and blocked out the sun and everything in front of me went totally flat and featureless. So I thought, OK, I am all set up and ready to shoot and as I could see there was another fairly big hole in the cloud just coming over the horizon, I thought I might as well wait it out, because I assumed it wouldn't be too long before it got here (Wrong!). So I stood there waiting for at least an hour and half for the light to come back, as I began kicking pebbles around and talking to the dozen or so sheep, that must have decided I was a some type of weird grey haired talking tree or something and which they could all choose to ignore as they nibbled the grass around my feet.

It was like - boredom, boredom, boredom, boredom, boredom, ADRENALIN, done!

Dave

[RSL]

Dave, what exactly is in your "kit"? Had I ventured upon that scene I'd have raised by D800 with VR lens and gone "click".

It's a good shot. What is it? Quarter Dome?

[brandtb]

Very nice image Dave

[francois]

Well worth the wait… Here, every element finally cooperated fo this fabulous result!

[Martin Kristiansen]

Well worth the wait and I’m glad I’m not the only one that talks to animals waiting for light to come together.

[Dave (Isle of Skye)]

Thanks everyone 

Dave, what exactly is in your "kit"? Had I ventured upon that scene I'd have raised by D800 with VR lens and gone "click".

It's a good shot. What is it? Quarter Dome?

A7R2, Canon 70/200 with Metabones 4 adapter, but unfortunately I had my 16-35 on the camera when I arrived and I also prefer to use my Gitzo for every shot I take and never use IS (or Auto anything really) and by the time I had the 70/200 on, the light had gone. But yes you are correct Russ, if I'd had on my 70/200 when I arrived, I would have probably grabbed a handheld shot of it as it was and perhaps moved on, but then I would now be wondering to myself if the shot I had then taken, was as good as it could have possibly been if I'd had time to study the scene fully. So I think we probably have very different styles of working Russ, where you are perhaps approaching landscapes with a 'Street' shooters eye, where quick reactions are often the only way to get the results that you desire - and which is not wrong or right, it is just how things work for you I think. Whereas I am the complete opposite and try to be slow and considered and wait for what I hope is going to be the best light, if I have to - which isn't wrong or right either, but is just how things seem to work for me.

Quarter Dome, very good Russ and perhaps a better name for it

Dave

[john beardsworth]

McDome?

[RSL]

Hi Dave,

Sounds like a pretty normal situation where one doesn’t quite have the right stuff on the camera for what you see before you.

Actually, for landscape and similar stuff I ALWAYS used to use the D800 on a tripod with a cable release. If I had a VR lens on the camera I’d deactivate the VR, then raise the mirror and wait 5 seconds before I’d trip the shutter. Here’s an example of the results from that approach. But over time I found that as long as I have a VR lens on the camera and I’m able to keep the ISO around 200 and the shutter speed above about 1/60 second I can’t tell the difference between the results from a snapshot and a shot from the tripod.

But I still use the tripod and cable release if I’m heading for the kind of shot you made here. Just seems the right thing to do, even though the results won’t be any better.

[Paulo Bizarro]

Very nice one.

[Dave (Isle of Skye)]

McDome?

Very good 

Thanks again everyone 

Dave

[guido]

Brilliant rendition of a classic scene. Well done!

[Dave (Isle of Skye)]

Hi Dave,

Sounds like a pretty normal situation where one doesn’t quite have the right stuff on the camera for what you see before you.

Actually, for landscape and similar stuff I ALWAYS used to use the D800 on a tripod with a cable release. If I had a VR lens on the camera I’d deactivate the VR, then raise the mirror and wait 5 seconds before I’d trip the shutter. Here’s an example of the results from that approach. But over time I found that as long as I have a VR lens on the camera and I’m able to keep the ISO around 200 and the shutter speed above about 1/60 second I can’t tell the difference between the results from a snapshot and a shot from the tripod.

But I still use the tripod and cable release if I’m heading for the kind of shot you made here. Just seems the right thing to do, even though the results won’t be any better.

I agree Russ that for some situations the tripod isn't needed, especially with IS and Sony's in-camera stabilisation , but I also find that by always using one as I do, that it slows me down just enough to make me study the shot in more detail.

But each to their own as they say 

Brilliant rendition of a classic scene. Well done!

Thank you so much 

Dave

[kers]

I often have the situation that light goes away quickly...
So now i first make a quick shot and then take more time to set things up and try to do it better...
But sometimes you are just out of luck...

[rabanito]

I agree Russ that for some situations the tripod isn't needed, especially with IS and Sony's in-camera stabilisation , but I also find that by always using one as I do, that it slows me down just enough to make me study the shot in more detail.

This is a lesson probably everyone has learned when setting up a view camera.
A lot of weight and slowing down but then every single shot sits.  O tempora...

The other thing I agree with  is waiting until the light is right.  For a great landscape just mount the camera and sit down and wait with the cable release in the hand.

I love both pictures presented here

[maddogmurph]

Well done Dave. Great icons. I don't think I've seen them.

[Kevin Gallagher]

 Hi Dave, another beaut!! Love the McDome idea!!!!

[Dave (Isle of Skye)]

This is a lesson probably everyone has learned when setting up a view camera.
A lot of weight and slowing down but then every single shot sits.  O tempora...

The other thing I agree with  is waiting until the light is right.  For a great landscape just mount the camera and sit down and wait with the cable release in the hand.

I love both pictures presented here

Well done Dave. Great icons. I don't think I've seen them.

Hi Dave, another beaut!! Love the McDome idea!!!!

Thanks again everyone 

[thierrylegros396]

I like it very much.

Funny because it looks like an eroded Matterhorn, but a Scottish one

Thierry

[kers]

I like it very much.

Funny because it looks like an eroded Matterhorn, but a Scottish one

Thierry

The matterhorn is also eroded but mostly by ice + water...   Without any erosion the Alps would be 25KM high...

[rgs]

My first response is that the image is magnificent. My second response is that too many people have already responded so I'll just move on. My last response is that, regardless of the crowd, this is to nice to not thank you for posting. Lovely work.