When Light Plays Games | 720nm IR.
As a serious, enthusiastic photographer, I ask myself again and again – just how many times am I prepared to return to the same place in order to get the photograph that I long to capture? The image that I know I can bag, if the conditions play the game nicely? The answer, every time, has to be – “until I get the shot”. So it is the case here, at Morton Castle. It seems not to matter what time of year I visit, nor, what the weather forecasters says it’s going to be doing the evening before; for, whenever I arrive here, the clouds always close in. Every, bleedin’, time. Anyone who has set out to capture a scene only to be thwarted by the conditions, knows exactly what I’m talking about. It’s frustrating to say the least. Don’t you think?
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On the other hand, I am a firm believer that with a little patience, I am (usually always) rewarded with images that I did not envisage capturing at all, making most if not all a very pleasant surprise and yet something else in life to be completely happy about. Friday past was the fourth time I have made the trip to Morton to capture the ruin and its surroundings in infrared, after assurances by the Met. Office of clear skies and sunshine overhead until around lunchtime. Turning up during mid-morning however, afforded no preferential treatment and, as usual – the clouds were waiting. Though I had hoped we’d drive right past them, ’twas not to be.
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Every now and then, pockets of blue around the sun would appear and, shafts of undiffused light would reign in short bursts, occasionally wide enough to light up the ground sufficiently enough to facilitate my pulse racing a little in my eagerness to trip another frame before the light disappeared again. For around two hours, the light would continue to cheekily lead me up and down the proverbial garden path, and, back up again in its mockery of my efforts. But patience is everything and, despite still not getting anything close to the frames I had hoped to preserve yesterday – I decided that even when the light plays games, I will play my own.
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The curse of Morton? A blessing in disguise, perhaps.
R.
[All images: Fujifilm X100 720nm IR Conversion | 35mm Equiv. | f8.0 | ISO:400]
35Chronicle Photography 
Amazingly beautiful .. outstanding work …..
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Thank you, my friend!
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Hello Rob ,
fantastic pictures well seen…and blue sky and sunshine are for beginners, we are the master of clouds and fog 🙂 Stay healthy, best, Jürgen
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Jürgen, you’re right. We are! Had to smile at that! Thank you so much, and I hope that you and yours are keeping well, especially during these rather bizarre and testing times. Very best, Rob 🙏
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I know that a nice blue sky with a puffy cloud or two probably would have given you what you visualized. But I’d be thrilled with these and hey, blue skies aren’t all they’re claimed to be. Without our mention of anything other than these I’d have thought they were perfectly wonderful. Shhh. 🙂 Just kidding. I’d be doing the same grousing and I too have made multiple trips seeking a vision. Eventually you’ll attain that.
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I absolutely, completely, thoroughly love the clouds. These are all great shots.
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Michael, thank you so much! After such lovely comments, I’m beginning to come around to the idea that blue skies aren’t everything in life. 🙏
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An old friend used to say that he preferred a sky with texture. And many landscape photographers — including myself — say that the best photography happens in the worst weather. 😉
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And as of today, they’re going to be my words too, Michael. Thank you!
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😉
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These are wonderful shots, even though they aren’t the ones you had in your mind’s eye. And I like the clouds, too. We have almost constant overcast skies so I like some clouds with definition when I can get them. These are actually giving me ideas (again) of having my trusty D80 IR converted.
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I’m so glad you like them.. I too get a kick out of clouds, especially when they huddle in their differing shades. They certainly do beef up a plain sky. I guess I’ve shot so many clouds lately that I simply long for a clear, big blue. I’m sure it’s not far orff! And yes.. D80… do it! (When you do (not, if!) make sure you check out kolari’s hot-spot reference page for best lenses for IR.. see my links page if you need it in a hurry). 😁🙏
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I think every photographer has had that same experience. I think these images are great and worth your effort.
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I’m almost certain of it, Carolyn. And painters too, I’m sure. Thank you so much! Best, Rob 🙏 📷
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Reblogged this on ausevor.
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Thank you again, Ausevor! 🙏 Best, Rob
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