An Teallach, Wester Ross

THE STORY BEHIND THE PHOTOGRAPH

This photo of An Teallach happened by accident (sort of). I was driving along the coastal road near Dundonnell, but the weather was rather dodgy, with intermittent rain (this is the Highlands after all). I stopped in a layby to consider whether it was worth trying to photograph that day. As I sat and stared at the clouds, they lifted and I saw this view of the peaks lit by a stray shaft of sunlight. Synchronicity? I'm not arguing; this view captures for me some of the wonderfully changeable light of the Highlands; one minute glorious sunshine, the next minute bleak and grey. I had trouble getting a clear view of the mountain, so I recall bracing my telephoto lens on the side of a fence post. I must have taken dozens of photos over the course of the next 30 minutes, watching the sun and clouds move across the face of the hills like they were playing hide and seek. Its fascinating to watch the light move so quickly, casting the hillsides into dark and light areas. I love the drama of this scene, with the threatening clouds and the bright sunlight - but that's the Highlands in a nutshell!