There’s nothing like the complete lack of mobile signal and wifi on the Outer Hebrides to make you sit back and just enjoy being.
My favourite place ever is on these remote Islands off the west coast of Scotland. They are a little slice of pretty much undiscovered paradise. Beautiful, empty beaches, fabulous scenes around every corner and unique feel to every place along the way. I have no idea why so many people have yet to visit. Well actually I do. Maybe the unpredictable weather and having to cross over from the mainland by ferry. It is these barriers that mean most of the time I get to have my own private beach whenever I go.
I have spent time on all of the Hebridean islands and work quite frequently on the Isle of Lewis and Isle of Harris. Mostly, I stay in Harris as I love the beaches down there but this time, my work brought me to stay in Lewis for a few days.
It was straight off the ferry from Ullapool to Stornoway and I headed straight out to Cross in the north of Lewis. I was scheduled to do a shoot for House Beautiful Magazine and somehow hit lucky with clear blue skies and a hint of warmth in the air. So it was an afternoon on the beach photographing the family for the magazine first of all.
The forecast was for a clear, cloud free night so I have already decided to head out to Callanish do try something I have wanted to do for ages. Photograph star trails over the standing stones.
I was beaten to it by another photographer and unable to start unless there was complete darkness, so I had a cup of tea and settled down in my van for a while. When he had left, I set my cameras to run for the next couple of hours and retrieved them at 12pm. One of the issues with star trail photography and Scotland is the cold and dewy air. This ruined the last section of the shoot as the lenses fogged up, but the first part was successful enough to create a fabulous image and also a nice, but short, time-lapse film. Enjoy!