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The Machair and Scottish White Sands...


The Machair and Scottish White Sands...
Photo Information
Copyright: Emma Taylor (Aramok) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 896 W: 101 N: 1501] (5166)
Genre: Landscapes
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2006-07-22
Categories: Flowers, Seascape, Sky
Camera: Canon EOS 350D, Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 II USM, Digital ISO 100, 58mm circular polarizer
Exposure: f/22, 1/40 seconds
Details: Tripod: Yes
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version
Travelogue: Cape Wrath, Outer & Inner Hebridies
Date Submitted: 2006-08-09 16:00
Viewed: 5687
Points: 30
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
The Machair (pronounced Macca) is truely an amazing habitat. For me it is the flowers, specifically the orchids, of which there are litterally thousands upon thousands. I some places it is almost impossible to walk through the area without standing on an orchid of one type or another.

For other people the Machair is about the birds, some fairly rare birds live here including the corncrake and the corn bunting, both classes as scare worldwide.

"Machair is a Gaelic word that describes an extensive low-lying fertile plain. Almost half of all Scottish machair occurs in the Outer Hebrides and it is one of the rarest habitat types in Europe" This habitiat is restricted to less than 25,000 hecters world-wide, 17,500 hecters in Scotland the remainder in Western Ireland. More info here

The picture shows the flowers of the machair, for those sharper eyed, you should be able to spot several purple orchids in the foreground, along with red clover and purple vetch, buttercups and many other flowers and grasses. I will post photos of these in due course...

This was taken just behind my tent, which is in a slight dip out of sight. Fences play an important part of the landscape here, dividing up the areas that sheep (and sometime cattle) can graze, so the fences have been left in the picture.

In the background, the village of Cnip (pronouned Kneep) can be seen (just on the left at the top are a few of the houses).

Convereted from RAW, resized, top and bottom cropped slightly and sharpened. One or two spots of sand on the lens have been cloned out, but one watermark ?)remains - sorry.. didn't see it until after I have posted it.

Please enjoy this unique environment as I have.

PS there is no internet at work tomorrow, so I will have to catch up with you all on Friday... - I have a server to rebuild tomorrow... its the one that gives the internet access....
Hamurkaroglu, Signal-Womb, fyapici, horia, jeanpaul, SunToucher, Evelynn, liquidsunshine, mbasil, Alex99, SkyF, pablominto has marked this note useful
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Discussions
ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To SunToucher: thanksAramok 2 08-11 10:24
To mbasil: serverAramok 1 08-11 10:11
To mbasil: well spottedAramok 1 08-11 10:08
To Evelynn: pinksAramok 1 08-11 07:53
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Critiques [Translate]

Hello Emma,
Nice photo, nice composition and nice place. TFS
Mehmet

Emma, this looks like an absolutely stunning location. I can see the purple orchids you mention and they add greatly to the foreground. I have to say what a great place to pitch your tent in such unspoiled beauty. Very well done.

Hello Emma!
Beautiful image. Excellent composition, wonderful contrasty colors of the sand, sky and the sea, pretty flowers in the foreground. Smart use of the polarizer for better saturation and small aperture for greater DOF. Congratulations,
Mark

Bonjour Emma
Félicitation pour cette belle prise de vue avec ce superbe paysage avec de très belles couleurs et une jolie composition.Ce champ de fleurs sauvages est de toute beauté.
Merci et au revoir....JP

  • Great 
  • horia Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2158 W: 224 N: 4749] (16656)
  • [2006-08-10 3:36]

Hi Emma

What a stunning place this Machair has to be! And it looks havenly :)
I learned from literature that some cultures belive there is a supreme place thay can go to if they are worthy enough, place called Mecca (pronunced just like that). Perhaps there is a resemblence between the two...
Anyway, this Machair id definately a Mecca for photographers, i think, but i'm sure it was a place you adored...i can tell by the way you talk (write actually) about it :)

Splendid shot, great POV, lovely flowers in the FG (and yes i can see some orchids), perfect lighting conditions, superb colors, very good exposure...what am i talking about...the shot couldn't be any better :)

Bravo and TSF
Horia

Hi Emma,
You captured and composed very well this stunning place. Flower-full meadow, beach, sea and sky. Perfect photograph. Thank you for sharing.
Sincere greetings.
Fevzi

Oh wow, the contrast between the ocean the white beach is superb. I love the field with wild flowers and especially the variation of colors in it. I like your POV, looking of the field toward the beach and then onward to the islands.
TFS,
Niek

Well, here's another winner. I like the lower point of view on this one, to include the array of wild flowers. Isn't is nice that there were a few pink ones to add that extra spark to the image? It is a beautiful place.

TFS

Evelynn : )

Hi Emma,
As with your last post. This is stunning.
Great capture, showing us a lovely looking area.
Thanks for posting, have a great weekend.

  • Great 
  • Karin Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 418 W: 5 N: 268] (2089)
  • [2006-08-10 17:58]

Hi Emma,
So many beautiful flowers in a natural setting. And such a blue sky. The photograph almost looks alive.
Very well done and TFS

  • Great 
  • Graal Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Silver Note Writer [C: 751 W: 31 N: 20] (5100)
  • [2006-08-11 3:08]

Hi Emma,
beautiful view with the flowers on the foreground. Great sky, nice colours and fine composition. Well done photo.
Gr., Aleksander

Nicely done, The fg flowers are indeed amazing and you've done a great job of capturing that. Everything about the exposure (compo. light, focus, DoF) seem perfect. I think your low POV is a little unique and works to show the flowers and flatness of the area. Were you able to knock off any others with a higher POV? because I think it could make for an equally interesting shot but with a very different perspective. (For some reason I can visualise Steve signal-womb's shot with his 10mm here). But it looks like there may not have been much higher ground around, and I bet you don't bring a ladder to go camping.
Mike
P.S. Good luck with the server!

  • Great 
  • Alex99 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 4072 W: 133 N: 7096] (23735)
  • [2006-08-11 11:10]

Hi Emma.
I find out your landscape is amazing. Its deeply, rich colours, composition and details make a strong impression. Gorgeousness of paints staggers imagination. Superb done.
Alexei.

  • Great 
  • SkyF Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2234 W: 188 N: 1912] (8073)
  • [2006-08-12 8:12]

Hello Emma,
this looks fabulous., what an incredible scenerey. I love your POV, it adds excellent depth into this wonderful composition.
TFS..Sky

Hello Emma,
I like your low point of view including a lot of the flower field!
Lovely lines in the composition, that is very well balanced...
Great colours... sky is awesome, beautiful place!
Greetings,
Pablo -

  • Great 
  • kona Silver Star Critiquer [C: 35 W: 3 N: 0] (875)
  • [2006-10-22 20:28]

A good expression. Good composition. It is a favorite photograph calmly.amazing tones. marvelous composition. a delight.Best wishes, kona

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