Balmacara Estate over the last few days

The Pinewood at Lochalsh Woodland Walks (Canon EOS 250D, Tamron 18-200mm F/3.5-6.3 Di II VC PZD lens at 18mm, 1/30 sec at f/16, ISO 400, handheld)

Over the last few days I have managed to get out with the camera to capture some autumnal shots around the Balmacara Estate, albeit for short periods mostly.  The above shot was taken looking towards the rising sun through the Scots pine trees at the west end of the Lochalsh Woodland Walks on the shores of Loch Alsh.  This image illustrates the power of modern camera sensors and the RAW format, allowing me to bring up the shadow areas in the foreground to balance the exposure against the bright sun.  I managed to hide the sun slightly behind the foremost tree, just allowing a small part to provide the starbust effect due to the small aperture.

The following shot was taken further along the walk, heading down the road to Glaick, capturing the colours in the various species of trees adjacent to the road.  The recently fallen needles and leaves on the road help to break up what would otherwise be a dominant feature and make the scene look much more rustic and appealing.

The road to Glaick by Loch Alsh (Canon EOS 250D, Tamron 18-200mm F/3.5-6.3 Di II VC PZD lens at 18mm, 1/30 sec at f/16, ISO 400, handheld)

Yesterday I took a brief opportunity to pop out of the office to capture the following shots around the Coachhouse and Sunken Garden, again in Lochalsh Woodland Walks.  The colours were brilliant in the patchy sunshine.

The Coachhouse, Lochalsh Woodland Walks (Canon EOS 5D Mark IV, EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM lens at 24mm, 1/40 sec at f/8, ISO 800, handheld)

Fungi and Old Bench, Lochalsh Woodland Walks (Canon EOS 5D Mark IV, EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM lens at 105mm, 1/40 sec at f/16, ISO 800, handheld)

This one is a bit fuzzy, possibly due to the focus point being midway between the fungi and the bench, and possibly a bit of camera shake, depsite the image stabilisation.  I was in an awkward position and it was more luck than good judgement that I managed to capture both elements in the image.

Fuchsia (Canon EOS 5D Mark IV, EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM lens at 105mm, 1/400 sec at f/4, ISO 1600, handheld)

Finally, today I walked up to Loch Scalpaidh and then drove on to Duirnish and Drumbuie for the coastal walk.  The light was not overly dramatic but the clouds did offer scope for decent shots, with a little bit of help in post-processing.  These are probably a little bit over-developed but the effect is interesting and they capture a sense of the atmosphere of the walk.

Loch Scalpaidh (Canon EOS 5D Mark IV, EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM lens at 24mm, 1/500 sec at f/11, ISO 200, Zomei HD CPL filter, tipod)

Looking towards Duinrinish from the Gorstan, Drumbuie (Canon EOS 5D Mark IV, EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM lens at 105mm, 1/500 sec at f/8, ISO 800, handheld)

The crofts at Duirinish looking towards Drumbuie (Canon EOS 250D, EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM lens at 105mm, 1/500 sec at f/11, ISO 400, handheld)

Cattle at Drumbuie (Canon EOS 250D, EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM lens at 88mm, 1/125 sec at f/11, ISO 400, handheld)

Duirinish Crofts (Canon EOS 250D, Sigma EX 10-20mm f/3.5 DC HSM lens at 10mm, 1/500 sec at f/11, ISO 400, handheld)

Patchy Sunshine on the Applecross Hills (Canon EOS 250D, EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM lens at 105mm, 1/800 sec at f/8, ISO 400, handheld)

Looking across Loch Kishorn (Canon EOS 250D, EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM lens at 105mm, 1/800 sec at f/11, ISO 400, handheld)