I was recently introduced to a local area I’ve not explored before, on the edge of the Pentland Hills near Edinburgh. From the car park, there’s a trail through some trees which I walked very slowly through, stopping to look and photograph details I found along the way. I used a Canon 7D Mark II and EF 24-105 f/4 L lens to photograph these. I anticipated there might be some wildlife to photograph so brought one of my bigger cameras… some of the later photos were taken with an EF 70-300 f/4-5.6 ii lens, which I use for most of my bird photography.
The light was broken by the canopy overhead, and passing clouds provided more subdued moments here and there. I was photographing this fern branch when a cloud passed by, changing the mood of the image.
I’m still not sure which version I prefer. The patchy light creates interesting contrast, while the softer light brings out the pastel shades of the leaves and moss, and creates a calmer vibe.
After the slow walk through the trees, there’s a board walk around a marsh (actually, it’s known as a ‘moss’), where there are a few more trees and views over the surrounding hills. I spotted a few baby toads or frogs hopping between the grass next to the board walk, and even a lizard scurrying away the second I noticed it.
The board walk follows a circular route, and you find yourself back at the main path by the trees. From there, it’s a short walk to a lake or reservoir where there are birds, and more trees. There was no wind, so the still surface of the water perfectly reflected the clouds above. There were hills and trees around the lake, but my favourite photos are these two of the water’s surface.
Walking around the lake, there’s another board walk which leads to a bird hide. We passed this fallen tree which I thought made an interesting composition.
And then, these bulrushes by the lake-side caught my eye.
Sitting in the bird hide, I could hear a strange kind of wet ‘munching’ sound coming from somewhere nearby outside. I looked out to see a young mallard scooping up something or other from a muddy pool next to the board walk. Its mother (presumably?) was standing on the board walk nearby, keeping watch. The older duck occasionally craned her neck or moved along the board walk so she could keep a clear sight of the younger one. It was nice to watch them for a while. It’s something I probably wouldn’t have noticed if I’d just walked by.
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