I put my 5 hour layover in Amsterdam to good use while the thoughts of my trip to Scotland's Isle of Skye were still fresh in my mind. Coincidentally, evidence of stone age settlements on Skye was published while I was on the island so this is hardly a new destination for anyone.
After flying into Inverness with my massive wheeled luggage and my 15kg (33lb) backpack full of lenses and cameras, I rented a campervan in Alness. After just a half hour, I managed to acclimate myself to driving a stick shift campervan on the "wrong side" of the road. 3 hours later, I completed the final leg of my journey by arriving to my campground in Portree that would be my base during my 7 days on the island. While I don't want to dwell on the driving aspect of this trip, it is important to note that a lot of the roads on Skye are one lane with passing spots. That means everyone is travelling at a maximum speed of 40 mph (65kph) and pulling off to let other people pass and vice versa. At the end of the day, it was a good exercise in societal cooperation .
Now that I have introduced you to Skye a little bit, it is now time for me to define what I mean by "the Art of Observation". Our Brains still retain many characteristics from our Hunter/Gatherer roots. Back in the day, the basic goals in the life of a caveman were to search for food, procreate and not get eaten by a predator in the process. To help the species survive, our brains filter everything we see by focusing our attention on what might be food, an available mate and signs of danger. As a result, most everything else we see gets filtered out which means that we actually see many many other things but our brains just don't pay attention to them.
Herein lies the challenge for modern day human photographers - to actually see and observe these small and once irrelevant details and capture them using a camera. It sounds easy, but it isn't. I lead photography workshops in Valencia and the main component of each class is teaching people techniques on how to effectively observe.
On my second to last day in Skye, I hiked to the end of the observation trail to view the "Old Man of Storr" rock formation. This is a strenuous hike that took about an hour over 4km (2.5 miles) with a steep 450 meter (1475 feet) vertical ascent all with a full backpack. I had some decent weather and took some photos but after reviewing them I knew that I needed to return the next day - my final day. In order to help my Hunter/Gatherer brain focus and observe the details, I brought my breakfast with me, began at 6am so as to avoid seeing other humans, and the only "predators" were sheep who aren't actually predators :) Consequently, by removing all the things that my brain is pre-programmed to pay attention to allowed me to focus on the fine details that I wanted to observe as a photographer.
In order to properly observe, a photographer needs plenty of time which meant that I had to dress properly and bring enough food and water to last me the four hours that I spent observing "Old Man of Storr". In a nutshell - I sat and watched everything, continuously scanning in all directions. As a young lad growing up in rural upstate New York, I spent plenty of time outdoors experiencing and observing nature. Today, that experience helps me successfully scan the area for any movement which might be a bird or a rabbit or some other critter. I also let my brain get creative. I scan the horizon and area for shapes and patterns that might make for an interesting composition. One strategy that I use is to look at mountainous outcrop and think of it as a rectangle and not a mountainous outcrop. Look for shapes instead of identifying things as the objects they are and that'll expose your brain to a whole new world of photographic compositions.
This observation process continued for 4 hours. The longer you look at something the more details you can see. Stay focused young padawan! I looked in the opposite direction from the rock formation. I looked at boats in the ocean. I saw rabbits copulating, crows socializing, sheep trails that made interesting patterns nestled amongst the rocks, lines created by relatively recent landslides, little pink flowers that made for an interesting foreground and I even saw an abandoned tripod on an adjacent hill! And the list goes on. The key is to focus on observing and stay focused. News Flash - this means minimizing the time looking at 'whatever' on your phone. Below, you can find some of the images that I observed this past Monday morning.
It is important to note that about 40% of my best images come from observing things on the way to and from the intended composition. Unsurprisingly, this observation begins the moment that I leave my vehicle and ends when I return to the vehicle. On the way up AND the way down, I frequently stop and observe everything doing a 360 degree turn while standing still.
My late father also taught me to be perceptive and look for small details. That important lesson has always stayed with me and perhaps it's a way for me to stay connected with him.
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