A new adventure, and a return to the landscape

The last few weeks have taken me somewhere a little different photographically.

Instead of standing on a beach waiting for the light, I’ve been sitting quietly in old buildings, watching walls, hedgerows and fields, waiting for a pair of eyes to appear. The landscapes have taken a bit of a back seat while I’ve been getting to grips with wildlife photography, and I have to say, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it.

There’s something quite addictive about wildlife. The waiting, the uncertainty, the fleeting moments when everything suddenly comes together. One minute you’re sitting in near silence, and the next you’re trying to keep up with a Little Owl appearing in a ruined wall, or a Barn Owl watching from an old chimney.

It’s been a brilliant start to what I hope will become another part of my photography journey. I’ve still got plenty to learn, but that’s half the enjoyment. Every outing brings something different, and even when the photographs don’t quite work out, there’s always something to take away from the experience.

But as much as I’ve loved this new adventure, I can feel the landscapes calling again.

I’m starting to miss those early mornings when the alarm goes off at some ridiculous hour, the camera bag is packed in the dark, and you head out with no real idea what the weather is going to throw at you. The anticipation of arriving somewhere before sunrise, standing on a beach with the tide moving around your feet, or watching the first light begin to find its way across the mountains.

That feeling never really goes away.

I’ve spent years chasing those moments, often returning to the same places time and time again, and somehow they still manage to pull me back. There’s always another tide, another sky, another fleeting moment of light waiting to be captured.

So, whilst I’m certainly not finished with the wildlife, I think it’s time to give the landscapes a little more attention again.

The owls have been a wonderful distraction, but the mountains, the sea and those unpredictable Scottish skies are calling me home.

And I’m more than ready to answer.