Tim's One Photograph a Day

Fort Augustus Moorings – Bottom of the Locks.

Fort Augustus Moorings.

Fort Augustus Moorings: View looking towards the Locks from Loch Ness at Night.

View looking towards the Locks from Loch Ness at Night.

We have moved down the lock-flight today. Tonight, we are on the Fort Augustus Moorings at the bottom – Loch Ness end.

Compared to the top of the locks, the pontoons here are extremely noisy when people walk along them! Otherwise, it is very quiet. The view across Loch Ness is also breathtaking.

However, at night, the shot across the Loch is not over-exciting. I did take a 10 minute exposure, and I am quite pleased with the result. However, it does not contain the interest that this shot does.

I would have preferred a longer exposure with a smaller aperture. The trouble with night-time photography is that it can end up very time-consuming. It doesn’t take many 10 minute exposures before a whole hour disappears!

My first attempt at this image of the Fort Augustus Moorings was also a 2 minute exposure, but at F/22. The result was good, but a little on the dark side. I therefore opened up the aperture to increase the amount of light reaching the sensor, rather than increasing the time.

The only post-processing (apart from lens correction) was to drop the highlights, to reduce the impact of the artificial lights on the final image.

Photograph Details:

  • Taken: 6 August 2017
  • Camera: Canon 5D MkIII
  • Lens: Canon EF 24-70mm 1:2.8 L II USM
  • Focal Length 41mm
  • F/6.3
  • 121 Sec
  • ISO 100

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