That Contented Feeling..

I’m rediscovering a new love of photography, with some new equipment at hand and a new vision to document Scotland’s coastal seascapes. As a creative person I need to shoot my own work aside from my commercial workload, in this period of Lockdown it’s been frustrating as we have had a very settled period of lovely weather but no opportunity to head on out. The upside being it has provided me with a renewed burst of energy to document a new genre and to see where it leads.

Scotland between mid May to mid July means longer days and shorter nights, which for the determined landscape photographer literally presents double the opportunity for more photographs. With only 6 hours from sunset to sunrise with clear skies overnight, this presents an ideal situation to head on out and stay out.

Morning light over the Bass Rock from North Berwick © Jason Baxter

A few days ago I looked at the forecast, which you have to do in this game with great zeal, bordering on obsession. The weather was set, so I headed out to the East Lothian coastline, starting of at Yellowcraigs beach, I was surprised as to how many folk where camping and having bonfires on the beach, just chilling out. Coming out of a global pandemic you can hardly blame them, we all need an escape so actually it was nice to see and experience lots of happy people in quite an unstable period in everyone’s lives.

The sun was perfect except for just that one thing you could not have predicted, cloud to the west low on the horizon, I had thought my timings where spot on - but as soon as I found a spot on the rocks, the sun dipped below the clouds, a full half an hour before actual sunset. Well I made the best of it and still and managed to grab a couple of serene low contrast photographs using a long exposure – but in reality I’ll be back to the same spot to capture what I missed.

Pre Dawn Long Exposure over the Bass Rock © Jason Baxter

By the time I left Yellowcraigs it was midnight, I had planned another location so headed on out, only to discover the gates where locked due to the pandemic and the private beach was closed - I had no chance of reaching the car park and would have felt guilty at parking up somewhere and walking down. So I changed my plans and examined the map, I wasn’t about to give up that easily.

After 10 minutes of research I found a new spot just beyond North Berwick near the Golf course, so I headed up the road and parked up and tried to have an hours shuteye before heading out an hour before sunrise. The amazing thing with clear skies in summer is there is actually a lot of residual light and finding your way around the coastal path an hour before the sunrise wasn’t that challenging, I didn’t need a head torch it was that bright.

Pre-Dawn Long Exposure overlooking the Isle of May © Jason Baxter

Luckily my new plan worked, I found a small causeway beach to a rocky outcrop and decided this was my new location for the sunrise. Before you know it you’re suddenly in the zone, it’s a funny thing, you start of nice and slow in your choices of photographs, then before you know it your pace of working quickens as the more excited you get as the conditions come good.

It really could not have been any better that morning, small whispy clouds appearing and painting the coloured sky with a subtle warm palette before the sun cracks over the horizon and the main event is upon you. 10 minutes later after sunrise it’s all over, you stop and sit down with an assurance in your soul that this time it’s all come good and you have that feeling of contentedness that only comes from a sense of achievement.

And that is the very feeling that drives me, that and a deep love of nature, after each ‘expedition’ I sit down and just soak up where I am, loving the feeling of a new day and that today nature has been kind to me. I head home, have some breakfast and have a very deep sleep..