O'Connell Photographic

A near perfect day in Glen Affric with warm sunlight, textured clouds and almost still water. This scene caught my eye, in particular the dead trees deep in shadow whilst the living trees are bathed with a warm Autumn light.

Hidden under dramatic Beinn Alligin, this waterfall plunges through a fissure in the Torridonian Sandstone. The sharp, right angle of the rock coupled with the natural, horizontal fissures make this a surreal place and well worth the trek over rough ground to get there.

Beauly Firth provides calm shelter for these yachts. The little town of North Kessock hugs the steep shore on the North side of the firth and is a great location for watching the sunset. If you are really lucky you may also see the local colony of bottle-nose dolphins or even an otter.

A stormy evening provides an interesting view back towards Inverness as the waves crash up against a spray of seaweed. The Westerly wind streaming up the Great Glen and out into the Moray Firth makes the problem of camera shake a particular challenge in this location.

In the upper reaches of Glen Affric the remains of these trees break the surface of Loch Beinn a'Mheadhoin. Hiding under an umbrella I captured the raindrops breaking the stillness of the water. There is something primeval about this part of one of the finest glens in Scotland.

The Loch, unusually, is mirror-calm and provides an unbroken reflection of this winter sunset. A local couple and I enjoyed the view from this point which is normally only accessible by wading through the water.

The Caledonian Canal cuts through Inverness in the final stages of the route through the Great Glen. The eye-catching lighting stopped me in my tracks as I drove home from an unsuccessful photographic foray into the centre of Inverness.

Wonderful Reelig Glen wears its Autumn colours well. A polarizing filter and long exposure time help to create the illusion of flowing water in a still photograph!

A small waterfall hidden from the main Glen is framed by a burst of green, spring growth. I have returned to this spot on many occassions and the colours and strength of the stream never form the same view twice.

A bitterly cold December had resulted in a deep freeze over all the rivers. It had reached as low as -13 Celcius and when the temperature finally began to creep up the thaw was spectacular.

A tiny burn hidden in the woods around Rychraggan has few visitors, making it all the more special for those of us who do chance upon it!

One of Glen Affric's fine mountains provides a delicate waterfall on its flanks. I have climbed this mountain often during the summer and winter and from the summit is possible to see across the width of Scotland from the North Sea to the Atlantic.

A scramble through a gorge behind Cannich revealed this wonderful waterfall. The fallen rocks breaking the black surface of the water produced swirls and eddies in the foam to create the spiralling patterns.

Another early start on a cold November morning saw me balanced on a few stones, sinking slowly into the mud revealed by the retreating sea. As light began to creep into the sky the cold and mud were forgotten as the warmth of the rising sun transformed the scene.

Reluctant to leave Loch Beinn a'Mheadoin on such a fantastic day I lingered to take a series of shots of the fading light above the calm Loch water. Eventually frozen hands drove me away to the comfort of a flask of warm tea!

A recent trip to my home town of Porthcawl in South Wales saw me on the beach as the sun set and the tide advanced.

The incoming tide produced reflections of the fiery colours of the setting sun.

Finally the tide rushed around the rocks on which I was perched and covered the sand completely, turning the whole of the foreground into a mirror for the fading light.