I cannot even express the joy of being in Scotland among the most beautiful landscapes in the world… Or, at the very least, the most beautiful scenery I had ever encountered.
At the start of May, I went on a Pet Photography Retreat with several other pet photographers. I wanted to learn from some of the best out there. I sure did learn a lot.
You may not know this, but I love to learn. There is so much information out there and I want to learn as much of it as I possibly can. I’m a very hands on type of person. As I’m certain many other creatives are, I am a visual learner. You can talk to me about something and teach me that way, but I guarantee that I will not remember all of it.
Let me lay the scene… We were in Blair Atholl staying in an amazing hunting lodge. There are sheep everywhere… and I do mean everywhere. This hunting lodge is in a valley surrounded by mountains, waterfalls, and rocky rivers and streams. The weather was cool and, at times, rainy. Not so much rain that everything is soaked. It’s the kind of on and off rain that feels like a gentle water bottle spray with the really fine droplets. That rain didn’t happen much while we were there, but it was always welcomed.
There was moss everywhere you looked. It was wonderful. So much green. It’s that green that makes you feel like you’re in a fairy tale. It was growing on the trees at the base and on almost all of the large rocks that were around the area. Some were more like boulders, I suppose. Every time I saw one, my first thought was, “that’s a nice boulder.” Yes, I quoted a movie. Every single time. You can’t tell me that you don’t.
We met so many amazing dogs. Almost all of them are working dogs. From cocker spaniels to Dalmatians to springer spaniels to rescue dogs with underbites to a Saluki. Yes, if you are wondering, I pet almost all of them. Some of them didn’t like it. I’m okay with that. There was also a black cocker spaniel puppy named Billie. Can I just say, she would’ve fit in my carry on. I was willing to relieve the owner of her puppy-ness, but she was not into it. Can’t say I didn’t try.
All of us visited Blair Castle. Though we couldn’t go inside, it was absolutely breathtaking. The grounds with all of the flowers and soft grass with the stone was just… *deep breath*… You know the feeling. Then take that feeling and add dogs. Oh yeah. I know you feel that. Funny enough… there were deer, but no sheep. I think it was the first place I saw that didn’t have sheep baaa-ing at you.
We also visited Faskally Forest. I just have to say that I think that this was my favorite spot to visit. Well, at least one of the top two spots. There is a pond that we walked next to and took photos (yes, of dogs) there. That pond was so still. It’s almost as if everything just stopped around me. The water was like a mirror and shimmered with the rays of sunshine peeking through the clouds. Everything was so still with a slight breeze through the leaves of the trees almost if to tell us, “hello and welcome.”
My other top spot that we visited? Glen Tilt. It was about 15 minutes from the lodge. Driving on a one car, gravel and dirt road. These roads are not like what we have in the states. They are quite narrow. That’s another story. I digress… The rocky terrain. The mountain. The lush green. The waterfalls. Watching the sun choose where to lay her beams and then changing her mind. It showed such a different perspective with every time she moved those rays. I took my favorite images at Glen Tilt. One was with a little cottage with a red roof that say stoically on the hillside sandwiched between the river and the sky.
I met some truly incredible people there. More on that later…
There is so much to say about this trip that I’m going to make this into a couple… maybe a few… parts.
