Dog Falls
"Awesome" can only inadequately describe the reality of the nature in the Scottish Highlands.
"Awful" can't even approximate the tortures caused by Scottish biting midges.
And both congregate frequently when hiking (and photographing) in Scottish nature - if water comes into play with a strong focus on "Awful".
Anyhow - it's not the right time to give up just because of some insects barely visible (what the rest of the family has already done minutes earlier), if you still seek the right composition for an HDR.
5 bites for setting up the tripod, nearly two just for getting the camera mounted to the quick release plate, 4 bites avoided by taking the time to flail for some seconds, 2 more to understand flailing doesn't work at all and 3 additional ones just for thinking how miserable I might look like right now. 3 HDR sequences and uncountable bites later the good feeling, that I persevered and might have a shot on the memory card, for which the torture paid off. One more bite - already 100 meters down the path - for this sense of delight. Why didn't I take more repellent, and why didn't I buy a local repellent helping with real Scottish first-class midges at all?
Keep shooting - now at my desk at home, the tortures faded already. Highland midges? Culicoides impunctatus? Ha! Ridiculous! Insects smaller than a macro lens can reasonably reproduce - less than 1.5mm wingspan. Well, there must be a reason for Scottish websites with midge forecasts ...
The Dog Falls are situated in a remote area of Glen Affric National Nature Reserve, not too far from Loch Ness. The name's origin is ambiguous. Some source says it came from a dog falling into the water and surviving a trip of some kilometers in the stream. To be on the safe side we kept our dog on the leash.
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