Always take your camera revisited
Trying to follow my own suggestions...
Earlier this year, I wrote a post with the suggestion to always take your camera when out and about so as to grab photographic opportunities when you can. Although I don’t always follow my own advice (!), for this last post of 2024 I thought I’d take a quick look at three photos from this year that weren’t expected at all.
The first arose following a snap decision to take a more scenic route home from a trip to northwest Scotland, on the way noticing that it was just a short detour to some falls known to be a good place to see leaping salmon. Being July, it was probably too early in the year for that, but on the other hand the salmon run often starts earlier at this site than at most other locations. And much to our surprise, conditions turned out to be just right, with a steady stream of fish attempting the jump.
The usual advice for photographing leaping salmon is to use a tripod and remote shutter release, but in the absence of either of those ‘point-and-shoot’ would have to do. Pleasingly this led to several successful photos, although a much larger ‘miss’ rate than you’d get using better kit.
A salmon leaping falls (July 2024)
This was helped by seeing a rough pattern emerge in which several fish would leap in quick succession followed by a lull, presumably linked to flow conditions. The heads of fish about to jump would also sometimes appear momentarily in the waters below. Successful leaps were rare, but it was very satisfying when a fish did eventually manage to reach the calmer waters beyond.
On returning home some online investigation showed that the flow at this site is partially regulated by two hydropower dams. That means more stable flows and possibly cooler water temperatures than in an unregulated river, leading to conditions that seem to tempt salmon upstream to spawn earlier in the year. This would tie in with observations at other sites that adult fish can spend months further downstream waiting for the right conditions before heading upstream.
The next photo shows a phenomenon I’ve not seen before, namely part of a rainbow moving across the clouds alongside an airliner. This was on final approach to Bristol airport and with several showers visible from my side of the aircraft and the sun shining from the opposite side, this was a classic set up for a rainbow.
It remained visible for a surprisingly long time, following our track, although only ever as part of an arc. In the best conditions, though, full circle rainbows are sometimes seen from high vantage points, in contrast to the more constrained views that we get from the ground.
Aerial view of a rainbow (December 2024)
The final chance sighting was one I’ve discussed before, of a meteor against the backdrop of the Northern Lights. It’s been a remarkable year for seeing the lights and by chance there was even a good display during the Perseid meteor shower, itself usually one of the best of the year.
The Northern Lights and a Perseid meteor (August 2024)
This photo was taken during my first attempt at some timelapse footage of the lights, which viewed over minutes or more often appear to ripple, dance and change colours over time. While the camera was clicking away (using an intervalometer), I saw the meteor by eye so there was a good chance that the camera caught it too and sure enough there it was when I paged through the photos later.
It’s one of those chance sightings that I never imagined would be possible and hopefully you’ll catch some good opportunities in 2025 too.
Further reading
Spectacular Britain, Kevin Sene, Bloomsbury, 2024, for more insights into viewing and photographing meteors, leaping salmon and the Northern Lights and the science behind them.
https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/spectacular-britain-9781844866342/
Brocken Dreams, About Mountains, 2024, for insights into how rainbows form
Great photos and I agree, always take your camera with you!