Early one morning A different take - images added.

[David Paterson]

Couldn't sleep last Sunday night  . . . down at my favourite location soon after 5am . . .

All images - head of Loch Tay, Scotland. There's a bit of repetition in my choice . . . wasn't feeling very decisive . . .

[Akira]

Love the third, panoramic one: the contrast between the rhythm created by the silhouettes of the birds and the calmness feeling of the Loch Tay in the morning is pleasant.

The last one is your typical seemingly-ordinary-but-intriguing image methinks.  I like the play of the green and orange colors in the orange-ish light from the rising sun.

[ArthurDent]

Very nice capture. What camera and lens were you using?

[David Paterson]

Thanks, Akira and Arthur.

The last one is your typical seemingly-ordinary-but-intriguing image methinks.  I like the play of the green and orange colors in the orange-ish light from the rising sun.

Exactly what I think when I see this kind of subject - random, chaotic, disordered, imperfect but somehow beautiful, or at least interesting.

Arthur - #1,2 and 5 - D600 and 18-35mm AFS; all others D600 plus 70-200/f4.

[Bjørn Rørslett]

Loch Tay and surrounding wetlands apparently produce an endless flow of photogenic opportunities ... The Iris sward is super. Well, all of them are, but I'm partial to Iris.

[Jakov Minić]

They are all beautiful, David.

[David Paterson]

Loch Tay and surrounding wetlands apparently produce an endless flow of photogenic opportunities ... The Iris sward is super. Well, all of them are, but I'm partial to Iris.

Thanks, Bjørn. In the 14 years I have lived here, I must have walked "the head of the loch" at least two thousand times (14years x 52weeks x 3times/week =  2184) but I nearly always find something new; at the very least the light, the sky and especially the clouds are constantly changing.

Thank you also, Jakov. I'm always very pleased when members of our Scottish event like my work.

[HCS]

Thanks, Bjørn. In the 14 years I have lived here, I must have walked "the head of the loch" at least two thousand times (14years x 52weeks x 3times/week =  2184) but I nearly always find something new; at the very least the light, the sky and especially the clouds are constantly changing.

Thank you also, Jakov. I'm always very pleased when members of our Scottish event like my work.

They're beautiful, Dave! I wish i could have been part of the NG Scotland event.

[Mikes]

All impressive images, David. I especially like the tranquility you have captured in the first three images. You are indeed lucky to live so close to an environment with such a diversity of moods.

The loch really lends itself to early morning shots. The images all bear your unique "stamp".

[David Paterson]

They're beautiful, Dave! I wish i could have been part of the NG Scotland event.

Thanks, Hans. Maybe next time?   

Mike - thank you for those encouraging words  I'm conscious of trying to maintain a "look" that is common to all my landscape/nature stuff so I'm pleased that you have spotted it. And you are dead right about the loch which really is a prime early morning location, specifically the head of the loch which we walked when you were here in May. I was down there again today by 5.30am - Mayumi came along too - and got a few worthwhile images.

[Anirban Halder]

You live in a heaven on earth! Great series as always; I particularly like the tree silhouette shot and the one next.

[David Paterson]

Thanks, Anirban. There is a saying - "All the way to Heaven, is Heaven". I think it means Killin and Loch Tay.   

I made another 5am start this morning, taking my 200-500/5.6 instead of the 70-200/4, because it forces you to see things differently. So here are some of today's images from the margins of Loch Tay (not all taken with the 200-500) starting with two shots of irises, to please Bjørn.