Ben Cruachan

The Photograph

Ben Cruachan

Hasselblad XPan 90mm

Being high on a mountain above the clouds is always a joyous experience. I spent many hours here on the windless summit of Beinn a Chochuill watching and photographing this dynamic inversion ebb and flow around the contours of the Cruachan massif. Conditions were so good I decided to wait for the evening light but by late afternoon the wind had increased significantly and brought with it a dramatic change in weather. The temperature had dropped and a rapidly advancing front was approaching fast, engulfing even the higher peaks around me. It was time to leave but just before departing the sun momentarily appeared, lighting the scene before me. I had time to set up and capture one single frame before the weather, conspicuous on the left, moved in permanently reducing the visibility to nil.