Evening light, Loch Mallachie
The sun was close to setting, the low light angle giving these pines a stunning graphical effect, especially against the dark (guinness) peaty water of the loch.
Loch Mallachie is really just a slightly deeper bit of the surrounding bog and marsh, with the pine forest growing where it can on slightly raised land. It is an important environment for many birds, especially the Loch Garten Osprey, geese overwintering from Scandinavia and Northern Europe, and also the rather pretty Goldeneye which nests here.
Taking these photos did involve a sinking feeling and a squelch of bog…
I love these crazy ripple-reflections…
There was next to no wind, just an occasional sighing and rustling in the trees. Around the loch and the surrounding moor was an intense, tangible, feeling of space. A supportive, wild ground to rest in.
“For a BBC Four radio programme, musician and sound recordist Chris Watson spent some time investigating the nature of acoustic tranquillity, asking whether it’s a state of mind or an actual place. Watson’s further investigations, involving medical practicioners and psychologists, confirmed that there were certain sounds – such as breathing, footsteps, a heartbeat, birdsong, crickets, lapping waves and flowing streams – that people described as tranquil. Researchers demonstrated that such sounds stimulate the limbic system in the brain, resulting in the release of endorphins and a feeling of serenity. Watson eventually concluded that tranquillity refers to a basic layer of sound – an elemental acoustic foundation – upon which we can rest our mental processes. It’s nearly always a muted but harmonically rich low level of ambience. As Watson points out, these are not soporifics, but rather stimulating points of sonic light. They enable us to think clearly.”
– Chris Watson ‘A small slice of tranquillity’ – BBC R4
– Bernie Krause, ‘The Great Animal Orchestra’