That last part, enjoying the process, sounds like it should be a given. But with landscape photography, it’s not always the case. When you put considerable effort into finding a new location, travelling to your chosen destination, then spend hours photographing it, only to be disappointed when you finally get home and look at your images, that joy can quickly dissipate.

Perhaps it is the ease with which we can view amazing photography online that has created the sense of urgency I’ve felt since first picking up a camera. Whatever it is, the tendency to set high expectations every time I go out with my camera can be a demoralising force, leading to a hobby that can become more of a slog than an inspiration.

More recently, though, I’ve made a point of tackling this problem head on. Now, when I go out, I set myself a much looser set of goals, rather than just aiming for a stellar photograph at the end of it. This could include discovering a fresh composition, trying out a new technique, or even just having an interesting conversation with a stranger. With less rigid expectations comes less pressure, and ultimately more enjoyment.

To illustrate this, I will show you a couple of recent examples. Below is an image of Loch Lomond; hardly a memorable photograph, but not a terrible one either. It was blowing a gale (up to 40mph gusts) and the conditions, I felt anyway, didn’t suit the image, or at least my ‘style’. Nevertheless, by going out I had stumbled upon a solid composition, and one I’ll be returning to when the conditions are right.

The next image was taken at Portencross in North Ayrshire. On this day I had set myself a goal of trying out intentional camera movement (ICM) photography for the first time. I didn’t need to come home with an amazing image, I just needed to try the technique out. As with the last photograph, this one probably won’t be featuring in any portfolios. Nevertheless, I had pushed my photography a step forwards, trying out something new and exploring my creativity in the process.

So, the next time I’m out with my camera I’ll be lowering my expectations and setting myself more achievable goals. I took up photography to enjoy it, not to beat myself up about it. And neither did you, I bet.

When I noticed that fog was in the forecast a month or so ago now, I made sure to take full advantage of it, and planned a last-minute trip to the Trossachs area, about an hour and twenty minutes drive away from my home in Glasgow.

I booked a motorhome pitch (I stay in a TentBox on my overnight trips) right next to Loch Achray, which meant I wouldn’t need to walk far if the right conditions materialised.

When I arrived in a rush the night before, I did so just in time for golden hour, and managed to capture the image below.

I settled on this scene after a bit of trial and error, opting for a square crop shot in landscape orientation, which seemed to suit it best.

Happy with this image, I went to bed, hoping that I would wake up to completely different conditions in the morning.

Sure enough, the next morning, fog had gathered over the loch and looked likely to linger for a while. I shot the image above before moving to another spot, hoping to get a better view of either Ben A’an or Ben Venue.

The peak of Ben A’an was briefly visible when I first woke up, but by the time I had moved to my next vantage point it had completely disappeared. I focussed instead on Ben Venue, which was reflected perfectly on the water, with subtle pink hues visible in the sky.

As I was taking the image the fog was thickening, and I was faced with the typical dilemma of sticking around or moving to another location.

I decided to move on, hoping to capture bluebells in a woodland on the other side of the loch. This was nearly a fatal mistake, as I was about two or three weeks too early, and the bluebells in the area were yet to make an appearance.

Thankfully, I wasn’t far from the shores of another nearby loch, where I managed to capture this image of mist still clinging onto Loch Venachar.

On another day I might have stayed and tried to drag the conditions out, but I was more than pleased with the photos I had captured, and so I decided to call it a day while on a high.

Having not really done much landscape photography in the springtime, I wasn’t too sure what to expect. The lighter colours of the foliage, the just-about-manageable sunrise time compared to summer, and the excellent foggy conditions all contributed to a fantastic wee trip away.

In the end, being on location the night before paid off, and this superb area of the Trossachs lived up to its landscape photography potential.

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