Edinburgh, Scotland.

'Edinburgh,' said the writer Robert Louis Stevenson, 'is what Paris ought to be'. Its magnificent architecture shifts from the lofty tenements and narrow closes of its medieval Old Town as they tumble down the spine of the Royal Mile, to the grace and geometric precision of the Georgian New Town. Above it all, in its towering splendour, stands the Castle. Every step is a revelation - an alleyway which reveals an ancient courtyard, or a wynd which opens up a new panorama. And yet within this sweeping elegance is a compact city, a bustling city, above all a city which rewards every visitor. Despite being only two hours drive away, Edinburgh remains one of my favourite cities in Europe. 

With so many wonderful views to be photographed it is sometimes difficult to get something new. Regular visitors to camera clubs will be well aware of the term 'tripod holes'. This relates to taking photographs of well known views or locations from the same position as everyone else, or as a famous image. It is true that these types of images are unlikely to win a local photographic competition but you should not be put off from taking one or two photographs for your own files. However in these two photographs I have tried to take famous buildings from slightly different angles and used  the lighting to add to the overall image. 

Top - Edinburgh castle, I used a polariser filter to saturate the sky and increase contrast in the rocks.

Bottom - Edinburgh Observatory, I again used a polariser but used the setting sun to side light the structure.