The Photography of Dr. Jeff Harper

We had a 3-day week-end and new cars . .  . what to do?  ROAD TRIP!  We headed up north for a week-end of trail walking, golf, and photography.  At Macduff, we discovered the Duff House forest grounds.  Very beautiful.

It was a grey day with cool air . . . perfect for a walk in the woodlands.

A week earlier there had been several nights of near-zero temperatures.  A few leaves had started to turn . . .

These ferns reminded me so much of my walks last summer in Washington State.

There is always so much of beauty to see on a forest walk.

After spending the last 17 years in tropical Thailand, the differences within this forest here held a strong fascination.

Wonderful old trees evoke old feelings.

The twist of this tree trunk tells the story of its taller neighbors come and gone.

We walked for over an hour in the coolness of this forest.

Shades of a coming Autumn.

A long, and warm-for-Scotland, summer has left the forest brimming with life.

These mushroom fungi seemed very brainy . . . too brainy!  Perhaps there has been an exchange of genetic material going on in this ecosystem!

We left the forest walk through this aged gate.

We found Duff Estate.

Mr. Duff made a lot of money when housing prices were lower than they are now. We wanted to go on the interior tour, but we got here too late.

The gift shop operator told us that Duff Estate "changed the way large estates were built in Great Britain after it's completion."

Although not of the estate-changing opulence of the Duff Estate, we were happy with The Knowes Hotel.  The room was clean and comfortable . . . . with . . .

. . . an excellent view of the North Sea and the Macduff harbour light.  I decided to grab my camera gear and headed out into the fading light.

Macduff and Banff are port towns.

Not much in Macduff has been modernized.  There are still old hovel homes left from an older time.

Although the stone houses seem cold, there are touches and flourishes of artistry set against the austere facades.

I turned left on Institution Street, and then on down the steep hill to the harbour, all the while wondering how the street got its name.

Macduff had a fine man-made harbour lined with Victorian era store fronts.

A girl was trying to fish for her supper in the Macduff sink . . . without luck.

A fine harbour light on a fine last day of summer in Macduff, Scotland.

I walked up the harbour road toward Banff, hoping I could get a photo of the old stone bridge.

On the way out of town I saw this image . . . telling the history of the internal landscapes of those residing below.

In the fading light the contrasts between light and shadow grew.

Perfect late light.

I  took many photos along the road and was infatuated with the church dome against the sky . . .

  . . . when I realized I was missing this old derelict building . .  my favorite subject: dilapidation!

Amazing dilapidation.

I kept walking along the road to Banff and took this photo of a friendly dancing bus mechanic.  He came over and said . . . "I hope my boss never sees this photo!"  So here is his photo . . . not the one of him dancing!

I got to than embankment in time to take this photo of Banff . . . unfortunately the old stone bridge was too far away to walk in the fading light.

I sat for a while on the a bank of the River Deveron estuary and watched the sun set.

It was a beautiful evening.

I climbed some steep steps and took a high road back to the hotel.  Along the way I shot this view of Macduff, Scotland in the last of the light.

 I reentered the town center from a side street.

Although Macduff is made of dark stone masonry, it is a habitable town.  People add color which, standing off the dark stone, make a beautiful effect.

Along "Main Street" Macduff.

Macduff streets are steep as they rise up from the catchment.

 I rounded the corner and went up Market Street to the hotel.  There were many pleasant architectural arrangements to enjoy along the way in the last of the light.

My last photo of the day was taken on the steps of the hotel.

The next morning broke clear and cold. This view of Banff was taken from my hotel window.

Macduff, Banff, Scottish coast.

It was time to leave Macduff.

The Knowes Hotel sits on high ground, but just above the hotel stood a Castle turret monument in remembrance of local war dead.

We spent the rest of the morning playing the very, very difficult, but very, very beautiful Royal Tarlair Golf Course.  The views were breathtaking!