When the river is high and there is no way to cross

There has been a photo I’ve been after for some time now. The location is only a short drive from where I live and in all honesty, I should really have this photo in the bag by now. However, it is a popular photo location and for it to be a worthwhile trip, the conditions need to be in right. What is the point of a standard photo that looks like all the other photos taken? The location is Dalkeith Country Park and the photo is of the palace from the river, looking through the arched bridge with a waterfall dropping below in the foreground. What I didn’t account for was that those same conditions I was after for this shot would stop me in my stride.

I arrived at the grand arched Montagu Bridge, the palace was illuminated with the soft morning light and there was the subdued faint fog resting on the treetops. The foliage had turned to a stunning rust colour and the grass was sparkling with dew. The heavy rains that we had experienced over the past few days had increased the depth of the colours, making the scene pop. Everything had lined up for the image and all that was needed was for me to find the best location to balance the palace within the framing of the arched bridge and to allow the water cascading below to pull the viewer’s eye into the photo. During this location scouting, I was slowing coming to the realisation that either side of the riverbank did not provide me with a usable view of the palace. After scrambling from one side of the river to the other and having no joy with a composition I resorted to google. This is the only benefit of attempting a photo that has been taken many times by many photographers, the ability to look up the image on Google. It was there I saw that the island in the middle of the river is the only spot is to set up the tripod and take the photo. Unfortunately, the heavy rain that I was thankful for only moments before turned out to be the reason I could not get this image. The river was thunderous and there was just no way of crossing it to get onto the island. I flirted with the thought of kicking my shoes off, rolling up my trousers and stepping into the white rushing waters. Hovering on the banks of the river I could not gauge how deep this river was. I had to retreat. This was not an option. I had to accept defeat and admit that this image that I was hoping to finally capture will have to wait for another day, when the conditions are working but when the river crossing can be attempted, safely.

I did take some photos as the condition were still nice. I opted for a more minimal framing of the river with the autumnal coloured leaves overhanging the water and some traditional photos of the elegant palace.