Social Photography Meetup III

This year, I have started setting up a social meetup for people who have been or are interested in attending a session with Edinburgh Photography Workshop. Rather than it being a teaching event, this is a chance for like-minded photographers to spend some time taking photos, having a bit of a chat and maybe trying something new. It was quite a small group this time, and the weather wasn’t brilliant, but we still managed to get some lovely photos.

Modern Art Gallery

The afternoon walk started at the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art. Outside the Modern One is a brilliant landform artwork by the American landscape artist Charles Jencks. Like many of his pieces, the public is encouraged to walk over them, and by going to the top of the structure, there is a fantastic view back over the water.

Water of Leith Walkway

Crossing the road and walking through the gardens of the Modern Two gallery, we traversed down the steps onto the Water of Leith walkway. We hoped to catch sight of the Kingfishers that often fly over the water or maybe one of the otters swimming. It wasn’t to be, but some lovely little mushrooms were growing around tree stumps.

Dean Village

The next stop on the meetup was the picturesque Dean Village. Previously a hub of industrial mills, the small collection of houses has now become part of the tourist trail in Edinburgh. As is often the curse of the city at the moment, one of the classic views is interrupted by scaffolding. However, with a little careful positioning, it is possible to still show the scene as an unspoilt hamlet.

St Bernard’s Well

Heading toward Stockbridge, there is an impressive mock-Roman temple dedicated to St Bernard of Clairvaux. It was said that the waters of the well had restorative healing powers. We were bemused to see a visiting tourist believe the water flowing down the river had its own medicinal qualities as they drank many handfuls from the river! After they had disappeared, the group had lots of fun using longer shutter speeds to capture the flow of water over the rocks.

The Dene

A couple of hundred metres away from the well are these lovely arches at The Dene. I have always thought these walls were part of a bigger structure in history. However, it seems the Dene refers to its meaning of deep valley.

Inverleith Park

Our final stop of the two-mile walk was the Model Boat Pond in Inverleith Park. No boats were flying over the water, but instead, we had a few minutes of an up-close photoshoot of the swans that nest in the pond.

I’m planning the fourth meetup in December, and it would be great to see a bigger group. Sign up for the monthly newsletter below to find out when it’s happening. It would be great to see you!

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About the author

As well as running Edinburgh Photography Workshop, Rich Dyson is a professional photographer. His photographs are regularly used in newspapers such as The Times, Guardian and Daily Telegraph. He also had two solo exhibitions and was featured in a members-sponsored exhibition in the Scottish Parliament. You can see and buy his photography at richdysonphotography.com.