Today we’re delighted to share a guest post courtesy of Larry Young from Dallas, Texas. Larry recently returned from his first H&B Expedition, and shares a few helpful tips for his fellow newly enlisted Members of the Forces. He also happens to be professional photographer, and provides valuable insight for capturing better photos during an Expedition across the pond.
Take it away, Larry!
This was my rookie golf trip to Scotland. With the help of H&B and Dr. Edward Holland, I just returned from an amazing trip of a lifetime and had the opportunity to play some of the great golf courses in Scotland.
The Old Course at St. Andrews: The hardest first tee shot in golf. I have dreamed of playing the Old Course ever since I was 14 years old. Standing on the first tee and actually getting to play it…It was everything that I hoped it would be!
St. Andrews Castle Course: We experienced an adult portion of Scottish golf at the Castle Course. We played the first six holes in a pouring rain, the next three holes in beautiful sunshine and then the inward nine holes with a 40-45 mph wind off the North Sea. Crazy!
Kingsbarns Golf Links: Glorious! Amazing views of the North Sea. One of the courses used for the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.
Carnoustie Golf Links: The hardest, fairest golf course that I have ever played. The spirit of Ben Hogan is everywhere!
Royal Dornoch Golf Club (Three Times!): Definitely a favorite. WOW… What a great golf course!
Golspie Golf Club: An amazing golf course tucked in the village Golspie. Six links holes. Six inland holes and six heathland holes. We played in an overcast, rainy day. It was perfect!
Brora Golf Club: Pure links golf course, nine holes in nine holes out. Quite the favorite with our group. Everyone wanted to play it again. Side note about Brora…cattle and sheep roam freely throughout the golf course. Be mindful of the electronic fences around the greens.
Castle Stuart Golf Links: One of the golf courses used for the Scottish Open. Great, Great golf course. Perfect way to finish off our trip.
All told we played 198 holes of golf! What a trip. A few notes to my incoming rookie brethren:
Listen to your caddies. Most are members of the club and know every blade of grass on the course. There are unknown perils at every turn.
If you hit into trouble…take your medicine and find your way back to the fairway. Unless of course somewhere along the way you became Bruce Koepka… don’t be a hero. It’s not worth wasting the shot.
Learn the bump and run shot!
Have a great set of waterproofs (rain suit)! It is worth the expense.
Walk prior to your trip…then walk some more. You will be happy that you did.
Hydrate.
~
I’m a professional commercial photographer. Major Haversham has asked to share a few photography thoughts and tips from my photographic experience in Scotland. I hope these thoughts, tips and suggestions will help you wherever your photography travels will take you.
1. Shoot Horizontal – The vistas that you will encounter are amazing. You will want to capture as much it them as possible.
2. Keep Your Photos Simple – Some photographers often overcomplicate their photos. Too many details can distract the photograph. An interesting subject is all you need. Scotland if full of interesting subjects. People, buildings, pubs, monuments…. the subjects are endless.
3. Low Angle – Shooting your amazing vista photographs from a lower angle will help you capture the clouds and the beautiful skyline.
4. Show Some Depth in your Photos – Creating a bit of depth will lead the viewer into the scene. This also a good idea for your landscapes.
5. Detail – The heather and the gorse are actually quite beautiful…unless of course you trying to hit your golf ball out of it. Be careful the gorse can be quite prickly. Don’t be afraid to get in close to your subject.
6. Silhouette – The sunrises and sunsets are amazing and it’s quite easy to do. Put your subject between you and the light. Shoot towards the light.
7. Shadows – Shadows can create an interesting visual effect. Walking down the fairway with the sun at your back and your shadow leading the way down the fairway. Pretty cool.
8. Cropping – Using cropping to focus in on your subject. Positioning. Fill the frame. Move the subject to the far right of the frame, far left. Mix it up.
9. Black and White – Try converting some of your amazing photos into black and white. It can create dramatic effect.
10. Enjoy The Walk!
My final thought: Playing golf in Scotland changed my life, golf wise… It’s hard to explain, but I’m not the same golfer that I was before the trip. I have a new appreciation for the game. So…while you guys (H&B) are arranging these amazing trips for us, sometimes the end results are more than just playing great golf courses. At least it was for me.
Many thanks to Larry Young for taking the time to share his memories, insights, and tips from his recent Expedition. If you’d like to learn more about Larry’s photography, we suggest visiting his website, or following along on Instagram and Twitter.
Discover More of Golf at its Finest with H&B
