The Storr, Skye

I've just begun to process my images from my trip to Skye last week. It's strange to be back in Edinburgh, with the weather being very damp, grey and cold, instead of clear blue skies, crisp dry conditions and lots of snow.

Ok, so this is (part of) the famous Storr situated at the far northern tip of Skye. I had to use crampons and four season walking boots to get up here because the snow was so deep and icy in places too. This shot was taken in the evening. The sun in the winter is practically south, so as it turns out, being here in the morning or evening has pretty much the same effect - shooting into the sun. I got here a little bit late in the morning (trudging through snow waist deep in places, it robbed me of my time), so I didn't really have much of a chance to survey the landscape and make some good decisions. So I resolved to come back in the evening to shoot, now that I knew how difficult the terrain was to get around, and had already picked out a few spots for the evening shoot.

I've only processed a handful of images at the moment, but some of the films show some pretty crazy colours, courtesy of a polarizer used in a landscape where the ground is white and the sky is dark.... when you see the images I'm sure you're going to think I did something very strange to them.

Hope you enjoy this photo of the Storr.

Skye

I've just been spending the last week on the isle of Skye, again in a trusty camper van.

There is something quite liberating about a camper van. It means you can stop anywhere and be there for sunrise, or sunset, and if the weather isn't working in your favour, then you can always pop on the kettle and have a nice cup of tea (I'm British, that's what us British people do - we love boiled water in copious quantities).

Having said all that, I find spending a week or so, anywhere, on my own - a bit too much. So this time I brought a pile of Audio books. Some were great (thanks Bill Bryson for your humour and company).

So what was Skye like this January?

Well, I parked below the magnificent Storr landscape and trekked up there early one morning. I did however have to use crampons and four season walking boots to get there. Icy, perhaps three feet of snow in places, it was hard going, but well worth getting there.

The only issue I have with Skye is that it's simply too big an island. I did around 700 miles all in, and I'm knackered. Happy, but knackered. I've shot in some of the most bizarre winter conditions we've had here in the Uk for over 30 years... and I'm curious to see how the pictures turn out.

The trip started in Glencoe a week ago, and it was -15 there in the morning.... I was out taking pictures in snow drifts for about one hour, perfectly happy, but when I returned to the car, I met another photographer and we got chatting. Well, he got chatting, I got mumbling.... my face was so numb, I'd lost any coordination of it - it was just like I'd been to the dentist!

I'm looking forward to a bath when I get home, and then I'll work on my images from Skye.

Isle of Arran Portfolio

I've just uploaded a new portfolio of images from the Isle of Arran.

Perhaps my most simplest of compositions yet. I do feel that conducting the workshops, has led me to understand a bit better 'why' I make images the way I do. I think this is good and bad. Good from the point of view that I can improve upon my compositions a bit better, but it's perhaps a bit bad in that being consciously aware of why I make decisions in the field could perhaps lead to being contrived. I hope not.

Workshop news & other stories

Isle of Harris Workshop

I'm just back from the isle of Harris, in the far north of Scotland, where I've been conducting a workshop for the past four days.

It's been a great adventure for the group and myself and I've really enjoyed the company (thanks Dudley, Jim, Kevin Lynne, Peter & Stuart).

The UK has been battered by severe weather conditions with extreme rain and wind. For some reason, the far north west of the country managed to avoid most of the terrifying weather. On Harris we had a lot of dramatic and changeable light, very worthy of a photograph (or twenty). Sure we had our fair share of rain too, but overall, we were able to shoot in some amazing locations with really inspiring light.

This trip has made me more convinced that there is no such thing as 'bad weather' and I've just ordered a 'storm jacket' for my trusty Mamiya 7II camera. It's well used to getting wet, but I thought it would perhaps help in shielding the ND Grad filters from the rain a little bit more.

Isle of Arran

I spent a week on the isle of Arran doing some further research for some photographic workshops I intend to do here in 2010. I always prefer to put money back into the local communities when I can, so I stayed at the Kilmory Bunk house which turned out to be a great place to base a workshop in. So I'm in the process of working out final details for two workshops here in 2010 (I also have Asynt and Skye in the pipeline too).

Don't you think it looks like a snake? slithering into the water?

Pirate Bay - a special place on Arran.

Apple

As excited as I was that Apple were looking at my work, my portfolio was returned to me recently. No reply from them, so I had to e-mail to ask if I was in the running. Sadly, I didn't make the grade, but a good friend of mine (Hi Darren!), pointed out that at least - I'm now on their radar, so perhaps someday, they'll use my images. Time will tell.

BBC Radio Scotland

If all goes well, I will be meeting up with Mark Stevens from BBC Radio Scotland's 'Out of Doors' radio program in Asynt during December for a wee chat with the intention of our ramblings being broadcast sometime later on in the month. I'll let you know if / when this is broadcast - so you can tune in.

Island Hopping

I feel the future for me is a Scottish one. As much as I have traveled extensively over the past decade, I'm finding that my own back yard has so much potential for photography that I've just firmed up dates for an outer Hebridean tour this January. Courtesy of a camper van, I'll be heading onto the islands for two weeks with my camera and trusty iPod for company, to make some winter photographs.

Scotland is my home, and I only really found out just how wonderful it was by traveling abroad. Being away has given me a new set of eyes and I feel this is where I'm going to focus my efforts on for the time being...... Where Scotland is concerned, I feel I've only just begun.

Orkney

I'm in in the Orkney's at the moment. A cluster of little islands just at the tip of the north east of Scotland. I came here about 2 months ago, but the wind was so extreme here that it was hard to stand up in. So I'm back.

The downside about coming back at this time of year is not the dreaded midge (mosquito), but the dreaded tourist ;-)

I was able a few months ago to get some nice photographs of the Ring of Brodgar (pictured) and a suitable long exposure to mark the movement of the clouds over the landscape.

Last night was entertaining though. I went back to the stone circle to photograph it and met two scientists who were on holiday. They had dowsing rods with them and were busy walking up and down the area noting where there were dowsing lines. If you've not heard about this phenomenon, then check out google for it. I'm a bit skeptical about most things, but I tried it - and it worked!

I'm off to Hoy today to go and photograph the old man of Hoy and also the fantastic beach at Rackwick. Weather is very murky, but hey - that's the beauty of Scottish weather - it's always changing and often moody.

Isle of Harris Workshop

I've just finalised some plans for a 5 day long week workshop on the Isle of Harris, situated in the outer Hebrides. I was really taken with this island on a recent visit. The beaches are expansive and really photogenic and the light there is something else.

The trip is scheduled for the later part of November - the 20th to the 25th. We'll be staying at the lovely Harris hotel in Tarbert, which is a good base for exploring the entire of Harris and also making a stop over on Lewis to photograph the Calanais stones.

If you're interested in coming, it would be a good idea to book earlier rather than later, because you can get some really cheap deals on flights from Edinburgh, Glasgow and Inverness to Stornoway on Lewis (I will be picking you up from there)  for as little as £25 one way if you go with FlyBe.com.

The trip is limited to six places, with single occupancy of the rooms and the price is £1,100 for the duration of the trip.

I expect that we will get a lot of varied weather on Harris in November and this should present us with some dramatic light over the duration of the course. Please email me if you're interested.

Eigg Workshop - 1 Space available

One space has become available for my Isle of Eigg workshop! So if you were thinking of coming along, now's your chance to secure that spot :-)

I'm particularly looking forward to this trip as it's for a whole week on a beautiful island.

We've got our own place to stay for the week where everyone can come and go as they please. So if you fancy a bit of time on your own to explore the island, you can.

I'll be bringing a digital projector and laptop so we can cover critiques of the groups images as well as tutorials on my own workflow - how I arrive at my final print from RAW or Film capture.

The trip is due to commence on the 14th of September, ending on the 19th of September, priced at £779. If you are interested, email me.

Hebrides & other stories

This has certainly turned out to be a year of productivity for me. I started January in India then moved onto Nepal in February. March saw me return to Patagonia for my annual photo workshop and just before leaving South America, I managed a non-stop tour of the Bolivian altiplano.

But for years I've felt that I've neglected my own country too much. Scotland has a lot going for it and after all the traveling I've done, I have come to appreciate its beauty more so than I ever thought I could. We have such changeable weather here which has a direct impact on the quality of the light.

So in March I visited the north west of Scotland during a flurry of Snow and caught some rare shots of places in really wintry conditions.

Now this summer, I've managed to tick off a few islands that I've always wanted to visit : Orkney, Harris and Lewis. So this post is really about them. I now have a new collection of images from these islands as well as some shots from Knoydart - a remote peninsula on the north west of Scotland.

I hope you enjoy these images as much as I enjoyed making them.

What I love very much about photography is the surprises that are waiting for me. Sure I do a lot of planning and I'll research maps to find places of interest, work out logistics such as travelling times between locations and I'll often go to places middle of the day and make notes to return at 3am because the light is bland and I really think the place has potential later on. I seldom shoot middle of the day, but when the light is overcast, its softness is kind to the film I use. Harsh shadows are avoided and blown highlights don't get a look in. I'm always studying the light and watching, waiting for the conditions I know my camera's film can handle.

Shooting at 11pm in twilight and then back up at 3am to capture the light from the east does take its toll. It's at times like these that I do question my motivations.

But there is something very contemplative and enjoyable about being on a deserted beach just listening to the waves and watching the colour temperature go from cold to warm. I think my private thoughts and lose myself in what I'm doing and I can't really say there is any better way to disconnect from the pressures of life for a few hours.

I simply love it.

Contact Sheet - Summer Adventure

This summer I visited Knoydart peninsula and the islands of Orkney, Harris and Lewis. The last two islands are part of the Western Isles or more specifically the outer Hebrides. Orkney is at the very top east of Scotland. Summer brings long evenings in which to shoot and early mornings which are torturous - a 3am start always makes me feel a little bit 'wobbly'. It is at times like this that I start to feel rather 'out of it' and do question my motivations for making images.

Here is a contact sheet of the images that have made it to the final selection for my web site. I'll be putting them up in a new portfolio titled 'Summer Adventure' to mirror my 'Winter Adventure' portfolio.

I'm always looking for concepts as I find it helps me focus my efforts when shooting and also helps me figure out how best to present the new images when I'm ready to publish them.

I'm tempted to head out to the Uists this Summer if time permits. They too are also part of the Hebrides, a long tail of islands joined by ferry or causeway, each stunning in their own right (I should be getting some money from the Scottish Tourism Board for this!). The downside is that it's often expensive and very time consuming. I've lived in Scotland all my life and it's only this summer that I've managed to venture out to these places. But what beauty I've encountered there.... I don't feel it will be my last endevour there.

Eigg, Harris, Lewis & Orkney

I've been busy working on my new images from Harris, Lewis and Orkney. So this post has a nice preview of some images from those trips, but before I show you them, I have some important information on my Isle of Eigg workshop for September.

Isle of Eigg Workshop - Only 1 space left!

I know plenty of you have been telling me for months that you are intending on coming along on the Isle of Eigg workshop.

I now only have 1 space left, so if you are still thinking about coming - now is your chance.

Don't worry

TThe good news is that I have set up a second Eigg workshop for the 19th to 24th of April 2010, in case you can't make the September trip because I've been overrun by a stampede to get the last place ;-)

See : http://www.lightonscotland.com/pages/eigg.html

Harris & Lewis & Orkney

I thought I'd show you a preview of some new images I shot on Harris and Lewis & Orkney earlier this Summer.

This image was shot on the main Orkney Island at the rings of Brodgar.

And this one is of Seilbost beach on the isle of Harris:

And sometimes you find strange things on a beach. I loved the 'rocking horse' shape of this dead tree:

But I think I was most impressed by the Callanish Stones and happened upon them one summers evening while the moon was rising: