Podcast Recording wherever I go

I’m on the Isle of Harris right now, and whenever I have a some free time, and can set up to record some audio for a future podcast, that’s what I do :-)

I’ve been self employed now for fifteen years. I absolutely believe that if one wishes to remain self employed, then you have to keep working. Truth being told: when you are running your own business, you can’t ‘not’ do it. The idea that you may be working more than in a regular job may be a deterrent from giving self-employment a go. But the truth is that although you WILL definitely work more than you do at a regular job, you’re more willing and it feels less of a burden because it’s your baby.

I’m enjoying recording, writing, and editing my little photographic vignettes. They allow me to relive my experiences, to gather my thoughts into something more coherent than just random memories, and also for me to gain further insight into what it is that I do.

Sandstorm, central highlands, Iceland

Just busy processing films films from the past year right now.

This image was shot during a sandstorm would you believe. I was actually perched right next to the sand wall you see in the central part of the frame, trying to avoid sand being blown into my eyes (I failed), and trying to avoid the serious high contrast light poking in from the far left side of the frame.

Funnily enough, I don’t recall the colours present in the frame. It was a middle of the day shot, but it was an odd mixture of very harsh light and the sky filled with a lot of sand. I think that caused some kind of diffusion, and perhaps the colours are just courtesy of Velvia, because when there is no colour for Velvia, it just tends to default to blues and magentas ;-)

I’ve had to do quite a bit in post to recover the ground, as I deliberately underexposed the frame to control the highlights in the sky, despite also having a three-stop hard grad on the lens.

I have images from Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil and a new place to edit over December. I’ve got quite a backlog :-)

Imperceptible Horizons (podcast Episode 5)

Episode 5 of my podcast series is now online.
I hope you enjoy it, and if so, please subscribe - it helps with the algorithm on YouTube to get it out there to others.

Greetings from Hokkaido

Just almost finishing up a tour in Hokkaido this Autumn with a very nice group. We’ve had a mixture of cloudy / sunny weather and hints of winter fast approaching. I am so glad I chose to come back to Hokkaido in the autumn time: this year some places that had beautiful colours peaked earlier than expected but other places that were still green last year are just blossoming so beautifully that I am excited. Feel I got some very beautiful shots around the beautiful lake Kussharo, that I am hoping to have some time to process the films this winter… when I have some free time from working on images for a new book.

As always on my Hokkaido tour, my amazing guide and friend Tsuyoshi (far left) always arranges very nice meals for us and is a great ambassador for his country, showing us his passion for Japanese food and the subtle but beautiful landscape of Hokkaido.

I hope to publish new photos from Hokkaido later in the year, but alas, I think it may have to be some time in 2025 due to work commitments for my new book and a few other workshop tours to still complete before 2024 is done.

Greetings from Japan.

I shall miss my dear friend Trym Bergsmo

I just learned today that my dear friend Trym Bergsmo passed away last Saturday.

I first met Trym at the On Landscape Meeting of Minds conference around 2016. We shared a mutual friend in Lofoten. Trym was such a lovely guy to hang out with, always positive, always thinking of the better things in life, optimistic, and a really friendly sense of humour.

I have fond memories of visiting him in Norway at his country house, and both of us being so ill with the flu that we sat around discussing art, photography and all the other things in life that one has to encounter. In a way, it was possibly one of the best ways to get to know a new friend.

Since then, we often zoom called, and he was always keen to come to Scotland to do some photography.

I’m going to miss him terribly.

the ellipse of a dune

When considering composition, one has to wonder if the light shaded pink ellipse of the central small dune plays second fiddle to that of the black volcano?

Or, maybe it’s the other way around?

Perhaps the small central ellipse of pink dune is an intended easter egg - a subject that is noticed last, or at least is never first.

But even though the small ellipse has been composed to be an intended surprise, perhaps I had always meant it to be the main point of the picture?

Sometimes, it is the smaller details that are the reason for the photo. As in this case, I truly believe that my intention was to compose for the small ellipse. Even though the dark volcano on the lefthand side of the picture is more obviously dominant, I think it fulfils the role of a supporting actor, rather than the main one.

We all see differently, and interpret images differently. So this post is really more about considering how or why the image works, if it works at all for you.

Nocturnal Labyrinth

The Labyrinth or ‘los colorados’ (the colours) is a fascinating part of the Puna landscape in Argentina. I have been promising myself that I should dedicate a week or so to this place alone. And I have made plans to do so several times. But it’s an extremely difficult place to photograph well.

The location does not suit soft light as it really requires shadows to help set out and define the contours of the terrain. When the sun goes down, I often feel that I’m waiting for the light to get better, but once it flattens down to an extremely soft light, the contrasts that are required to set the scene up just aren’t there any more.