Photo Project: Mountain Landscapes and People

In the discussion to my previous post on mountain photography Hannes raised a couple of good points. Firstly, he talked about how clouds add character and (I guess) texture to a photo and he is right about that. And secondly, he raised the use of people in mountain landscapes to give a greater idea of scale.

When I produced that post I thought about including people but then reckoned that it would make the post too long. But Hannes is right, the inclusion of people does help with scale. It also adds other interest as well.

The late, great, travel writer Bruce Chatwin was also a fabulous photographer. He always reckoned that landscape had little interest to him on his own; places and landscapes were made by the people in them. I maybe paraphrasing him a little but that was the gist of what he was talking about. It’d an interesting point of view.

Memories of many great mountain walks and treks often revolve around the people you meet along the trail. Certainly, if I look at my trail journals and online diaries (such as those here of the Challenge) I can clearly see that many days are marked by a conversation or a chance encounter. These can be reflected in photographs.

Here are a couple of photos taken during a glorious summer day on the Brecon Beacons, one without figures and one with.

 

Brecon

Without …

Brecon

… with!

Walking up Ordessa

The Ordessa Canyon in the High Pyrenees. Like many other stunning mountain landscapes it is difficult to really capture the scale of this place, but I think the cattle help somehow!

 

Head of Ordessa Gorge

As I got closer to the canyon wall it became all but impossible to capture the scale of it. But the snap of these two walkers seems to give an interesting sense of scale and expectation.

 

Crossing the Col d'Aratille ...

This wouldn’t be much of a shot without the walker, but somehow with one it tells you a lot.”

 

Phile Turner — Tweeting Across Scotland

 

The Big Country!

Phil again, completing the size of it all …

 

Yep, people have their place Hannes, you are right!

Photo Project: Mountain Photography

Barrage des Oulettes 1

 

I never cease to be amazed by my modest photographic project here on the blog. The pages are downloaded at a regular rate and I continue to received a steady stream of emails.

A common subject for emails is the taking photographs of high mountains. I’ve resisted talking about this before as I hardly consider myself particularly skilled in this area although I have got one or two good mountain ‘snaps’ on Flickr. However, I thought it was time to have a look at mountain photography and deal with both technique and gear. Hopefully, you’ll add your experiences and tips in the discussion thread.

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Winter on the North Downs Way

Winter On the North Downs Way

Towards Chevening
1/500, f8, SO 200, 70m. Silver Effects Pro.

Walking to Braigh Coire Chruinn Bhalgain

Walk to Braigh Coire Chruinn bhalgain

Walking to Braigh Coire Chruinn bhalgain

1/320, f11,ISO 200. 28mm. Processed using Silver Effects Pro with Red Filter.

 

The Return of Autumn Days

Autumn Falls On The Mynd

1/60, f16,ISO 50 at 30mm. Tripod.

Coire Lair

Coire Lair

 

1/125, f16, ISO 100 at 17m. Processed using Silver Effects Pro

This certainly captures the drama of the landscape but I think the 17m length was a bit too dramatic!

Complex Users and Cool Dudes …

A couple of photos that got away.

Parking for Comlex Users Only

Tee Hee … Ballater is obviously a deeper place than I thought!

 

Cool Patio Dude

One cool patio dude …

Moving to Autumn

Moving to Autumn 

1/30, f16.ISO 50 @ 40m. Tripod

Autumnal Changes

1/60, f16. ISO 50 @30mm. Tripod.

Review: Wild Water — Wild Light, Mike Brown

My review of Chris Townsend’s “A Year in the Life of the Cairngorms” was well received. This is a lovely book of natural photographs which benefits from Chris’ intimate knowledge of his local mountains.

As so many of you liked the natural nature of the photographs I thought I’d feature one of the other stunning landscapes that I’ve go hold of during the last twelve months.

Mike Brown is a Yorkshireman who relocated to West Cork in Ireland during the 70′s and who now resides in the charming seaside resort of Courtmacsherry. West Cork is a wonderful land of rugged coastlines, unspoilt beaches, lush rolling hills and harsh, rigged, peninsulas. Brown captures this landscape as only a long-term resident can. These are stunning seascapes, featuring almost every weather condition and each of the seasons. The photographs are natural in the sense that they are not over-processed and reminds me very much of how my memory sees the land.

West Cork is certainly worth a visit some time. It is a charming place which remain largely unspoilt; in many ways it reminds me of Cornwall 30 or 40 years ago.

Anyhow, see for yourself by following the link below.

http://www.mikebrownphotography.com/

Menai Straits

Menai at low tide

Menai Straits at Low Tide
1/90,f16. ISO 100 @40mm