15 Responses

1. Joe Cornish

   What a great sentiment this is Alex, and I completely concur with it. I am sure most of us are guilty of excessive weather watching. The strange thing is that if you simply head out without great expectations, but an open mind, then whatever you discover will be worthwhile. And the edges of weather fronts are usually the most exciting for landscape photography; it must be said that Scotland gets its fair share of those.
   By the way, I am one of the “one or two who have” been on Sgorr Tuath (last June). I had actually been planning it in my mind for years based on the alignment of peaks from the summit (deduced from the map), but it took me until this year to get there. The complete absence of a route in makes it all so much more of an adventure! The rock formation the photographed at the saddle is amazing and I have already been planning a return there in the depths of winter. I fear you have beaten me to it. Congratulations, dammit! I have enjoyed reading your adventures and admire your commitment to the inaccessible places too.
   Joe

   On December 13, 2011 at 1:30 am • Reply
2. Alex Nail

   Thanks Joe,
   That’s put a smile on my face this morning!
   Funnily enough Steve and I had read some long range forecasts and kitted ourselves out with winter boots, crampons and ice axe to ascend Sgorr Tuath in deep snow, which sadly came a little too late. I imagined others would have been up here, I’ll have t start looking for peaks which you haven’t been up!
   I just bought maps of Torridon and I’ve been pouring over them over the last couple of days, there’s plenty of inaccessibility there! I feel another trip coming on!
   Thanks for the comment Joe, I really appreciate it.

   Alex

   On December 13, 2011 at 7:08 am • Reply
3. ssellman

   Weather forecasts are overviews quite often encompassing large areas, as we all know in the UK what started out as a grey day can quite often change significantly, if i have the opportunity to take images its very rare a forecast will deter me. We all know how you can be drenched by a shower one minute, and bathed in sun the next with our unique UK weather.
   We were however lucky on this trip especially in consideration of the forecast, we had a few good breaks, but in overcast conditions with a heavy sky those breaks present an opportunity for dramatic lighting. The area is not far from the coast and again living in Devon you get to realise that the weather you have inland can be very different near the coast, and quite often if its cloudy inland the coast will be clearer.

   A strong wind also helps as it means your weather will change quickly, mountains also have their own affect on the weather.
   All these things lead me to use the weather as a guide, they should be part of the planning especially in relation to safety,but i have a desire to show the uk landscape in all its weather conditions in all seasons.

   I feel i need to make a few corrections here; 10 hours of bad singing came from Alex, my voice is not far off classically trained but obviously all Alex heard was his own warbling.

   “Fifty meters from the summit and the sun burst through the cloud, I made a dash for the top leaving Steve behind”. hmmm the way i remember this was we stopped at the lake just below the summit, I answered a call of nature and you left me behind.
   Also I remember distinctly the snow ‘falling’ uphill on our escape from Stac Pollaidh!! but oh how exhilarating!
   A great trip all in all and i must thank Alex for introducing me to this wonderful part of the UK that i now have a very strong desire to photograph more in the future….

   On December 13, 2011 at 12:58 pm • Reply
   • Glencoe

     Having retired to the north-west highlands some nine years back I soon learned to accept the local weather ‘lore’ – which is easily summarised as ‘give it half an hour’ – no matter what the current weather is, it will likely change!
     An ‘official’ answer to a Scottish Parliamentary question ‘why can’t we have flood warnings, etc, as they do in England’ was a statement that there were no low-level weather radars operating north of the Great Glen……..
     So live life and photograph optimistically – no matter what the weather!

     On April 8, 2012 at 3:42 pm • Reply
4. Andrew Stannard

   A great read Alex and exactly the sort of encouragement to head-out that we need on miserable days!

   I think that some my most memorable days on the hills have been when the weather is fairly grim, and as you say you only need one burst of light to see something spectacular.

   I remember once walking down from the Cobbler in the most awful wind and rain, and thinking to myself ‘What an earth I am doing this for, I must be mad’. Almost a year to the day later I was up in Scotalnd with my brother-in-law saying exactly the same thing on exactly the same route

   Out of interest, What are you using to carry all your gear on summit days? I’ve been stuffing things into a normal rucksack recently, but thinking of getting a LowePro Trekker, which looks like it ought to have enough room for clothing and winter kit if necessary. Would be interested to hear solutions from others….

   On December 13, 2011 at 3:43 pm • Reply
   • Alex Nail

     Thanks Andrew, I’m glad you enjoyed reading the article. I think I need to work on my writing style a bit

     I know the ‘what am I doing this for’ question well, though for me it is more often forcing myself out of bed for a summer sunrise!

     I don’t own a camera bag for several reasons…..
     I find that internal frame hiking rucksacks are better designed and transfer load more effectively (though no doubt there are exceptions to this). From what I have seen there are very few camera backpacks that I would want to hike with for any significant number of miles though admittedly I’m only basing this on the problems I have had with frameless backpacks lacking sternum and waist straps.
     Many camera backpacks are poorly equipped to carry a tripod, yet I have no problem with my 30L or 60L backpacks.
     Other than gear organisation, slightly improved access and a bit of additional padding (which is added weight as far as I am concerned) I can’t figure out what a camera bag would actually give me.
     I generally go with my camera with 17-40 attached, a 70-200 and a tripod , I don’t need much space for my camera gear!
     Camera backpacks aren’t usually well suited to shoving things in and walking out the door.
     Good camera bags seem overpriced in comparison to hiking rucksacks and I would rather invest in the latter.
     I feel that a camera rucksack makes me look more professional and therefore more of a target to thieves. I quite like looking like any other hiker as I wander about the place.
     Lastly, on the occasion that I go on a trip I always go camping. I don’t bring anything that I don’t need camping. Since I need a rucksack for my camping gear I would never bring a camera bag (unless I was car camping)

     So as you can probably tell, I’m not a camera backpack man although I admit that my lack of experience with them would allow me to be convinced otherwise if there was something good for under £100!

     As a side note it astonishes me that some landscape photographers will spend £50-£100 on a camera bag and £20 for their tripod!

     On December 13, 2011 at 6:01 pm • Reply
5. Nick McLaren

   Hi Alex, Joe and Steve,
   Great article and wonderful images. After living near to this incredible part of Scotland for over two years now, I can really relate to this. I’m more guilty of ‘obsessive’ weather watching, but mainly for higher mountain expeditions when winds like we had last week would’ve made walking impossible let alone photography. At the end of October I did a recce of Cul Beag’s slopes during a very windy overcast day with only my digital camera (Large Format has It’s wind limits!). I returned home with three images and compositions that I’m incredibly pleased with and was so glad that I’d ventured out. I’m wondering – after reading this article – if I return to try and capture the same compositions on Large Format whether the exciting feeling of discovering something new I had that day will be lost, or whether I should just try something new. I also wonder if my style of photography will change over time simply due to the weather conditions where I live. A topic for another discussion perhaps.
   I too have climbed Sgorr Tuath – four times to date- in various weather conditions and come away with some pleasing results. For a small mountain it certainly isn’t easy to get to and the going is tough, especially in deep snow. I came across some wildcat paw-prints that day which made the slog worthwhile.
   As for Torridon and pathless mountains, can I recommend ‘An Ruadh-Mheallan’ to the North-West of Beinn Alligin. I climbed it three years ago to photograph Baosbheinn. It offers fine views all round and is only 672m. If anyone visiting this area would like some photographic company then give me a shout. It gets lonely up here you know! Ha! Ha!
   Best Wishes to you all for the festive season.

   Nick

   On December 13, 2011 at 4:42 pm • Reply
   • Alex Nail

     Surely you have to go back and capture those images that you have seen? That’s very much part of my process although I agree that the idea of discovery does indeed spice up photography trips!

     I wish you could have left me blissfully unaware that throngs of people had headed up Sgorr Tuath, I can’t say I am surprised, but its nice to think that I am doing something at least a little new, I do try at least!

     I hope you have a good Christmas too.

     Alex

     On December 13, 2011 at 6:04 pm • Reply
6. David Higgs

   I use an old circa 1992 LowePro trekker – its still going strong, beware that big bags are always heavy as you are tempted to put more stuff in them – there’s no really good place for a tripod on mine, but I’m sure things have changed in the last 20 years

   On December 13, 2011 at 4:54 pm • Reply
7. jonb

   The light in the ‘canyonlands’ image is just fantastic. Seeing in black and white would have been somewhat difficult for me, presented with such remarkable colour. Not to mention, the time spent considering zone placement would have most likely resulted in me missing the light anyway! To think of the trials and tribulations Joe Cornish and David Ward would have to go through in such conditions (with LF) is quite mind-boggling. Enjoyed the read, keep up the adventuring!

   On December 14, 2011 at 10:25 am • Reply
   • Alex Nail

     Hi Jon,
     Time was of the essence for that shot, certainly any more than 1 minute setup time and the chance would have gone unless you were wise enough to predict it! Thanks for the comment

     On December 15, 2011 at 6:00 pm • Reply
8. Nick McLaren

   Alex,
   I think It’s great that you’re doing something new, and I also admire you for your efforts. It’s what landscape photography needs and it’s what drives my own photography. If I see another image of ‘Liathach from Loch Clair’ I might scream.
   I will be returning to those images as I consider them unfinished business. In the past I obsessed about returning to a location to make a certain image, but if it takes 5, 6 or 7 attempts then, for me, it starts to become a chore rather than an enjoyable experience. Nowadays, if that ‘one’ image is eluding me then I’ll give it more time and return to it eventuallly with fresh eyes and mind. I intend to spend more of my time exploring new places instead of fretting about a few images because I know that one day I’ll get lucky.
   I began to worry last night that I might have started an “I’m Spartacus” moment of people writng “I’ve climbed Sgorr Tuath!”. As far as I’m concerned when you, Steven, Joe and I climbed it we were doing something new and that’s all that matters. Keep up the good work!

   On December 14, 2011 at 2:13 pm • Reply
   • Alex Nail

     Thanks Nick, it seems from the previous comments that I’m not doing anything new! I do try though!
     I must admit that I don’t think I have seen to many images of Laithach but now I have another shot to avoid. I must admit that I have stopped looking at images of Buchaille Etive Mor, that really has got a bit repetitive.
     For me the ‘retake’ is an important part of my process. My expectations for an image regularly contrain me, something that I am trying to get away from, but when things are planned carefully and I get a bit of luck along the way then I often end up with my most pleasing images. I guess there are many ways to approach photography! Thanks for the comment.

     Alex

     On December 15, 2011 at 6:03 pm • Reply
9. Hancock

   Some great images and you really have captured the mood of this whole area of stunning scenery – I have done a lot of walking around this area, but not to the tops weighed down by tripods and camera gear – I have great respect for you all !

   On December 21, 2011 at 7:07 pm • Reply
10. Jason Theaker

    Alex, I can totally empathise with many of your words here, especially the energetic setup speed in reaction to changeable light. I’m sure we all know just how fleeting these moments are and making the most of them, (whatever the proses) is respectable. Personally I often can be seen sprinting at top speed across difficult terrain in pursuit of a stronger composition, to make the very best of the changeable light. (I see it as good exercise!) Anyway, I only allude to the proses in reaction to your mention of it, but in truth it’s my view that the images speak for themselves. The proses are clearly the fun you had making them and how you choose to do this is a matter of personal preference. (As long as you force the technical imperfections into your subconscious, he he!)

    On December 27, 2011 at 9:35 am • Reply