Photographers the world over know about Scotland and the wild open spaces of the Highlands and Islands. They may not have been here, but they’ve seen glimpses of its mountains, swirling mist, rivers and glens in magazines , blogs and other media and committed them to memory. If the Highlands where a movie star ( and she has been) she would most definitely be on the A list.
It’s the stuff of legend and drama with a long and often complex history. Although like all the great destinations in the world it’s no myth or hype, it is all very real . When you come to the Highlands it generally lives up to expectations if not exceed them. You get exactly what you imagined it to be. It’s real and it is everything it promised it would be, believe me.
The soaring Black Cuillin mountains on the Isle of Skye may not be the Alps in scale but they are accessible, romantic and whichever way you look at them extremely photogenic. Those that join me on Lightstalkers Scotland photo workshops or photo tours never fail to be drawn in and mesmerised by the black craggy peaks, hidden corries and lochs.
Other mountain areas like Torridon or Inverpolly and Assynt offer a similar appeal. Driving through narrow Glens hemmed in by brooding peaks is like driving through a geological theme park from the Jurassic age. In fact the Vikings said of Inverpolly that this was the where the gods practiced making mountains, sure these are mountains but these are different.
The light in the Highlands is always on the move. Apart from the occasional blue sky day ( and we get our fair share) when any west coast vista is as seductive as anywhere on the planet, dynamic cloud scapes create light and shade that dance across the hills, through the Glens and create a dozen different moods and moments in less than a few minutes. A common phenomenon are shafts of light or Crepuscular rays that penetrate a chink in the clouds armour illuminating a hillside, lochan or mountain peak. These are fleeting moments in the ever changing theatre of Highland Light that photographers dream of.
A full day spent on location with a camera can be full of surprises, photographic success and failure lie moments apart. Anticipating the changes in light and weather is a skill that landscape photographers develop but can never control.
There is a variety of scenic wonders packed into a small place, huge areas of coastline indented by lochs, bays and beaches compete for the cameras attention with mountains that rise abruptly from the peat bogs and lochan strewn moorlands. Photographers can’t be in two places at once so compromise has to be learnt and priorities established.
I was drawn back to Scotland in 2009 after living in Australia for 12 years. I’d explored and photographed its own natural wonders over a period of years but dreamt of returning to the Highlands and capturing the drama, light and mood that I think is unique to this corner of northern Europe.
The aim of Lightstalkers Scotland is to invite enthusiastic photographers to join me in the pursuit of improving their photography skills and knowledge while experiencing some truly memorable scenery and culture. I welcome both beginners and more experienced photographers with itineraries tailored to each individuals needs. The Highlands may no longer be a true wilderness in the true sense of the word but in terms of Europe it is as close as it gets.
The late Tasmanian photographer Peter Dombrovskis sums it up better than I ever could ” when you go out there you don’t get away from it all, you get back to it all, you come home to what is important you come home to yourself”
Why not join me on location and experience Wild Highland Light for yourself?
Glen Campbell and Lightstalkers Scotland provide one to one photography tuition, guiding, photography workshops and photography tours around Scotland and the Scottish Highlands.
T 07826370271
January 27, 2012
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