“Spring Snow on the Grey One”
“Spring Snow on the Grey One”
I was blown away to find my picture of Liathach in winter is a finalist in the North Face photography awards on UKClimbing.com. It has made it to the last five of the hillwalking category - and votes are now invited to select winners.
I was very lucky with the photo, which I took in March last year, because at just the right moment, as if according to some cue, two people in brightly coloured outdoor jackets walked into the frame. That is what makes the picture pop. When photographing mountains, you really need a human - or animal - figure to create a sense of scale.
The kingdom of the blind
This is the picture that I use as a photo-blind to cover the white board in my studio office. To protect clients’ privacy, I just pull it down over my scribbles whenever I take a call. Some people ask me if it is a window, but I just explain that the mountain is only a few kilometers away.
For the joint exhibition that Ann Campbell and I put on in December, I mounted this blind onto a wooden frame measuring 1.3x1.2 metres. It didn’t fit in my car but some friends kindly headed down the road to attend the show with it in the back of their Land Rover. We put it on an easel in the front window of the Dundas Gallery in Edinburgh’s New Town, and it did attract some attention from passersby. It has also featured in the Scotsman’s readers gallery.
The point of view
Liathach has two Munro peaks - Spidean a' Choire Lèith (pronounced spid-jan a corra leeth) and Mullach an Rathain (mool-ach an rhine), joined by the Am Faserinen (the teeth) pinnacles. Most people who climb it, especially in winter, are going for the mountaineering challenge of traversing that ridge. When I took the shot, I was about one kilometre east of there, above the main track that leads to the pinnacles.
On this occasion, I had decided to ascend the east end of the mountain, which is comparatively unvisited. I climbed straight up below the eastern peak, Stuc a Choire Dhuibh Bhig, then round to the eastern tip and up among steep boulders covered in powder snow.
The camera and lens
Because of this plan and the icy weather, I was carrying some extra safety equipment - a rope and some climbing gear in case I needed to be able to abseil. My rucksack weighed over 15 kilos despite the fact that I had taken my very light but professional-standard Lumix G9. It is a mirrorless micro-four-thirds format camera and because it has little glass in it, weighs less - the 9mm lens I took is only 130 grammes or so. Some photographers prefer “full frame” cameras but the larger mount means the lenses have to be bigger and heavier. There’s no issue with quality here though - this photo has been blown up very large and the resolution is still super clear - the best camera for the job is the one you have with you!
A change of plan worked out well
I had set off early - one of the benefits of living in the area - and by mid-morning I was near the top of the peak. My plan had been to keep going - but these winter days are pretty short and I was getting tired so I decided to call it a day and descend.
There were actually two people on the ridge snaking towards the first summit of Liathach - you can make them out with a magnifying glass - but they are the size of ants. I was looking at them through the lens and wishing that they were a bit closer. I was about to give up and start descending, when I spied these two figures coming up the path.
It looked as if they were planning to do the ridge, in which case they would not have come my way. But they stopped and appeared to make the same calculation as I had, that it would take them too long in the conditions. So they decided to come along and check out the eastern peak where I was, which is lower. And that was when I took the photo.
A tough selection
I love the mountains at all seasons - and Liathach is one of my favourites. it does look particularly beautiful under a covering of snow and I am really pleased to find that other people like it too. Looking at the photos that are in the awards, there are som fantastic shots. If you do head over there to vote - you will have to register - pick the ones you like best. I am sure they will inspire you to get out in the mountains.
If you are interested in buying a print of this image, please go to the Contact/Prints page.