Retired now after 47 years in newspaper photography, Douglas “Dougie” Salteri worked as a photographer on three Scottish National Daily titles and latterly as Picture Editor of The Herald.

Dougie lives in the west end of Glasgow one and a half hours away from Glencoe in the Highlands of Scotland, his favorite place to contemplate the world and his worries.

His knowledge of Scotland is extensive as is his constant story telling. A friend and colleague of the PTR Team, Dougie has participated in many joint workshops throughout Scotland.

Photographs Courtesy of Douglas Salteri, Copyright © 2011, All Rights Reserved

My favourite spot on the planet is Lochan na h’Achlaise on Rannoch moor, I’ve spent countless hours here in every kind of weather the heavens have sent. This one was taken on Christmas Eve 2007, I was a refugee from the frenzy of last minute shopping as I sat on a boulder getting steadily colder, my patience was rewarded as the light did this.

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My second image is from another few hours just beyond the mountains there at the River Etive as it flows into Glen Etive past Buachaille Etive Mor, it was into the late afternoon and the light at that time of day often gives the best show of the day. The midges were quite quiet this particular day and it was peace on earth untill a NATO jet thundered across the moor and vanished down into Glencoe, but it was gone in seconds and the quiet moment returned.

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I like moody light as you may have gathered and it suits the colours of Scotland’s dramatic landscape. Skye is my next image at the mouth of Loch Slapin, I was looking for something for a foreground and the pool with it’s pebbles did the trick with Bla Bheinn in the distance.

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The next day dawned as next day will and the sky was black and rain lashed, after breakfast I went along the road to Elgol and the view of the Cuillin across the loch. Grey and dark the mountains loomed out of a lowering sky and I wished I had brought some coffee to keep me interested. But as always the sky opened and some light fell on the mountains, the camera was clipped onto the waiting tripod which was set up and 10 minutes later I was having that cup of welcome coffee. Another one in the bag.

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My next image happened behind my back, I was photographing the conservation village of Culross in Fife and engrossed in trying to keep verticals vertical in a village founded 500 years ago, looking over my shoulder as I stepped backwards into the roadway I saw a dramatic sky across the river Forth. This was the scene across at the petro chemical site at Grangemouth. It looked like the end of the world.

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My final image was taken a couple of years ago on Lewis & Harris in the Western Isles of Scotland, I was on a single track road that runs between two mountains and passes a couple of lochs on a high moor. The rain storm was gathering and falling out to sea and not really heading in our direction, but we made it back to our car a couple of miles away just before all hell was let loose and you couldn’t see out of the car for 15 minutes untill the storm passed over.

It’s not always as moody and dramatic and it doesn’t always rain in Scotland, but come prepared because you can get all four seasons in the one day. I’m sure you won’t be disappointed.

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Photo Travel Review Magazine recognizes Dougie Salteri for his inspiring work and his continuing devotion to his beloved Scotland.  One can see more of his work by visiting his website.

Artist’s Website

Ian Munro has been creating images since 2007 and is continuing to progress. His love is landscapes but, he also enjoys experimental photography with digital manipulation.

Ian is a self taught photographer with a keen eye for landscapes especially around Scotland and the Highlands. He is a member of “INN FOCUS” group in South Wales and, he has recently won the “Presidents” trophy for Best Mono Print” along with “Best Creative Print” and two selectors choice to add to his awards. This was at the Welsh Salon Awards where the image “Time Flies” had won the PAGB Ribbon along with published work. Ian is married with a 18 yr old Daughter and enjoys hill walking and most sports.

Photographs Courtesy of Ian Munro © 2011, All Rights Reserved

Tempest

This was taken on my second visit to the Isle Of Skye, Scotland and the weather did hold much for us. We waited pretty much the whole day there and as the light disappeared and the storm started to clear we were treated to a rare bit of mood and light. It was a case of tripods to the ready and a scramble across the pebble shore to try and get the Cuillins behind as a backdrop with a wide angle lens.

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A Deathly Silence

This was taken at Loch Etive in the Glencoe area of the Highlands of Scotland. It was my first visit there for photography and there was a silence there that could only be described as “deathly.” The branch made the shot and the composition was then in place. I added a slight tone to the image to give it a mysterious feel as this really is a quiet place.

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Autumn At The Pass

This was taken in the October of 2010. Its a popular place with photographers and that’s because its great! Buchaille Etive Mor or “The Buckle” As its known makes for a great view and with the stream of the river Coupall adding to it I think the composition is superb.

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The Three Sisters

This was taken in February 2011 and its of the three sisters of Glencoe. I had researched the area and found a viewpoint called “The Study” just off the side of the A82. It allowed me to get a decent view of the three and with the turbulent weather the fleeting light between them made for the shot. We spent the day there in and out of the “Bothie” that’s there.

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Light Play

This too is a famous place along Rannoch Moor and the tree has again been photographed many times. However I have not seen many long exposed images from there so I decided to go for a 10 stop exposure. Its actually 3 ten stop images blended manually into one to produce a nice even exposure. The long exposures allowed me to catch the morning light dancing along the black mount.

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Savage Shores

Elgol on the Isle Of Skye really is a hostile place and it can produce stunning sunsets. On this occasion the wait paid off and as the clouds disappeared the colour came briefly and I managed to rattle of a few shots. I quite liked the light on the water so I really made the most of the tonal range to pull it out.

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Photo Travel Review Magazine recognizes Ian Munro as among the finest landscape and travel photographers in the world.

One can see more of his work at his 1x.com website and at his personal website.

By Bill Lockhart

Like you, I read when it comes to making a major decision about camera equipment.

And I found reviews of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF1 that peaked my interest.

First, is the review by David Clapp, a UK landscape photographer of whom I have the highest respect:  http://www.davidclapp.co.uk/blog/reviews/43-panasonic-gf-1-in-the-landscape.html

His comments:  “Finally a top quality, light weight landscape camera has been born. As a backup to a 21mp system or as a trip based on the walk than the photos (is there such a thing?) the GF-1 is a superb camera only held back by your own imagination.”

Second, is the review by Jim Radcliff, an outstanding photographer, whose images I greatly admire:  http://www.boxedlight.com/gf1/index.htm

Third, were the comments of E.J. Piker, a truly world class photographer, who praises the GF1.

So, I bought one, along with four lenses and the EVF.  It set me back a great deal of money, but the quest is about a light weight system that produces high quality images. I have lusted for the Leica M9, but wow it is expensive and Leica lenses cost as much as a good used car.  So, is the GF1 the poor man’s Leica?

Early Morning at Safety Harbor

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Panasonic 14-45mm

And another image caught just at sunrise, a bit south of the first one.

Lake at Cooper Bayou

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Panasonic 7-14mm

A family of Black Snakes live in my yard, I enjoy watching them as they hunt.  Black Snakes are excellent critters, they kill Rattle Snakes, Rats, and other varmints.  It is good to have them around.

Looking for Lizards

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Panasonic 45-200mm

In sum, I have a kit that will go from 7-200mm (14-400mm, 35mm equivalent) in a package that weighs less than three pounds!  WOW, I thought, how good this will be when my colleagues decide they want me to hike with them four miles to a lighthouse along a rocky shore!

Or, while sitting in a garden.

Garden Scene

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Panasonic 45-200mm

If you want complete information about all the stuff this camera will do, read the excellent review at DPReview.  As with any decision, it is best to get lots of opinions before making a purchase.

For me, there are three considerations that matter:

1. Weight and size.

2. Ease of use with lots of manual controls.

3. Image quality.

The GF1 scores high for weight and size, perfect for travel photography.  It will fit in a small camera bag and it won’t break your back during long walks!

Ease of use and lots of manual controls.  Here there are issues.  Yes, it has just about any option one could want in a camera with plenty of ways to tailor the kit to one’s liking.  But, the camera manual is poorly written and sometimes footnotes are more important than the text trying to describe what each function does.  Panasonic needs to hire a photographer to rewrite the manual.

As to image quality, I am not displeased, but I am not ready to conclude as has E.J. Piker that the camera has better image quality then the Canon 1Ds or the Canon 5D.  For me, the jury is still out.

The real advantage to this camera system came this summer when I again visited Scotland and undertook some major hikes (for me they are major) up and down hills and sand dunes, across boggy heather, through paths filled with stones and obstacles.  Three pounds instead of the 20 pounds I normally carry was a pleasure.

10:30 PM on the Isle of Lewis

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Panasonic 7-14mm

Beach Silhouette, Isle of Lewis

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Panasonic 7-14mm

Camas Uig Bay, Isle of Lewis, Scotland

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Panasonic 7-14mm

Isle of Harris, Scotland

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Panasonic 14-45mm

Lighthouse, Butt of Lewis, Isle of Lewis, Scotland

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Panasonic 7-14mm

Out of the Mist

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Panasonic 45-200mm

I found that the GF1 is also useful when photographing animals using the fabulous 45-200mm lens.  As in this shot done through a Plexiglas window at a zoo in Scotland. A eagerly await the Panasonic 100-300mm lens due out in September.  Given the 2X factor of the four thirds system, this means I will have a small lens that will give me an effective 200-600mm range in the 35mm equivalent!  That will be fantastic as a wildlife lens.

A Snow Monkey in Scotland

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Panasonic 45-200mm

Good photography has nothing to do with 21MP sensors, it is about finding the light that dances and having the patience to see light in creative ways.  Each camera has its own merits, and the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF1 has plenty to consider.

So far, the system has worked well.

Ease of use, size, weight, quality of images — it is an excellent travel camera, especially for those times when one must make a long trek to some special spot.

The GF1 won’t replace my Canon 5D Mark II, but it will remain part of my camera kit for many years to come.

Eilean Glas Lighthouse, Isle of Harris, Scotland

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Panasonic 7-14mm

Following my latest trip to Scotland, I bought the Panasonic 20mm f/1.7 lens to add to the array of capabilities of the system.  My impression so far is that this lens, in particular, is a good match for the camera, providing opportunities for low light shooting and adding greatly to the compactness of the camera.  If I were to use one lens with the GF1, it is the one I would choose.

And, I must add that the camera does wonderful videos, giving me HD quality good enough to use for serious video production.  That capability, along with the ability to use hundreds of lenses with adapters, makes the GF1 special as a tool for travel photography.

In the days ahead, I will be using the GF1 constantly.  Please read future articles and note which shots were done with it.

In sum, yes, the Panasonic GF1 is the poor man’s Leica!

Photo by Dougie Salteri

Mellon Udrigle is a small crofting community that sits at the end of a single-track road, North of the village of Laide in Wester Ross, North West Scotland.

( Mellon fom the Gaelic for ‘little hill’ and udrigle being derived from Norse and meaning ‘gully’ or cleft).

My first visit there was close to five years ago when I was new to photography, and though I thought I knew something about light my technical knowledge was minimal.

I had been staying down the road in Laide when I first visited the beach at Mellon Udrigle in the early evening. My memory is one of rocks glowing pink in the late rays of the day and a vista of magnificent mountains beyond. My attempts to capture it did not do the place justice, though the memory is there.

My second visit was in November 2008, I decided to stay at Mellon Udrigle this time. The first day was one of sunshine and showers, it was a pleasure to be able to dash back inside after each drenching. There were some good moments in the week, but I felt the spot had a lot more to offer.

Having recently acquired the Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III, and not having had the opportunity to put it to the test I decided to travel back North to this spot of memories and take the camera with me.

The drive north was not promising, nor was the forecast and it was with something of a heavy heart that I arrived in Ullapool. I’d arranged to spend my first night in a B&B and had had a vision of visiting some spots I knew in Inverpolly and the coast around Achiltibuie. Let’s just say I visited the spots, and they are still in my list of places to visit again. The  B&B, was delightful with very welcoming hosts.  A fellow guest, who I know only as John, was a fascinating character from Belgium. He knows the Highlands like the back of his hand having spent many vacations there. He did not have his own transport and, as many times before was using public transport, the Post Bus and Shanks’ Pony to get around. He is a wonderful artist, I did get to see a couple of his pieces of work one being a beautiful picture of the island of St Kilda. What was most impressive was that he will not paint a mountain unless he has climbed it. I wonder if there is a photographer out there who does the same?

After a disappointing dawn and a wander to scout a couple of new spots I’d seen on the map, I took the road back to Ullapool. Stopped for groceries in the former Somerfield (now Tesco) and managed again to part with some money in the Ullapool Bookshop.

I arrived at Mellon Udrigle too soon to get in the chalet, but a walk in the brisk wind around the headland watching the Arctic Skuas, cormorants and the odd gannett and the view over the silver, sandy channel to Opinan soon took care of the time.

The next 24 hours continued much in the same vein as the light was concerned but, as I’d journeyed north immediately from work I was ready for some rest. In retrospect that was about the only rest I got for the week, apart from the four hours sleep at night! After the first couple of days of grey and rain, someone decided to switch the lights on and it was time to get out and play.

Having murdered, by drowning a 5D and a 20D, and having had a close shave with a 10D and a rock  I wanted something that might have a better chance of survival. I recalled  a story about Andy Rouse dropping a 1D series camera in the sea and that it had survived. As a fan of getting my feet wet I had hankered after the 1Ds Mkll, but with the Mklll on the market I knew I’d buy it at some point.

What had put me off most was the knowledge I would have to upgrade a pile of stuff to go with it.

My main camera for the past 3 years has been the 5D, and it has served me well. I found it easy to use and the menus easy to navigate. I’ve shot some with the 1D MkllN mainly for wildlife so I have some experience with the weight and feel of the series in my hands. Unfortunately I find landscape photography not as sedentary a pursuit as its wildlife counterpart. My experience of running around with the extra weight on my back was limited. But, you know, you get used to it, or I seem to have done so far. That’s with a heavier tripod too, the last gave up the ghost on the Mull/ Ardnamurchan trip.

This was my real first test of the camera. So far I am pleased with the results. Some good results using higher ISO’s, a big and clear LCD screen and rock solid to hold. After a dreary start to the trip there was a lightshow, with a sunrise the like of which  I’ve not seen for a long, long time. I could turn a 360 degree circle and there was red in the sky in all directions. It was difficult to know in which direction to point the lens.

I will let the images speak for themselves, but it may take a while and a good deal more shooting to share a critical review of the camera.

Accommodation

192 Polbain (B&B)

Clean, warm and very homely with views out to the Summer Isles from your window. Midge my hostess was very understanding. She let me have a light breakfast and made me up a packed lunch with gourmet bacon sandwiches, enough for two people. It is possible to walk from the door onto the surrounding hills, where you will find more than a boulder or two to set the scene against. There is a bar a little further up the road that does evening meals in season.

Ceol Na Mara (self catering)

Basic, but easily adequate, self-catering chalets on the beach. Separate laundry facilities. Plenty of parking. One of the best settings you could have, you only have to open the door and walk out. If you’re too lazy to do that then you can sit and watch the light paint its magic from the window.

Kildonan (self catering)

Five years since I stayed here. Very clean and comfortable with all the facilities you might want. A short walk through a field down to a rocky shore with bags of interest for photographers. Be prepared to wake up early, the sunrise from here can be magnificent.

Best time to go

Late spring, before the midges get going and autumn when the colours in the trees aroud Gruinard Bay, Loch Maree and the Badachro are should be stunning (if conditions have been favourable the fungi are amazing).  Winter can have it’s magic, but many may find it too bleak and wet and there few facilities open to divert your attention.

Other places to visit in the area

Just a very small sample of what there is to see, but places I have visited and spent some time at are:

Loch Maree and Torridon

Shieldaig, by the Applecross Peninsula

Inverpolly, Achiltibuie and the Summer Isles.

Loch Assynt and the Stoer Peninsula

The Lighthouse at Rhue and Ullapool (Pay a visit to the Ceilidh Place while in Ullapool. Great place for a coffee or a beer, good food, artwork and a bookshop to browse for titles of local interest).

Gruinard Bay

When the light is bad

Sit back and listen to the sound of the wind and the rain. Go look for otters, take a boat trip to look for wales and porpoise. Look for macro stuff on the beach. Look at your maps and guide books and go out to scout different locations.

Dundonnell Woodland

When the light is good

Keep going, you don’t know when it’s going to get better.

Melanie, May 2009.

Link to his website: www.douglassalteri.co.uk

Note: Click on Any Photograph for a Larger Version

You need to have a philosophical attitude towards the weather if you shoot landscapes in Scotland, especially in the regions of the country to the West with it’s Lochs and mountains and all of the things we love to look at and enjoy.

I Hate Rain . . . but after rain comes rainbows.

Rain can be the most depressing of conditions in natures armoury, but to the photographer it should be welcomed with open arms. “What” I hear you cry, welcome. Well yes because without rain we wouldn’t have Lochs and Lake (we only have one lake in Scotland).

I Hate Rain . . .but let’s make waves.

We would never see a rainbow, or smell the fresh smell of a grasses freshly washed by a passing shower of rain. Wild flowers wouldn’t bloom, clouds wouldn’t float across blue skies and reflect so beautifully in the Lochs. No more boats bobbing at anchor in the rivers and sailing into the sunset.

I Hate Rain . . . but my Granny was a Loch.

So the next time you sit beside a Loch or wait for the clouds to part and let some light down on your particular bit of heaven on earth, ponder a while the World without rain.

I Hate Rain . . . but Noah was a photographer.

A drab hot place without lots of the elements which make the landscape work for photographers, and forget the dribble of water trickling down the little chink in your waterproof collar and think of all the fun you have doing what you love. The best hobby in the world. Keep enduring the rain because when it slows there might just be a spectacular rainbow arcing across that sky in front of your lens, don’t forget to wipe the filter.

I Hate Rain . . .but I do love beaches

I hope you’ve enjoyed my thoughts on rain and that it might just bring a little comfort  someday when you’re sure the Sun will never shine again, because it surely will.

*****

Douglas Salteri has 50 years of  photographic experience, mostly in newspapers. He first used a camera when he was 12 years old, a Kodak Brownie 127. He started work at 15, processing colour film and making prints for a couple of years, and then moved to newspapers where he worked as a photographer for 20 odd years using all sorts of cameras, Rollei’s, Pentax, Canon, Nikon and Hasselblad.  As he got older he moved to the Picture Desk and worked his way through the ranks, and finally became Picture Editor of The Herald where he retired in 2006. Now happily landscaping around Scotland with  A Canon 5D II and some lenses.  As he says: ” I worked at what has always been my hobby, it doesn’t get better than that.”

“Dougie,” to his friends, he is affectionally referred to as “Lord Douglas” by the PTR Team.