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Photographs courtesy of Glenn Bartley, Copyright © 2011, All Rights Reserved.

For those who enjoy Bird Photography the choice of which photo seminar to attend is difficult as there are hundreds of tours offered.

How does one choose which one to attend?

As the PTR Team has stated many times, get to know the photographer who offers the seminar and then ask some fundamental questions:

Is the photographer recognized for his/her work?

Is what the photographer offers unique and different?

Will the seminar improve one’s technical skills?

Is the cost of the seminar reasonable?

What have those who have attended the photographer’s seminars said about their experiences?

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Is the photographer recognized for his/her work?

Glenn Bartley has a Master of Science Degree in Environmental Studies, among his recent publications are two books, highly praised for their quality:

“Birds of Vancouver Island: A Photographic Journey”

“Birds in Ecuador: A Photographic Journey”

Moreover, he has written countless articles about Photoshop techniques, photographic equipment, photography locations, and bird species.

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His articles have been published in magazines, including:  Birding, Bird Watchers Digest, Canadian Wildlife, and Nature Photographer.

His photographs have appeared in National Geographic and Audubon Magazines.

He continues to work on projects with the National Geographic Society.

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Is what the photographer offers unique and different?

Glenn’s tours include travel to some of the most remote places in the Western Hemisphere, and range from Costa Rica and Ecuador in South America to Vancover Island and Churchill in North America.

Visit cloud forests in Ecuador then travel by boat down the Amazon in pursuit of rare bird species.

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Or, tour  Vancouver Island, which is without question one of the most beautiful places on earth.  Home to majestic mountains, lush temperate rainforests and miles of breathtaking coastline it seems that natural beauty can be found anywhere you look.  In addition to its scenic beauty Vancouver Island possesses a variety of wildlife including numerous species of birds, ocean mammals such as seals and killer whales, bears, otters and a fantastic selection of butterflies.

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Such opportunities are different and perhaps unique to bird photography.

While Glenn specializes in Bird Photography, his tours also include opportunities for Landscape Photography.

His wide range of tours can be found here.

Will the seminar improve one’s technical skills?

Too often, the PTR Team hears about seminar leaders who spend their time shooting and not teaching.  Glenn is a teacher, whose knowledge goes well beyond camera equipment and lenses, but gets into the special techniques and post production workflows which can transform one’s skills from beginner to accomplished nature photographer.  Comments from his tour participants stress how much Glenn works to help participants improve their works.

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Is the cost of the seminar reasonable?

Photographic seminars can be extremely expensive to attend.  We looked at Glenn’s offerings to judge whether his charges are reasonable.

One good example is his 17-day tour of Ecuador, including the Amazon River, for approximately $6,000.  This is an excellent price considering that he is covering one’s ground transportation, air transportation in country, and boat transportation.  All lodging and meals are included.  And, he limits participants to six persons!  Given the remote locations, the cost of $350 per day is exceedingly reasonable.

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He offers others tours for far less, particularly his tour of Vancover Island.  Lengths of tours can be varied as well.

A complete listing of his tours can be found at his website.

What have those who have attended the photographer’s seminars said about their experiences?

”Glenn Bartley is an exceptional teacher when it comes to the ‘computer’ and its many applications and challenges. As a recent student of his, I have admired his infinite patience and encouragement during my struggles at grasping new concepts. Not only do I appreciate his ability to teach, I am also captivated by his style of expression when depicting nature in photographs. His shared wisdom, and teaching style, can benefit anyone in his company. I have also enjoyed this same experience while participating in one of Glenn’s recent photo workshops to Churchill. I hope to continue to learn much more with Glenn in the world of computers and with photographic forays into the world of Nature.” Marie O. – 2010

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“Theresa and I would like to thank you for an excellent workshop in Victoria.  Overall, the experience far exceeded our expectations.  Your knowledge of the individual species and local habitat put us in the right place with the right light.  Your attention to detail ensured we were getting the best opportunity for shooting.  Your excellent photographic skills allowed you to make individual suggestions that were quite helpful in the field.” Bill & Theresa P. – 2010

“Glenn is an exceptional, hard-working photographer and always puts his client’s needs first. Locations are well researched and – if the circumstances aren’t ideal – he always makes the best out of it. I would certainly come back for another tour. ” Roland M. – 2010

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Glenn Bartley Photography has earned the Photo Travel Magazine Rating of Five Stars (✭✭✭✭✭). The PTR Team highly recommends his tours for their unique offerings, costs, and personalized attention that every workshop participant wants. Moreover, we are impressed with Glenn’s credentials — few bird photographers have received such acclaim or can point to similar achievements from among the best nature magazines in the world — National Geographic and Audubon to mention two.

The following video, produced by Glenn, may provide you with some insight into what is special about his offerings.

Melanie: A couple of months ago I suggested to Claire that we have a weekend away in December, she came up with what turned out to be a fantastic suggestion: Anglesey, and to be more specific with an objective Llanddwyn Island. Not long after we had a couple more interested parties to join us.

As always, the problem with anywhere in Britain there is no guarantee of the weather. My heart was sinking as I left a snow covered Cumbria in the early hours of Friday morning to reach a sunrise point on the way. I’d seen many pictures of the Point of Ayr Lighthouse at Talacre and thought it would make a good stop on the journey and encourage me to leave home early. After days of perfect calm and frost at home I was greeted on arrival by a howling wind and spitting rain. I got some light but not the kind of light I was expecting:

Claire : What a shot Mel! Rainbows are your signature and I’d love to read a PTR review from you on them so I can get a few tips.

We hadn’t planned it but this weekend turned out to be one almost entirely devoted to lighthouses.

Melanie: Thanks Claire I will try to remember that. The rain well and truly came down as the rainbow got brighter and soon saw me back on the road. After a detour in Bangor to stock up on groceries I met up with one of our party at the parking area for Llanddwyn Island. The light promised little, but spurred on by my companion we headed to the beach and the walk along it to the island. The island itself is only an island at the highest tides but the wind that day was fierce and it was not without some concern that we crossed the sandy causeway, with waves rushing towards us from the west. I had studied the tide times, and was reassured by a guy in a Land Rover doing maintenance work that at most we might get cut off for 30 mins or so. We struck up a march to the end of the island but my companion stopped at the sight of a small herd of ponies I was ready to walk by. Not to be left out, I duly got the camera out of my bag and approached the ponies slowly. Only then did I realise I had on my widest angle lens, so had to creep in even further.

The glow of light that had stopped us here was brief, so we soon headed to the tip of the island to its beaches, cliffs, buildings and relics that give the place so much character. There was a stormy mood to the sky that drew us initially to a high vantage point taking in  St Dwynwen’s Cross and the lighthouse of Twr Mawr. This required heavy use of grads and underexposure. It was a spot I went back to after the sun had gone down and took advantage of a different angle.

In between the two shots we were joined by our two other companions and Misty the dog who was having a fine time exploring the place. (Please be aware that we were there in December, between May 1st and September 30th dogs are not allowed on the island or the beach, there are clear signs indicating this.) The clouds remained dramatic and the mood dark we set off in different directions and got busy with our cameras. It must have been close to another two hours before we had some fun trying to find our way back to the car park in the dark.

Claire : On Saturday morning we arrived at Newborough Warren in the dark, with stars in the sky. I was very glad that the others in the party had checked this site out the day before as it was a long walk through  dark woods, to avoid a hard walk through soft sand, before we reached Llanddwyn Island. The sky began to glow but it was obvious a good sunrise would elude us as it was far too clear. After wandering around a bit I settled down to doing what I like best – playing with the surf.

One of the reasons I had been interested in this location was the view one gets across the straits to the  Snowdonia Mountains (as seen in Mel’s atmospheric shot above) but without a decent sky it was a bit disappointing and until dawn broke there were too many lights from the towns spoiling the view. This therefore was a compromise.

As the day progressed I continued to find ways to exclude that sky. We must have been the only people in the UK complaining about the sun!

As Mel has said the island has lots of relics and interesting structures – these are the Pilot’s Cottages, one of which is now a museum.

Mel: After our visit the evening before I found the cloudless skies of the next morning something of a challenge. I wandered around, not seeing stuff with my favourite from the morning being one taken early and even then perhaps a little late as the colours in the sky were on the wane.

Mel: Somehow  everyone managed to spend at least another 3 hours or so there such is the amount of interest around the place. As we made our way back to the car park we happened on a number of camera clutching individuals and were thankful for our early start as we had the best light of the morning to ourselves.

Claire: So it was back to base, and lunch sat outside in the garden (December, Wales and lunch outside are words rarely seen together!) while we recharged our batteries and decided on the evening shoot. It was decided to explore the western coastline and we headed towards South Stack Lighthouse.

This proved a difficult location as the gate to the actual island that the lighthouse is on was closed and there wasn’t a great angle to exclude the sky. We sat it out hoping for a sunset to add some drama but it wasn’t to be. This is the best I could achieve but gives an idea of the location.

Melanie: I failed to get anything I was pleased with from here. Again it was the absence of cloud in the sky and I was concentrating too much on the setting sun to think about going in closer and keeping out the sky. I like the way Claire found this ‘cruciform’ composition.If you look close you can just see another of our group blancing on a rock closer to the lighthouse!

Claire: The following morning we woke well before dawn, defrosted the cars and arrived at Penmon Point (Angelsey east coast) as the sky was beginning to lighten. We were greeted by the sound of a tolling bell that told us the direction to walk to find Penmon Lighthouse. A small concrete path led us safely down to the shore. The next few hours found us totally absorbed as the sun rose, the tide fell and clouds came and went.

Melanie: I’d forgotten about the bell. The frost of the night before gave us clear skies once more, but arriving in the dark meant we could get in some long exposures. It was a little tricky finding a spot to stand having to negotiate the slithering, seaweed-covered rocks.

Claire: It took quite some time for the sun to climb high enough to strike the lighthouse due to the mountains on the Welsh mainland but it was a pleasure to stand and watch the changing light.

Melanie: As we watched and waited cloud started to drift in.  By the time the sun broke through we finally got some of the sky detail that we’d been missing for the previous 24 hours.

Claire: The small island is called Puffin Island. The Puffins bred in considerable numbers at one time, with up to 2,000 pairs recorded. The Brown Rat was introduced accidentally to the island, probably in the late 19th century, and reduced this population to a very few pairs. A programme of poisoning these rats started in 1998 by the Countryside Council for Wales appears to have eradicated them, and the Puffin population has shown an increase since that date.

Melanie: I think we spent another hour here after the sun broke through and sadly it was time to say our goodbyes. As we drove back along the road to Beaumaris, it was clear looking back that there was a lot more to that little area than we had realised in the dark. I think it is the only UK trip I’ve been on when I’ve been without the appropriate OS map, I won’t do that again.

Conclusion

Melanie: For a short break I felt this was a very worthwhile trip. It was not as far from home as I had expected, our accommodation was good value for money. Llanddwyn was a real gem but it was clear the area had a lot more to offer than we had time to see.

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.

By Bill, Claire, and Melanie

One of the most photographed places in Scotland is located at Elgol on the Isle of Skye.  Earlier this year, the PTR Team (Bill, Claire, and Melanie) got together and spent a week photographing different locations, one of them was Elgol.

This article is about how individual photographers interpret the same place in different ways.  How composition, the use of a camera for different effects, how different perspectives of the same scene result in totally different outcomes, and how experienced photographers often deviate from one another when capturing light.

Bill admits that he doesn’t do landscapes well.  “I have difficulty with seeing a landscape,” he says, “I was trained as a journalist and I tend to isolate subjects, whereas Claire and Melanie are able to see the ‘big picture’ and use elements of the landscape to enhance their work.”

Both Claire and Melanie have extensive experience in doing landscape photography and for Bill the gathering proved to be useful as another learning experience.

For example, late one afternoon, the three photographers were at the same spot at Elgol.  Here is one of Bill’s shots:

Melanie: “The faster shutter speed here has given a better impression of the rushing wave and has captured nicely the spray resulting from the wave hitting the rock. It may benefit from a little less contrast. Looks like you have a few dust spots on your sensor. Do you want to borrow my Arctic Butterfly?”

Bill: “Gosh Melanie, I need to go get those dust spots out, and yes, thanks, that little beast is a fantastic aid in cleaning sensors, and heaven knows mine is always dirty from changing lens so often.

Course I thought this was a pretty good shot, that is, until I saw what you and Claire found:”

Melanie’s shot:

Melanie: “I have been to the Isle of Skye many times in the past 4 years. My introduction was on a holiday with Skye in Focus. I’d not heard of Elgol until then and my first visit was in the bright, overhead sunlight of a May afternoon. It was a light that revealed some astonishing underwater detail in the rock pools, but really missed out on the impressive wider view. I have many a shot of the wider view by now, but was looking for something different. The lobster creel was lodged a little higher up on the rocky shelf and I had a vision of capturing it in the foreground with the surf rushing through it. It took some time to get the image I wanted, and by that time the light had changed. You win some, you lose some! Claire spotted the creel a couple of days earlier, and we made sure we rescued it from the sea, before we left.  Yes, the tripod, needed a shower afterwards!”

Bill: “I saw that lobster pot, but I did not think of it as a foreground element.  Just goes to show you how a photograph can be improved by simply looking around and using what is there in a special way!”

Claire’s shot:

Claire: “While Mel was concentrating on the lobster pot my eyes were trained a little higher on the clouds that were forming and the colour that briefly put on a show. I obtained a long exposure by using a full ND filter with a ND grad to turn the water into a reflecting, flat area.

It is always interesting to also see how photographers process images. I’ve pushed the colour in this by selecting a shade white balance that boosts the reds and oranges. This I feel suits my scene while the cooler blues work better in Mel’s shot.”

Melanie: “This is a very different and bold shot from Elgol. You spotted the drama in the sky and made the most of it. An inspired choice with the filters as the longer exposure has helped even out the bright areas in the sky and enhanced the plume of cloud over Sgurr Alasdair giving it an almost ‘volcanic’ appearance.”

Bill: “WOW, Claire, I’ve learned something here!  So, if I change the white balance settings I can create a whole different color cast.  And, yes, what you did works wonderfully well.  Gotta try that in one of my images.”

Claire: “One day Bill will teach me how to catch birds in flight but for now we fastward. Still Elgol but a morning and high up on the cliffs. When we left the cottage it was dark and the lack of stars told us that the dawn held little promise.  With hope in our hearts we walked the track, past a house that was for sale and all dreamed a dream of owning such a property in such a location. Initially the light was wrong but we found a huge rock. Finding a good rock is a good start and we all set about visualising how it could be used. I wandered closer to the cliff edge and then the light started to hit the mountains in front. They started to glow but the foreground was still dark.”

Melanie: “LOL, I’m beginning to think Sgurr Alasdair is an active volcano! Perhaps it puts on this show only for you.”

Claire: “It became a waiting game. The land caught the light but the clouds dispersed and in my shots I feel the mountains lost their magic but the foreground came alive (in this case with sheep!).

Melanie: “The views from this spot were astounding, and the first play of light on the mountains was a joy to watch. Though we did wait sometime for the light to hit the foreground the sky had lost its magic by then. I found balancing the composition difficult from  here, with the sea giving the feel of a lot of empty space to the left. Here I tried to balance it out with this small collection of rocks.”

Bill: “Well, while Melanie and Claire were producing great shots, I got out my Canon Rebel XTi and my Canon EF-S 10-22mm lens and took this shot.  The reason was that I keep trying out small camera gear that is light-weight and easy to carry.  I’m always whining about hiking to spots for shots.  Something light-weight registers really high on my scale of gear. And considering that the camera cost 1/10th of what my Canon 1Ds Mark II cost me, it ain’t bad. Course, it would have been better if I had waited a tad for the foreground to light up.”

Melanie: ” While Bill was busy finding foreground I was busy finding stuff to fill up the empty space to the left ….

……. not bad light after all if you remember that as we set out that morning it was raining. The day that followed was one of almost Mediterranean sunshine, the breakfast unforgettable – - -.”

Bill: “Breakfast!!!  Something you two always seem to avoid.  Too bad that there weren’t any sausage-egg-and-cheese-biscuits around. Elgol needs a Hardee’s nearby!”

Claire: “Last light , another night and a different tempo.”

Bill: “Yes indeed Claire, there is something about the waves at Elgol that lifts the spirit,  especially as the sun is setting and the waters turn gold. And, Melanie, I hope I got the dust spots out of this shot.”

Melanie: “Looks like you cleaned the sensor well this time Bill, looks like you might have used your tripod again too. A lovely result on this one, I hope you are pleased.”

Bill: “Thanks Melanie, yes I am pleased, and I am grateful to you and Claire for your advice and suggestions on how to do landscape photography, one of the great benefits of working as a group is how we learn from one another, your mentorship has paid off.”

Melanie: “Our last visit to Elgol was not quite so kind, the light was very dramatic, between the drenching hail showers. We did have to work hard, to keep ourselves warm, the cameras dry and to keep the hail, rain and seaspray off the lenses and filters. Claire’s stunning shots below show just how dramatic that last light was.”

Melanie: “Despite all my efforts with shower cap, micofibre towel and kitchen paper, most of my shots from this last evening were blemished with water drops and seaspray. Frantic wiping with my limited supply of kitchen paper resulted in smearing across the filters creating copious and unsightly flare. Not until the sun finaly went down did I get one worth showing you here.”

“I believe we all thoroughly enjoyed our time at Elgol. One of the benefits of being part of a group is it makes you go out in conditions you may not if you are alone. Thumbs up to Claire for getting us to walk along the top that morning and finding something different.”

Bill: “Yes, indeed Melanie, Claire’s suggestion about the walk above the beach turned out to be a great experience, there is nothing like getting a new perspective on a location, it pays to look around and, I hate to admit it, walk a good distance. I promise not to whine on our next visit here. The last two shots from Claire speak for themselves.”

Claire: “Glad to hear we’ve converted Bill to walking – maybe the coastal path to Loch Coruisk via the notorious ‘bad step’ next time?”

Tatra Horizontal Radiance by Claire Carter

by Claire Carter and Hania Franek

Claire: A few years ago I was lucky enough to meet up, on the Isle of Skye, with some people who had driven all the way from Poland to join us on a photo shoot. Following this we have all met several times in different locations and have become good friends.

Hania Franek, who lives in Gliwice, invited me to join her this summer on a two week trip to Poland and Slovakia. Hania has a real love of the mountains, especially her beloved Tatras.

Hania: After some discussion we decided to head to two destinations, the Pieniny Mountains in Southern Poland and the Slovakian part of Tatra Mountains.

The Pieniny, which I had discovered during previous summer holidays with my daughter, remained in my memory as one of the most beautiful places in Poland. This small mountain chain is only 35 km long and 4 – 5 km wide. Its northern slopes are relatively gentle. From the other side, where the Dunajec River flows, slopes are very steep and the limestone faces are up to 300 metres high. From the highest peaks there is a beautiful panorama. The mountain meadows are full of flowers. The old castles in Nidzica and Czorsztyn, located on the shore of the lake (Jezioro Czorsztynskie) and morning mists give the place a special charm.

Jezioro Czorsztynskie by Hania Franek

The Tatra Mountains, the highest mountains in this part of Europe, have an alpine character. The High Tatra Mountains are marked by sharp peaks, narrow ridges and numerous valleys with lakes, streams and waterfalls. The Northern part of the range is situated in Poland, while the southern and bigger are in Slovakia.

I fell in love with Tatras when I was a teenager and have come back to them during my whole life.

Beloved Mountains by Hania Franek

Claire : We had had a very successful trip in the Polish Tatra (reviewed here) a few years ago and I was very interested to see the Pieniny region. Hania found us a lovely wooden lodge to stay in just by the shores of the lake (Jezioro Czorsztynskie). This is in fact a reservoir created by the construction of the Niedzica dam that was completed in 1997. Interestingly the reservoir was filled by water in record time due to a spectacular flood that would in fact have devastated the villages below the dam had it not been built.

The whole region proved to be very picturesque with lots of interest for the photographer.

Mirror lake by Claire Carter

I have never been especially inspired before by summer photography, preferring autumn and winter but the area around the lake had a surprise in store. Due to the creation of the reservoir it has developed an unusual microclimate and every morning we woke before dawn and for several hours watched mists come and go.

Dew Capture by Claire Carter

This took us a little by surprise and the first morning, which was especially misty, we were engulfed in a thick fog and despite seeking higher ground did not see the sun until it was high and hot. For the rest of the week however the mornings proved to be most productive and by starting on higher ground and then working our way down to the lakeshore to get a view of the castle we were kept well and truly busy. The biggest challenge was keeping lenses free from condensation.

Dawn Chorus of Colour by Claire Carter

We also witnessed a fabulous storm at sunset.

Sunset Storm over Polish Tatra by Claire Carter

It is worth mentioning that the flora of the Pieniny has a unique character, some endemic species exist only in this part of the world. Small pine trees called limba have a unique shape (a relict from an early postglacial epoch) and have often been the subject of photographs.

Field Flowers Poland by Claire Carter

Also the world of animals is very rich here but large mammals, like brown bears or wolves are only seen occasionally. However, a big deer almost ran into me when I was taking pictures in a middle of a meadow!

Claire : We discovered a ridge just behind our lodge that gave an impressive panorama of the Polish Tatras on one side and a view over the lake the other, a lovely place to while away some time.

Pieniny Mists by Claire Carter

For those looking for a more relaxing tour I’d recommend a raft trip through the Dunajec River Gorge. It is a spectacular stretch of river meandering for some 10 km between 300-metre-tall limestone rocks and forms a border between Poland and Slovakia. First, you can see Polish and Slovak villages on both sides of the river and later you can admire an impressive gorge that narrows to the 12-metre-wide funnel at its narrowest point.

Rafting by Hania Franek

Hania took this picture of a seagull while on the raft trip - far from the sea, but they have discovered this region since the reservoir was opened. This was Hania’s first attempt at bird photography and I think she was done a great job.

New Home by Hania Franek

I found great delight in seeing storks. For Hania it is a common sight but for me it was a  discovery.

Room for 2 by Claire Carter

Hania: The National Park situated in the central Pieniny range is worth recommending for a trekking tour and as a base for escapades into the region of Podhale (Tatra Foothills situated in the north of the Tatra Mountains).

The blue tourist trial leads to the highest part of a belt of limestone rocks famous for a spectacular rock formation. It is about 5h 30min long but gives the possibility of climbing to the top of Trzy Korony (Three Crowns) and Sokolica – the best viewpoints in the area, and to reach Zamkowa Góra (the Castle Mountain) with the ruin of the castle from thirteenth century. We chose another variant of the way. We started with the yellow trail from Kroscienko Town that climbs up to the junction with the blue trail that leads to the Trzy Korony.

The inhabitants of Podhale – The Highlanders, are very independent mountain farmers, known for their folk traditions and keeping the local culture alive. The wooden architecture makes an important element of that culture. That is why we decided to visit Chocholow - the most complete survival of an old Highlanders’ village from the nineteenth century.

The village is based around one main street. The walls of wooden houses are built from large logs that are washed before each Easter. Beautiful ornaments and richness of flowers in little gardens make this place unforgettable.

Church Reflected in Chocholow by Claire Carter

Claire: It was with some sadness we left the mists of Pieniny and started out on the second leg of our journey, heading across the border into Slovakia but Hania had a treat in store for us.

Hania : In the south-western edge of the Slovak Paradise Mountains there is one of the largest ice cave in Europe. This unique karstic phenomenon, named Dobsinska Ice Cave, contains 110 thousand cubic metres of ice in places thicker than 25 metres. Ice survives in the cave thanks to its unique formation and the temperature never increases above zero.

Thanks to electric lighting we could admire the surprising beauty of this underground world with its ice waterfalls, ice stalagmites and columns.

When we came back to the real world, the temperature of the hot summer day was 30 degrees higher!

Ice cave by Claire Carter

Claire: After a day in Poprad  we headed for the town of Strbske Pleso which sits at around 1350 m

This is the highest settlement in Vysoke Tatry, formed around the second largest lake on the Slovak side of the High Tatras (with mountains reaching 2600 m.)

As the mountains have a national park status there will never be any settlements higher in this region. Strbske Pleso is therefore, and will always be, the unique starting place for hikes into the most beautiful mountains of Eastern Europe.

It is a well-known skiing centre and since it hosted the 1970 World Championship, a range of world-class skiing events have been held here, including ski-jumping and cross-country events.

Strbske Pleso, when the tourists head home by Claire Carter

It is ideally placed along the Electric Railway (a two minute walk from our accommodation) that runs through the Tatra Mountains and we made good use of this facility. The journey itself takes you through spectacular scenery and whilst the storms of 2004 devastated the forests it has opened up the views along the route.

This disaster is worth mentioning as any visitor cannot but help wonder what it must have been like when the winds hit (reaching speeds of almost 200 km/h) and the landscape today is shaped by this event. The fallen timber has been salvage to minimize insect infestation and a broad zone along the southern flank of the Tatras is now open; fireweed has established quickly and during August this was a prominent feature.

We spent a day walking to the Popradske pleso (tarn) and the Symbolic Cemetery.

On the return journey we were treated to a lovely rainbow.

Mountain Trek by Hania Franek

The accommodation we stayed in was superb and ideal for photographers who have to be out at dawn  and need the opportunity to cook for themselves. Breakfast was also provided if needed and at a time that was perfect for us as we returned from the morning shift. It is worth mentioning that main meals in Poland and Slovakia are eaten at lunchtime and there are many nice places to eat – a great way to use up time when the sun is too high to take photographs.

Claire: This adventure was all the better because it placed us in locations not well documented by photographers. We had to find our own way and this made the trip so much better. Rather than finding views that were already documented we had to use our own judgement to decide where the light would fall and the images are more about a moment than a place. This makes the place special even if it is not always recognisable.

Misty Filter by Claire Carter

Hania: We wander in pursuit of light and each journey helps us to understand better what we seek. During this trip I discovered how light sculpts and draws colour from darkness. I have been very lucky to travel in the company with a much more experienced photographer!

Fireweed and Tatra by Hania Franek

Claire:  And I have been lucky to be in the company of someone who has  such knowledge and love  of this region. To all who have read this far I can say that travel is a wondrous thing but if you can find someone willing to share local knowledge you are truly blessed.