Walking Up One of Scotland's Finest Mountains with Monty and a Camera
I always look forward to returning to Scotland, but my latest visit to the homeland was made even more special as Monty joined me. Being a cocker spaniel, he is full of energy, but could he summit Ben Cruachan? And could I capture some landscape photographs from the summit?
What a Legend!
I try to bring a variety of content to my blog. Some of it might be educational, I hope most of it is inspiring but most of all I want it to be fun. This blog post and video definately falls into the fun category.
As many of you will know that I have a cocker spaniel called Monty. He has been my constant companion for nearly 4 years as I wander the hills of Dartmoor. He has limitless energy and there is nothing better he likes than a long walk.
I’ve seen plenty of dogs being walked on the British mountains, so I was keen to give Monty the same experience. Last month I finally got the chance to see if Monty could scale a Munro (a Scottish mountain over 3000ft). He’d driven all the way up from Devon with me to Argyll, and after a few days acclimatisation I thought he was ready for some bigger walks.
We started with a walk up the banks of Loch Etive. That turned out to be a 22km walk and he managed that without issue. So, a few days later I decided it was time to take him up my home mountain of Ben Cruachan.
As this was such a special occasion in Monty’s life, I decided to make a video of our adventure and share it with you all. You might not learn anything or be impressed by the photography, but hopefully you’ll enjoy it and be inspired as well. Enjoy!
The Nick Livesey Experience - A Documentary About Snowdonia’s Leading Mountain Photographer
Nick Livesey is a writer, photographer, mountain leader, and composer living in Snowdonia National Park in Wales. He is also a very grumpy man. But Nick’s life is changing, and for the better. In this new documentary, Nick shares his day and the stories of his life in the only way he knows how, with wit, honesty, and passion. Find out how and why Nick is changing in The Nick Livesey Experience.
Who is Nick Livesey?
The world of photography is full of personalities but when you think of Snowdonia the name that most people think of is Nick Livesey. Known as a mountain man and photographer, he is also infamous as the grumpy waiter from the Moel Siabod Café in Capel Curig.
During lockdown, Nick decided to make some fundamental changes to his life. He left behind the world of the café to focus on a life that would make him happy and allow him to establish an even deeper connection to Eryri.
But what motivates a person to give themselves so completely to just one place? I wanted to find out, so I decided to make a documentary about this legend of Snowdonia. In the film, you’ll discover that there is so much more to this person than just his photography. He’s a writer, a composer, and a mountain guide to name just a few of his talents. Most of all though, you’ll see that while he might still be a little grumpy, he is a person of great positivity, passion, and wit.
Welcome to The Nick Livesey Experience.
The Nick Livesey Experience
How can you possibly make the experience of walking the mountains of Snowdonia National Park any better? Easy! You engage in the professional services of Mr Nick Livesey.
Discovery
I’ve discovered the work of other photographers in all sorts of ways from books, videos, personal recommendations and even by meeting them in person. However, after a few months, I rarely remember how I discovered them. This of course rarely matters and all that matters is that you do now know about them.
There is one photographer that is different. I still clearly remember watching My Mountain Healing by Nick Livesey and saying to myself this is a guy I need to meet. Rarely has a story of one man’s journey captivated and entertained me so much. With his passion for both the mountains and photography clearly apparent in the video I felt an instant connection with the man who had followed a dream and moved to the mountains.
A Book and an Opportunity
One of the many advantages of having a YouTube channel is that it can open doors for you. Soon after discovering Nick’s work he announced that he was publishing a book called Photographing The Snowdonia Mountains. My first thought was that I wanted to talk about the book in an episode of On My Bookshelf on my YouTube channel. However, I didn’t want to just sit in my office and record something like I normally do. I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to go out on location in Snowdonia and talk about the book there. I then thought to myself how good it would be to do that with the author himself.
So, I boldly sent Nick an email and to my delight, he replied saying he thought it was a great idea! After a little bit of planning and working of schedules, we got a date in the diary and I drove off to Wales to spend the day with My Livesey. It truly was a fantastic day.
Full Time Mountain Guide and Photographer
My time with Nick had left me eager for more adventure in Snowdonia, but as is often the way, life has a habit of getting in the way of the fun stuff. Fast forward to summer 2020 and Nick announces that he is going full time as a photographer and as a mountain guide. This announcement renews my desire to get back to Snowdonia and to engage Nick’s professional services as a guide.
With most of the world still suffering from the effects of the global pandemic organising such a trip wasn’t without its challenges though. We were both determined to make it work and we booked in a provisional date for a day in the mountains in October.
As October approached and I got more excited about my mini photography and walking holiday, parts of the UK started going into local lockdown and Wales looked like it might close.
One of the reasons I hire an expert like Nick is for the breadth of their local knowledge. When the Welsh government announced the Conwy (the part of Snowdonia where Nick lives) was in local lockdown I was sure that Nick would have a plan B. Worried that I wouldn’t be able to visit Snowdonia I dropped Nick a message and he quickly reassured me that he had plenty of routes he could guide me on in Gwynedd (which wasn’t in local lockdown but still part of Snowdonia).
That was all I needed to hear, and I jumped in the car and made my way up into north Wales, passing through Conwy (not stopping) and finally on to the beautiful village of Beddgelert in Gwynedd. I couldn’t wait to start my Snowdonia adventure the next day.
Snowdonia and The Nick Livesey Experience
The following day I met up with Nick and we drove (in separate cars) to Rhyd Ddu where we would start our ascent of Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon). Walking with Nick was like taking a stroll with an old mate. We’d barely got out of the car and we were chatting away like two mates who hadn’t seen each other in while. The time quickly passed as we ascended the Rhyd Ddy path and onto the Llechog ridge.
We were having so a good craic that we almost forget to get our cameras out to photograph the view. While I am certainly the first to bang on about the magical light of golden hour, I couldn’t help but be captivated by the rugged ridgeline that lay behind us. Despite the grey skies, I thought it was a fantastic view.
Llechog Ridge, Snowdon, Wales - Nikon Z7, Nikkor 14-30 f/4 at 17mm, f/11, 1/8th sec at ISO 64.
Our ascent carried on up the Llechog ridge and on towards the summit. As you might expect on any ascent to the summit of Snowdon there were a fair few walkers about. There was even some talk of queues forming to “touch” the summit. I’ve ascended Ben Lomond a number of times, and despite it being a very popular Munro I’ve never had to queue to get the top.
As I took in the view, Nick had started a conversation with a walker on his way down from the summit. At first, I thought they were just talking about the names of various mountain peaks, but it soon occurred to me that they were talking away in Welsh! I’ve always been impressed by how much Nick has not only embraced the area but also how he appreciates the local language and how important it is to the local community. For Nick, the language and culture of Wales are as important as the hills and mountains he enjoys.
Allt Maenderyn Ridge #1, Snowdon, Wales - Nikon Z7, Nikkor 14-30 f/4 at 16mm, f/11, 1/4th sec at ISO 64.
Though the final ascent involved a walk along a narrow ridge it was nothing to get worried about and we were soon on the summit. A few people were hanging around the summit visitors centre but there wasn’t a queue to get to the cairn at the top. I could have walked those last few meters of ascent to touch the cairn but to be honest, the walk for me wasn’t about getting to the very top to get a cheesy Instagram shot. I was quite happy to have a break, a sandwich and chat away to Nick. At this point, I would normally share a photograph of the magnificent view from the top, but given we were in complete cloud it would have been a very boring shot!
View from Allt Maenderyn Ridge, Snowdon, Wales - Nikon Z7, Nikkor 24-200mm f/4-6.3 at 34mm, f/8, 1/15th sec at ISO 64.
One of the benefits of having a knowledgeable and experienced guide with you is that you can change your plans at short notice or take a less well-trodden route. For our decent Nick suggested we descend via the Allt Maenderyn ridge instead of retracing our steps. We were soon below the cloud line again and as I took in the view, I had a moment that can only be described as complete relaxation. It wasn’t a big vista view, and it wasn’t a view that had me reaching for my camera but there is more to walking in the mountains that just have a great place to take photographs. It’s hard to describe how wonderful it is to stand on a high ridgeline looking far down into the valley below, but it is an experience I recommend to everyone.
Allt Maenderyn Ridge #2, Snowdon, Wales - Nikon Z7, Nikkor 24-200mm f/4-6.3 at 28mm, f/11, 1/6th sec at ISO 64.
We descended a little further down Allt Maenderyn ridge until we came to a small plateau which offered a little shelter from the westerly winds. As we enjoyed our break and a few refreshments, Nick spotted that the cloud cover was changing rapidly, and spots of light were racing across the ground. We needed no further encouragement and got our cameras out.
The light would come and then go again. As is the way in the mountains, the conditions were changing rapidly. One minute were were chatting away and the next we were shouting “look, over there” and running with our cameras to get a shot.
Nick had originally planned to descend further and then ascend Yr Aran but Nick suggested that staying where we were would likely yield the best results if we wanted to carry on shooting. Well, I wasn’t about to start disagreeing with a man of Nick’s experience!
Mynydd Mawr from Allt Maenderyn Ridge, Snowdon, Wales - Nikon Z7, Nikkor 24-200mm f/4-6.3 at 24mm, f/8, 1/4th sec at ISO 64.
Of course, he was completely right. Yr Aran remained in the cloud for the rest of the day and we enjoyed watching the ever-changing conditions of the mountains around us. Despite the cold, I was having a fantastic time, but so was Nick. As I had witnessed on my first meet up you can just tell by looking a Nick that he is completely at one with his surroundings. He is a man that absolutely loves what he does and by being in his company you can’t help but feel a just a little bit of what he feels.
As the sun dipped behind a distant mountain, we decided to start heading back to the car park. Soon our head torches were on and it got dark. It’s times like this that I was glad to have engaged the services of a mountain guide. If I’d been on my own, I would have had to have left that spot a lot earlier to get back to the car safely. With Nick there, all I had to do was follow the head torch in front and I would be back at the car!
Returning to the car, I reflected on what a cracking day I had. The day was always about more than just photography. It was about the walking, the experience of being in Snowdonia and of course the company of local legend Nick Livesey. It was a day not to be forgotten.
If you ever find yourself in Snowdonia National Park and are looking for a local, knowledgeable mountain guide who has a real passion for the area or for someone who will help you make the most of your photography (or a bit of both like me), then you won’t do any better than the services of Nick Livesey.
Personally, I can’t wait to go back and catch up with me old mate Nick.
Wengen, Switzerland - A 5 Minute Photo Adventure
In the blog this week I’m in Wengen in Switerzland doing a little bit of landscape photography in the snow!
Why Wengen, Switzerland?
If you are a regular reader of my blog or viewer of my YouTube channel, you will know that most of my adventures are based in the south west of England or occasionally in the wider parts of the UK. It’s rare that I’m on some epic international photography expedition!
My visit to Wengen in Switzerland over the festive period actually had nothing to do with landscape photography. I was actually there on a family holiday. A time to relax, eat too much food, drink a lot of glühwein, and maybe hit the slopes for a bit of skiing and snowboarding. This holiday was definitely not a photography trip.
I’ll Take a Camera Just in Case
No matter where I go, or who with, I normally have some sort of camera with me. It could be my current phone, the OnePlus 6, or my trusty old Sony RX100 M4, but it’s rare that I take my D850 with me on a family holiday. On a family holiday I generally don’t have enough time to spare to dedicate to landscape photography, and besides, sometimes you really do need to take a break from all that serious photography stuff!
When I booked the holiday though, I remembered watching a video from Mads Peter Iversen in which he photographed the Lauterbrunnen valley from Wengen. After watching his wonderful video again, I was inspired to photograph that location myself. Where Mads photographed it when it was all green and lush, I could photograph it in the snow.
Hopefully, I would find a spare hour during my holiday so I could get the shot.
On Location
When we arrived in Wengen there was a distinct lack of snow. This wasn’t a problem for my skiing aspirations as the slopes were quite a bit further up the mountain on a cable car or train, but down in the village, the snow cover was sparse. There was some snow cover, but it was patchy and it looked like I would not get any joy with the photography.
Then one morning it snowed and (mostly) covered the ground with a fresh blanket of snow. With no other snowfall forecast for the week, I knew this was my best opportunity to get a photo. Fortunately, I was able to get away that afternoon, capture an image and make another one of my 5 Minute Photo Adventure videos.
Here it is:
And here is the photograph that I took:
Cloud and Snow Along The Lauterbrunnen Valley, Wengen, Switzerland - Nikon D850, Nikkor 16-35 mm f/4 VR at 35mm, f/13, 1/20th sec at ISO 64.
Challenges
It was actually a challenging shoot. As you saw in the video, a layer of cloud enveloped me at one point, there wasn’t quite enough snow to cover the ground completely, and I didn’t get much in the way of light in the valley or sky. However, I did anticipate the challenges of light on the valley and mountains thanks to some early analysis on The Photographer’s Ephemeris.
Despite all the challenges, I’m pretty happy with the photo. It was my first time at the location, I was really limited with what time I did have, and I was trying to video the whole experience! And besides, I had a lot of fun doing it all, and isn’t that the point?
I do hope you enjoyed this (slightly shorter than) 5 Minute Photo Adventure from Switzerland. Have you ever photographed Wengen or Switzerland? What Europeans countries have you photographed, and do you have a favourite? Let me know in the comments below.
Creating Panoramic Images of Glen Etive with a Drone: A 5 Minute Photo Adventure
In this blog post, I share with you the story, photographs and video of how I went about creating some aerial panoramic images with my DJI Mavic Pro drone.
Over the last couple of weeks, I have told you about my recent photography adventures to the Dalveen Pass, and to Kilchurn Castle. To be honest, given both these adventures were undertaken while on a family holiday I thought I was doing really well. After all, I was supposed to be spending time with my family.
Beinn Duirinnis
Landscape photograph aside one of the things I was most looking forward to doing while visiting Scotland was getting up into the hills. Or to be more precise the mountains! I love Devon. It's a beautiful county but I do miss walking the hills and mountains of the Scottish highlands.
When I suggested to my brother-in-law that maybe we should climb a Munro while I was visiting he couldn't have said yes fast enough. However, there was one slight problem. Despite it being April, there was still a lot of snow on the upper slopes of the higher mountains. Unfortunately, my skills as a hill walker don't include snow so we had to revisit our plan.
Almost directly opposite to where I was staying is a hill called Beinn Duirinnis. At only 550 m this was much more likely to be snow free. However, it would deliver magnificent views of north up Loch Etive towards Glen Etive. This was highlighted in Jager Scot's video and I thought a trip up this mountain might mean another chance for some landscape photography.
Unfortunately for me, Mother Nature hadn't finished delivering snow to Scotland, and an unexpected overnight dumping of snow meant that even Beinn Duirinnis became out of reach. Another plan was needed!
Landscape Photography from Your Back Garden
With almost every local mountain out with my skill set, I decided I would try something a little different. I had been playing with the drone a few days taking some panoramic images of the surrounding landscape. This got me thinking. Perhaps I could do some landscape photography without even leaving home and maybe produce a video to go with it!
With all the extra snow on the hills, I decided to send the drone up and see what I could capture. Here is how I got on:
As you saw, a drone can really open up some new creative options. It would have been impossible to capture those images without a drone. While I haven't used the drone that much for stills photography, this really did open my eyes again to the possibilities that this amazing bit of technology can offer.
Do you have an amazing view from your garden? Do you use a drone for stills photography? Let me know in the comments below.
Those Images
Here are those panoramic images you saw in the video. Enjoy!
This is the image I shot the evening I made the video. DJI Mavic Pro, 1/125th sec at f/2.2, ISO 100, 26mm (35mm equiv'), stitched from 11 DNG files.
I took this image a few days before I shot the video. I much prefer the light in this one. DJI Mavic Pro, 1/125th sec at f/2.2, ISO 100, 26mm (35mm equiv'), stitched from 9 DNG files.
Landscape Photography Adventure in the Lake District - Part 2
In this special blog post, I share with you the 2nd part of my landscape photography adventure video from the Lake District.
In the blog last week I shared with you part 1 of my Lake District photography adventure. This week I'm very happy to share with you part 2 of that adventure. I'm not going to write much else this week as let the video and the images below tell the story.
I hope you enjoyed part 2 of my Lake District adventure. Remember you can see part 1 here, and the 3rd and final part will be published next week right here on the blog.