Mark Hamblin Photography

Image of the month - 2012/12/01

2012/12/01

This must be the most photographed view in Scotland, partly because it is taken from the roadside of the A82 that runs across Rannoch Moor and partly because it is simply one of the best views in Scotland. I, like most photographers get drawn to great pictures taken by others and so it was when I saw this landscape adorning the pages of photographic magazines, long before I moved to Scotland. At that time it was too far to travel given the unpredictable weather of this part of Scotland and so I was happy(ish!) to enjoy the work of others who had managed to capture the wildness of this place so well. But now Rannoch Moor is a mere two hours drive away. Doable in a day. The lure got stronger. It was no good, I would just have to go and have a go myself. And so I did, and I wasn't disappointed and I even managed to take a few decent shots that I was pleased with. I have been back a couple of times since and no doubt I will go again. In fact I might even go this week after all the snow we have had on the tops. This kind of landscape is therapy for the soul so why not indulge myself?

News: 2020VISION trailer

Thu, 25 February 2011 00:00:01 GMT

Check out the new 2020VISION trailer for an insight into Britain's most ambitious conservation photography project. Great images, great video clips and superbly produced - well done, John (MacPherson)!

2020VISION. Britain’s most ambitious conservation multimedia initiative ... ever! from 2020VISION on Vimeo.

News: Norwegian Blue!

Mon, 22 February 2011 00:00:01 GMT

I had been staring out from a wooden hide at a dead fox lying on a snow swept hillside for the best part of ten hours when one of my inmates happened to mention the classic Monty Python 'Dead Parrot' sketch, featuring a Norwegian Blue (for a reminder, or for those not old enough to remember it, the full sketch can be seen here http://www.mtholyoke.edu/~ebarnes/python/dead-parrot.htm). The fox that had our undivided attention in no way resembled a parrot but it was definitely dead albeit its tail did 'twitch' every so often or so it appeared in the strong wind. The unfortunate fox and parallels to the Norwegian Blue had at least relieved some boredom whilst we waited for our target to show up. Some of us had taken to photographing said fox and I even filmed it! It wasn't an action-packed sequence but at least the spindrift added some drama!

By now it was 16.30 and we had been in the hide since well before dawn so as not to betray our presence to any eagles that might be in the vicinity. The wind had been blowing fiercely all day and we hadn't seen a bird, not even a crow. Still, our guide would soon be coming to let us out and we could warm up. It was around -10 degrees outside and the small heater had done little to keep the cold from nipping at my toes. Then from nowhere an eagle landed on a distant pine tree where it began to feed on a black grouse (again put out as bait). The eagle was clearly struggling to get much meat from the now frozen carcass and it soon turned its attention to the fox.

The light was fading quickly and we knew our guide would arrive any minute and inadvertently scare the bird away. Each time the eagle paused to look up between feeds, a simultaneous volley of shots rang out at 10 frames per second. It was an impressive bird, almost certainly a female judging from its large size (males are much smaller). I took several variations and then turned to filming. The windswept snow looked great as it rushed past the eagle, at times almost obscuring it from view. A second eagle landed briefly behind the first and I hoped that a fight over the food might ensue but instead it retreated to a nearby tree to watch and wait its turn.

The feeding eagle was quickly away as Ole Martin Dahle appeared to collect us but by then the light was dimming quickly. It had been a long and mostly uneventful day, as is often the case when photographing wild eagles that don't always read the script. Hoping for more action, we returned under the cover of darkness the following morning. It was still freezing cold and blowing hard but the sky was clear. It was like Groundhog Day, at first waiting in the dark trying to catch some sleep, then watching the sun creep slowly down the far hillside and finally lighting up the dead fox. A pair of eagles gave us brief hope as they soared down the valley but by 14.30 the sun had faded from in front of us and no shots had been fired. Then, just like the day before an eagle flew directly in and landed on the fox. There was a tangible holding of breath from all of us inside the hide as the eagle eyed us suspiciously. But it soon relaxed to feed and our memory cards began to fill up. A second eagle put on a good show for us later on as the light turned blue and by the time Ole Martin came to release us from the confines of 'the box' we had all well and truly filled out boots.

News: Sunshine on a rainy day

Mon, 15 January 2011 00:00:01 GMT

After a week sat in front of the computer it was good to get out on Friday for a 'field meeting' at the Coigach Scottish Wildlife Trust reserve north of Ullapool. The weather forecast was pretty poor and photography wasn't the real purpose for the visit but I took my kit as usual - you never know when an opportunity may arise. Rain and grey clouds were a constant companion as I headed north but on arriving at Achduart near Achiltibuie dramatic 'god rays' pierced through the storm clouds that hovered menacingly over Loch Broom. I quickly grabbed the camera and 24-105mm lens and began to shoot a number of images. The sun continued to break through the clouds for the next half hour or so painting a continually changing picture over the dramatic Dundonnell skyline. A fantastic sighting of an immature golden eagle further lifted the spirits, its huge size made obvious by the 'sparrow-sized' ravens that mobbed it as it soared high and out of view over Ben More Coigach. The rain and heavy grey clouds returned soon after but I was more than happy.

News: Winter hues

Thu, 11 January 2011 00:00:01 GMT

Photography, whether as a hobby or a profession, is a fickle business for all sorts of reasons and there is often a very thin line between success or failure, certainly in photographic terms. Yet the whole experience of obtaining the images can be hugely rewarding even if the pictures themselves can be a bit of let down when viewed back at home. But does this really matter. Is it the experience or the final image that is more important? I would like to think that the experience is the most enjoyable part of the process but then I'd be lying to say that I wasn't bothered about the outcome of my pictures both from a personal perspective and in the reaction I gain from showing them to others. Of course ideally I want both the experience and an award-winning image to show for it! That said, the joy of achieving what I consider to be a good shot is relatively short-lived whilst I will remember the experience of being there for much longer.

Why am I rambling on about such philosophical thoughts. Well, I sat down this evening to update this blog which I've neglected for the past few weeks (although there have been regular updates on Facebook!) and started by looking back at some images from last month when we were in the midst of a mini ice age. On opening the folder there were a set of images that I took along the River Dulnain which runs very close to where I live. The morning I took these shots the temperature was down to -18�C and the diesel was frozen in my 4WD so I was limited to explore on foot, which is what I did, setting off through very deep snow across several fields to a part of the river I had never explored before, but which under a mantel of virgin snow was hugely appealing.

It was like I had found an amazing new place. In reality it was little more than a few hundred metres of river that had been briefly transformed by snow and ice. It was magical and I was like a kid in a sweet shop, shooting everything in sight. But it was the experience that I was really enjoying - finding roe deer tracks that led right across a frozen part of the river, and clear signs of otter activity in the form of an obvious 'slide' that led down to the water as well as numerous footprints. My thought at the time was, "This is what it's all about" - getting out there and finding new things to experience and photograph. And yes, I was quite pleased with some of the pictures - they're by no means world beaters, but then that's not really the point.

News: Garden dickies in snow

Wed, 3 December 2010 00:00:01 GMT

You may have noticed that its turned a tad nippy over the past week - in fact as low as minus 17 here and not much above minus 7 all week so least it to say the garden birds have been keen to get to the feeding station to top up on peanuts, seed and apples. With snow hanging on the branches I've spent several sessions sat in my deckchair whilst birds have been dropping in to feed all day long.

Nothing exceptional - blue, great and coal tit, chaffinch, blackbird robin and dunnock but plenty of opportunities using different props.

To be honest this has always been a staple photographic diet for me especially in terms of commercial sales and I still enjoy it 30+ years on from when I took my very first shot of a blue tit on a feeder in the back garden at home using a hide made from 4 garden canes and an old bed sheet. Technology may have come a long way since then and I've traveled a lot of miles in pursuit of images but the buzz of photographing local birds remains.

News: Blue Skye thinking

Thu, 11 November 2010 00:00:01 GMT

Well perhaps not blue sky but I was doing a lot of thinking - mostly about why I was stood in the rain trying to keep my kit dry when the alternative scenario of a warm coffee and a sticky bun beckoned. Well, the point is I realised long ago that blue skies are boring and sunshine is over-rated. Great for holidays but not for landscape photography. Don't get me wrong I'm more than happy for the sun to poke it's head out now and again especially around dawn and dusk but the truth is there are far more photographic possibilities when it's in than when it's out, certainly in the middle of the day. That is if you like fast moving water and woodland interiors, something that any guest on a Northshots Autumn Gold photo tour will know only too well!

Whilst we enjoyed some excellent photography on the Scottish mainland, the scenery became a whole lot more dramatic when we reached the Isle of Skye on an afternoon that can only be described as bloody awful. No sun, no light, no chance - just rain in bucket loads. But things improved thereafter and two and half days later we returned home with the the booty - our compact flash cards full of hard won images.

I usually work alone as I'm a miserable git - well not really, but I try hard! - but on this occasion I was with 13 other photographers all working hard to put their particular photographic slant on the landscape. For many it was their first time on Skye but I suspect not their last. Once bitten by that particular bug it's hard not to succumb to temptation and return for another fix. I'll certainly be back soon.

And we'll be doing it all over again next year so if you'd like to join Peter Cairns and myself for a week of image making, banter and possibly some rain then you can do so via the Northshots web site.

News: Autumn in Affric

Fri, 5 November 2010 00:00:01 GMT

I seem to have spent a lot of time in front of this computer recently but the past 2 weeks have been busy with trips to London (Wild Photos) and Bristol (Communicate conference) with some much enjoyed and well-overdue photography sandwiched in between as I was guiding a great group of photographers around the Scottish Highlands in all weathers. Here are a few early offerings from a well saturated day in Glen Affric

News: Roe on the go!

Fri, 19 August 2010 00:00:01 GMT

It's been a long wait but finally we had a clear cool morning today with a beautiful veil of mist hanging over the fields and marsh. Ideal conditions for a host of subjects but I decided to stay local and set out on foot in search of roe deer. Just 200m for the house a doe leapt into the field and posed for me. Not in a great position but not bad for starters! The nearby marsh was empty so I retraced by steps and caught up with the doe further down the field. After a few frames she took flight but this was perhaps the best shot of the morning. I searched for the local buck who is currently courting a doe and found them in an adjacent field but they saw me and disappeared into the wood! Another search of the marsh turned up a doe as well as the mating pair but again they were wary and I had to content myself with distant shots of them in habitat. In many ways I prefer these shots but they do require an interesting backdrop or atmospheric weather. As always a work in progress.

News: British Birds Bird Photograph of the Year

Sat, 6 August 2010 00:00:01 GMT

The British Birds Bird Photograph of the Year 2010 winners have just been officially announced and I'm delighted to say that I have been awarded overall winner with a picture of a backlit short-eared owl. The other winning entries can be seen in the August issue of British Birds magazine and at the Rutland Bird Fair 20th,21st,22nd August. Well worth a visit if you get the chance.

News: Three men in a boat

Fri, 5 August 2010 00:00:01 GMT

Well actually four black-throated divers on a loch! This week I had the chance to join a couple of friends on a small fishing boat in an attempt to secure some images of black-throated divers for the 2020VISION project. Trying to find any divers proved difficult on the 7 mile long loch but then 4 came along at once! In fact on one occasion we saw 6 together. I can only assume these are failed breeders from neighbouring lochs that have gathered up together before heading back out to sea to spend the autumn / winter. Something I had never seen before so many thanks to Ian Mason for the invite and hospitality.

Stories: Living alongside foxes (& badgers)

Sitting here in a hotel room near Gatwick with the roar of jet engines passing overhead every few minutes is not exactly out there 'in the field' but I've just spent two days with a man who has discovered a great deal about foxes no more than 50m from his back door in a leafy Kent village. Mike Towler is a man on a mission. He is fascinated by fox behaviour and spends an enormous amount of his time in their company. He also cares for injured foxes and rehabilitates orphaned cubs, releasing them back into the wild from his 9 acre garden.

Stories: On a Mission to Lithuania

My first mission for the greatest ever pan-European photographic project - The Wild Wonders of Europe is to the Baltic state of Lithuania, a country under Russian rule until 1990 and one of the richest for birdlife in eastern Europe. My main subject for this mission is the white stork, the national bird of Lithuania which can be found throughout the country with around 16,000 breeding pairs, most of them it seems on telegraph poles! Not ideal for photography so I'm on the look out for one on an attractive building. Four days of searching and only pole-nesters but at least I find a couple of feeding storks in damp flower meadows so a few shots in the can.