Firstly - thankyou for taking the time to look at this site - I really do hope you enjoy the images. My aim is to build up a portfolio of large format images which are of the very highest quality and are suitable for stunning prints which have a 'walk into the image' feel about them. I also hope that my images will be original in terms of both composition and location. The depth, tonal range, colour and detail of large format prints is truly special, though ultimately what is special, I hope, is the scene itself - this is where the real challenge lies! I hope that by specialising Scottish landscape photography I can, over time, make images that some viewers and all customers will really appreciate.

Being based in Edinburgh is an ideal base to explore the Highlands, and I find that getting off the beaten track and exploring is the best way to find wonderful landscapes. Sometimes I will see something that has potential, and return when the weather conditions are likely to produce better light, and occasionally I just get lucky. In Scotland, I find that the best weather conditions by far are when there is a Northerly airflow as this brings cold, clear air, and this rule applies at all times of the year, though in Winter this can cause a bit if frost nip in the fingers! Bad weather can also ideal for landscape photography (!) for the simple reason that when a front passes through, it is often followed by cold, clear air, and spectacular light.

For information about the equipment I use, please scroll to the bottom of this page.

Large format image quality

The picture below on the left is a shot of Sandwood Bay in North West Scotland. Once this has been properly scanned to 44 by 35 inches (the maximum size for this Limited Edition print), the detail is still outstanding - the picture on the right shows a small part of the scene from the lower (centre) forground - you can literally see the grains of sand, and this is on a 44 by 35 inch print. Bear in mind that once the image is printed (at a much higher resolution that it's shown here) on top quality fine art paper, the final results are far better than it's possible to convey on a website.

As another example, the picture below on the left is a shot of Black Mount near Glen Coe. Once this has been properly scanned to 44 by 35 inches (the maximum size for this Limited Edition print), the picture on the right shows a crop from the foreground which hopefully illustrates the image quality you can expect. If you scroll down a bit further, you can see another crop of this image which gives a feel for the tonal range in the sky:

Also taken from the image above, below is an unsharpened crop at from the image at 44 by 35 inches which gives a feel for the smooth tonal range in the sky:

As a final example, the picture below on the left is a shot of Strathan Bay (also in North West Scotland). Once this has been properly scanned to 44 by 35 inches (the maximum size for this Limited Edition print), the picture on the right shows a crop from the centre foreground which hopefully illustrates the image quality you can expect.

Large format fine art prints

My fine art prints are printed on beautiful Hahnemuhle Fine Art Pearl or Brilliant Museum exhibition grade archival satin matte paper, and signed by myself (with the edition number and a certificate of authenticity for limited edition prints). The prints are wrapped in protective paper inside a wide cardboard tube. For very large prints, I use Giclée UK who supply the art community with exceptional museum standard Fine Art prints, please see their website http://www.gicleeuk.com/ For the limited edition prints, the edition for each print is a total of either 25, 50 or 100. No other fine art prints will be sold once an edition has sold out, though I may use the print for calendars/books/commercial assignments.

Below are some examples of framed prints:

Below is an example of a mounted print:

 

Equipment & creating digital files

The camera I use is an Ebony RSW 45 (meaning the negative is approximately 4x5 inches) large format camera, mainly because the image quality from large format is outstanding, but also because it's a joy to use and is, in my view, perfectly suited for landscape photography. As large format cameras go, it's remarkably light. I currently use four Rodenstock lenses (from very wide angle to semi-telephoto) which cover most situations, though I do sometimes miss not having a telephoto lens. I use Fuji Velvia 50 and 100 and Provia 100 colour reversal film, my preference increasingly being for Provia 100 which gives a more 'neutral' result. The transparencies are then scanned using a Hasselblad X1 flextight scanner, giving outstanding detail, tonal range and colour - the resulting digital file can then be used to produce the very highest quality prints. The scans can produce a 400mb 16 bit digital file, uninterpolated. This produces significantly more pixels than any top of the range digital SLR, and significantly better tonal range, a benefit that is particularly noticeable in low light conditions such as shots made before dawn or after dusk (and this benefit is magnified by the fact that the lens quality for large format cameras is superb). When scanning transparencies, I turn off all sharpening and then clean the images in Photoshop (to remove dust). In most cases very little or no sharpening is required for the final prints, and the image quality is simply wonderful.

Like most landscape photographers, because many of the shots I make involve light variations which are beyond the tolerance of film (or digital sensors), I use hard and soft graduated Neutral Density filters to reduce the light from the brighter portion(s) of the scene - this is crucial as it allows the whole scene to be correctly exposed.

Using a large format camera is, in most cases, perfect for landscape photography. There are no electronics to worry about in the cold and wet, just a good old fashioned box and lens, and it's possible to rotate the back from landscape to portrait format in seconds. Although setting up the camera can be time consuming, and wind can cause camera shake, being able to view the scene inverted on the ground glass is a huge help in terms of composing. The process lends itself to a slow, methodical approach where it is worth considering all potential elements in the scene (although this approach can of course be used with any camera), watching the changing light, and then composing in anticipation of something special. Essentially, I am looking to make one image - as well composed and exposed as possible. When prints are enlarged to approximately A2 or above, the quality of large format jumps out at you in a way that is not so obvious with low resolution images online, and this quality is particularly apparent in shots where there are subtle colours and tones - the image quality is exquisite.

A large format camera gives you tremendous control over the image (with the exception of what mother nature serves up, that is!). It's possible to tilt and shift the lens simultaneously to control depth of field and perspective. In theory this can be achieved with a digital SLR if you use a tilt and shift lens, however, as an example, Nikon's new 'tilt and shift' lenses are, frustratingly, and misleadingly, tilt or shift.

One of the most useful accessories I use is a Linhof zoom viewfinder which means its possible to try different compositions wothout needing the set up the camera. This not only saves a huge amount of time, but is invaluable for spotting opportunities, or ruling out what might at first appear a worthwhile composition.

Other essential equipment includes a spotmeter, carbon fibre tripod, geared tripod head and several black binliners - useful to sit on when it's wet, and for protecting the camera from passing showers. I never venture into the hills without good thermals, goretex waterproofs, a survival bag, headtorch, food and water. It's easy to underestimate just how cold it can be in the hills in Scotland, particularly when hours need to be spent waiting for the right light. Even in Summer, the temperature can drop rapidly during the 'magic hours'- snow in June on the mountain tops is not uncommon.