As any regular reader will know, I am fascinated with great churches. For a similar reason large industrial scapes attract me. There is a celebration of achievement for large structures that rise from the earth. Whither blocks of stone erected in the name of religion, or a nest of stainless steel looping into paths in the sky.
These images are distant compared to my church studies, more a contextual or postcard of an oil refinery. Certainly NOT ‘wish you were here’. The Grangemouth petrochemical cracker complex paints an unflattering foreground to Falkirk and Linlithgow. When misty with low cloud, flares on the stacks light-up the evening sky to over 20 miles away and pulse like a giant celestial heartbeat. Akin to the skies over Mount Doom for Lord of the Rings fans. The site is draped in atmosphere.
Were it not some half-assed ‘secure’ environment, I would spend more time in the streets of the complex studying form, light and all that glorious stainless spaghetti. (Photographs from 2009)
Longannet Power Station across the Forth estuary from Grangemouth. Built to supply electricity for the cracker.
Over the past ten years my family went “doon the water”, touring the Clyde estuary, its seaside ports and islands aboard the last sea-going paddle steamer in the world – a day out on the Waverley.
If you have visitors, or just need to get some fresh-air then a day on the Waverley is an invigorating experience. From the rush of sea air to foaming seas, the searing heat, smell of the engine room and the chattering paddles. Their cutting of the sea propelling the boat along rapidly. On two trips we had the of luck being accompanied by pipers, guitarists and more. This creating a jolly soundtrack.
An autumn stroll above the Ochils Dollar in Clackmannanshire. Castle Campbell (aka Castle Gloom) looks over the Forth Valley. Midday sun in November brought the colours to life as a mist creeps along the river Forth in the valley below.
Deforestation in the Ochils
Sunset on Castle Campbell over Dollar and the Forth Valley
There is a well-known behaviour people exhibit when experiencing a sense of wonder. We all do it, almost instinctively. But this is not an animal instinct, it is too modern.
View of Witches Crag from Logie Cemetery
What i’m talking about is when people visit an impressive vista or famous landmark and instantly reach for their camera or smartphone to grab a shot (grabshot). This happens often climbing a mountain, cross a bridge high-above a gorge or visit a public artwork in a city centre square. What you see is predictable. Upon arriving at the scene, people will whip out their smartphone, grab a shot, stow the camera, drop their head and off they trot to the next click stop. Like trophy hunting or a dog marking its territory then wandering off to the next marking post.
Why do we do this? What did people do before they carried cameras? Sketch I suppose. Yet sketching or painting is very different. To do it well you need to observe the scene. Think about what composition and colours to record. How does light play over the scene. A landscape photographer has the same concentrated study prior to gear setup. Its often described as being ‘in the moment’ and can be a very thoughtful, deep, often slow and considered process. Another description I like is flow.
Poppy selfie
The theory goes like this. To create a visual record of a scene you must first watch it, like the painter. Upon arrival I will stop and watch. Seeing everything from texture, lines, curves, colour, depth, movement, shadow, light and more. Move around to change perspectives and wait. If you understand a scene by being part of it, feeling it more than passing it then something magical can happen. It can be emotional. Its feels like an alternative being takes over and guides you with opportunity to create your own frame of the scene based on that deeper insight. This frame often renders a better study than any grabshot can, but not always! Light can change faster than the photographer can. There are no formulae to great photography, which is why it is challenging and thus rewarding.
This was this choice I faced this morning as a solar eclipse swept across Scotland. Unlike the last total eclipse in 1999, this time the moon would leave her kimono raised slightly exposing only the most anorexic of crescent sun behind. Being aware of the risk of retinal damage while gazing meant I was nervous about exposing my camera sensor to the same fate.
Logie Cemetery in foreground with Wallace Monument, Stirling Castle and City of Stirling in background
Instead of being the ‘Wedding Photographer’ of moon and sun sky-marriage, I chose to experience it. With my faithful muse – Poppy. The fact that it was the birthday of someone special who died seven weeks ago today added to my emotions. I chose to take no camera equipment and to be “in the moment”. To be open, heart racing as celestial events wash over.
So today I was an observer listening with every sense, as the moon cast its shade, cold and quiet.
Then I wept.
Footnotes
I chose a perch on Witches Crag, near Yellowcraig Wood on the Ochil Hills to hopefully see the moon’s shadow move across the plains of the river Forth as it transits across the sun. Alas there is a big difference in eclipse light between 95% and totality.
As peak shade approached, it did darken slightly and got colder by 1 DegC (Thanks StirlingWeather).
The chatter of the birds in the nearby forest did quiet as it darkened, but not silently.
Poppy was restless. She was often seeking assurance, wee mutt!
As light levels dipped, the night lights of nearby businesses lit up. (Sterling Warehouse, something in Dollar and Diageo).
Despite the moon covering 95% of the Sun, I was astounded how much light lit the landscape.
I can grabshot & grab-a-selfie like anyone (smartphone photographs and video straight from the device – Android OnePlus One).
Sometimes man needs to be humbled by the scale of celestial events. Restore our place in the world of worlds to have perspective. Be humble.
9:35am
Poppy’s celestial offering to the god of clouds.
9:36am
After peak totality
After peak totality
Biscuit!
UPDATE November 2016: I have rewritten this slightly to remove poor spelling, dumb word choice and over extended phrasing.
