Storm Clouds from Spelga
Nikon D700, 24-70mm lens. A panorama of 5 images stitched together
This is the first in a series of articles, in which I talk about what inspired me to take a particular photograph and how I actually captured it.
Having been a keen hill walker for many years, I’ve recently started a project to capture a selection of landscape images from the Mourne Mountains in Northern Ireland. The most recent of these trips was with the objective of capturing that wonderful winter sun on the mountains.
To maximise my chances of getting the best images possible, I carefully plan all my landscape outings. That will involve watching the weather forecast for up to a week before an outing, knowing the sunrise and sunset times, researching the precise location of where I want to be, along with any access issues and, if its coastal, checking tide times. If I’m going to be away for more than a day, then I also need to work out where I’m staying (often a tent!) along with food and supplies and having the appropriate clothing. Landscape photography can be a very cold and wet business!
So with all my research fresh in my mind, I venture to the Mourne Mountains after a wet and miserable five day period, when the weather was forecast to be ‘sunny spells’. Now this can mean almost any weather conditions, particularly in the mountains, so there comes a point where you just ‘go for it’! In this case, while it was fairly sunny, it was also cold and very windy. I had timed my arrival just after lunch time to allow me to be in position for around 3pm and the chance to capture the sunset.
As I arrived at the location, the inevitable clouds had come in and I thought the weather had changed for the day. However, I know from experience that that can change very quickly, especially when in the mountains. And indeed it did! The next thing was the cloud started to clear and the sun shone through, albeit with rolling cloud banks passing across the sky driven by the strong winds.
I took the opportunity to capture a series of images using the panoramic head on my tripod, trying to complete the sequence when the sun shone through the clouds, often very briefly. After a lot of waiting and a number of attempts, I finally got what I hoped would be a successful image. I had been on the top of Spelga for just over an hour and I was cold to my core, but it surely beats sitting in an office and I speak from plenty of experience! This is what I do and I wouldn’t change it for anything………
