The day I decided to become a photographer

Nick Livesey

Nick Livesey

Messages
547
Edit My Images
No
I was thinking today about 'that' moment when happy snappers decide to take their photography seriously.

That moment for me was New Year's Eve 2008 when me and a friend tackled the infamous Aonach Eagach Ridge in Glen Coe. I had been walking and climbing for years and kept a popular blog which was my attempt to express my passion for, and the joy of, being in the mountains.

That day on the Aonach Eagach was one of those once in a lifetime experiences when everything just comes together, and the shots I took that day with a £60 Samsung compact made me realise the possibilities of using photography as a medium for communicating what the mountains meant to me. Something just 'clicked', if you'll pardon the pun!

Even though it was another couple of years before I got a half decent camera (Canon G12), I started to seek out great light in the golden hours on the mountains. This was wonderful training as I learned about composition and 'seeing' photographically before getting my G12 and becoming familiar with using a camera in manual mode. The most valuable lessons I learnt was that being in the right place at the right time is almost a skill in itself, and that, along with having a genuine love for your subject matter, were two of the most vital aspects in creating emotive and evocative images, regardless of the equipment you are using.

I just thought I'd share this shot from that day, and these thoughts...maybe some of you can relate :)

The Aonach Eagach from Meall Dearg by Nick Livesey Mountain Images, on Flickr
 
Last edited:
Thanks for that. It's a great photograph! I almost didn't notice the figure on the ridge ahead. It really gives a sense of scale to the mountain.

Just wondering though.....do you still use the G12 or have you gone upmarket and more heavyweight since then?

I've been a photographer for so long now I really can't remember how it came about. But I do remember that for a very long time I just didn't believe it would be possible.

My first attempts were pretty terrible, to be honest...nothing like the quality of your shot here.
 
I can, it all came to me after a holiday abroad, a driving holiday where we sent to Spain, France, Austria, Swizterland, Germany. I had a compact, wished I took it more seriously, ended up with a DSLR. What really inspired me was the likes of Evo Mag, Top gear to produce the images of my car in their style and in great locations, desk top saver sort of image. Anyway, after fidling with that, I discovered what I really loved was a road trip and the landscapes around ,e.

My 1st image that inspired me to take photography more seriously was this. I was driving along loch lomond to go for a hoof around in the car, saw this

DSC_0849 by SFTPhotography, on Flickr

Then came the grads etc....a long story
 
Hi Jerry, it was certainly a turning point in my life and at the time I couldn't imagined where photography would eventually lead me!

Sadly, I lent a friend the G12 and it got fried in the rain...a great little camera.

These days my photographic kit is still very basic in terms of what I take out on the hill. I use a 7D, 17-40 L series lens and Lee grads, nothing else...apart from a cable release and the ubiquitous tripod of course ;)
 
ST4 said:
My 1st image that inspired me to take photography more seriously was this. I was driving along loch lomond to go for a hoof around in the car, saw this
y
Click to expand...

I can see why that might have been a 'penny drop' moment ;)
 
  • Like
Reactions: ST4
What a superb photo, I can see why it made you feel that way, it's beautiful and the person on the ridge makes it for me as not only shows the scale but how small we are compared to nature.
 
springer said:
What a superb photo, I can see why it made you feel that way, it's beautiful and the person on the ridge makes it for me as not only shows the scale but how small we are compared to nature.
Click to expand...

I can only echo this.
 
Stunning shot! I know the feeling when you take that image, It happened to me 5years ago when I was 11 years old, I took a landscape image on a lovely sunset evening with a very old Canon Powershot S50 and from then on it all started...
 
Great picture and a great write up. I was always a bit of a walker but then due to a stressful job I started doing more and more walks. The winter of 2009/2010 was so beautiful I ended up buying an SLR in February 2010. I got a wee bit hooked and then in July took a shot of a local tree at dawn. Impressed myself with the result and got ridiculously hooked. My only problem nowadays is that despite having a lighter weight kit I still take three cameras up the hill with 6 or 7 lenses....
 
Having spotted some of your pics around the climbing scene and been lucky enough to have climbed some of the peaks I congratulate you on another glorious shot, Well done.
 
I guess there were 2 break points for me.
The first was when I was in the Navy and we ended up at the Monaco GP in the 1970's had an Kodak instamatic and when I got the pictures back, I occasionally had a blur in the RH side of the frame, which of course is what the camera could capture of the cars!
I bought a 35mm camera but still had no idea what I was doing, but pictures improved a bit.

The Navy, fortunately built on my love of expeditions, with exotic trips through the jungle in New Guinea, the Kokoda trail and climbing Mount Wilheim. I was exceptionally lucky, the Navy also had an Expedition centre at Bethesda (wonder if it's still there? I spent a lot of time there). So that coupled with a bit military survival training, embedded my love of mountains.

So to cut a long story short. After leaving the Navy and helping out at a local Scout group, I needed some professional qualifications so did mountain leader training. It was on that one day that an instructor said, do I have any photographs of the places I'd been!
Then it dawned on me 'what a prat' all those wonderful mountains and places with just a handful of scrappy shots!
Now I'm trying to do it all properly, unfortunately I'll never have some of those opportunities again.
Which should be a lesson to all of us, never to miss an opportunity or a shot!

Cracking picture again Nick! Haunting shot, with lovely light, you spoil us with the best pictures;).Just wish I was that solitary climber on the ridge!

BTW Steve, that's a sunning shot, water looks like glass! Stunning reflections.
 
  • Like
Reactions: ST4
Cheers. Ever since this, still water has become my favourite landscape subject. I just love the serenity it gives me every time I see a reflection. To be landscapes with lakes just don't look the same with a reflection. I probably won't shoot a lake unless the waters still but that's just me
 
Hi Steve
So now i know who to ask about relections then! I found myself actually pondering this on holiday. Working out when the best reflections ocour, direction of light etc.
When i look at photograph like yours an Nick's i'm almost frightened to post mine! But then critique can only make you improve!
 
This is one of my first serious shots after buying my first DSLR which was one of the first available - The Pentax ISTDs back in 2005, taken on holiday Loch Morlich in the Scottish Highlands. The set of photos i brought back from that Scottish trip sparked a serious interest which is now my full time business and I have been back to Scotland every year since ! Looking at i now the colours are somewhat out as the monitor and set up back then were nothing special but it brings back happy memories of sitting on that beach soaking up the view ...

From memory as the exif does not show i think it was a manual RMC Tokina 17mm lens i used for this shot with the Pentax ISTDs



loch%20morlich.jpg
 
Last edited:
69Bonni said:
Hi Steve
So now i know who to ask about relections then! I found myself actually pondering this on holiday. Working out when the best reflections ocour, direction of light etc.
When i look at photograph like yours an Nick's i'm almost frightened to post mine! But then critique can only make you improve!
Click to expand...

My site is full of them.

Still water tends to be early am late pm in lakes/lochs. You need a still day less than 5mph wind speed.

Sea rivers stillness comes with the tides, either low or high. Lack of wind ideal.

A sunny but not totally cloudless day is best IMHO too
 
I know I have already seen them and Nick's!
It's not easy to catch it just right is it, have you ever managed to catch lightening reflected in water yet.

Also wondered, Nick have you ever managed to capture the green flash? Only seen it once when camped high up in the lakes.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top