Landscape photography tip: Think about your own safety

Friday 22 April 2022, 16:16 by Rob IJsselstein | 2,691 views | 0 comments

This article was translated from Dutch with the help of AI. Read the original.

A glen you can walk into from the main town of Brodick is Glen Rosa. Walking into it takes you between the higher mountains, and if you want to make it a full day's walk, you can cross the pass at the end and return via a different route.

In spring and autumn, you meet around five other people on average. That makes it wonderfully quiet. But if something happens to you, it can take a long time before you can ask for help.

This photo was taken on the Scottish island of Arran. It lies off the west coast, level with Glasgow. You can easily get there by taking a frequent ferry from Ardrossan.

The island of Arran is not really that large, measuring 35 by 15 kilometres, but it is said to have all the types of landscape that make Scotland so special: mountains up to 800 metres high, glens, valleys running between the mountains, with photogenic streams, coasts with lovely beaches or rocky outcrops, forests and fields.

In addition, there are small, cosy villages on all sides, with pubs that regularly have live music.

I lost my balance

The photo was taken in Glen Rosa. I had climbed down to the stream with one of my seven travelling companions, and climbed onto a boulder two metres wide and high, with a sloping top, to take the photo.

Putting down your backpack, setting up the tripod, taking the camera out of the bag and putting it on the tripod, setting up the camera, you can imagine how that goes in such a small, sloping spot.

While I was sitting there doing this, I lost my balance and fell backwards with my head facing downwards.

Fortunately, it ended well, but I could just as easily have hit my head hard on the rock. In that position, it was not easy to pull myself back upright. Once I had managed it, I was glad that I had someone with me.

And that is the tip: if you are in an area without many people, and need to climb or otherwise run risks, never do it alone.

That may seem obvious, but in many situations you quickly get the feeling that it will all be fine. Yet you can unexpectedly get yourself into trouble. Be alert to that, and make sure someone is with you, or that someone knows where you are.

You might also like

• 

  Landscape photography tip: Carry on in bad weather

  by Rob IJsselstein

• 

  Photographing in the Hoëgne Valley

  by Elja Trum

• 

  Night photography tip: wear a reflective vest for your safety

  by Nando Harmsen

• 

  Nature photography tip: Choose the right Alpine region for your shoot

  by Rob Dijkstra

• 

  Nature photography tip: Prepare for cold and sun at altitude

  by Rob Dijkstra

• 

  5 tips for taking your camera on holiday with peace of mind

  by Nando Harmsen

0 comments

Have your say

Please note: Articles older than a week can only be commented on by signed-in visitors.
Would you still like to comment? sign in or create a free account.