Blog
Musings on photography, mental health and mountain life.
At War With my Ego
In a year where I have been learning to battle the inner negative rhetoric. To have more belief in myself, and more self-confidence. To now suggest that you can’t do everything you want, or rather you can but some of those things won’t end well ergo you can’t or at least shouldn’t, seems contrary to all that I have been learning.
Five Rise Locks, Bingley: 250 Years of an Engineering Masterpiece
Nestled amidst the picturesque landscapes of Bingley, West Yorkshire, stands a testament to human ingenuity and engineering prowess: the Five Rise Locks. Recently celebrating its 250th birthday, this testament to British engineering continues to captivate visitors with its impressive design and functionality.
A Weekend with the Old Man: Adventure on the Island of Hoy
Poking my head over a ledge I narrowly avoided the famed vomit greeting. Pat led through and deposited us safely at the base of the final stunning looking corner pitch.
Capturing the Magic of Nature:
There's something magical about the way nature glows during the golden hour - that fleeting time just before sunset or after sunrise when the light is soft, warm, and imbues everything with a golden hue. For landscape photographers, it's a coveted time to capture stunning images that showcase the beauty of the natural world. However, taking advantage of the golden hour requires a careful balance of technique, timing, and creativity.
Climbing and Photography in Peru: In Search of Adventure
I donned my big mitts and we carried on up the ridge, a dark abyss to our left which greeted us as the swirling mist occasionally parted. It was quite an experience to be so alone so high up. Dani began to throw up, his choice of breakfast came back to haunt him as half the curried noodles and a bottle of condensed milk curiously hadn’t sat well
Climbing and Photography in Peru: That’ll do Donkey!
The next twenty mins were probably some of the most peaceful I can remember. Watching the light slowly move over Ranrapalca, illuminating it’s East and North Faces with not another soul in sight, witnessing the dance between light and shadow on the glacier below me and slowly losing my fingers and nose to the cold will be something that will stay with me for a very long time.
Capturing Sunrise in the Écrins:
When I wasn’t breaking through the crust and sinking to my knees, I was attempting to maintain enough traction to make it to the next rock outcrop. This carried on for another 20 minutes or so until we found a steep gully to climb which brought us up to the ridge and on to a beautiful scramble towards the summit as Dawn was breaking.
Climbing and Photography in Peru: Arriba Peru!!
I had already sampled the kitchen of the hostel and decided that weight loss would be sufficiently achieved from time at altitude. There was, therefore, no need to run the dysentery gauntlet by cooking in the accommodation.
Summer Tales From Norway
It was as I sunk up to my knees in the snow for the third time that I realised I may have messed up. Sure enough, I got to the lakes with time to spare before sunset, however the frozen, snow covered water was unlikely to thaw in the hour I had to spare.
Meeting Myself: When the Horse Bucks
Tears rolled down my cheeks as I drove to meet a friend for lunch. The boy I had met was a memory I had of me aged 19. For the first time since I was this boy, I had somehow been able to find the mental space and distance to understand what he was struggling with.
Filling The Soul Cup
Gently touching down and letting my wing fall behind me, I turn, take a huge breath, look back up the valley, smell the early morning dew, smile the smile of The Cheshire Cat and feel the pride of knowing I did that on my own and its mine alone to indulge in.
Weathering the Storm: Giving Something Back
It is a sad indictment of society that by now few people will not have been touched in some way by the tragedy of suicide. CALM (Campaign Against Living Miserably) estimate that in the UK around 125 people per week die taking their own life, of which 75% are male.
Go West: Exploring Ireland’s Stunning West Coast
A couple of days later, I took a drive out to Downpatrick Head in Co. Mayo. I wasn’t sure what to expect as the weather was pretty abysmal. A night in my van had me wondering whether I’d still be where I had parked when I woke, such was the deluge. Morning arrived and the rain had thankfully eased but the sea definitely looked a little fuller. Either that or the tide was in, it was definitely one of the two.
Weathering the Storm: Part 3
Hindsight offers a clarity of thought seldom available where heightened emotions are involved. It’s only 2 years after the event that I feel able to slightly better articulate those feelings of loneliness. In my case as with many of my mental health problems, the root cause stems from within. My lack of self confidence, of real direction in life, the continuing success of my girlfriend’s law career and her designs on life all contributed to a deep sense of unworthiness, isolation and ultimately loneliness.
Weathering the Storm: Part 2
The next few hours were a haze of friends leaning over me, MRI scans, doctors and nurses coming and going, more visits from friends, catheter wars and then sleep. When I came too finally and was a little more lucid, I struck up a friendship with denial.
Photographing Iceland’s Midnight Sun
So hot was it that as the rain poured down, my back was drenched whilst my front dried. I stood for a long time watching, listening and being completely mesmerised by what was happening. It was a truly humbling experience to witness first hand the raw power of nature and to literally see a new landscape being formed.
Weathering the Storm
So it came to be that I found myself on a climbing trip in the south of France, sat on my rope bag by the river writing myself a list of reasons to stay (to live) versus ones to leave. The list in favour of ending it all flowed so easily, bullet point after bullet point mounted up whilst only two reasons for staying emerged. One, I didn’t want to be responsible for inflicting the hurt and pain that my death would bring to those who have loved me and stood by me for so long. Two, I didn’t want to die, I just couldn’t see a way to make the hurt stop.
Long Exposure Photography: UK Cities by Night
Finding myself back in the UK and reasonably bound to cities, I decided to work on my long exposure photography. Here are some shots and the story behind them from Manchester, Newcastle and London.
Spring Photography in Yorkshire:
Injury is restricting me from adventuring into the alpine or even the mountains of the UK. Finding beauty more locally is what this post is about
More Speed, Less Haste on Gran Paradiso
Last year, between lockdowns and injuries, I wanted to capture sunrise at the summit of Gran Paradiso. After this, I wanted to fly from below the summit back to the car. This is the story of my attempt(s).