Quiet Light: landscape photography by Julian Barkway

Image 'Frozen' added to gallery 'New Work'

Pebbles and leaves caught in ice.

I am always on the lookout for new locations in this amazing valley and, after a short hike upstream from my usual stamping ground, I found this spot and spent a couple of hours finding new compositions wherever I looked.

Image 'Verzasca Gneiss' added to gallery 'New Work'

Some of the characteristically coloured gneiss in the Verzasca Valley.

I am always on the lookout for new locations in this amazing valley and, after a short hike upstream from my usual stamping ground, I found this spot and spent a couple of hours finding new compositions wherever I looked.

Image 'Broken' added to gallery 'New Work'

Ice on ice in the Verzasca Valley.

The extensive area of delicately patterned gneiss close to Lavertezzo in southern Switzerland is a place I will never tire of photographing. Subtle differences in lighting, weather conditions or my mood on the day make each visit unique and I never fail to come away with some satisfying images.

Image 'Verzasca Reflection' added to gallery 'New Work'

The extensive area of delicately patterned gneiss close to Lavertezzo in southern Switzerland is a place I will never tire of photographing. Subtle differences in lighting, weather conditions or my mood on the day make each visit unique and I never fail to come away with some satisfying images.

Image 'Mossy karst.' added to gallery 'New Work'

Part of an area, near the village of Les Clées, called 'Les Marmites' after the many eroded depressions in the rocks that slightly resemble cooking pots.

Image 'Sculpted karst.' added to gallery 'New Work'

Part of an area, near the village of Les Clées, called 'Les Marmites' after the many eroded depressions in the rocks that slightly resemble cooking pots.

Image 'Gorges de l'Orbe' added to gallery 'New Work'

This was made a couple of km upstream from the village of Les Clées by a part of the river that was new to me.

Taming the harsh light here was a real struggle...

Image 'Toleure' added to gallery 'New Work'

It was somewhat foolhardy of me to stray into this area, adjacent to land used by the Swiss military and technically off-limits to the public, but I did encounter one other foolhardy person that day, exploring this beautiful and unspoilt river...

Image 'Hidden waterfall' added to gallery 'New Work'

This little waterfall is directly under one of a handful of footbridges that allow hikers to cross the gorge and is therefore only visible to those who take the trouble to scramble down the rocks leading to the river.

Image 'Rapids' added to gallery 'New Work'

This was made a couple of km upstream from the village of Les Clées by a part of the river that was new to me.

Image 'Sloping strata' added to gallery 'New Work'

This was made a couple of km upstream from the village of Les Clées by a part of the river that was new to me.

Image 'Lac de Lispach' added to gallery 'New Work'

This is another location I have enjoyed visiting over the years. It's situated just a couple of hours drive from my home.

Image 'Refuge' added to gallery 'New Work'

What I took to be a refuge on an island that otherwise has no shelter from the elements.

Image 'Organic forms in granite' added to gallery 'New Work'

What appealed to me here was how the eroded shapes in the rock seemed like a bird of prey feeding on its victim.

Since the only colours were the beige of the rock and the blue of the sky, I decided on a monochrome treatment.

Image 'Lavezzu' added to gallery 'New Work'

A more general view of the eroded granite boulders on this unique little island.

Since the only colours were the beige of the rock and the blue of the sky, I decided on a monochrome treatment.

Image 'Organic forms in eroded granite' added to gallery 'New Work'

I liked how the shapes in the rock put me in mind of a hand reaching for a small bird.

Since the only colours were the beige of the rock and the blue of the sky, I decided on a monochrome treatment.

Image 'Bonifacio' added to gallery 'New Work'

The small town of Bonifacio clings, almost miraculously, to the top of a dramatically overhanging cliff. On the other side of its peninsula is a vibrant harbour where billionaires’ yachts bump fenders with day-trip boats and the vessels of local fishermen.

Image 'Central massif' added to gallery 'New Work'

The forces of nature have worked on Corsica’s central massif for countless millennia, forming the bare granite into the most bizarre shapes.

Image 'Tavignano valley.' added to gallery 'New Work'

A small pine tree clings to the side of the Tavignano valley near Corte in central Corsica.

Image 'River Tavignano' added to gallery 'New Work'

This is a popular bathing spot in the Tavignano valley, although the water in October is definitely on the chilly side. Despite this, there were a few intrepid bathers in the water.

Image 'Gorges du Doubs' added to gallery 'New Work'

I have visited and revisited most parts of the Gorges du Doubs during my time living in Switzerland and have an enduring love of this unspoilt location.

Image 'Dancing House' added to gallery 'New Work'

Frank Gehry desgned this remarkable building along with Czech architect Vlado Milunić. Containing offices, a hotel and has a rooftop restaurant, it was inspired by the dancing of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers.

Image 'Chapel of St. Barbara' added to gallery 'New Work'

If you find yourself in Prague, do make a side-trip to the small town of Kutna Hora where this remarkable chapel can be found. The interior is just as quirky and spectacular as the exterior.

Image 'Milky Reflection' added to gallery 'New Work'

I was walking in an area of the Col du Sanetsch I haven't visited before when I saw this milky stream with its reflection of building cloud.

Image 'Ray of light' added to gallery 'New Work'

It was a sunny day with barely a cloud in the sky but, luckily, the sun was in just the right position to cause the light to be diffracted by the foliage at the top of the cliff, causing the visible rays to appear.

Image 'Praia do Cordoama' added to gallery 'New Work'

I composed the shot then waited for the couple to walk to exactly the right position before pressing the shutter.

Image 'Woman with Red Umbrella' added to gallery 'New Work'

I was walking down the street when I saw this woman with a red umbrella that was making a great contrast with the blue streamers stretched across the street. I only had my smartphone to hand but it was enough to capture the moment.

Image 'Abisko Canyon' added to gallery 'Pick of the year - 2023'

As we headed towards the Lofoten Islands, we decided to make an overnight stop at Narvik. Narvik itself is a working town with little of interest to anyone other than those enthusiastic about the WW2 battle that took place here. Narvik also happens to be the closest town to Sweden's Abisko National Park and so we drove over to find the whole valley covered in a thick layer of late-eason snow..

Image 'Ice melt' added to gallery 'Pick of the year - 2023'

My partner decided to make an early night of it, so I ventured out to enjoy the long arctic twilight.

Image 'Standing proud' added to gallery 'Pick of the year - 2023'

As soon as I spotted this young larch and its smaller companion, I saw the potential of the scene. But how to compose an image? Luckily, close to where I had set up the camera was a rocky ledge, covered in attractive lichens. I moved the tripod, re-composed and ended up making my favourite image of the year. As I was setting up, it started snowing. Not one to let a bit of bad weather spoil a good composition, I carried on working regardless...

Image 'Frosted undergrowth' added to gallery 'Pick of the year - 2023'

Bad weather, which cleared during the preceding night, left me cursing the blue sky and wondering how I could make such harsh light work photographically. Luckily, the sun had not yet risen high enough to melt the delicate frost on the undergrowth at this location. But I had to work fast...

Image 'A street in Mirmande' added to gallery 'Pick of the year - 2023'

One of the quiet streets in the pretty hillside village of Mirmande.

Image 'Maison Suspendue' added to gallery 'Pick of the year - 2023'

Pont-en-Royans is noted for its 'maisons suspendues' - houses that are built into the cliffs of the Gorge du Bourne - and this is a detail of one such building.

Image 'Slot Canyon' added to gallery 'Pick of the year - 2023'

Generally, slot canyons (narrow, straight-sided clefts in rocky outcrops) are associated with the desert southwest region of the USA so it was quite surprising to find a particularly impressive example in Europe (although limestone isn't quite as instantly attractive as the multi-hued sandstone of Arizona and Utah's 'red-rock country').

Image 'Early-season snow' added to gallery 'Pick of the year - 2023'

I was hiking along the well-trodden path towards the Morteratsch Glacier when I decided, on a whim, to head 'off-piste'. After wading through deep snow wearing standard hiking boots on what turned out to be a snowshoe trail for what seemed like ages, I suddenly saw this scene with yellow larches gently melting into copper-coloured beeches by the Morteratsch river.

Image 'Snow-pillows' added to gallery 'Pick of the year - 2023'

They say that the best camera is the one you have with you and, in this case, that turned out to be my smartphone.

I had come to this location not to take photographs but to go Nordic skiing and to enjoy the fresh snow. However, when the opportunity to make a compelling image presents itself, you have to use whatever is to hand...

Image 'Autumn at La Goule' added to gallery 'Gorges du Doubs'

A day of intermittent light rain provided the perfect conditions for this dramatic image of the gorge below the dam at La Goule.

Image 'Autumn at La Goule' added to gallery 'Gorges du Doubs'

At La Goule, the river has been dammed to provide electricity and the resulting reservoir provides a stretch of quiet water, in stark contrast to the wilder parts of the gorge further upstream.

Image 'Spring greens' added to gallery 'Gorges du Doubs'

It was the sole flowering tree which drew me to this scene. After that, it was just a matter of arranging the shapes, colours and general chaos of nature into an interesting composition.

Image 'Les Ã‰chelles du Mort' added to gallery 'Gorges du Doubs'

I got here just as the golden morning light was turning to the harsh light of midday and I was lucky to capture this while the light was still good.

Image 'Les Ã‰chelles du Mort' added to gallery 'Gorges du Doubs'

I am hoping to visit this location again later in the year. It is a section of the gorge that I have so far not explored, due in no small part to the difficulty of access. However, there is much to see and photograph in this wilder and more rugged part of the river.

Image 'Snow Boat' added to gallery 'Gorges du Doubs'

The tiny hamlet of Biaufond sits right on the frontier between France and Switzerland. Consisting of not much more than a handful of houses and a small restaurant catering to fishermen and other visitors, it is serviced by a narrow road running along the side of this reservoir and on up to the Swiss rim of the gorge. The elegant steel bridge depicted here is actually the frontier crossing, marked by the border post just visible on the Swiss side (to the left). Switzerland recently signed up to be a part of the Schengen open-borders zone and the frontier is now little more than a mere geo-political convenience.

I arrived in conditions of intermittent snowfall and immediately felt this quiet scene, with its brooding sky and light covering of snow, had a melancholy aspect that I was keen to capture - despite the light, which was far from having that special quality for which landscape photographers fervently hope.

Image 'Summer House' added to gallery 'Gorges du Doubs'

I return often to this little summer house at Maison Monsieur in the Gorges du Doubs, its elegant and symmetrical shape is irresistible.

Image 'Winter in the gorge' added to gallery 'Gorges du Doubs'

One of the things that keeps bringing me back to this location on the Franco-Swiss border, apart from its obvious beauty, is the sense of timelessness here. A short hike from the busy border-crossing at Biaufond and all you hear is birdsong. Apart from the occasional ruined building hinting at the gorge's working past, there is no indication that you are barely a couple of kilometres from civilisation.

In this image, and the one which precedes it, I wanted to evoke the profound sense of serenity in this part of the gorge.

Image 'Forges du Pissoux' added to gallery 'Gorges du Doubs'

This part of the gorge is quite difficult to reach, involving a hike from the rim down a steep path, a wade across the river and then negotiating a dense boulder-field of slippery rocks. It was worth it, though.

Image 'Fragile' added to gallery 'Gorges du Doubs'

I wanted to show the fragility of life in this environment so I was pleased to find these flowers growing on a boulder in the shadow of an undercut cliff. The composition was chosen deliberately to emphasise the oppressive presence of the cliff-face.

Image 'Le ChÃ¢telot' added to gallery 'Gorges du Doubs'

Photographing this marvellous river gorge is starting to become an obsession yet I keep on being drawn back, finding new locations each time.

This image was made towards the end of a day when 30Â° temperatures and an all-over blue sky made for horrendous conditions - for photography! I knew a front was moving in and was lucky that the cloud-cover softened the harsh sunlight enough to make for some flattering light.

Thunder was rumbling around the sky as I took this so my final idea for an image that day had to remain unrealised. Having neglected to carry any rainwear down into the gorge, I marched up the steep path to the car-park as fast as my legs - and the heavy load on my back - would allow. Safely back in the car, the heavens opened.

Image 'Le ChÃ¢telot' added to gallery 'Gorges du Doubs'

Below the impressive concrete dam which holds back the waters of the Lac de Moron lies a very wild stretch of the river Doubs. The evidence of the long, hard Winter of 2010 is obvious here and I was keen to capture the rawness of nature before the warmth of Spring brought out the gorge's softer side.

Image 'Limestone' added to gallery 'Gorges du Doubs'

Surprisingly, this is the first time I have made an image from this spot, despite using this slightly alarming crossing point for hikers traversing the Gorges du Doubs many times.

The path runs over stepping stones and along the top of an old masonry dam, downstream of the concrete monstrosity that holds back the Lac du Moron.

Image 'Old barn' added to gallery 'Man and Nature'

While expoloring the village of Mogrovejo, our last stop of the trip, I found this attractive barn with its picturesque vines. The backdrop of the Picos proved irresistible.

Image 'Two sheds' added to gallery 'Man and Nature'

These two sheds were just by the side of the one narrow road that winds its way through this side valley of the RhÃ´ne valley. Luckily there was a parking place where I could set up my tripod and capture this quiet vista.

Image 'A favourite shed' added to gallery 'Man and Nature'

I seem to have developed a continuing fondness for this little hut, built in typical Valais style with a roof composed of flat stone. On this particular visit I had to contend with a light drizzle and low cloud which threatened to mask this scene completely. Luckily it held off and the inclement weather adds its own atmosphere to this timeless scene.

Image 'Ochre mine' added to gallery 'Man and Nature'

Provence is justifiably famous for its deposits of ochre - the multi-hued sandstone prized as a pigment by artists. The colours in the rock and presence of harder 'capstones' do bring the grand sandstone desert vistas of Utah and Arizona to mind although on a much smaller scale and with many more visitors.

Image 'Lavender' added to gallery 'Man and Nature'

If there is one single thing that shouts 'Provence', it's fields of lavender. When I first visited the area at Easter in 2006 I was way too early to see it in bloom and this time I feared I was past the peak. How wrong I was!

Image 'Forclaz' added to gallery 'Man and Nature'

A favourite location to which I often return. This time I had the opportunity to catch the scene in the post-sunset glow.

Image 'Abbazia di Sant'Antimo (exterior)' added to gallery 'Man and Nature'

Part of the southern Tuscany 'tourist trail', certainly, but deservedly so. This simple abbey has a pared-down beauty with its austere Romanesque architecture and this means it is another well-photographed location. I wanted to make a slightly unusual image which combines the abbey, the large cypress growing beside it and the surrounding countryside with its vineyards. Not an easy task, by any means.

Image 'Sentinel' added to gallery 'Man and Nature'

A lone cypress stands on a ridge near San Quirico d'Orcia, Tuscany.

Image 'Farmer's Hut' added to gallery 'Man and Nature'

I have photographed this lovely little hut on a couple of previous occasions but removal of some farming debris opened up a new viewpoint on this particular visit. It would have been rude not to take advantage...

Image 'Barrage d'Emosson' added to gallery 'Man and Nature'

Switzerland satisfies around half of its energy requirements from hydro-electric installations such as this. Whilst some may think such developments disfigure the pristine alpine landscape, hydro power is one of the few genuinely viable sources of renewable energy and should not be viewed too harshly.

Besides, the winter sports industry causes far more widespread damage for rather less overall benefit.

Image 'Beached Wreck' added to gallery 'Man and Nature'

The remains of 'Eddie's Boat', a trawler which became beached on the Donegal coast.

Image 'West pier at dawn' added to gallery 'Man and Nature'

Whitby's West Pier during a rather cloudy dawn.

Image 'Stone huts, Revöira' added to gallery 'Man and Nature'

Another of the impressive stone basins in the small mountain community of Revöira. This picture also shows two of the huts and looks towards the mountains on the other side of the Verzasca Valley.

Image 'Standing proud' added to gallery 'Small Worlds'

Image 'Frosted undergrowth' added to gallery 'Small Worlds'

Image 'Pebbly nook' added to gallery 'Small Worlds'

An irresistible little nook full of smooth pebbles, tucked away in a corner of this amazing beach in northwestern Spain.

Image 'Reeds, Pfynwald' added to gallery 'Small Worlds'

I had to sit out a heavy downpour in my car before venturing out into the damp forest and finding this little pond that I had photographed some years ago from a different angle. After scouting for a composition involving the water and drawing a blank on anything workable, I settled for a study of these gently drooping reeds.

Image 'Blausee Reflections' added to gallery 'Small Worlds'

The Blausee (or 'Blue Lake') is something of a popular tourist destination so it is disappointingly developed.

On a bright autumn day, in a superb year for colour in the trees, the reflections were mesmerising.

Image 'Pink Sandstone and Shingle' added to gallery 'Small Worlds'

This unspoilt beach on the Cumbrian Coast of northwest England is only accessible by foot so I had the place pretty much to myself on this surprisingly clear day. I spent a good two hours photographing this beautiful little wave-cut platform before the rising tide caused me to head back.

Image 'Organic Contours' added to gallery 'Small Worlds'

Image 'Leaves and Boulder' added to gallery 'Small Worlds'

Leaves arranged (by nature, not me) on a boulder in the Ravin du Puits Noir.

Image 'Marmite' added to gallery 'Small Worlds'

No, not the divisive brown goo that some love on their toast but a 'marmite' in the French sense of a type of pot or, in this case, a pothole cut in the limestone bed of a small stream.

Image 'Impressionistic pond' added to gallery 'Small Worlds'

A small weed-choked pond, otherwise unremarkable, provides a rich show of impressionistic textures and reflections in the right light.

Image 'Granite Boulder' added to gallery 'Small Worlds'

A sea-smoothed granite boulder with a 'tail' of darker pebbles at Nanven Beach.

Image 'Ice boulders' added to gallery 'Small Worlds'

Quite a hazardous spot but ultimately worth taking the chance. A sobering reminder of the dangers came as I was packing up to go: a scurrying sound alerted me to a minor rockfall behind me - exactly where I was walking less than an hour previously.

Image 'Flow' added to gallery 'Small Worlds'

A small stream flows through the boulder-field that forms the beach at Porth Nanven and on my previous visit in 2007, I made a rather unsuccessful attempt at recording it. This time I was determined to do better and spent a long time looking for just the right arrangement of rocks and water.

Image 'Reflected branches' added to gallery 'Small Worlds'

This part of the French Jura is known as 'Les Quatre Lacs' because here, in an area of only a handful of square kilometres, can be found the Lac de Narlay, Lac d'Ilay, Lac de Petit Maclu and Lac de Grand Maclu.

I found this intriguing little scene at the northern end of the Grand Maclu lake and I was fascinated by the way the gentle ripples interfered with the reflected shapes of the branches.

Image 'Shoots and leaves' added to gallery 'Small Worlds'

Floating leaves decorate the surface of this slow-moving part of the river above the tufa waterfall at Les Planches in the French Jura.

Image 'Les Clées' added to gallery 'Small Worlds'

I previously visited this location on a bright Summer's day and I quickly found that image-making would only be possible in a small shady corner. I resolved then to return in conditions of less contrast.

So I had high hopes when I returned on a cloudy Autumn day - to find that conditions were still tough. The contrast range between the bright water and dark, mossy rock was huge and challenged even the greater range afforded by colour negative film.

Image 'Limestone Pavement, above Malham Cove' added to gallery 'Small Worlds'

A closer view of the limestone pavement to be found above Yorkshire's dramatic Malham Cove. It occurred to me that the ridges and gullies in the rock looked a little like a miniature mountain range, rising from the plains.

Image 'Tegna' added to gallery 'Small Worlds'

Near Tegna in Canton Ticino, Switzerland, the Maggia river makes a tight 90Â° bend, forming a placid pool as it does so. After the last ice-age, retreating glaciers deposited many boulders in this pool, giving the impression of icebergs floating in a frozen ocean.

I framed my photograph to emphasise the space between the boulders and to make the most of the reflections in the still, glassy water.

Image 'Sandstone erosion' added to gallery 'Small Worlds'

...or a slot-canyon in the making. Part of the sandstone streambed of the Schwarzwasser canyon in central Switzerland has been worn into parallel slots by the force of this fast-flowing river.

Image 'Strata' added to gallery 'Small Worlds'

An intimate view of the magnificently layered cliff at Sandymouth Bay. Here, differential rates of erosion have laid bare the structure of the rock in an intriguing way.

Image 'Pebbles' added to gallery 'Small Worlds'

Colourful pebbles on the rocky beach of Nanven in Cornwall.

This beach is the close neighbour of Porth Nanven which is also noted for its many striking rock formations.

Image 'Upper Antelope Canyon 1' added to gallery 'Small Worlds'

No visit to Page is complete without a trip to Antelope Canyon. Actually two canyons (upper and lower), Antelope is justly World-famous for the quality of light found there and the water-sculpted magnificence of its sandstone walls.

Rather than pointing my camera straight upward to capture the incredible play of light, I made this image looking forwards and only slightly upward. The colours here are more subtle but no less beautiful.

Image 'Upper Antelope Canyon 2' added to gallery 'Small Worlds'

The Corkscrew, Upper Antelope Canyon

Image 'Ice melt' added to gallery 'Water'

My partner decided to make an early night of it, so I ventured out to enjoy the long arctic twilight.

Image 'Bolle di Magadino 2' added to gallery 'Water'

This is a place I return to whenever I am in the area. Since it's on the route home, it is usually my last stop before hitting the road. There is always something worth photographing.

Image 'Štrbački Buk' added to gallery 'Water'

I was keen to visit Bosnia on this short trip but only had time to scratch the surface of this fascinating country. This location is, in some ways, a mini Plitvice but with fewer tourists. And those seemed to be coming from mostly Islamic countries - not so surprising as Bosnia has a majority Islamic population.

Image 'Japanese Willow' added to gallery 'Water'

A slightly deceptive picture as the 'Japanese Willow' is nothing of the sort. It is born out of a fortuitous coming together of reflection, pond grass and tree branch.

Image 'Washed up' added to gallery 'Water'

A quiet morning scene by Lake Bohinj, found just a short walk from our hotel in Ukanc.

Image 'Lakes of Lovrenc' added to gallery 'Water'

A more conventional view of one of several ponds that make up the Lakes of Lovrenc.

Image 'Frozen' added to gallery 'Water'

I was taken by this frozen cascade in the Gorges du Doubs and spent an hour photographing it from every angle.

Image 'Cascades de l'Hérisson' added to gallery 'Water'

This is one of several places I have been visiting repeatedly for many years. It still rewards me with interesting scenes even after all this time.

Image 'Ruisseau de Bonneille' added to gallery 'Water'

I have made several visits to this intriguing (and hard to reach) stream in the French Jura and it has always yielded interesting images.

Image 'Cascade de Baumes-les-Messieurs' added to gallery 'Water'

Another location that I have visited many times down the years yet which always seems to have something new to offer.

Image 'Tufa cascade' added to gallery 'Water'

This extraordinary tufa formation is tucked away up an old farm track with no sign to mark it. If you didn't know about it beforehand, you would almost certainly drive on by and miss it.

Image 'Ravin du Puits Noir, Ornans, France' added to gallery 'Water'

The 19th century French painter and local lad, Gustave Courbet, painted this little ravine many times in different seasons and weather. Feeling inspired, I decided to try something similar with my camera. This pair of images is from high summer.

Image 'Choked' added to gallery 'Water'

A detail of this small pond near where I live.

Image 'Derborence' added to gallery 'Water'

Derborence is a beautiful alpine lake born of catastrophe. In the 18th century, a landslide destroyed much of the community of Derborence and dammed the Derbonne river to form Europe's youngest lake.

Image 'Les Pertes de la Valserine' added to gallery 'Water'

River boulders leading to a fascinating submerged karst formation with trees beyond. I could not ask for more, really!

Image 'Cascades de Baume-les-Messieurs' added to gallery 'Water'

A popular location - with the general public as well as photographers - so it's always a challenge to find a new angle. I hope I succeeded.

Image 'Cascades de Baume-les-Messieurs' added to gallery 'Water'

Another view of the lower cascades at Baume-les-Messieurs in the French Jura. This show the view looking to the top of the formation.

Image 'Reeds and Reflections' added to gallery 'Water'

A more abstract view of the reeds and the dawn sky at the Lac du Petit Maclus in the French Jura.

Image 'Cascade des Tufs, Baumes les Messieurs' added to gallery 'Water'

I previously visited these beautiful and other-worldly cascades on a crisp Winter's day in 2008. This time, however, the weather was very different. Gone was the beautiful sunlight reflecting from the limestone cliffs and in its place was a dreary grey sky. Perfect! I love dreary weather as it makes the colours of the landscape sing and the gentle light allows every detail to be seen.

My previous image of these falls concentrated on patterns in the flow of water (something of a recurring theme in my work!) so for this one I moved back a little and captured the full scene. Sadly, on this day a recent spell of dry weather had reduced the flow to a mere trickle.

Image 'Cascade des Tufs, Les Planches' added to gallery 'Water'

As with my earlier visit to the cascade at Baume-les-Messieurs, I couldn't resist going in close to record the patterns in the water and the textures of the tufa rock. The bizarre shapes are not the result of erosion by water but the reverse process. Here, minerals dissolved in the water precipitate over countless thousands of years and slowly build up these incredible rock formations.

Image 'Still-life with seaweed' added to gallery 'Water'

Pirate's Cove, on the island of Arran, is noted for the bizarre red sandstone formations to be found on the foreshore there, formations which have led to it being dubbed 'Utah-on-sea'. Although I made some more specific images of the rock, it was this arrangement of washed-up seaweed that really caught my attention. The way the seaweed was spread out on the flat rock seemed so perfect I couldn't have made a better display had I placed it myself.

Image 'Tine de Conflens' added to gallery 'Water'

This is the confluence of the river Veyron and the Venoge, although the word 'collision' is a better description of the violence of the meeting. The two rivers come together after dropping some 15m into a rocky 'cauldron' with only one exit. It is a place of immense atmosphere where one can truly feel the raw, elemental power of nature.

Seen here is the river Venoge. The Veyron makes its entrance through a short canyon off to the left of the frame.

Image 'Last resting place' added to gallery 'Water'

The salt marsh at Achnahaird is a bleak and desolate place. No wonder, then, that the local sheep sometimes succumb to the elements. There is no outward indication of why this animal died but it is more than likely that it was caught out by the stormy conditions that preceded my visit.

It is, perhaps, not a particularly easy subject for a photograph but this image speaks more about the wildness and isolation of this location than any number of attractive postcard shots.

Image 'Tobelbach - 1' added to gallery 'Water'

The Tobelbach in Northeastern Switzerland is a charming little stream, set in a steep-sided wooded valley. In a relatively short distance it drops over two waterfalls, as well as forming a 'secret' pool at a quieter point above the lower fall.

The river is prone to serious flooding and nowhere is this more visible than here at the lower fall, where an uprooted tree has been washed over the edge and is now lodged squarely in the middle of the flow.

Image 'Abisko Canyon' added to gallery 'Rock'

Image 'Sudden snowstorm' added to gallery 'Rock'

I arrived at the summit of the Col du Sanetsch in conditions of poor visibility, having enjoyed largely clear skies through much of the ascent. The cloud was moving fast and visibility was changing by the minute. It was during such a clearance that this scene was revealed.

Image 'Slot Canyon' added to gallery 'Rock'

Image 'Pareidolia' added to gallery 'Rock'

Pareidolia is the human tendency to see familar images (often faces) in random arrangements of objects and/or textures. How many 'faces' can you see?

Image 'Quartzite incursions - 1' added to gallery 'Rock'

A small cave at The Strangles provided a treasure-trove of quartzite patterns in the black rock.

Image 'Pebbles' added to gallery 'Rock'

Whilst holidaymakers around me were enjoying the warm weather and the bracing prospect of a dip in the Atlantic Ocean, I was perversely photographing the cliffs. And why not? The strata and colours there are wonderful.

Strange looks notwithstanding, I would rather be photographing rock than lying on a windy British beach, wearing next to nothing and hoping the sun might appear for more than 10 minutes at a time.

Image 'Rockfall' added to gallery 'Rock'

I saw this rockfall with its beautiful carpet of moss and lichen and simply had to take a picture. The adjacent woodland is home to a number of semi-tame birds (there are nesting boxes and feeding sites throughout the wood), some of which were inquisitively settling on a branch just centimetres from my head as I made this image.

Image 'Rockpools' added to gallery 'Rock'

We returned to Panther Falls the following day where aspen leaves lay strewn attractively around the rocks. I later discovered that it was one of my fellow photographers and not Mother Nature who had been doing the strewing... Oh well. :-)

Image 'Pink sandstone' added to gallery 'Rock'

Another image from an extremely productive session at St. Bees.

Image 'Gole di Breggia - 3' added to gallery 'Rock'

The river Breggia flows through a steep sided gorge where the folded and distorted geological strata are laid bare. This makes for a fascinating area to explore photographically. I made these three very different images in a short 100 metre stretch of the river.

Image 'Bryce under snow' added to gallery 'Rock'

A recent fall of snow contrasts with the delicate pinks and reds of the sandstone formations of Bryce Canyon, giving this strange landscape a fairytale look.

Image 'Early-season snow' added to gallery ' Forests, woods and trees'

Image 'Stunted pine' added to gallery ' Forests, woods and trees'

While my partner swam in the warm shallow bay, I scrambled up over the rocks to see what there was to photograph and this plucky little tree, survivng on very little, caught my eye.

Image 'Branches caught in the snow' added to gallery ' Forests, woods and trees'

An unusually thick covering of snow meant an opportunity to explore my local patch of woodland as it is rarely seen. This quiet, intimate scene drew my attention.

Image 'Snow woodland' added to gallery ' Forests, woods and trees'

An unusually thick covering of snow meant an opportunity to explore my local patch of woodland as it is rarely seen. The late afternoon sun gave the scene a subtle warm backlighting.

Image 'Rowan and Larches' added to gallery ' Forests, woods and trees'

Early in the morning, I left my hotel room and drove the short distance to the spot where I'd seen this perfect arrangement of larch and rowan the previous day. With the soft light of a mountain dawn keeping contrast low, I set up the large format camera and unhurriedly set about framing this shot.

Image 'Lötschental Spring' added to gallery ' Forests, woods and trees'

A partial lifting of Covid-19 lockdown restrictions allowed travel slightly further afield so I travelled to this attractive valley in central Switzerland.

Image 'White Hellebore study' added to gallery ' Forests, woods and trees'

On a hike into the mountains at the far end of the valley, I came across one of many clumps of White Hellebore - a fairly common alpine plant but one with very photogenic leaves.

Image 'Wild garlic study 1' added to gallery ' Forests, woods and trees'

As I was unable to travel any great distance due to the Covid-19 lockdown, I decided to explore my local area instead. Fortunately, where I now live is close to a wooded area containing a great deal of this attractive little plant.

Image 'Gorge de la Lizerne' added to gallery ' Forests, woods and trees'

A scene I have photographed before however I do enjoy the shapes in the steep sides of this lovely little gorge.

Image 'Ferpêcle Larches' added to gallery ' Forests, woods and trees'

Low sun lights up a larch forest behind a small stand of larches.

Image 'Marais Plat' added to gallery ' Forests, woods and trees'

The 'Marais Plat' or 'flat marsh' is in one of the meadows which punctuate the Bois de Chènes. This little pond, created specifically to encourage wildlife, was melting fast when I was there and pools of meltwater can just be seen on the ice.

Image 'Beech Saplings in the Snow' added to gallery ' Forests, woods and trees'

Beech trees retain some leaves in the winter to help protect the buds during cold weather and I was taken by the contrast of orangey-brown leaves against pure white snow.

Image 'Fallen Oak, Le Lac Vert' added to gallery ' Forests, woods and trees'

This part of Le Lac Vert is always a compositional challenge. Here it was a technical challenge as well with my 5x4 view camera...

Image 'Baigne aux Chevaux' added to gallery ' Forests, woods and trees'

I decided to make a winter visit to the Bois de Chènes and, after an unusually mild spell, I was very lucky to find snow still on the ground. This is a small pond known as the 'horse-washing pond', although no horses were to be seen taking advantage of the facility, unsurprisingly. I liked the interaction of the reeds and the retained leaves of a beech tree.

Image 'Blazing Beech' added to gallery ' Forests, woods and trees'

I saw these elegant old beech trees from the road that winds its way up from Fernilee Reservoir in England's Peak District and couldn't resist making a photograph.

Image 'Forest Stream' added to gallery ' Forests, woods and trees'

As I was heading back to the car just as it was starting to get dark I saw this scene and was immediately faced with a choice - set up my large-format camera and shoot this scene or avoid having to walk back in the dark. Luckily, I was able to manage both - just.

Image 'Le Grand Marais' added to gallery ' Forests, woods and trees'

I have been meaning to photograph this part of the wood for quite some time. Back in March, when the area was under water, a composition eluded me and a concentration on the northern part of the forest meant that this little are of swamp had to wait. It was still not an easy composition and I had to explore the dense woodland for some time before I happened on this spot - quite close to where I started my exploration!

Image 'Autumn tree' added to gallery ' Forests, woods and trees'

I spent over three hours exploring just a small part of this magical little forest. I will return as the seasons change.

Image 'Towards Le Grand Marais' added to gallery ' Forests, woods and trees'

I spent over three hours exploring just a small part of this magical little forest. I will return as the seasons change.

Image 'Snowline' added to gallery ' Forests, woods and trees'

I find the transition to and from a snow-covered landscape quite fascinating. Here the retreating snow marks the boundary between autumn and winter.

Image 'Silver Birches and Heather' added to gallery ' Forests, woods and trees'

Millstone Edge, not far from the village of Hathersage, is a noted local beauty spot and in high summer the moorland puts on a great show of purple and green.

Image 'Bolle di Magadino - 2' added to gallery ' Forests, woods and trees'

More from the wetland and nature reserve at the northern end of Lago Maggiore. This time I chose to place the focus on the foreground shrub and let the trees go defocussed for a slightly ghostly effect.

Image 'Beech bough and white water' added to gallery ' Forests, woods and trees'

I enjoy the challenge of seeking out images which elevate the ordinary into something special and I feel I have succeeded in this simple scene of a beech bough in front of the river Doubs.

Image 'Colourful bush' added to gallery ' Forests, woods and trees'

One thing that has to be said for the Canadian Rockies (well, apart from the obvious) is that the local flora is a lot more attractively coloured than we are accustomed to seeing in Europe.

This little shrub was proudly showing off a stunning array of autumn colour. I fancy it knew it was being photographed...

Image 'Wildflower meadow and forest' added to gallery ' Forests, woods and trees'

En route to Mt. Robson we spotted this beautiful meadow on the margins of a forest of bizarrely-shaped conifers. It was attractively backlit which made the colours stand out all the more.

Image 'Last light, Lac de Narlay' added to gallery ' Forests, woods and trees'

I completed my photographic tour of Les Quatre Lacs with a trip to the Lac de Narlay, hoping to use the sparse reedbeds in a composition. That didn't work out but this one did....

Image 'Autumn colour' added to gallery ' Forests, woods and trees'

The tree-lined lower slopes of the limestone cirque at Baume-les-Messieurs.

Image 'Val Dessous' added to gallery ' Forests, woods and trees'

The valley below Les Cascades de l'HÃ©risson is full of wetland vegetation. Making sense of this natural complexity proved to be an intriguing photographic challenge.

Image 'Dead trees and grass' added to gallery ' Forests, woods and trees'

On the Kolob Terrace to the west of Zion Canyon, I came across this strange field with its skeletal trees poking out of the long grass.

Image 'Lofoten sunset' added to gallery 'Vistas'

My partner decided to make an early night of it, so I ventured out to enjoy the long arctic twilight.

This image was made at about 11:30pm and I could easily have continued shooting into the early hours...

Image 'Looking towads la Grande Dixence' added to gallery 'Vistas'

After descending the Sanetsch pass, I realised I had some time to kill so I decided to venture up to the end of this side valley in Wallis to try to take advantage of the dramatic cloudy sky, before the frontal system passed through leaving clear blue skies in its wake.

Image 'Snow-pillows' added to gallery 'Vistas'

Image 'Sunlit Uplands' added to gallery 'Vistas'

I was with a group of other photographers and we had spent the morning in the rain. Luckily the weather broke and by lunchtime everything had cleared, allowing the sun to illuminate the rocky summits of the Picos de Europa with attractive sidelight.

Image 'Hidden Meadow' added to gallery 'Vistas'

We fiound this meadow at the top of a short incline leading from the road and spent some time enoying its obvious charm.

Image 'Sunlit grove' added to gallery 'Vistas'

As part of the trip, we went on a 4x4 expedition over private roads into the heart of the mountain range. This grove of trees was being shaken by frequent gusts of wind while being lit by intermittent direct sunlight. Unfortunately, gusts did not coincide with the sunlight so I din't manage to catch as much movement in the trees as I would have liked but the dramatic lighting was a good compromise...

Image 'The heart of the mountains.' added to gallery 'Vistas'

Deep in the heart of the Picos de Europa mountains, we stopped at an abandoned village. Looking back up the pass, the scenery took on a dramatic aspect, heightened by cloud and intermittent sun.

Image 'Braided River' added to gallery 'Vistas'

I was driving over the Flüela pass that links Davos on the west side with the Engadine Valley to the east when I was suddenly struck by this scene. For some reason, I had never noticed it on previous drives. Perhaps it was the light or the frustration of being caught behind slower traffic that made me stop the car and get the camera out but I'm glad I did.

Image 'Moonrise Over the Sassi' added to gallery 'Vistas'

The moon rising over Sasso Lungo on the left and its neighbour, Sasso Piatto on the right.

Image '"El Capitan"' added to gallery 'Vistas'

This splendid cliff rather put me in mind of its rather larger DoppelgÃ¤nger, El Capitan in California's Yosemite Valley. The geology is rather different (limestone rather than granite) but the resemblance is uncanny.

Image 'Passo Gardena' added to gallery 'Vistas'

Whilst relocating from Val Gardena to Cortina d'Ampezzo, we drove over the Passo Gerdena and I couldn't resist stopping the car near the top of the eastern flank of the pass to capture this shot.

Image 'Clearing Summer Storm, Tre Cime' added to gallery 'Vistas'

The previous day, a svere hailstorem had swept through the area, clearing the atmosphere of dust particles and leaving some magnificent clouds in its wake.

Image 'Fractured Stone' added to gallery 'Vistas'

On returning to the car after hiking right around the Tre Cime, this scene confronted me. It pretty much composed itself.

Image 'Scree and old snow' added to gallery 'Vistas'

I had intended to drive to the summit of the Col du Sanetsch but a landslide blocked my path some five kilometres from the top. Instead of the expected mountain vista, I turned my attention to the patterns in the mouintainside across the valley.

Image 'Lone larch with rowan' added to gallery 'Vistas'

Larches and rowans appear to have some sort of symbiosis going on in places where they can both grow as they are often to be found very close together, occasionally with intertwining branches.

Here I enjoyed the juxtaposition of the lone larch, with attendant rowan, the neighbouring trees and the mountains in the background. It seemed to bring together everything I enjoyed about the Lötschental.

Image 'Lake Derborence' added to gallery 'Vistas'

Last light looking over Lake Derborence towards Mt. Gond.

Image 'Roseg Glacier' added to gallery 'Vistas'

It was long hike to get to this point - around 20km there and back - but it was worth it. The deeply sad aspect to this is the evidence of glacial retreat with the bare moraine (the ground-up rock left behind by a glacier) clearly marking the relatively recent extent of the glacier.

Image 'Snowline' added to gallery 'Vistas'

I find the transition to and from a snow-covered landscape quite fascinating. Here remnants of recent snow create patterns on the high pasture.

Image 'Mt. Blanc from Emosson' added to gallery 'Vistas'

Clear conditions meant that the summit of Europe's highest mountain was clearly visible. An idea of scale: my location was at about 2000m however the summit of Mt. Blanc is a more than twice that height.

Image 'Morteratsch glacier' added to gallery 'Vistas'

The rapidly retreating Morteratsch glacier. Signs along the the path indicate where the glacier came to at ten-year intervals from 1900. Back then, you could alight from the train at Morteratsch and take a short stroll to the glacier. Nowadays you must hike nearly 3km.

Image 'Dawn over Moraine Lake' added to gallery 'Vistas'

This image is from the first dawn shoot of the trip, at Moraine Lake. A well-known beauty spot, certainly, but magnificently scenic nonetheless.

Image 'Sunlit Uplands' added to gallery 'Vistas'

Returning from a hike to the Ducantal (the valley pictured), I turned to look back at the spot I'd just hiked to and was pleased to see the mountainside beautifully lit up by the low sun.

I just had to get the camera out again...

Image 'Bryce at dawn' added to gallery 'Vistas'

The sheer other-worldliness of the landscape of Bryce Canyon gives the place a very special atmosphere and at no time is this atmosphere more tangible than at dawn. The way the sun slowly reveals this awe-inspiring sight, whilst all around is reverently silent, is an experience that stays in the mind. I like to think that this image captures a little of that feeling...

Image 'Horseshoe Bend' added to gallery 'Vistas'

Near Page, Arizona the Colorado River makes a tight bend underneath 100m cliffs. A favourite spot for photographers, the overlook has a scary unguarded drop right down to the river. This is not a place for vertigo sufferers...

At least that was the case when I visited 20 years ago. These days I hear there is a guard rail protecting the drop and a large car-park where previously there was simply a dirt pull-in.

Image 'Dawn over Monument Valley' added to gallery 'Vistas'

For some pictures you have to trek miles through desert and wilderness, while others are just there for the taking.

This was shot from the balcony of my hotel room in Monument Valley....

Image 'John Ford's Point' added to gallery 'Vistas'

The rock formations of Monument Valley are well-known to lovers of Westerns. This is the aptly-named John Ford's Point.

Image 'A street in Mirmande' added to gallery 'Miscellaneous'

One of the quiet streets in the pretty hillside village of Mirmande.

Image 'Maison Suspendue' added to gallery 'Miscellaneous'

Pont-en-Royans is noted for its 'maisons suspendues' - houses that are built into the cliffs of the Gorge du Bourne - and this is a detail of one such building.

Image 'Hanging Gourds' added to gallery 'Miscellaneous'

A difficult exposure made tougher by my forgetfulness in not accounting for a pecularity of working with a camera with bellows: accounting for the fall-off in illumination as the distance from lens to film plane exceeds the focal length of the lens. This usually happens when focussing on an object that is closer to the lens than the lens is to the film and requires increasing the length of exposure in proportion to the draw of the bellows. I was in a hurry and positioning the camera for just the right composition had proved to be more time-consuming than usual...

Anyway, it was a difficult job to make the scan presentable but I'm pleased I persevered. This is one of my favourite images of the whole trip.

Image 'Boats tied up in a side canal' added to gallery 'Miscellaneous'

A row of small boats moored in a side canal.

Image 'Leaving the ghetto' added to gallery 'Miscellaneous'

One of the bridges looking towards the main gate of the Venice Ghetto, where the Jewish residents had to endure a strict curfew.

Image 'The Painted Houses of Burano - Violet' added to gallery 'Miscellaneous'

No visit to the Venice Lagoon is complete without going to the small island of Burano with its gaily painted houses, each one a different colour from its neighbours. There are many theories surrounding why the houses got their colourful faÃ§ades. My favourite is so that fishermen could find their way home in the thick fogs that envelop the island from time to time.

Image 'The Painted Houses of Burano - Yellow' added to gallery 'Miscellaneous'

The houses on the island of Burano are not only stylishly painted - the faÃ§ades are accessorised with flair, too.

Image 'Hôtel de Ville, Rousillon' added to gallery 'Miscellaneous'

Rousillon is, arguably, the prettiest of the Provençal hilltop villages with its characteristic ochre-coloured architecture. It's fitting, then, that the neatest and prettiest of all the buildings is this joyous town-hall.

Image 'Church, Rousillon' added to gallery 'Miscellaneous'

Rousillon also boasts an attractive church which, given the harsh light that day, I chose to picture in monochrome.

Image 'Backlit Archway' added to gallery 'Miscellaneous'

It was a clear sunny day when I visited Assisi and the strong light made photography difficult. Just occasionally, the opportunity to use that harsh light to my advantage arose.

Image 'Steps' added to gallery 'Miscellaneous'

Another well-photographed scene but the interlocking shapes were simply irresistible.

Image 'Abbazia di Sant'Antimo (interior)' added to gallery 'Miscellaneous'

Part of the southern Tuscany 'tourist trail', certainly, but deservedly so. This simple abbey has a pared-down beauty with its austere Romanesque architecture and this means it is another well-photographed location.

The interior has a simple purity about it with only the carved capitals of the columns providing any ornamentation. In addition to that, I was keen to capture the gentle quality of light that filled the space.

Image 'Disused cement works' added to gallery 'Miscellaneous'

The Gole di Breggia (gorge of the river Breggia) is an area of outstandingly beautiful rock formations in southern Switzerland which has been made into a geological park. So it's quite a shock to find a partially-demolished cement works adjacent to the main point of access.

The owners, Swiss concrete manufacturer Holcim, have decided that, rather than eradicate it completely, it would be better (cheaper, presumably) to leave it as a shell and turn it into a "tourist attraction". Still, it makes a great photographic subject and I spent a while one Sunday exploring it.

Here, I particularly enjoyed the geometric layout of the various parts of the structure.

Image 'Autumn tree' added to gallery 'Bois de Chènes'

I spent over three hours exploring just a small part of this magical little forest. I will return as the seasons change.

Image 'Towards Le Grand Marais' added to gallery 'Bois de Chènes'

I spent over three hours exploring just a small part of this magical little forest. I will return as the seasons change.

Image 'Le Marais Plat' added to gallery 'Bois de Chènes'

This atmospheric area of woodland near Lake Geneva contains several meadows and, at the edge of one such field, I found this small marshy area.

As I was setting up, it came on to rain, intensifying as I went through the slow process of making an image on my view camera. Undaunted, I felt the inclement weather would add an extra element to the image.

Image 'Duck Pond' added to gallery 'Bois de Chènes'

This little pond goes under the prosaic name of 'Baigne aux Canards' or 'Duck Pond'. Such a dull name belies its beauty and fascination. A little piece of the Everglades in Switzerland.

Image 'Le Lac Vert' added to gallery 'Bois de Chènes'

I first photographed these dead branches in March where the skeletal forms gave the image a very different mood. Spring foliage, however, brings life and vibrant colour to this scene.

Image 'Fallen Oak' added to gallery 'Bois de Chènes'

Its rare to come across such a complete fallen oak. What made it all rather strange was the lack of an identifiable stump - either on the shore or visible under the surface. How did it get there?

Image 'Forest Stream' added to gallery 'Bois de Chènes'

Image 'Le Grand Marais' added to gallery 'Bois de Chènes'

Image 'Marais Plat' added to gallery 'Bois de Chènes'

Image 'Beech Saplings in the Snow' added to gallery 'Bois de Chènes'

Beech trees retain some leaves in the winter to help protect the buds during cold weather and I was taken by the contrast of orangey-brown leaves against pure white snow.

Image 'Fallen Oak, Le Lac Vert' added to gallery 'Bois de Chènes'

This part of Le Lac Vert is always a compositional challenge. Here it was a technical challenge as well with my 5x4 view camera...

Image 'Baigne aux Chevaux' added to gallery 'Bois de Chènes'

Image 'Water, ice and rock' added to gallery 'Val Verzasca'

A mountain lit by the setting sun is reflected in a pool of still water.

Image 'Rapids' added to gallery 'Val Verzasca'

The force of the Verzasca river has dragged along many boulders, which are left scattered across the riverbed, continuously battered by the power of the raging torrent.

Image 'Stone huts, Revöira' added to gallery 'Val Verzasca'

Another of the impressive stone basins in the small mountain community of Revöira. This picture also shows two of the huts and looks towards the mountains on the other side of the Verzasca Valley.

Image 'Rock patterns' added to gallery 'Val Verzasca'

A feature of this part of the Verzsca valley is the spectacular markings on the rocks to be found there. Every so often, the random movement of rocks by high-pressure water throws up a fascinating conjunction of pattern and form. So it's a real delight to happen on a perfect arrangement like this.

Image 'Sculpted cascade' added to gallery 'Val Verzasca'

In a remote corner of the Val Verzasca the young Verzasca river has to negotiate this solid gneiss cliff. On its way it has carved interesting shapes into the rock.

Image 'Verzasca Waves' added to gallery 'Val Verzasca'

Southern Switzerland's Verzasca Valley is an old stamping ground of mine - I've been coming here since 2003 - yet the fantastic flowing rockforms always provide interesting subject matter.

Image 'Verzasca boulders' added to gallery 'Val Verzasca'

The valley of the river Verzasca is another of those locations I never tire of photographing. Each time I visit, the changing water level hides some formations and reveals others or, as here, shows familiar formations in a new light. I try to visit away from high season when the sun is lower in the sky and the place is almost deserted.

Image 'Val Osura' added to gallery 'Val Verzasca'

Continuing up the valley from the waterfall is this section where the river broadens and slows a little as it flows over flatter rock. I find it hard to resist the lure of reflections and I chose to build the image around the reflected mountainside and blue sky. Once I realised that the very angular rock should anchor the top left corner of the picture, everything else fell neatly into place.

Image 'Verzasca Reflections' added to gallery 'Val Verzasca'

The area around Lavertezzo, in the Val Verzasca, is somewhere I have been returning regularly ever since moving to Switzerland some twenty years ago. This little spot is always a joy to visit and there are limitless compositions to be found here.

While I was setting up my camera, the sun was sitting conveniently behind some cloud but by the time I had finished faffing about with my large format camera and was ready to shoot, it had started to emerge. Thinking it would mess everything up with harsh shadows everywhere I started swearing. Loudly. Then I looked again. Luckily there was still some light cloud moderating the worst of the constrasty light so I thought, "OK. Let's do it!" Shortly after packing up to go, some thicker cloud rolled in to provide the nice diffuse light I wanted in the first place. Still, I think I made the right decision to go with the slightly iffy light...

Image 'Rockpool Study 2' added to gallery 'Val Verzasca'

To quote a popular US TV series from the '80s, 'I love it when a plan comes together!'

This is the same rockpool as in the earlier image and I was keen to return to it when the sun had transitted the valley, hoping that the near mountainside would be lit up while the rock at my feet was in shade. From the earlier image, I had concluded that the most important thing here was to have the reflection of the mountainside coinciding with the small neck of rock separating the smaller pool from the larger one. This both keeps the line of the mountain as unbroken as possible and forms a sort of compositional nexus point, connecting the two main pictorial elements.

Image 'Rockpool Study 3' added to gallery 'Val Verzasca'

Looking in the other direction from the previous image, I saw this sort of mini slot-canyon. Here the colours and markings in the gneiss are at their most exquisite but, rather than make a detail image, I decided to show the wider context.

All in all, a productive and extremely satisfying few hours spent in a comparatively small area.