.png)
TALKS AND RAMBLINGS
The wonderful world of remote meetings! During the Great Incarceration of 2020 (Covid lockdown) I was approached by a camera club to see if I would provide a talk about my photography. As unaccustomed as I am... I gave it a go and wrote a presentation. Then I realised it was to be twice as long as I had expected, So I wrote another one. Which means I now have TWO 45 minute presentations available at my finger tips.
If you would like to hear a little about my experiences out in all weathers, hoofing it up a mountain and losing the feeling in my fingers for the sake of 1/200th of a second's photographic satisfaction, or the art of compromising in creative decisions ie composition, drop me a line. Shy as I am, I may be persuaded to ramble on at length about myself.
Contact Me
Email - PhotoForMyWall@gmail.com
​
Testimonials
Boooo! Rubbish, gerrof!!!!! Only kidding, those are not the testimonials people put on their websites are they? Here's a few thoughts from Photographic Clubs that I've been lucky enough to attend with the opportunity to explain (witter on) to their members about how I carry out my brand of landscape photography..
Shirley Photographic Society & Solihull Photographic Society, January 2021
A terrific evening in the company of a master of his craft. Superb photography accompanied by such an engaging and entertaining commentary. You know you’ve had a good evening, when you don’t want it to end! Through the magic of Zoom we have been inspired and delighted! Terrific! Truly Terrific! All the members were unanimous in their comments as to what an enjoyable evening we had been treated to, and how many tips they had picked up along the way. Everyone had different favourite images and a lively discussion ensued as to which was the 'best'.
Such a nice guy and a very human photographer. It was so refreshing to see his honesty about how he creates and then works on his pictures to further improve them. This is not just a presentation of stunning photos somehow miraculously taken but an insight is given into their creation and the actual thinking and processing behind the photo. It’s that what made it particularly helpful to both new and experienced photographers. Also how he included his settings, was again really helpful.
Falkirk Camera Club, October 2020
How do modern day photographers set about recording the landscape ? Last Thursday, Andy MacDougall explained his philosophies in his lecture Unique Moments Captured.
Andy reminded us of a quote from Tennessee Williams, “The object of art is to make eternal the desperately fleeting moment“. Andy also described the art of landscape photography, particularly appropriate in the strange times, as “ to freeze the moment, so that others may linger “. The stunning colour of Scotland’s landscape is almost unimaginable but Andy’s photographs of upper Loch Torridon below an orange and red sky were breath taking. Moving to the coastline Andy illustrated how to turn the sea into an atmospheric mist. This technique, coupled with his skills of composition in placing rocks and shorelines, resulted in poetic images.
Andy then illustrated how photographing in woodland and in flat lighting conditions can be handled before moving on to the abstract and dynamic nature of light falling on the sea with a sunset at St Monans being especially memorable. His photographer’s skill was apparent too in photographs looking across Loch Rannoch.
One of the most striking images was of Cleat and Quiraing on the Isle Of Skye. Andy’s stunning photography enabled us to imagine the force of nature which swept through that landscape. The Old Man Of Storr is a photographer’s dream too and Andy’s photographs are just as remarkable as the first photographs taken there in the mid nineteenth century.
Andy carries his achievements lightly yet he has 4 shortlisted images in the 2020 UK Outdoor Photographer Of The Year. He won the Weather Category in the 2019 Scottish Landscape Photographer Of The Year and has a string of Commendations in that event over recent years as well as featuring in the Scottish Nature Photography Awards. His understated explanations of technique were a Masterclass in his art. What we cannot do in these paragraphs is to emulate the emotion brought about by viewing Andy’s photographs, lingering in those frozen moments.