Lay down your rose-coloured lens!

[weedavie]

I want to bitch about cameras but first, in case any of you says that it’s sour grapes, you can make your case easily. Even using modern technology, I’m never confident that a group photograph will actually feature my victims’ heads.

State of the Art

I was walking on the Pentlands last Saturday. It was a day when spring seemed to have arrived, you could take a drink from your water bottle without ice rattling against your teeth and the air was filled with the sound of larks singing. I was struck by the number of people I passed wearing earphones and I felt they were losing in terms of the aural landscape.

That got me on to the current debate about how much people lose by using phones and cameras at gigs. I find these people mildly annoying but I’m utterly puzzled by how they can throw away three quarters of the experience by viewing something wildly exciting through a tiny view screen.

Now I’m not going to argue that seeing someone using a camera on a hill spoils my enjoyment. However when your companion is failing to contribute to an impassioned conversation (is Mick Hucknall depping for Rod Stewart in a Faces reunion bad taste or blasphemy) as they eye up angles for the next route shot, you get a little peeved. When sitting at a summit munching focaccia used to be a pleasure as you swapped superlatives about the view, now you’re on your own as they focus on the key task of assembling shots to knit into a 360 degree panorama.

Camera users can never remember outings, they can only remember the pictures they took. You might think these would be like tacks, nailing down the walk like a carpet, but no, if it’s not in the camera’s memory it’s not in theirs either. “Do you remember that time Ronnie went up to his thigh in that boghole coming off Ben Vorlich?” Consults camera… “No, I don’t think that happened.” “Were you looking at Loch Earn? This happened on the Little Hillls.” Back to camera again. “No, I’ve checked – it still didn’t happen.” I mean I’m not saying I’m perfect. Without the carpet tacks some of my memories get attached to the wrong trip but they’re mostly real (and far less sanitised than pictures that have had more than a little help from Photoshop.)

I’ve admired photo essays in WalkHighlands and occasionally found them very useful in illustrating key points in obscure routes but I’ve tended to hope that they were taken in a party of like-minded individuals and nobody was standing by gritting their teeth. I know Scotland can look really good but I also worry about the tendency to make it look like a pretty calendar. Still, I suppose we all know what it’s really like and I’m not going to be sorry for a Dutch walker standing saturated on Sgurr na Ciche, wondering why it’s not like it was in the photies. It’s all good for the economy.

Oh well, that’s my rant, happy snapping!

[scoob999]

Sounds like you need a new walking partner

Seriously though, the hills mean different things to different people and i have done the things you rant about.
really depends on the mood, weather ect i prefer to listen to music if it's windy or on a nice day i'll take more time to soak up the views ect

What really makes me angry though is the amount of litter on the hills

[Rudolph]

I get really annoyed with the constant stops enforced by MrsS wanting another photograph.


I am however very pleased to see the pictures when we get back - especially when i've forgotten what the places looked like.

[johnkaysleftleg]

I remember my walks fine, the pics are just a bonus.

[tenohfive]

I'm one of the Photoshop using, long lens carrying crowd and photography is a hobby just like walking. You can combine them to varying degrees but ultimately a photographer could get much greater satisfaction from perfectly nailing a shot that does justice to the views than just viewing them alone.

I go walking with my wife and daughter normally which means I've got a bit of a captive audience, so when I'm with them I have to moderate my enthusiasm - and as a result I lose out on some stunning photo's (that give me immense pleasure to capture), but that's the choice I make to ensure my hobby doesn't spoil my wifes.

If you've not got that balance with your walking partner then you've got two choices - get more involved in their photography and see if you actually enjoy it, or find a new walking partner.

[coachmacca]

Made me laugh and i have to admit im one of them snappers lol - And tbh its why we have a McIntosh's rule to timing walks. It goes something like.

Start with Naismiths.
Add 30 mins in summer for faffing, 60 mins in winter (gear on, gear off, gear on, gear off - crampons anyone?)
Add 30 mins for lunch
Add 30 mins for "navigation adjustment"
Add 45 minutes for snapping, setting up snapping, discussing snapping and finding bits and bobs like batteries related to snapping.

It took us a few walks to work out why we seemed to take far longer than route timings

but I'm with you overall. Ai want to get out on the mountains to get away from somethings and get closer or find others.. I sometimes have to remind myself that its better to "remember" those experiences than to "just have a pic" but certainly i love looking at pics and being reminded of good times and sharing them with others (willing or not)

[Klaasloopt]

You are right. The calendar-like saturated shots are uninteresting, photography-wise, as they try to emulate a type of photo everyone already knows. And yes, these days any adventure or life is nonexistant unless it's turned into images. The biggest cliches carry farthest, it seems. People like them, they're soothing.

The arguments you use against over-photography also apply to writing. Generally, I would like to evade landscape-description or adventure clichés, whether they be text or image. But hey, sometimes Scotland laughs the cliche-evader in the face with overwhelming sunsets, deer-in-backlight, sunrays through clouds, pre-saturated and all
But it poses challenges too: try to make an interesting photo in clag or dull weather...

BTW, it wasn't me, standing saturated on Sgurr na Ciche. Unless you mean water-saturated.


Maintenance Van, The Cobbler, one of my favourites

[ouroboros]

However when your companion is failing to contribute to an impassioned conversation (is Mick Hucknall depping for Rod Stewart in a Faces reunion bad taste or blasphemy) as they eye up angles for the next route shot, you get a little peeved. When sitting at a summit munching focaccia used to be a pleasure as you swapped superlatives about the view, now you’re on your own as they focus on the key task of assembling shots to knit into a 360 degree panorama.

You absolutely sure your companion is actually into photography?

Like rapt concentration on the newspaper whilst commuting - a strategically placed camera and lens can be a very effective bulwark against unwanted conversation.

[RockyRab]

Some people enjoy different things. I don't think anybody can say another person is wrong for taking a lot of photos or walking with head phones. I rarely take photos in the hills (don't want to lug a camera about) and never take my iPod with me but I'm happy to walk with people who do take a lot of photos or want a bit of music to drown out the wind.

A good friend of mine is a professional photographer who only heads into the hills to take photos, the hill walking part for him isn't of as much interest to him as it is to me. I quite enjoy walking with him because he sees lots of little details that I miss. As somebody with an interest in Geology I tend to focus on the landscape side of things and easily miss the flora and fauna that he spots with ease. Our differing interests compliment each other.

[bikerbill]

Liked your comment Wee Davie 'some of my memories get attached to the wrong trip but they’re mostly real' Our rule is that if any one of us stop to take photo's the others may carry on with the walk, so it is up to us to catch up. I also enjoy looking at the photographs posted on here with some either truly stunning or funny. What I do hate is when I'm diving with my mate when he has brought his underwater camera with him. All the faffing about to get flash angles correct etc, etc, etc gets on my nerves. (If you are reading this Tommy, yeah you)

[Sarah86]

It was my camera that got me into hill walking I had always been taking photos on walks and shots and then bought myself an SLR. I found myself looking for more places to visit and try to capture some photos, first stop was out local hill Dumyat - which made me capture the hill walking bug! I enjoy all aspects of it, the feeling of a good walk, the beautiful scenery and taking photos and yes I do snap away along the route but I always enjoy the scenery. When I get to the top the first thing I do is take in the view - via my eyes and then get various photos. I can understand though that someone could find it annoying but I love being out with my camera.

[RyanfaeScotland]

Nice rant, very impressive.

Me and my mate both snap away on our phones as we go along. I have a terrible memory and the photos helps me piece it together again plus there are family and friends who like seeing them who can't get out themselves.

That being said we took less photos this trip because we were really focused on the walking and once you've got a couple of batches of photos taken from the top of the hills they all start to look the same.

[SusieThePensioner]

Camera users can never remember outings, they can only remember the pictures they took

You obviously know the wrong type of camera user

I'm now disabled and can't get out walking anymore so I love reading people's reports and the photos add to my enjoyment. However, if you look at the reports, depending on the weather, not all photos are landscape masterpieces but, they do record things as they were on that particular day.

Why shouldn't people go out with a camera when they walk if that's what they like to do?

[mrssanta]

I get really annoyed with the constant stops enforced by MrsS wanting another photograph.


I am however very pleased to see the pictures when we get back - especially when i've forgotten what the places looked like.

ha ha - that's why I have a point and shoot waterproof drop proof camera on a lanyard round my neck, nothing that needs any care or attention, haven't got time for that!

[Circles]

I have to admit I listed to my ipod whiel walking partly as I tend to wander by myself but also when windy as someone noted. I guess it depends on what you are listening to? Its not as if I'm listening to ACDC while charging up the mountain...in fact, I have to admit my first munro included listening to the soundtrack from 'A history of Scotland' which I really enjoyed...I'm prepared to take whatever mocking is coming on that one but I believe sometimes a good choice of music can enhance a visual experience...another good example was visiting the Ansell Adams exhibition at the Maritime Museum recently where I was listening to Aaron Copland's Appalacian Spring, a symphony whish gives the feel of the open spaces of the American wilderness and was well matched with Adams photographs of Yellowstone etc. Plus it had the added benefit of drowning out all the 'air quotes' photographers banging on about about shutter speeds and composition while describing and pointing at part of the photos with the arms of their specs.