Wild swimmer’s remarkable images of Scottish wilds are in the frame on BBC Alba
BATHED in the glow of a million stars, Fionn’s Rock – split vertically down the middle, as legend has it, by an arrow shot from Fingal’s bow – stretches heavenwards.
Found deep in Glen Lyon, where patches of lingering snow dot the landscape, the mysterious rock has become a favourite focal point for hikers travelling along Scotland’s longest glen to grab a selfie, and a magnet for photographers seeking a fresh image to add to Instagram.
For photographer and wild swimming enthusiast Calum Maclean, however, grabbing the perfect – and different – shot is just part of the challenge.
In a new 10-part BBC Alba series, he combines his love for photography with the great outdoors and, in sharp contrast to the “snap and go” visitor, shows a slower, more immersive side to grabbing eye-catching images.
The results are striking photographs which show often familiar places in a new light and from fresh angles and, in a lesson to anyone hoping to improve their photography skills, serve as a reminder that not everything can be rushed.
Avoiding cliché
THE series of short films follows Maclean as he travels across Scotland in a quest to take a special photograph in each location – avoiding “cliché” shots and familiar angles.
The range of locations means he needs to use various methods of travel, including mountain biking, hill walking, paddleboarding and wild swimming.
The series sees him trek to Fionn’s Rock in the middle of a crystal-clear night to capture the e mysterious formation under a starry sky, and race against time e to reach the top of An Teallach, overlooking Loch Broom in Wester Ross, before the sun rises.
Having set off at 3am, he arrived in perfect conditions.
“The sun came up and hit the mountains, which had pockets of snow on the peaks,” said Macleod. “The scene was reflected in the loch, which made them look even bigger and even more dramatic. It was really satisfying and worth the effort.”
Other outings didn’t quite go to plan, such as the attempt to shoot Schiehallion and Cox’s Stack, a tall industrial chimney in the form of an Italian campanile, from Dundee Law.
“I thought if I used a big zoom lens it would make Schiehallion
I take 80 per cent of my photographs on my phone because I don’t want to be carrying a big camera all the time
look even closer and make a fascinating photo,” he said. “But by the time I climbed Dundee Law there was so much cloud and rain – I couldn’t see a thing.
“Sometimes you have to take what you get, so I photographed the Tay Bridge instead.”
The result is an evocative, grainy black-and-white vintagestyle image of the bridge, reminiscent of a Victorian photograph with chimney pots and rooftops in the foreground.
At a cave complex near Arbroath, he overcomes the difficult contrast of shooting from the darkness of the cave into the sunlight, by carrying a collection of torches to provide a source of light. Meanwhile, to reach Tarlair swimming pool near Macduff in Aberdeenshire, he swims around the Moray Coast to take in views of the faded Art Deco lido from the water.
His journey to photograph an 800-year-old tree overlooking Loch Ness, the Fraser Yew, involves paddling across the choppy water in a tiny inflatable boat with the reward of views of wild goats scrambling across the rocky shore.
Techniques
DURING the series, Maclean demonstrates a range of photographic skills and techniques such as long exposures, astrophotography, and underwater photography, snorkelling in the Bay of Clachtoll to capture kelp forests.
However, he insists amateur photographers don’t need special or expensive equipment to capture stunning shots. “I take 80 per cent of my photographs on my phone because I don’t want to be carrying a big camera all the time,” he said. “Then I can go back later if I want. The kelp forest is not far offshore and you don’t need special equipment – you could use a mobile phone in a waterproof case and still get good images.”
“We have such a big choice of places to go – you can always find somewhere where there is no-one else around. Or, if you want to photograph somewhere you know is going to be busy, you have to make the effort to go very early or very late.”
And, in a message of hope to anyone who has tried and failed to snare the perfect shot, Maclean suggests not giving up.
“I have thousands of bad photographs – that’s how you learn to take better ones.”
Dealbh is Slighe is on BBC iPlayer and BBC Alba on Fridays at 9.50pm