Into the Labyrinth
The last full day of our trip started off generally overcast and we decided to have a look around loch tulla. I was hoping to wander around and dig out a novel composition or subject matter but we had a quick look at Paul’s tree (commonly known as Joe’s tree but Mr Wakefield got their first) and the view was stunning and also their was a fern showing all of the colours of autumn that I could use in the foreground. Well I’m not too precious about practicing my technique on a well honoured subject so I set up and proceeded to have a two hour battle with the wind. It’s amazing how much concentration it takes to try to calculate when the optimum time is to release the shutter; It always seems like the wind is going to stop and so you give it a few moments for the fronds to calm down and then the wind picks up again. Combine this with trying to work out if the light is getting better or not and you have what could end up as an expensive photo. I ended up taking six pictures and was still tempted to stay at the end of two hours (although the marital risk was too high!). The result is more “try harder” rather than “nice try”.
We then drove across to Kinlochleven and walked up towards the old shooting lodge (Where myself, Nigel Halliwell and Adrian Hollister will be staying next week). The weather was very strange, pouring down with rain and then sunny, so that we were constantly putting on and taking off gear. I had in mind a location we had been to two years previously, looking down Loch Leven. After setting up, I started to take a series of shots as the weather fronts swung in from the west, ranging again from sunshine to black, rain laden clouds. Charlotte managed brolli duties and I’ve uploaded a couple of examples.
I’m writing this (very slowly and with almost abolute stilness) from the emergency ward at Leeds General Infirmary after having a spectacular episode of loss of balance. Emergency wards never feel like their is an emergency happening, we’ve been here two hours so far (I could have taken two pictures by now- although in my condition I doubt they would be in focus) and I’ve had ECGs and blood tests and am waiting to see what happens next. I hope I’m OK for Scotland, it will probably be a good place to relax as any and the grounds have ample material if I can’t go on any walks.
— some time later —
OK so I didn’t get to Scotland and my typing needed a lot of work to make it readable. It turns out I had labyrinthitis, which is damage to my ear gyros (at least thats how I interpret it). What this means is acute nauseau, completely confused balance and falling over, eye scanning screwed; i.e. try to scan from one side of your vision to the other and your eye back tracks involunatrily and repeatedly). It feels like you have the hangover from hell and the worst car sickness you’ve ever had all combined together. The good news is that the doctor said it should only last a couple of weeks but may last a month or so!! Cue intense depression and desire for hibernation. Anyway – three days later and I could tell I was feeling a little better. One week later and I would walk a straight line and had no headaches.
Now I’m back to normal but really missed my trip to Glencoe – unfortunately so did my two travel companions who booked into the hotel I’d chosen only to be presented with a cold hellhole (an old shooting lodge in Kinlochleven that looked nice on the website). An expensive night in the leftover accomodation at the King’s Hotel and a brief trip to Loch Etive and they came back to visit the Peak District. A big apologies to Nigel and Adrian for booking a crap hotel and then not going!! If it’s any consolation I felt pretty bad about it (well.. not just it ).
I’ve not got a trip to Northumberland coming up with Light and Land led by Joe Cornish and David Ward which I’m really looking forward to.
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