PHOTOGRAPHY EXPOSED
by John Peters A.R.P.S.
FINNICH GLEN or THE DEVILS PULPIT
You really can't fail to take a bad photograph of Finnich Glen often referred to as the Devils Pulpit. It is such an impressive place, it really is like stepping back in time.
This is a page in the website more for promoting a visit more than anything, although use of a longish shutter speed and waders are required to achieve similar photographs. There are many shots on the Internet of Finnich Glen, some good, some not so good. Overcooked HDR pics are quite common when the natural colours at this location benefitting from just a slight boost in saturation and contrast.
I want to point out, I visited Finnich Glen in November 2009, and I took my son to Finnich Glen in February 2010, when it was quite cold. The important factor was, Finnich Glen or the Devil's Pulpit was not as popular. As far as I know, it had only been used as a location in THE EAGLE starring Channing Tatum and Jamie Bell of Billie Elliot fame and more. When I visited, there were no allotted parking spaces, no ropes leading down the precarious Jacobs Ladder, no pathways, Finnich Glen was reasonably untouched. There were some pics on the Internet (I stumbled on this location), but they were mainly record pics.
WARNING - Don't go alone as I did the first time, there's no phone signal for your mobile, you are down an 80 foot gorge, don't go if its been raining recently (risk of flash floods with nowhere to run), its also an extremely spooky place. There are no bird sounds - nothing. I spoke to one local, he said it was rumoured that three people had died in the gorge, so be warned.
Its an extremely popular place now for photographers and visitors, a well used location for film and T.V. Finnich Glen has been used as a location in T.V.’s Outlander (as the location for Liar’s Spring), and also in the 2019 Detective Pikachu movie. The Nest, with Line of Duty's Martin Compston and Gentleman Jack star Sophie Rundle has also used this as a location.
TOP TIP Always carry a pair of welly's or waders in your car. You never know when they will come in handy.
Druids, the Devil, a Victorian haunt, deaths, the list is quite extensive. Well worth a visit though.
The Devil's Pulpit is clearly shown in the above photograph. The soft-red-sandstone has been washed away over the years to make this shape. Not for beginners but a slow shutter speed, small aperture and my Extreme Bracketing method were used with a tripod and cable release. Mirror lockup was also used which may be 'over-kill'. It should be noted that there are no burned-out highlights, a common complaint from many judges.
The third photo (above) is unique as it was taken from a ledge in the middle of the stream using 'breast-waders'. Either side of me and in-front, the ledge dropped to reveal 4 or 5 feet of water, extremely dangerous. You can see the dark (deep) area in-front.
A different take of the stream. A slowish shutter speed was used to emphasise the difference between the faster water of the stream and a pool bordered by a large tree.
A wide angle shot of the tree in the stream. I like zoom lenses for the ease of use and to change the perspective in any shot. Again, a fairly log shutter speed injected some motion to stream.
Several shots combined and eventually mounted on an A3 sized card. Some of the shot are slightly 'rich' but that's intentional. Don't overdo the contrast and saturation but judges often warm to a 'richer' type of photo. Maybe that should be a top tip.
My son, yes he's went to the dark side - not through choice I may add. He's in the middle of the stream taking pics - dedicated. A grab shot, thus the slowish shutter speed adding blurring to the scene. It was so cold that day, I have a video clearly showing icicles on the rock face. They way down to Finnich Glen was treacherous.
TOP TIP It always pays to 'work the scene' as I call it. If you are in a good location or the lighting is good, cover every angle, take many photographs. Good conditions may not happen again for a long time. Don't waste your time, maximise it using FACE (See 'F' for FACE)