Banffshire Weather

We had a great time exploring the area and just ignored the rain and the wind (and the snow, sleet and hailstones - really). Most of the time we managed to coincide our activities with dry weather. On one of the days we visited Crovie (or "Crivvy") as the locals say, in a howling coastal gale. Crovie is a tiny hamlet at the foot of a sea cliff, perched on a rocky ledge that some eedgit thought would make a handy place to build their house. The houses are 6 feet from the sea and are built gable end on to the water so that the waves crash against the walls instead of the windows. You can't drive into the village as the road is too narrow. Well you can, but you would have to reverse back out again. We arrived at the car park situated on the cliffs above Crovie in driving rain and 70mph winds and got out for a quick look. Then we got back in again sharpish. The car was rocking in the wind and I was suddenly very aware of the roof box on top of it - visions of our cars wing being grabbed by the gale and the us being flipped out to sea ran through our minds. Of course you cant drive all that way and then sit in the car, so the intrepid Mrs MacD jumped out and walked to the viewpoint. Walked as in leaning into the gale while being drenched by buckets of rain water. As she stood there squinting, while the car rocked alarmingly and the kids were screaming and crying in the back, I decided enough was enough, the camera would not be getting out of it's bag. I honked the horn, repeatedly to tell her to get back in but due to the massive distance separating the car from my wife (20 feet) and the mad wind, she didn't hear. We rocked a bit more. Sometime suddenly and sickeningly. Children cried. Father tried to look calm and reassuring. Eventually she go back in and off we sped for a drive about inland. When the wind died down back we went and actually managed a couple of pics. I could not live there. Hats off to the people of Crivvy (probably through a gale flinging those hats 3 miles out to sea).

Rugged Coastal Adventures

This blog may be riddled with spelling typos - I'm only just getting the feeling back in my fingers. For the last week I have been clambering about the cliffs of the Moray Firth in the snow, hail and rain, while being buffeted by 70mph winds. I've been up at dawn hoping for just a wee hint of colour in the sky and stumbling about in the dark trying to get slow exposures shots. Oscar the dog has learned to climb (he's sickeningly good at it) and he's repeatedly helped me by sticking his furry wee head into the corners of otherwise well composed shots. On the plus side, when he leans against me it keeps my legs a wee bit warmer and, being a handsome wee brute, he's great for starting conversations with the locals to get a few wee location tips!
Always on the look out for a cracking location and a bargain, the family MacD was dragged (only partially willingly) to the ancient wee fishing village of Portknockie for the school break. "Is there anything to do in Banffshire in October" they innocently enquired. "Of course!" I replied enthusiastically. After all I thought (but didn't voice) there is Bow Fiddle Rock (an incredible sea arch), there's wind and big waves, there are freezing cold beaches with interesting sand patterns, there would be ramshackle tumble down buildings and rusty wee boats and maybe even some weather beaten fishermen mending nets and lifeboats fighting their way out the harbour! But instead I said "There are endless deserted beaches, we might see dolphins, there are seals, all the swing parks will be quiet, the comfort food is brilliant up there (mmmmm Cullen skink and butteries) and the fish and chips will be superb. Anyway I've found this cheap wee self catering cottage at a last minute bargain price." The words "cheap" or "bargain" always appeal to Mrs MacD and that was that, off we went. Kids crammed into the back of the car with the tripod at their feet, camera bag being carefully cradled in the lap of the well instructed and incredibly tolerant Mrs MacD, the dog in the boot and the cases in the new rooftop luggage box (or "wing" as it was shortly to become known). Just a quick wee jaunt up the A9, four and a half hours of 3 kids under 12 "playing in the back" and a sing along to the one CD we'd remembered to take. I have now learned that 6 year olds never tire of hearing the same CD over and over and over again. And again and again.
But after fixing our usual holiday flat tyre, and despite starting off late and having a wee break at Carrbridge to stretch our legs - mine were stretched in the direction of the bridge itself for a quick few snaps of a wedding party who were trying to walk over it in high heels (madness) - we made it to Portknockie in good time just as darkness fell and we settled into our wee cottage. I grabbed the dog and daughter number 1 for a quick walk around the area and made a beeline for Bow Fiddle Rock - which we would have oohed and ahhed at had we been able to see it in the dark. But the route and time to the rock were noted and the dog was walked so it was straight back to the cottage for pizza (yum).
I had great intentions of dawn starts every day but was knackered and decided to lie in the first day. And would have too if Mrs MacD hadn't woken early, muttered what a beautiful pink sky it was and then rolled over back to sleep again. A beautiful pink sky, eh? What if it rains for the rest of the week (remember Glencoe this time last year)? Damn. Up I got, ran down the stairs and walked briskly to Bow Fiddle. I was there by 7:30am and snapping away. It really is superb. By the time the pink had left the sky and the rock was just rock coloured again, it was 9am and I was able to get back to the house in time for coffee and breakfast, with my shots in the can. Brilliant. And just as well. The next few days saw me ducking in and out of the house every time the weather stopped landing with force upon the town, and trying to get better shots of the rock and the harbour area. I never did get really good light for Bow Fiddle again, so another valuable lesson learned - never squander the light!

Photographers Rights

So, a quick update to my last post about Event Photography. Having taken my shots and having set up my sales site, I was almost instantly emailed by Pedal For Scotland's repreentatives telling me that as I had no licence to take images of their event, I was in in breach of copyright. They asked me to take my images down and wanted to know how much I had made ( I think they wanted recompense).

I was shocked. I had no idea I needed a licence. I couldn't see how my original images were a breach of copyright. But they are big and I am small, so rather than have a fight on my hands, I removed my images and let them know it was too early for me to get any sales - once removed though I got over 90 people visiting my site in the space of 9 hours, looking for images I could no longer sell them!!! How frustrating and professionally embarrassing!

So we came to an arrangement amicably and I was suddenly in a situation where my efforts had counted for nought. I have since been thinking about this and doing some research.

I did not copy anyones photos, I took images in a public place of a publicly available event. So no copyright breach. I did not have a license to take images for Photo For Scotland. No. But I did not need to have a licence to take photos for myself and market them as my photos of a public event. I was not claiming to have the official souvenir images. I did not NEED a licence. So in other words I have been bluffed and brow beaten. Am I going to do anything about it, I could conceivably sue for loss of earnings... but... this was a charity event. My hope is that the official photographer is at least giving some if not all of the proceeds to charity. I do not need battles like that this early in my attempts at event photography BUT I do want to put it out there that photographers do not NEED to back down to the big boys.As far as I can tell you are within your rights to take photos in any public area unless you are threatening national security or there is a specific legal reason prohibiting you.

I have included here a link to an excellent website run by the director of Photography for iStock, which is one of the worlds biggest Stock Photography companies ie a company that wishes to protect freelance photographers. The site has a Q&A section with legal advice. Excellent!

If you are looking to do Event photography, my advice is:
1) Know your rights!
2) Contact the organisers and get permission to photograph AND sell images of their event- you may have to pay a licence fee but if so you should get an official pass to the back stage areas. Communication is the key here, it is poilte and it keeps everyone on side.
3) Start small. Photograph events where the organisers will see you as a friend that will help them promote their event, not see you as a rival.
4) Foster good will - if you take images one year, give the organisers a few prints for their next years advertising. It costs you nothing and goes a long way to giving you the edge in future.
5) Go out and enjoy it - it's great fun!