I am usually drawn towards areas where human impact on the landscape is perhaps less dominant or obvious. Captivated by the relationship between mankind and nature, I have leaned towards documenting this juxtaposition in my work.
– Ruairidh McGlynn
Lucky enough to grow up with the Scottish Highlands on his doorstep, Ruairidh McGlynn has always been drawn to otherworldly landscapes – and for him, the harsher the environment, the better. Seeking out the winter storms of the Highlands, he ventured into rain, sleet and snow in weather as cold as -15°C (5°F) with the X1D and XCD 45. Usually drawn to locations that are less documented, Ruairidh was instead intrigued to capture the cruel beauty of the area’s intense conditions, seeing the Highlands from a fresh, snowy perspective.
For this series of images, the emphasis was different to how I might typically approach my work and centered around the atmospheric conditions opposed to specific locations.
Much of the series was created under diffused natural light that helped create the muted colour tones and an otherworldly atmosphere.
I found the X1D to be extremely robust and well-engineered – certainly something that is built to last. I was operating in some fairly harsh environments and conditions, including rough terrain, with very low temperatures combined with rain, sleet and snow. The user interface feels very intuitive, thus simplifying any necessary adjustments needed to be done in challenging conditions.
During the winter months the daylight is very limited, and for the most part, the overcast and stormy conditions I was shooting in further reduced this. Given the conditions I was shooting in and that many of the images were shot handheld in low light, I found the results to be very sharp with good colour rendition.
ABOUT RUAIRIDH MCGLYNN
Scottish photographer Ruairidh McGlynn's work is often informed by his intrigue to explore new places, drawn to the relationship between mankind and nature. Exploring ideas of time, place, identity and memory, he usually does this by immersing himself in sparsely populated and harsh environments. When not working commercially, he can be found deep in his own personal art projects or out exploring the mountains. See more of his work here.
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