Paul Gallagher - Gaining the Edge

Having pursued photography almost entirely using large -format 5x4 for many years, the use of camera movements has become second nature. Now I am relishing the wonders of digital and colour, I have found that one of these movements I could not do without – lens tilt. Having tried stopping modern digital lenses down before, it is simply not the same as changing the plane of focus that a lens with tilt affords. Planning to venture out to one of my favourite short stretches of coastline in Scotland with my D700, I needed to remedy this concern and so, with the kind support of Nikon, I had to hand their 24mm PC-E (see callout for details).

Firstly let me describe my obsession with this location. I have been returning here for over 15 years and it never fails to fascinate me, whatever the weather. My ‘secret spot’ stretches from the tiny little Skipness Post Office until you reach the Claonaig Ferry terminal (only a small jetty!) where Caledonian Macbrayne Ferries take people over Lochranza on the Isle of Arran. As you follow this one-track road (the B8001) it closely nestles the water’s edge of the Kilbrannan Sound, across which you get stunning views of Arran. The two main attractions are the crystal clear waters and the amazing geology, which presents itself as the sharp edges of a bedding plane, broken off and weathered like ‘blades’ of rock, with the occasional tidal-formed plateau closest to the water’s edge.

You have to be careful exploring this little coastline because the rocks, as well as being sharp in places, can be extremely slippery – the experience is not far removed from photographing on an ice-skating rink! That said, it is a place where I have spent many hours engrossed in my work. The waves can be ferocious at times threatening you and your camera kit, but the weather and light change rapidly as the waves crash and the retreating waters flow back to the Kilbrannan Sound, offering you a plethora of different images, as these two variables of nature co-exist. The area also supports amazing tidal grasses and rock pools further from the water’s edge and the brightly coloured yellow and orange lichens on the rocks introduce startling colour when the environment becomes steely blue-grey as storms approach.

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