Planning, perserverance and patience - an interview with landscape photographer C...

Martin Pettinger talks with Scotlands top landscape photographers, Craig McMaster, to ask him his thoughts on landscape photography, current projects as well as gaining tips on landscape photography.

Craig McMaster has exhibited in the US and the UK and his latest book Elements has proven to be very successful. A large format photographer, Craig uses a Linhof Technikardan 5x4 large format camera fitted with a variety of Schneider Super Angulon lenses. For filtration Craig often uses a red filter and a polariser as well as neutral density graduate filters. For black & white work Craig uses Kodak Technical Pan film almost exclusively. The film has an ISO rating of 25 and can therefore produce images of outstanding sharpness. For colour work Craig uses Fujichrome Velvia.

When asked about his thoughts on digital photography Craig said it was something he was monitoring. In general prices of digital backs are very prohibitive and Craig has concerns about the ruggedness of equipment in a harsh mountain environment. Craig is a huge fan of Photoshop, however, and uses the program to replicate digital darkroom techniques on scans of his negatives. He feels it's the quality of the final image that's important, not how it was made.

Occasionally Craig carries a pocket digital camera but more for capturing snap shots, though sometimes he uses it as an aide memoir for revisiting an area. He does not use the digital camera as a Polaroid back for testing exposure, but instead uses a hand held Sekonic spot meter to assess exposure for the range of tones he is looking to capture. Craig plans to buy a digital SLR in the near future to complement his equipment as he has missed many photographs due to the time it takes to set up the large format camera as mountain light can be very fleeting.

Although the large format camera is capable of stunning results it is slow and cumbersome and difficult to stabilise in windy conditions. The format is very unforgiving of any movement i.e. wind induced oscillations as the combination of very small apertures such as f/64 and slow film (ISO 25) makes for very long exposures.

Craigs favourite photographers are Michael Fitali, Clyde Butcher and Ansel Adams. Craig shares Ansels view that the negative is the score and the print is the actual performance. As for UK photographers he admires Joe Cornishs landscapes and Colin Priors panoramas of wilderness. Indeed it's wilderness areas that hold the most attraction for Craig who hopes to lead a photography expedition to Greenland in 2007. When asked why black and white he explains that it's timeless - a beautiful medium that relies on tones and textures to communicate the essence of being there.

Craig felt there was a niche in the market for fine art black & white wilderness photography and started his own business five years ago. His instinct appears to be correct as his wife Tracy now runs the business full time. It's taken a lot of hard work though, especially his latest book Elements Craigs advice to those interested in publishing a book is to have a detailed business case and to have a clear idea about your target market. He explained how it took many letters to publishers until he secured a deal and was only taken seriously once he had a detailed business case and marketing plan.

As for the beauty of the black & white medium anyone who has chance to view or own Craigs book Elements is likely to agree. The combination of 5x4 format and black & white makes for stunning luminous prints that really make you feel that you are there i.e. smell the pine or touch the snow. The front cover is his best selling print below:

Craigs own personal favourite print is this one:

As for his favourite location, it's Inverpolly which he has been visiting for 10 years. Although he has been visiting this location for 10 years Craig still doesnt feel he fully understands how this landscape reacts to light.

Craigs advice to those interested in landscape photography is to pick an area they really like and photograph it constantly during different seasons under different light i.e. early morning, late morning, early afternoon and late afternoon as well as in different weather conditions. This will teach you about light the direction of light and quality of light. He also suggests you plan ahead i.e. pick a feature you want to photograph and concentrate on that element whether it be a lone tree, a forest floor, a watercourse or a seascape.

Photographing an area will also teach you pre-visualisation you will start to work out what combination of elements you want for a particular detail or vista i.e. the type of cloud, the quality of light soft or low and directional. Craig still has a number of landscapes that elude him in the Scottish Mountains, he knows what he wants but it a question of three Ps for Craig planning, perserverance and patience. For instance the photograph below of Ben Nevis took four years to achieve.

Craig has also done a lot of commercial work especially architectural photography where he is able to make great use of the tilt/shift and swing facilities within his large format camera. Commercial photography is very different from landscape photography, however - you have to work with many people to achieve the shot they are looking for. It's very people orientated rather unlike landscape photography which, for Craig, is as much about the experience of being there as it is taking an image while on location.

The main reason Craig does his photography in the Scottish Wilderness is the experience of being in a wild place. He enjoys being on top of a mountain when the sun breaks at dawn. Sometimes he's just sat and enjoyed the spectacle rather than photographing it. The enjoyment of being in a wild place is important as Craig feels if you are not passionate about your environment then this will be reflected in your photographs.

When asked what he might do differently if he started photographing all over again it is interact more with other photographers. Being a landscape photographer it is easy to beat ones own path but in hindsight Craig feels he could have developed quicker by networking with more photographers. He can see the benefits for photographers of a web site like ePHOTOzine, especially when you look at the progress of newcomers to landscape photography within the site itself.

As for future projects Craig is in discussion with Wilderness Scotland about leading photography workshops in wilderness locations. He has also been experimenting with some colour work (below) and inspired by Joe Cornishs recent book on the Scottish Coast, has been photographing intimate details within the landscape.

Craig also wishes to do more night time photography such as this 8 hour exposure

More of Craig McMasters work can be viewed at www.craigmcmaster.com.

His book Elements is available through most major book outlets and can also be purchased on-line through the publishers at www.mercatpress.com