…and dare I say it video over the last few weeks. Photography I get (well sort of) but audio…yikes now that is a whole different world.

And then I started to run into the usual sorts of problems associated with capturing audio and a DSLR: crap sound. Which is rather ironic (or not) given that Canon provided such a magnificent way of capturing video. So I bought myself some new toys (of course)

…one of these Rode Video Mic Pros to capture better sound when it’s just dialogue (along with a deadcat…seriously…to help it when it’s windy..can’t make it up)

…one of these..a Zoom H1 recorder for ambient sound

And then a rather particular piece of geek’dom..a Sescom LN2MIC – or a rather funky cable that allows the output from the Mic to pass directly to the camera. “Why” I hear you cry is this so important? Simply because then you avoid having to synchronise audio and video in post production. And oh for the mercy of god…Adobe Premier Pro…death by Adobe.

Anyway, I’m coming to the conclusion that proper video production, much like photography is best left to the professionals (ahem!) However it is proving useful for the work I do with Walk the Walk

Audio is another matter.

I’m loving it. Capturing ambient sound is a wonderful wonderful medium I have never explored before. Oh how I wish I had had a recorder as my daughter started to speak. Drat! My biggest stumbling block is getting the levels correct and I appear to be frequently under levelling…basically making it too quiet.

So I leave you with a slideshow I put together (credits for some of  images to Ian Jones and Lloyd Smith) from the last MoonWalk with some of the ambient sounds from the event…this was my first use of the Zoom H1…

…and perhaps best of all a recording of my daughter singing: “Super Cala”

View images here

Incredible.

Try here for “big” images!

If you would like to see them large…then head over here

The biggest issue (it always is) is the light – it has been very challenging. I prefer rain and moodiness. What we had was bright blue skies or grey yuck. At times it has been hard to keep motivated. To keep looking. To keep creating. To keep composing.

Nevertheless I have 2 images that will find their way into my portfolio which is satisfying. Next time I’ll come back in autumn or winter. I suppose it seems right though to end on some sunset colours – my only sunset light of the week. It’s not a great image but it represents a lot more than that to me.

Suilven and Canisp, Loch Inver

On another note I had the pleasure of meeting David Noton and his wife, though I suspect that being interrupted by a gang of photographers in the wilderness was not high on his priority list!

And finally one of John Bartlett – I guess this sums up what being out in the landscape is all about

A rain shower over night led to a new front coming in early on in the morning and the first breaking clouds of the week rolled around the Fidler.

And after that it disappeared…

Last day tomorrow

It rained what seemed like grey sludge

A.L.L. D.A.Y.

The weather has finally changed. We’ve moved from the unseasonable blue skies and hot sun to a more Scottish standard of grey – hurray! Though as has been pointed out by residents that’s not so good news.

Dawn was damp squib – it never happened. Still you have to get out there and try; though bed is often a more appealing thought, especially when any colour in the sky is fleeting at best.

Two images from today’s exploration. The first is of beech trees just waiting for spring to arrive. I however like the fact that they are without leaves

The second is from a lunch stop that turned into an afternoon of discovery. There’s nothing better than arriving somewhere that looks so normal from a distance but walking around reveals a plethora of things to point your camera at. The image is I suppose work in progress – the light was shocking. Still I had Lord of The Rings, running through my mind as I took the pictur

And a few from the iPhone

Don’t forget if you like what you see…just click on that button below or even leave a comment. It all helps me to progress

And my 3rd image of the day…more corrugated iron…that fetish is catching