ACCORDING TO photo-grapher David Noton, the recipe for the ideal landscape image includes a large measure of patience, a dramatic subject and the instinct to press the shutter when the light is perfect – as the sun rises above a mountain top, for instance, or sets behind the surf.
Although it may sound obvious, in his new book Waiting for the Light, Noton illustrates exactly how essential this last ingredient really is.
"Light is the most fundamental element of photography," he says. "A photograph made in the wrong light i
s worthless, no matter how dramatic the subject."
In one elegiac picture, the russet evening rays caress the battlement of Dunguaire Castle in Ireland, while in another the dawn gives a crispness to an already striking view of Lochan na h-Achlaise and the Black Mount at Rannoch Moor.
Although Noton is Dorset-based, he has shot extensively in the north of Scotland, as images of our dramatic snow-peaked mountains reveal.
"Atmospherically speaking, the Highlands are second to none," Noton says. "The combination of low northern light, dramatic weather and an abundance of mountain and sea lochs make it a mecca for landscape photographers, despite the unpredictable climate."
If they want to capture the majestic scenery in this area, photographers must be hardy and prepared for downpours. "Patience is a must when working here; I've had many fruitless trips, camping in Glencoe, listening to the sound of rain lashing the tent," says Noton. "It's enough to drive you to whisky."
In some ways, taking landscape pictures is reminiscent of fishing, in that bagging your quarry requires long periods of doing nearly nothing at all. Capturing the perfect shot must be akin to landing a large salmon, in the sense that those who eventually enjoy it will never know how long you held on for it. As Noton says, of another dramatic castle shot, "On a dull October morning on the west coast of Scotland, a momentary burst of light spotlights the incomparably situated Eilean Donan Castle. A lucky shot? You don't know how long I waited for this."
However, sometimes, despite numerous attempts and a dream composition, the right light will never appear. In a paragraph captioning a hazily lit picture taken in the hilltop village of Eus in the Pyrenees, Noton explains of the image that it was his fourth attempt, and he still isn't happy with it. Nevertheless, after camping for five days at the nearby Vernet-les-Bains, "waiting for the light", he had to give up on serendipity to pack up and go home. "What I require and what nature deigns to provide are often poles apart," he says.
One might imagine it would be even more difficult to shoot scenes of people when you have only a split second to capture an image of someone before they move on. Although Noton is primarily a landscape photographer, the book is packed with snatched portraits taken on his travels to mainly China, India and Peru. The main thing these pictures reveal is Noton's attraction to rich, saturated hues. An image of the Yunnan Province's Bai girls, wearing their traditional, brightly-embroidered costumes, testifies to this. As does the photograph of a woman tilling the red earth in the morning mist of Pampasmojo, Marras, her baby strapped to her back with a primary-coloured blanket. Then there's a striking picture of an Indian woman in Singapore, wearing a purple sari and with yellow flowers pinned in her hair.
"To me this exquisitely presented lady represents all that's exotic about Indian culture," Noton says. "The vibrant saris and sharp, tropical light giving high contrast dictate that this can only be a very colourful picture."
After all this intense colour, contrasting with the natural shades of blue, green and earthy brown throughout the book, it comes as a surprise to find a chapter entitled Concrete, which is devoted almost entirely to shades of grey. For those based in cities, the examples offer some hope that photographs taken in the urban jungle can be just as inspiring as rural scenes. One such image features New York's Wall Street in the early morning light, where commuters throw long shadows on to the pavement. Another view, of a man swinging his briefcase as he trots to work in the City of London, is rendered romantic when situated in the foreground of a tempestuous skyline.
"The steely light of a winter's morning illuminates the elegant lines of the Millennium Bridge over the River Thames, leading the eye to St Paul's Cathedral as a commuter hurries to work," says Noton. "Training your eye to see the potential in a location, envisaging how a scene could look, appreciating the nuances of light, motion, colour and perspective is what photography is all about. Developing that vision is a journey that never ends."
Waiting for the Light by David Noton is published by David & Charles, priced £22.50.The full article contains 824 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
