And again, just giving a sense of setting. Somehow Mike just fits these surroundings, he doesn’t just work with wood, he is utterly passionate about it; where else could he be but here.

A closer picture of Mike here, but critically folks, just for a change ignore the relaxed expression with the nice graduated light across the face, that’s the headstock of my new guitar.

And here it is, Indian Rosewood, Sitka Spruce and Mahogany, all assembled by Mike’s expert paws. I’m so excited!

Mike isn’t just a learn it and get in a rut luthier. He has made it his business to spend time in Spain studying with the spanish and flamenco guitar builders, and he has adapted many of their traditional techniques for use here in Scotland. Note the use of string and wedges where many might expect metal clamps. It’s a joy to watch this work happening.

And finally a detail of one of Mike’s near complete Classical instruments. Look at the hand finished detail round the soundhole. This is a pre-polished and finished guitar. Some lucky person will own this soon.

Mike’s workshop is pretty dark and presents a difficult photographic environment. I used a little offboard flash on occasion, and a couple with natural light only. The picture of mike holding my guitar neck was ISO 2000, and the picture of my guitar nearing completion was ISO 2500. No noise reduction was applied in Lightroom 3. You couldn’t say the Canon 7d has no noise, it has plenty at these settings, but it is surprisingly unobtrusive in real use.

There will be more pictures of Mike’s band posted soon, once I can process the next batch of challenging, low light pictures I took.

One of the greatest joys of photography is the simplest one. There are moments of pure visual joy which you can savour and indulge in, but then attempt to hold for ever to revisit and to enjoy. One evening recently, I came upon this stunning Iris in the warm, diffuse evening light in a friend’s garden, and happily had my 60mm EF-S macro lens in my car boot.

I know there is a fine line between enjoying a visual moment and ruining it by spending too much of the time messing about with camera equipment. I was very aware of this and so left the tripod in the car, and just used the macro lens handheld to catch 10 or so handheld exposures. (This meant higher ISO settings and grainier pictures).  I truthfully believe that this helped me enjoy the flower even more, and took perhaps 5 minutes. A good balance in my view. This flower, with it’s iridescent purple and tiger-striped veins deserves to be looked at and thrilled at, not just photographed and archived.

Enjoy.

Leaving Fort William:

The rail bridge from the “soldier’s bridge” leaving Fort William with Ben Nevis behind:

It can be hard to explain why you like certain pictures, but for me the juxtaposition of what looks like ex-council housing with the mightiest mountain in Britain and Scotland fascinates. The path you walk is clearly visible on the right:

The view of Loch Linnhe from Caol near the start of the Caledonian Canal. Fort William just visible on the left:

Still on day 1 of the walk you encounter the amazing “Neptune’s staircase“. This lifts or drops boats 20 metres in 8 huge locks. It was a Thomas Telford creation:

This is typical of the Caledonian Canal between Fort William and Gairlochy where we finished day 1. Starting a 10 mile stretch at 4pm left us dangerously late for dinner:

Catherine knackered but undaunted after the first (painfully flat) 10 miles. There’s something about flat walking that shows every painful bit of your boots in a way that hillier ground doesn’t. It must be because the same part of your foot takes the same stresses every step whereas angles change all the time in hills. Anyway on-board flash used on a low setting here to counteract the growing twilight:

At the same time Gerry who hasn’t had a blister in his life was showing off his wafer thin business socks. Swine!

Day 2 now and you start immediately on Loch Lochy (unimaginative name! The loch that’s a bit lochish?). The main feature of the way makes itself apparent now. You had better ready yourself for the challenge of photographing forests, because that’s what you’ll be walking through lots of. Here’s an attempt to catch the amazing and sometimes overwhelming presence of the trees:

This trunk was just plain confused, but eventually it got the hang of “up”:

Getting out your macro lens can just bore your companions so when all three toddled off to visit some featured small church I indulged my perverse needs and started with a dandelion that must have thought it was safe from photographic molestation:

Then some Gorse:

Then a lochside primrose:

The party reunited we walked on and saw this grouse that insisted on watching us from behind thickets of  twigs. My 70-300 gave me a shallow enough depth of field to isolate it from its dense refuge. It still led me a merry dance to see even this much of it:

A moment later these tiny wallflowers distracted me. You can’t be a fast walker with a camera. I think they are blue violets; they were growing on an embankment:

Who could resist photographing this Loch Lochy scene:

Here’s Elisabeth taking day 2 in her stride with a sensible sized camera at her waist, unlike my Canon 40D on my waist:

Just as you approach the Laggan Locks at the head of the loch you see this copse of trees and a thoughtfully placed tractor for passing photographers. I owe this farmer a pint:

We were glad to see the lovely Laggan Locks and the dying light I think helped the atmosphere:

More of the locks:

With 21 miles under their belts, two tired kittens contemplating how little working life prepares you for long days on your pawsies:

Enough for now, more shortly……

It’s been one of those days when it’s rained constantly in true west coast of Scotland style and so I wasn’t able to take any photographs even in passing. I have been busy preparing and printing cards for the 100 portraits exhibition which starts at the weekend so I hope you’ll settle for an old picture of a Crysanthemum to help us all think summer thoughts. Roll on the sunshine, I hear it will be a Tuesday this year:-)

Taken on my previous camera, my 400D, wide open at f2.8 on the Macro lens.