Softly, softly
Wide vistas with blue skies and imposing mountains may be good camera fodder, but they can also become a bit monotonous.
Switzerland
Switzerland, a quadrilingual country in the middle of Europe, has been my home since 2001.
Softly, softly
Sardona tectonic area, Graubünden
My second “vlog”, from Flims in Graubünden.
Green ripples
I was intrigued by this effect. Although the photo looks like green sand, the ripples are actually light and shade cast by the sun on the rippling surface of the lake.
Thomas Heaton in Switzerland
British photographer and videographer Thomas Heaton visits three of my favourite locations in Switzerland.
Étang de la Gruère
A little bit of the Scottish Highlands in Switzerland.
Black over Will’s Mother’s
One of the phrases which comes down from generation to generation in Britain, which is used when seeing dark, stormy clouds in the distance. Quick online research shows that the phrase dates back to the 19th century at least, but there appears to be no clear indication of its initial origin.
Pierre Pertuis
In an unassuming bit of forest in the Jura mountains, a small road leads between the towns of Sonceboz and Tavannes, which leads up and over a small pass between the two neighbouring valleys. In the woods just before you get to Tavannes is a band of limestone cliff, in which there is an arch, through which a footpath passes.
Tschingellochtighorn from Engstligenalp
Obstinacy got me past a viewpoint I had aimed for and gave me the opportunity to capture a wonderfully dramatic alternative image.
A new perspective – Faulensee
Short sequence of aerial views of Faulensee in Switzerland.
Improving low-light drone photographs
A quick tip on how to get better image results from your Mavic drone in low-light conditions.
Using a church to tell the time
After so many years in Switzerland, we rely on the quarter-hourly chiming of the nearest church bell to know what the time is. Or, if we’re enjoying a summer evening, quickly looking across to the other side of the village. …
A new view of a well-known scene
It’s wonderful to find a new, photographically perfect viewpoint in a place I know so well. (Of course, on a day when I only had my smartphone with me.) Expect to see more shots from this spot in Grindelwald!…
As far as the barrier, and beyond
I love the alpine Susten Pass road and the mountain scenery there, particularly the area around the Steingletscher glacier and nearby hotel. It’s been a long time since I’ve visited in spring – before the upper reaches of the road have been cleared of snow – so Jo and I took a drive and walked there yesterday, in summer…
Using a drone subtly
Using a drone isn't all about “aerial photography”, but, for me, about the ability to get better angles for photos which are otherwise out of reach.
Aerial photography with the Mavic Air
After a lot of deliberation, a few months' saving, and a lot of review videos and articles, I decided to buy a drone.
Christmas with an iPhone
We spent the Christmas and New Year period travelling to Scotland and back by road again.
Grindelwald, December 2017
The best time to visit the mountain villages near our home is between the tourist seasons, when many hotels are closed and the valleys, cable cars and mountain cableways are much quieter. We drove up to Grindelwald shortly before Christmas, to visit the mountain restaurant at Schreckfeld, where deep snow and temperatures as low as -12°C greeted us.
A cold, cold afternoon
It had been a beautifully sunny start to the day, but by the time we’d driven up to Grindelwald, the clouds had taken over and the temperature had plummeted. We had to use a plastic loyalty card to scrape the ice from the inside of the cable car window, and the fondue at the mountain restaurant, for which…
The flying rubbish truck
The rubbish collection service at Bettmeralp – a car-free village in the mountains of upper canton Valais – must be unique in the world. In the absence of any road connection to the village, a 7.5-tonne lorry is carried up and down the mountain by cable-car.
Aescher-Wildkirchli
The small «Berggasthaus» beneath the cliffs in canton Appenzell is one of the most famous destinations in Switzerland.