Dougie Cunningham Photographer Q&A

1)Where did your passion for photography start?

I started taking pictures through my involvement in outdoor and adventure sports. I think most kids have an interest in cameras at some point, but as is often the case, after a brief flirtation with photography in my early teens, I put the camera aside until I was at university. That was when I got quite involved in kayaking and climbing  and the camera came back out to document our adventures (and mis-adventures!).
In time, I started to get as much more satisfaction through getting a good photograph of a friend running a rapid or climbing a dramatic route, as I did when on the sharp end of the activity myself.  From there, my interest in photography grew and diversified.  I still love shooting adventure sports, but I also love shooting pure landscapes, as well as events, portraits and even weddings.  Each of these genres gives me the excuse to explore Scotland and each gives me a slightly different way of looking at a place. With a camera in-hand you need to genuinely see a place and I think the fact that it connects you so well to a place is one of the things I have always loved most about photography

2)Your book, Photographing Scotland shows off the incredible landscapes that Scotland has on offer. What is your favourite landscape to shoot and why?

That’s a difficult question!  In some ways landscapes are a little like music; you mood can dictate the moment and therefore a favourite shot… on the other hand, the right tune or landscape can change your mood altogether.  If you forced me to name one area, it would be Assynt in south-west Sutherland.  Assynt has everything, from some of the most beautiful beaches in the world, to rugged coastal cliffs. The mountains are unlike anywhere else in Scotland; island mountains amongst low-lying knocks and lochans. They are not the highest mountains you’ll find, even reasonably locally, but they have character!  The local community is also amazing.  I’ve been very lucky this year to have been asked to write a walking guidebook to the area, which is a dream commission.

3) Has covering the wild and remote areas of Scotland resulted in any interesting stories for you to tell?  

Absolutely! Probably best we don’t delve into the stories from when I used to climb and kayak… Writing the Photographing Scotland guide involved over four years of touring around Scotland on trips ranging from a few days to well over a month at a time, so there are many, many stories!  Often the most entertaining stories are from when things have gone wrong.  I can recommend never breaking down on Barra, or giving yourself food poisoning in a wee campervan alone in darkest Shetland… Being stalked by a Collie through the stones at Callanish before sunrise, or followed by dozens of deer through Rannoch Moor after midnight in winter… Other memories are less dramatic but will stay with me for a long time. Watching a cloud inversion through Glencoe at sunrise, or waking up on the summit of An Teallach on a perfect morning.  Sharing a perfect sunrise with a complete stranger I met on Mellon Udrigle beach.  There are too many to count! 

4) Has the Covid-19 lockdown provided you with any creative opportunities? For example, photographing places that would usually be crowded with people? 

Lockdown hasn’t been easy, particularly as the vast majority of my work involves travel. I am permitted to travel for work, but I’m trying not to unless I have a specific commission for a client that requires it. The upside to this is that I’ve had time to start working on a couple of long-term projects that I’ve been mulling over for a while.  It’s not often that there’s the time to delve so deeply into projects that are completely speculative and which take you so far out of your comfort zone.  It’s been great to push myself and learn some completely new skills.  One project in particular, will likely be interesting for members of the White Rose Guild, but I don’t think I’m ready to share it just yet!  Watch this space…

5) Without giving away any trade secrets, what are your top 5 tips for the perfect shot? 

One of the best things about my job is helping people discover and enjoy both Scotland and photography for themselves, so I’m always more than happy to give away trade secrets! 

1. Pick a subject – sounds obvious, but it can be tempting to try and squeeze everything into a single shot, when sometimes more than one photo would be better… I guess this is a more polite version of the old KISS rule (Keep It Simple, Stupid!)
2. Change your height – looking through hundreds of photographs all taken from head height can get monotonous, so try changing your height.  It’s a great way of emphasising different parts of a scene – getting down low can really put the focus on your foreground.
3. Looking at hundreds of similar photographs gets really dull, no matter how good they are! Your friends and family will enjoy your photographs much more if you cull them before sharing.  There’s no excuse for inflicting all the test-shots and mistakes on family when you get home.  Besides, people judge your skill as a photographer only upon what you choose to show them!
4. Learn your tools.  Modern cameras can be a little bewildering if you’re new to photography, but they don’t need to be. The basics aren’t difficult to pick up and even if you never delve deep into the more technical side of things, having an understanding of the fundamentals will help you make the photographs that you dream of.
5. Get to know your camera before you go on holiday – even a few hours learning ahead of time will help you avoid the frustration of trying to figure it out or missing a once-in-a-lifetime moment on your trip.  This is why a guided photography walk at the start of your White Rose Guild tour makes perfect sense!

© Pics copyright Leading Lines Photography – Dougie Cunningham