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Buachaille Etive Mor (Scotland) by Ed Collacott
Fine Art landscapes
A feast of colour form and texture seen through the artistic eyes of Ed Collacoot.
09/02/2024
Ed Collacott is an accomplished photographer who has had an obsession with all things landscape since a child, but whose artistic talents did not do his fascination justice until he discovered the joys of the camera, and the darkroom gave him the opportunity to create the impressive effects to which he aspired.
Members enjoyed accompanying him on a journey through his Fine Art Landscapes at our recent Members’ Evening, where he gave us an intriguing insight into the lands of light and colour he has explored, alongside a veritable Geography lesson of the world in all its beauty.
By his own admission, Ed enjoys nothing better than his own company and the opportunity to camp wild, wander and wait for the potential images to unfold, with camera at the ready, often as the sun rises or sets over a mountain range, a lake or a desert. We were taken from familiar places close to home- Durdle Door, Corfe Castle, the Jurassic Coast and Bath, further afield to Norfolk, The Peak District and the Lakes and on to cross the borders to Scotland Ireland and Wales via remote islands and The Giant’s Causeway. Through his eyes we saw them portrayed in different seasons and light, all beautifully composed with a lens at its wider end, and a shutter speed that caught the motion of the waterfall as perfectly as the colours of the rainbow after a passing storm.
The images were quite frankly stunning. Ed seeks, and makes the most of, the best views available, often capturing them long before the tourists arrive, or in fading light after they are long gone. His images rarely include people, sometimes a lone fisherman or a fellow enthusiast on a similar but distant trek. These give a sense of scale or isolation in the wintry landscapes of the Dales, or emphasise the solitude on remote islands at the extremes of waking hours. The colours and textures he depicts can only be communicated effectively by an artist armed with a camera and huge amounts of patience, who possesses an acute understanding of the varying effects of light on the landscapes that confront him.
Ed’s travels further afield took him initially across the Dolomites, and the images reflect the lengthy walks he enjoys so much, up and down the mountain slopes, and when the weather prevents the ascents, down amongst the alpine meadows. Venturing into the southern hemisphere gave him the opportunity to explore the landscapes of South America, its lakes and rivers and glaciers that contrast so starkly with those closer to home. It was a very enjoyable evening leaving many of us haunted by, and dreaming of, the frosty dawns, the shadows on snow and sand, misty mornings and more than anything, in awe of the forces of nature that Ed brings to life in his prints and makes accessible through his books, his cards and calendars.
Next week Beryl Heaton judges our own efforts in depicting The Weather for our February Competition and the AV group prepares for its evening the following week.
Jenny Short. 02.02.2024
Members enjoyed accompanying him on a journey through his Fine Art Landscapes at our recent Members’ Evening, where he gave us an intriguing insight into the lands of light and colour he has explored, alongside a veritable Geography lesson of the world in all its beauty.
By his own admission, Ed enjoys nothing better than his own company and the opportunity to camp wild, wander and wait for the potential images to unfold, with camera at the ready, often as the sun rises or sets over a mountain range, a lake or a desert. We were taken from familiar places close to home- Durdle Door, Corfe Castle, the Jurassic Coast and Bath, further afield to Norfolk, The Peak District and the Lakes and on to cross the borders to Scotland Ireland and Wales via remote islands and The Giant’s Causeway. Through his eyes we saw them portrayed in different seasons and light, all beautifully composed with a lens at its wider end, and a shutter speed that caught the motion of the waterfall as perfectly as the colours of the rainbow after a passing storm.
The images were quite frankly stunning. Ed seeks, and makes the most of, the best views available, often capturing them long before the tourists arrive, or in fading light after they are long gone. His images rarely include people, sometimes a lone fisherman or a fellow enthusiast on a similar but distant trek. These give a sense of scale or isolation in the wintry landscapes of the Dales, or emphasise the solitude on remote islands at the extremes of waking hours. The colours and textures he depicts can only be communicated effectively by an artist armed with a camera and huge amounts of patience, who possesses an acute understanding of the varying effects of light on the landscapes that confront him.
Ed’s travels further afield took him initially across the Dolomites, and the images reflect the lengthy walks he enjoys so much, up and down the mountain slopes, and when the weather prevents the ascents, down amongst the alpine meadows. Venturing into the southern hemisphere gave him the opportunity to explore the landscapes of South America, its lakes and rivers and glaciers that contrast so starkly with those closer to home. It was a very enjoyable evening leaving many of us haunted by, and dreaming of, the frosty dawns, the shadows on snow and sand, misty mornings and more than anything, in awe of the forces of nature that Ed brings to life in his prints and makes accessible through his books, his cards and calendars.
Next week Beryl Heaton judges our own efforts in depicting The Weather for our February Competition and the AV group prepares for its evening the following week.
Jenny Short. 02.02.2024