Northern Landscape Magazine - August 2014

ISSUE # 17 * AUGUST 2014

www.northernlandscape.org

NORTHERN LANDSCAPE

HAVING COFFEE WITH RODDY ATKINSON THIS IS (HI)STORY! THE FARNBOROUGH AIRSHOW 2014

MONTHLY CHALLENGES

NORTHERN WINDS: IS RELIGION SCIENCE’S ENEMY? PHOTOGRAPHY TUTORIAL #17 - TIPS FOR BEGINNERS

COVER

Dance of the Spirits by Roddy Atkinson Ten days in to our twelve day trip and only a faint momentary glimpse of the northern lights at Jokulsarlon glacier lagoon, I was getting anxious that despite bearing the cold on my own till’ the early hours of each morning that this trip would not produce the auroral display that I had hoped for. Fortunately on our tenth night at the excellent Hestasport Cottages we were treated to the longest and most vivid display I have seen to date. This is a lucky location for us as it was about the only place that we got a show on our previous trip too.

Hestasport Cottages, Varmahlíd, Northern Iceland. Nov.2013.

Single exposure from a Canon EOS 5D Mark III, Canon EF24 1.4L II on tripod. Processed with Raw and Photoshop.

8s, ISO500, f1.6, 24mm

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FROM THE EDITOR Greetings everybody!

As you already know, this month – exceptionally – we have two NLM issues released in just one day.

After this, back to normal life.

This was not an easy issue to make not only because I had to make 2 issues in only one month but as well because the air conditioned in my office is broken and because the building id being renovated, there are no plans to put it on before 2017. No, I am not joking, I wish I was. Did I mention that Sweden is going through a two and a half weeks heat wave? The average temperature these days is around 30C degrees... with no air conditioned... in an office standing faced south west!

Excuse while I go for another two weeks of holidays...

Editor Chief João Figueiredo

Test readers Charles Kosina, Alyson Kosina

Graphic Artist João Figueiredo

Tutorial by João Figueiredo

Special contributor Nigel Bangert

Web site www.northernlandscape.org

E-mail contact info@northernlandscape.org

Your Editor Chief João Figueiredo

Featured artists in this issue Roddy Atkinson Ludwig Wagner Charles Kosina

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INDEX 02 About the cover 03 From the editor & technical data 06 Northern winds - Is religion science’s enemy?

10 Theme Challenge July ~ Old stuff 20 NLM photo tutorial #17 - Tips for Beginners 26 Featured Work Challenge ~ July 36 This is (Hi)story - The Farnborough Airshow 2014 44 The BIG Challenge ~ July 54 Having coffee with Roddy Atkinson + her Featured works 68 Northern Landscape: Some facts 71 Back cover artist 72 Back cover 4 • Northern Landscape Magazine

THIS AMAZING MAGAZINE IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY

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Norden winds

Is religion science’s enemy?

If you ask all your friends and acquaintances, I bet most of them will answer a clear and direct “Yes!”. But truth to be told, those are not being less extremists then the ones who commit cruel acts in the name of a religion. If you just got shocked, that is great, it is exactly the reaction I wanted from you! If you are one of those who say that science and religion are two opposites and can never meet, then you need to read this article in order to understand that you are not less dogmatic then a dogmatic religious person...

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ot strange enough, while religious people do not have any problems in taking up this debate, many scientists try to avoid it at the maximum of their capabilities during their whole lives.

Why? Because this debate can end with a brilliant scientist’s career within seconds!

Perhaps due to all the religious atrocities committed in the past and still in our present (in the name of religion itself) against the so called “infidels” or “witches” - which many times were nothing but people embracing science - there has been a long, useless and painful war against religion. I will definitely not defend religious institutions because in my opinion they have very little to do with religion itself, but I will certainly try to give you another perspective.

The question is: Are you ready for it? Are you really open for new facts or are you as closed as the dogmatic people that you so much hate and criticize?

Albert Einstein himself said once: “Then there are the fanatical atheists whose intolerance is the same as that of the religious fanatics, and it springs from the same source . . . They are creatures who can’t hear the music of the spheres.” (The Expanded Quotable Einstein, Princeton University Press, 2000 p. 214).

tive spirit prevails even in the school and, destroying all feelings of human fraternity and cooperation, conceives of achievement not as derived from the love for productive and thoughtful work, but as springing from personal ambition and fear of rejection.

There are pessimists who hold that such a state of affairs is necessarily inherent in human nature; it is those who propound such views that are the enemies of true religion, for they imply thereby that the religious teachings are utopian ideals and are unsuited to afford guidance in human affairs.“ (Albert Einstein, 1948).

If you don’t mind, I will keep on quoting the same person. Enstein claimed as well several times that the universe was so gorgeous that it didn’t have to be that way, it could have been chaotic, it could have been ugly, messy... (Michiu Kaku, String theory physicist on Einstein about God on an interview with This Week in Science).

Furthermore and to support my idea that religion has very litle to do with the institutions that people create in the name of religions and the acts they commit in the name of the religions, Albert Einstein said as well:

But lets go back in time just a litle bit and see what history teaches us about religion and science working together: Muslims are nowadays pictured by many as a people who despise science. They are often regarded as religious fanatics with hate to the western civilization and all things science. Do you recognise this picture? Good, now let’s put all our prejudices aside and forget about the people who actually use religion as an excuse to achieve their personal goals and talk about the things that the Islamic civilization has brought to us.

“When considering the actual living conditions of present day civilised humanity from the standpoint of even the most elementary religious commands, one is bound to experience a feeling of deep and painful disappointment at what one sees. For while religion prescribes brotherly love in the relations among the individuals and groups, the actual spectacle more resembles a battlefield than an orchestra. Everywhere, in economic as well as in political life, the guiding principle is one of ruthless striving for success at the expense of one’s fellow men. This competi-

There was a time in the world when Islam was on the cutting edge of science. In fact, pretty much nothing that we use nowadays would be possible if it wouldn’t be for their findings and inventions. For instance, this e-magazine would not be possible because it is internet based. As you probably know by now, all electronic things use mathematics in order to work (that is how machines think!).

Since Arabs invented the numbers we use, they were the ones who made possible all technology we have today and will have in the future because before their number

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system we were using the Roman number system which is a true nightmare to make calculations and has no zero. So... decimal numbers and advanced mathematics (like the calculation of an area for instance) would not be possible. Arab mathematics made possible to win the World War II, internet, computers, satelites, mobile phones, GPS, alarm systems, the stock market, etc... A contribute to Human kind at the same level as the wheel, the fire or the spear. Perhaps even more important...

But this is not all! They also made possible to boost agricultural production with the invention of the bridge mill, the vertical-axle windmill that today we use on weather stations, wind power stations and many others (make a google search), Mercuric chloride (to disinfect wounds) or even the marching band (so famous and loved in the USA) and military band.

But the list is not over. In fact, the list is incredibly long. If you are reading this article and drinking coffee at the same time, take another sip and enjoy because coffee was as well invented by Muslims! If you are an astronomy freak, don’t give up on this article just yet because they were also pioneers in this field. In modern day Uzbekistan you can still find and visit the ruins of one of the world’s first Observatories and the biggest of it’s time. Human kind would have to wait centuries after it was destroyed until another one of the same kind could be built. In fact, they were the ones who invented/developed star based navigation systems in order to be able to cross the desert. Some of those were adapted by the European sea explorers only to be replaced with the GPS and radar systems!

Basically they gave us remarkable inventions and achievements in pretty much all areas: Mathematics, Astronomy, Medicine, Physics, Alchemy, Chemistry, Cosmology, Ophthalmology, Geography, Cartography, Sociology and Psychology. So, what happened then? Why did science and religion suddenly decided to go separate ways in the Islamic world? The answer is very simple

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and has nothing to do with religion but with power instead.

Taking advantage on the increasing pressure over Baghdad’s population due to the overpopulation (at that time with more then a million inhabitants) and the effect of the Christian Crusades and Mongolian invasions in the east on the city’s trade and economy, some people started to use radical messages to unite the unhappy and less rich people to take over the power in Baghdad and later on in the whole Muslim Empire.

This sad episode ended up by extremists taking over the power in Baghdad and therefore taking over Baghdad’s House of Wisdom (seen as many historians as the world’s first university) and implement a harder mentality with a more literal interpretation of the Qur’an and Hadith, not interested in science and moved away from rationalism, seeing the spread of Greek philosophy and all science as anti-Islamic. This university was then destroyed in 1258 by the Mongols, encountering no local resistance... does this scenario looks familiar?

Using a religion to unite unhappy people or people that are not satisfied with the system in order to overthrow the local power. Where did we see this before? Everywhere! It is still happening! Hitler and the way he came to power is the most well known example of how to do this. The inquisition performed by the Church was another one. All those who were seen as a threat to the Church’s power were accused and “taken care of”. even today, all over Europe, xenophobic parties gain more and more votes due to the use of Islam (religion) as a threat. (read Northern Winds from NLM #15 - June) So, if it is so – and we have plenty of evidence that it is – why do we keep acting as if science and religion are enemies? Shouldn’t we by know better to distinguish people and fanatics from religion? Want to see a great example of this? USA: still the world’s greatest power. Seen as many as an example of democracy and freedom. What does a president (any of them) needs to say in order to

get approval from the people for a new war?

Does the sentence “God bless America!” or something like that sounds familiar to you?

So as you see, no need to go far...

Many people will keep on arguing that one cannot relate science with religion, especially Catholic Church due to the miracle claims it does. Something that most people don’t know is that for more then a 100 years now Catholic Church uses exactly scientists to decide weather an act is in deed a miracle or not.

Yes, there is a team of scientists that now and then is called to work for the Church. I explain: Every time there is a credible claim of a miracle that reaches the Vatican, the Church will hire a team of scientists to investigate the phenomenon to see if science can explain it. I shall not forget to mention that those scientists must not belong to the church – in fact, one of the prerequisites is that they do not believe in God or anything to do with Christianity. They should also be internationally recognised in some way. If

after intense testing there are no conclusions of how science could create or reproduce such a phenomenon, then the church will officially accept it as a miracle. Science helps religion!

There are plenty of science people who live well both with science and with religion. As Galileo once wrote, “It is clear (...) that the Holy Spirit’s intention is to teach us how to go to Heaven, and not how the heavens go”. It seems quite clear to me as well that people and especially those who work closely with both fields (science and religion) need to start having a different approach on each other because from my point of view, one cannot survive without the other.

I will end up this debate article by quoting again my favourite scientist from our present days, Dr. Michiu Kaku: “The mind of God we believe is cosmic music, the music of strings resonating through 11 dimensional hyperspace. That is the mind of God.” http://www. youtube.com/watch?v=jremlZvNDuk

ARTICLE BY JOÃO FIGUEIREDO

WISH TO DEBATE SOMETHING? MAKE YOUR SUGGESTION TO: INFO@NORTHERNLANDSCAPE.ORG

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Theme Challen July ~ Old stuf 10 • Northern Landscape Magazine

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13 ENTRIES 28 VOTES 1 WINNER 4 DAYS FOR VOTING 1 DISQUALIFIED ENTRY

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WHITEPARK BAY, ANTRIM, NORTHERN IRELAND BY LUDWIG WAGNER WITH 8 VOT

Challenge winner 12 • Northern Landscape Magazine

Ludwig Wagner Ludwig’s multi-faceted life experience is reflected in his art. He produces work inspired by people, objects and places – past, present and imaginary.

He was born in South Africa where he studied Art at the University of Pretoria. Ludwig worked for a few years as a teacher and then in the film industry, one of the passions of his life. He now lives in London and runs a creative agency focused on design and advertising. www.zuluspice.com

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OLD TIMER BY NIGEL BANGERT

BARN ON A FARM BY MICHAELJP 14 • Northern Landscape Magazine

NORTH UIST: THE RED-ROOVED COTTAGE BY KASIA-D

IRONBRIDGE, SHROPSHIRE BY GRAEME HYDE

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CLONMACNOISE - IRELAND BY ARIE KOENE

SPRINGTIDE BY JOHN THURGOOD

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CONWY CASTLE FROM THE WALLS BY ANNDIXON

OLD FARM. SOMEONE USED TO LIVE HERE. ELVERUM, NORWAY.

BY UPNORTHPHOTO

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NLM PHOTO T

TIPS FOR BEGINNERS New into photography? We got your back! This tutorial could be as huge as possible, in fact, it could be a book – as you can find many in your nearest library or bookshop. But for photography’s passion sake, I will try to keep things simple and on a basic level, not because I think you are slow but because a lot of simple stuff in photography world have complicated names and may sound “scary”.

Hang on!

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TUTORIAL #17

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CHOOSE A DESTINATION BY JOﾃグ FIGUEIREDO

M

ost of you readers have been making many on-line researches or even old days reading on photography to get into the photography world. Myself have been meeting people that praise me and say “...oh, I wish I could do so much with the camera as you do...” - we all have heard this at some point, right? I don’t know about you but what I usually answer back is that “You can! It is not that hard, if I manage to learn, so can you!”.

This answer of mine is followed 99% of the times by a “Oh, but it’s so complicated...”

Ok, I want to crack that argument because I don’t think that it is that complicated. Yes, it has some strange names and it might sound complicated but it is not complicated at all! So, I decided to gather some tips in order to give you a good kick-start on photography, without complications!...

SOME TIPS...

1-

Budget. This is vital! The budget is a very important thing and here you can go many ways. I would definitely advise you not to go nuts here. Start with the basics and then explore in order to know what fits you better. In practical terms this means starting with a point-and-shoot camera (or mobile phone) and then move into a DSLR. If you already are at that level and want to take a new leap forward, then buy the most basic DSLR kit, which usually is some DSLR with a something-50mm lens. Use it and abuse it for a while and then start thinking about go nuts with your bank account! Otherwise you can end up spending everything you got in gear that you will never or barely use...

As well, you don’t even know if you really need to upgrade, do you? You think you want but you don’t know! I have seen a lot of great photography taken with an iPhone or with point-and-shoot cameras, so take it easy, there’s no rush! The thought that most of people have in which one has to have a lot

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of expensive gear in order to become a great photographer is WRONG! In fact, most of my portfolio was built up with a point-and-shoot or with a starter DSLR kit and actually, one of my most sold pictures on stock photography was taken with my Samsung Galaxy S3!

2 -

Consider buying a tripod. Some things to have in mind: NO, you don’t look stupid with a tripod following you around and definitely not when you attach a tripod to a camera and shoot on an open street. Though people might look and give you looks, most of people are in fact curious because most of them pass over there everyday but they don’t see what’s so special about that place.

Be happy, you have a special gift because you don’t just watch, you can see! That is a valuable gift that a great photographer must have in order to become great!

So, go on, a some tripod. Again, you don’t need to spend the whole world’s money in buying the best tripod on Earth. Let me tell you about my tripod, bought in 2009. I came in a specialized store with my point-andshoot (an Olympus that looks like a DSLR but it ain’t) and started to look at their tripods. The store’s seller came to me and started of help me out with info about the different models they had back then. Prices were going from 29€ to more then 1000€ and they all had different features. I ended up buying the cheapest one that does not get bigger then 75cm and doesn’t do anything but hold the camera still and rotates it in different angles.

The store’s seller almost went crazy with me. He was constantly asking me what did I expected to achieve with such a poor and basic tripod. At that time I didn’t answer him because I knew that my budget was really small, but looking back I can see that it was one of the best things that ever happened to me in the world of photography!

Thanks to that tight budget I learned the importance of shooting from a low angle. I simply didn’t have any other choice but to shoot like that. So what it seemed as a limita-

tion quickly transformed into a clear advantage! Check it on my “4x Awarded” gallery.

Besides, if you need a taller angle, you can always put the tripod on the top of a chair, wall, etc...

At last, but definitely not least, you will need a tripod to make long exposures and other more advanced stuff...

3-

Do some notes. Are you like me that during the day has some great ideas but then when it is time to go to bed your brain just goes completely insane with so many ideas? Do you also get frustrated when in the next morning you don~t remember half of the ideas you had in the night before? Well, write those ideas, ok? There cannot be a more simple solution for this. If you just have had some great idea for a place to shoot or for something to shoot, write it down or why not, do a story board like in cinema industry...

¤4 -

Internet is your best friend! I don’t really think you can learn so much anywhere else. Use a search engine or Youtube and you will see how much information and resources are available for free... Maing part of a photography club or a social network that focuses in photography is another fun and great way to learn a lot!

5 -

Try your camera’s limits! No, the camera will not explode or stop working if you suddenly start to touch all those buttuns that you don’t know what they are for. Is it raining outside and you don’t have anything to do? GREAT! Take your camera, point it at something and start testing those buttons. Every time you make a change on your camera’s settings take a shot and compare it with the other ones so that you can see the difference and therefore what does a button do. Learning by doing...

6 -

Try learning the basics! It might sound like a boring thing to do but it might compensate a lot. Read a bit about some rules and guidelines like the rule of thirds, lightning, how to do this and that. You don’t have to take a PHD or follow those rules religiously but just read a bit about it and you will see that you will have a much more comfortable trip onto the photography world!

7-

Practice! This is a no-brainer really.

It’s like everything else, if you do not practice it, you’ll get rusty. Simple! It’s like learning a language, if you don’t speak it you’ll forget it!

So, start shooting!

8-

My final tip is: Establish goals! Say to yourself that by the end of the month you shall have learned or even mastered this or that technique. Search for photo competitions or try to apply to exhibitions, whatever really! Don’t be afraid at all of being ambitious, the important is that you have those goals and try to achieve them! If you are aiming to high, don’t establish another less ambitious goal. Keep on working on that goal because number 1, you never know if you might achieve it or not and number 2, even if you don’t achieve it, you will be learning a huge deal and establishing new contacts in the photography world that otherwise you would never get. Either way you will be opening new doors! Aim for the stars and reach for the moon, I would say. If you aim for the moon you most likely will be ending up in low orbit...

DEAR!

CONCLUSION This is it really! Beginner’s base... Remember that you can always send me your feedback or your suggestions about this!

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PRAÇA DA REPÚBLICA AT VIANA DO CASTELO BY JOÃO FIGUEIREDO Both in the cover shot as here you can see two kinds of shots that I would never have done if I would never have followed the tips I just told you about. In the cover there is a model photograph and here there is an HDR photograph. I didn’t know how to do any of those before I dared to try all those steps...

W

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TUTORIAL AND IMAGES BY JOﾃグ FIGUEIREDO

WANT TO SEND US YOUR TUTORIAL? SEND IT TO

INFO@NORTHERNLANDSCAPE.ORG Northern Landscape Magazine 窶｢ 25

Feature Work Challen July 26 • Northern Landscape Magazine

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25 ENTRIES 40 VOTES 1 WINNER 4 DAYS FOR VOTING

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WHISTLER, BC BY CHARLES KOSINA WITH 7 VOTES

Challenge winner 28 • Northern Landscape Magazine

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Charles Kosina My photography is predominantly landscape, but you will also find architecture, flowers, birds and cats. One of my other obsessions is skiing so my camera is always with me on my travels to distant snowfields.

The camera I currently use is a Canon EOS 550D with three lenses covering 10 – 250 mm (16 – 400 mm in 35 mm terms).

I am a member of Melbourne Camera Club (www.melbournephoto.org.au) since 1992 and since 2000 have been editor or co-editor of their bi-monthly publication of Exposure magazine.

So what else about me?

I am an electronics engineer and my company designs and manufactures specialised equipment in the data communications and industrial control field.

I also have musical interests, singing in a choir, playing piano and sound recording. Over the years I have recorded many amateur and professional choirs, groups and soloists. Some large scale works involved up to 8 channels that had to be edited and mixed to produce a CD. How do I fit all this in? The short answer is, I don’t, and some activities tend to suffer at the expense of others!

Oh yes, like everyone else on RB all my photos are copyright.

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KIRKJUFELL SUNRISE BY RODDY ATKINSON

LITTLE BOAT BY ALISON SCOTLAND

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AUTUMN - UPPER JOFFRE LAKE, JOFFRE LAKE PROVINCIAL PARK, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA BY YANNIK HAY

JOURNEY’S END - TOLSTA BEACH BY BLUEMOONROSE

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NORWEGIAN VILLAGE BY STEVE

COUNTRYSIDE NEAR SNEEM - IRELAND BY ARIE KOENE

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WHEN THE SUN WENT DOWN AT THE BALTIC SEA BY JCHANDERS

TORONTO SKYLINE BY JOHN VELOCCI

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KYLEMORE LAKE BY PHOTOSBYHEALY

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This is (h

The Farnborough Airshow 2014 36 • Northern Landscape Magazine

hi)story!

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B

illed as the best air show in years and certainly the best this year The Farnborough Air show attracted a lot of attention especially on social media sites. Held every two years this was the 49th show lasting from Monday 14th to Sunday 20th July. The build up was as exciting as the weekend of public flying with regular updates on Facebook and twitter.

With aircraft spanning the years from WW1 to the present day it was to be a celebration of man’s journey in flight.

The whole airfield was transformed with temporary buildings to house stands for the international trade fair that took place the week before the public display. Residents of Farnborough were treated to lots of mini displays as a backdrop to the main event.

The lead up to the public weekend saw all the stars turn up and validate. This involves performing the displays they intended to do on the day for approval by Farnborough International Ltd on behalf of ADS (Aerospace, Defence & Security). This weighty document

AVRO VULCAN XH558

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(http://www.farnborough.com/files/f_regs_ fia2014__final_v1.pdf) outlines the rules and regulations that needed to be complied with because of the proximity of London Gatwick Airport and the need to sometimes borrow some airspace from them between commercial flights.

The residents of Farnborough who live within the flying area of the display were treated to a buy one get one free deal for tickets. As tickets were priced at £45.00 each this was a great offer.

My own personal experience of the show was a whole weekend of flying catered for and planned by Colin Williams a fellow Redbubble member and aircraft enthusiast who lives in Farnborough.

I arrived on Saturday morning at around 7.30 am ready for the gates to open at 9.30am.

We took the park and ride bus, leaving the car on part of the Aldershot Army Base which is now unused.

The bus took us down already busy roads to be dropped off just outside the gates. We joined a queue that was starting to increase in size by the minute and were treated to the sort of security you get at an international airport. Emptying our pockets of all metal objects and surrendering our camera gear for X-Ray was a little daunting, but it was reassuring to see that our safety in these days of terrorist threats was being taken seriously.

Once inside you could see the work that had gone into creating something the size of a small town for the show. There were the trade stands as well as plenty of static displays to look at and photograph.

With a little time before the flying started Colin and I found a space next to the fence by the runway, with the advantage of being near where the Airbus A380 and the Airbus A400M would be rolled out for their displays

AVRO VULCAN XH558 from their static positions on the airfield.

even with a long zoom lens.

I took the opportunity to take a walk down to see the Avro Vulcan the iconic aircraft that took a historic role in The Falklands War, bombing the runway at Port Stanley. The co pilot for the team was one of the men who flew on this mission. The aircraft is impressive in the air, on the ground it looked huge.

Highlights of the show were The Breitling Wingwalkers who turned out a four plane team, Airbus A380 which was enormous but very manoeuvrable, the Avro Vulcan (last flying example), Boeing Super Hornet, AV8B Harrier (last flying example from the Spanish Airforce), Super Constellation, Eurofighter Typhoon, and of course the cream of flying display teams The Red Arrows.

Flying began on time and we were treated to a display from aircraft of all ages as advertised. Unlike most other shows I have been to however it was all at high level and the WW1 Great War Display Team was disappointing as the planes were dots in the sky,

The weather for the day had been forecast as rainy, with even the possibility of storms, but happily it was wrong. The sun came out during the afternoon and we were treated to

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ideal flying conditions.

I stayed with Colin overnight so that we could see a different view of the air show the next day. With his local knowledge, and the opportunity to see a lot of the planes validate he had worked out the best place to see the show from outside.

We were very kindly dropped off by his partner and were treated to a very pleasant walk beside a canal that led to the bottom of the airfield.

A short walk across moorland took us to a spot which had a perfect view of the runway, with the aircraft taking off towards us.

AVRO VULCAN XH55

All around were people who had made the same pilgrimage to get the best seat in the house. With chairs and picnics we dug in for the day.

It is great to see air shows from different perspectives, something I have done with Duxford many times, as it gives the opportunity for photographers to take different views of the participants. The day gave us the chance to see the Airbus A380 take off straight at us, as well as the Avro Vulcan and The Red Arrows.

Some of these aircraft are coming to the end of their flying lives and are destined for static displays or just runway rollouts, to have the chance to record them in the air for their last

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displays is a chance to record history.

I had an amazing weekend and am very grateful to Colin for his hospitality as well as the planning that went into these two days.

This was a unique opportunity for me to experience a historic airshow with someone who had local knowledge and the chance to get a great deal on tickets.

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THE RED ARROWS

THE RED ARROWS Northern Landscape Magazine • 41

THE RED ARROWS

AV-8B HARRIER LL

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TAKE OFF

PHOTOGRAPHY AND TEXT

BY NIGEL BANGERT

WANT TO SEND US A STORY ABOUT YOUR LOCAL 44 • Northern Landscape Magazine

MAIL US TO: Northern Landscape Magazine • 45 INFO@NORTHERNLANDSCAPE.ORG STORIES?

THE BIG CHAL

16 ENTRIES 29 VOTES 1 WINNER

46 • Northern Landscape Magazine

4 DAYS FOR VOTING

LLENGE ~ JULY

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DANCE OF THE SPIRITS

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A NIGHT IN LONDON

RODDY ATKINSON

LUDWIG WAGNER

3 VOTES

5 VOTES

The BIG top ten

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VERMILION LAKES

MICHAELJP

5 VOTES

ALESUND, NORWAY

GERDA GRICE

4 VOTES

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SOLSTICE SUNSET

WINTER ON FIRE

NIGEL BANGERT

2 VOTES

JOﾃグ FIGUEIREDO

2 VOTES

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MUCKROSS HEAD, DONEGAL, IRELAND

QUEEN’S VIEW - LOCH TUMMEL - SCOTLAND

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GEORGE ROW

ARIE KOENE

2 VOTES

2 VOTES

BOW RIVER 3

THESE MYSTIC HILLS

CHARLES KOSINA

AGNES MCGUINNESS

1 VOTE

1 VOTE

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RODDY ATKINSON

A

Featured artist

lthough Roddy is a very busy person he opened up a window for us. Thanks so very much Roddy, we really appreciate! Roddy Atkinson opened the door of his house to take us in and unveil the mysteries behind the genius that won our latest BIG Challenge.

I got to say that I was looking forward to this... let’s see then what secrets does Roddy reveal in his interview...

# When did you start photographing?

Although I had owned film compacts it wasn’t until I purchased my 1st digital camera around 2003/4, the fabulous Canon IXUS 400 that my passion for photography really took off. I managed to kill this camera in Ibiza when photographing fish, one broke the surface and soaked the camera with a flick of its tail. I replaced that with the Ixus 500 which strangely was not as good as the 400. In early 2007, I purchased my 1st Digital SLR, the Canon 400D and around the same time I discovered and joined Red Bubble which has been a great source of inspiration and motivation for me in my photography.

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INVERAWE SUNSET

INTERVIEW

Having coffee with Roddy Atkinson + his Featured works Northern Landscape Magazine • 55

KIRKJUFELL SUNRISE

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# What can you tell us about yourself?

I was born in 1970 in Glasgow, Scotland. I started my working life in the shipyards where I got trained up in Information Technology and have worked in that field ever since, although for few different employers. Outside of photography which is my main passion I enjoy cooking and I also love to travel.

TROLL PENINSULA SUNSET

ICE CAVE

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# How does photography fit in your life? And where do you want to get with it?

At the moment photography does have to fit round my working life as I work different shifts and also some weekends too. Luckily my long suffering girlfriend put’s up with me organising holidays and weekends away based mainly on locations that I want to shoot. Ideally it would be great to get a career in the type of photography that I like to shoot but I have no real interest in the areas that seem to make the money like weddings, paparazzi, celebs, etc.

# What photographic gear do you have?

As you can see I chose to go down the Canon route and my main gear is as follows: • Canon 5d Mark III • Canon EF16-35 2.8 L II • Canon EF 100mm f2.8L Macro IS USM • Canon EF24 1.4L II • Canon EF 70-200mm f2.8 L IS II USM • Canon EF 28-70 2.8 L • Canon 2x extender III • Canon Speedlite 580EX II Flashgun • Various Lee filters • Giotto Tripod and monopod.

• Macro ring flash and macro lens extenders • I also have various bags, some basic lighting equipment and some miscellaneous stuff like lens heaters. I also converted my old 400d to infrared and have built some tools for light painting.

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BREAKING THE ICE

AURORA AT GLACIER LAGOON

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# How does it feel to win our BIG CHALLENGE and have such a feature on our monthly magazine?

It feels amazing to have won the challenge and I feel very honoured as I know the quality of the photography in the Northern Landscape group is generally very good. It is also great to get exposure for my work in your magazine.

# Tell us about the winning shot!

We were 10 days in to our 12 day trip to Iceland and up till’ this point had only a brief glimpse of the Northern Lights at Jokulsarlon glacier lagoon. I was getting anxious that despite bearing the cold on my own till’ the early hours of each morning that this trip would not produce the auroral display that I had hoped for. Fortunately on our tenth night at the excellent Hestasport Cottages we were treated to the longest and most vivid display I have seen to date. This is a lucky location for us as it was about the only place that we got a show on our previous trip too.

# Describe us how would your perfect photo be!

A couple of years ago I would have described my winning aurora shot as my perfect photo as witnessing the Northern Lights has always held such a wonder for me. Now maybe photographing the Southern Lights with a beautiful icy backdrop in Antarctica would be my perfect photo.

# What fascinates you the most and what do you hate the most about the Northern countries?

I love the raw beauty in the Northern Countries landscapes and do prefer to photograph in the colder climates. I am fascinated with snow and ice and dramatic mountain vistas and in case you hadn’t noticed from my previous answers I also like the Northern Lights or aurora. I think my biggest dislikes would have to be rain and the dreaded Scottish midge.

# Any other thought you want to put out there?

I would just like to thank everyone who voted for my picture in the challenge and also yourself for hosting such a great group.

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MOONLIT BEACH

MOONLIT BEACH

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BRUARFOSS

LOCH ACHTRIOCHTAN

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CAERLAVEROCK CASTLE

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STAR GAZIN

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HENGIFOSS

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WANT TO BE FEATURED?

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DANCE OF THE SPIRITS BY RODDY ATKINSON

THE WINNER OF OUR BIG CHALLENGE ~ JULY

DON’T LOSE OUR NEXT BIG CHALLENGE! Northern Landscape Magazine • 67

Northern La Some facts Icelandic turf houses

T

he Icelandic turf houses were the product of a difficult climate, offering superior insulation compared to buildings solely made of wood or stone, and the relative difficulty in obtaining other construction materials in sufficient quantities.

Iceland’s flag 30% of Iceland was forested when it was settled (save the Highlands), with forests of birch trees. Oak was the preferred timber for building Norse halls in Scandinavia, but native birch had to serve as the primary framing material on the remote island.

However, Iceland did have a large amount of turf that was suitable for construction. Some structures in Norway had turf roofs, so the notion of using this as a building material wasn’t alien to many settlers.

The common Icelandic turf house would

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have a large foundation made of flat stones; upon this was built a wooden frame which would hold the load of the turf. The turf would then be fitted around the frame in blocks often with a second layer, or in the more fashionable herringbone style. The only external wood would be the doorway which would often be decorative; the doorway would lead in to the hall which would commonly have a great fire. Another interesting aspect of the Icelandic turf house was the introduction of attached toilets, which were communal, and the act of going to the attached toilet was often done in large groups. The floor of a turf house could be covered with wood, stone or earth depending on the purpose of the building. They also contain grass on their roofs.

Icelandic architecture changed in many ways in the more than 1,000 years the turf houses were being constructed. The first evolutionary step happened in the 14th century, when the Viking style longhouses were gradually abandoned and replaced with many small and specialized interconnected buildings.

Then in the late 18th century a new style started to gain momentum, the burstabær, with its wooden ends or gaflar.

IMAGES AND INFO FROM WIKIPED USED UNDER THE FAIR USE TERMS

andscape -

DIA

This is the most commonly depicted version of the Icelandic turf houses and many such survived well into the 20th century. This style was then slowly replaced with the urban

building style of wooden house clothed in corrugated iron, which in turn was replaced with the earthquake resistant reinforced concrete building.

Turf roof of a house in Glaumbær, Iceland

WANT TO SEND US YOUR FACTS? MAIL US TO:

INFO@NORTHERNLANDSCAPE.ORG Northern Landscape Magazine • 69

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Back cover artist

L

udwig Wagner is a professional challenge taker! No harm in that, on the contrary, talent shall be recognized! In a very tight fight with our BIG Challenge winner, Ludwig managed to get the second place which gives him the right to fill the two last pages of our beloved magazine.

Ludwig Wagner seems to be a fountain of creativity in person, he was born for this! In his CV he has worked in the movie industry, he has studied art and now he even has his own company in the creative industry! Well, let’s read it directly from his profile: Ludwig’s multi-faceted life experience is reflected in his art. He produces work inspired by people, objects and places – past, present and imaginary. He was born in South Africa where he studied Art at the University of Pretoria. Ludwig worked for a few years as a teacher and then in the film industry, one of the passions of his life. He now lives in London and runs a creative agency focused on design and advertising. www.zuluspice.com.

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NORTHERN LANDSCAPE ISSUE # 17 * AUGUST 2014

www.northernlandscape.org

A NIGHT IN LONDON p h o t o g r a p h o f t h e L o n d o n s k y l i n e f r o m Wa t e r l o o B r i d g e l o o k i n g w e s t t o wards the Hungerford Bridge at Embankment, the London Eye and Houses of Parliament. London, UK iPhone 4S

NORTHERN LANDSCAPE MAGAZINE - ISSUE #17 AUGUST 2014