Glencoe & Isle of Skye, a story and a LF Portfolio

[Vieri]

The first time I took off from Glasgow heading north towards Glencoe and the Isle of Skye, in 2009, I didn’t know how much that journey would have impacted and changed me. Leaving behind the bustling airport area, my wife and I passed the Erskine bridge and quickly got to the shores of Loch Lomond, where I started realizing we were in for something unique.

The weather was cloudy and moody, but that was just perfect for the landscapes under it. The color palette was muted, hues of dark greens and browns reigned, and the waters of the Loch took a metal tone that made them both ominous and inspiring.

Driving north, we passed Crianlarich, Bridge of Orchy and the switchback over Loch Tulla, finally getting to the top of Glencoe. Glencoe and the surrounding areas are spectacular, dramatic and full of photographic inspiration and opportunities. For me, Glencoe is the place where Scotland slowly started getting into my soul, never to leave.

The whole story is a bit too long to fit here, you'll find it - together with the whole, 25 images Portfolio, on my blog here:

GLENCOE & ISLE OF SKYE: A 4×5″ PORTFOLIO (https://www.vieribottazzini.com/2025/02/glencoe-isle-of-skye-a-4x5-portfolio.html)

Below some photographs out of the Portfolio for you to enjoy:

https://www.vieribottazzini.com/wp-content/uploads/2024_11_01_Arca_FP4_0114.jpg

https://www.vieribottazzini.com/wp-content/uploads/2024_11_01_Arca_FP4_0042.jpg

https://www.vieribottazzini.com/wp-content/uploads/2024_11_01_Arca_FP4_0066.jpg

https://www.vieribottazzini.com/wp-content/uploads/2024_11_01_Arca_FP4_0093.jpg

All photos shot on Ilford FP4+ and developed with Pyrocat HD.

Enjoy! Best regards,

Vieri

[Peter Lewin]

Your selection here is wonderful, I’m looking forward to visiting your website.

[John Layton]

Looks amazing but I cannot get most of these images to load. Will try some other ways to do this. In the meantime...nice work and what a wonderful place to photograph!

[Vieri]

Your selection here is wonderful, I’m looking forward to visiting your website.

Thank you very much Peter, so glad you enjoyed them! :)


Looks amazing but I cannot get most of these images to load. Will try some other ways to do this. In the meantime...nice work and what a wonderful place to photograph!

Hello John, sorry to hear that - you mean here, or on the website? If here, I wouldn't know how to help you, if on my website, could you let me know if you are visiting on a computer or phone? Thank you!

Best regards,

Vieri

[John Layton]

Hi Vieri...have just visited your website, and I am enthralled, inspired, and indeed humbled by your work - you truly have and continue to "walk the walk," and I thank you for your obvious dedication to your work and your deep and total commitment to the medium...truly a life well lived!

I'm also quite intrigued by your recent "return" to including analog (4x5) techniques in your workflow - but am not finding any references to how you are arriving at your final output for these (analog-based) images. In other words...are you scanning the film results and using a (pigment based) printer to create prints? Printing by projection using an enlarger in a darkroom? Not that this matters...but I am curious!

Finally...I am still having trouble viewing some of your images on your website, and cannot enlarge the individual thumbnails - but these thumbnails are still large enough for me to enjoy your work just the same. I think the problem exists on my end so I'll try a few work arounds. In the meantime...thanks again!

Later Edit: I switched to a different web browser to view your website - and all is well!

[Vieri]

Hi Vieri...have just visited your website, and I am enthralled, inspired, and indeed humbled by your work - you truly have and continue to "walk the walk," and I thank you for your obvious dedication to your work and your deep and total commitment to the medium...truly a life well lived!

I'm also quite intrigued by your recent "return" to including analog (4x5) techniques in your workflow - but am not finding any references to how you are arriving at your final output for these (analog-based) images. In other words...are you scanning the film results and using a (pigment based) printer to create prints? Printing by projection using an enlarger in a darkroom? Not that this matters...but I am curious!

Finally...I am still having trouble viewing some of your images on your website, and cannot enlarge the individual thumbnails - but these thumbnails are still large enough for me to enjoy your work just the same. I think the problem exists on my end so I'll try a few work arounds. In the meantime...thanks again!

Later Edit: I switched to a different web browser to view your website - and all is well!

Hello John,

thank you very much indeed for taking the time to visit my website and for your kind words, I am humbled by them and happy to hear you found it enjoyable and inspiring!

About your question, I am using 4x5" in a fully analog way for the first part of the process, until development; after that, I scan my negatives and proceed with digital post-processing and printing. While a wonderful idea, a wet darkroom is something I currently don't have neither the time nor the skills for (last time I did any darkroom printing was decades ago!), but who knows what the future may bring.

Happy to hear that a different browser did the trick for you! :)

Best regards,

Vieri

[RenoAmiens]

Simply amazing!

I've been up there Quite a lot of times since 1993. Next stay will be with a large format camera .

Wonderful job. Thank you

[Mark Sampson]

beautiful, evocative wok. Well done!

[Uncle Phil]

These are amazing, in paricular the last image with the little island. You really captured the mood of the place!

[Vieri]

Simply amazing!

I've been up there Quite a lot of times since 1993. Next stay will be with a large format camera .

Wonderful job. Thank you

Thank you very much Reno, glad you enjoyed these! Indeed, the Scottish landscapes look great on 4x5" black & white film, the medium suits them perfectly for me. Enjoy your next outing there with LF! :)


beautiful, evocative wok. Well done!

Thank you very much indeed Mark, I am glad you enjoyed the work! :)


These are amazing, in paricular the last image with the little island. You really captured the mood of the place!

Thank you very much Phil, that is truly appreciated, happy you enjoyed them! :)

Best regards,

Vieri

[angusparker]

I made the same trip six years ago but with the family and without the 4x5. Next time will be different! Both locations have special significance for me as a Macdonald.

[Vieri]

I made the same trip six years ago but with the family and without the 4x5. Next time will be different! Both locations have special significance for me as a Macdonald.

Hello Angus, hope next time you'll have a ball with your 4x5"! I am not Scottish, but still feel right at home there - I can only imagine how it is for you. Best regards,

Vieri