~z LONGSIDEGOODLIGHT, The idea for foto VUE first came about a while. It wasn't until he returned to the UK taking beautiful landscape when UK- based climbing expert and and started working for climbing website photographs is all about photographer Mick Ryan was climbing in UKClimbing.com that the cogs started being prepared, being in the the Eastern Sierra mountains in California. turning again. "I've always loved beautiful right place at the right time, He was writing climbing guidebooks at the scenery and have enjoyed a long- standing a smidgen of technical time, and wondered why no- one had really passion for photography, so I decided to start knowA- how and a handful ofluck. We're picked up on the idea of doing the same working on a photographer·s guidebook for incredibly fortunate that, here on this small for photographers. "I used to go to Galen the Lake District. Through the UK Climbing island, we have a wealth of great landscape Rowell's gallery in Bishop, California to look forums I became aware of a photographer photography opportunities available, many at his photos," Mick tells me. "I would end up by the name of Stuart Holmes, who lived in of which are accessible within a few hours' pointing at various images and asking Galen: Keswick and had some exceptional images drive. If you want to take great landscape "Where's that? And where's that?", that's of the Lakes. We got talking and·founded photographs then step one is planning, and where the idea came from; I thought about foto VUE together. Stuart began work on step two is placing yourself in front of a great a guidebook that showed photographers our first title: Photographing the Lake District. landscape; it's as simple as that. You needn't where all the best spots were." He wrote the first book and I edited it." go it alone either, and foto VUE's series of While Mick began to process the idea It was the first in a popular range of location guidebooks is a great place to start of creating a series of comprehensive foto VUE titles focusing on providing planning a visit to many of the UK's most photographers' guidebooks, life had other photographers with all the best locations to impressive photo locations. plans and he put it on the back- burner for visit in several regions across the UK. 88 Digital SLR Photography November 2017 Top Left Awintersunsetat the Wool Packs, acollection of " The majority of guidebooks are actually read at home, gritstone boulders at 2,000ft on the Ki nder Plateau. so we paired this expert knowledge with high quality left: Win Hill and Lose Hill from Hordron Edge in autumn. Oneo f many guidebook locations that isn'twell known. print, big images and large books that photographers Above: The Great Ridge that stretches from Mam Tor in the west can pore over in the comfort of their own home ~ to Lose Hill in the east is an excellent daywalk.Aiong the crest is afamous gate that is a popular spot to photograph Edale. From North Wales to Cornwall and Devon, grace the covers, so you can rest assured that with them in their camera bags." Dorset, and now the Peak District, each each title is backed by the right credentials. The latest title in the foto VUE range, foto VUE title is nicely divided by area, "We're really picky about who we work Photographing The Peak District, is one that's and offers all of the classic photography with," Mick tells me. ''All the photographers especially close to Mick's heart, and it's the viewpoints, as well as some of the lesser­ that we use are really obsessed with outdoor flrst to bear his name on the cover tocf, as he known locations, complete with information photography - they'rereal, high- end, authored it alongside photographer Chris onhowtogetthere, wheretoparkupand technical professionals. The majority of Gilbert. "I used to visit the Peak District to what to shoot. Each is expertly authored guidebooks are actually read at home, so we climb, aged 18 or 19," he reminisces. "We by established professional photographers paired this expert knowledge with high­ would travel every weekend from Blackburn, with the best inside knowledge of the region. quality print, big tillages and large books that where I grew up, to Stoney Middleton and Familiar names such as Adam Burton, Mark photographers can pore over in the comfort then head out to the gritstone edges at Bauer, Simon Kitchin and Chris Gilbert of their own home, read in the car or take Stanage and Curbar. When I returned from »+ November 2017 Digital SLR Photography 89 the U.S. I settled in Sheffield and got to know "There are possible pitfalls that can come the Peaks intimately. I love fmding new " I think there's a reason from co- authoring, but Chris and myself places. The famous gate on the Great Ridge why the Peak District decided on some simple but really important is one of the most popular places in the Peak was the first National things from the get go, such as whose name District, and quite rightly so; you've got to go was going frrst and who was going to have there as it's stunning. But after you've been Park; it's a fairly compact the cover image. I did all the writing, Chris there you can go down to Chee Dale where area but it's packed with fed me some locations and we split the the mist will be rising from the River Wye. photography. I've got a lot of respect for There's so much more to see. I think there's beautiful places. ~ Chris- it was a really enjoyable process." a reason why the Peak District was the first Part offotoVUE's ethos is to look after the National Park; it's a fairly compact area that's Top: Viator's Bridge at Milldale in the southern Peak District photographers and authors to ensure that packed with beautiful places. You've got that Above left: Reflections in Howden reservoir where the they create something that they're proud to contrast between the gritstone edges and Dambusters practised the bouncing bomb. Above right put their name to. Image sale royalties from Looking toward the Roaches from Hanging Stone. Bronte-type moors, and the haunting sites of Opposite: Apanorama ofthe eastern Dark Peak. a single print run won't pay off tp.e mortgage the plane crashes from the '50s. Then there's in this day and age, so fotoVUE works with the wonderful, idyllic green meadows and co- author Photographing The Peak District photographers to keep on developing and leafy dales. It really is a special area." was one that ensured each chapter could be adding content to the titles to create second Mick has been photographing landscapes covered as thoroughly as possible. "I saw and third editions further down the line. in the area seriously for the past six or some of Chris Gilbert's images and instantly Photographers can also sell their own books seven years, and in a region with such rich fell in love with his work; they evoke a too, which helps them to earn extra on top of variety and hidden gems the decision to very emotional response," Mick explains. the royalties, and makes both authoring 5-t 90 Digital SLR Photography November 2017 • " We tell our photographers that when they're at a Left: Walls and fields in Tansley Dale near Litton in the White Park. Above:The well-known Curbar Edge looking down location not to just go for the big classic shot - use three into the Derwent valley, aclassic Peak Districtlocation. Right There'sno better place to witness cloud inversions different focal lengths, take more images, be mobile and thanonasmallroadthatclimbsoutofthesmallvillageof try and tell a story through a collection of photographs ~ Castleton. Far right: Grindslow Knoll above the vale of Edale offers the perfect perch for autumn and winter sunrises. and landscape photography a continually the grass in the foreground with the valley farewell, turn off the computer and head out viable income stream for the professionals. blurred below. If you approach a location with my camera to discover this nation's Of course, informing the readers is at like that not only do you get more fun out of great photography hotspots. However, the heart of all of this, and Mick tells me it, but in the book it's more interesting for the reaction to foto VUE's guidebooks, that a lot of energy and thought goes into readers to look at. There's so much more to surprisingly, isn't always as positive as how they approach each location : "We tell photography than the usual big rock in the my own. "We have come into critfcism our photographers that when they're at foreground and the misty valley below." from some photographers for producing a a location not to just go for the big classic As Mick and I talk on Skype, I've a number tick list," Mick reveals. "We've even had shot - use three different focal lengths, take of foto VUE titles laid out on the desk in front people saying that there are tripod marks more images, be mobile and try and tell a of me, and I cap. certainly attest that seeing at locations because we've put them in the story through a collection of photographs. all of these inspirational images, and reading books, but I'm sure they're exaggerating.