From sleeping in snow holes and skiing into perilous gullies to kayaking some of the world’s fastest white water, Ed Smith has explored some unforgettable, uncharted territory with his camera.
Whether he’s taking photos in underwater gorges or from the top of snow-clad mountains, he’s in his element.
Ed’s photography is spellbinding – thanks to his huge sense of adventure and willingness to throw himself into Scotland’s most extreme environments and to travel huge distances on foot.
His new book, Northern Cairngorms, is a showcase of some of the adventure photographer’s most stunning work since he moved to Kingussie six years ago.
Ed, 37, fell for the area, and he’s spent his time exploring the wilderness, taking photos as he ventures deep into the hills and glens.
His book – his very first – captures a collection of almost 70 images, many taken during the harsh yet spectacular winter months.
Striking imagery
Divided into four sections – Plateaus And Peaks, Amongst The Clouds, Water And Ice, and Forest And Foliage – the book combines striking imagery captured over many long mountain days and nights, including 16-hour shifts in temperatures as cold as -16C.
Ed, who was formerly ranked amongst the world’s top 10 white water kayakers, selected not only images he was most proud of, but those he felt depicted the striking range of landscapes in the Northern Cairngorms.
He describes the act of venturing out into the hills in the depths of winter as a “privilege like no other”.
Often starting in the dark, he frequently also finishes in the dark, taking in the sunrise and sunset.
“I’ll sometimes sleep in my camper van, set my alarm for 3am, and then hike up into the Cairngorms,” he says.
“The light’s so good in Scotland in winter that you can stay out until sunset.
“I’ll set off with up to 20kg of gear on my back, including a tripod and ice axe and my bivvy bag for camping out.”
Getting into the zone
Ed says he finds his “momentum” by being out for longer periods. He’s able to get into “the zone”, and embrace a sort of “full-immersion” in the landscape.
There’s the mindfulness element, too – when photographing his surroundings becomes his sole purpose.
“Out there, with the landscape in front of you, it becomes your world,” he reflects.
“And that’s when it becomes possible to create much more compelling photography than if you’d just popped outdoors for a few hours.”
The Northern Cairngorms are defined by two great plateaus: one consisting of Cairn Gorm and Ben Macdui, and the second of Braeriach and its softer neighbour ‘the Great Moss’ above Glen Feshie.
Ed chose to focus on this area – rather than the entire range – because he felt the Cairngorms are too vast and diverse an area to incorporate in one body of work.
“It’s a pretty dramatic mountainous area,” he muses.
“These distinctive regions have quite a story in terms of their landscape.”
Abernethy Forest
Abernethy Forest features heavily in Ed’s work – he says he feels he’s “reaching back” into the history of Scotland’s landscape simply by looking at it.
“It’s pretty fascinating when you consider that it’s remnants of ancient Caledonian forest,” he adds.
Glen Feshie
Glen Feshie also holds huge appeal to Ed as a photographer and adventurer.
It sits within the heart of the Cairngorm National Park – an internationally significant destination for biodiversity and ecological restoration and with a hugely successful natural forest regeneration strategy.
“You’d struggle to find anywhere else in Scotland that feels as shifting and adapting as Glen Feshie right now.
“It’s being allowed to restore itself back to national species and less plantation. It’s such a great example of living, breathing wilderness.”
Shifting landscape
The River Feshie draws Ed back year after year – and each time, he finds it looks different.
That’s a result of the mass of sand, gravel and boulders constantly being reworked by the Feshie and its tributaries.
“The river naturally braids, ebbs and flows, so it’ll be different from one year to the next, depending on if there’s been a strong flood,” he explains.
“The river bed shifts and erodes. But ultimately Glen Feshie feels like the ultimate wilderness frontier, and the mountains above the glen are the cherry on top.”
Often the best shots come from the most dramatic weather. Ed doesn’t get too excited about ‘bluebird days’ – sunny days with cloudless blue skies.
“For photos, you don’t want great weather,” he says. “I rarely want a bluebird day.
Storm chasing
“I tend to be going out at the tail end of a storm, so there’s usually some drama in the weather.
“Either that or I like to be just ahead of the storm so I’m photographing the drama of the storm coming in. There’s an inherent kind of vulnerability in that.
“I don’t want to sound reckless; I’m really not. I’ve got a lot of decades of outdoor and mountain experience. I watch the conditions like a hawk.”
If and when he does end up on the wrong side of the weather, Ed has no shame in turning back.
And the chances of him having to do are quite high.
The conditions could worsen, he could come across a slope that’s an avalanche risk, or he might just not feel right about carrying on.
No shame in turning back
“For every picture people see there’s maybe another three trips that didn’t work out, in terms of having to turn back or the weather not playing ball that day,” he says.
“You’re hyper aware when you’re in these remote places by yourself. You’re in a more vulnerable position, even if you just cockle an ankle. You need to be happy to turn back – it’s a pretty big deal for any mountaineering expedition.”
One winter excursion in particular sticks in Ed’s mind. He just had a bad feeling about it.
Eerie excursion
Visibility was pretty much nil and he recalls the experience as being “kind of eerie”.
“I got up to the edge of the Cairngorm plateau at about 5am in appalling visibility with my eyebrows already frozen, despite there being little wind,” he recalls.
“I’d ascended into the cloud, putting me in what felt like an eerily quiet, white room with no perspective or vision beyond my own hands.
“There had also been fresh snow overnight, so there weren’t even any other tracks to lock onto for definition, just the odd rock. I hadn’t seen anyone for hours. It just didn’t feel right.
“I had to stare at the map and compass just to get some definition so my eyes didn’t go weird.”
Mesmerise and delight
A quick flick through Ed’s book will mesmerise and delight lovers of the outdoors – and Scotland in general.
He hopes to encourage people to follow in his footsteps in getting outside and becoming immersed in our majestic landscape – although perhaps not in such an extreme manner!
“The whole essence of the book is a connection to the landscape; it’s very much my personal perspective in connection with this landscape.
“But I’d hope to inspire others to get out and experience their own journey to the wilderness, but to do so safely and responsibly, leaving no trace.”
Recognising heroes of the hills
To recognise the heroic commitment of the Cairngorm Mountain Rescue Team, £2 from the sale of each book will be donated to the charity.
The team is made up entirely of volunteers who give their time freely to help those in need of aid in the mountains.
“I’d hope to go through my entire career never having to call out mountain rescue, but knowing they’re there is hugely reassuring for me and my family,” says Ed.
“Every time I’m out in tricky conditions, I think about Cairngorm Mountain Rescue Team and the fact that these volunteers might find themselves operating in blizzards in the middle of the night.
“Waking to an emergency call and stepping out the door to go to the aid of a stranger in such conditions is nothing short of heroic.”
Celebration of 16-year career
The publication of Ed’s new book is also a chance for him to celebrate his 16-year career as an adventure sports and landscape photographer.
While travelling with his kayak and camera, magazines and manufacturer started buying Ed’s images for their content and advertising.
“It’s 16 years since I sold my first photo,” Ed, originally from East Lothian, tells me.
“So it seems a great time to celebrate with this book. I hope people love it!”
Ed is a regular contributor to various UK outdoor publications and has been widely published in the broader media, from UK papers and supplements to international titles.
Clients such as Helly Hansen, Rab Equipment and ABF The Soldiers’ Charity – which runs the annual Cateran Yomp in Perthshire and Angus – entrust Ed with their photographic requirements.
Ed displays and sells his limited edition photographic prints from Eleven41 Gallery in Kingussie.
The gallery is named after the prominent 1141m cairn which is often used for navigation by people exploring the Northern Cairngorms.
- To order Ed’s book, Northern Cairngorms, priced, £20, see edsmithphotography.com
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