Gustavo Cherro is a visual storyteller, and more than 20 years ago, he worked as a photojournalist in different newspapers, magazines, and agencies. Today he is choosing his own stories to develop. He always tries to have a human component in the project, and he usually prefers to work in natural environments, often sports or adventures and other times with a social and human component. These activities can be in mountains, boats, jungles, swamps or in a large city, although the latter, he always prefers to avoid it.
Words and images by Gustavo Cherro
f-stop: You are known for traveling to amazing places, and always being in the field. What was this adventure about?
Gustavo: The Cordón del Plata is the "high mountain" school of Mendoza in particular and Argentines in general. A short distance from Mendoza, Argentina (70 km) we have, in those mountains, one of the few relatively "alpine" landscapes of the country; Where altitude, really big mountains, ice, and verticality are combined. It is a midpoint between the great distances and desert softnesses of the high mountain of the Northwest and the concentrated and granite moles of Patagonia.
Due to the wide range of the assignment, I decided to go alone, to have the necessary times and not keep in mind that someone was waiting for me. I wanted to show the full beauty the place, its geography, flora, and fauna
f-stop: What was your biggest challenge during the adventure, and how you overcame those challenges?
Gustavo: The aggressive weather, the height, the great distances, the cold night and its actions on the batteries of my gear and the transfer of all my equipment With respect to the weather, it is important to have the necessary equipment and knowledge, being poorly dressed can be a serious problem, the same happens during the hours of rest and cooking. The height can only be assimilated with the appropriate periods of acclimatization, sleeping, and living over 3000 meters requires that the body gets used to that and it is necessary to take the necessary time. Walking the necessary distances to take the right picture, require only training and patience, and the transfer of my equipment, in this type of exits, I entrust it to my f-stop Sukha. It is spacious, comfortable and safe.
I practice mountaineering from a young age, and I have been working on images in these conditions for many years, but every time I see myself face to face with the mountain, she teaches me how small I am, how small the problems are that I daily They seem huge and all of them are solved with a better point of view and that to avoid problems, we just have to get away from them.
f-stop: Can you remember some of the best moments of the adventure?
Gustavo: I think seeing the wild birds of the place not fearing me and eating centimeters of me was one of those great moments. One afternoon, a young woman appeared with a baby in her arms near the camp, without a backpack, without a tent, without any equipment, left her 2-year-old baby (calculation) and started practicing Yoga, she did it for a while and then disappeared again.
f-stop: For the people that plan to visit Cordon del Plata, can you share some tips and tricks?
Gustavo: Try to travel with the least amount of equipment possible, only strictly necessary, wear the right clothes so that when the worst weather forecast happens, there is nothing left in the backpack to put on, the sleeping bag should be the best you can carry, It is the only space and moment that will give you warmth and rest. Never be alone on the mountain without communication with the outside, always have elements that serve to warn of a problem. Always protect your batteries with the heat of your body, even at night. Drink a lot of liquid and give your body the "necessary" time so that it does not suffer with height
You can find Gustavo's work on his Instagram and Facebook.
"We Are f-stop" is for all f-stop users to share their stories from the field, from small daily adventures to epic travels. Contact us with your story on Facebook or drop us an email to [email protected] and let us know where your photography takes you and your f-stop pack!
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©2022 F-stop
Max Montella lives in the PO Valley, northern Italy, landmark of the rice fields and, on the feet of the Italian vineyards famous all over the world. He likes traveling and roaming since he was a little man (now he's a bearded big boy close to the 40s) and always had a camera in the pocket, but only on the 2012 with his first real trip in the classical US southern parks he dressed up the clothes of the traveler with the passion for photography: of course that pictures are more memories than photos, but every road began somewhere and so, after stay one month in the cowboys lands, his way was signed and now he cannot see a single day without dreaming about which one will be his next flight!!!!
Words and images by Max Montella
The Canadian Rockies are a kind of dream for who, like me, travels with a camera in the backpack searching for the majesty of nature and after a lot of solo travels to the United States and, the last year, in the southernmost areas of Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego, now it was the time to put my feet in this incredible corner of the world, alone again...
My goal was, in addition to enjoying the views, to touch with my hands the possibility of going back there in winter times, maybe under a cloak of snow and with some green in the night sky!
I always travel in the turn of June to July and somewhere, like in this area of Canada, it's the time when winter goes away and the nature comes back to life, including animals: this is the biggest challenge, avoid animals, especially on the trails, hiking alone is not recommended and during this period a lot of animals take care also of their cubs...
I overcame this challenge avoiding remote areas where entry was prohibited and being the more noisy as possible where I could do it exactly like rangers teach, a good anti-bear spray tied to the belt and no much food in the backpack, just the bare essentials.
I like night photography and some nights it was difficult to go take some pics - the weather was not very gentle every night, but I could enjoy 3 or 4 good nights to look up to the sky and let me be dazzled by a roof of stars and when I got it to Moraine Lake, with a great Milky Way shining over the mountains... I think it's superfluous explain more of that night!!!
What surprised me more of this adventure is the sense of smallness that you can feel in the Rockies, they really look at you from above... they are majestic!!!
I don't love sweets and the pastry very much otherwise I should say “of course, maple syrup” so I can tell you that if you like meat you will be totally satisfied!!!
Like a traveler, a camper and a hiker I can suggest to get ready to face up to every kind of weather, you are on the mountains and in the same day you could see clouds, rain, sun, rain, clouds, warm, cold and so on... so dress in layers and be sure to have with you something about wind and/or waterproof.
Be sure to read the notices at the beginning of every trail, also if it's a very touristy place you're in the nothing and in the most areas there is no phone covering so don't risk to go where you cannot, don't risk dangerous spotting of wildlife and don't risk for your safety: it's very difficult for you to call and get helps!
Take always with you a anti-bear spray and, if you can, don't walk alone in the wilderness, but overall: there are so many trails and paths that you don't need to go out of them, so let the nature grow wild and stay on trails!!!
Like a photographer, I can tell that you will find every kind of beauty for your eyes and lenses, from incredible landscapes to wildlife, the beauty of the little kiddies and the irresistible charm of the road, that Icefields Parkway, named from Unesco “The most beautiful road of the world”; take with you all you have and you'll see that you'll be happy by using every piece of your equipment!!!
You can find Max' work on his website, Instagram and Facebook.
"We Are f-stop" is for all f-stop users to share their stories from the field, from small daily adventures to epic travels. Contact us with your story on Facebook or drop us an email to [email protected] and let us know where your photography takes you and your f-stop pack!
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©2022 F-stop
Reklu Fernandez is a nature photographer and f-stop user, he likes catching landscapes and wildlife moments. Photography is part of his life, reason why he spends his time taking pictures around the world. He is nowadays collaborating with f-stop Europe and wants to share his experience in Iceland with a f-stop backpack.
Words and images by Reklu Fernandez
I have dedicated myself to Photography for 14 years and, and for some time I have trained nature photographers through workshops, courses and phototours in South Spain. I have my own business, Wild Adventure Spain, not only to share my expertise about Photography with my pupils but also to raise awareness of photographers about the importance of nature photography to its dissemination and conservation. Apart from the training delivered, I am a member of the Montphoto team, one of the most important nature photography contests and conferences in Europe.
I have also leaded several publications about nature, one of them is the magazine “Objetivo Natural”, and I have founded the only worldwide website with web links for nature photographers “Foto enlace natural”.
During my career as a photographer, I have spent a long time on wildlife photography, but I nowadays focus more on landscapes as I find the way different pictures can be taken, just by changing light and weather, thrilling, and it makes me feel good.
I have always lived in Andalusia, specifically in San José del Valle (Cádiz), very near the Strait of Gibraltar, a strategic location for nature photography because bird migration from Europe to Africa makes its sky and entertaining show, and the climate and hours of sun, the contrast between mountain, sea and countryside landscapes can be found in less than an hour on the way.
A great trip to a country where places full of contrasts could be found, has been in my mind for years… and I thought about Iceland, a well known spot for the different landscapes and environments, where it is possible to go from a glacier to a volcano in 5 minutes. The idea was to travel around the South of the country in 10 days.
Iceland is a must for any photographer, mainly for its landscapes, but also for the good conditions to take pictures with very good results day or night.
This trip was actually done in October 2018, I went together with a friend using a van, this helped us move to the different locations and stay overnight anywhere to watch and photograph the Northen Lights, the most amazing experience I have lived as a photographer as we saw it 3 out of 10 days in a row.
This trip was very important for me, since never before had I visited a country with so different places from the ones I'm used to; a place where in any corner you can photograph glaciers, northern lights ... a few kilometers away.
For me it was a must, and I highly recommend everyone to visit Iceland, it will not leave you indifferent.
During this trip I used the Tilopa, which was very comfortable and allowed me to take different kit at the same time. I carried 2 full kits together with a small drone. It allowed me to improvise when selecting the right kit for the right moment, and prevented the snow and water to get inside the bag.
You can find Reklu's work on his website, Instagram and Facebook.
"We Are f-stop" is for all f-stop users to share their stories from the field, from small daily adventures to epic travels. Contact us with your story on Facebook or drop us an email to [email protected] and let us know where your photography takes you and your f-stop pack!
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©2022 F-stop
Ashley graduated Chiropractic College and moved to a completely new city. To meet new people and to stay creative, she decided to pick up photography. It allowed her to see things a different way that others perhaps didn’t notice. She loves to shoot travel photography in both landscape and urban settings. Not too long after, she picked up her first drone and since then she has taken her photography to the next level.
Words and images by Ashley Lee
I took a trip to Mallorca, Spain in August 2019 to do some hiking, swimming and to see some amazing scenery. I have been wanting to go for years to see the Drach Caves and drive on some wickedly windy roads.
I didn’t bring a suitcase so I had to fit everything in my f-stop Dalston. I knew it was going to be a challenge because of all the extra gear I had to bring for the beach such as my snorkeling mask, sunscreen, hat and extra towels. I managed to fit everything in without breaking the bag which is always a relief.
As a photographer, I’ve been using the f-stop Dalston as my go to camera bag for the past 6 months. I also use it as my weekend bag and travel bag. It protect everything I need it to hold but keeps it light so it does not strain my back. It weighs less than 1kg! Apart from the weight, the dual side access is really what captivated me to use the f-stop Dalston. I always travel with my camera so to ensure that I never miss a good capture, I need to have easy access to my camera. I also don’t need to dig my hand all the way to the bottom of the bag to get my snacks.
In the front compartment, I keep a usb plug, my Sony WF-1000x earphones and my passport. There are two small pockets within the front compartment. I keep my keys, wallet and iPhone cable in one pocket. In the other pocket, I store my DJI Mavic Air ND filters and power bank.
The magical top compartment is where I keep everything else. I store my clothes, my shoes, my toiletries, chargers, snacks and depending on where I’m going, my scuba mask as well. I love this compartment because it’s so expandable and I can adjust it according to my needs. In the dedicated back compartment, I’ll keep my Macbook Pro 13” and any important documents so it doesn’t wrinkle
Beach Holidays aren’t the only time I use my Dalston bag. I’m based in Oxfordshire, England but I spend most of my weekends in London doing street photography and playing badminton. Therefore, my Dalston needs to fit everything I need for that weekend especially the extra pair of shoes. It does this wonderfully with extra space remaining.
You can find more of Ashley's work on her Instagram profile.
"We Are f-stop" is for all f-stop users to share their stories from the field, from small daily adventures to epic travels. Contact us with your story on Facebook or drop us an email to [email protected] and let us know where your photography takes you and your f-stop pack!
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©2022 F-stop
My name is Mattia Bicchi, I am a professional timelapse and hyperlapse photographer/filmmaker from Italy, however I’ve been living in London for the past seven years, creating Timelapse for big and small films production companies, such as BBC, Ford, Virgin Atlantic, Mulberry and many others.
In June I spent 17 days in Kyrgyzstan, a country you might never hear of before, (I didn’t till last August), as a Timelapse photographer, I am always looking for new or less touristy places to shoot and Kyrgyzstan it’s definitely one of them... As mountains cover 90% of the country, the landscape it’s truly breathtaking and depending on the region, you can find a wide variety of places, from alpines lakes, rocky deserts, vast valley to huge mountains, its tallest Peak is 7,439m.
I felt in love with the unique landscapes and the kind, welcoming people of Kyrgyzstan.
Words and images by Mattia Bicchi
Tourism here has started growing in the last couple of years and this country has a real potential to became the next top destination for photographers, hikers, back packers and alpinists! At this moment the tourist facilities are not ready for mass tourism like Iceland or Patagonia, but that’s also the beauty of it, you will be immerse in the culture and the truly lifestyle of the locals.
During the first part of the trip I explored with Visit Karakol and landscape photographers, Albert Dros, the south region around Lenin Peak, Arslanbob and Sary-Chelek, in the second part I hiked few days in the Karakol Valley, visiting Ala-Kul an alpine lake at 3.500m and Sary-Jaz Valley close to China’s borders
For this trip I traveled with my trusty f-stop Loka, that I’ve owned for almost 5 years, carrying all my Timelapse kit around Kyrgyzstan, I put this bag through so much, driving off-road with 4x4, horse riding and hiked for days to the best mountains range of Central Asia, during thunderstorms, snow and sunny weather!
To shoot the Timelapse in 8K, I used the Sony A7RIII with various Canon lenses, 16-35 f/4L, 24-70 f/4L and 70-200 f/4L, the motion was created with the Rhino RŌV Pro Traveler and the Dynamic Perception Stage One and R.
To film the Travel Journals, I used the Sony A7III with the Samyang 24mm f/2.8 and the Zhiyun crane M.
I came back with 5TB of data, 42.000 Raw files which converted in 107 Timelapse; I also made 6 Tavel Journals showing the behind the scene and the travel involved. The edit of this film took around two months.
"We Are f-stop" is for all f-stop users to share their stories from the field, from small daily adventures to epic travels. Contact us with your story on Facebook or drop us an email to [email protected] and let us know where your photography takes you and your f-stop pack!
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©2022 F-stop
My name is Tanner Boley and for the past five years I have been traveling around the world working on video projects with international Non-Governmental Organizations to highlight the work they do. My travels have taken me to almost every continent and I have had the privilege to document some amazing people and the incredible work they do around the world.
Most recently, I traveled to Ukarumpa, Papua New Guinea. I worked with the Summer Institute of Linguistics as they handed off a translated copy of the New Testament to a native tribe in Papua New Guinea. The translation took over 42 years to complete.
Words and photos by Tanner Boley
Getting to Ukarumpa, Papua New Guinea was no easy feat. It started with a flight from Bend, Oregon to Sydney, Australia. I boarded another flight in Sydney that took me to Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea.
From there a smaller plane took me deeper into the interior of Papua New Guinea. After landing in Goroka, I jumped in a small truck and drove three hours deeper into the jungle. We pulled up to a grass runway where a small bush plane was waiting to fly me an hour deeper into the jungle.
After landing and dodging the dogs that were sleeping on the runway, I boarded a helicopter that flew me up to a high mountain pass where the village was gathering for the handoff ceremony.
My f-stop Lotus pack took a beating on this trip but kept all of my equipment safe and secure. I carried a small Sony PXW-X70 to record the ceremony and a Sony a6500 with an 18-105mm lens to photograph the handoff of the New Testament.
My pack endured a torrential downpour, 80-percent humidity, and a large earthquake that hit the interior of the Island. The whole time, my equipment was dry and secure, even after bouncing out of the back of a pickup truck on a jungle road. This year my f-stop Lotus UL will be traveling to Jordan, Turkey, Israel, Thailand, and Costa Rica with me.
"We Are f-stop" is for all f-stop users to share their stories from the field, from small daily adventures to epic travels. Contact us with your story on Facebook or drop us an email to [email protected] and let us know where your photography takes you and your f-stop pack!
SHOP ALL GEAR MORE WE ARE f-stop
©2022 F-stop
I have been a landscape photographer on the weekends for two years now while working as a store manager during the week. I travel the mountains in the least lenient weather looking for something tormented and a platonic concept.
All it took was to camp alone during the winter on the crest of a mountain to realize that these conditions were made for me. Since then I have been hiking all over the mountains. Now I'm looking for other visually interesting places elsewhere in France and abroad.
Words and photos by Kevin Meynier
I photograph a mountain the same way one makes a portrait. I'm very intimate with a single peak. It is also a criterion of choice for my images: "have a nice mouth" and then I dress it with the weather, such as light and clouds.
My photos start with a big search for the perfect spot. I study the topography to find the ideal camping spot for the views I'm looking for. I also figure out where the sun will be at different times of the day. I rely on satellite animation to monitor the weather in real-time until the last moment before leaving. These two points are very important to get the result I seek. Knowing that I work mainly with a telephoto lens, the calculation of distance between me and the peak that I want to shoot is important.
Once this phase is finished, I start the climb with my f-stop Sukha backpack. It keeps my equipment ready and easily accessible in case of unexpected shooting opportunites, and there always are! Once I am at the top of the climb, I take out my equipment, so I'm ready. The turbulent weather makes the landscape change very quickly. Usually the perfect vision appears for only a few seconds.
I can spend hours waiting for the perfect moment, which sometimes does not occur. But when it does, it can be sudden and spectacular. How quickly I can respond makes all the difference. Having the right clothing and equipment helps with my response time. When it comes time to shoot I really like to watch the big cloud masses wrap around these stone peaks, like an aerial ballet. I often see it as a platonic relationship for the sake of the Earth and the sky - purely in the mind, creating a sort of idealistic dream. All these things give a painted quality to the landscape, as if I were drawing an unreal portrait of this mountain, showing an image of itself, both unique and bewitching.
"We Are f-stop" is for all f-stop users to share their stories from the field, from small daily adventures to epic travels. Contact us with your story on Facebook or drop us an email to [email protected] and let us know where your photography takes you and your f-stop pack!
SHOP ALL GEAR MORE WE ARE f-stop
©2022 F-stop
Here at f-stop we are always happy to hear stories from our users, whether they are customers or Staff Pro team members. "We Are f-stop" is a new series of stories from all kinds of f-stop users, covering the ups and downs of life in the field. We are kicking off with this testimonial from customer Katie M. Zaharkin of Nature's Lenz Photography who got in touch with her story of what must be close to every photographer's worst nightmare - involving a car and a camera bag. This story had a happy ending though, so Katie was able to keep on shooting the images below. We'll hand over to Katie from here:
All photos copyright Katie M. Zaharkin / Natures Lenz Photography
Luckily this was the only casualty!
"I am not one for writing reviews. I’d rather focus on posting photos or better yet, going out and taking photos. But every once and awhile I come across something I really like and I just have to share it.
A few weeks ago my husband and I took a trip to the Adirondack Mountains High Peaks Wilderness area here in New York for the purpose of photographing fall scenes and to do a little hiking. We had pulled over on the side of the road at a trail head, put our gear on and started out. A few hundred yards into the hike we realized we may not have started at the right trail head. We went back to the car and I took off my camera pack and leaned it up against the side of the car while we looked at the cars GPS for another trail head location.
After 10 min of studying maps we pulled the doors shut and decided to take off down the road. Upon backing out of the trail head parking lot we felt a thump. My heart instantly sank as I realized I had forgotten about my camera bag and my husband had just ran it over with his SUV! I didn't even want to look. It was loaded with about $2000 worth of camera gear!
Once I mustered up the guts to look inside I slowly pulled out lens by lens and realized that out of everything in the bag, only one lens had been broken. That's ONE lens. One lens out of 2 cameras and 5 other lenses. Oddly enough, it was the lens that was packed right smack in the middle of my camera bag. I still feel like a complete idiot for forgetting my my bag and allowing this all to happen. But sh*t happens and I owe it all to my camera bag for protecting my gear in even the most unsuspecting situations!
After a few weeks of trying out different camera bags from all different companies, I finally decided to settle with an F-Stop Lotus. The bag was more than I wanted to spend initially, but now that this has happened, it was worth every penny and I am so glad I went for it!
Below are pics I was able to take a few hours later with the same camera that was in the bag when it was run over along with a pic of a smashed lens that just goes to show you should never run over your camera bag!"
Katie M. Zaharkin out and about with her f-stop Lotus pack - and still doing so luckily with most of gear intact!
To see more of Katie's work, check out her website and Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/natureslenzphoto
in, showing an image of itself, both unique and bewitching.
"We Are f-stop" is for all f-stop users to share their stories from the field, from small daily adventures to epic travels. Contact us with your story on Facebook or drop us an email to [email protected] and let us know where your photography takes you and your f-stop pack!
SHOP ALL GEAR MORE WE ARE f-stop
©2022 F-stop
Staff Pro Takahiro Nakanishi took his Shinn for ride in New Zealand. Access to stunning locations often takes a bit of extra effort. Heading up to the snow in New Zealand Taka transitioned from van-life mode to pedal power with a fully loaded Shinn.
When we saw these shots of his pack set up, we had to find out what was in there...
Hi Taka! Where were you going with your Shinn fully loaded like that on your bike?
Shooting in New Zealand, we started at a spot where there is public parking at the end of an access road which continues deeper up the valley.
Where were you going?
On the bike, we headed up to a mountain hut for our first night. The way up is basically a tramping* path in the middle of a farm in a National Park. It's quite flat terrain so we thought its good to make the trip by bike.
(*In New Zealand: "tramping" = "hiking")
What was your goal?
We were hiking up to the glacier to ski its terrain with the beautiful landscape, and shoot photos of that to make a nice story for Japanese magazine.
What's in the bag?
For camera gear, just my Nikon body, 3 lenses, and extra batteries, no tripod.
We stayed at a mountain hut so we didn’t need to bring a tent or sleeping matt. You can see everything else that was in the bag here:
Was all of that in the bag?
Yes, all of those things are packed in of Shinn (apart from the ski and boots which you can see are strapped on the outside). Plus, not in that picture, I had another 1L bottle of water, some snacks, 4 packs of dried rice, bacon, egg, mushroom, leek, milk, butter for pasta. Also I had extra first layer and socks. I think that’s it… ! We didn’t have any tools to attach gear to the bike so it was all in the Shinn pack!
Thank you for the snapshot of your adventure Taka!
You can follow Takahiro Nakanshi's English blog here.
"We Are f-stop" is for all f-stop users to share their stories from the field, from small daily adventures to epic travels. Contact us with your story on Facebook or drop us an email to [email protected] and let us know where your photography takes you and your f-stop pack!
SHOP ALL GEAR MORE WE ARE f-stop
©2022 F-stop
Thomas Monsorno is an action sports and outdoor photographer based in Bolzano, South Tyrol, Italy. The beautiful mountains in the heart of the Italian Alps and his passion for sports and nature shaped him as a photographer during the last few years. His work is a collection of sports, documentary, lifestyle, and travel photography.
Matteo Pavana is also an action sports and outdoor photographer based in Bolzano, Italy. “Taking pictures, filming, and telling stories with sincerity are qualities that I really appreciate in a person", he says. Matteo has chosen a vertical world to give life to his deep sensations and geometries of his thoughts. He alternates between gravitational and emotional models, with the sincerity and humility of one who is aware that from the world of exploration there is always something new to learn and to share. "With a smile, then, everything becomes much easier", he says.
Words and video by Matteo Pavana
Photos by Thomas Monsorno
Slackliners Benjamin Kofler, Mattia Felicetti
Slainte. It literally means "cheers" in Scottish. That’s what a slightly drunk gentleman told us one night when we entered a pub after a very rainy day on the Isle of Skye, Scotland. If we truly lived this short-but-intense experience, it is all thanks to the curious and creative nature of Thomas and to that little bit of luck that never hurts.
That day had rained continuously and we were in a pub to try to shake off moisture. It had been a strange, fine rain, which, depending on the wind, became more or less sharp, like little blades that cut us. Thomas, Stefano, and I had spent the day in a kind of tent fixed between the stones at the base of The Old Man of Storr in order to protect us from the rain. But the gusts of wind came in from all directions, and with them the water. In the meantime, Benni and Mattia worked in the rain to fix the highline in the best way possible in basalt of poor quality.
We had underestimated this part of the plan. We assumed that the rock pinnacles were steady and reliable. In addition, the thick fog certainly did not improve the situation. We had to stay in radio contact all day because we could not see more than a few meters from the tips of our noses. Looking back now, it was probably better that way.
The Old Man of Storr is a very touristy place on the Isle of Skye. Visitors come and go to admire these giants that rise up like nothing else out of the patches of truly intense green grass. Yet, despite this vivid color, I seemed to perceive a presence, as if this place was inhabited by some spirit. Maybe I'm just susceptible because of the legends I’ve read about this place.
As the legend goes, in the early years of Christianity in Scotland, a dispute raged among the people who inhabited the island about the exact date of Easter. To put an end to the controversy, the priest of Skye decided to go to Rome to talk to the Pope himself. Climbing the Old Man of Storr at dawn, just as the sun began to rise, he performed a spell that made the devil appear in the form of a flying horse. During the journey to Rome the devil questioned the priest about the reason for the trip. The priest had to use all his wits to answer the questions truthfully while avoiding mentioning the name of God, which if said aloud would have broken the spell, causing the devil to disappear and the priest to fall into the sea.
The priest succeeded, arrived in Rome, learned the date of Easter, and returned safely to Skye. The devil was so impressed and angered by the priest's intelligence that as he disappeared he uttered the threatening words, "Until we meet again".
Over the radio I hear Mattia saying to me that the highline is fixed: 110 meters long and about 50 meters from the ground. In that dark and gloomy atmosphere the Old Man inspires fear. It's almost scary.
The weather forecast remained uncertain for the next day and a half, so we did not know if Benni and Mattia would be able to walk the highline. And Thomas and I were not sure if we would get all the images we wanted.
But sometimes it's strange, you have the feeling that things get better, without a reason, even when the science of weather forecasting seems to say otherwise.
You feel optimistic. You feel lucky.
You feel that everything will be all right, even though you’ve arrived at a place where the words "good weather" cannot mean much more than "maybe today it won’t rain". The following morning the clouds that initially covered the sky slowly cleared away. As we climbed up to The Old Man, I saw our long line stretched between those immobile pillars that have been together for hundreds of years. The good weather had attracted many tourists who tried to understand the purpose of our line, what it was, why it was there.
The closer we got, the more we were on the lookout for any police officers waiting to ambush us. I was in the middle of this situation that belonged only to us, something that we had built simply for the desire to do it, to complete something of our own. The more time that passed the more the elements began to blend harmoniously. Initially the light filtered through the clouds and then, at the end of the evening, illuminated everything around us. Ultimately, Benni walked the line, staying in balance for almost fifteen minutes while crossing its entire length.
The night never came because of our close distance to the North Pole. The moon played above our heads. It was one of the few occasions in my life that I felt privileged, as though I was in the right place at the right time, as if it were the only chance to be able to really shoot what I was experiencing. We have immortalized one of those rare shows that for two outdoor photographers represents a true whole and intimate conjunction with nature.
f-stop equpment used: Matteo (Loka UL, Tilopa, Kashmir UL), Thomas (Loka UL)
You can see some of our work through these links:
Thomas Monsorno: Instagram, Facebook, and web page
Matteo Pavana: Facebook and web page
"We Are f-stop" is for all f-stop users to share their stories from the field, from small daily adventures to epic travels. Contact us with your story on Facebook or drop us an email to [email protected] and let us know where your photography takes you and your f-stop pack!
SHOP ALL GEAR MORE WE ARE f-stop
©2022 F-stop
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