July 2nd 2012

Wild River

A WEEKEND ON THE RIVER

A weekend in July saw perfect conditions to go and explore a well known river deep in the soft rolling hills, of the welsh countryside. However not every stretch of this river is as well known as you might think, maybe even, to those who regularly camp on it's banks. There is one group of people however, that move silently and stealthily. They criss cross it's banks and shallows at the rivers most intermit and most secretive times. They are there when the valley reveals to them, what is hidden to most. These individual people inhabit the valleys and rivers more than any other - they are the fly fishermen.

I drove up there very early one saturday morning with naturalist and ecologist Robbie MacDougall-Davis (above) who also happens to be an extremely adventurous fly fisherman. So while my friend Rob tries in vain to stalk the elusive brown trout with me in tow, lugging tripod and camera; we meander our way slowly up river filming our progress and peering round each corner hoping to see the unexpected.

Filming on a river like this can be an awkward experience especially when you have to keep crossing from one bank to the other. Boulders are very slippery, all covered in slime and can suddenly move under foot. While the riffles (sections of small rapids) are doing their best to pull you over. The only footwear I could get my hands on were a pair of waders with rubber soles, while they kept me dry the grip was virtually none existent. I later found out that the best waders come with felt soles combined with metal studs. The felt grips the slimy boulders while the metal studs make sure you don't end up stacking it on the wet grassy banks! You also want chest high waders and not thigh length! We were as quiet as possible throughout out the day but not quiet enough to get some decent wildlife shots. So I spent the next day picking up the shots we needed.

One of the most challenging ways to catch a fish is with a fly. This means having lots of different flys to imitate what is currently around at that time of year, what stage of growth the flies are at and lastly; to manipulate the lure to act in the same way as the real fly. Rob uses his highly trained fly fishing skills which have been honed over many hours to lure those creatures out of the depths. To do this he uses his own hand made lures or (flys) that imitate the local insects and invertebrates that the fish predate upon. In the photo below Rob's 'fly box' contains hand made flys.

As always when filming wildlife you should always make sure their health come first. So once we'd caught our fish we completed the pieces to camera with as few takes as possible.

We set out to make a presenter led short where Summer see's Robbie MacDougall-Davis exploring a unique eco-system of a wild river hidden in the depths the UK's countryside. Robbie looks at how the geology shapes and determines the course and life of a river, in which all life in the valley stems. I hope you enjoy.

Wild River - 2011

October 20th 2012

Filming on the Virunga Mountains

MUZUNGUS IN THE MIST! 

It's October and I'm in need of an adventure. Africa has been calling me back for quite a while, it's been too long, it's time to go home! So, with barely any planning I book tickets to Kenya with a connection to Rwanda for a few days. At first I decided I would just spend time on the edge of the Virunga Mountains on the border of Uganda and Congo.

To film time-lapses and explore the local culture. I'd also planned to trek and film the golden monkeys which live in the dense forest (gorilla trekking just seemed too expensive). However it all changed when I thought how close I would be to the gorillas; the possibilities of filming them won over. It's definitely a once in a lifetime opportunity, which I might never be able to do again. I applied for a permit and managed to get it last minute (it usually takes weeks).

My kit consisted of a Sony PMW EX3 and video tripod along with a Canon 5D time-lapse kit. Firstly the bamboo forest was definitely more dense than I had previously realised. Most trekkers had nothing more than a point n shoot and a rain jacket. The going was slow and awkward, with the tripod catching on everything it possibly could; and I was starting to regret taking it.

We climbed for over an hour up the steep muddy slopes snaking our way through the cultivated fields up to the boundary wall. The views were breath taking. In the early morning the lowlands were covered in low lying mist which rolled through the hills. The landscape was awash with silver light.

Once we were on the other side of the national park wall however and heading still ever upwards, into the interior of the park, the light disappeared. The further we went the more we literally had to cut our way through the bamboo thickets with machetes, until we eventually caught up with the group.

My first glimpse was a dark mass hidden in the foliage. It was difficult to make out. Then suddenly out of no where two juveniles ran through us from the other direction! Over the next half hour we were on the move as the group moved on up the slopes. Filming was tricky and no good for a tripod in the tangle of flora. Not to mention constantly getting stung by the huge stinging nettles, the stems sometimes as thick as your wrist. To make matters worse shooting handheld was again awkward with the low light. Additionally you're battling with huge contrasting light patches. Eventually the family moved out into a clearing where I thanked goodness for bringing the tripod! It was all worth it. I now had a chance to film them on a rock steady base and get the shots I needed. The fun didn't stop there though with the lighting. Incredibly bright foliage and sky with very dark subjects. I eventually had to stop filming and take it all in. There in a clearing on a plateau half way up Mount Sabyinyo I was with a family of chilled out gorilla's doing their thing as if we weren't there. I felt extremely grateful for such a brilliant opportunity and felt as if I had been transported into the movie 'Gorillas in the Mist'. If you're thinking of visiting the gorillas but aren't sure I'd say this..for me, I'd go again without a shadow of doubt and it was worth every penny.  

Below are some of the best moments captured in just an hour spent with a family of gorillas in Rwanda.