It's been like a breath of fresh air because I think you're so conditioned to have the full-time job. the house, the car, all your commitments and things. And I think when you strip things back, what do you actually need? And that's what we've sort of come to realise. And it's, I don't know, it's just a completely different way of life for us, but built around photography, which was always what we wanted to do. So Hello and welcome to the SheClicks Women in Photography Podcast. I'm Angela Nicholson and I'm the founder of SheClicks, which is a community for female photographers. In these podcasts, I speak to women in the photographic industry to hear about their experiences, what drives them and how they got to where they are now. Today, I'm talking with Adele and Max Warner-Tate, a creative duo based in the Outer Hebrides, capturing Scotland's coastline through long exposure photography, video and drone work. Hi, Adele and Max, thank you so much for joining me today on the SheClicks Women in Photography Podcast. It's really brilliant to be joining you. Thanks very much for the invitation. It's lovely to chat with you as well. Oh, Thank you. So you moved to the Isle of Harris and Lewis, I think it was in 2023, for a kind of more relaxed way of life, more creative way of life. Do you remember the moment at which you realized that Scotland was the place that was really ticking the box for you creatively? Yeah. been traveling to Scotland for probably 10, 11 years anyway, sort of all around the north and west coast of Scotland but never been to Harris and Lewis it was somewhere that I had pinned on a map as a place that I was desperate to get to and before we moved here, we actually moved to Aberdeenshire so we spent 18 months just outside of the Cairngorms. So it was almost, it felt a bit more accessible to come over and sort of get on the ferry and not be worried that it might be cancelled. So when we finally booked the trip, we were so excited to get here and we was in our little, we had a T5 camper van and we bought an awning and set up on a little campsite and it was like rediscovering Scotland all over again. It was just absolutely stunning. sort of fills you up and it still does. We've been here two years now and every day, sort of you look out the window and it just makes us smile. So who was it who first said, shall we move here? I think actually that was me. Yeah, I mean, like you say, we've always been fascinated and just loved coming to Scotland and our sort of downtime from work. But once we visited Harris and Lewis, we always thought we'd ended up on Skye. But once we visited Harris and Lewis, that was it. Before we actually came home on that trip, we were already looking for somewhere to live from that trip, weren't we? It's me that's the one that sort of pulls back, you know, I'm the... probably the bit of an over thinker and what if and all that. And as much as I loved it and loved the idea of moving, you sort of have that apprehension a little bit of those what ifs. But we just finally made the move and it only took us about four weeks, which was really quick. we landed sort of here five days before Christmas. So it was a bit carnage but brilliant at the same time. You both had busy careers before you moved to Harris and Lewis, so what was the hardest thing about leaving your old lives and leaving your old careers? If anything? Just family and friends, definitely family, not so much the careers. So I'd actually left my job when we moved to Aberdeenshire and Max was still sort of her role. So it didn't sort of take as much to, because it felt the balance wasn't right. when we moved to Aberdeenshire, I was only actually working two days a week. Max was still working full time and it didn't, we felt that we was halfway to where we wanted to be. So even though we'd made that move and we was in Scotland, we still weren't enjoying Scotland as we'd wished. It sort of didn't feel quite right. So coming here for the very first time and Max was, shall we move? It didn't really take much convincing. Yeah, definitely. Now, Adele, you've been a photographer for quite some time, but what was it about Scotland that made you say, I need to move beyond a point and shoot camera? So it was coming up to Scotland that actually got me into photography. You know, before that, I'd not really picked up a camera other than at family events, you know. So it was coming to Scotland with a little point and shoot and sort of capturing those moments that take your breath away. And I somehow stumbled across Lightroom and sort of with that editing process, it just... it gripped me and I wanted to know more. I started buying photography magazines and looking at different models of cameras and it just sort of went from there, really. Yeah, definitely. inspiration. I really love processing as well, but I don't spend a long time doing it, but I do like the magic of it. I think when I first got into photography, I spent a long time on editing, but I think that's because I sort of wasn't really creating the image in camera that I was wanting to and then trying to fix it afterwards. If you see what I mean. So I would spend sort of probably an hour, two hours on one image because it wasn't sort of, I hadn't used the correct settings or the light wasn't how I'd wanted it to be. And I was faffing and... playing around with it for ages. And I think that you just sort of develop your own style and your own process with it. But yeah, I equally like the editing process as much as I enjoy the photography. That's good, that's good. I think it's important to remember as well, mean, Lightroom and Photoshop has come on leaps and bounds in the last two years. You sort of think, I need to brighten that sky or darken that, click, selected, done. Whereas, you know, that would have taken forever a while ago. So yeah, it's quite transformative. Now, Max, you're now the team videographer. What convinced you to pick up a camera and start shooting? I guess watching Adele do it really, you we do the videography, is really good. I really enjoy that. But yeah, it was nice to be able to capture what we were doing. And that again, initially was just to show family and friends at home what we were doing, you know. And then obviously we had the drone come along and I quite enjoy flying the drone, but the weather here isn't particularly good for the drone. It's nice in between windy days, you know, and the drone goes up. oh Yeah, but I think just because obviously we go out together and do what we do. So it's nice now. I've got the the Nikon as well at the moment that I'm having a little dabble with. So that's that's quite nice as well at the minute. I must admit when I was thinking about you using your drone, I did think, I wonder how many days you can actually fly? I live in the Southeast and I use, I don't know if you use the app that's called UAV Forecast, which tells you whether it's safe to fly from a weather perspective. And there'll be days when I think, oh yeah, we should be okay. And I open it up and oh no. It's not gonna happen today, because it's sort of like a fence level, it's not windy, but as soon as you go above, it's. That's right, We don't get too many days, but we do get some. So has that become a, do you take the drone out with you on the off chance you're gonna be able to use it? And if you can, great, but yeah. Yeah, okay, that's exciting. So do you plan your shoots together? I think since moving here, we don't plan at all, to be honest. We used to plan within an inch of our lives previously because sort of around work and commitments and trips and things like that. But since moving here, like we're a minute and a half to the beach. So out of our kitchen window, can sort of, and we're on the West side, you know, for sunset. So you can sort of get an idea of what. it's going to be like during the day and if it's looking decent we'll just head out. So we're probably more spontaneous now and just jump in the car and see what we can find and I think if because we get the weather come through as well those days that we live for when the wind when it's high winds and you know the seas whipped up or there's snow and hail coming through, you know, it's that mood and that atmosphere. So we just get in the car and you sort of, you know which locations to head to that will be at the best given the weather, if you know what I mean, because we've visited them numerous times in all different conditions. So you sort of know with what it's doing outside the best place to go. So we don't really plan at all. And I guess you've got that time, haven't you? Because you live there. You're not there for a week thinking, crikey, we've not taken any photos, we need to go out. It's not perfect. You can wait until it's just right. yeah. yeah. I mean, there's so much that we still to see, you know, and loads of places that we still want to head to and have a look at. And that's what's really lovely that two years on, you know, you're still sort of finding new pieces of coastline or new areas to go and photograph. Yeah. Now Adele, you present the videos. Do you find that a distraction from your photography or has it actually helped you concentrate on your photography and think about what you're doing? So you're explaining it and telling everybody why you're making the decisions you are. I personally think it's a distraction to the photography. So we sort of go through phases of doing maybe a few months worth of videos and then something happens and we take a bit of a break. So we just started again in October making videos and then we sort of opened our gallery up in town. So that's had to take a bit of a step back. I always find that when we're not doing the videos, it gives me that time to really look. and sort of really consider what I'm doing as opposed to we're going out making a video so we need to get some content and there needs to be some images, where I think when you're not doing a video it's a bit more freeing and it sort of allows me to be a bit more experimental as well and so yeah I think I get so engrossed in the photography and it's Max that sort of taps me on the shoulder and says you're gonna... you going to speak? Just do a little minute, just say something and you'll be okay. But yeah, I think I found when we were on a bit of a break from not doing the YouTube that I actually realised how much of a distraction it is when we go out and we're chatting to camera alongside the photography. Yeah. Are you ever tempted to go out, get a load of photographs and then say, you know what, actually we should do a video about this and then maybe incorporate the photos that you've already taken? Sometimes I think what we tend to do is when we're not going out actively making videos we'll still get quite a bit of footage and we'll put a video together sort of around that so we might come on and do like a bit of an introduction and sort of talk about what we've done over the last few months of what's been happening you know and show the clips of footage that we've been out in some of the extreme weather that we've been out photographing in and then show the images as well. But I always think it doesn't connect the same. But equally, there's a lot to keep you interested in those types of videos as well. So it's sort of a, I don't know, a way of putting something out, you know. it's being creative in a different way. Yeah. Now you teach and run workshops these days, which seems to me like a natural progression for you, but what made you realize you were ready for that? Wow. think it's one of those where we've come over. Initially, I came over with a full-time job and decided that, again, that's not why we've moved. It wasn't why we came here. So we want to focus on the photography. We want to build a business here. So what do we need to do? And I think initially it was... We spent maybe six or eight months figuring out the locations, establishing ourselves here before we started then saying, come and do a one-to-one or a small group workshop. Because I think although people bring people across, for us, we felt that we needed to understand the area before taking that step. And I remember getting the first booking and thinking, oh God. So, like, not panic, but that apprehension of, you know, you're actually going to take someone out and it was great, you know, because he wanted to know about long exposure photography and using the filters and we spent a couple of hours on Luskentyre beach and that was his dream, you know, and to head out with someone, it sort of almost got rid of all those apprehensions straight away because to see somebody enjoy. the photography so much and you've guided them and given that experience it sort of all that build up of oh wow we've got this first one-to-one tuition in the next couple of weeks and all that build up to it sort of straight away I just felt so relaxed so it's been it we've met some lovely people and it's been a great experience for me as well. Oh good. So was it always your intention to have a photography business? The dream coming to Scotland was always in the very early days that we would have like a cafe, know, little cafeteria and we would have our images up of almost like a bit of a meeting hub for people to come and to then go out and do some photography with. So it feels like now getting taken on the gallery because maybe by summertime, we'll have the use of the upstairs as well that we can sort of transform into a bit of a meeting hub place if you see what I mean. So it was always there but I think moving here was something that actually moving to Scotland was something that you always dreamed about but never actually thought it would happen. Yes. And there was a couple of things that did happen that enabled that move and that sort of, shall we, shall we just do it? You know, and I think without those things happening, we might still have been sort of where we were, you know, with our careers and things. it's been, It's been like a breath of fresh air because I think you're so conditioned to have the full-time job. the house, the car, all your commitments and things. And I think when you strip things back, what do you actually need? And that's what we've sort of come to realise. And it's, I don't know, it's just a completely different way of life for us, but built around photography, which was always what we wanted to do. So yeah, it's been lovely. Has there been anything that has been unexpectedly rewarding about your new life? Time. You know, because I think we both worked ridiculous hours. You know, some days, sort of 12, 14, 15 hour days. You never had time for it. You didn't have that time, that quality time. So it's been, I think that's been the biggest reward is having that time together and heading out, enjoying the conditions, the island. And the people, the community is just, they're so lovely. The people, I've never come across people so, I don't know, they're like accommodating, welcoming. Anything to help. Anything to help. And they look after each other and that's really lovely. Oh super. Okay, well, I think that's a really good point to go to Six From SheClicks. I've got 10 questions from SheClicks, because I had loads actually, and I would like you to answer six by picking numbers from one to 10. So can I have your first number, please? Number nine. Number nine. You live in such a beautiful part of the world. Is it ever disappointing when you venture elsewhere? That question's from Paula. Well, I've just yesterday come back from Manchester and I've never wanted to be at home as much as I wanted to be at home. After sitting on the M60 for 40 minutes trying to get from A to B and you know the most the traffic that we see now, you know, it's busy on our road if there's three cars go past at the same time. So it must be the school run time, you know. Absolutely. But yeah, I think, you know, it's just... I think what it is is since we were travelling so much before we moved here, everywhere in Scotland, we were visiting as much as we could. Couldn't wait to get back. And since moving here, we've travelled so much less. You know, we've only actually left the island to go and visit family and friends. We are getting a little bit of... sort of not itchy feet as in we don't want to be here but like we'd quite like to get back to Skye for a few days you know maybe over to Assynt in autumn, because that's you know you sort of miss trees a little bit but the coast more than makes up for the waves make up for it. yes. Oh, great. Okay, so can I have your second number, please? Number two. What is the most memorable moment you shared while working on a shoot? That question is from Ann. Probably the first time we saw Port of Ness really stormy because we've been heading up the sort of, it's our go-to place pretty much and I think we'd had about maybe a week of high winds and the sea was just so wild and we'd gotten up and headed out for sunrise and the waves were just incredible, you know, and they were smashing up against the rocks and The sun was just rising above. So all of the waves and the spray was just back late golden and it hadn't just never seen anything like it. And I think that was what sort of sparked a whole thing with we need to get out when it's windy. We need to get out. We need to see that. It was just unreal. You know, there's sort of a harbour wall up there as well. depends which way the wind direction is. But the waves sort of hit this harbor wall and they'd probably go 40, 50, 60 feet in the air. And again, we'd never seen anything like that. you sort of, I don't know, it's surreal. And even when you video that and you can see, doesn't, know, that when you stood experiencing that, the video is not a patch on it. So yeah, I think it's when it's stormy. Yeah, definitely. Okay, interesting. All right, so your third number, please? Number five. Number five, do you plan to offer tuition or workshops outside the Outer Hebrides? That's from Marie-Ange. That's an interesting question. Probably not at the moment. Probably not at the moment. What we want to do probably maybe into next year or the year after is start doing residential, you know, sort of a week of workshops. We're at the minute, we're sort of offering one-to-one tuition and sort of small group workshops for maybe a day or two. Again, just it's for me really for still building that confidence and sort of figuring things out a little bit. But I think sort of going to new locations or maybe locations that we've been to previously would be something we would consider, but maybe sort of in another couple of years, I think we're sort of building up to running, you know, week-long workshops here first before maybe venturing anywhere else. Oh exciting. So could I have your fourth number, please? one. oh lens do you find gives you the best results when doing closeups of the sea and do you use a tripod all the time? That's from Maribel. So close ups of the sea, I tend to use my 100 to 400 lens. And I still find that I end up putting it into crop sensor to give me that bit more extra reach. Tripod, if I'm sort of doing, because I love long exposure photography, so I sort of always have my camera on a tripod. If I've not, you know, I'll shoot handheld using the 100 to 400. but ordinarily I find it slows me down and helps me to sort of look at a composition and perfect it sort of time. yeah, so a bit both. I never used to shoot handheld, but I think since moving here, it's something that has sort of come naturally because, you know, when the, well, when the winds are blowing, you would struggle sort of with the camera on the tripod with the 100 to 400. Yeah, bit of both really. Okay. If you're trying to pick out waves or something, need a bit more flexibility, really, don't you? Okay. Okay, so your penultimate number, please? Number eight. Number eight, what is your favorite time of year on your island and why? That's from Philippa. Winter, winter time, anytime from the end of November through to sort of beginning of March time. Yeah. Fantastic, fantastic again for the waves, the sky, everything, everything about the island during that period of time is just what you dream of for photography. Yeah. Absolutely. the know sunrise is quite a humane time isn't it and sunsets you know. it gets to like quarter past nine in the morning for sunrise so it's much better than sort of four o'clock over summer. Yeah, big skies and drama over winter. Absolutely. Okay. Say your final number, please? Number 10. Number 10, do you have a favorite PermaJet paper or one that you use more often than the others for coastal images? That question is another one from Philippa. My favourite Permajet paper is the Portrait Rag 305. love that paper. But the Titanium Gloss and Titanium Lustre work really well for seascapes as well. The Photo Art Silk works really well for seascape photography. I think the Titanium Gloss and the Titanium Lustre, because it's got that metallic surface, whether it's long exposure or any, you know, the sky underwater photography, it just puts like a beautiful shimmer. Max took an image uh down at Harris underwater with some seaweed just sort of floating through and it's... because of the colour and the light that comes through, it just looks incredible. The Portrait Rag is my personal favourite because there's a lovely textured surface and the colour is just, velvety is the word to use. I do like the heritage papers because they've got the, it's really good for shadow detail and clarity. And again, they've got a nice textured weave as well. so printing's been a huge learning curve because before we moved here, I'd never printed at all. We always ordered prints online and it was Max that sort of said, well, why don't we just get our own printer and print? And it was like, no, come on. Come on. You know, and I remember sort of when we first got the printer, spending weeks trying to figure it out and those frustrations and sort of excitement at the same time and understanding fine art papers in particular was exciting. And I think when you find papers that you enjoy and that suit your style of photography, you know, it can really bring them to life. And we've just done a video for PermaJet. the Heritage range and sort of one of the things that I'd said in that video was about when you print an image and it comes off the printer and it almost brings the image to life and it feels you look at it and you feel how you felt when you shot it and for me that's when you know you've found a paper that you really love. So I suppose in answer to the question that there are a few papers was picking that up. So if it was... Yeah. the, you know, the Portrait Rag definitely, definitely is up there. if it was a really stormy day and you've got moody clouds and the sea's going wild, which paper would you use for a picture that you've taken? Probably the Portrait Rag or Museum Heritage. It would depend, I think, on the light because the Museum Heritage, like I say, it shows up that shadow detail and when you're shooting across into the cliffs, depending on where the light is and the spray and things like that. literally every image that I've printed on the Portrait Rag, it just astounds me. It's just such a beautiful paper for the colour and the texture. But I really love those Heritage papers, they're just beautiful, really beautiful. I think if they were in here now, there'd be a bunch of SheClickers saying, which printer did you get? Which printer? So, I'll ask. So because it was Max it was sort of saying let's get into printing and I was the over-thinker going no we shouldn't, we ended up so when we moved sort of we both weren't working and it was like well should we spend that amount of money on a printer? So we ended up going for the Canon Pro 200. Mm-hmm. In hindsight I wish I'd have gone for the Pro 300, so it might be something that we upgrade to because of the longer lasting prints and things like that. But yeah, mean I've not had any issues with the Pro 200, it's a fantastic printer and one that I'd recommend to anybody. It's been a great little piece of kit to invest in. We can do up to A3 on those, can't we for the gallery. Yeah. That's good. Yeah, A3 is a nice size, I mean A2 is amazing, but A3 is good size. yeah, we've got we've made a contact with a guy in Belfast that uses PermaJet paper up to A1 and he's just bought a new printer that does even bigger. So it's nice to get those sort of connections as well for the larger prints. But we do everything sort of up to A3. So Adele and Max, thank you so much for joining me on the Podcast today. It's been absolutely fantastic chatting with you. Thank you so much. No, thank you. It's been lovely chatting with you as Thanks very much. Cheers. Thanks for listening to this episode of the SheClicks Women in Photography podcast. I hope you enjoyed it. Special thanks to everybody who sent in a question. You'll find links to Adele and Max's website and social media channels in the I'll be back with another episode soon, so please subscribe to the show and tell all your friends and followers about it. You'll also find SheClicks on YouTube, X, Facebook and Instagram if you search for SheClicksNet. So until next time, enjoy your photography.