My Grey Mare’s Tail trip was quite a wild ride. The temperature was below zero for most of the time, and the van heater failed so my nights were shivery too. However the land was in full flow and gave me some great footage to create my latest Earthlight film ‘The Moods of the Grey Mare’.
When I arrived I immediately climbed the fell on the opposite side of Moffat Water to get an overview of the landscape, and to see Loch Skeen and Grey Mare’s Tail waterfall in the context of their union.
It was a tough call for me as there’s no path up the fell and it’s very steep, so much so that I had to zigzag my way up. After an hour’s climb I recorded some video of the scene, intending it to be the introduction to the film. But it was not to be, it simply didn’t fit and had to be discarded. Leaving out a clip that was hard won is always difficult, but is a necessary step that unblocks the other opportunities for the film.
On day one I also filmed the fall from the left hand path, catching some interesting scenes before the mists descended. Those mists stayed with me for the entirety of my trip and offered some unique filming opportunities.
The river was in full spate and I could often feel the vibration through the rocks when I stood close to the edge. Unknown words seemed to come from the depths of the river as it pushed through gaps and around boulders.
My morning at Loch Skeen was sublime. Everything was rimmed with hoar and the edges of the loch were iced over. Standing by the side of the ice, creating a Medicine Movie for my Becoming Nature community, I was entranced by the contraction and expansion of the ice, and the accompanying creaks, cracks and groans.
The final film is slow, intentionally so. I am striving to resist the temptation for short and snappy clips, focusing instead on linger and longer… Time in nature needs to be contemplative and distraction free and I do my best to emulate this in my Earthlight films.
Wanted to tell you how much I appreciate all your tremendous efforts in making the film (including shivering sleep in van!) Which enables me to see the places I can’t get to. Made my heart beat faster in shots from top of the falls. With thanks from Sue. 🦋
Fabulous film of old grey mare’s tail. Interesting story of what happened behind the scenes.
Your perseverance paid off Jason! Thank you for sharing
What a fantastic film. You could really immerse yourself in the visual and audio. Thank you so much for your time and patience in bringing this to us. I felt my heart really resonate with this film.
I’m glad you enjoyed it Sandra. It’s one of my favourites right now.
Fabulous filming. Makes me feel so serene and slows me down, which is what I need. Love the moon scene at the end. Thank you Jason.
Thank you Caryl, I’m glad you enjoyed it and appreciate your kind words here.