Penruddock-based photographer, author and outdoor guide Tom McNally visited the Keswick Photographic Society this week with a memorable evening of images and stories.
Tom told us about his background, starting with his father’s home darkroom, through a formal education to degree level in photography and a few years of outdoor guiding before developing a business combining his passions for photography, the outdoors, and Cumbria, from its mountain peaks to mining heritage, as well as volunteering with the mountain rescue service.
He works professionally with a number of outdoor brands, events and elite extreme athletes including skiing, climbing and mountaineering, base jumping & mountain biking.
Tom also showed one or two “extreme wedding” commissions and delivered an absolutely fascinating presentation – one of the best many members remember – with just the right balance of concept, technique (with “marginal gains”) and anecdote behind some of his award-winning images, sharing the joys, serendipity and difficulties of working in extreme environments both high in the mountains and underground.
It’s unusual to find a speaker with such an interesting narrative and excellent images as well as the effortless ability to engage and amuse an audience. His stock of “Extreme Lakeland” books was soon exhausted and we look forward very much to his “Forty Fells” publication and its associated Rheged exhibition next year following in the footsteps of our friend Amy Bateman.
We are all grateful to him for taking time out from his busy calendar and young family to give us such an outstanding talk.
Simon Roberts