Dumyat Hill Race 2023

Hi all,

Yes indeed you did spot me near the summit when you were running up:

Good to see you all again. I did see a few runners that I have captured before, if I am correct?

We were rather lucky with the weather, because just a few hours before the start I saw a yellow weather on the motorway for heavy rain. And we did get some, but were fortunate enough to enjoy the sunshine shortly after that.

According to one of the marshalls The Dumyat Hill Race 2023 attracted over 400 runners, each tackling the 390m climb across 8km of tough terrain in the Ochil Hills near Stirling.

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First runner coming up

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Last runner going down

Dumyat Hill Race 2023 results

The list with the Dumyat Hill Race results has now also been published. The first three are:

1. Sasha Chepelin, 00:32:33 (!?)

2. Kieran Cooper, 00:33:16

3. Finn Lydon, 00:33:47

The first thee female runners are:

1. Kate Maltby 00:37:09

2. Fiona Bunn, 00:41:16

3. Clare Stewart, 00:42:16

For more results you can dowload an excel sheet from the Stirling Uni site.

Via the link in the button below you will be able to see and download the images, but before you do, please read the following:

• you can freely download the images in all resolutions if it is for personal use

• in return we would appreciate a link to this website when you post them on your own social media channels

• also a tag (@studiovhf) or a mention on your social media channel is appreciated

• please contact us for commercial use

• if you want to share this post with others then please do so by using the sharing options at the bottom of this blog when you're on your mobile or at the top, when you are using a desktop. This is to ensure that people will be able to get through to the Flickr site.

Previous editions of the #dumyathillrace:

What a year!

It is an old habit of me to reflect on the year just past to determine if we have grown as a little business and how I have developed myself as a photographer from a creative and professional point of view. I haven’t done that on this site yet and will try to keep it as short as possible.. promise!.

Photographic highlights 2019

And that is where the trouble begins, because we like every image we produce otherwise we wouldn’t have taken it that way. Every now and then we select a few images when a series is finished and add them to the relevant sections of the website. Going through the library again today I make a different choice.

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Portrait photography in the studio

We are very grateful for the assigments we have had this year and appreciate your trust in delivering the look and feel you want. In addition to architectural and interior photography in Glasgow and Edinburgh we have made portraits, done fashion shoots in The Netherlands, product photography in the studio, photographed real estate, covered events and have even done a wedding in Stirling!

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Great atmosphere, stunning scenery and above all great fun!

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It was an honour to cover this wedding in Stirling and be given the trust to do so as after all you don’t find any wedding pictures on this website. Obviously we have done many weddings in the past but are now focussing more on commercial photography. Having said that, the next one is lined up already!

Another highlight I want to share with you is that we are honoured to be able to say that we now work for Ralph Lauren:

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Ingram Street, Glasgow

A rather challenging assignment, both during the capture but especially in post processing. It was one of those jobs where I have totally misjudged the amount of time that would be involved in the editing of the images. Anyway very much chuffed with the results and so is the client!

Interior photography Glasgow Edinburgh

Also this year, we have photographed many impressive interiors designed and build by Amos Beech, clients since 2001:

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The new offices of Cleanship in Glasgow

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(Clicking on the image will enlarge it in a lightbox)

To see more of their work I would recommend to have a look at the gallery and project page on their website.

We are also proud that we get more and more clients from down south who appreciate the style and eye for detail in our interior photography. Maganta projects assigned us to photograph their flagship project of Computershare in Edinburgh:

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You will find more images of this project in the gallery interior photography

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Commercial real estate photography

We have also photographed a number of buildings on the outside, like for instance this stunning Datacenter in The Netherlands:

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And 110 Queen Street in Glasgow, opposite Ralph Lauren:

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More images can be seen here: Commercial Real Estate Photography.

Fashion

Also good fun was the outdoor fashion shoot for Kjelvik Scandinavian Outdoor, featuring the summer collection of 2020:

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Events

We have also covered the Stirling Marathon this year (more images via the featured links below ) and are pleased that despite doubts about it’s future The Stirling Scottish Marathon will be back October next year. So if you are running you may find us in the verge again somewhere along the route!

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Another great event to cover was the In the Attic Music festival:

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2020

We are very much looking forward to the new year and are confident that we will cover a great variety of subjects again in both Scotland and The Netherlands. Above all, we are excited to re-open our studio in The Netherlands again, which will be bigger and better than we have had before, allowing for product photography of furniture, fashion and many other products as well as portrait photography.

We are looking forward to seeing you all again the the new year!

Wallace Monument Hogmanay Fireworks 2019

To mark the 150th Anniversary of The National Wallace Monument a special Hogmanay fireworks display was organised on the Abbey Craig which synchronised with the celebrations at Stirling Castle.

After the fireworks display the Monument was illuminated in a multi-colour display using their new floodlights.

For more information about the monument click here: The National Wallace Monument.

Dumyat Hill Race 2018 Photos

That people run OK, you see that more often but that people run uphill?? That is another matter! Only recently we have had the Stirling Marathon. And believe it or not, 35 KG's ago even Photographer Stirling did the odd cooper test and other sports, but never anything like what I have seen the other week, let alone what I have seen today! 

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The mountain rescue service on their way to the Dumyat summit

Of course I have a great excuse because we don't have hills in The Netherlands. Therefore for me Dumyat is a mountain! 

Dumyat Hill Race 2018 Photos

The Dumyat Mountain Race is organised by Stirling University.

The website says:

"This race is ideal for all levels, from those attempting their first hill race to the more experienced hill runner."

Perhaps that's why 400 people signed up? 

The record of the Dumyat Hill Race stands at 32 mins and 23 second, so I planned an extra hour or so to get up there and choose my position. I was expecting fierce competition from other photographers to get the best spot.

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Mountain rescue team, Stirling University marshals and photographer

The wind was already strong, but that was nothing in comparison with the rain that was on its way. And rain at that height comes in horizontally!

I had to give up in the end because I couldn't see in the viewfinder anymore if the images were in focus. I was totally relying on experience (as in: in theory they should be good..) and the sophistication of today's Canon autofocus system. It is rather amazing really that it can still find the (moving) subject behind the rain and bring it into focus.

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At this time it was really pissing down!

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One of the marshall showing his admiration

Dumyat Hill Race results

Some results of the Dumyat Hill Race 2018 that we want to share with you are those of some that feature in our pictures:

1. Scott Fraser (788), overall winner with 00:34:37,

2. Jonathan Crickmore (708) with 00:35:21

3. Hamish Battle (730) the photogenic one, with 00:35:21

and of course prominently featuring in these images are:

• Bill Duff (543) with 01:01:06

• Chris Lorimer (872) with 00:42:35

• Amy Frankland (754) with 00:43:53

• And many, many more!

Unfortunately not all 349 runners will find themselves back in our photos, but I hope you enjoy viewing them nevertheless. For more results and images please visit the site of Stirling University.

All extremely well done everybody!

More Photos of the Dumyat Hill Race

Via the link below you can see all the photos taken by Photographer Stirling, but before you do please read the following:

• you can freely download the images in all resolutions if it is for personal use

• in return we would appreciate a link to this website when you post them on your own social media channels

• please contact us for commercial use

• if you want to share this post with others then please do so by using the sharing options at the bottom of this blog when you're on your mobile or at the top, when you are using a desktop. This is to ensure that people will be able to get through to the Flickr site.

I hope you will find yourself in one of the images. Enjoy!

You can find the images here:

10-05-2018 20:45h : all images are now online! If I have missed you then perhaps I see you next year?

Thanks for visiting!

Vincent Hartman

More recent editions:

Stirling marathon photos

Today we covered parts of the Stirling Marathon 2018. The start of the Stirling Scottish Marathon was at 08:30h on Millennium Way (A84)  close to Stirling City Centre. I was waiting for them at Graigforth Crossing and later on Airthrey Road between Wallace High School and Stirling University.

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Stirling, the Gateway to the Highlands

Stirling marathon photos

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The runners are on their way

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Michael Wright takes the lead and he kept it, making him the winner of Stirling Marathon 2018 with 2:29:38 !

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Scotland's most picturesque marathon

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Great atmosphere!

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Realising what is lying ahead...

More Photos of the Stirling Marathon

Via the link below you can see all the photos taken by Photographer Stirling, but before you do please read the following:

• you can freely download the images in all resolutions if it is for personal use

• in return we would appreciate a link to this website when you post them on your own social media channels

• please contact us for commercial use

• if you want to share this post with others then please do so by using the sharing options at the bottom of this blog when you're on your mobile or at the top, when you are using a desktop. This is to ensure that people will be able to get through to the Flickr site.

I hope you will find yourself in one of the images. Enjoy!

You can find the images here:

Update 30-04-2018 18:30h: all images are now online!

Vincent Hartman

DUMYAT In The Winter Of 2018

Stunning scenery again here in Central Scotland. We went up on Dumyat on Saturday afternoon for some exercise and another attempt for a panorama.

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View on Wallace Monument from Dumyat

The first time I wanted to create a panorama from this viewpoint was in the summer. As it is a bit of a climb, I didn't bother taking a tripod. Sometimes you get away with it, but not this time. For sufficient overlap between images you can better use live-view and the grid on the LCD on the back of the camera.

This time I decided to take a light carbon fiber tripod up the hill which was kindly carried bij Daan Metz on the way up and Brockwell James (who we bumped into on the summit) on the way down. Thanks guys!

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If you click on the image below, a new window will open with the high resolution image. You can browse the Forth Valley all the way from the Queensferry Crossing in the east to Stirling at the foot of the hill.

The Foth Valley from Dumyat

The image is 59.954 x 4.760 pixels at 300DPI and has a file size if 1.6GB

DUMYAT

The final 360 image took a bit longer to construct and still has some minor errors, but for this purpose I am happy with it. The main problem was the maximum file size of the Adobe Camera Raw that powers Lightroom. Anyway, I won't bother you with the details. I found this blog about Panorama File Sizes that explains why things weren't working as they should and found a way around it.

I decided to process the separate images in Lightroom first as that can be done reasonably quickly and you can copy edits from image to image. Then I made 3 panorama's of 55 images each in Lightroom and stitched them together in Photoshop manually (the autofunction didn't work properly either), hence you may notice some errors, that I left in there to save time. Perhaps later when I am bored or when somebody wants to buy the image they can be corrected. 

The image can be seen by clicking on the thumbnail below:

The final image is 106.587 x 5168 pixels at 300DPI and has a file size of 3GB.

The river Forth at Kildean

A few days later the snow was gone, it was raining and there was high tide:

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Wallace Monument

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Stirling Castle

Photographer Stirling

Hogmanay Fireworks Stirling Castle 2018

Time lapse by of the fireworks display during the Hogmanay celebrations 2018

Some Shots From The Local Area

With less editing jobs to do over the weekends and the weather improving, I am getting out a bit more by car, by foot or a combination of both. Sometimes with camera.

In the slideshow below in aspect ratio 16:9, you will find images taken in Falkirk, the surrounding countryside of Stirling, Carronbridge, North Third and Kilsyth.

The slideshow starts with two shots taken from a recreational area in Falkirk between Princes Park and Callander Park. A great place with good views over Falkirk and the Forth Valley and the countryside south of the town towards Shieldhill. The third image represents something where the United Kingdom is an example for The Netherlands as it generates 25% of it's energy consumption through renewable energy sources like wind and water power, heat-pumps and not surprisingly to a lesser extend solar energy. The fourth image is taken at North Third Reservoir. The overview landscape over Falkirk, Grangemouth refinery and in the distance the New Forth Road Bridge, is taken from the carpark at the Tak-Ma Doon Road between Carron Bridge and Kilsyth. In the last two images you see Stirling Castle and The Wallace Monument.

Some shots during walks from Falkirk:

Great walks from Lionthorn Falkirk via Glen Burn, up the hill towards Westerglen Transmitting Station.

Carron Valley:

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Bracklinn Falls in Callander, Stirlingshire

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F11, 10s, ISO100, see further details under the image below

The Loup of Fintry waterfall Stirlingshire

Loup of Fintry waterfall is on the River Endrick in the Carron Valley. It is 29m high in the Endrick River and feeds the Carron Reservoir. 

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Canon 5DS with old 70-200 f2.8L, to fit the 77mm ND filter. The 6 stops B+W Neutral Density filter allows for long shutter speeds during daylight to achieve a nice milky water flow. Focal length 70mm, F8, 3.2s, ISO50.

Loch Lomond:

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A bit further afield:

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Upper Glendevon Reservoir

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Laide in the North West of Scotland

The River Forth

The river starts at Loch Ard in the Trossachs, a mountainous area 19 miles west of Stirling. Just west of Stirling the river Teith joins the forth and at Stirling the river becomes tidal. It widens eastwards and becomes the estuary Forth or Firth of Forth and eventually ends in the North Sea.

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The start of the River Forth at Aberfoyle

All images by Vincent Hartman