Landscape Photography Vlogs

Once in a Lifetime Seascape Photography

When I went to do some seascape photography I never ever thought I would witness something so spectacular. These unique moments come along so rarely in landscape photography so when they do, you have to seize the moment. This vlog documents one of my favourite photography moments, possibly ever.

Once in a lifetime photo opportunities come around so rarely. When they do it is important to be ready to capture them. The readiness comes from hard work and dedication; getting out with the camera, week after week, honing your skills and practicing your craft. We can go months without capturing a ‘keeper’ but so many photographers in the past have had their careers take off because of a single image. You never know when that might happen to you.

Finally a note on luck. Lucky is a word that is thrown around freely. Was I lucky to capture that last image? Maybe, but luck does not account for the years of hard work, the years of getting out day after day, the fact I switched to plan B because my original location at Saltwick Bay was completely in cloud. Luck didn’t drive me two hours to the location and luck didn’t set the correct camera settings and capture the composition and image.

I had planned to film a video which essentially would have been a seascape photography tutorial. When the amazing conditions presented themselves though I had to default to just capturing the images. Seascape photography can be very creative with the use of long exposure photography, using leading lines and interesting shapes, using the water in the foreground, capturing whatever colour is available and mixing these things into your composition. I will film the tutorial at some point but I still utilised all these techniques so there are plenty of seascape photography tips on offer in this landscape vlog. 

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My video photography blogs are designed to entertain and document how I go about capturing my work. If it provides landscape photography tips and inspiration along the way then please share it with your friends so more people can benefit from the content. If you enjoyed this photography vlog I would really appreciate it if you subscribed to the channel so you can come along for the journey.

5 Ways to Simplify and Improve your Landscape Photography

Improve your landscape photography by simplifying your images. 

When working with clients on a workshop, the single biggest thing people are looking to improve is their composition skills. Finding a good composition will often result with a photographer being told they have ‘the eye’. This is fine, but it also implies it is a god given talent that cannot be improved upon. I do not believe this is the case. Certainly some are more creative than others but there are still skills and knowledge that can be learned to improve photography composition.

Although it may play a part, simplifying an image is not just about removing items or objects from the picture. What we are really talking about is simplifying the story. For this we must first understand what the story actually is. What are you trying to convey to the viewer? What emotions are you trying to evoke? What is the story? Without this, an image will be a purely technical exercise and will be left lacking. The story can only come from you so there is no prescriptive method. However, when standing in front of a scene, think about how you are feeling, what does the landscape say to you? Is it a beautiful scene? If the answer is yes, then why? Being in touch with your own feelings is vital in making the work personal to you. Aim to tell the story of landscape from your own point of view.

The next stage is to consider the actual composition of the scene in front of us. Rules of composition work. They are often a good starting point once a subject has been established. Identifying a subject is not always easy, but look for the good light, good shapes and interesting features and things should become easier. Subjects can include anything from a rock in the foreground, a tree, a distant mountain or cliff, a sky full of colour or even the whole scene itself. An image can also include more than one subject if the story flows from one to another. Leading lines are a good narrative tool. They tell the viewer where to begin and guide them through the scene and story. The rule of thirds is also worth considering until you find something better and the rule is broken.

To simplify the image, focus down onto the story and use composition and technique to achieve it without distraction.

1. Long Exposure

Take the image above which looks out from the Scottish mainland to the Isle of Skye. There are a number elements that make the image work. Firstly the leading lines of the jetty guide the viewer from the bottom of the image and out over the loch towards the distant mountain. The snow covered mountain is also framed by the two either side of it with more rock than snow showing.

I have then used long exposure to remove detail from the water and the clouds; this literally simplifies the image. The smooth water shows more reflection and also puts more emphasis on the jetty and the mountains and there is no distraction in the sky.

The jetty is in a small village called Glenelg in a remote area of the West Coast of Scotland. The people living there have to be resourceful and do things for themselves in order to get by. This creates a functional industrial feel to the village. The jetty, which is clearly old and not designed for recreation, hints toward this heritage. The jetty is also in a truly beautiful location and this juxtaposition is shown in the loch and distant mountains.

Further simplification can occur in post-production. The second image shows a test exposure that is an unedited standard exposure.

The conversion to black and white was planned at the time because the colour creates distraction and is not particularly appealing. However the soft morning light was beautiful and where it hits the metal of the jetty, creates some really interesting tones. Finally a blue toner has been added to enhance the overall metallic industrial feel of the photograph.

2. Negative Space

Another way to simplify an image is to draw attention to the subject by using negative space. The image above shows where this can work in a landscape image and produces what is often described as a fine art feel. The white areas of the sky and the bright surface of the sea serve to draw all the attention to the old groins. The image was shot on a bleak beach on the remote and neglected spot of Spurn Point in East England. It is actually a colour image but the natural lack of colour, and focus placed on the groins, support the bleakness and loneliness of the story.

3. Isolate the Subject

Isolating a subject in a photograph is a very common way to simplify a picture and enhance the story. It is the basis of the majority of portrait photography where all focus it put on the model by either blowing out the background with big apertures, or using plain backgrounds in a studio setting.

The same applies to landscape photography where an image can often be described as intimate or a ‘portrait of the landscape’. There are countless ways to achieve this including using a longer lens, capturing a tree in a foggy woodland or using an extreme wide angle lens very close to the subject.

The image above shows a tree growing out the side of a Welsh mountain. For a few moments the sun shone perfectly down a small gully in the mountain and lit up the tree in a very exciting moment. I used the light and natural contrast to isolate the tree from the background to emphasise the fleeting moment the image represented. The second image shows the exact same composition just a few moments later once the sun has passed. You can see how the tree blends back into the cliff face and there is no image at all.

4. Simplifying the Image VS Simplifying the story.

Removing features and items from an image does not necessarily mean we are simplifying the story. Take the two images above of a mountain in Glencoe on a truly stunning day of landscape photography — watch the video now — https://youtu.be/iXyUDwB9sMQ.

In the picture on the right I have removed the road in photoshop. There is a lot I prefer about the composition without the road but it has complicated the story. My location becomes less clear, it deceives the viewer and most importantly it has removed the sense of scale provided by the road in the absence of any other permanent object.

Another example is shown here. The picture on the left is full of detail and colour; there is lot going on in the summer scene consisting of a view dear to my heart. However the photograph works using a number of compositional elements. The heather bathing in the warm light immediately tells the viewer it is the height of summer, the winding curves of the path lead you round and up to Roseberry Topping, which along with the sun, is sitting on the cross sections of the rule of thirds. In the other image I have removed the heather. Very often less is more, but by removing the heather the story is now lost. The composition no longer works, particularly as the light hitting the hill to the right distracts the viewer from the main subject of Roseberry Topping.

The aim is to simplify the story, not just the elements in the photograph.

5. Cropping

 

‘Get it right in camera!!!’ It is a common phrase that I do not subscribe to when it comes to processing an image. However it is more applicable with composition. You simply cannot change perspective in post production. You can however crop. It is always better to plan a crop like a square or a panorama at the point of shooting but cropping can be used in post to remove distracting elements that you missed at the time of shooting. Whether you end up using that particular image or not, use the new found knowledge and hindsight as a reason to re-visit the scene and capture it again.

The images below are an example of where cropping can work. The picture on the left is the full un-cropped frame. It was an incredible evening for a number of reasons (watch the video here — https://youtu.be/6NqDSY2nVu0) but when the sky set on fire I was not totally focused on the photography.

The image on the left is not bad. It just has some distracting elements that do not assist the story. By cropping in, the leading lines of the cliffs and the road become more prominent improving the pathway through the image towards the sky of fire. The horizon now also sits on the rule of thirds which adds to the overall balance of the image. The crop has worked because all the right elements were captured in the original file.

Simplifying an image is just one way in which composition can be improved. Give it a try, work hard and your images will almost certainly begin to improve.

Landscape Photography | Wild Camping in the Lake District

I meet up with Gary Gough to climb to the top of a mountain and do some wild camping in this landscape photography vlog.

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Having a day out shooting landscape photography is good for the soul and almost always improves  your wellbeing, especially in the Lake District. Going out alone is great. More recently though I have found I can get a new sense of perspective when taking photographs with a friend. That’s exactly what Gary Gough and I did today. 

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The Lake District is an incredible place to take photographs. Sunsets are not always easy though because as the sun sets, the mountains cast very large shadows over the landscape and unless you’re up high, it’s going to be a struggle. Being up high at sunset though means you’re in for a dark and lonely walk down. Unless you wild camp that is. Wild camping is not strictly allowed in the Lake District but it’s a fairly common practice and will not upset anyone if you are respectful. Eg don’t light a fire, take all rubbish away, set up late and leave early etc. Obvious things. 

Once you are set though we are rewarded with the ability to capture a sunset, and the following sunrise with relative ease. If the weather is good, it will be something special when waking up to a mountain vista with no one else around. Magical.

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In this video Gary and I hiked to the to the top of Great End where we spent the night. The conditions were amazing and the view is undoubtedly one of the finest in the UK. Despite this the Photography conditions were challenging because a mist in the air was catching all the light and removing all the detail from the shadow areas. However once the sun started to dip behind the cloud I managed to get a few images.

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My video photography blogs are designed to entertain and document how I go about capturing my work. If it provides landscape photography tips and inspiration along the way then please share it with your friends so more people can benefit from the content. If you enjoyed this photography vlog I would really appreciate it if you subscribed to the channel so you can come along for the journey.

I took some really average pictures | Landscape Photography Vlog

We all have bad days with landscape photography. Compositions aren’t right, the light doesn’t play ball and we make mistakes. I travel all the way to Wast Water in the Lake District to have a day just like this.

Landscape Photography is like golf. It is a detailed past time full of intricacy, fun, exercise and constant frustration. You do something that feels right but then the ball slices off a million miles to the right. You work hard and you get better and better but it never feels like you have mastered it. Frustration and annoyance come almost as often as total satisfaction. The thing is, we keep coming back for more.

At the start of this day I was cosy in my office and did not want to leave. The weather was poor, I was warm and the motivation to get outdoors to take some photographs was pretty low. Thankfully I managed to get myself out and drove the 3.5 hours to Wast Water in the Lake District. However, when I got there I was tired from the drive and the stresses of living with children who do not sleep. The weather was also very grey. The cold grey weather is seriously getting me down, especially as we now near May.

The day consisted of me struggling with composition, feeling disconnected from the images and the landscape and generally not performing to my usual standards. I think you can see this in the video. I still climbed up a mountain and the views were great. I got the usual boost to my wellbeing but when I got home I was bitterly disappointed with the two images I captured. It still produced an interesting video, giving some insight into when it goes wrong for a photographer. Landscape photography is a wave of ups and downs. I need to get up again asap. A period of nice sunny weather, with beautiful sunsets, will seriously help me.

Glencoe

Glencoe is a destination high up on the list of anyone doing landscape photography in the UK. In my latest Scotland video I head out in some truly amazing snowy conditions in one of my most epic vlogs yet.

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This is the second part of my annual landscape photography trip to Scotland for 2018. After struggling to bring the huge scenes of the Cairngorms down into a good composition we headed over to Glencoe. We had heard there had been heavy snow showers overnight but the weather forecast looked perfect for the day ahead. We started perfectly when we stopped of at the stunning Ruthven Barracks to capture a classic Scottish scene.

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People often say to me, when I capture a great shot, that I was lucky with the weather. I understand this but there is more to it. I believe you make your own luck and that is certainly what Lyle and I did on this day. The roads were horrendous getting to Glencoe and it was an extremely difficult drive that was long and stressful.

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On arrival hundreds of photographers were already at the location where we had planned to park. It was demoralising and there was no where to park the car. This was a blessing in disguise and forced us to rethink and find another spot. We found a tiny space in a lay-by and decided to trek up the side of the opposite mountain through incredibly deep snow. It was tough going through the two feet of snow but we were helped by the tracks already forged by the local deer. The effort all became worth it at the end of the day. We found ourselves in a spot that no other photographers had visited that day and it was a very special moment. Perfect for landscape photography. It was hard work at the time, but the memories I now own I will cherish forever.

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Landscape Photography in the Snow - Winter in North Yorkshire

Snow is the the theme of this landscape photography vlog. I travel to Roseberry Topping in North Yorkshire to make the most of some winter conditions and talk about how I capture landscapes in the snow.

Snow Challenges

Landscape photography in the snow can present some genuine challenges. Firstly the cold causes problems and in this shoot pretty much all my gear stopped functioning by the end of the day. It seems obvious to say, but snow is wet. It just doesn’t feel wet when it is falling out of the sky. The snow had been falling on me, my gear and my bag all day and, by the end, everything was wet to the core.

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Technical Challenges

Secondly there are the technical challenges to shooting in snow. This mainly comes in the form of exposure and white balance. When shooting in the snow the highlights created by the light reflecting off the snow can really confuse the camera’s meter. Putting your camera into manual mode is a must. Using the LCD and Histogram in Liveview will then help you get in right place with exposure. I always shoot in RAW which gives me a large amount of adjustment to exposure in post-production. With white balance, cameras often tend to capture snow with a very blue tint. You see this a lot on TV and it can be used purposefully to add to the cold feeling of the scene. However, have you ever seen blue snow? Again, shooting in RAW provides full control of white balance in post production and I always aim to bring my images to match the scene I visualised at the time ie with white snow. In the last shot of the day the snow had a slightly yellow, orange warm glow to it when it was bathed in the evening sun.

Location, Location, Location

In the video I also talk about shooting from the same location on numerous occasions. I am often asked how I find locations and do I run out of places to shoot. I am a big fan of returning to the same place and capturing an image of it over and over again. Capturing a scene in the different seasons, in different weather, in different light will produce very different photographs and the one you make on the 15th time of asking might be the one that really pops and gains attention.

Happy New Year

Finally I’d just like to wish you a very happy new year. I hope good things happen to you in 2018 and I look forward to running into you out in the landscape. Thank you so much for subscribing, watching, commenting and sharing. It means a lot.

Rise Above it for a New Perspective - Landscape Photography Vlog

A Blencathra Adventure

This week I climb the mighty mountain of Blencathra in the Lake District. A tough but rewarding climb followed by an interesting sunset in this landscape photography vlog.

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Despite my numerous visits to the Lake District in the past I have never climbed Blencathra. It sits proudly on the North Eastern edge of the Lakes like a mighty gate-keeper. There are numerous ways to summit the mountain. I choose the hardest path aiming to capture the drama of this mountain.

Beautful Weather, Tricky for Photography

The weather was absolutely beautiful and hot, making the climb difficult and the photography conditions even harder. Capturing great landscape photography in conditions where there is nothing but blue skies is tough. Faced with harsh light and huge contrast, it’s important to get in the right spot and think creatively. This is where black and white photography can be very effective, especially when you work a composition that is full of interesting tones. 

Shooting in Company

Recently I have been fully enjoying creating the films in company with a friend. Today I headed out with my friend Paddy who is an experienced walker and explorer. He also has a van called Christopher and he has recently launched a new Instagram account to chronicle his adventures. See the link above.

The Sunset Moment 

At the end of the day we headed down the mountain for a sunset shot. We made it with minutes to spare just as the sun dipped behind the mountains. I had picked out a little spot by a small body of water called Tewet Tarn. The area was thick with midges and, whilst I would normally avoid this, today I had no choice. I wanted the shot. In the end I captured an image to finish off the story of my day and Blencathra. A fire had also been raging during out decent. The smoke filled the Derwent valley and created some interest in the sky that made for a decent time lapse at the end. All in all, a great day of landscape photography.

Landscape Photography - Tough day at the office

Not every day can be perfect. I struggle with high winds, driving rain and unpredictable conditions in this landscape photography vlog. 

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Of to North Yorkshire

In this episode I travel to Sutton Bank in North Yorkshire with the aim of having a more relaxed day of landscape photography. I set out in beautiful conditions that were perfect for some stunning sunset photography. 

Landscape Photography in Spring

The weather has been pretty good to me during the Spring. If one thing is certain though, it's that British weather never fails to disappoint before too long. Even when the forecast is bright, things can change quickly for the worse. That's exactly what happened in this trip. I set off with bright sunshine, warm temperatures and perfect photography conditions. On arrival, an hour up the road, it was grey, cold and wet. Very disappointing. 

Never one to give up, I took off hoping to find a gap in the weather. A landscape photography tutorial may teach about ideal weather or lighting conditions but good photography can be captured in any weather. Often great photography conditions can appear momentarily when the weather turns. You just have to be there to capture it, that's half the challenge with outdoor photography. 

Making the best of your outdoor photography

In what proved to be a very difficult, and slightly unpleasant, day of landscape photography I still managed to create 2-3 strong photographs. After being in these landscapes, the wellbeing always follows the effort of a good walk and it is always worth staying out and persevering. It is one of the simple photography tips and techniques but actually getting up off the sofa and out the door is easier said than done. 

My video photography blogs are designed to entertain and document how I go about capturing my work. If it provides landscape photography tips and inspiration along the way then please share it with your friends so more people can benefit from the content. If you enjoyed this photography vlog I would really appreciate it if you subscribed to the channel so you can come along for the journey.

Landscape Photography - Sunset in the Yorkshire Dales

Landscape Photography at Grimwith Reservoir

I visit Grimwith Reservoir in the Yorkshire Dales in this landscape photography vlog. There are panoramas, sunsets and some beautiful golden light.

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Getting out and taking pictures of beautiful scenes is one of life's great pleasures. You can sit at home and watch a landscape photography tutorial but there is simply no substitute to getting off your backside and heading into the great outdoors. It is always a learning experience. Since creating these vlogs I have been going out more than ever and my recent learnings have been around the anticipation of how the weather and the light will develop as the day progresses. There is obviously a massive element of luck when it comes to the weather but every little observation and bit of experience you gather will add to your overall expertise.

Documenting the journey

It has been an interesting experience documenting my work in this way. The story of my day is all built around the images. Without the photographs there is no vlog (although I will be vlogging some of my other business activities at some point). This adds extra pressure to capture good images with the weekly video deadline ever looming. In the past I would often go out and return home empty handed when the weather did not play ball or my composition was not quite right. Now though, I am simply putting everything out - the good, the bad and the ugly. It has been fascinating seeing the reaction.

People clearly value truth and honesty and I am laying myself bare for all to see. However on several occasions people have loved the images. I simply would not have published previously. Whilst people are often quick to praise, the analytics afforded by social media really helps to back up this feedback. Enjoy the process, create the work, put it out and let people decide what they like. Trust in your talents and do not waste time criticising yourself.

Grimwith Reservoir

Grimwith Reservoir is the largest body of water in the Yorkshire Dales and was extended to it's current size in the early 1980's. It is now a beautiful location and important area for some of the local bird life. It is also a particularly remote and unforgiving landscape and high winds are the norm. On this occasion though the sun was out and made for a very pleasant Spring walk.

My video photography blogs are designed to entertain and document how I go about capturing my work. If it provides photography tips and inspiration along the way then please share it with your friends so more people can benefit from the content. If you enjoyed this photography vlog I would really appreciate it if you subscribed to the channel so you can come along for the journey.

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Landscape Photography - Chasing the light along Hadrian’s Wall

Chasing the golden light

I travel to the famous Roman Wall in this landscape photography vlog to capture some long exposures and beautiful golden light.

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Your best landscape photography

Hadiran’s Wall is an excellent destination for landscape photography. There are numerous compositions waiting to be photographed. One such image is the Sycamore Tree made famous by the film Robin Hood Prince of Thieves. I use some long exposure photography to really make the best of a popular composition.

Although the weather for the day started out well it became very changeable as the day progressed. This resulted in some frantic moments as I chased the light along the wall to make best use of the golden colour in the right composition.

My video photography blogs are designed to entertain and document how I go about capturing my work. If it provides tips and inspiration along the way then please share it with your friends so more people can benefit from the content. If you enjoyed this photography vlog I would really appreciate it if you subscribed to the channel so you can come along for the journey.

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Striving for the killer shot - Landscape Photography Vlog

Landscape photography vlog in the North York Moors

I go out hunting for a killer sunset photograph in this landscape photography vlog.

In this landscape photography video blog I travel to the North York Moors to capture a big sunset photograph for the day. When heading out in this capacity you are always at the total mercy of the weather and how the end of the day will play out. Amazing sunsets are not common so photographing that special moment includes an element of luck. To get the killer shot you still need to have a good composition, an artistic idea of what you want to achieve and actually physically being in the right place at the right time. You will not capture amazing images sitting on your sofa.

There will be times when your landscape photography trips end without bagging a killer shot, in fact, probably most times. These occasions should still be viewed as positive. Focus on the learning that has taken place, the fresh air and experience you have benefitted from and you will likely still come home with a decent image in the can.

Invest in your photography

I have talked before about investing in your photography. Committing your time to heading out to capture landscape photographs is a big part of that. If you accept in advance that you may only capture a killer shot once every few times you head out, then we can define this as success. One good image in a day is a success. When the trips and the years start adding up, your portfolio of great landscape images will follow suit.

My video photography blogs are designed to entertain and document how I go about capturing my work. If it provides tips and inspiration along the way please share it with your friends so more people can benefit from the content. If you enjoyed this photography blog I would really appreciate it if you subscribed to the channel so you can come along for the journey.

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Landscape Photography - Shooting on the edge of the world

Isle of Mull Part 3

In this landscape photography vlog I travel to the Isle of Mull in search of some big scenes and a sunset to conclude my epic trip. I also fall into a bog.

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Landscape photography in Mull

In the video I spend my last epic day in the Isle of Mull shooting landscape photography. Today I go in search of some huge landscapes to really tell the story of the island.

The day started well and conditions were still but a little cloudy. The first shot of the day was of an unbelievable road that is sandwiched between a mountain and the sea. It provides an imposing scene. I climbed up a little way to get the composition I wanted. It would be a scary place if the weather was bad.

Next up, Lyle and I, rescued a couple of nice ladies who had broken down. I forgot to film it though so I apologise for that. A quick water fall shot and we were moving on to capture the big sunset shot of the day.

The day, and entire trip, ended in a truly incredible landscape. I shot several compositions and captured a beautiful time lapse. I nearly fell entirely into a bog before capturing a huge scene after the sun had gone down.

The whole trip was amazing and I have made some very good memories and created some images that I am proud of.

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My landscape photography vlogs are designed to document the creation of my work and share my methods and artistic process. If you are inspired to get out and shoot some landscape photography then I have done my job.

Landscape Photography Vlog - Isle of Mull Part 2

Part two of my landscape photography trip to the Isle of Mull.

I go out walking to get in touch with landscape and capture a beautiful sunset.

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In this Landscape photography vlog I am again in the Isle of Mull. After yesterday’s scouting mission, jumping in and out of the car, I go walking and bring things back to basics. I capture two good photographs in the first few moments after leaving the house and end the day with some beautiful sunset photography.

When shooting an image I find my artistic vision comes from getting to know the landscape and gaining an understanding of it. Difficult to do in the car; a walk can be the perfect antidote. Join me on my day shooting some landscape photography.

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Landscapes and Wildlife Photography on the Isle of Mull

A First Man landscape and wildlife photography vlog.

We travel to the Isle of Mull to capture some stunning landscape and wildlife photography and go in search of wild Otters.

This is the first episode of my landscape photography vlogs coming from the Isle of Mull on the West coast of Scotland.

The day started extremely early. I had booked us onto a 2pm ferry so we could arrive whilst it's was still light and potentially capture a sunset photograph on the first day.

The Isle of Mull

The Isle of Mull is high up in the Northern hemisphere. The days are very short in January with only about 8 hours of daylight. This meant maximising the daylight, shooting all day and then enjoying the long evenings. On this occasion I was travelling with my good friend Lyle McCalmont. Evenings spent post processing the day's bounties with the odd glass of wine are something to relish. Especially whilst reliving old times with the spark from some great music.

After a smooth journey and a particularly smooth ferry crossing we arrived on the Isle of Mull. Our accommodation was called Suide Farm Cottages and was about a 45 minute drive from the ferry port. On arrival there we drove straight past and headed for the village of Fionnphort, the most westerly tip of Mull. The sunset Sky never arrived but I ended the day capturing a worthy time lapse.

Day 2 - Hunting Otters

Day 2 began with some unexpected but welcome black and white landscape photography shot from out the back of the house. The addition of a very long lens and some contrast really cut through the haze.

We then got back in the car and went in search of some wildlife photography featuring the Wild Otters, buzzards and Highland Cows (not strictly wildlife). We stopped on a number of occasions to absorb the sheer enormity of the island. It is both brutal and unforgiving and the picture of the lone tree seemed to sum that up.

It took time to get into position to capture the Otters. Thankfully Lyles experience with wildlife photography and the animals meant it was not too long before I started understand how to spot them and understand some of their behaviour. Wildlife photography requires patience, commitment and slight obsession. Lyle has this and drives him to get the shot. This includes crawling through the sea to get low enough to capture a killer image.

We decided to work together so he got the still shot and I filmed the video. Using the 400mm lens with the Canon 5D Mark IV, the 4K features meant I did not have to get a close because I knew I could crop in to 1080p. Sucess followed shortly after and included one of best Otter shots I have ever seen coming from Lyle. I was also chuffed with my footage.

Sunset Phototgraphy

The day ended around the other side of the Loch with the planned landscape photograph of the day. The beaches around Mull are rocky and full of seaweed and make finding good foreground interest challenging. I explored around and found the composition I was looking for as the sun started to light the mountains and create some beautiful colours in the sky. This was changing fast though. I shot a 4 minute long exposure to capture as much of it as possible and introduce some interesting movement to the scene.

The day was fantastic but challenging. The island provided so many photo opportunities that narrowing down and focusing on a few shots became difficult. Especially considering the limited hours of daylight.

Episode 2 and 3 of the Mull trip will follow this video. Please subscribe to the Youtube channel.

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Landscape Photography - Waterfalls and Winter Woes

The world of winter landscape photography

Landscape photography in the winter can be a terrible beast. Many things stand in the way of the perfect shot. Rain, wind, lack of colour, unbearable conditions and limited daylight. Despite this,  some of the most beautiful landscape images can emerge from a winters day. However, being in the right place at the right time to capture a great composition is a massive challenge.

Planning

Planning is the key. It is the key to success generally with landscape photography, but is especially the case in the winter. The destination for your shoot should be planned around the weather. There is little point climbing a mountain in heavy wind and clouds. When you get to the top you will be disappointed and most likely a little uncomfortable.

A freezing winter scene with snow and ice will make a magical postcard scene. Sadly most winter days are not like this, especially in the UK and many other classically beautiful places. They are wet, windy, grey and cold. It makes landscape photography in the winter very tricky and requires some 'out of the box' thinking.

What are my options?

There are two good options. Firstly, you go minimalist and arty. Find a lone tree, a rock in a pool, a pier in the fog. Add some interest with a long exposure and these images can be beautiful and tell a story of the location. The story is vital. Get a feel for the place, try to understand it and translate that story into your image. Truly great landscape photographs are born from this type of process. This story can also be enhanced with a short description of your experience at the time and how you came to capture the image.

Secondly, you find somewhere with more interesting features. Cityscapes work well, or like in the video, somewhere with waterfalls. A good waterfall shot is often taken in woods. An overcast day with nice diffused light will result in a better final image.

Ribblehead Viaduct

Nature then takes the lead, to provide the weather that has been forecast, or pivot and do something completely different. The later presented itself to me on my recent shoot at Ribblehead Viaduct in the Yorkshire Dales. My arrival at Ribblehead Viaduct was during some weather of sunny spells, conditions that often lead to a good sunset. However, seconds after I started walking the weather moved in.

Settling for a moody long exposure landscape shot was an acceptable second place. Still the disappointment remains. Winter landscape photography is hard. It requires dedication and an investment of time where the return is far from guaranteed. Failures will happen often. But on some days, when you put in the work and the stars align, you will be rewarded with a very special shot.

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Music

All music in the video by Dan Phillipson - http://www.danphillipson.com

Landscape Photography - Cloud Inversions and Vlog Failures

Landscape Photography Troubles and Cloud Inversions

I get up early to capture the sunrise and find a beautiful cloud inversions. Sadly, landscape photography does not always go according to plan.

Landscape photography is not easy. Not only does it require photographic skill, it also requires the dedication to get into interesting locations at the right time of day. Often this is at sunrise and sunset. A little bit of luck will also come in handy.

Cloud Inversions in the Wye Valley

In this vlog I had everything in place to capture a beautiful landscape image. Having researched a great location in the Wye Valley, planned the shot via Photopills and getting out in time for sunrise, I was confident. I was even optimistic, given the weather forecast, there would be a good chance of a cloud inversion.

The theme for the vlog was to highlight how capturing beautiful landscape photography does not have to be a big deal and time consuming. Whilst this is true, I did not make the most of my day.

Landscape Photography off day.

There are some days when we are not on top form. This was one of those days for me. With the scene in front of me even a child could capture a half decent photo. I wanted something out of the top draw. The location is a well photographed meander in the Wye River as you look down over the Forest of Dean. Some people will try and discourage you from photographing places like this, insisting always something original should be captured. Wrong. I like to visit these places and try and capture some better than everyone else. There are always different weather and lighting conditions that can make a place look completely different. You might also just want to capture it for your personal achievement.

Time constraint pressures

I was quickly overcome by excitement and frustration at the same time. The scene was stunning but the cloud was just so thick that I couldn't see the river. I knew as the day went on the cloud would start to lift and reveal spots of the landscape below. That was the perfect shooting time. That's where the frustration lay. I had a forged a chunk of time out of my day by getting up early. A festive day with my family lay ahead. Or divorce if I stayed out. I spent a minute considering my options before realising my time was nearly up. I quickly shot several compositions of the cloud inversions using bracketing to deal with the massive range of lighting conditions in front of me. I shot wide angle, tighter shots, tried different lenses and filters and also captured several vertical shots to stitch into a panorama later. I am normally much more selective with my photography but the conditions were changing so fast I wanted to capture it all.

I shot several images and annoyingly they just didn't turn out to my usual standard. The fog was too thick and the panorama I shot would just not stitch together.

In the end we can not win them all and you have to roll with the punches and turn your negative experiences and mistakes into learning experiences and turn it into something positive.

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Landscape Photography - Sunrise and Long Exposures

Landscape photography vlog at Flamborough Head in Yorkshire.

In this landscape photography vlog we head out at the crack of dawn to capture the sunrise and some amazing long exposure photography.

In this photography video blog I travel to Flamborough Head cliffs in North Yorkshire in search of some great landscape photography, a sunrise and some long exposures. My plan is to get up early, film the vlog, capture the images and create some time lapse videos.

My video photography blogs are designed to entertain and give you a flavour of how I go about capturing my work. Watch this landscape photography vlog and you will see exactly what I mean. If you enjoy this photography blog I would really appreciate it if you subscribed to the channel. There's lots more content to come.

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Music

Nicolai Heidlas  - Wings - https://soundcloud.com/nicolai-heidlas/wings-acoustic-guitar-background-music

Mariobeatz - https://soundcloud.com/mariobeatz

  • Gone
  • Autumn
  • Don’t Look Back

Gear

Check out all my photography gear here:

 

Landscape Photography Vlog - The wind tried to blow me off the mountain

A landscape photography vlog in the Lake District

In this landscape photography video blog I face some brutal weather conditions where the wind literally tried to blow me off the mountain.

Landscape Photography requires dedication and often a little bit of resilience in the face of bad weather. Often, following a bout with the elements, the conditions will open up and reveal an amazing photo opportunity at the end of the day. Pushing through the bad conditions would put most people off but for those willing to persevere, the rewards can be great. They can also result in a wasted, or less than successful day.

Safety

Clearly capturing landscape photography like this must be done carefully, bearing in mind the dangers presented by mountainous regions. Having the right gear like walking boots, waterproof clothing and a first aid kit is a must. It is also best to hike with a friend to back each other up.

If you take care though you will find yourself in locations offering amazing opportunities for capturing landscape photographs.

Haweswater Reservoir

In this video I travel to the Lake District and visit Haweswater Reservoir. This amazing man made reservoir is set amongst the mountains and provides drinking water to the city of Manchester. My photography trip today saw me climb the mountain of High Street, a long path across the top of the peaks near Keswick. Although the day started with fine weather, in typical fashion, this worsened as soon as I got to the top.

Photo opportunities were very limited at the top due to the very high wind, rain, cloud and sheer unpleasantness. It can feel pretty lonely when you are up there alone in those conditions.

The day ended well though where I captured a moody long exposure landscape photograph. Challenging conditions but a great day of shooting landscape photos.

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Gear

My gear:

Landscape Photography Vlog - Ullswater and St Sunday Crag

A landscape photography vlog in the Lake District.

Vlog No. 7. In this landscape photography video blog I travel to the English Lake District again in search of the perfect sunset photograph.

When shooting landscape photography, planning is vital. I have spoken about this before but it is especially important with sunset photography. Finding the right spot with the sun in the right place is what can make the difference. Trekking out into the mountains ensures you will be achieving a unique shot that very few, if any, others have. You also need a little luck on your side that the weather will play along, especially in the Lake District.

I was also out to really put the Canon 5D mark IV through it’s paces for my upcoming review. The early indications are very impressive.

The First Man Vlog

My video photography blogs are designed to entertain and give you a flavour of how I go about capturing my work. If you enjoy this photography blog I would really appreciate it if you subscribed to the channel. There's lot more content to come.

Watch this landscape photography themed vlog and you will see exactly what I mean.

Watch all the blogs here - https://www.firstmanphotography.com/category/vlog

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Music

MarioBeatz - Moving on

https://soundcloud.com/yourrapbeatstv/mariobeatz-moving-on-soulful-inspiring-outstanding-rap-beat-hip-hop-instrumental-2015

Light Thought var 4 by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Artist: http://incompetech.com/

Accommodation for this trip was Grisedale Lodge - http://www.grisedalelodge.co.uk

 

Overcome disappointment, face your fear and capture great photos

A landscape photography vlog in the Lake District. 

A landscape photography vlog in the Lake District.

In this photography video blog I travel to the English Lake District in search of some great landscape photography. My plan is to climb a mountain, film a tutorial, capture some landscapes and film some time lapses.

My video photography blogs are designed to entertain and give you a flavour of how I go about capturing my work. If you enjoy this photography blog I would really appreciate it if you subscribed to the channel. There's lot more content to come.

Subscribe to the channel.

See the Canon 18-135mm STM Review - https://www.firstmanphotography.com/reviews/lenses/canon-18-135-stm-lens-review

 

 

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