Why and How I Calibrate My Monitor
What is monitor calibration? Why should you bother? How do you do it? In this coffee break length video I will try to answer all those questions. I'll tell you what monitor calibration is, why it is important and also how I calibrate monitor using a SpyderX calibration device.
The What, Why and How of Monitor Calibration
Last year I did a relatively long video on monitor calibration and printer profiling (you can see it here). I've recently changed my calibration device though, so I thought it was a good time to revisit the subject of monitor calibration. My new calibration device is a SpyderX and it works directly with my Eizo monitor to perform the calibration.
However, you don't need an expensive monitor like those from Eizo to benefit from using a monitor calibration device. So in the video below I will take a quick look at monitor calibration, what it is, why you should do it and how I used the SpyderX to calibrate my 2nd monitor (not an Eizo).
I hope you enjoyed that short video but if you like to more detailed information on calibration then check out this free ebook.
Just a short video and blog post from me this week, but I’ll be back next week with a new blog post on a recent landscape photography adventure!
Landscape Photography and Fitness - Running Up Cat Bells with David Dixon
Can physical or mental fitness have any impact on your landscape photography? To help me answer this question I'm joined in my latest video by fellow photographer and vlogger David Dixon. To put us in the right frame of mind we decide to run up Cat Bells in the Lake District for a spot of sunrise landscape photography. At the summit, we also have a conversation about how physical fitness and mental well-being can benefit our photography and our lives.
A Fast Ascent of Cat Bells
The ascent of Cat Bells in the Lake District is a popular walk and for good reason. The relatively short ascent to 451 m can be achieved by most with a reasonable level of fitness. Those who do make the ascent are rewarded with some spectacular views. For this reason, it is very popular with landscape photographers.
It is an ascent that I’ve made twice myself (here, and here), and each time I’ve been rewarded for my efforts. Each time I stand at the summit though I always think to myself what it would be like to run up the path. I’ve been up there before and seen some fell runners and being a keen runner myself I’ve always thought I’d be able to make it.
Running Friends
The idea of running up Cat Bells had been bubbling away at the back of my mind for sometime when I noticed that fellow photographer and vlogger, David Dixon was doing a lot of running as part of a January challenge. The challenge of running up Cat Bells would be much easier and more enjoyable if I had a friend to run it with. It wasn’t long before me and David had hatched a plan!
Is Fitness Important in Landscape Photography?
Being a vlogger I obviously wanted to video my run up Cat Bells, but I didn’t want the video to be me and David just running up a hill. So we both decided to do our own videos with slightly different themes. In my video you will find me running up Cat Bells and doing a little photography, but also talking to David about how fitness impacts my landscape photography.
So if you want to know why being fit is important to my landscape photography, or you simply want to see some dawn shots take from the summit of Cat Bells, the check out the video below.
Of course as David is vlogger himself he recorded his own video of our little adventure. So for a slightly different point of view check out his video below:
Your Thoughts
Does you physical fitness impact your landscape photography? How do you like to keep fit? Let me know in the comments below.
My Photographs
And finally, here are the photographs I took that morning.
Cat Bells Dawn Panoramic, Lake District - Panasonic Lumix G80, Lumix 12-60 mm f/3.5-5.6 @ 12mm, f/9.0, 1/60th sec @ ISO 100.
Golden Crags, Cat Bells, Lake District - Panasonic Lumix G80, Lumix 12-60 mm f/3.5-5.6 @ 18mm, f/11, 1/40th sec @ ISO 200.
Dawn Crags from Cat Bells, Lake District - Panasonic Lumix G80, Lumix 12-60 mm f/3.5-5.6 @ 12mm, f/11, 1/50th sec @ ISO 200.
Extreme Scotland by Nadir Khan - On My Bookshelf S02E05
In the latest episode of On My Bookshelf, I take a look at Nadir Khan's Extreme Scotland. Is this a book for photographers, adventure sports fans, lovers of the Scottish landscape or is there something in it for everyone?
Discovering Other Photographers
I discover the work of other photographers in many different ways. A few weeks ago I wrote about how discovered the book Beara by Norman Mccloskey in Outdoor Photography magazine. The book that I'm looking at in this episode of On My Bookshelf, Extreme Scotland, I found by listening to a recent episode of one of my favourite photography podcasts, The Togcast.
The book Extreme Scotland appealed to me in 3 different ways, photography, adventure sports and Scotland! But does it deliver on any or all of those things? Let's find out.
I do hope you enjoyed this episode of On My Bookshelf. A bit of a short blog post from me this week I'm afraid as I'm writing this while I'm on holiday in Scotland. However, I am here with my camera so I might have time to create some content for a blog or vlog. So stay tuned!
You can pick up a copy of Nadir Khan's Extreme Scotland here.
Capturing the Decisive Moment - On the Streets of Birmingham with the Fujifilm X-T2
After watching a few videos on street photography I was inspired to give it a try myself. So armed with a Fujifilm X-T2 I hit the streets of Birmingham. Was I able to capture the decisive moment?
The Fujifilm X-T2, Street Photography and Being Inspired
I'd never really considered doing street photography before. I've definitely enjoyed looking at street photography much in the same way that I like and appreciate many different genres of photography. However, actually going out and doing a bit of street photography didn't really seem like my kind of thing.
Recently though I've been coming around to the idea that street photography might indeed be something I’d want to try. I think most of this new found motivation has come from watching street photography videos from my good friend, photographer and fellow vlogger Gareth Danks. The more I watched his videos the more I wanted to give this genre of photography a try.
When I mentioned this Gareth he very kindly offered to take me out and help me capture some street photographs. As fortune would have it we were both spending a couple of days at The Photography Show a few weeks back so we decided that we should hit the streets of Birmingham on the Saturday evening. I was really excited about the prospect of trying something new with my photography.
As I was going to try something new with my photography, I thought I also needed a new camera for the job. But what camera should I get for street photography? Well, there was only one camera I was really considering and that was a Fujifilm. So I got myself a Fujifilm X-T2 and hit the streets with my Fujifilm camera and street photography guru, Gareth.
Can I Capture that Decisive Moment?
So how did I get on? Did I manage to get some good street photographs? Let's find out…
Learning Photography All Over Again
As you'll have seen in the video I didn't find street photography easy. To be honest though, I didn't think I would. It was actually a bit like learning photography all over again. Plus I had the added challenge of learning a new camera system. However, despite all that I really, really enjoyed it. I was lucky to not only have Gareth to help with composition, camera setup, but to also to video it for me. I don't think I would have been able to manage my vlogging camera along with everything else.
All that aside, I liked the challenge of finding and capturing compositions. In some respects, it’s the same as landscape photography. You find a good composition and you wait for the right moment, but in a city environment, you need to have your eyes trained in a different way. Gareth was just wondering about picking out compositions and at first, I was just walking by everything. Step by step though, I started getting into the flow. Yes, it was a challenge, but a fun challenge.
Rent or Buy
It's worth pointing out that while I did use a Fujifilm X-T2 for this shoot, I did not buy this camera. I've always wanted to try a Fujifilm camera so for this street photography shoot I decided to rent one for the weekend. I got my rental through WEX Rental. Service was fast and efficient and I got the whole weekend rental for the cost of just one day's normal rental. I also paid for delivery and collection service so it was delivered and collected from my house on Friday and Monday respectively. Great service!
Birmingham Street Photography
I'm certainly not going to claim that my photographs are amazing. Like any genre of photography, it's going to require a lot of practice to ever get even remotely good. However, I very much enjoyed the experience so I'm keen to do more and see how my street photography progresses.
Have you done any street photography before? Got any street photography tips? What is your favourite location? Let me know in the comments below.
Finally, here are some of the photos I captured.
Beara by Norman McCloskey - On My Bookshelf S02E04
Some landscape photography books stand out from the rest. Beara is one of those books.
Discovering Beara
I'm not sure if I was aware of the work of Norman McCloskey before I got Beara, but I do know how I discovered Beara. I was flicking through the March 2019 issue of Outdoor Photography magazine when I spotted a feature on the book. As luck would have it my wife had been asking me what I wanted for my birthday so I asked her to get me a copy of Beara.
Obviously, the sample pictures in the magazine were enough for me to want a copy but it wasn't until I actually got the book and read it that I realised what a fantastic collection of landscape photographs Norman had put together.
Anyway, I don't want to reveal all my thoughts here on the blog. Instead, why don't you check out the latest episode of On My Bookshelf and let me tell you a little more about Beara.
I do hope you enjoyed this episode of On My Bookshelf . Will you be picking up a copy of Beara? Have you been to the Beara Peninsula? Let me know in the comments below.
PS - You can pick up a copy of Beara direct from the author by clicking on this link here.
Printing and Framing a Special Landscape Photograph
Some landscape photographs just need to be printed and hung on the wall. In this blog post, I take a very special image, print it, frame it, and give it a permanent place on my wall.
Success in Scottish Landscape Photographer of the Year
Entering big photography competitions can seem like a waste of time. Some of these competitions can attract 1000's of entries, sometimes even 10,000’s of entries . Getting shortlisted can seem like an achievement sometimes. How do you create a winning image though? There's no easy answer to that question. Judging, even in the same competition, can vary from year to year. Just look at the winning images from Landscape Photographer of Year since it started. It's really hard to "know" what the judges are looking for.
However, there is one thing I do know. If I don't enter I certainly won't win anything! There is also one piece of advice I can share , and it's a piece of advice given to me by a photographer and photography competition judge. He told me that if you think you have a strong image then keep entering it into competitions year after year. Even if it doesn't get placed in one competition, it might in another. It's also worth entering the same image in the same competition a different year.
I've always remembered this bit of advice, so ever since I took the image of Stob Dearg (Buachaille Etive Mor) you see below, I've been entering it into competitions. This perseverance has finally paid off and the image has received a commended award in the Scottish Landscape Photographer of the Year competition. It's the 2nd time I've entered it into this competition, and 4th time in all competitions. So if you have a good image that you think could win an award, don't be put off by the first failure. Keep trying!!
First Light on Stob Dearg, Buachaille Etive Mor, Glencoe - Nikon D750, Nikkor 24-70 mm f/2.8 VR at 28 mm, f/11, 1/25th sec at ISO 100.
Printing and Framing
The image is one that I am immensely proud off and it brings back many happy memories of my adventure to Glencoe (which you can watch here). While it will be a real privilege to see it in the yearbook from the competition, I really wanted to make my own print of it, frame it, and give it a permanent place on my wall.
In the video below I show you how I went about printing the image, selecting a paper, framing it, and eventually hanging it on the wall.
If you are interested in doing something similar yourself, here are the products I used in the video:
Fotospeed Cotton 305 - https://www.fotospeed.com/Platinum-Cotton-305-Paper/groupproduct/2937/
Fotospeed Baryta 300 - https://www.fotospeed.com/Platinum-Baryta-300/groupproduct/1437/
Fotospeed Legacy Gloss 325 - https://www.fotospeed.com/NEW-Legacy-Gloss-325-Paper/groupproduct/3103/
Picture Frames Express - https://www.pictureframesexpress.co.uk/
Conservation Tape - https://www.pictureframesexpress.co.uk/picture-frame-supplies/tapes/74/
Picture Hanging Strips - https://amzn.to/2TWuE2l
I hope you enjoyed this video and blog post. Do you have any photography competition tips? How do you go about displaying your prints? Let me know in the comments below.
The Importance and Joy of Printing at Home
One of the highlights of my time at The Photography Show this year was doing a talk on printing at the Fotospeed stand. In this blog post, I'm very happy to be sharing with you the unabridged video recording of that talk.
Photography Show Talks - An Opportunity
I'm a firm believer that if a good opportunity presents itself that you should grab it with both hands. So when the team at Fotospeed asked if I'd like to do a talk at The Photography Show this year there really was only one answer to give. Yes!
The topic of the talk was up to me but I knew almost straight away that I wanted to talk about printing. Printing has become an integral and enriching part of the photographic experience for me. As regular readers of this blog and viewers of my YouTube channel will know I like to do my printing at home. I've owned a Canon Pixma Pro 10-S for a couple of years now and ever since I made my first print I've been addicted to hitting that print button.
I wanted this talk to be an opportunity for me to share that passion for printing at home. I wanted people to get excited about printing their own work, to have fun with it, and use it as a way to improve their photography. Most of all I wanted people to see that it's a much more rewarding experience viewing their photographs in printed form.
The Importance and Joy of Printing at Home
Thanks to my fellow photographers and friends I'm able to share with you a video of the entire talk I did which was called The Importance and Joy of Printing at Home. Gareth Danks kindly filmed the talk for me, and both Gareth and Chris Sale were good enough to take the still images you see in this blog post.
So if you missed my talk at the show, or you did catch it and perhaps want to see it again, here is an unabridged recording. Enjoy!
On The Fotospeed Stage
Presenting a talk on printing wasn't the only thing I did at the Fotospeed stand. I was also asked to be compere for the weekend. This granted me the privilege of not only meeting some wonderful and interesting photographers but also a seat on the stage to listen and watch Rachael Talibart, Martin Hartley, Trevor & Faye Yerbury, Margaret Salisbury, Matt Hardy and Joe Cornish all talk about their photography. With such a breadth of skills and experiences brought by these photographers, it was little surprise that each talk inspired my photography in its own way.
On stage with Joe Cornish. Photo courtesy of Gareth Danks.
You can also see me discussing my time at The Photograph Show in this Fotospeed video.
Next Year at The Photography Show
I've attended The Photograph Show every year and it just gets bigger and better each year. From the variety of talks, the products on show and the number of people I get to have conversations with, it's now become an integral part of my photography calendar. One thing is for sure, I will be heading back to The Photography Show in 2020.
I do hope you enjoyed this blog post. Did I meet you at the show? Did you get to see my talk live? Did you enjoy the talk (recorded or live)? Let me know in the comments below.
PS - Trying Something New
As I was at The Photography Show all weekend I had some spare time on the Saturday evening so I decided to try a different genre of photography with a fellow vlogger. I'll be publishing the video for that soon, but can anyone guess what type of photography I was doing and who with?
PS - You can watch that video here.
Giving the Gift of Photography
In this blog article I show you how I print and package my photographs before sending them out to clients.
The Gift That Keeps Giving
There’s no doubt that my trip to Lewis and Harris last year, was my 2018 photographic highlight. Being able to immerse myself in photography in such an epic location was amazing. Not only did I get some wonderful images from the trip, but I also got to make a video of my trip, and create a home gallery of the images I captured. It’s fair to say it was a pretty successful trip!
While I was in Harris, I stayed at a really nice property that my friend and I rented for the week. At the time, I thought it would be really nice to offer the owner a print of one of the images I captured on the trip. They might just like a print of a local spot to display on the wall. When I got home and I’d processed all of the photographs, I sent an email to the owner and asked if they would like a print. To my delight, they came straight back to me and said yes!
This was great news, but I didn’t just want to print an image and stick it in the post. I wanted them that have a bit of an experience when they received it. So I got my thinking hat on and got to work on how I was going to package my print.
In the video below, I’ll show you exactly how I’ve packaged my print and describe everything I’ve used to create my unique Julian Baird Photography print experience.
What I Used
I used a number of products in the video, and if you are interested, I’ve listed them below:
Logo and card design by Neil Burnell - Fine Art Photography
An Experience Worth Repeating
All of this may seem a lot of work just to send one person a print, but this won’t be the last print I package and send out. I’m already printing and packaging another order, this time for one of the photographs taken in The Trossachs. It feels great to be able to share my work in this way and to know that people are displaying one of my images in their home.
I do hope you enjoyed this blog post and video. Do you do something similar with your photographs? What packaging do you use? Let me know in the comments below.
Print Giveaway!
At the end of the video, I said I was giving away one of my prints! The lucky winner can choose an A4 print from any image in my portfolio or from my Harris and Lewis collection, and I will package it up in the same way as you saw in this video.
All you need to do is to leave a comment on this blog article with the text “I Love Printing”, and you will be included in the draw. Draw closes on 31st March 2019. Good luck!
I Would Like to Meet You! Fotospeed Stand, The Photography Show
I'm delighted to announce that I'm doing a talk on printing at the Fotospeed stand (F31) at The Photography Show, 12 pm, Sun 17th March. Come along and see my work in person and give me a chance to meet you and say hello!
Come to The Photography Show!
As I’ve done every year since The Photography Show started, I’ll be visiting the show again in 2019. However, unlike previous visits, but I’ll not only be walking the show floor looking for a bargain, I’ll also be doing a talk!
I’m delighted to say that the team at Fotospeed have asked me to do a talk on printing. This is great for two reasons. Firstly, I get to talk about one of my photography passions, printing. If you’ve been reading this blog for a while now you’ll know how much I’ve developed a passion for printing. It’s also a great chance for me to finally get to meet some of you!
Just in case you can’t watch the video at the moment, here are the details of the talk:
12 pm, Sunday 17th March 2019, Fotospeed stand (F31), The Photography Show, Birmingham
And the full programme of talks at the Fotospeed stand can be found here.
I would really like the opportunity to meet you so I do hope that if you are at The Photography Show on Sunday that you’ll find the time to come to my talk.
See you there!
Digital Books for Your Digital Bookshelf - On My Bookshelf S02E03
In this episode of On My Bookshelf, I take a quick look at 5 digital books that should have a place on your virtual bookshelf.
Inspiration on the Move
I’m a big fan of the photography book. Anyone who’s been subscribed to my YouTube channel for a while will have seen an episode of On My Bookshelf and watched me talk about some of my favourite photography books. For the most part though, those books are too big to take anywhere apart from your own living room.
In most cases, a printed photography book is preferential to a digital photography book. But what if you wanted a little bit of photography inspiration on the move. Perhaps you might have to commute to work every day, or you’ve got a long train journey or even a flight somewhere. Some of the books I have would need to pay for their own seat on a plane!
In this special, digital edition of On My Bookshelf, I’m going to share with you 5 digital photography books that I think should be on your virtual bookshelf, so you can a little bit of photography inspiration on the move.
Your Reading List
As promised, here is a list of those books from the video:
The Art of Landscape Photography - by Ross Hoddinott and Mark Bauer
Gordon Laing - In Camera: Perfect Pictures Straight Out of the Camera
I do hope you enjoyed this shorter than normal episode of On My Bookshelf, but hopefully, you’ve spotted a book there that you might be able to take with you next time you are on the move.
Do you read any digital photography books? Have you got any digital recommendations? Let me know in the comments below.
Feeling the Pressure of Landscape Photography
In the blog this week I head up to Belstone Common on Dartmoor to capture some landscape photographs. I also discuss some of the pressure I feel while out with my camera.
Is Landscape Photography Stressful?
Is landscape photography stressful? For me at least, no. Being outdoors with my camera is one of the most relaxing and sometimes exciting things I get to do. However, I do sometimes put myself under a bit of pressure. My time out with the camera is limited, so I always want to make the most of the time I do have.
The pressure really comes from trying to make the right decision on where to go. Sometimes the answer is clear and the location to go obvious. Other times, it can be a real headache. I probably spend too much time worrying about where to go if I’m honest.
When I’m out though, all that pressure goes. I’m outdoors, I’ve got my camera, and I’m having fun. Even if the photography is rubbish, I’m still outside enjoying the great outdoors!
While I was up on Dartmoor the other day, I decided to put these thoughts to camera while I was out capturing some dawn images of Belstone Common.
I hope you enjoyed the video. Do you put yourself under pressure for your photography? Is being outdoors generally more important than the photography? Let me know in the comments below.
Belstone Common, Dartmoor
Here are the photographs you saw in the video. Enjoy!
First Light at Belstone, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon D850, Nikkor 16-35 mm f/4 @ 16 mm, f/13, 3 secs @ ISO 64.
Dawn on Belstone Common, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon D850, Nikkor 16-35 mm f/4 @ 16 mm, f/13, 5 secs @ ISO 64.
Belstone Tor and Belstone Common at Dawn, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon D850, Nikkor 16-35 mm f/4 @ 26 mm, f/13, 3 secs @ ISO 64.
Who Left All These Rocks Here, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon D850, Nikkor 16-35 mm f/4 @ 17 mm, f/5.6, 1/13 secs @ ISO 64, focus stacked image.
A Stormy Sunday at Start Point
In this blog post I head to Start Point on the south Devon coast to capture some landscape photographs during some stormy weather.
Risk vs Reward
As the crow flies, Start Point in Devon isn’t that far from home. Thanks to some narrow, twisty Devon roads though, the journey there can take up to an hour and a half each way. For that reason, I tend to only visit the location if I think I’m going to get a good photo.
Spectacular sunrises work well at Start Point so I’m always looking at which direction the sun is rising from and what the cloud cover will be before I commit to a trip to one of my favourite lighthouses on the South West Coast Path. The weather forecast for my most recent trip was a little different though. Heavy rain showers and thick cloud were forecast, but it was also forecast to start clearing around sunrise.
This could lead to some spectacular and dramatic weather conditions if everything happens at the right time. Would the risk of travelling all that way reward me with some spectacular landscape photographs?
Stormy Weather Landscape Photography
Despite the 5 am alarm calling causing my brain to become a little muddled when talking to the camera, I did manage to record my South West Coast Path adventure at Start Point. So sit back, relax, keep warm, and join me at Start Point for a spot of landscape photography!
I hope you enjoyed watching my little adventure to Start Point. Which image was your favourite? Have you been to Start Point before? Do you like capturing landscape images during stormy weather? Let me in the comments below.
My Landscape Photographs from Start Point
If you’d like to see the photographs from the video in a bit more detail, here they are.
Breaking Light at Start Point, Devon - Nikon D850, Nikkor 16-35 mm f/4 at 18 mm, f/13, 2 seconds at ISO 64, polariser, ND grad.
Calm in the Storm at Start Point, Devon - Nikon D850, Nikkor 16-35 mm f/4 at 18 mm, f/13, 81 seconds at ISO 64, polariser, ND grad, 6 stop ND.
Start Point Swirls, Devon - Nikon D850, Nikkor 16-35 mm f/4 at 22 mm, f/13, 60 seconds at ISO 64, polariser, ND grad, 6 stop ND.
A Stormy Dawn at Start Point Lighthouse, Devon - Nikon D850, Nikkor 16-35 mm f/4 at 22 mm, f/13, 1.3 seconds at ISO 64, polariser, ND grad.
These Are Your Photography Stories!
In this blog article, I'm sharing your photography stories and images. Back at the start of 2019, I asked you to submit your photography stories so I could share them with the community. By listening to and watching these stories, I hope we can all learn something that will help us develop and grow as photographers.
At the start of 2019, I published a blog article and video called What’s Your Photography Story? In that video, I shared some of my earliest images, what they meant to me and why they represented significant moments in my journey as a landscape photographer.
During the process of putting that video together, I thought that there must be plenty of photographers out there that also have interesting stories and photographs. So at the end of that video, I asked for people to submit their photographs and stories so I could share them in a special community video.
Well, I’m very pleased to say that’s exactly what some of you did!
These are you photography stories…
I’d like to thank everyone who took the time to submit something to this video. I really couldn’t have made this video without you.
If you want to check out some of their work, please do so by visiting the following links:
Let me know in the comments what your favourite story or image was. :-)
Photographing The Snowdonia Mountains | A fotoVUE Guidebook by Nick Livesey - On My Bookshelf S02E02
In the blog this week, join me and Nick Livesey as we spend the day photographing Snowdonia National Park, talking about his book Photographing the Snowdonia Mountains, and generally having a bit of a laugh. What better way to review a guidebook like this by heading out into the wilderness with the author himself!
Discovering The Work of Nick Livesey
Every now and again I find the work of a photographer and wonder why it's taken me so no long to discover them. They could be working professionals with many years of experience, but for some reason, I only just find out about them. Maybe it's more difficult these days with the noise from social media. With so many images out there on social media, it can be easy to miss something important as you whiz through Instagram during your morning coffee.
Every now and again though a photograph or video really catches my eye. This is how I discovered Nick Livesey. Though I can't exactly remember how I found his video, My Mountain Healing, it really struck a chord with me. If you haven't seen it, give it a watch below:
It's a short video, but it was genuine and funny, and you could see that Nick had a real eye for photographing the mountains. After watching the video a couple of times I decided I wanted to know more about Nick and his work. After a little bit of internet research, I discovered that not only did he have a solid body of work, but he was also well known in the climbing and hill walking community, and that his character and whit are almost as well-known as his photographs!
Though I did wonder how I hadn't heard of Nick before one thing was for sure and that was he seemed like the kind of person I would like to go out shooting with.
Photographing the Snowdonia Mountains
As regular readers of my blog will know, I have a series of videos called On My Bookshelf in which I share my thoughts on some of the photography books that I've purchased. For a while now I've been wanting to do an episode of On My Bookshelf on a Fotovue guidebook. These photography location guidebooks have a been a great source of information to me and I've built up a bit of a collection of them.
When I heard that Nick was publishing his very own Fotovue book, Photographing the Snowdonia Mountains, not only was I going to pick up a copy, but I also hoped that this would be the Fotovue book that would feature in On My Bookshelf.
Most of the episodes of On My Bookshelf are filmed at home in front of my bookshelf, but for a Fotovue location guidebook, this didn't seem appropriate. What better way to review a book like this than by heading out to one of the locations in the book. Then I had another thought. What if I can get the author himself to show me in person some of those locations?
Well, guess what? That's exactly what Nick agreed to do! So I'm very proud to share with you this very special episode of On My Bookshelf, filmed on location in Snowdonia National Park, and with Nick Livesey. Enjoy!
I don’t know if you could tell in the video, but that was one of the best days I’ve had out with the camera! I’ve always enjoyed the hills, but heading out with Nick was a real pleasure. It was absolutely fantastic spending the day in those hills and mountains. The conditions were often windy and snowy, and always very cold, but I loved it.
Nick has a genuine passion for his local area. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a person so absolutely content to be outdoors, walking the hills. The look of wonder on his face as if it was the very first time he’d walked up a mountain. Being able to spend the day with Nick and to share in his passion was a real privilege.
On Your Bookshelf
If you did enjoy this video, then please do consider picking up a copy of Nick's excellent Photographing the Snowdonia Mountains. Even if you don't think you'd ever visit Snowdonia, the book is packed full of inspiring photographs and lots of useful information about photographing in the outdoors. You can pick up a copy of the book directly from Nick's website:
https://nicklivesey.co.uk/product/photographing-snowdonia-mountains/
Are you planning on getting a copy, or do you already have one? Do you have any of the other Fotovue titles? Do you have a favourite location in Snowdonia? Let me know in the comments below.
My Snowdonia Photographs
No blog post of mine would be complete without a landscape photograph! Here are some of my favourite images that I captured while out with Nick.
Snowdon from Clogwyn Mawr, Capel Curig, Snowdonia National Park - Nikon D850, Nikkor 24-70 mm f/2.8 VR at 36 mm, f/11, 1/2 sec at ISO 64, polariser and ND grad.
Yr Aran, Craig Wen and Moel Hebog from Bwlch Maesgwm, Snowdonia National Park - Nikon D850, Nikkor 24-70 mm f/2.8 VR at 34 mm, f/11, 1/60th sec at ISO 64, polariser and ND grad.
Snowdon and Moel Cynghorion from Moel Eilio, Snowdonia National Park - Nikon D850, Nikkor 24-70 mm f/2.8 VR at 52 mm, f/11, 1/40th sec at ISO 64, polariser and ND grad.
Snowdonia National Park Panorama from Moel Eilio, Snowdonia National Park - Nikon D850, Nikkor 24-70 mm f/2.8 VR at 38 mm, f/11, 1/6th sec at ISO 64, polariser. 7 image panoramic stitch.
Is It Time to Ditch the Nikon D850?
In this blog post I ponder the idea of going to a mirrorless camera system.
Goodbye D850, Hello Mirrorless?
Some people consider the Nikon D850 the best DSLR there currently is. This might well be true, but cameras with a flapping mirror (DSLRs) are a dying bred. Mirrorless cameras have been on the rise for some time now and at some point I expect the DSLR to go the same way as the film camera.
There are many reasons why mirrorless cameras are better. They generally have better tech in them such as a wider spread of AF points and EVFs. While you could say that mirrorless cameras are technically superior, does that mean if you still own a DSLR that you should be looking to get rid of it as soon as possible and replace it with a mirrorless camera?
We all know that a camera doesn’t make a poor photographer great, but the correct choice of camera can make the process of capturing an image easier or more enjoyable. This is one of the reasons why I upgraded from my D750 to the D850. There was nothing wrong with my D750, it’s just that the D850 had some features that I wanted that ultimately improved my process of capturing images.
I’m now at the stage where I am seriously considering moving to a mirrorless system. Not because there is anything wrong with my D850, it’s just that some of that new mirrorless tech could improve my process of capturing images.
So is it time to ditch the Nikon D850? Let’s find out.
It’s a Matter of When Not If
For me, the move away from the Nikon D850 to the Nikon Z camera system is a matter of when not if. I’m not in a hurry though. After all, my current gear is hardly causing me issues. But, I do believe the Z system will offer me more. A better wide angle zoom in the 14-30 mm f/4, and that all important EVF. Unless I have a change in circumstances, I expect to have, at least in part, moved over the Z system in 2019.
If for some reason that doesn’t happen. I’ll still be capturing wonderful images with my trusty Nikon D850.
Are you considering changing from a DSLR to a mirrorless system? Do you already have a mirrorless camera? Do you have a Nikon Z camera? Let me know in the comments below.
Those Landscape Photographs from Dartmoor
If you want to take a closer look at those images I captured in video from Great Staple Tor, you can check them out below.
A Wintry Dawn on Great Staple Tor, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon D850, Nikkor 16-35 mm f/4 at 25 mm, f/11, 1/4th sec at ISO 64.
Roos Tor and Great Mis Tor Panorama from Great Mis Tor, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon D850, Nikkor 24-70 mm f/2.8 VR at 70 mm, f/11, 1/40th sec at ISO 64, 11 stitch panorama.
A Dusting of Snow on Great Staple Tor, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon D850, Nikkor 16-35 mm f/4 at 21 mm, f/13, 1/6th sec at ISO 64.
Colin Prior’s Scotland’s Finest Landscapes & Alex Nail’s Northwest – On My Bookshelf S02E01
Colin Prior or Alex Nail? In this special episode of On My Bookshelf, I look at Colin Prior's Scotland's Finest Landscapes and Alex Nail's Northwest. Which one, if any, should you buy?
Landscape Photography Books
I love a good photography book. Over the years they have inspired and influenced my photography in no small way. As I become a better photographer I actually find myself buying more photography books. This is particularly true during the winter months when I can't get out with the camera as much as I'd possibly like.
Last month, as the festive period approached, the discussion around what I'd like for Christmas came up in conversation. While options such as a new Nikon Z7 or a two week photography holiday to the Faroe Islands were quickly dismissed, a more sensible option of getting a good landscape photography book was decided.
Colin Prior or Alex Nail
There were two books high up on my list to get. These were Colin Prior's Scotland's Finest Landscapes, and Alex Nail's Northwest. Given that Colin's book was originally selling for £100, I decided that asking for Alex's book at £36 would be much more sensible.
With that all sorted I just needed to wait for Santa to deliver my copy of Northwest. During the run up to Christmas though I spotted a post on Facebook by Colin Prior who was doing a Black Friday sale and that his book Scotland's Finest Landscapes was on sale for £50. This is still a lot of money for a book, but I've wanted to own a copy of this book for some time now, so I decided to treat myself!
On My Bookshelf
As regular readers of this blog know I have series of videos on my YouTube channel called On My Bookshelf. After reading Colin and Alex's books over the festive period I thought I would share my thoughts on both books. However, rather than do separate videos for each book, I thought I would produce one episode of On My Bookshelf that looked at both books.
Both titles are on similar themes and areas of landscape photography, and neither title is inexpensive, so I thought it would be useful to look at them both in the same episode. So which one should be on your bookshelf? Let's find out.
I really hope you enjoyed this episode of On My Bookshelf. Both these books are some of the finest books on Scottish landscape photography I have and it was a joy being able to read both of them.
Do you own either of these titles? Will you now buy either of these books? Let me know in the comments below.
Wengen, Switzerland - A 5 Minute Photo Adventure
In the blog this week I’m in Wengen in Switerzland doing a little bit of landscape photography in the snow!
Why Wengen, Switzerland?
If you are a regular reader of my blog or viewer of my YouTube channel, you will know that most of my adventures are based in the south west of England or occasionally in the wider parts of the UK. It’s rare that I’m on some epic international photography expedition!
My visit to Wengen in Switzerland over the festive period actually had nothing to do with landscape photography. I was actually there on a family holiday. A time to relax, eat too much food, drink a lot of glühwein, and maybe hit the slopes for a bit of skiing and snowboarding. This holiday was definitely not a photography trip.
I’ll Take a Camera Just in Case
No matter where I go, or who with, I normally have some sort of camera with me. It could be my current phone, the OnePlus 6, or my trusty old Sony RX100 M4, but it’s rare that I take my D850 with me on a family holiday. On a family holiday I generally don’t have enough time to spare to dedicate to landscape photography, and besides, sometimes you really do need to take a break from all that serious photography stuff!
When I booked the holiday though, I remembered watching a video from Mads Peter Iversen in which he photographed the Lauterbrunnen valley from Wengen. After watching his wonderful video again, I was inspired to photograph that location myself. Where Mads photographed it when it was all green and lush, I could photograph it in the snow.
Hopefully, I would find a spare hour during my holiday so I could get the shot.
On Location
When we arrived in Wengen there was a distinct lack of snow. This wasn’t a problem for my skiing aspirations as the slopes were quite a bit further up the mountain on a cable car or train, but down in the village, the snow cover was sparse. There was some snow cover, but it was patchy and it looked like I would not get any joy with the photography.
Then one morning it snowed and (mostly) covered the ground with a fresh blanket of snow. With no other snowfall forecast for the week, I knew this was my best opportunity to get a photo. Fortunately, I was able to get away that afternoon, capture an image and make another one of my 5 Minute Photo Adventure videos.
Here it is:
And here is the photograph that I took:
Cloud and Snow Along The Lauterbrunnen Valley, Wengen, Switzerland - Nikon D850, Nikkor 16-35 mm f/4 VR at 35mm, f/13, 1/20th sec at ISO 64.
Challenges
It was actually a challenging shoot. As you saw in the video, a layer of cloud enveloped me at one point, there wasn’t quite enough snow to cover the ground completely, and I didn’t get much in the way of light in the valley or sky. However, I did anticipate the challenges of light on the valley and mountains thanks to some early analysis on The Photographer’s Ephemeris.
Despite all the challenges, I’m pretty happy with the photo. It was my first time at the location, I was really limited with what time I did have, and I was trying to video the whole experience! And besides, I had a lot of fun doing it all, and isn’t that the point?
I do hope you enjoyed this (slightly shorter than) 5 Minute Photo Adventure from Switzerland. Have you ever photographed Wengen or Switzerland? What Europeans countries have you photographed, and do you have a favourite? Let me know in the comments below.
Creating a Landscape Photography Gallery at Home
In the blog this week, I show you how I created my very own home gallery of images from Harris & Lewis using some fantastic papers from Fotospeed.
Printing Landscape Photographs at Home
If you’ve been reading my blog or watching my YouTube channel for a while you know I’m a big fan of printing! For me it’s an exciting part of the photographic process as I take a digital image and make it a physical photograph.
Regular readers/viewers will also know that last year I was lucky enough to photograph one of my bucket list locations, the Isle of Harris and the Isle of Lewis. I managed to capture some wonderful images but after sharing them on this blog, and social media, I knew I was going to not only have to print one image but a whole gallery of them!
I thought this would make for an interesting video, so I’m very pleased to share with you this video on how I went about creating my very own landscape photography gallery at home.
My Landscape Photography Adventure to the Outer Hebrides
As I mentioned in the video I created a video of my adventure to the Outer Hebrides, so if you are interested in seeing how some of the photographs I used in this printing video were created, you can see it here:
Products Used in Video
In the video I also said I would list out some of the products and equipment I used to create the gallery:
Fotospeed papers:
FYI - You can find the Fotospeed Tips and Tricks Facebook page here.
Printed using a Canon Pixma Pro-10S
Picture frames from Picture Frames Express
Those white cotton gloves I use to handle the paper
My Other Printing and Processing Videos
I also mentioned in the video that I would share with you all my other videos on printing and processing:
There’s Always Something to Print
I do hope you enjoyed my video on creating your own landscape photography gallery, and hopefully it has inspired you to print a little more. I highly recommend it!
Do you print at home? Do you have somewhere to create your own gallery? Is there another video on printing you would like to see me produce? Let me know in the comments below.
What's Your Photography Story?
In my first blog post of 2019 I share with you my 5 favourite images of 2018, and tell you how you can get involved in my latest community event, “What’s Your Photography Story?”.
Let’s All Look Back at Our Photography
At the end of every year, I always take a look back at the images I’ve taken that year and select my favourites. I do this for a number of reasons, but mostly to help me remember that my year as a landscape photographer was probably better than I remember! If your last shoot didn’t go well, it’s all too easy to focus on that one, regardless of what else you might have achieved that year.
As I was looking back through my images from 2018, I had the idea of looking at some photographers from much further back in time. In fact, I went all the way back to some of my earliest photographs. It was a really interesting experience as I could see how I have progressed as a photographer. Some of those images though represented significant moments in my journey as a landscape photographer.
Looking back and remembering the importance of some images got me thinking. Everyone else must also have photographs in their collection that represent significant moments in their life as a photographer. It was then I had the idea of collating some of those images and stories and then publishing them in a special community video.
In the video below, I’m going to kick things off with my photography story. I’ll take a look at how my photography has evolved over the years, and share some of my most important images. In the video I also ask you to share one of your most important images and the story behind it. If you would like your image and story to considered for the community video, then details on how to submit can be found later in this blog post.
Every Photographer and Photograph Has a Story
Hopefully, the video has reminded you of an image that you have taken that also has a good story, or marked an important milestone in your journey as a photographer. If so, and you would like the chance to have your story and image featured in a special community video, then you’ll find details on how to submit your image below.
I’m not necessarily looking to see your best image. I want to see images that have an interesting story attached to them. Maybe it was your first photograph, a photograph of a place that has special memories, the first photograph you had published. I may not be able to publish all submissions, so the more interesting your story and photo is, the more likely it will be included in the video!
How To Submit Your Story
What you need to prepare for submission:
Your Image - Images should be at least 3840px on the longest edge, please. I edit my video on a 4K timeline so the higher resolution your image is the better it will look. I can read most file types but if you can submit in JPG or TIFF that would be great. One image only, please.
Your Story - There is no word limit to your story, but please keep it short, concise and most importantly interesting. I would recommend keeping it as short as one or two paragraphs.
Additional Information - Please let me know your name so people know who you are when I read your story. When I display your image I can also display your website address or one of your social media handles. Please include details if you wish me to do this.
Submitting a Video - If you prefer to tell your story yourself, you can submit a video instead. Please keep video clips to a maximum of 30 to 60 seconds and the video file should be exported at a minimum resolution of 1080p. Remember to show your photograph in the video while you tell you story.
Submitting Your Images
Go to https://wetransfer.com/ - this is a free file transfer service and you don't need to register to use it.
Fill out the form as follows:
Add your files - this is where you attach your images (or video) for transfer.
Email to: yourstory@julianbaird.com
Your email: your email address ( Please use a valid email address though in case I need to contact you for further information.)
Message: Include the text for Your Story and the additional information I've requested above.
Hit the Transfer button
I really enjoyed the last community challenge, Let’s All Embrace The Grey, and the video I produced with all your photographs. Let’s hope we can all make something special again!
Closing date for all submissions is 31st January 2019. Thanks!
My 5 Favourite Images of 2018
And finally, in the video, I shared with you my 5 favourite images from 2018. It wasn’t easy to select just 5 but if you want to know how I did it I published a video last year for my 5 favourites of 2017. You can see that video here.
Happy 2019
All that remains for this blog post is for me to wish you a very happy 2019 and I hope you have a wonderful year of photography.
What photography adventures do you have planned for 2019? What are you looking forward to most? Do you have any goals for the year? Let me know in the comments below.
3 GREAT Landscape Photography Locations on Dartmoor
What are the best locations on Dartmoor for landscape photography? In this blog article, I'm going to show you 3 GREAT landscape photography locations on Dartmoor that I think will inspire you to photograph Dartmoor!
Landscape Photography on Dartmoor
Dartmoor National Park covers over 950 km2 so you can be forgiven for being a bit overwhelmed with the sheer number of landscape photography locations to choose from. Fear not though! I’m here to help.
After the positive feedback I received for my video 3 GREAT Landscape Photography Locations in Cornwall, I decided to produce for Dartmoor locations. Guess what I called it? Yes, that’s right 3 GREAT Landscape Photography Locations on Dartmoor! The locations I visit in the video aren’t necessarily a top 3 or best 3, just 3 great locations that I think will inspire your landscape photography.
After many hours of being frozen and blown about, I’m very happy to share with you the video, 3 GREAT Landscape Photography Location on Dartmoor.
A Bonus 4th Location
I’m also very happy to share with you a bonus 4th location. Wistman’s Wood is a popular Dartmoor location for landscape photographers and for good reason. Unfortunately the day I visited there was very little wind and so the midges were out and that made capturing images and video very difficult. Despite the challenges of the day though, I still managed to create a video that I hope you will enjoy.
More Information on Those Locations
If you want a bit more information on these amazing locations or the images from the video, then I've already published blog posts on the featured locations:
You can also see my 5 Minute Photo Adventure video of Belstone Common (where I shot the intro to the video), right here.
All Those Landscape Photographs
Here all the images you saw in both videos:
What Next?
As with the Cornwall video, the Dartmoor video required a significant amount of effort to produce. However, despite the work required I would like to create more videos like this. If there are other locations in the south-west that you would like to me to make a video on then let me know in the comments below.