Gitzo Carbon Fibre GT3532 Mountaineer Tripod with GH3382QD Ball Head Kit Review
In this video I review the Gitzo Carbon Fibre GT3532 Mountaineer Tripod and the Gitzo GH3382QD Ball Head Kit (GK3532-82QD). I talk about the engineering, build quality, features and what it’s actually like to use in real landscape photography situations.
A Professional Tripod Built to Last
Answering the question “which tripod should I buy” is becoming increasingly difficult. Over the years the number of manufacturers selling tripods has gone through the roof. There is everything from simple cheap aluminium tripods costing less that £100 al the way up to more complex tripods with self-levelling technology. While they all might do roughly the same thing, how they go about it, how stable your camera will be and how long it will last all vary greatly from tripod to tripod.
I have talked about a number of tripods on this website, from budget friendly tripods to heavy duty carbon fibre tripods. But there is one tripod that has remained a constant in my kit bag, and that is my Gitzo Mountaineer GT2532. I purchased it over 7 years ago at The Photography Show in Birmingham. Even though I got a show discount, it was still expensive, but it has lasted and not let me down.
When Gitzo asked if I wanted to review the model up from my GT2532, the GT3532, I was more than happy to talk about a product range that I have so much experience with. With 7 years experience with the GT2532 I knew I could add some extra value to a video review.
So here it is, my review of the Gitzo GT3532 Carbon Fibre Mountaineer Tripod and GH3382QD Ball Head. Let me know what you think in the comments below.
More Information and Purchase Links
🛒 Purchase the Gitzo Mountaineer GK3532-82QD kit - from Wex or Amazon
🛒 Purchase the Gitzo GT3532 Mountaineer Tripod only - from Wex or from Amazon
🛒 Purchase the Gitzo GH3382QD Ball Head only - from Wex or from Amazon
✔️ Read the full specifications of the Gitzo Mountaineer GK3532-82QD kit (tripod and head) - https://www.gitzo.com/uk-en/tripod-kit-mountaineer-series-3-3-sections-gk3532-82qd/
✔️ Specifications Gitzo Mountaineer GT3532 tripod only - https://www.gitzo.com/uk-en/tripod-mountaineer-series-3-3-sections-gt3532/
✔️ Specifications Gitzo GH3382QD Ball Head only - https://www.gitzo.com/uk-en/center-ball-head-quick-release-series-3-gh3382qd/
✔️ See wall the tripods in the Mountaineer series https://www.gitzo.com/uk-en/tripods/mountaineer/
Land and Light by Adam Gibbs - Episode 50 of On My Bookshelf S07E05
In this special 50th episode of On My Bookshelf I take a look at Land and Light by Adam Gibbs. Is this career spanning collection of photographs and stories a book for your bookshelf?
50 Episodes of On My Bookshelf
I want to start this blog post by announcing that this is the 50th episode of On My Bookshelf! When I started producing episodes in 2017, I never thought for one moment that I would reach episode 50! The fact that I've got to this number of episodes is testament to my passion for photography books. It's also a reflection that you like watching the show! So, thank you for all your support, no matter if you have watched just 1 episode or you are about to watch your 50th!
Land and Light
For this special 50th edition of On My Bookshelf I'm going to look at Land and Light by Adam Gibbs. I was lucky enough to receive my copy of Light and Land from Adam in person at the Photography Show in London earlier this year and I've been looking forward to reading it ever since. Now I can finally share my thoughts on it in an episode of On My Bookshelf. Enjoy!
🛒 You can purchase a copy of Land & Light by Adam Gibbs here - https://adamgibbs.com/books/landlight
Nikon Z8 (Firmware 2.0) - PRO Settings for Landscape Photography - FREE Download
What are the best settings on a Nikon Z8 for landscape photography? In this video take you through the settings that I would immediately apply to any Nikon Z8 that I was going to capture landscape photographs with. I've also included some new settings that are available with Firmware 2.0.
What Are the Best Settings for Landscape Photography?
I’ve been using Nikon cameras since 2006 and over the years I’ve learnt the language behind the Nikon menu options and which settings I always apply to a new camera. So, when I received my Nikon Z8 I already knew most of the settings I would apply straight away. There were of course some new settings with the Z8 that my previous cameras didn’t have, but I quickly learnt which settings applied to me and my workflow.
As I went through the menu system of the Nikon Z8 configuring the settings for how I take landscape photographs I thought it would be useful if I shared them with you.
Like many things in photography, everyone works slightly differently, and there is often more than one way to achieve the same thing, so the settings I describe in this video are the BEST settings for ME, and the way I work. So, I’m not saying these are the settings you have to apply to get the results you want, but hopefully they’ll give you some ideas and tips on how to configure your Nikon camera. Even if you don’t have a Nikon Z8, many of these settings will apply to other Nikon Z cameras and some Nikon DSLR cameras.
In this video I will take you through the best settings I use for landscape photography to help me get the most out of my Nikon Z8. I’ve also created a reference PDF file with my settings in it so you can look at them in a more leisurely way. Details on how to access that are further down this blog post.
More Nikon Z8 Related Videos
Since receiving my Nikon Z8 I’ve produced several Z8 related videos. Why not check out my Nikon Z8 playlist or my Nikon Z8 review video below.
Subscribe and Get Access to a FREE Download
As I said in the video it’s easy to get access to a PDF with all the settings that I talked about in the video. All I ask that you do is subscribe to my newsletter. As soon as you confirm your subscription you will receive a link to where you can download the file in your email.
Please note - If you are already a newsletter subscriber, and you try to subscribe again you won’t receive the subscription confirmation email with the link in it. However, don’t panic! Links to all the free stuff I give away, including this PDF and my landscape photography locations map are included in every newsletter.
The Landscape Photography Workshop by Mark Bauer and Ross Hoddinott - On My Bookshelf S06E02
In their updated edition of The Landscape Photography Workshop, two of the UKs leading landscape photographers, Ross Hoddinott and Mark Bauer, are aiming to teach you everything you need to know to take amazing landscape photographs. Have they succeeded?
An Updated Edition
As they did last year with The Art of Landscape Photography, Ross Hoddinott and Mark Bauer, have now updated The Landscape Photography Workshop. The updated edition of The Art of Landscape Photography is a book I can easily recommend to anyone wanting to develop their skills in composition. So, when I heard they were also updating The Landscape Photography Workshop, I thought I’d better check it out to see if it would become my book recommendation for those want to learn more about the technical aspects of landscape photography.
Well, the updated edition has arrived, I’ve read it and I can now share my thoughts in the latest episode of On My Bookshelf!
You can buy both updated editions of the books with the links below. They make an excellent pairing!
🛒 Landscape Photography Workshop (Updated Edition) - https://amzn.to/3qBTHIW
🛒 The Art of Landscape Photography (Updated Edition) - https://amzn.to/45Z3WHn
Landscape Photography Audiobook - Ross Hoddinott & Daniel Lezano - On My Bookshelf S03E12
Have you just got a CAMERA? Are you new to LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHY? Are you looking to gain a better understanding of landscape photography TECHNIQUE? If so, then "Landscape Photography: For Mirrorless and Digital SLR Users" by Ross Hoddinott and Daniel Lezano could be for you. In this special audiobook edition of On My Bookshelf, I tell you all about this unique title.
Learning Landscape Photography While on the Move
I spend a lot of time in the car travelling to locations for my landscape photography. Even though I’ve spent most of 2022 photographing my local area (i.e., Dartmoor), I still spend anywhere between 30 and 60 minutes just getting to a location. That’s not to mention how long it takes to walk to the spot I want to photograph after I’ve parked!
I’m not complaining. I’m just highlighting how much time I spend on the move. To make those car journeys pass a little quicker I love to listen to audiobooks. If you’ve ever been put off by the size of the Lord of the Rings or Game of Thrones books, then the audiobook could be the perfect option.
However, I’d never considered listening to an audiobook to learn landscape photography. Sure, I listen to a lot of photography podcasts, but can you teach landscape photography from an audiobook. After all, photography is such a visual medium how can you teach landscape photography without seeing anything?
Ross Hoddinott and Daniel Lezano believe they can and they sent me a copy of their audiobook “Landscape Photography: For Mirrorless and Digital SLR Users” to try out. I must admit that I was rather curious, so I put it to the test, and I share my thoughts on this audiobook title in this episode of On My Bookshelf.
If you like to pick up a copy of “Landscape Photography: For Mirrorless and Digital SLR Users” by Ross Hoddinott and Daniel Lezano, you can do so here - https://amzn.to/3YVL1tR
Explore & Discover South Wales - A fotoVUE Guidebook by Drew Buckley - On My Bookshelf S05E04
A great guidebook can transform your time in an area from random chaos to an efficient voyage of discovery and exploration. Explore & Discover South Wales by Drew Buckley and published by fotoVUE aims to do that for everyone from the casual explorer with a phone camera to the serious landscape photographer.
Exploring South Wales with a fotoVUE Guidebook
You may remember that I recently published a blog post and video about my experience of using a fotoVUE guidebook to explore an area of the Lake District that I hadn’t previously visited. I had a fantastic day and much of the success of the day was due to the advanced planning I was able to do using the information in that book.
When I had the opportunity to make a flying visit to the Brecon Beacons, I decided I’d like to do the same for fotoVUE’s recently rebranded Explore & Discover South Wales (previously Photographing South Wales). However, I was short on time, and what time I was going to have in South Wales I wanted to fill with walking and photography. It’s not that I don’t like to plan and research my photography locations, it’s just sometimes I don’t have the time. For me, this is one of the best reasons for a guidebook. You can benefit from the knowledge and experience of the author.
In the video below I’ll take you with me on my Brecon Beacons walk. I’ll tell you all about Explore & Discover South Wales, why and how I use it, and of course take some landscape photographs, Enjoy!
Buy Explore & Discover South Wales
*** Use the discount code JULIAN to get 20% off all books at fotovue.com ***
If you want to add Explore and Discover South Wales to your bookshelf, you can purchase it directly from fotoVUE here - https://www.fotovue.com/shop/books/photographing-south-wales/
Landscape Photographs from the Walk
Using the Nikon Z9 for Landscape Photography on Dartmoor
I've got hold of Nikon's flagship mirrorless camera, the Z9, and I'm off to Dartmoor to take landscape photographs with it!
I Have a Z9!
Yes, that’s right, I’ve been out capturing landscape photographs with Nikon’s flagship camera, the Nikon Z 9. But before you judge me as being yet another photographer showing off gear that no normal photographer could ever own, please watch the video below. I will explain all. I promise.
I hope you enjoyed that short exploration of the Z 9 or if you don’t hold much interest in gear, you at least enjoyed the locations and photographs I captured. If you’ve got any comments on the locations, the photographs or even the Z9, please do leave me a comment.
Apologies for the short blog post this week, but I’m busy putting the final touches on two big videos that I hope to be publishing very soon. I’m excited to be sharing them with you, so please do keep your eye on the blog or subscribe to my YouTube channel.
Nikon Z9 Landscape Photographs
Here are those Z9 landscape photographs that you saw me capture on Dartmoor.
Great Staple Tor
Great Staple Tor #1, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z9, Nikkor 14-30mm f4 at 20mm, f/11, 1.3 sec at ISO 64.
Great Staple Tor #2, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z9, Nikkor 14-30mm f4 at 18mm, f/11, 1/5 sec at ISO 64, 4:5 crop.
Brent Tor (Brentor Church)
A foggy Brentor Church #1, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z9, Nikkor 14-30mm f4 at 14mm, f/11, 1/60 sec at ISO 64, 16:9 crop.
A foggy Brentor Church #2, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z9, Nikkor 14-30mm f4 at 15mm, f/11, 1/200 sec at ISO 64, 4:5 crop.
Brat Tor
Brat Tor, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z9, Nikkor 14-30mm f4 at 24mm, f/8, 1/250 sec at ISO 64, 16:9 crop.
Great Links Tor
Great Links Tor #1, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z9, Nikkor 14-30mm f4 at 14mm, f/11, 1/40 sec at ISO 64.
Great Links Tor #3, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z9, Nikkor 14-30mm f4 at 14mm, f/11, 1/25 sec at ISO 64.
Great Links Tor #4, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z9, Nikkor 14-30mm f4 at 14mm, f/11, 1/10 sec at ISO 64.
Great Links Tor #5, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z9, Nikkor 14-30mm f4 at 14mm, f/11, 1/5 sec at ISO 64.
Aspen by Adam Gibbs and Published by Kozu Books - On My Bookshelf S04E02
On My Bookshelf is back and in this episode, I'm looking at Aspen, a photozine by Adam Gibbs and published by Kozubooks. Is this collection of autumnal landscape photographs from Abraham Lake and the Kootenay Plains a book for your bookshelf?
OMBS Is Back!
After a break of a few months, I’m pleased to say that On My Bookshelf is back! To celebrate the start of a new season of On My Bookshelf I’m looking at a photozine by Adam Gibbs called Aspen, It’s published by Kozubooks, who have been building up an amazing line of photography books including Tides and Tempests by Rachael Talibart (which featured on OMBS last year).
I’ve been following the work of Adam Gibbs for a few years now. I first became aware of his work when he won the International Landscape Photographer of the Year competition 2018. This then led me onto his YouTube channel where I found his photography compelling, and I enjoyed his style of presentation. In particular, Adam was photographing areas of the world that I had not seen before.
When Adam published his video of a recent trip to Aspen, I knew that I needed to look at the photozine he later published of that trip. Now that I’ve got my copy, I wanted to share my thoughts about the zine so you too can decide if it should be a title for your bookshelf. Enjoy!
The Nick Livesey Experience - A Documentary About Snowdonia’s Leading Mountain Photographer
Nick Livesey is a writer, photographer, mountain leader, and composer living in Snowdonia National Park in Wales. He is also a very grumpy man. But Nick’s life is changing, and for the better. In this new documentary, Nick shares his day and the stories of his life in the only way he knows how, with wit, honesty, and passion. Find out how and why Nick is changing in The Nick Livesey Experience.
Who is Nick Livesey?
The world of photography is full of personalities but when you think of Snowdonia the name that most people think of is Nick Livesey. Known as a mountain man and photographer, he is also infamous as the grumpy waiter from the Moel Siabod Café in Capel Curig.
During lockdown, Nick decided to make some fundamental changes to his life. He left behind the world of the café to focus on a life that would make him happy and allow him to establish an even deeper connection to Eryri.
But what motivates a person to give themselves so completely to just one place? I wanted to find out, so I decided to make a documentary about this legend of Snowdonia. In the film, you’ll discover that there is so much more to this person than just his photography. He’s a writer, a composer, and a mountain guide to name just a few of his talents. Most of all though, you’ll see that while he might still be a little grumpy, he is a person of great positivity, passion, and wit.
Welcome to The Nick Livesey Experience.
Celebrate YOUR Photography by Creating a Landscape Photography Calendar
I want to inspire you to celebrate YOUR photography in 2021 creating your very own landscape photography calendar. I'll take you through the process of how I created my calendar, share my thoughts on the final product and tell you why you should also make one.
A New Photography Project
Not all photography projects need to be about going out and capturing new images. Some projects can be about celebrating the images that you already have in your library. There are many ways to do this, but I think one of the most rewarding things to do is to make prints of your photographs. Why spend all that time (and probably money) capturing wonderful photographs for them to end up sitting on a hard drive somewhere.
I’ve printed my photographs in a variety of different ways from single prints, home galleries and by creating a book. It was while creating the book that I had the idea of making a calendar. I was using the services of Saal Digital to create my book when I noticed that they also printed calendars and so I made a note to make one towards the end of the year.
Celebrate YOUR Photography
As the end of 2020 approach, I decided it was time to start that project to create a calendar. The idea of creating a calendar was exciting and I thought that if I were excited then I was sure other people would feel the same. Not excited about my calendar that is, but excited about the idea of creating YOUR own calendar! What better way to celebrate your photography than by creating a calendar?
So, in the video below I share with you the process of how I created my calendar with Saal Digital. The purpose of the video isn’t to sell you my calendar but to inspire you to create one yourself! Aside from selecting which 12 images to include in the calendar, the process of putting it together is relatively straight forward. What better way to travel through each month of 2021 by marveling at one of your own images!
A Very Limited Edition
While I have mentioned that I used Saal Digital to create my calendar, I did pay for my own calendars. It’s also not my goal to sell my calendars. This is very much a personal project for me. While I didn’t order hundreds of calendars, I did order two. One is for me to hang on my wall and the other is to giveaway to someone like you. Someone in my community. Details of how you can win this very limited edition calendar are all in the video.
I’ll be doing another photography publishing project early next year so stay tuned to the blog!
A Day in the Life of Chris Sale, Professional Landscape Photographer - Documentary and Interview
Many photographers dream of turning professional, but what is it REALLY like to be a modern-day professional landscape photographer? Is it a dream job or a NIGHTMARE? To find out, I spent the day with Chris Sale and filmed a typical day in his life.
What’s It Really Like to Be a Pro Photographer?
Chris Sale and I used to lead similar lives. We both had senior jobs in corporate IT and our spare time was dominated by our passion for photography. In fact, it was that love for landscape photography and for producing YouTube videos that we became good friends. Over the years since we’ve been friends, we’ve met up for numerous shoots and even produced a few videos together.
Twelve months ago, Chris made to decision to leave his job in IT to become a full time, professional landscape photographer. Without a doubt, this was a major decision by Chris and a risky one at that. However, as risky as it was, Chris didn’t just wake up one morning and decide to turn pro (as you’ll find out in the film). I thought it was an incredibly exciting decision and I was keen to try and support Chris where I could.
Chris’ transition to professional photographer follows a path that might be quite different from a lot of other photographers, particularly those who have a more established presence in the industry. It’s those key differences in both Chris’ journey and the way he runs his business that gave me the idea of producing this documentary.
As I try to be as supportive of Chris, so he is supportive of me. When I proposed the idea of creating this documentary, he was more than willing to support me and most importantly offer me his trust. The trust element was particularly important as he was going to let me film him for a day, and then edit that down to a short film.
We were hoping to make the film earlier this year, but a certain pandemic put an end to that plan. We still thought it was a great idea, so as soon as it was safe to travel and meet up again, we put a new date in our plan.
I am now absolutely delighted to share the film we have made. I hope that by viewing it you not only get a good idea of what it is like to be a professional landscape photographer, but you also learn about Chris’ interesting journey. Most of all I hope you enjoy it!
Do you have an interesting or compelling photography story that could make for a good film? Let me know in the comments below.
Landscape Photography - On Location with Thomas Heaton (Preview) - On My Bookshelf S03E04
In this special episode of On My Bookshelf I take an exclusive look at Thomas Heaton’s new landscape photography book.
Welcome to my 200th Blog Post
Before I tell you about the latest episode of On My Bookshelf, I just want to let you know that this is my 200th post on the Exposed Blog. My first blog post was made on 30th August 2016 and since then I have made a new post every week. The weekly post was a commitment I made to myself at the start but even I’m a little surprised that I manage to keep going for two hundred posts and not miss a single week.
It’s been a bit of a roller coaster. Sometimes I’d be sitting there with 5 or 6 posts ready to go and other weeks I’d be sitting there on a Sunday frantically typing out my latest landscape photography adventure. I’ve thought about cutting back from the weekly schedule, but I just love sharing my adventures and stories with you. The thing that really keeps me going though is YOU, the readers of the blog. Thank you for all the comments here, and on all my social media channels. Your support really does keep me going.
I wonder if I can make it to 500!
On My Bookshelf - Thomas Heaton
For my 200th blog post, I’ve managed to bag myself an exclusive look at Thomas Heaton’s new book “Landscape Photography, On Location with Thomas Heaton”. Mr Heaton has not only inspired my photography, but he also inspired me to create my YouTube channel. When I heard he was going to publish his first book of landscape photographs I was really interested in seeing what it was all about.
Now that pre-orders for his book have opened (get a copy here) I’m delighted to share with you my thoughts on his forthcoming book. Once you’ve watched my video be sure to check out Thomas’ announcement video below that.
UPDATE!
I now have a physical copy of the book so please check out part 2 of my review!
The Landscape by Paul Wakefield - On My Bookshelf S03E03
In this episode of On My Bookshelf I take a look The Landscape by Paul Wakefield.
Discovery and Recommendations
The books that go on my bookshelf are discovered in many different ways. I might hear about them in a podcast or read about them in a magazine but probably one of the best ways to discover something is through recommendation.
Friend and fellow photographer Neil Burnell (who actually has one of his books on my bookshelf) recommended that I pick up a copy of The Landscape by Paul Wakefield. I know Neil doesn’t purchase photography books very often so for him to buy it was recommendation enough for me to pick up a copy.
The book is a little on the expensive side but fortunately for me, I’d been a good boy in 2019 and Santa gave me a copy for Xmas. Now that I’ve had time to look through it I’m delighted to share my thoughts on the book in another episode of On My Bookshelf.
What did you think of the book? Is this a book that might make it on to your bookshelf? Do you have any recommendations for me? Let me know in the comments below.
My Year Long Landscape Photography Project on Dartmoor
What happens when you photograph the same location for a year? In the blog this week I share with you the results of my year-long landscape photography project on Dartmoor.
One Year, One Location, Twelve Photographs
I’m going to keep this blog post really short as everything I would talk about here is contained in the video below. So rather than write a lot of text here I hope you’ll be able to find the time to watch my longest ever landscape photography video. I’ve actually tried to keep it as short as I can, but the video does contain a year’s worth of work so I hope you can excuse the length. So grab yourself a coffee or a drink and enjoy!
I do hope you enjoyed the video. Have you ever undertaken a similar project? Which image was your favourite? Please let me know in the comments below.
My Emsworthy Collection
Finally, here are all the photographs I took during the project and that you saw in the video. If you want to see the technical information for a photograph just click on it.
52 Assignments Landscape Photography by Ross Hoddinott and Mark Bauer - On My Bookshelf S03E02
Are you looking to kickstart your landscape photography in 2020? In this episode of On My Bookshelf, I'm taking a look at 52 Assignments for Landscape Photography by Ross Hoddinott and Mark Bauer. It's packed full of creative assignments but there's really only one way to see how good it is and that is to head out on location and give one of those assignments a try.
OMBS On Location
Most of the photography books featured in On My Bookshelf (OMBS) are normally enjoyed at home with a nice cup of coffee. Every now and again though I get a book that has a more practical element to it and I feel the best way to share my thoughts on it is to go on location with it. I adopted this approach last year when I met up with Nick Livesey to discuss his book Photographing the Snowdonia Mountains.
When I received my copy of 52 Assignments: Landscape Photography by Ross Hoddinott and Mark Bauer I knew straight away that this would be another book that would be best demonstrated on location. The only challenge I had was which of the 52 assignments should I pick!
So join me in the latest episode of OMBS as I share my thoughts on this book and head out to Dartmoor on assignment.
I really hope you enjoyed this episode of OMBS. Santa was good enough to bring me a book on landscape photography that I’ve had on my list for a while now and I hope to bring you that episode of OMBS in the near future.
What do you have planned for your photography in 2020? Do you give yourself any assignments or projects? How do you discover creative ideas and techniques? Let me know in the comments below.
The Photographs
As always, here are the images that you saw in the video. I can’t wait to get back to this location. Hopefully when the light is a bit better and the wind a lot lighter!
West Mill Tor #2, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor 14-30mm f/4 at 21mm, f/13, 1/8th second at ISO 400, CPL and ND Grad.
West Mill Tor #1, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor 14-30mm f/4 at 14mm, f/13, 1/3rd second at ISO 400, CPL and ND Grad.
West Mill Tor #3, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon Z7, Nikkor 14-30mm f/4 at 21mm, f/13, 1/8th second at ISO 400, CPL and ND Grad.
Get Your Camera Out!
With sunrises now being at a much more sociable time of the morning I decided to get myself back into the swing of early morning rises and head to my favourite local beach.
Summer Sunrises
I like to think I don't have much of a problem getting up early in the morning so I can capture sunrise images. During the summer months the shock of a 3 am alarm call is enough to shake the resolve of even the hardest landscape photographer. While I can and have got up at this time in the morning it often means a fairly difficult rest of the day.
The difficult part is when I return from the shoot. It would be lovely if I could just come home, have some breakfast and then have a nice little nap. For a couple of hours. In reality though I have to plough through the rest of the day as if I had just got up at 7 am. It's hard to function with little sleep and still behave like a normal human being. It is for those reasons that I will only get up for a 5 am sunrise if the weather is promising to be epic or I am meeting someone.
Winter Sunrises
As the nights start to draw in it's getting harder for me to get out to shoot sunsets, so as I sat at my computer the other day planning out my photographic week it suddenly dawned on me (excuse the pun), that sunrises are now at a much more sociable hour! With a 7 am sunrise I don't have to set an alarm until 5 am, maybe even 5:30 depending on the location.
To get myself back into the swing of early morning rises I decided that I would make life easy for myself and go somewhere I know and that is local. If you've been reading my blog for a while you'll know exactly the location I'm talking about. Yep, that's right, Dawlish Warren. I've created many videos and blog posts from this location. There are too many to list here, so if you want to see what I captured on previous trips just use the search box at the top of The Exposed Blog page and search for Dawlish Warren.
Dawlish Warren - 2015. Nikon D750, Nikkor 16-35 mm f/4 at 35 mm, f/13, 72 secs at ISO 100.
Get Your Camera Out!!
I was actually rather excited to be heading out for a dawn shoot at Dawlish Warren. Not only I had I not been on a sunrise shoot for a while but I also hadn't been to Dawlish Warren for some time. It was hard to tell exactly what the sunrise would be like from the weather forecast but I wasn't going to let that put me off.
I arrived at Dawlish Warren about 6 am, roughly an hour before sunrise. As I strolled along the beach I took in a big lung full of fresh sea air and decided that there was no place better to start the day. I was the only person there and it was wonderful.
When shooting the beach at Dawlish Warren I normally like to shoot past groyne 9. Dogs aren't allowed past groyne 9 at any time of year so there is no risk of jumping dogs and unwanted footprints in the pristine sand. As I got to groyne 9 I could see a heavy bank of cloud on the horizon where the sun would rise from. This could be a problem but I decided not to let it get me down and so I sat down on one of the sand dunes to see how things might pan out.
As I watched the waves roll in that pesky bank of cloud wasn't shifting. The sky above Dawlish Warren was looking good with plenty of breaks in the cloud which, if the sun could break the horizon, would light up nicely. The time for sunrise approached, arrived, and went, but no sign of the sun in the sky.
Sitting there I did think to myself that I might not even bother getting the camera out. It's not as if I'd never been here, or would never return, or that I didn't have any good shots from this location. Experience has taught me though that it is always worth getting the camera out! So I got my camera out and I have to say that I'm glad I did. As the sun finally broke above the bank of cloud the sky started to get interesting. Not amazing, but interesting enough for me to want to take some photographs. I soon found my creative juices flowing and I got busy with the job of creating photographs.
Dawn at Dawlish Warren, Devon - Nikon Z7 with Nikkor Z 14-30 mm f/4 at 14 mm, f/13, 99 sec at ISO 64, Kase Filters K8 holder, CPL, and 6 stop ND.
Do you shoot sunrises all year round or wait like me until the autumn and winter months? What is your favourite sunrise location? Do you always get your camera out or have you gone home having taken no pictures at all? Let me know in the comments below.
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!