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.
7 AMAZING Devon and Cornwall Landscape Photography Locations
In this blog post I’m going tell you about 7 AMAZING locations in Devon and Cornwall for landscape photography. This post is PACKED full of photographs and videos to inspire your landscape photography!
Vignettes of Landscape Photography
Over the last week I’ve been publishing videos from my new series Vignettes of Landscape Photography. It’s a series of short videos on the locations that have inspired my landscape photography. Each episode is a mix of still photography and video clips that will hopefully not only show you the natural beauty and variety of the location but also inspire you to visit that location to capture your own photographs.
Now that all 7 episodes from series 1 have been published on YouTube, I thought I would bring them all together in a big blog post. Not only can you choose to play them all from the playlist I have created below, but if you scroll down you will find each individual episode along with a map and the images I captured from that location. I hope you’ll agree that these are indeed 7 AMAZING locations in Devon and Cornwall for landscape photography!
I really hope you enjoy this first series of Vignettes of Landscape Photography. Please leave me a comment below and let me know what you think. Did you have a favourite episode or a favourite image? What would you like to see from series 2? Have you been to any of these locations? Have you been inspired to visit any of the locations featured? Let me know in the comments below.
Bedruthan Steps
A Bedruthan Spring, Bedruthan Steps, Cornwall - Nikon D850, Nikkor 16-35 mm f/4 at 26 mm, f/11, 1/4 sec at ISO 64, Kase CPL and ND grad.
Spring Cliffs at Bedruthan, Bedruthan Steps, Cornwall - Nikon D850, Nikkor 16-35 mm f/4 at 22 mm, f/11, 1/2 sec at ISO 64, Kase CPL and ND grad.
Last Light at Bedruthan, Bedruthan Steps, Cornwall - Nikon D850, Nikkor 24-70 mm f/2.8 at 42 mm, f/8, 136 sec at ISO 64, Kase CPL, ND and ND grad.
Venford Falls
The Twin Falls of Venford, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon D850, Nikkor 16-35 mm f/4 at 28 mm, f/11, 4 sec at ISO 64, Kase CPL.
The Fall, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon D850, Nikkor 16-35 mm f/4 at 35 mm, f/11, 2.5 sec at ISO 64, Kase CPL.
The Flow, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon D850, Nikkor 16-35 mm f/4 at 16 mm, f/11, 2.5 sec at ISO 64, Kase CPL.
Belstone Common
Stormy Belstone #1, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon D850, Nikkor 16-35 mm f/4 at 16 mm, f/13, 1/3rd sec at ISO 64, Kase CPL and ND grad.
Stormy Belstone #2, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon D850, Nikkor 16-35 mm f/4 at 16 mm, f/13, 1/3rd sec at ISO 64, Kase CPL and ND grad.
Daymark Tower
The Daymark Tower, Devon - Nikon D850, Nikkor 16-35 mm f/4 at 16 mm, f/13, 1/5th sec at ISO 64, Kase CPL and ND grad.
Tower in the Field, Devon - DJI Mavic Pro, 23 mm, 1/290th sec at f/2.2, ISO 100.
Stormy Belstone #1, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon D850, Nikkor 24-70 mm f/2.8 at 70 mm, f/2.8, 1/125th sec at ISO 64, Kase CPL.
Trevose Head
Trevose Head #2, Cornwall - Nikon D850, Nikkor 24-70 mm f/2.8 at 26 mm, f/13, 2.5 sec at ISO 64, Kase CPL.
A Long Night Ahead - Trevose Head, Cornwall - Nikon D850, Nikkor 16-35 mm f/4 at 20 mm, f/13, 13 sec at ISO 64, Kase CPL and 6 stop ND.
Botallack
Botallack #1, Cornwall - Nikon D850, Nikkor 16-35 mm f/4 at 16 mm, f/11, 1.6 sec at ISO 64, Kase CPL and 6 stop ND.
Botallack #3, Cornwall - Nikon D850, Nikkor 16-35 mm f/4 at 30 mm, f/13, 90 sec at ISO 64, Kase CPL and 6 stop ND.
Brent Tor
Brent Tor, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon D850, Nikkor 16-35 mm f/4 at 16 mm, f/14, 1/13th sec at ISO 64, Kase CPL.
Brentor Church Sunset #2, Dartmoor, Devon - Nikon D850, Nikkor 16-35 mm f/4 at 19 mm, f/8, 1/6th sec at ISO 64, Kase CPL. Focus stacked image.
Cloudy with a Chance of Brecon Beacons
I had such fun last year wild camping with Gareth Danks in the Brecon Beacons that I decided to do it again. Armed with a tent, a camera, and a sense of adventure I head up into the hills of the Brecon Beacons for a spot of landscape photography. Would the weather be kinder to me this time though?
Discovering Wild Camping
Last September I went on my first wild camping adventure . It had been something I'd been meaning to do for some time. Much of my enthusiasm for giving it a try was due to me watching wild camping videos from my friend and fellow photographer Gareth Danks. In my first wild camping adventure I headed to the Brecon Beacons and camped up on Pen y Fan. The conditions for photography weren't great, but I really enjoyed the experience.
Back to the Breacon Beacons
After the experience of my first wild camping adventure it was only a matter of time before I wanted to do it again. Fortunately for me though, Gareth is always keen to head out with his tent, and share his experience in wild camping. I might have some skills with a camera, but I'm sensible enough to recognise that I don't have the camping skills!
For our 2nd wild camping trip we did discuss going somewhere further afield like Snowdonia. I visited Snowdonia back in February and I loved the place. (You can watch my adventure in Snowdonia here). However, we both had personal reasons for sticking to somewhere a bit closer to home so we decided on Gareth's backyard. Fortunately for us Gareth's backyard is the Brecon Beacons National Park!
There were a number of questions about this trip though. Would we get better conditions than last time? Would we spend more time drinking coffee? Would I be able to put my own tent up? Let's find out.
As you can see from the video, the conditions were tricky for photography but despite all that I really enjoyed my adventure. I might not have been saying that if I didn't have Gareth along for company. It would have been pretty boring staring into the cloud all by myself!
I'm definitely going to give the wild camping a go again though. I enjoy being outside, walking in the mountains, and brewing cups of coffee in the wilderness. I'm even considering buying my own tent. Would I go back to Brecon Beacons though? Well that all depends on the weather!
Gareth’s Video
Remember to check out Gareth’s video from our wild camping adventure!
Mid Year Image Review - The Hits
Last week I shared with you some of my images that didn’t make the cut in my mid year review. To balance things out, this week I’m going to share with you some of my more successful images!
The Mid Year Review
At the end of each year I like to take a look back the images I’ve captured and the select my favourites. This is always a useful exercise as it allows me to reflect and judge how my photography has developed over the year. A year is a long time though so I also like to have a quick review of images midway through the year. This is a useful exercise as it shows me that perhaps it’s not been such a bad year and it reminds me of some of the great adventures I’ve had. It also inspires me to plan more adventures for the remainder of the year!
Let’s take a look at 3 of my favourite images of the year so far. (If you want to see some of the images that didn’t make the cut and why, then check out my blog post from last week).
Snowdonia
My first big adventure of the year was a cracker. I was lucky enough to meet up with Nick Livesey in Snowdonia to discuss his book Photographing the Snowdonia Mountains. We spent the day wandering his local area, taking photographs and having a good old chat. You can see my photos and the video I made of my time with Nick here.
The image below was the first image I took that day and remains a firm favourite from the trip. It’s not a perfect image. I like the composition, with the warm sky and the distant mountains but with only a partial covering of snow in the foreground I feel it looks a little messy. I suspect the image has made it onto this blog post due to my attachment with the adventure rather than it is an amazing image. Still, I said I would share my favourite images, not necessarily my best!
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.
Dartmoor
Given that Dartmoor is on my doorstep if would be unusual if this blog post hadn’t featured a photograph from there. You can read about how I captured the image below by reading this blog post here.
This image has definitely grown on me. I remember thinking it was OK at the time, but now that I look at it again several months later I rather like it. I like the row of tors on the left as they curve round to the distant tor and then on the right you have all the scattered boulders which also seem to curve in. Add in an interesting sky and I think I have a fairly decent image. It will be interesting to see how it fairs at the end of the year when compared with everything else.
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.
Macro
And now for something completely different. Though the vast majority of my photography is landscape based, I have been wanting to try macro photography for some time. This year I finally got around to it and you read about how I captured the image below here.
The image isn’t perfect but I do love it. The tips of the wings are just falling out of focus, and my eye for composition in this genre needs developing, but I do love everything else about it. The Zeiss lens that I used as produced some wonderful bokeh and the D850 has rendered some beautiful detail in the butterfly. It’s an image that has solidified my desire to get a macro lens and I expect that the shots I take next spring will feature a lot of macro work.
Common Blue #1, Devon - Nikon D850, Zeiss 100mm f/2 at f/3.5, 1/400th second at ISO 1600
I hope you enjoyed these images. Remember to have a look at the links to the blog posts that go with these images to see more photographs and possibly even a video or two!
Do you review your images just once a year or a number of times over the year? Let me know in the comments below.
Mid Year Image Review - The Misses
Some images are destined to only ever sit on a hard drive. In this blog post I take a look at some of those images in my library and discuss why they never saw the light of today until now.
Confidence Boost
It’s about that time of year when I take a look back at the images I’ve captured over the last six months. Though I like to do a complete review at the end of a year to find my favourites, I also like to have a quick look at the midpoint of the year. This can be a useful thing to do particularly if you think the first half of the year hasn’t been a productive one. As I find with my annual reviews, I often find things were a little better than I remembered and I can take a little confidence boost from the images I see.
The Misses
As I ploughed through my images from the last six months I noticed that for some trips out with the camera I hadn’t even shared one image from that collection. This wasn’t an oversight on my part though. It’s just that I felt the images weren’t really good enough to share. It’s maybe the composition wasn’t quite right, or the light was flat, or the image just lacked “something”.
While it’s all very nice sharing my best images, I thought I would take this opportunity to share a few of those images that never made it passed the import stage. Why? Well it’s just as important to review the images you don’t like as it is to review the images you do like. By also looking at the images you don’t like you can learn why and then take that knowledge out with you on the next shoot.
By me sharing some of “misses” you can hopefully see that life isn’t full of 5-star images and that there are lessons to be learnt from every frame we take.
Colmer’s Hill
Colmer’s Hill, Dorset - Nikon D850, Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 at 82mm, f/8, 1/60th second at ISO 64.
First up we have this panoramic image of Colmer’s Hill in Dorset that I took back in February. This is a pleasing enough image in retrospect but I think the thing that catches my eye most about this photograph is the colour in the sky. But that’s about it really. There isn’t enough low lying mist to make the foreground interesting and to separate the hill from the surrounding landscape. I could have maybe lived with the lack of mist if there had been some light on Colmer’s Hill itself, but without that either, the image just lacks a bit of contrast and punch.
It’s one of those cases of being at a location to watch the sunrise was far more exciting than the resulting photograph.
Dawlish Warren
Dawlish Warren, Devon - Nikon D850, Nikkor 16-35mm f/4 at 16mm, f/11, 0.4 seconds at ISO 64.
Dawlish Warren is definitely one of my favourite locations to photograph. I’ve blogged about it many times. When I was scanning through my catalogue I wasn’t surprised to find some unpublished images from that location. In retrospect though, I feel that I may have been a bit harsh with my initial critique of this image. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying it’s an amazing image (I have better from there), but overall it’s a decent enough image.
I think the problem with this image for me is that the morning I shot it I was after something very specific so when I didn’t get it I probably just dismissed this image as not what I was after. I rather like the movement in the water and there is a bit of drama in the sky. The composition needs some work though. I’m not convinced that the central placement of the groyne marker works and while the I like the sky, I would have preferred there to be some cloud in the top right to stop the eye wandering off. Overall though it’s a better image than I first gave it credit for.
Wembury
Wembury, Devon - Nikon D850, Nikkor 16-35mm f/4 at 24mm, f/13, 240 seconds at ISO 100.
This image was taken on my first visit to Wembury so getting a really good image without having explored the area first can be a bit of a challenge. As I look at this image I’m trying to put my finger on what I don’t like about it. I like the triangular shape of the rocks going from the left, out to sea and then out to the island but I would have preferred there to have been more horizontal separation between the rock in the sea and the island in the distance. However, moving about those slippy rocks is challenging and it might have been the best position I could find.
I do however like the pastel colours in the sky and the wispy look of the water from the long exposure, but I’m also not sure that the contrast between the lightness of the sea and sky is too much against the darkness of the rocks. I am definitely a little undecided by this image. However, what I do know is that I want to visit this location again.
In Summary
It certainly has been an interesting exercise writing this blog as it has got me to think a bit more about the images that I had previously rejected. In retrospect, they weren’t too bad at all. Not portfolio pieces or competition entries, but definitely images I would have been happy sharing on my blog. It just goes to show that sometimes you need to leave your images for a while before making any final decisions on them.
How long do you leave an image for before deciding on how good it is? Do you go back on a regular basis and review your images? Let me know in the comments below.
PS - Some Videos You Might Like
On the topic of image review, I thought you might like these videos which you might not have seen yet:
A Tale of the Unexpected
Sometimes the best the shots are on the path rather than the destination itself.
Two Plans in One
Summer generally brings blue skies and warm weather. All very nice for relaxing in and drinking glasses of chilled white wine, but generally useless for landscape photography. After what had seemed to be an endless streak of blue sky evenings I had decided that enough was enough and I was going to go out with the camera. Worst case scenario I could do some exploration of new locations, and best case I might get some high-level cloud around sunset and be able to fire off a couple of frames.
I've been trying to explore more of my local coastline recently so I decided I would visit a location that had been recommended to me by a friend. It's the kind of location you want to visit on a high tide, with a bit of wind and lots of clouds. None of these conditions would be present on this visit, but as this was a mission of exploration, none of that mattered. I just wanted to scope out the location.
As I also had a bit of time I thought I would visit that location first and then head to a different location to catch the sunset. Looking at the map I could see I wouldn’t be far from Froward Point and as I hadn't shot that viewpoint in a while I decided to tag it onto my itinerary.
Blue Skies, Blue Ocean
It was a beautiful summers evening as I set out in my car to my first location. Despite it not being ideal conditions for landscape photography summer is a great time to be driving around Devon. Everything looks lush and green and you can't help but feel everything is going to be just fine!
That sense of well-being and calm continued as I made the last part of my journey to the first location on foot. As I already knew I wasn't going to be taking any "serious" pictures at the location it didn't bother me that it was calm seas and bright blue skies. I took a number of test shots from various different angles. I had to try hard to envisage the location in less settled conditions, but I at least now had a good idea of what I might want to achieve next time. Definitely a location to return to.
I was soon back in the car and crossing the River Dart using the ferry. This is something I haven't done before so it was an added bit of excitement to my little road trip!
Golden Fields
To get to Froward Point you first have to park at the Brownstone National Trust car park and then walk the rest of the way. As you make your way down to the coastline you walk by Daymark Tower, a popular location for photography and a location I’ve shot myself many times. In fact, I had shot it a few weeks before so I was happy enough to pass it by. However, as I walked by it did catch my eye. Instead of the crops being a greeny yellow colour they had turned a golden colour and looked quite different. It did cross my mind that it might photograph well when the sunsets, but I carried on walking, focused on getting to the coastline.
You can shoot Froward Point from a number of different angles as you can see from this blog post here and here. For this visit I decided to go for the spot almost directly below the NCI lookout. I have to admit that when I arrived I just wasn't feeling that excited about shooting there. I'm not sure why this was. The sky now had a few very high-level clouds in it but the rest of the scene wasn't really doing it for me.
I think at the back of my mind I knew that I would have been better off back at Daymark Tower and shooting those golden fields of crops. As time progressed and my desire to photograph Froward Point didn't increase I decided there was no point in waiting until sunset and so I packed my bag and started to walk back to the car.
As I approached Daymark Tower I could see how good the light looked on the tower and the crops. With about 15 minutes of good light left I get to work very quickly and captured these images.
Field of Gold, Daymark Tower, Devon - Nikon D850, Nikkor 16-35mm f/4 at 17mm, f/13, 1/3rd second at ISO 64.
Tower of Gold, Daymark Tower, Devon - Nikon D850, Nikkor 70-200 f/2.8 at 70mm, f/11, 1/6th second at ISO 64.
Fire Beacon, Daymark Tower, Devon - Nikon D850, Nikkor 16-35mm f/4 at 24mm, f/13, 0.4 second at ISO 64 (single image crop at 16:7).
Though I've shot Daymark Tower a few times, I'd never photographed it looking like this. A combination of clear skies, golden light, and golden crops made for some very pleasing images. Considering I hadn't planned on capturing images at Daymark, these unexpected images were very welcome!
Have you ever passed a location and then wished you'd gone back? Have you ever gone to one location but decided to go somewhere that you had originally dismissed? Let me know in the comments below.
Photographing Boscastle and Using Kase Filters
I'm back with a new video! This week I head to the picturesque village of Boscastle in Cornwall to capture some images of the distinctive S shape harbour. I also talk a little bit about filters and what I like about the Kase Filter system which I'm now using.
Back to Boscastle
Boscastle has a special place in my photographic heart. It was about 5 years ago that I decided I really wanted to start learning the craft of photography so I spent the day with local photographer Ross Hoddinott for a bit of 1-2-1 tuition. The first location we visited was Boscastle and from that viewpoint on Penally Hill I probably learnt more about composition than I'd done in the previous 5 years.
Since that day I've been returning to that viewpoint every year to capture images the harbour. Some years have been more successful than others but I've always enjoyed looking down onto that distinctive S-shaped harbour and the hills that run along with it. There's more than just the harbour to shoot as well. There are a couple of great viewpoints closer to the coastline that are worth checking out. Read my blog post Sunrise at Boscastle to see them.
A Slight Break in the Weather
While the lovely summer weather we've been having here in the south-west is fantastic, it's not exactly been optimal for landscape photography. I love the extended hours of light that allow me to travel further and get out more, but those pesky blue skies don't always translate well into good landscape photographs.
After a few weeks of "great" summer weather there was finally a break from the blue skies and the weather forecast was predicting some decent cloud cover that would hopefully make things a bit more interesting. Fortunately for me it was also going to be high tide around sunset as I was keen to shoot some long exposure seascapes. All I had to do was pick a location. Boscastle immediately sprung to mind!
Kase Filters
Even though I'd already made one of my 5 Minute Photo Adventure videos from Boscastle I was so optimistic about the conditions that I thought it would be worth making another vlog from there. As I was going to be shooting long exposures seascapes I thought it would also be an excellent opportunity to talk about Kase Filters. A few months ago I needed to purchase a new filter system and after recommendations from some fellow photographers I know I decided to go with the Kase Filter system. You can hear what I think about them in the video and watch me put them to use.
If you'd like to see how I got on with my latest photography adventure to Boscastle and hear my brief thoughts on the Kase Filter system, then check out the video below.
A Summers Evening in Boscastle
So was my evening in Boscastle a successful one? Let’s find out.
As you will have seen in the video I actually got the better light early on in the evening. Normally the light gets better the closer you get to sunset but due to atmospheric conditions the light fizzled out a bit as the evening progressed. The following image is my favourite because it has the golden light on the foreground rocks as well as the hills surrounding the harbour.
Last Light at Boscastle Harbour, Cornwall - Nikon D850, Nikkor 16-35mm f/4 at 20mm, f/13, 100 seconds at ISO 64, Kase Filters CPL, 6 Stop ND and ND Grad.
The other two images I took are pleasing enough but compared with the first I think they lack some depth and colour.
Boscastle Harbour at Sunset, Cornwall - Nikon D850, Nikkor 16-35mm f/4 at 19mm, f/13, 100 seconds at ISO 64, Kase Filters CPL, 6 Stop ND and ND Grad.
Out to Sea, Boscastle, Cornwall - Nikon D850, Nikkor 16-35mm f/4 at 18mm, f/13, 160 seconds at ISO 64, Kase Filters CPL, 6 Stop ND and ND Grad.
Overall though I was very happy with my adventure to Boscastle and the photographs I took. Does that mean I won't go back? Of course not! There will always be new compositions to found and different conditions and lighting to work with.
I do hope you enjoyed the video and photographs and that it has inspired you to visit Boscastle. If you are looking for more Cornwall locations to inspire your photography then check out some of my other posts from Cornwall. If you've got a favourite Cornish location that you want to share then let me know in the comments below. See you next time!
Just One Image
Sometimes you only have time to take one image. Sometimes that’s all you need.
Too Clear, Too Cloudy
In landscape photography there is one thing more than anything else that annoys me and that is the weather. It’s an element I have no control of and it seems that I spend more time checking forecasts than I actually do taking photographs. With shooting time at a premium I’m always keen to make the most of what time I do have by going to locations where the conditions will be optimal. Over the years I’ve discovered this is very difficult. On the plus side it does make those times when it all does come together even more satisfying.
Summer normally brings better weather and more importantly longer days so more opportunities for photography. However, the summer weather recently has been a bit of a mixed bag. It’s either been overcast and dull, or bright blue skies. I know some people can do wonders with their photography in clear conditions but I just don’t get on with it (unless I’m chilling out with a glass of wine). What I really want for my photograph at this time of year is somewhere between cloud and clear. It’s not much to ask is it.
The other night I was faced with another clear sky evening. I had the choice of staying in and being grumpy or heading out to do some exploring instead. As I was keen to discover some new locations I decided on the latter and head out anyway.
Middle Dartmoor
I had a quick look at my custom Google Map and saw a pin against Mel Tor in the middle of Dartmoor so that seemed as good a place as any to head out to. I wasn’t expecting to get any images, but I thought I’d better take my camera anyway. When I arrived at the car park I was presented with some beautiful, panoramic views of Dartmoor.
It was only a short walk to Mel Tor and while I didn’t think there was a photograph to be had there that evening I have made a note to return there for autumn because of the big wide views of the woodland below.
I then had the option of taking a look at Sharp Tor but time was getting on and I rather fancied taking a panoramic image of that view I had seen earlier. I wanted to get a better angle and elevation for the panoramic view though so I jumped in the car and drove towards Corndon Tor.
All You Need Is One Image
By the time I got to the summit the light was starting to fade. Although the sun hadn’t reached the horizon yet I knew the surrounding hills would start casting big shadows so I had to get to work quickly. I set up my tripod, took a test shot (to check for focus and exposure) and then took a series of images for my panoramic photograph.
By the time I’d done that the light was gone. I literally had time to take that panoramic image and that was it. Considering I didn’t think I’d take any images, or any decent images that evening I was pretty happy with the result!
Sometimes all you need is one image. It could be the first image you take, the last image you take, or indeed the only image you take.
Dartmoor from Corndon Down, Devon - Nikon D850, Nikkor 70-200 f/2.8 at 98mm, f/8, 1/5th second at ISO 64, 13 image stitched panoramic cropped to 16:7.
Blackchurch Rock
In the blog this week I tell you about a recent trip to Blackchurch Rock in Devon. With still water and flat light, was it worth the effort to get there?
Return to Blackchurch Rock
Around the coast of Britain you will find many interesting rock formations. Sea stacks by there very nature are impressive. Lone stacks of rock standing tall and in defiance of the constantly crashing waves. Around the south west of England where I live they are fairly common and easy to find. The sea arch on the other hand tends to be a little more on the rare side.
The sea arch is no less impressive than its sea stack cousin, but given its a relative rarity, they can offer something a little bit different to the seascape photographer. I say that, but I forgot all about Durdle Door for which it is rather difficult to get something different due to its popularity. There is also a sea arch at Lands End which is well worth photographing if you don’t mind the drive!
For me though, I’ve always been fascinated by Blackchurch Rock in North Devon. Like many locations I can’t actually remember how I first learnt about it but I suspect it was most likely to be from Flickr. I’ve only been to Blackchurch Rock once before and that was way back in 2015. I didn’t really get the shot I was after but I was impressed by the location and I knew there was plenty of scope for compositions.
So why has it taken me 4 years to return? The simple answer is that because it’s not the easiest of locations to get to I put off returning until I thought the conditions would be ideal. It’s about 1.5 hr drive, plus nearly a 30 minute walk to get to the location. With a journey time of 2 hours there and 2 hours back, I was only going to return for ideal conditions.
For me ideal conditions consist of a number of things. I want good light and in the right direction. The sea arch stands out from the rest of the beach and having it illuminated by good light will make it stand out even more. There are numerous channels and pools around the beach so tide height and water flow are also important. A good sky with interesting clouds illuminated by the setting sun would also be useful. I probably have a set of conditions that rarely come together if I’m honest!
Less Than Ideal Conditions
As you’ll see in the photographs below my most recent visit didn’t really meet any of my criteria for a return visit. When I planned my visit I knew it was going to be a bit of a risk to go there. The tide was in my favour (it was going out), but the weather forecast was a bit 50/50. For me though, photography is sometimes more than just waiting for ideal conditions, it’s also about adventure and friendship.
Blackchurch Rock, Devon - Nikon D850, Nikkor 16-35 mm f/4 at 16 mm, f/13, 20 seconds at ISO 64.
The Bottle Stop, Devon - Nikon D850, Nikkor 16-35 mm f/4 at 16 mm, f/13, 25 seconds at ISO 64.
Though it was going to be a bit of a punt to go to Blackchurch Rock I knew it was going to be worth the effort because I’d have company. My mate, who also happens to be a photographer, hadn’t been to Blackchruch Rock in a while and fancied going back. As I was in a similar position I thought it was worth a visit. We might get lucky with the conditions (always a possibility), but more than that it would be a good chance to catch up.
As it turned out the conditions were a bit flat. The sky was heavily overcast, the sun was nowhere to be seen, and even though the tide was going out there was barely any movement in the water. It still wasn’t a wasted trip though. Far from it. I got the opportunity to explore the location a bit more and pick out some compositions that I could use on a future visit. Having a good idea of what compositions work in advance can make it easier to capture images when the conditions are ideal.
Most of all though, it wasn’t a wasted trip because I got to catch up with a mate and eat some chips. Sometimes photography is just a bonus!
Tricky Trevose
In my blog this week I head out to Trevose Head where I discover that previous success at a location doesn’t guarantee future success.
High Hopes
It’s been a while since I captured an image that I really connected with. Or it at least feels that way. Sometimes when the last few shoots don’t go as planned and you come away with a few OK images it’s all too easy to become negative about your own photography. I was starting to feel that way and what I needed was a really productive session out with the camera.
To get some inspiration I opened up Lightroom and looked through my catalogue of images. I was immediately drawn to my photographs of Trevose Head. It appeared that every visit had resulted in a decent image. In fact, some of my favourite images were taken from this location. With such an apparent high success rate at this location how could I go wrong?
I checked the weather forecast and tide times and decided that conditions were favourable enough to make the 1 hour 45-minute drive there. I had high hopes for this trip and I had visions of me capturing an image like this one I took back in 2016:
Last Light at Trevose Head, Cornwall - Nikon D750, Nikkor 16-35mm f/4 at 22mm, f/11, 97 seconds at ISO 100.
Challenges
When I arrived at Trevose Head, conditions looked as predicted. The majority of the cloud was starting to clear revealing a lovely blue sky. Not great for photography I admit, but if the forecast was right, more cloud would arrive around sunset so I wasn’t too worried. At the car park it was very windy and I thought this might make long exposures a bit tricky, but as I descended to my favourite spot on the rocks it was a lot more sheltered.
I had arrived a couple of hours before sunset so I had plenty of time to work out my compositions. I already had a couple in mind. These were either based on existing shots I had taken or some new ones that I thought might prove interesting. Taking test shots this early on was tricky though due to the contrast of the scene. The sky was very bright and the rocks dark making getting a balanced exposure difficult. It’s a hard scene to grad as well as the horizon is broken by the lighthouse.
As the evening progressed and it got closer to sunset some cloud started to roll in. It was some of that nice high-level cloud you sometimes get so I was feeling optimistic. That feeling didn’t last long though. Though I was happy enough with the compositions I had I was finding it a difficult scene to photograph. The problem was that between the cloud and the horizon there was a very bright band of sky where there was no cloud cover. Even when the sun (which was at 90 degrees to me) was behind the cloud, the band of cloudless sky was very bright.
Tricky Trevose Head, Cornwall - Nikon D850, Nikkor 16-35mm f/4 at 22mm, f/11, 90 seconds at ISO 64.
Unfortunately I couldn’t use an ND grad effectively. The band of bright sky was close the horizon and given that the lighthouse breaks the line of the horizon, I couldn’t get the grad close enough without cutting through the lighthouse. I guess I could have bracketed some exposures, but my post-processing skills in that area aren’t that good, and I wasn’t convinced it would have delivered a natural looking result anyway.
Out to sea I could see a very impressive storm cloud approaching (see image below). This would have really added some drama to my coastal scene but it wasn’t going to get to my location before I lost the light so I decided that I’d had enough and packed my bag.
Isolated, Trevose Head, Cornwall - Nikon D850, Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 VR at 50mm, f/8, 1/3rd second at ISO 64.
I was really optimistic and excited about my trip to Trevose Head, but it turned out to be a bit of a disappointment. I don’t think I ever really got into my stride. Yes, the photography was challenging, but I also suspect I was hungry. I hadn’t eaten properly for a few hours and I know from past experience that being hungry really can ruin your creativity!
This hasn’t put me off from shooting Trevose Head again. Far from it. It still remains one of my favourite Cornish coastal locations to photography. If I ever want to be reminded though I’ll just watch the video I made from there.
Creative Exploration
In the blog this week I head off to the south Devon coast to not only explore a new area but also to try a slightly different style of long exposure photography.
Creative Inspiration
My landscape photography is a constantly evolving thing and what I look for in my photographs changes over time. Some of this change comes as I discover my personal style but it also comes from being inspired by the work of other photographers. Recently one such source of inspiration has been the work of fellow local photographer Neil Burnell. You may remember me highlighting Neil's work on a blog post last year where I took a look at his book Seascapes.
Neil, who recently won Amateur Photographer of the Year, is best known for his long exposure and minimalistic photography. As someone who takes long exposure photographs myself, I find Neil's work compelling and he has a very distinctive style. Neil's ethereal and minimalistic style is very different from my style of long exposures with big views. It's not only the processing style of his images that I find fascinating but also his choice of locations.
Exploration
As I mentioned earlier, Neil is a local photographer living only a few miles down the coast (well, as the crow flies that is!). Much of his long exposure coastal work is taken on the south Devon coast but unlike my work from the same area, it's not easily identifiable as being so.
Looking at Neil's work from the south Devon coast I realised that I really needed to explore the nooks and crannies of this part of the coastline a lot more. While locations like Start Point and Dawlish Warren are firm favourites of mine, there was obviously a whole other world out there to discover on my local coastline. So that's exactly what I decided to do one evening.
Going Minimal
Some of south Devon's coastal locations like the aforementioned Dawlish Warren and Start Point are nice and easy to access, while others require a reasonable amount of effort to get to. The location I decided to go and shoot was one of the latter. I'd seen photographs of this location before but it took a little bit of effort to work out where exactly it was and how to get there.
I also knew that I would probably be taking long exposure images but I also knew that this location would also suit a much more minimalistic type of image akin to the images that Neil takes. So this trip out with the camera would not only be an opportunity to do some exploration of a new location but to also explore my creativity.
Treacherous #1, Devon - Nikon D850, Nikkor 24-70 mm f/2.8 at 70mm, f/11, 100 seconds at ISO 64
Arriving at the location I could see where the inspiration for some of Neil's work came from. Rather than go straight for the wide angle lens I opted for a longer focal length lens and go to searching for compositions that might make for some interesting long exposure, minimalistic images.
Some photographs look like they are easy to create, and one might be mistaken into thinking that minimalistic long exposures would fall into that category. I was certainly under no illusions that this was the case and my experience of capturing those images only reinforced that. The location was certainly inspiring with the jagged rocks of the cliffs and the small rocky islands, but actually picking out a composition was tricky. Even when I spotted a composition, there was the very real challenge of getting into a spot to set up your tripod. There was no doubt that this location has some treacherous areas and I had to be very careful where I was standing and where I placed my tripod.
Treacherous #2, Devon - Nikon D850, Nikkor 24-70 mm f/2.8 at 40mm, f/8, 200 seconds at ISO 64
Challenges aside though, the whole experience was a lot of fun. Exploring a new location and trying something a little different with my photography was very rewarding. I've got a long way to go before I become proficient in this style of photography but that doesn't take away from the enjoyment of the experience. I really enjoyed sitting about and soaking up the scene while I waited for my exposures to complete. I even had seal pop it's head up a couple of times to say hello!
Treacherous #3, Devon - Nikon D850, Nikkor 24-70 mm f/2.8 at 70mm, f/8, 240 seconds at ISO 64
I also enjoyed the post-processing of the images. My normal post-processing technique is fairly straight forward and involves reducing the highlights, increasing texture and clarity, but I enjoyed experimenting with selectively increasing highlights and reducing clarity and texture in these images. Overall it was time very well spent and this is definitely a style of photography I want to develop. It was also a great reminder that I need to get out and explore a bit more!!
Do you have a personal style? How do you go about developing it? Have you been inspired by the work of others to try something a little different? Let me know in the comments below.
Mountain Landscape Photography - A 5 Minute Photo Adventure from Ben Cruachan
The ascent of a Munro is a rare treat for me these days so I was really excited when I recently got the chance to walk up Ben Cruachan to do some mountain landscape photography in the Scottish Highlands.
Hill Walking in Scotland
It’s rare for me to have the opportunity to walk up a Munro these days. I live hundreds of miles away from the nearest one, and when I am in Scotland it’s usually for a family holiday and so disappearing for a day in the mountains can be a little tricky.
I almost managed an ascent of a 3000+ ft Scottish mountain last year but some unexpected snowfall put all of the Munros out of reach due to my lack in snowy mountain skills. So when I planned a return visit to Scotland over Easter, I was eager try and squeeze in an ascent.
As is the way with family holidays though, my time was squeezed, so I had to select a mountain that I could do in a few hours!
Photography from the Summit of Ben Cruachan
When selecting which mountain I was going to walk up I need only have looked out the window from where I was holidaying. Ben Cruachan, standing at 1126 m high, it definitely qualifies as a Munro, and I could make a quick ascent and still be back down before it got too dark.
In order to get up to the summit in time for sunset I need to strip my backpack down to essential camera gear. So I just took my Nikon D850, my Nikkor 24-70 mm f/2.8, my tripod, and a few filters. I had considered taking the drone but the wind was too strong. (Though it was very still at the summit….how annoying!)
I also decided to take my vlogging camera because I thought my little mountain adventure would make for a great 5 Minute Photo Adventure. So if you want to see how I got on, then check out my video below:
It was unfortunate that the conditions weren’t a little better. The sun really fizzled out in the haze along the horizon so I didn’t get much in the way of light on the mountains. However, just watching that dramatic sky from such an amazing location was reward enough for me.
Do you ever get the chance to combine landscape photography with hill walking? What’s your favourite hill or mountain? Let me know in the comments below.
Landscape Photographs from Ben Cruachan
Before I go here are the photographs you saw me capture in the video.
Drochaid Ghlas from Ben Cruachan, Argyll, Scotland - Nikon D850, Nikkor 24-70 mm f/2.8 VR at 24, f/13, 1/5th sec at ISO 64.
Stob Dearg from Ben Cruachan, Argyll, Scotland - Nikon D850, Nikkor 24-70 mm f/2.8 VR at 24mm, f/13, 1/5th sec at ISO 64.
Glencoe Landscape Photography - A 5 Minute Photo Adventure
In this coffee break length video I head to the Three Sisters in Glencoe for a spot of landscape photography. Unfortunately the conditions were a little windy. Did that put me off? Of course not!
Short, Sweet, and Very Windy
When I go on a family holiday to Scotland I often make grand plans for some landscape photography adventures. The reality is that these plans rarely come to fruition and I have to scale things back. With the time I do have for photography I do try and cram in as much as possible.
This year I was on holiday not far from Glencoe so when my family suggested we head to there for a pub lunch at the Clachaig Inn. I thought there would be a great opportunity to finish the day with a little bit of landscape photography. With the family safely heading back home I decided to hit some of the photographic highlights of Glencoe. Unfortunately, the weather conditions were going to somewhat dampen my plans.
Well, I say dampen, but rain would have been very welcome. In all my excitement about photographing Glencoe I had forgotten that it hadn’t rained there in over a week. In fact, it had been hot and sunny all week. As most of my favourite spots for landscape photography in Glencoe involve water of some kind, this made things very challenging.
I wanted the video to cover three locations, but every location I visited looked horrible and dry. As it got closer to sunset I decided to head to a viewpoint that would allow me to capture an image of the Three Sisters. Unluckily for me though the weather had other ideas!
I do hope you enjoyed this short video. Do you have a favourite location in Glencoe? Have you ever taken photographs in very windy conditions? Let me know in the comments below.
Those Photographs
Here are the photographs you saw in the video.
Beinn Fhada and Gearr Aonach, Glencoe, Scotland - Nikon D850, Nikkor 16-35 mm f/4 VR at 25 mm, f/10. 1/8th sec at ISO 64.
Gearr Aonach, Glencoe, Scotland - Nikon D850, Nikkor 24-70 mm f/2.8 VR at 31 mm, f/13. 1/4th sec at ISO 64.
The Three Sisters - Beinn Fhada, Gearr Aonach, and Aonach Dubh, Glencoe, Scotland - Nikon D850, Nikkor 16-35 mm f/4 VR at 16 mm, f/13. 0.6 sec at ISO 64.
Looking Back
All this talk of Glencoe has made me think about the last time I made a video there, so I thought it would be a good time to share that video again:
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.
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.
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.
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.
A New Vision of The Cobb
In the blog this week I tell you about my most recent visit to Lyme Regis in Dorset to capture landscape images of The Cobb, and how an overcast morning changed the way I view this iconic location.
Weather Obsession
I have to admit it, I'm obsessed with the weather. More specifically, the weather forecast. But what landscape photographer isn't slightly obsessed by the weather. I'm constantly checking the forecast and looking for the best place to visit with the limited about of time that I have for my landscape photography.
After a few days of frankly terrible weather, it was going to take some pretty awful conditions to stop me heading out with the camera. After much head scratching over the weather forecast I thought the best place to go would be The Cobb at Lyme Regis in Dorset.
It was a bit of a risk to go there given the predicted cloud cover. Either side of sunrise it was forecasting 100% cloud cover, but around sunrise itself, the cloud cover could drop to around 50%. Combined with the direction of the rising sun, I was hoping to capture an image similar to this one I'd taken a while back.
The Cobb vs The Sea, Lyme Regis, Dorset - Nikon D750, Nikkor 16-35 mm f/4 at 22 mm, f/13, 0.6 secs at ISO 100, Lee Filters ND Grad.
Choose Life, Choose The Cobb
Before I carry on, I've just remembered that I created one of my 5 Minute Photo Adventure videos from The Cobb, so if you want to see what it looks like, then check out the video below. You can also read the blog article for that video here.
Anyway, back to the story of my most recent visit. When I arrived in Lyme Regis, the weather was as forecast and cloud coverage looked to be 100%. As I walked from the car and approached The Cobb I could see that I wasn't the only photographer that high hopes for capturing a good image that morning.
As I setup my camera and took my first few shots, I suddenly changed my mind on the type of shot that I wanted. Rather than trying to repeat the type of shot I showed you earlier, I decided the image below was the style of image I wanted to capture that morning.
A New Vision of The Cobb, Lyme Regis, Dorset - Nikon D850, Nikkor 16-35 mm f/4 at 24 mm, f/13, 30 secs at ISO 64.
The calm waters, overcast sky, the colour of the water and long exposure all add up to a very different, but still pleasing image. Normally I like to capture the drama of the sea at The Cobb, but that morning called for something different.
As soon as I saw the image on the back on the screen on my D850 I realised that I had been missing out on some creative compositions at this location. I would definitely have to visit when the conditions were like this again.
After a short while, a break in the cloud started appearing in the distance, and the mood of the scene changed. Normally I'm happy when the cloud starts breaking up, but in this instance, I wanted the cloud cover to stay at 100%! With the gap in the cloud, the serenity and calmness of the scene was broken.
It was an interesting morning for me. My previous visits to The Cobb had gradually embedded into my mind the type of image I should capture there. This visit broke all that and I left with a renewed sense of excitement about returning to The Cobb on the next grey and overcast day!
Have you had a similar experience? Have you had your perception of a favourite location changed by weather? Let me know in the comments below.