Dartmoor Tors Compendium 2nd Edition by Josephine Collingwood - On My Bookshelf S08E04
In this episode of On My Bookshelf I take a look at Dartmoor Tors Compendium, Second Edition by Josephine Collingwood.
Dartmoor Tors Compendium – Second Edition
Dartmoor Tors Compendium by Josephine Collingwood is a book that documents Dartmoor in remarkable detail. At 348 pages and containing 765 photographs, this substantial book documents every tor on Dartmoor named by Ordnance Survey and located on accessible land.
Each of the 160 tors is presented across a double page spread with photographs, factual information, and well researched text. Along the way the book also explores the wider Dartmoor landscape, covering geology, archaeology, mining heritage, and many other historical features you might encounter while exploring the moor.
I have owned the revised first edition for many years and it has guided me to countless new locations. The second edition builds on that with new tor listings, updated text, improved mapping, and additional photographs.
If you have an interest in Dartmoor, whether for photography, history, or simply exploring the landscape, this is an excellent reference book and one that I will return to again and again.
In this episode of On My Bookshelf I take a closer look at Dartmoor Tors Compendium 2nd Edition and explain why it remains such an important guide to the tors of Dartmoor.
You can buy Dartmoor Tors Compendium 2nd Edition by Josephine Collingwood directly from the author at https://www.tavicinitypublishing.co.uk/dartmoor-tors-compendium.html
Still: A Mindful Practice for Photographers by Paul Sanders - On My Bookshelf S08E01
In this episode of On My Bookshelf, I explore Still: A Mindful Practice for Photographers by Paul Sanders, a powerful book about mindfulness, creativity, and finding fulfilment in photography.
A Book That Feels at Home on Dartmoor
If you spend any time photographing Dartmoor, you’ll know it asks something different of you. It’s not always dramatic. It doesn’t always reward you with obvious compositions or spectacular light. Often, it asks for patience, stillness and observation.
That is why Still: A Mindful Practice for Photographers by Paul Sanders feels so relevant.
This isn’t a book about chasing conditions or building a portfolio. It is about slowing down enough to notice how the light moves across granite, how the light reshapes the land, and how your own state of mind influences what you see. Much of what Paul writes about mindfulness, gratitude, and letting go of outcomes.
In this episode of On My Bookshelf video, I talk about why this book resonated with me so strongly, and how its philosophy connects with the way I try to approach my own photography on the moor.
You can watch the full video below.
🛒 You can purchase Still by Paul Sanders here - https://amzn.to/3OKg3Uw
🛒 Signed copies can be purchased directly from Paul Sanders here - https://www.discoverstill.com/prints-books/p/a-mindful-practice-for-photographers-by-paul-sanders-signed
Gemini and Mercury Remastered by Andy Saunders - On My Bookshelf S07E11
In this episode of On My Bookshelf, I look at Gemini and Mercury Remastered by Andy Saunders, the acclaimed follow-up to his bestselling Apollo Remastered.
Remastered Again!
Back in series 6 of On My Bookshelf I looked at a book called Apollo Remastered by Andy Saunders. I loved it so much that it’s now up there with some of my all-time favourite photography books. It’s probably not surprising given I am fascinated about space and space travel!
When I heard that Andy Saunders was creating Gemini and Mercury Remastered, I couldn’t have pre-ordered the book quick enough. I knew very little about those early space flights that were the precursor to the Apollo missions, and I hoped this book would not only fill in a gap in my knowledge but also have stunningly restored photographs.
Now that I have it, has it disappointed? Let’s find out in this episode of On My Bookshelf.
🛒 You can purchase the hardcover, Kindle or audiobook version of Gemini and Mercury Remastered by Andy Saunders - https://amzn.to/3J66M71
🛒 You can also purchase Apollo Remastered by Andy Saunders - https://amzn.to/4nWQcFQ
Natural Landscape Photography Awards Competition Books - On My Bookshelf S07E01
On My Bookshelf is back for a 7th series, and this first episode I look at the Natural Landscape Photography Awards competition books. Are these fine art hardback books for your bookshelf?
On My Bookshelf is Back for a 7th Series!
Photography books have always been an important part of my photography life and over the years I’ve collected enough photography books to fill numerous bookshelves! However, even with my healthy photography book obsession did I think I would have produced over 40 episodes, over 6 series, of On My Bookshelf! But here I am with the 46th episode and the start of series 7.
I’m starting the series with a category of book that I wouldn’t normally cover on On My Bookshelf, and that’s the photography competition book. But as you’ll see in the video, there’s two good reasons why I’m talking about the Natural Landscape Photography Awards books. Enjoy!
🛒 Purchase the Natural Landscape books - https://naturallandscapeawards.com/product-category/fine-art-photography-books/hardback/
✔️ Enter the Natural Landscape Photography Awards - https://naturallandscapeawards.com/
Explore & Discover the Outer and Inner Hebrides published by fotoVUE - On My Bookshelf S06E06
The Scottish Hebrides is a photographer’s paradise but with so much to see and to photograph, it can be hard to know where to start. Explore & Discover the Inner Hebrides and the Outer Hebrides by Christoper Swan and published by fotoVUE aims to transform your time in the area from random chaos to an efficient voyage of discovery and exploration.
In this special on-location edition of On My Bookshelf, I put Explore & Discover The Outer Hebrides to a real-world test to see if it can get me to a new location so I capture a photograph of the Isle of Harris.
Photographing the Best Locations in the Hebrides
I purchased my first fotoVUE title (Photographing the Lake District) in 2017 and ever since then I’ve been regulary adding these location guides to my bookshelf. Some of them I use on a regular basis, some every now and again, and there are some I have yet to utilise (though I will get those places one day!).
When I found out that fotoVUE were publishing two new titles, Explore & Discover The Inner Hebrides and Explore & Discover The Outer Hebrides, I was very excited as it couldn’t have come at a better time. The publishing of these books would be just before I headed off to the Harris & Lewis for the 2nd time. From my previous experience of using fotoVUE guidebooks I knew they would be a fantastic resource to help me discover new locations and explore further the locations I had visited last time.
As well as producing my primary video for my photography adventure on Harris & Lewis, I thought the release of these two books on the Hebrides would make for a great episode of On My Bookshelf. Best of all, as I would be on Harris and Lewis, I could produce the video on-location and show you how useful these fotoVUE guidebooks can be through a practical example!
So, sit back, relax, and see how I used the book to find a viewpoint on Harris that I had not photographed before.
Buy fotoVUE Explore & Discover Books
✔️ Use the discount code JULIAN to get 20% off all books at fotovue.com .
💳 You can purchase Explore & Discover The Outer Hebrides, The Inner Hebrides, and Scotland, here - https://fotovue.com/shop/
Please note - the discount code does not work on pre-orders or on the "both books bundle" for Inner and Outer Hebrides as the bundle is already discounted.
By using this discount code I may receive a commission for the sale. This has no effect on the price for you.
Harris Location 1, Luskentyre Beach
Here are the photographs that I captured in the video. In the book it’s viewpoint 3, Tràigh Rosamol Dunes.
Tràigh Rosamol Dunes #1, Luskentyre, Isle of Harris - Nikon Z8, Nikkor Z 24-120mm f/4 S at 48mm, f/13, 2 minutes at ISO 200, 16:9 crop.
Tràigh Rosamol Dunes #2, Luskentyre, Isle of Harris - Nikon Z8, Nikkor Z 24-120mm f/4 S at 33mm, f/14, 1.6 seconds at ISO 400.
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
Even The Birds Were Afraid To Fly by Al Brydon and Published by Kozu Books - On My Bookshelf S05E08
In this episode I take a look at Even The Birds Were Afraid To Fly by Al Brydon and published by Kozu Books. Is this collection of "lo-fi" photographs a book for your bookshelf?
Challenging But Rewarding
The On My Bookshelf playlist now has thirty-five videos in it but my passion for photography books shows no signs of slowing down. However, I’m not only looking at books that align with and inspire the style of photographs I like to take, but I’m also trying to expand my photographic horizons by embracing photography from a wide range of styles and genres.
Even the Birds Were Afraid to Fly is a book that falls into the latter category. Sitting down to look through this book I initially struggled to connect with the photographs. I would go as far as to say that I found it challenging and I wasn’t sure what I would say about the photographs.
My experience of looking at so many books has taught me that some photographs need more viewing time before you start to appreciate them. This is very much the case for this book. Well, for me personally at least. It’s time I’m glad I spent though.
Find out why I’ve found this book so rewarding in the latest episode of On My Bookshelf.
You can purchase a copy of Even the Birds Were Afraid to Fly directly from Kozu Books - https://www.kozubooks.com/books-new/eventhebirdswereafraidtofly
Hidden Worlds by Robbie Shone and Published by Kozu Books - On My Bookshelf S05E07
Would you be willing journey 2000m below the surface of the earth to capture a photograph? Fortunately for us there are photographers like Robbie Stone who have made the exploration of caves their life. In his book, Hidden Worlds, Robbie shares some the images he has captured over the last 20 years. Is this a book for your bookshelf?
A Journey to the Centre of the Earth
When you think about photographing the landscape you will likely think of mountains, rivers, forests, clouds sunlight. But I would imagine few of us consider photographing the landscape that is below the surface of the earth! And why would we. It’s cold, claustrophobic, dangerous and most importantly there’s no light!
For photographers like Robbie Shone though, what lies beneath our feet is a world of adventure and discovery, and a world that must be photographed. In his book, Hidden Worlds, Robbie shares some of the photographs he has captured over the last 20 years exploring the deepest, longest, and largest caves in the world.
This book offers a view into a fantastical world that most people will never see, but is it a book for your bookshelf?
You purchase a copy of Hidden Worlds by Robbie Shone directly from Kozu Books - https://www.kozubooks.com/books-new/hidden-worlds-by-robbie-shone
Komorebi by Martin Rak and Published by Kozu Books - On My Bookshelf S05E06
Komorebi is a book that takes you on a journey into the world of trees, forests and woodland landscapes. But is Martin Rak's book of his favourite woodland images from the last 10 years a book for your bookshelf?
Sunlight Filtering Through the Trees
The team at Kozu Books have a great track record of publishing high quality photography books from a diverse range of photographers. I’ve reviewed some of these books in previous episodes of On My Bookshelf and you can watch those in this handy playlist.
Expanding on their lengthy list of titles, they now bring us Komorebi by Martin Rak. Martin is an award-winning photographer from the Czech Republic. The book features his favourite woodland photographs from the last ten years. The book title, Komorebi, is a Japanese word which roughly translates to “sunlight filtering through trees”. While this is a great summary of the photographs in this book, there is so much more to discover as I find out in the latest episode of On My Bookshelf.
You purchase a copy of Komorebi by Martin Rak directly from Kozu Books at - https://www.kozubooks.com/books-new/komorebi-by-martinrak
Dolomiti Dreamscapes by Sam Gregory - On My Bookshelf S05E05
On My Bookshelf is back and, in this episode, I'm looking at Sam Gregory's 2nd book, Dolomiti Dreamscapes. The book is a personal collection of images inspired by Sam's travels around the Dolomites. But is this book of unique photographs of the Dolomites a book for your bookshelf?
On My Bookshelf is Back!
After a short break, I’m pleased to announce that On My Bookshelf is back! Over the last month, I’ve been stocking my bookshelf with lots of exciting titles from Kozu Books and fotoVUE. However, before I share with you my thoughts on that lot, let’s talk about a very exciting book from Sam Gregory.
A Dream Within a Dream
If you’ve been watching On My Bookshelf for a while, you may remember that back in 2020, I looked at Mesozoic by Sam Gregory. It was a book I thoroughly enjoyed, so when Sam announced he was publishing a new book called Dolomiti Dreamscapes, I need no encouragement to get the credit card out and order one.
Now that I have the book, what is it like? Is it a good addition to my bookshelf? Let’s find out in the latest episode of On My Bookshelf.
I hope you enjoyed this episode of On My Bookshelf, and if you want to pick up a copy of this book, you can order one direct from Sam’s website - samgregory-photography.com/dreamscapes-book
But don’t wait too long. Production is limited to 200 copies!
Other Books to Inspire You
Check out some of the other books I have on my bookshelf.
Sand by Anthony Lamb and Published by Kozu Books - On My Bookshelf S04E03
In this episode of On My Bookshelf, I look at Sand by Anthony Lamb and published by Kozu Books. Is this photographic depiction of the Arabian desert a book for your bookshelf?
Finding Room for Another Book
I love photography books. Aside from going out and taking photographs, reading a good photography book is one of the most enjoyable things I do in my photography life. However, books take up valuable space and they cost money, so I’ve been trying to cut back on how many I acquire each year.
Now and again though, a book gets published that I can’t ignore, and Sand by Anthony Lamb is one of them His distinctive style and subject choice mean his photography stands out in a busy social feed. His photographs deserve close inspection. Viewing photographs on a social feed is one thing, so when I heard that Kozu Books were publishing a book of his photographs, I knew I wanted it.
But now that I have it, what is it like? Let’s find out in this episode of On My Bookshelf!
Wildlife Photographer of the Year - Highlights Volumes - On My Bookshelf S04E01
Great photography books don't need to cost a fortune. In this mini episode of On My Bookshelf I look at Wildlife Photographer of the Year Highlights Volumes.
Small in Size, Big on Quality
Following on from my blog post last week where I told you what my favourite six books on landscape photography were, I’ve decided this week to look at a completely different genre of photography. While I’m not a wildlife photographer myself, I still love looking at wildlife pictures, particularly those found in the Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition.
After a few years of not buying the competition book, I was delighted to find that the competition publishes smaller, paperback versions of the big hardback books. These are known as the Highlights Volumes and they are a great way to view some of the word class photography that this prestigious competition attracts.
In this mini-episode of On My Bookshelf, I look at these mini-books to see if it is worth finding a space for them on my bookshelf.
You can pick up copies of these books using the links below.
Tides and Tempests by Rachael Talibart and Published by Kozu Books - On My Bookshelf S03E11
In this episode of On My Bookshelf I take a look at Rachael Talibart’s Tides and Tempests.
Sirens
Though I was familiar with Rachael’s work, it wasn’t until I saw her talk at The Photography Show in 2019 that I became a bit of a fan. Listening to her talk about her life, her journey from solicitor to photographer and most importantly her photographs, changed the way I viewed her work. Sometimes there is nothing like engaging with a photographer on a personal level to gain a deeper understanding and appreciation for their work.
In the presentation, Rachael talked a lot about her body of work called Sirens. Though these aren’t the type of photographs I might capture, I found them fascinating. There is always something to learn from other people’s work. One of the things Rachael talked about was how her pictures lacked a sense of place. In other words, they could have been taken anywhere. This is perhaps why Rachael’s photographs have such a wide appeal. This is a complete contrast to my work which is very much about where the photograph was taken.
With my interest in Sirens very much sparked I decided to purchase a copy of the book. Unfortunately for me I was a little late to the party as it was completely sold out. I was disappointed for sure, but I had a feeling that since Sirens had been such a success Rachael would look to publish another book in the future. Fortunately for me I wouldn’t have to wait too long.
Tides and Tempests
Fast forward to December 2020 and my pre-ordered copy of Rachael’s new book Tides and Tempest has finally arrived. This book and Neil Burnell’s Mystical are the two books I have been most excited about getting this year. Was Rachael’s book worth the wait? Is it a book for your bookshelf? Let’s find out.
I do hope you enjoyed this episode of On My Bookshelf. If you’d like to purchase a copy of Tides and Tempests you can do so directly from Kozu Books here. Go on, treat yourself!
Mystical by Neil Burnell - On My Bookshelf S03E09
In this the 20th episode of On My Bookshelf I look at Mystical by Neil Burnell.
A Mystical Journey
It’s always nice to see a local photographer do well, particularly one you know. In Neil Burnell’s case, he’s been doing very well. He’s already had one book published and his list of awards continues to grow, including a category win in LPOTY this year. The recognition of his work is completely justified though. Just look at his website and you’ll understand why. His work stands out in a crowded Instagram feed as I’ve often found myself scrolling through the feed only to be stopped in my tracks by an image that I already know is Neil’s, such is the strength of his style.
I first found out about the Mystical collection of photographs when Neil gave me a sneaky look at the video below.
I was impressed by not only the quality of the images but also the style and consistency. I’ve tried (and failed) to create a series or collection of images before and it’s REALLY hard. To create such an extensive body of quality work takes lots of dedication and time.
Neil had already started selling prints from the Mystical collection, so it was only a matter of time before he was going to produce a book. As soon as he said he was doing so I knew I wanted a copy! So just like everyone else I ordered and paid for my copy. (I think it’s important to support your fellow photographers whenever you can, even if you know them).
I’m pleased to say that I now have my copy of the book and I’m also one of the lucky ones who managed to get hold a first edition (which is now sold out). Don’t worry though, you can order the 2nd edition here, but I suggest you order one soon as these will sell out quickly. If you need a little more convincing, then why not check out the episode of On My Bookshelf below.
Celebrating 20 Episodes of On My Bookshelf
Finally, I just want to highlight that this episode of On My Bookshelf is the 20th episode! When I filmed the very first episode of On My Bookshelf, I never thought that I’d get to twenty episodes. While the episodes are a bit of niche market in the content that I produce I still love making them. There are few things better than sitting down to read a good photography book on a cold and wet Sunday afternoon. Judging by the comments these videos get I appear to not be the only one.
Thanks to everyone who has watched an episode and left a comment. Just for fun, here is the first episode I made.
The Photographer's Guide Series by Ellen Bowness (Long Valley Books) - On My Bookshelf S03E08
Looking for new locations to inspire your landscape photography? Visiting a new area? Want to get the most out your photography trip? Location guidebooks can help answer these questions. In this episode of On My Bookshelf, I'm looking at The Photographer's Guide series of books.
On My Bookshelf on Location in Cornwall
Over the three years that I’ve been producing episodes of On My Bookshelf (OMBS) I’ve covered a wide range of photography books. While I shoot most episodes in the comfort of my home with a nice cup of coffee, there are some books that require a slightly different approach. One such category of book is the photography location guidebook.
When I decided to look at The Photographer’s Guide series of books, I knew that the video would need to include a segment filmed on location. Fortunately for me one of the titles in the series is called The Photographers Guide to Cornwall and the book had several locations I’d never been to. As much as I’d like to have visited one of the locations in the Iceland book, I’m afraid the OMBS budget doesn’t stretch that far!
In this episode of OMBS not only do I talk about the series of books, but I also visit one of the locations in the Cornwall book. There is no better way to test the quality of the information in a location guidebook than to visit the location!
I hope you enjoyed this on location episode of OMBS. I’ve included the photographs I captured on my visit to Rough Tor below, and if you want to pick any of the books in The Photographer’s Guide series of books then just click here.
Rough Tor Sunrise #1, Bodmin Moor, Cornwall - Nikon Z7, Nikkor 14-30mm f/4 at 22mm, f/11, 1/3rd sec at ISO 64, Kase Filters ND Grad.
Rough Tor Sunrise #2, Bodmin Moor, Cornwall - Nikon Z7, Nikkor 14-30mm f/4 at 14mm, f/16, 1/13th sec at ISO 64, Kase Filters ND Grad, two image exposure blend, custom crop ratio.
Rough Tor Sunrise #3, Bodmin Moor, Cornwall - Nikon Z7, Nikkor 14-30mm f/4 at 17mm, f/11, 1/3rd sec at ISO 64, Kase Filters ND Grad.
Essential Guide to Filters for Landscape Photography by Hoddinott & Bauer - On My Bookshelf S03E07
What are filters? Do I need filters? Which filters should I buy? How do I use filters? If you need answers to any of these questions, then the latest book to hit my virtual bookshelf could be the answer.
What Filters Should I Use for Landscape Photography?
Questions about filters is the one topic I get asked about more than any other. What filter kit should I buy? What filters do I need? All good questions and I do try and take the time to provide answers. However, I only use the Kase Filter system (which is very good by the way!) and a handful of filters so my experience of other brands and other types of filters is somewhat limited.
Up until now, there hasn’t really been a single, up to date, and comprehensive resource on filters for landscape photography. It would be nice to send people to a single resource where they can get all the information they need on which filters to buy and how to use them.
When Nature TTL announced that they were publishing a book by established photographers and renowned authors Mark Bauer and Ross Hoddinott, I knew I wanted to get a copy. After reading the book and seeing how comprehensive it was I knew I needed to feature it in an episode of On My Bookshelf so you could see for yourself if it might be a title for your bookshelf.
I hope you enjoyed this episode of On My Bookshelf. I thought it was an excellent book on filters for landscape photography and it will be a book that I will now recommend to anyone that has questions about filters. You can get a copy of the book right here.
Extreme Scotland by Nadir Khan - On My Bookshelf S02E05
In the latest episode of On My Bookshelf, I take a look at Nadir Khan's Extreme Scotland. Is this a book for photographers, adventure sports fans, lovers of the Scottish landscape or is there something in it for everyone?
Discovering Other Photographers
I discover the work of other photographers in many different ways. A few weeks ago I wrote about how discovered the book Beara by Norman Mccloskey in Outdoor Photography magazine. The book that I'm looking at in this episode of On My Bookshelf, Extreme Scotland, I found by listening to a recent episode of one of my favourite photography podcasts, The Togcast.
The book Extreme Scotland appealed to me in 3 different ways, photography, adventure sports and Scotland! But does it deliver on any or all of those things? Let's find out.
I do hope you enjoyed this episode of On My Bookshelf. A bit of a short blog post from me this week I'm afraid as I'm writing this while I'm on holiday in Scotland. However, I am here with my camera so I might have time to create some content for a blog or vlog. So stay tuned!
You can pick up a copy of Nadir Khan's Extreme Scotland here.
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.
Digital Books for Your Digital Bookshelf - On My Bookshelf S02E03
In this episode of On My Bookshelf, I take a quick look at 5 digital books that should have a place on your virtual bookshelf.
Inspiration on the Move
I’m a big fan of the photography book. Anyone who’s been subscribed to my YouTube channel for a while will have seen an episode of On My Bookshelf and watched me talk about some of my favourite photography books. For the most part though, those books are too big to take anywhere apart from your own living room.
In most cases, a printed photography book is preferential to a digital photography book. But what if you wanted a little bit of photography inspiration on the move. Perhaps you might have to commute to work every day, or you’ve got a long train journey or even a flight somewhere. Some of the books I have would need to pay for their own seat on a plane!
In this special, digital edition of On My Bookshelf, I’m going to share with you 5 digital photography books that I think should be on your virtual bookshelf, so you can a little bit of photography inspiration on the move.
Your Reading List
As promised, here is a list of those books from the video:
The Art of Landscape Photography - by Ross Hoddinott and Mark Bauer
Gordon Laing - In Camera: Perfect Pictures Straight Out of the Camera
I do hope you enjoyed this shorter than normal episode of On My Bookshelf, but hopefully, you’ve spotted a book there that you might be able to take with you next time you are on the move.
Do you read any digital photography books? Have you got any digital recommendations? Let me know in the comments below.
Photographing The Snowdonia Mountains | A fotoVUE Guidebook by Nick Livesey - On My Bookshelf S02E02
In the blog this week, join me and Nick Livesey as we spend the day photographing Snowdonia National Park, talking about his book Photographing the Snowdonia Mountains, and generally having a bit of a laugh. What better way to review a guidebook like this by heading out into the wilderness with the author himself!
Discovering The Work of Nick Livesey
Every now and again I find the work of a photographer and wonder why it's taken me so no long to discover them. They could be working professionals with many years of experience, but for some reason, I only just find out about them. Maybe it's more difficult these days with the noise from social media. With so many images out there on social media, it can be easy to miss something important as you whiz through Instagram during your morning coffee.
Every now and again though a photograph or video really catches my eye. This is how I discovered Nick Livesey. Though I can't exactly remember how I found his video, My Mountain Healing, it really struck a chord with me. If you haven't seen it, give it a watch below:
It's a short video, but it was genuine and funny, and you could see that Nick had a real eye for photographing the mountains. After watching the video a couple of times I decided I wanted to know more about Nick and his work. After a little bit of internet research, I discovered that not only did he have a solid body of work, but he was also well known in the climbing and hill walking community, and that his character and whit are almost as well-known as his photographs!
Though I did wonder how I hadn't heard of Nick before one thing was for sure and that was he seemed like the kind of person I would like to go out shooting with.
Photographing the Snowdonia Mountains
As regular readers of my blog will know, I have a series of videos called On My Bookshelf in which I share my thoughts on some of the photography books that I've purchased. For a while now I've been wanting to do an episode of On My Bookshelf on a Fotovue guidebook. These photography location guidebooks have a been a great source of information to me and I've built up a bit of a collection of them.
When I heard that Nick was publishing his very own Fotovue book, Photographing the Snowdonia Mountains, not only was I going to pick up a copy, but I also hoped that this would be the Fotovue book that would feature in On My Bookshelf.
Most of the episodes of On My Bookshelf are filmed at home in front of my bookshelf, but for a Fotovue location guidebook, this didn't seem appropriate. What better way to review a book like this than by heading out to one of the locations in the book. Then I had another thought. What if I can get the author himself to show me in person some of those locations?
Well, guess what? That's exactly what Nick agreed to do! So I'm very proud to share with you this very special episode of On My Bookshelf, filmed on location in Snowdonia National Park, and with Nick Livesey. Enjoy!
I don’t know if you could tell in the video, but that was one of the best days I’ve had out with the camera! I’ve always enjoyed the hills, but heading out with Nick was a real pleasure. It was absolutely fantastic spending the day in those hills and mountains. The conditions were often windy and snowy, and always very cold, but I loved it.
Nick has a genuine passion for his local area. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a person so absolutely content to be outdoors, walking the hills. The look of wonder on his face as if it was the very first time he’d walked up a mountain. Being able to spend the day with Nick and to share in his passion was a real privilege.
On Your Bookshelf
If you did enjoy this video, then please do consider picking up a copy of Nick's excellent Photographing the Snowdonia Mountains. Even if you don't think you'd ever visit Snowdonia, the book is packed full of inspiring photographs and lots of useful information about photographing in the outdoors. You can pick up a copy of the book directly from Nick's website:
https://nicklivesey.co.uk/product/photographing-snowdonia-mountains/
Are you planning on getting a copy, or do you already have one? Do you have any of the other Fotovue titles? Do you have a favourite location in Snowdonia? Let me know in the comments below.
My Snowdonia Photographs
No blog post of mine would be complete without a landscape photograph! Here are some of my favourite images that I captured while out with Nick.
Snowdon from Clogwyn Mawr, Capel Curig, Snowdonia National Park - Nikon D850, Nikkor 24-70 mm f/2.8 VR at 36 mm, f/11, 1/2 sec at ISO 64, polariser and ND grad.
Yr Aran, Craig Wen and Moel Hebog from Bwlch Maesgwm, Snowdonia National Park - Nikon D850, Nikkor 24-70 mm f/2.8 VR at 34 mm, f/11, 1/60th sec at ISO 64, polariser and ND grad.
Snowdon and Moel Cynghorion from Moel Eilio, Snowdonia National Park - Nikon D850, Nikkor 24-70 mm f/2.8 VR at 52 mm, f/11, 1/40th sec at ISO 64, polariser and ND grad.
Snowdonia National Park Panorama from Moel Eilio, Snowdonia National Park - Nikon D850, Nikkor 24-70 mm f/2.8 VR at 38 mm, f/11, 1/6th sec at ISO 64, polariser. 7 image panoramic stitch.