Vlog, Blog Julian Baird Vlog, Blog Julian Baird

8 Things I Love About the Nikon D850

In my latest blog and video, I tell you what the 7 things are that I love most about the Nikon D850 and share with you some of my favourite photographs that I've taken with this amazing full frame DSLR over the last 6 months. 

A 6 Month Review of the Nikon D850

It was 6 months ago to the day when I received my much anticipated Nikon D850.  I was one of the lucky ones as demand for Nikon's latest DSLR was very high with most retailers selling out in advance of stock delivery. 

Not one to keep the excitement buried though, I shared my initial impressions of the camera in the in the video:  Nikon D850 Exposed - Unboxing, Capture, Process and Print.  It wasn't long before the follow-up video On Location with the Nikon D850: Froward Point was also published.

Since then I've been putting the Nikon D850 to good use.  With the exception of the photographs captured in the article Shoot, Print, Surprise!, the D850 has been with me on all my photographic adventures.

So now that I've had the camera 6 months I thought I'd create a quick video to tell you what my favourite features of this amazing DSLR are.  Want to know what they are?  Well, check out the video below.

As I said in the video, the Nikon D850 doesn't necessarily make me a better photographer (just read my article Shoot, Print, Surprise!), but it does make the process of capturing images a little easier.  Now that I have it, I wouldn't be without it.  Well, not until the next model is released anyway!

Which camera do you shoot with and what is your favourite feature?  Let me know in the comments below.

My Favourite D850 Images... So Far...

 

 

 

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Vlog, Blog, Devon Photo Locations Julian Baird Vlog, Blog, Devon Photo Locations Julian Baird

Shoot, Print, Surprise!

In this blog I head to Dawlish Warren to shoot a video I'm calling Shoot, Print, Surprise!  But what is the surprise?  Well, you'll just have the watch the video to find out!  

Back at Dawlish Warren

In my latest video, I headed to Dawlish Warren to shoot some dawn seascapes.  For those of you who have been following my blog for a while now, you may well be wondering if that is the only location I've ever photographed!  I admit it though, I do like going there to capture images.

There are two good reasons for this.  Firstly, it's close to home for me.  This means that during the winter months when my time is particularly short, it's nice and easy for me to get to.  It also offers a variety of different compositions to suit different conditions.  With 15 or so groynes of different styles, and long beach it works well with both high and low tides.  So, you can virtually go there in any conditions and get an interesting image.

I've mapped out the 15 groynes in a custom google map.  It's still a work in progress, but the custom map also has recent images of each groyne so you can see what they look like before you get there.  You can view the map here, and you can see how to make your own map here.

Approximate location and rough description of the groynes now that the Beach Management Scheme works have completed.

Shoot, Print, Surprise!

So back to the topic of the video.  Well, the title should give you a good idea of what the video is about.  In the video, I head out to Dawlish Warren to capture some dawn seascape images and then I head home to print some of them off.  But what is the surprise?  Well, you'll just have to watch the video to find out!

Well, I do hope you enjoyed that video, and of course the surprise element.  Did you enjoy the surprise?  What are your thoughts on the surprise topic?  Let me know in the comments below.

The Photographs

As always here are the photographs that were featured in the video.

Nikkor 16-35 mm f/4 @ 34 mm, f/11, 57 seconds at ISO 100, Lee Filters Circular Polariser, ND grad and 3 stop IRND.

Nikkor 16-35 mm f/4 @ 24 mm, f/11, 1.3 seconds at ISO 100, Lee Filters Circular Polariser, and ND grad.

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Vlog, Blog, On My Bookshelf Julian Baird Vlog, Blog, On My Bookshelf Julian Baird

Seascapes by Neil Burnell - Kozu Books - Landscape Editions Volume 11 - On My Bookshelf S01E04

In the latest episode of On My Bookshelf, I take a look a book called Seascapes, a collection of fine art long exposure images by Neil Burnell.  Should this book have a place on your bookshelf?

 

Great Things Can Come In Small Packages

I've been following the work of Neil Burnell for some time now.  Not only does he shoot my local area but the images he creates from these locations are simply stunning.  I like to shoot long exposure images myself, but the fine art long exposure images that he creates are another level altogether.

So when I found out that Neil was doing a 2nd edition of his very popular Seascapes book, I ordered one immediately.  When this small, but perfectly formed book arrived, I was instantly captivated by how good the images looked in print.  I knew I had a book packed full of inspirational photographs.

But is this a book for you?  Well, let's take a look.

I do hope you enjoyed this episode of On My Bookshelf and if you want to pick up a copy of this fantastic book then you can buy directly from Kozu Books by clicking here.

But be warned this is a limited edition book so you'll need to hurry!  If you do miss out you can check out Neil's work and see all his social media links on his website.

 

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Photographing The Cobb in Dorset: A 5 Minute Photo Adventure

In the blog this week I head to Lyme Regis in Dorset to photograph The Cobb.  You can also watch one of my 5 Minute Photo Adventure videos so you can see how I captured the images featured in this blog.

Finally...A Break in the Weather

After what feels like an age, the weather forecasts finally started to show some better weather.  January had been a challenging month for my photography.  It was the normal combination of lack of time and poor weather, that resulted in not a lot of photography.  For anyone who has read my blog for long enough, you'll know that January has historically always been a challenge for me.

It's not just the photography I've been missing, but also going out there and creating new videos for my YouTube channel.

Off to The Cobb

One of the locations that I've always wanted to make a video from is The Cobb in Lyme Regis.  It's one of my favourite locations to shoot coastal images.  I did actually try and make a video there last year, but I failed to prepare my gear properly.  You can read all about that trip here.

 

So when the weather, and importantly the tide looked good for a dawn shoot at The Cobb I was super excited to finally make one of my 5 Minute Photo Adventure videos there.  Here is the result:

I do hope you enjoyed that video and it has inspired you to photograph The Cobb.  It's such a great location to photograph if you like shooting seascapes.  Just remember to get there early in the morning (it can get busy with photographers), and watch out for those crashing waves!

Have you photographed The Cobb before?  What is your favourite coastal location?  Let me know in the comments below.

The Photographs

Here are the photographs you saw in the video, plus a couple of extras.

Nikon D850, Nikkor 16-35mm f/4 @ 19mm, f/13, 2.5 seconds at ISO 64, Lee Filters Circular Polariser and ND Grad.

Nikon D850, Nikkor 16-35mm f/4 @ 22mm, f/11, 1/8th second at ISO 64, Lee Filters Circular Polariser and ND Grad.

Nikon D850, Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 VR @ 65mm, f/8, 60 seconds at ISO 64, Lee Filters Circular Polariser.

And finally...

Just a word of caution when visiting The Cobb...

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Obama - An Intimate Portrait by Pete Souza - On My Bookshelf S01E03

In this episode of On My Bookshelf, I take a look at something a little different with Obama: An Intimate Portrait by Pete Souza.

Something a Little Different

In previous episodes of On My Bookshelf, I looked at 5 Great Landscape Photography Books and Masters of Landscape Photography.  This time though I'm looking a photography book that has nothing to do with landscape photography.  Obama: An Intimate Portrait by Pete Souza is a collection of photographs taken by the chief Whitehouse photographer of  Barack Obama over his 8 years as US President.

So why as a landscape photographer would I be interested in such a book?  Well as much as I love landscape photography I'm also a fan of photography and it's many different genres.  While I'm not big on politics, US or otherwise, I got this book because of the amazing photographs inside it.  They are powerful, thought-provoking, and sometimes humorous.  More than that though it's a great example of the power of the photograph and of a photographer at the top of his game.

Let's take a look:

Though this book wasn't on landscape photography, I do hope you managed to look past the title (especially if you're not a fan of politics and/or Obama) and you saw that this book was really a collection of amazing portraits by a very talented photographer.  I also think we can all learn to improve our own photography by looking at the work of others, even if their genre of photography is completely different.

Do you have any non-landscape photography books on your bookshelf?  Who is your favourite non-landscape photographer?  Let me know in the comments below. 

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Vlog, Blog, Photography Tips Julian Baird Vlog, Blog, Photography Tips Julian Baird

How I Post Process My Landscape Images in Lightroom

In the blog this week I share a video on how I post process my landscape images using Adobe Lightroom.

As Requested!

Over the last few months, an increasing number of my YouTube followers have asked about my post-processing technique and would I do a video on the subject.  Well, I finally found a suitable gap in my schedule to create a post-processing video and you can watch it right here:

 

As I said in the video, what I do is not necessarily the right way or the only way to do post-processing, it's just the way I do.  Hopefully, even if you already know Lightroom you might have picked up on something new that you didn't know about.

Anyway, just a really short blog post from this week.  I just wanted to share that video.  

Are you interested in how I backup my data?  Would you like to know how I manage my Lightroom catalogue?  Let me know in the comments below.

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Let's All Embrace the Grey!

In the blog this week I'm challenging the photography community to #EmbraceTheGrey !

Poor Weather Photography

Winter can be a miserable time for landscape photographers.  It can, of course, also be a wonderful time, especially if it snows.  However, if you are located in the UK, it can be a season of grey and overcast weather.  Depressing as this weather can be, it can also be an opportunity to shoot landscape images with a difference.

If you've watched my Winter Solstice and Bad Weather Photography videos, you'll have heard me say that sometimes you've just go to embrace the grey.  Judging by the comments in my videos, this phrase seemed to have resonated with people.  So this got me thinking.  Perhaps we should all be embracing the grey.

A Community Challenge

So between now and springtime, I'm challenging the photography community to go out in that grey and overcast weather and create some great images and vlogs.  I want to see how creative the photography community can be!  I'll then select some of those images and vlogs and feature them in a showcase video to highlight the great work everyone will hopefully create.

So here is how you can participate:

  • Shoot a vlog or create an image based on the grey / overcast theme.  

  • Post it on social media using the tag #EmbraceTheGrey

  • Tag me in on your social media post - links to all my social accounts are in the icons at the bottom of this page.

  • Or you can send me an email using the contact form on this website to let me know where you've posted.

Around spring time I will select a range of photos and vlogs to feature in a showcase video that I will publish on my channel for the whole community to see. 

To help kick things off, I created this introductory video which features me taking some long exposure photographs down at Brixham in Devon on a grey and overcast day.

So I really hope you'll participate in my #EmbraceTheGrey challenge!  It should be fun and it will hopefully inspire you to get out there and take some great landscape images...even if the weather is rubbish!

My Images from Brixham

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Long Lens Landscape Photography

In the blog this week I share with you my long lens landscape photography video.  It was all inspired by my fellow landscape photographer Chris Sale who set me the challenge of capturing three long lens landscapes.

The Wide View

If I take a look at my Lightroom catalogue the most commonly used lens I have is without a doubt the Nikkor 16-35 mm f/4 VR.  This is hardly surprising given that it was the first full frame lens I bought and that I love shooting my landscapes wide.

About 18 months ago I bought a used Nikkor 70-200 mm f/2.8 VR.  I purchased it after renting one a few times to help with my live music photography when I was shooting at bigger events.  I soon discovered though that I could use it for my landscape work as well.

Since then, I have shot landscape images with the 70-200 mm but I probably don't use it as much as I should have.  So when fellow landscape photographer and YouTuber Chris Sale set me the challenge of shooting 3 images with my 70-200 mm I really had to get my creative brain into gear.

As we are both YouTubers I also set Chris the challenge of creating some wide angle landscape images.  You can see how we both got on in the video below:

Well, I hoped you enjoyed watching that video.  For me, it was a really good experience.  It actually got me to think a little differently!  It's opened my eyes a little more to creating landscape images with a longer lens, and I'm sure the 70-200 mm will be making a more regular appearance in my camera back.

Do you have a favourite lens?  Do you prefer to shoot wide or tight?  Or do you mix it up depending on the scene?  Let me know in the comments below.

The Long Lens Images

In case you want to have a closer look at the images featured in the video here they are:

Nikon D850, Nikkor 70-200 mm f/2.8 at 112 mm, 0.6 seconds at ISO 64, f/11.

Nikon D850, Nikkor 70-200 mm f/2.8 at 112 mm, 0.6 seconds at ISO 64, f/11.

Nikon D850, Nikkor 70-200 mm f/2.8 at 100 mm, 0.6 seconds at ISO 64, f/11.  This didn't actually make it to the video, but I do really like it!

Nikon D850, Nikkor 70-200 mm f/2.8 at 100 mm, 0.6 seconds at ISO 64, f/11.  This didn't actually make it to the video, but I do really like it!

Nikon D850, Nikkor 70-200 mm f/2.8 at 70 mm, 1/6th second at ISO 64, f/11.

Nikon D850, Nikkor 70-200 mm f/2.8 at 70 mm, 1/6th second at ISO 64, f/11.

Nikon D850, Nikkor 70-200 mm f/2.8 at 135 mm, 75 seconds at ISO 64, f/2.8, Lee Filters Big Stopper and 3 stop ND. 

Nikon D850, Nikkor 70-200 mm f/2.8 at 135 mm, 75 seconds at ISO 64, f/2.8, Lee Filters Big Stopper and 3 stop ND. 

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Blog, Vlog, Devon Photo Locations Julian Baird Blog, Vlog, Devon Photo Locations Julian Baird

Winter Solstice Adventure

In the blog this week I share with you the highs and lows of landscape photography as I head out on winter solstice to capture some images.

The Longest Shortest Day

Back in June of 2017, I headed out with the camera to create some landscape images on the summer solstice.  You can see the images I created that day along with the video I made by clicking here.

I really enjoyed that day so I knew that when winter solstice came along in December I was going to spend the day out with the camera.  Being the shortest day of the year it shouldn't have been nearly as tiring as the summer solstice.

Unfortunately when winter solstice did come around the weather was grey and overcast.  I had checked the weather forecast the night before and had planned my locations to suit the weather.  I'm all for "embracing the grey", but a full day might well be a challenge too far even for me! 

As with summer solstice, I spent the day capturing images and filming my experiences.  It was definitely a tough day.  Maybe I was tired, maybe I was feeling challenged, but one thing is for sure, it sure did feel like a long day.  However, saying all that I did have some great experiences, and if you watch all the video you'll see something special happen right at the end.

Enjoy!

 

A Winter Solstice Gallery

As always I do hope you enjoyed watching my adventures.  I tried to make the most of the weather conditions and the images I took that day both reflect my varying moods and the conditions I had to work with.

You'll have seen these images in the video, but here they are again in case you want a closer look.

Nikon D850, Nikkor 16-35 mm f/4 VR at 19 mm, 180 seconds at ISO 64, f/11, Lee Filters circular polariser and Big Stopper.

Nikon D850, Nikkor 16-35 mm f/4 VR at 19 mm, 180 seconds at ISO 64, f/11, Lee Filters circular polariser and Big Stopper.

Nikon D850, Nikkor 16-35 mm f/4 VR at 19 mm, 180 seconds at ISO 64, f/11, Lee Filters circular polariser, ND grad and Big Stopper.

Nikon D850, Nikkor 16-35 mm f/4 VR at 19 mm, 180 seconds at ISO 64, f/11, Lee Filters circular polariser, ND grad and Big Stopper.

Nikon D850, Nikkor 16-35 mm f/4 VR at 18 mm, 180 seconds at ISO 64, f/13, Lee Filters circular polariser, ND grad and Big Stopper.

Nikon D850, Nikkor 16-35 mm f/4 VR at 18 mm, 180 seconds at ISO 64, f/13, Lee Filters circular polariser, ND grad and Big Stopper.

Nikon D850, Nikkor 16-35 mm f/4 VR at 18 mm, 8 seconds at ISO 64, f/13, Lee Filters circular polariser, ND grad and Little Stopper.

Nikon D850, Nikkor 16-35 mm f/4 VR at 18 mm, 8 seconds at ISO 64, f/13, Lee Filters circular polariser, ND grad and Little Stopper.

Nikon D850, Nikkor 16-35 mm f/4 VR at 17 mm, 4.8 seconds at ISO 64, f/13, Lee Filters circular polariser, ND grad and Little Stopper.

Nikon D850, Nikkor 16-35 mm f/4 VR at 17 mm, 4.8 seconds at ISO 64, f/13, Lee Filters circular polariser, ND grad and Little Stopper.

Well, I do hope you enjoyed those images and my winter solstice video.  Did you head out for winter solstice?  Have you had days where landscape photography has been both a joy and a drag?  Let me know in the comments below.

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Vlog, Blog, Photography Tips Julian Baird Vlog, Blog, Photography Tips Julian Baird

My 5 Favourite Images of 2017 and How to Find Yours

In the blog this week I take a look at my 5 favourite images from 2017.  I also tell you why you should find your 5 favourites and show you how. 

The How and Why

At the end of each year, I like to look back at the photographs I have taken.  This reminds me not only that I had some challenges with my photography, but also that I had some successes.  By putting these successful photographs into an annual collection it helps focus my mind for the following year and gives me plenty of inspiration and encouragement.

In the video below I share with you the process of how I select my 5 favourite images so that you can do the same.

 

My 5 Favourite Images of 2017

As with my image review from last year, this review has given me a lot of inspiration to take through into 2018.  I went out over 50 times with the camera in 2017 and drove over 6000 miles, and it was great to see all that effort wasn't wasted!

So which one of my 5 images was your favourite?  Have you gone through a similar process as well?  Let me know in the comments below.

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Blog, Vlog, Printing Tips Julian Baird Blog, Vlog, Printing Tips Julian Baird

Developing a Passion for Printing

In the vlog this week I expand my printing skills by printing a panoramic image on panoramic paper and then mounting it into a custom-made panoramic frame.  I also take a look at some different paper types to try and see what impact each one has on an image.

Discovering the Joy of Printing

Back in April of this year, I wrote about how I purchased a new Canon Pixma Pro-10S printer while I was at The Photography Show in Birmingham.  You can read why bought a printer and watch the video I made on my first experiences of printing, in my blog article Discovery the Joy of Printing.

Ever since then I've been printing my images.  A lot.  And I have to say it's been a lot of fun.  I've enjoyed the experience of going out to make an image, post-processing it, and then creating a print at the end.

Developing a Passion for Printing

I have however been keeping things relatively simple.  I've been using standard paper sizes, using Canon's Platinum Pro glossy paper.  The results have been great.  Prints match what is on the screen and the whole workflow is straightforward.

However, there any many different paper types from many different paper manufacturers, so I thought it was about time to expand my printing horizons.  In the video below I take one of my favourite panoramic images and print it on some panoramic paper from Fotospeed, and then mount it in a custom frame from Picture Frames Direct.  I also take another one of my favourite images of the year and print it on some different paper types.

 

These are the images I printed in the video.

Nikon D750, Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 VR at 20mm, 1/3 sec at f/11, ISO 100, 7 image panorama.

Nikon D850, Nikkor 16-35mm f/4 @ 18mm, ISO 100, 5 sec @ f/13, Lee Filters circular polariser and ND grad.

Well, I hope you enjoyed my follow-up video on printing.  As you can see I've still got a lot to learn, but I'm really enjoying the challenge.  I get a great sense of satisfaction on owning the entire process from capture to print.  

Have you recently taken up printing?  Are you an experienced printer?  Do you have any advice on printing?  Let me know in the comments below.

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Blog, Vlog, On My Bookshelf Julian Baird Blog, Vlog, On My Bookshelf Julian Baird

Masters of Landscape Photography - On My Bookshelf S01E02

In this blog post, I take a look at the book Masters of Photography.

Masters of Landscape Photography

Back in October, I introduced you to a new series of videos that I was going to create called On My Bookshelf. The first video was called 5 Great Landscape Photography Books and it feature 5 of my favourite landscape photography books.

Well, I'm very pleased to share with you the latest episode of On My Bookshelf which looks at the book, Masters of Landscape Photography.

You can see my thoughts on this book in the video below:

I do hope you enjoyed that episode of On My Bookshelf.  If you'd like to pick up a copy of this book then you click here and it will take you straight to Amazon.

I'm also very interested to hear your feedback.  Is this type of content of interest to you?  Was this episode too long or too short?  Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.

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Snow on Belstone Common

In this blog post and video, I head up to Belstone Common on Dartmoor to catch the first snow of the winter.

Snow!

I think most landscape photographers like a bit of snow.  It's rare to see here in the south west of England, so when it does come it can transform the winter landscape from dull and boring, to crisp and white.  It can really change the look of a location and provide opportunities to shoot something a little different.

When my wife casually mentioned that snow was forecast my first reaction was for disbelief.  It was November and probably a little early for snow.   However, I'm not one to miss an opportunity so I checked the Will It Snow forecast and was happy to see that there was a 57% chance of snow on Dartmoor.  

I got my thinking hat on and thought the higher up I went on Dartmoor, the greater the chance of snow there would be.  I then remember Belstone Common, a location that I've photographed before.  It's close to home, easy to access and importantly over 400m above sea level.

Despite the 50/50 odds on it snowing, I couldn't miss this potential opportunity, so I got my gear ready and made plans for an early start the next day.

You can see how I got on in my latest 5 Minute Photo Adventure video below:

The Images

Here are the images that I captured that you will have seen in the video.

Nikon D850, Nikkor 16-35mm f/4 at 18mm, ISO 64, 3 seconds at f/13, Lee Filters 0.6 ND graduated filter.

Nikon D850, Nikkor 16-35mm f/4 at 18mm, ISO 64, 3 seconds at f/13, Lee Filters 0.6 ND graduated filter.

Nikon D850, Nikkor 16-35mm f/4 at 18mm, ISO 64, 1/5th second at f/13.

Nikon D850, Nikkor 16-35mm f/4 at 18mm, ISO 64, 1/5th second at f/13, Lee Filters 0.6 ND graduated filter.

Nikon D850, Nikkor 16-35mm f/4 at 19mm, ISO 64, 1/8th second at f/13, Lee Filters 0..6 ND graduated filter.

I hope you enjoyed the video and the images I captured.  I certainly had fun up on Dartmoor that morning, despite the freezing temperatures.  It really is mornings like that I look forward to.  A lot of action, changing conditions, and plenty of opportunities to capture images.

So have you photographed any snowy scenes this winter?  What is your favourite season to photograph?  Let me know in the comments below.

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Landscape Photography with the Mactrem AT64C Tripod

In the blog this week I take the Mactrem AT64C Carbon tripod on location to shoot some landscape images to see how it copes with real-world situations.  Join me in my video review as I photograph long exposures at Dawlish Warren, use a long lens at Colmer's Hill, and take panoramic images from Pilsdon Pen.  Finally, I give you my thoughts on this tripod.  Is it worth buying?

Reviews On Location

When Mactrem reached out to me to review their AT64C carbon tripod I thought it would be a great excuse to go out and do some landscape photography.  Not that I really need an excuse.  I fairly well self-motivated when it comes to landscape photography!

For this review, I didn't want to just unbox the tripod and discuss the technical specs from the comfort of my home.  That would be a bit boring wouldn't it?  So I thought I would do my review a little differently.  I would put the tripod to use in some real-world scenarios, capture some images and share my thoughts on both the photography and the tripod.  

By doing this I would not only educate the viewer on the tripods performance on location but for anyone just interested in landscape photography there would be something there for them as well.

Reviewing to Mactrem AT64C Tripod

So regardless if you want to know more about this tripod or you just want to see me shoot some landscapes, I hope you enjoy this video:

I do hope you enjoyed this video and that you either found the review helpful or just liked the photography bit.

If you want to purchase one of these tripods then you can purchase one from Amazon.co.uk by clicking on this link here.  Also, until 15th April 2018, if you enter the code UWSN5IQD at checkout, you will receive £15 off the price of the tripod.

So what tripod and head do you use?  Would you like to see me do more product reviews on location like this one?  Let me know in the comments below.

PS.  Keep reading as below I'm going to share with you the images that I took at all the locations, along with some shots of me using the tripod.

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Landscape Photography Adventure in the Lake District - Part 3

In this special blog post, I share with you the final part of my landscape photography adventure video from the Lake District.

Over the last couple of weeks, I have shared with you part 1 and part 2 of my Lake District photo adventure.  This week it's the 3rd and final part.  I only photograph one location, but as you'll see, it's probably the best one of the entire trip.

If you watched part 1 and part 2 you'll know that I didn't have the best of luck with the weather.  For two days I had grey, flat light, and while I was capturing nice images, they just lacked the dramatic light that I know the Lake District can produce.  Then, and I'm not joking here, the light broke through the clouds in the last 15 minutes of my adventure.  I was just about to pack up and leave as I need to get back to my hotel to check out when all the action happened.

As long as I could go away with one great image I would have been happy.  It just happened that on this trip I needed to wait until the very end of my trip!

Overall I had a really good time in the Lake District.  While the photography was challenging at times, it was also a lot of fun.  As is often the case with these trips the enjoyment comes from more than just photography.  I'm a big fan of the outdoors, so just being outside and wandering about some of these great spots and locations is a wonderful experience.  I also met some great people on my adventure.  From fellow photographers, hill walkers, and even a fell runner.  I guess I like to talk as much as I like to take photographs!

I hope you enjoyed this three-part blog and vlog on my recent Lake District adventure.  I'm already making plans for more adventures next year, so remember to stay tuned.

So have you ever photographed the Lake District?  What has been your favourite 15 minutes of photography?  Let me know in the comments below.

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Landscape Photography Adventure in the Lake District - Part 2

In this special blog post, I share with you the 2nd part of my landscape photography adventure video from the Lake District.

In the blog last week I shared with you part 1 of my Lake District photography adventure.  This week I'm very happy to share with you part 2 of that adventure.   I'm not going to write much else this week as let the video and the images below tell the story.

I hope you enjoyed part 2 of my Lake District adventure.  Remember you can see part 1 here, and the 3rd and final part will be published next week right here on the blog.

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Landscape Photography Adventure in the Lake District - Part 1

In this special blog post, I share with you the 1st part of my landscape photography adventure video from the Lake District.

Adventure

I love a going on a landscape photography adventure!  Don't get me wrong, I'm very lucky to live in the south west of England.  I've got easy access to two national parks and more coastline than I could ever photograph.  Every now and again though you need to spread your wings, push your photography and get out there and visit somewhere different.

Earlier this year I had a fantastic adventure in Glencoe so I was keen to go on an adventure for autumn.  But where would I go?  Well, there aren't many better places to go in the UK for autumn than the Lake District.  

I had given myself two and half days of photography in the Lake District.  In that relatively short time, I had a list of locations that I wanted to shoot.  These were a combination of locations that I had marked on my custom Google map over the years, some from my previous visit last year, and some from the excellent book Photography the Lake District.

As with my Glencoe adventure I knew I wanted to record my time at the Lake District using both photographs and videos.  So in the next few blog posts not only will I be sharing with you the images that I captured but I've also created a 3 part video series so I can share the story behind the images.  

Part 1 - Buttermere, Ashness, and Ullswater

Here is part 1 of the video in which you will see me photograph the lone tree on Lake Buttermere, Ashness Bridge, Ashness Jetty and Ullswater.

 

I hope you enjoyed the video and the images I captured.  Here are the images again if you want to see them in a little more detail.

I hope you enjoyed part 1 of my Lake District adventure.  I will be publishing part 2 next week so you won't have long to wait!
 

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Vlog, Blog, Devon Photo Locations, Photography Tips Julian Baird Vlog, Blog, Devon Photo Locations, Photography Tips Julian Baird

Bad Weather Photography

In the blog this week I remember to "embrace the grey" and head out to Dawlish to get some photos in less than optimal conditions.

Time to Embrace the Grey

I once went on a Nikon School one day workshop with Jeremy Walker.  I remember the weather not exactly being great but one thing stuck in my mind from that day.  As Jeremy was laying out the plans for the day he already knew it was going to be an overcast day.  His advice was to "embrace the grey".  

I did just that with this photograph:

Banjo Pier, Swanage. Nikon D750, Nikkor 16-35mm f/4 at 28mm, f/11, 30 secs, ISO 100, Lee Filters Big Stopper.

 

Now I may have mentioned once or twice on the blog recently that the recent weather has been playing havoc with creativity.  So when the weather forecast for the week was looking grim I decided enough was enough and I was going yet again embrace the grey!

I needed to find an appropriate location to make an image but when I remembered about the stone groynes at Dawlish my mind was set.   So off I headed with a clear vision of what I wanted to capture.  

Despite the weather.  No hang on, because of the weather, I really enjoyed myself at Dawlish.  It made me look at the location with different eyes. 

Here's what I photographed:

Nikon D850, Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 VR at 31mm, ISO 64, 5 minutes at f/11, Lee Filters Circular Polariser and Big Stopper.

Nikon D850, Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 VR at 31mm, ISO 64, 5 minutes at f/11, Lee Filters Circular Polariser and Big Stopper.

If you want to see how I went about capturing the image, here's a short video I shot while I was there...

So do you have a favourite bad weather location to take photographs?  Is there really such thing as bad weather for photography?  Let me know in the comments below.

PS.  

On a little side note, I'm very happy to say that Adobe has now updated Lightroom to support the Nikon D850.  This means I no longer have to convert the files to DNG format first.  I can now import the NEF (raw) files straight from my memory card.  I was so happy about this I posted a video on my YouTube channel.

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Vlog, Blog, On My Bookshelf Julian Baird Vlog, Blog, On My Bookshelf Julian Baird

5 Great Landscape Photography Books - On My Bookshelf S01E01

In the blog this week I tell you about a new video series I'm creating and what my 5 favourite landscape photography books are.

A New Video Series

For me, photography books are still very important in my development as a landscape photographer.  I value the experience that a book gives me.  Rather than simply just scrolling through an image feed on one of the popular photo sharing sites, reading a book gives me the time to really look at a photograph.  It's a more involved experience and I like the way it forces me to take time away from the computer to look at an image in detail.  Besides, looking at photographs in print is always a great experience.

So I've decided to create a new series of videos for my YouTube channel called On My Bookshelf. In each video will talk about a book (or even a few books) that are important to me and tell you why.  I think we all should spend more time reading photography books, and hopefully, these videos will give you some ideas on what to read next.

5 Great Landscape Photography Books

For my first video in this series, I tell you about my 5 favourite landscape photography books.

I hope you enjoyed the video and that it has inspired you to grab your favourite photography book.  If you are interested in picking up any of the books I mentioned in the video, you can use the following links:

  1. The Causeway Coast by Steven Hanna (ISBN 978-0857043047) - Amazon or direct from Steven for signed copy

  2. The Art of Landscape Photography by Ross Hoddinott and Mark Bauer (ISBN 978-1781450529) - Amazon

  3. Wildlife Photographer of the Year: Portfolio 26 (ISBN 978-0565093952) - Amazon

  4. Photographing Cornwall and Devon by Adam Burton (ISBN 978-0992905132) - Amazon

  5. Landscape Photographer of the Year: Collection 1 (ISBN 978-0749552244) - Amazon

The links used above are Amazon affiliate links. By buying through the links I may receive a commission for the sale. This has no effect on the price for you.

There are a number of exciting landscape photography books coming out over the next few months so be sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel so you get notified when I publish a new episode of On My Bookshelf!

So do you have a favourite photography book?  Which photography book are looking forward to seeing next?  Let me know in the comments below.

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Vlog, Blog, Devon Photo Locations Julian Baird Vlog, Blog, Devon Photo Locations Julian Baird

On Location with the Nikon D850: Froward Point

In the blog this week I share with you my latest video on the Nikon D850.  Watch I as I go on location to shoot some seascape images at Froward Point in Devon.  I take you through my workflow on how I setup the camera and how I'm using some of the features of the D850.  I then head home where I process, print and review the image.

Getting to Know the Nikon D850

Since getting my Nikon D850 I haven't been out to take photographs with it as much as I hoped I would.  The bad weather at the moment always seems to know when I have time to go out with the camera.  However, I was treated to an epic sunset up on Dartmoor the other day.  I got some wonderful images and I'll be sharing them on my blog in the near future.  

The Nikon D850 is performing very well and is delivering me some wonderful raw files full of dynamic range.  I just wish I didn't have to convert them to DNG first....c'mon Adobe, update Lightroom, please!  LR issues aside this is a great camera and so I wanted to do a follow up to my Nikon D850 Initial Impressions video.  This video is my most popular video on YouTube to date and there seemed to be a real desire from people to know more about some of the capabilities of this camera.

So in this video, I take the Nikon D850 out to photograph seascape images at Froward Point in Devon.  This time I take a closer look at my workflow and how I put some of the features of the Nikon D850 to work.  

Froward Point

I've talked about Froward Point a couple of times on the blog and in my videos, but in case you don't know where it is, here it is on the map:

 

So onto the image itself.  Unfortunately, I didn't get the light I was after but I'm still reasonably happy with the image I took.  

Nikon D850, Nikkor 16-35mm f/4 @ 29mm, ISO 64, 180 secs at f/10. Lee Filters circular polariser and 3 stop medium edge ND grad.

Nikon D850, Nikkor 16-35mm f/4 @ 29mm, ISO 64, 180 secs at f/10. Lee Filters circular polariser and 3 stop medium edge ND grad.

While the image might not be one that goes in the portfolio it was, as always, good to get out with the camera.  I'm still familiarising myself with the D850 so time with the camera at the moment is even more important.  Overall though I only have positive things to say about the D850 and I'm looking forward to shooting even more with it.

So have you been to Froward Point?  What new feature in the D850 interests you?  Let me know in the comments below.

 

 

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