Are you an intentional photographer or a ‘snap happy’ photographer? I must admit, before I began to take photography more seriously, I fell into the latter camp. I would arrive at a well-known ‘honey pot’ location, be in awe of the beautiful view, then get out my phone and snap away, hoping that I would have a ‘nice picture’ to take home with me. However, as part of my learning in photography I began to study the work of good photographers and appreciate good photographs, and my attitude towards taking photographs changed. I began to realise that good photographs all had some things in common that helped them appeal to the viewer. All the photographs that I admired were composed intentionally to include certain elements. Some of them had a leading line directing the viewer’s eye to the subject or into the centre of the frame. Some had subjects deliberately placed in a certain way within the frame. In some of the images, there were layers to include a foreground element, a mid-ground and a background. I took this image on a hike close to my home. I tried to do more than just shoot one mountain from the top of another. I got down low to include some foreground which I hope makes the image more interesting All these images used light effectively and added drama or mystery or evoked emotion through their choice of subject and in the way they told their story. I came to realise that it is not a good view or an interesting scene that makes a good image; it is the way in which the photographer interacts with these elements, how the elements are intentionally placed and how the overall image is composed to achieve maximum impact for the viewer, that makes a good photograph. Now when I arrive at a scene, I don’t just grab a camera and snap that beautiful view. I spend time observing, thinking about what I want to achieve, what way I want my image to turn out. In the above images I tried to be more intentional about my compositions, rather than randomly snapping Since I am not a professional photographer, and don’t need professional equipment, I often find myself mentally imagining my images as I walk along and then taking out my phone camera to see how I can translate this image in my mind into something real and tangible. In this instance I was looking at reflections in a river as I walked past and wondering if there was a spot that might give me a vantage point from which to make a reflection image. With a bit of scouting, I managed to find this spot and get close enough to get the bridge reflected in the water To sum up Even though my images would not be ‘keepers’ to most photographers, to me they are an important part of my learning curve therefore they teach me more about photography than simply snapping a beautiful view. I don’t go to many iconic locations. I prefer to make my images by composing intentionally in lesser-known locations, rather than taking photographs of the views that are presented in front of me in iconic locations. My image may not be an image of an epic scene, but it will represent a step further along the road of learning how to put all the different photographic elements together so that they result in an image that is pleasing to the eye and maybe worthy of a second glance from the viewer. Thank you for reading. If you found this post useful, please feel free to share. You might also like my previous posts: Snapshot vs Photograph: What is the Difference? 7 Simple Tips That Will Improve Your Enjoyment of Photography

“We are making photographs to understand what our lives mean to us.” — Ralph Hattersley I’m writing this on my return from spending some time in a place that I love, a place that I return to every year to relax, unwind and take some photographs. This place is Mullaghmore , Co. Sligo, Ireland. During the time that I spend here each year I take the opportunity to get out early, regardless of the weather, and see what images I can make. I try to capture some sunsets, which, when they happen, are a fabulous feature of this part of the world. Here I have a coastal landscape, mountains, cliffs, winding roads, a busy harbour with lots of water activities going on, and an abundance of one of my favourite subjects – boats – to work with. Being in this place always calms my mind, helps me to de-stress and re-focus, and it presents many opportunities for mindfulness and mindful photography. One of the real benefits of taking my camera on this vacation is that my photography becomes one of the highlights of my time here. While I enjoy walks along the cliffs, immersing myself in the beautiful coastal surroundings, eating good local seafood and exploring new places, it is my photographs that bring emotional solace, and they stay with me to rekindle my memories throughout the year. My camera is a tool that grounds me in the moment and helps me to appreciate each moment more fully. While making pleasing images is my goal, I do enjoy the process; I enjoy putting my learning into practice, experimenting, discovering new ways of doing things, evaluating the success or failure of my efforts. I experimented with shutter speed as the waves crashed against the rocks When photography becomes a way to experience a place it enriches that experience. By spending time observing, becoming aware of the physical features of the place, feeling the emotions associated with the location, I find myself connecting in a particular way with the landscape. During my stay in this part of my country I became a little more familiar with the ocean, with rocks and coastal vegetation, with light, sunsets, a full moon reflected on the water and magical misty mornings. I encountered people who live here, whose livelihoods depend on those who visit, and visitors who were experiencing what this place has to offer. On this occasion I was privileged to be able to capture a slice of daily life as I wandered over the cliff tops. The horse had been happily grazing when he heard the sound of a car coming. I watched as he became aware of whose car it was and began to make his way over to his owner. She kindly let me take their picture One of the joys of photography is that it helps you to see in a new way. You discover new things, often minute details previously unnoticed, and you become aware of new perspectives on familiar things. This is true regardless of our location, but when you are in a place that you love, a place that is familiar but is a contrast to your home environment, photography makes this a richer place, a place of abundance, not just for what it yields in terms of images but as a totally immersive, almost spiritual, life experience. ***** I hope you enjoyed these reflections and that they will encourage you to use photography to enrich your experience of familiar places. Please share the post if you think someone else would like it. Further Reading: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/photography/article/travel-photography-tips

“For me, the subject of the picture is always more important than the picture,” – Diane Arbus This quote from controversial American photographer Diane Arbus helped me to realise the importance of subject in photography.* Most photography instructors will say that having a definite subject in your images will help to make them more appealing to the viewer. This is true in nearly all types of photography, with the possible exception of abstract photography. And if that subject happens to be something awesome, then you are immediately on to a winner. Awesome subjects can be hard to find, or even recognise, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try to find them. It is probably true to say that in street photography subject is everything. It is through subject that we tell our story and working in this genre has helped me to seek out more interesting subjects in all areas of photography. While in many areas of photography the subject is a person, this does not have to be the case and our chosen subject can be any number of things - an object of any kind, an animal, a tree or a plant. The subject can even be a cloud formation in the sky, an unspoiled reflection in a lake or a beautiful sunrise or sunset where the colour itself is the subject. The subject can be something unusual, something unexpected in a particular location, something that might not immediately show its beauty. What we need is to have something definite to draw the viewer’s eye and lead them into the image. In the image below there is no real subject; there is nowhere for the viewer to focus, nothing to lead the viewer into the rest of the frame. Without that the viewer will not linger, there is nothing interesting to hold their attention. In the following image, taken in the same place, I looked around for a subject, something that would attract the viewer’s eye and perhaps encourage them to linger in the photograph and look beyond the immediate subject to the distant mountain. Similarly, in the scene below the image benefits from having human subjects. Finding a suitable subject is an aspect of photography that I have struggled with at times. I have tended to take my photograph of a scene in front of me without asking myself what exactly it is that I am focusing on, and those images would undoubtedly be passed by without a second glance. But when I consciously try to find an interesting subject, my images are more appealing to myself, and hopefully also to others. Ask yourself, what exactly is my focus? If I can say exactly what it was that I focused on in my images, then chances are I have a definite subject. In this image my focus was on the dead tree. It is larger than everything else in the frame, which is a choice I made to give my subject priority in the image... In this shot I focused on the lights of the village as the sun set... My subject here was the old building bathed in the morning light... I liked the way the boat lay idle along the water’s edge, so I made it my focus here… I loved this scene of canoes left against a wall, and I felt they had a story to tell… In this bed of wildflowers, instead of taking a shot of the whole bed, or even a bunch of the flowers, I thought that picking out one flower, and making that the subject, might be most effective… I often seek to tell a story with my subject... Sometimes my subject is a part of something rather than the whole object, and I give that priority in the frame... In my mind I try to ask myself, what am I focusing on here? This gives me the best chance of having a well-defined subject. I made the stone the focus in this shot... Knowing what it is we want to shoot when we arrive at our photography location is an important part of the image making process. When I went to this location recently I didn’t go just to ‘take some photographs’, I went with certain images in mind. I wanted one of my subjects to be the sunset over the boats, I also wanted to capture the pier in the soft evening light, and I also knew that there would be other interesting subjects. Dun Laoghaire, Co. Dublin Having said that, I am always open to the opportunities a location might offer and am never too rigid in my expectations, but having certain images in mind on this occasion helped me to find and focus on definite subjects. Conclusion The subject in your image is usually the first thing the viewer sees when he or she looks at the image. Having a strong subject , or more than one subject, in your images is important to ensure that the viewer pauses to take a closer look. A subject doesn’t have to be human, but it should be something that catches the viewer’s eye. If you ask yourself each time what your subject is, you will have more chance of including a strong subject in your image. When you have a definite subject in your images, you are more likely to end up with images that you will want to keep, perhaps edit a little, and show to others. I find that when I don’t do this, I often end up with ‘nothing’ images that I want to discard and that no amount of editing can salvage and make interesting. Trying to ensure that I have at least one subject in my images is a lesson that I want to keep to the forefront of my mind as I progress in my photography journey. Do you agree that the best images have definite subjects? Let us know in the comments If you found this post useful, please share. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Diane Arbus was a documentary photographer whose subjects were mostly people. Her images were not easy, pleasant-to-look-at images. She didn’t reveal the beauty in everyday life. Instead, her images portrayed humanity in all its humanness, even its perverseness, and at the same time her photographs demonstrate the primacy of subject because her subjects speak for themselves, they tell their own stories of fear, misery, rawness, hope. Her photographs of American men, women and children often had a darkness to them, and she became known primarily for her striking black and white images of social ‘outsiders’.

What is ‘chimping?’ Chimping is defined as the act of looking at your camera’s LCD screen immediately after taking a photograph. Being able to review your photo just after you’ve taken it, and not having to wait for a film to be developed, is one of the pros of the digital camera Yet there is also an argument against that. I recently heard well known photographer, Nick Carver, in an interview with Thomas Heaton (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhRlHhr44WI), say that one of the reasons he likes film photography is that it keeps him from being tempted to look at his screen after he takes a photograph. This comment got me thinking about the term chimping and whether it’s a good or bad idea in photography. There are pros and cons to chimping. Pros of chimping #1 It gives you an opportunity to review your photo I used to do this a lot when I started photography. I’d take a photo then have a look at the screen to see if it came out as I had hoped. This gave me an opportunity to correct any mistakes such as a distraction on the edge of my frame, a badly focussed shot or even a poor composition. It meant that I didn’t go home with a set of useless images and a sense of disappointment. This is one of the reasons why I think chimping might be a good idea when you are learning photography. We all make mistakes when learning so checking our images gives us a chance to get it right before we leave a scene, especially if we might not return there frequently. To have an opportunity to rectify simple errors by moving to the side a little and taking another shot or realising when we look at our image that the subject might look better from another perspective, enhances our progress as learners in photography and is an important element in our beginners toolbox. #2 It helps you critique your images The second reason I give in favour of chimping is that it can help us become critics of our own work in a positive way. We learn to recognise how our images should look and what mistakes we might be repeating. For example, I tended to have distracting objects in my frames. A stray piece of grass might have blown across the image, there might have been an unsightly wire that I hadn’t noticed or maybe a person walked into the frame at the wrong time. By checking my shots, I was able to learn what I was doing wrong and try to eliminate these distractions when I am taking my photographs. #3 We can delete photos that we don’t want and save space on the memory card Obviously, if we constantly check our images ‘on the go’ we will spot those that we don’t want and will be able to delete them immediately, thus freeing up space on our memory card for more images. In this sense there is a definite ‘advantage’ here over film photography. I often had a film developed only to discover that some of the images were useless. Undoubtedly, if I could have deleted these in the field I would have done so. Maybe I should have chimped here, then I might have noticed the pole behind the horse's head. Not ideal! Cons of chimping #1 It spoils the ‘flow’ of photography I put this as the first reason against chimping because I used to overdo checking my images and found that it was beginning to spoil my flow. Instead of focusing on what was happening around me, I was too concerned with checking to see if I got the previous image right. Often, particularly with a subject that might not be stationary, I missed the next moment by looking back on a previous one. I learned the hard way that I was blocking the chance of a good image by constantly looking back and I was spoiling the moments by constantly checking the screen. #2 It puts emphasis on getting the product right rather than enjoying the process The second reason I don’t like chimping, especially after every shot, is that I feel it puts more emphasis on the product than on the process. Others may feel that this is a pro of chimping but for me process is important. At times I can lose myself in the art of making images, I can forget time and just be fully immersed in what I am doing. When I am in the photography ‘zone’ like this, I am not so concerned with whether my images are perfect, I just enjoy making them. By having this attitude, I practise my learning with a greater sense of enjoyment and ease, and I find that some of what I have been learning comes naturally when out with my camera and I really don’t have to constantly check whether I have got everything right. #3 It increases battery consumption From a practical point of view, having the screen on and checking it constantly will consume a lot of battery power. One of the pros of chimping might be that checking images and deleting unwanted ones will save space on the memory card, but if this act results in ending up with no battery it’s not a great advantage. Conclusion There are mixed feelings about chimping among those in the photography community. For a professional photographer who uses film to ensure that he doesn’t do chimping there is a strong bias against the practice. For a learner it may initially have its uses. Personally, I find that when I am in a location that I am not likely to return to I try to take a set of images, mentally critiquing as I go along, then take a break to check through the set for any obvious mistakes or adjustments I can make to give me a more pleasing image. When I am close to home I try to just shoot and keep shooting, stay in the flow of image making, and, knowing that I can go back to these locations on another occasion, I will enjoy the surprise of not seeing the images I’ve made until I view them on my computer screen at home. On this occasion the sun was sinking fast so I took as many photos as I could with the sun lighting up part of the rocks while causing a reflection in the sea. If I had stopped to check each image I would have missed a lot of opportunities If I want to push myself to come down firmly on one side of the argument I would say that my overriding feeling about chimping is that it breaks the photography flow, it puts the focus on the product rather than the process and, to some extent, when I engage in the practice I feel that I am putting an emphasis on looking for perfection rather than progress, and that is not what I want from my photography. From that viewpoint I do think that too much chimping will spoil our photography experience. But in certain circumstances it does have its uses, so, as with most things, a sense of balance in using chimping, and a clear awareness of why we are chimping, is required. What do you think about chimping? Do you do it? Why? Why not? I would love to hear your views in the comments below

Would you like to capture a silky waterfall by using a simple technique on your iPhone? Recently I went out with the sole intention of trying out Live Photos on my iPhone 11 Pro. I was particularly interested in seeing if I could get a silky waterfall image, similar to that achieved with a dedicated camera and slow shutter speed. I found a suitable waterfall, opened the phone camera and turned on Live Photos. How to locate Live Photos Live Photos is easy to use. When you open your camera, you’ll see a circle icon in the top right-hand corner with a line through it. Tap on the circle to turn on Live Photos. The line will disappear. It is now possible to capture motion using your iPhone. I shot this photo using Live Photos When you have taken your shot, open the image from the square on the bottom left of the camera screen. Scroll up from the bottom of the image to reveal Effects – Loop, Bounce and Long Exposure (screenshot) Choose Long Exposure and watch as your image is transformed into a long exposure image. I experimented with the effect again using a spinning garden ornament. Is the effect as good as that achieved by a dedicated camera? No. Do you get the same experience as using a dedicated camera with its range of shutter speeds? No. But despite the fact that using Live Photos on an iPhone to capture motion doesn't quite match what can be achieved with a real camera, using Live Photos is fun and easy to use. Whenever I come across a beautiful waterfall or other moving object I can take out my phone and easily make an image that captures the motion, adding another dimension to mobile phone photography. Why not give Live Photos a try if you have the option on your phone?

"The more you shoot the more you learn why you shoot." I recently listened to a video tutorial by a well-known photographer who, while suggesting that observation and discovery are vital elements in improving our photography techniques, urged the viewer not to do this discovery using a phone camera, but rather to have a real camera at hand for this experimental work. He cited as a reason for saying this the fact that the lenses and focal length are very different between phone camera and dedicated camera and that the phone camera will give an inaccurate impression of what a photograph with a dedicated camera would turn out like. While I do take his point, and know that it makes a lot of sense, I also believe that the phone camera has a role to play in improving photography, particularly for learners. Why do I believe this? Well, let’s take a look. I have come to realise, something which to me was quite a major revelation, that there really is a lot to learn in photography. Photography is not just about going out with a camera, pointing at a few subjects or scenes, pressing the shutter a few times and coming back with great images. Apart from learning all about our camera, there is a lot of learning about the art of photography that must take place before we begin to produce anything worthwhile. We need to understand the importance of light and how to use it to our best advantage. We need to be able to identify a strong subject in our scene that will draw the viewer into our image. We need to know about composition, learn composition techniques and know how to best compose our image so that it is pleasing to the eye. We need to learn about some of the accepted ‘rules’ of composition but also be brave enough to break them so we can follow our own instincts. If our photography is to become something that we own, something unique to us, then we need to experiment, explore, discover things for ourselves and do things our way. What do you want from your photography? For me, photography is experimental. I don’t expect to go out and make amazing images. If I get even one image that pleases me, I consider that to be a success. What I do want is to make progress. I want to see a development in my photography; an improvement in the quality of the images I make. I want to compare my images to those I made last month or last year and see that I have advanced, even if the advancement is just a small step forward. I want to master the essentials – to be able to identify strong subjects for my images, make better compositions and learn how to make better use of light. I want to be able to notice mistakes immediately rather than posting images with glaring faults that no photographer, not even a beginner, should make. All of this needs study and practice: study of the many and varied elements that go to making up a good image; practice to internalise these elements and to be able to use them naturally when taking photographs. Some of this work can be done by reading, listening to or watching tutorials and learning from instructors online or in workshops. But most of the real learning is done ‘in the field’. This is where we put the theory into practice, when we take what we have read or heard and use it in the making of our images. How can the phone camera help? Learning photography involves constantly observing, being on the lookout for photo opportunities, finding ways to improve. I believe that the phone camera can help us here in several ways. Below are the three most powerful ways I see in which your phone camera can help you improve your photography. 1. Improving Composition When I am focusing on composition techniques my ‘camera in my pocket’ is invaluable because I can take it out at any time, frame up a scene or subject, and see whether it works as a composition. For example, when I am learning about how to use leading lines to enhance my images, I can look out for examples of these as I walk in my local area or park and experiment with their use by taking out my phone camera and trying out different ways to incorporate leading lines in my images. I always think leading lines are more effective when there are people in the picture. In this image it is almost as though the path leads our eye along to the two walkers In this image the road runs on past the walkers and leads our eye beyond them into the distance The same is true for other composition techniques such as natural framing, symmetry or using different perspectives. My phone can help me to experiment with different ays of using these techniques to capture an image. I used the bars to frame the image, and managed to capture the boats between the bars The water provided a good symmetrical image here I like to capture subjects from unusual perspectives 2. Finding Strong Subjects When my emphasis is on identifying a strong subject for my images I can observe as I walk around to see where I can find interesting subjects or elements that would make good focal points, and I can shoot my subject from different perspectives to see what turns out best. 3. Working With Light Light is an important element in photography. It is something that is always changing and that affects our images in different ways depending on its source or intensity. Shooting with the light behind us will give a different result than having the light behind the subject. Side light will reveal another result. Shooting in soft, diffused light will give a different result than shooting in harsh light. Being able to experiment with different light has opened my eyes to the importance of light and my phone camera has provided opportunities to experiment at different times of day and in all kinds of light. These images were captured on an early morning walk in summer, before the light became too harsh Conclusion While some photographers will say that it is not a good idea to experiment with photography techniques by using a phone camera, others will no doubt say that a phone camera is good enough to make our final images without having to resort to a real camera at all. For me, there must be a balance. I don’t exclusively do mobile photography, but neither do I see it as second best. At times my phone camera gives me exactly the images I want, and I often take photos with only that camera. I don’t see my phone camera solely as a tool with which to experiment before I bring along my big camera to make ‘real’ images. But sometimes it does fulfil this function. It allows me to practise my learning, to experiment, to discover new possibilities, and most of all to enjoy the journey rather than becoming too focused on a finished product. Over to you. Do you agree with the photographer who tells us not to practice photography with a phone camera or do you think it has a role to play in helping us become better photographers? Have your say in the comments below. You might also like to read my earlier post on the same subject.

“Photography is like exploring a new dimension, only I can go there but I can show you where I've been.” ― Destin Sparks Although I love doing landscape photography, I recognise that it is a difficult area of photography to get right and that it comes with a steep learning curve. I also realise that landscape photography is very much a personal pursuit, and that success depends on the connection you forge with the landscape you want to photograph. In other words, the best landscape images have something of the photographer in them, something that is unique to each individual. It is for these reasons that I consider it necessary to learn as much as possible about landscape photography from as many sources as possible. This gives me the best opportunity to make decent images that are unique to my photographic vision, rather than base my learning on just one photographer’s view. I have put together some resources that I have found useful in learning landscape photography. These are the resources that I keep returning to as they give straight-forward, easy to follow advice and suggestions for improvement as well as great examples of landscape photography work. I hope you will find them useful. #1 Video Tutorial There are a number of excellent landscape photographers who are generous and consistent in their output of videos which combine instruction with examples of inspirational photography. One of my favourite contributors in this area is Nigel Danson www.nigeldanson.ie whose weekly YouTube video arrives in my inbox every Sunday. One of the best things about these videos is the enthusiasm and passion which Nigel Danson displays for landscape photography and for the places he visits. Many of his recent videos are shot in the Lake District and Peak District, while he has also travelled all around the UK as well as to Iceland and US. Danson’s videos offer easy to follow tips and techniques for taking better landscape images and he demonstrates each technique on his photo shoots. On most of his videos Danson goes back to his studio to discuss the techniques and to study how they can be achieved in practice by looking at his own photographs or images sent to him by viewers. Danson has an easy style; he is generous with his support to photographers and I have learned a lot from his videos. A good place to begin is with a video such as 7 Easy Tips That Will Improve Your Landscape Photography Or click here for a sample of Nigel Danson’s videos. Other video tutorials You may also be interested in other photographers who provide free video training along similar lines. Some names to check out are Mark Denney, Simon Baxter, and Alex Armitage. I have also recently become familiar with the video channel of Thomas Heaton, which I enjoy watching. Heaton is not so much an instructor as an inspirational photographer who shares his process of image making, the 'stories behind the images', with his viewers in a very personable and easy to follow style. He regularly shares his difficulties as well as his successes and I find his photography adventures in his camper van to be very entertaining as well as educational from a photography point of view. You can also check out his website. #2 Landscape Photography Course I have been reluctant to take a course that concentrates specifically on landscape photography as I don’t have the variety of lenses that would allow me to get the best images. When I first saw the videos for this iPhone Landscape Mastery course, I was immediately interested by the prospect of doing landscape photography with an iPhone. The teacher, Clifford Pickett, is passionate about what can be achieved with a phone camera and the videos were filmed in one of the most iconic landscape photography locations, the Italian Dolomites. The course takes the photography student through a series of video lessons, which focus on good composition, perfecting camera techniques and learning the many ways to make fantastic images with just a phone camera. Topics covered are mountains, lakes, fields, villages, forests, rivers and waterfalls, and sunsets. Within those are lessons on using layers, improving images with leading lines, using burst mode, making the most of light, taking close-up photos, to name just some of the module elements. Pickett’s style is relaxed yet informative, and he conveys not just his great knowledge about photography, but also his passion for what he does and his appreciation of his subjects. The course can be expensive if bought at full cost, but there are regular discounted offers which cut the cost considerably. There is lifetime access to the videos, and there are bonus videos covering photo editing as well as promised updates to keep abreast of advances in mobile technology. There is an active learning community of course participants and moderators respond quickly to queries. Also included is a comprehensive iPhone Landscape Photography eBook which covers all possible topics connected with landscape photography. If iPhone landscape photography appeals to you this course is well worth checking out. #3 Resource Site: fstoppers.com Type in the phrase “landscape photography tips for learners”, or something similar, to a search engine and you will receive dozens of answers in the form of websites offering tips and techniques for the beginner in landscape photography. Many of these articles are free to browse although there is usually something for sale also. However, there is no obligation to buy, and you still get to read the tips. Improvephotography.com offers one such comprehensive article, and it is a good place to start. Inevitably, tutorials sites often cover similar topics such as camera settings, composition, light, focus, using a tripod, use of filters and so on, as these are the topics which beginner photographers need to know about. While it is good for a beginner to read this information often to digest it properly, it does become a bit ‘samey’ and you can find yourself longing for something different, for a new approach. For me, the best site I have come across so far that offers something a little different to the norm is fstoppers.com. Fstoppers is described as ‘a community-based photography news website featuring gear reviews, tutorials, industry news and original articles from professional photographers.’ The site offers a range of articles on almost every photography related topic. For the purposes of this review, I read a number of articles on landscape photography. One of these articles Landscape Photography and the Meaning of Life inspired my recent blogpost ‘Why I Love Landscape Photography: A Personal Journey’ . Another recent article, Photogra-Therapy: A Deafening Silence, explored the topic of photography as therapy from an unusual slant. A further recent and timely article is about exploring your own area for the purpose of shooting landscapes. Entitled Landscape Photography Doesn’t Always Have To Be Epic, the video article explores how seemingly ordinary local scenes can be turned into worthwhile images by beginning to see things differently. The photographer, Thomas Heaton, stresses that landscape photography can be whatever you want it to be. It can be simple and many opportunities for simple images can be found in your local area. While some of the articles on this site are beyond the skill of a beginner photographer, there are enough articles in fstoppers’ vast library to provide motivation at every stage of the photography journey. #4 Video Tips for Post-Processing Landscape Images There are numerous YouTube videos giving advice, tips and suggestions on how to edit your photos. It is hard to choose one that stands out in every way but a good place to start might be with this video from Mark Denney which gives some beginner advice. 7 Beginner Steps To Edit Better Landscape Photos in Lightroom is a helpful video from a photographer who hasn’t forgotten what it’s like to be a beginner. 6 Beginner Editing Mistakes That’ll Ruin Your Landscape Photos! also from Mark Denney, gives us a few editing mistakes to avoid. #5 The Creative Photographer: Photography Magazine (online) www.creative-photographer.com is an online photography magazine which covers all aspect of photography and provides useful articles, lessons and tutorials. There is a comprehensive section on landscape photography with tutorials which offer something a little different for landscape photographers. There are a number of tutorials on black and white landscape photography, which I personally like, as well as tutorials which take the reader a little deeper into the genre rather than concentrating on the usual techniques. While the site is helpful at all stages of your photography journey, it is particularly useful for advancing your progress beyond the basics. This is a link to the free landscape photography email course, which covers all aspects of landscape photography such as assessing the potential of your local area, understanding the influence of weather and light and general tips for improving your landscape photography. #6 General Resource It is always useful, regardless of your chosen type of photography, to have a general ‘go-to’ site when starting off in photography. As a beginner landscape photographer, you will have lots of questions on how to choose the best camera, what are the best lenses for landscape photography, and so on. Digital photography school (dPS) is a ‘go-to’ site that I use for tips on all aspects of photography. For landscape photography specifically, digital photography school offers articles on topics such as: 10 Best Lenses for Landscape Photography 10 Best Cameras for Landscape Photography 11 Surefire Landscape Photography Tips 6 Ways to Easily Improve Your Landscape Photography And each year there is a post giving The dPS Top Landscape Photography Tips of that year. There are around 100 articles and tutorials relating to landscape photography on dPS, so there is sure to be something for everyone. #7 Inspirational Landscape Photography One of the best ways to improve your photography is to view images from good photographers. We each have our own tastes and style in photography and different images will appeal to different people, so it is worth viewing lots of images to discover your own particular taste. There are many websites available to view iconic images, past and present, and the work of the best landscape photographers is often accessible online on the photographer’s website. I enjoy browsing a site that offers a variety of images from several contributors, especially competition sites where the judges comment on what draws them to a particular image. One such site is https://www.worldlandscapephotographer.com/ , a site which showcases some of the best photographs from the world landscape photographer competition, giving us an opportunity to view winning and commended images from 2020 and 2021, with judges’ comments. I have found these images to be inspirational for my own photography practice and have learned from the remarks made by the judges. The World Landscape Photographer Competition was launched in 2020 by Nigel Danson to encourage people to keep taking photographs and to stay motivated during lockdown. The competition was so popular that Danson repeated it in 2021 and this year’s winner was Irish photographer Felix Sproll, with an image entitled Atlantic Winter Storm Meets Ireland. This initiative is a real testament to Danson’s commitment to his photography community and to his real passion for the environment as all proceeds of the competition, which is to become an annual event, go towards environmental protection. It is well worth taking the time to browse through the images which range from the winning unique coastal shot which beautifully captures the power of the sea, to the second placed woodland image which one of the judges described as having ‘atmosphere and intrigue, tied together into a superb composition’, through to a range of diverse images from many locations worldwide. On display are some stunningly beautiful shots to which I can only aspire. An enjoyable feast of landscape images to bring pleasure and inspiration. I hope you will find some of these resources useful to support your landscape photography. If so, please share this post. If you have a favourite resource that others might like to know about, please share in the comments. Check out my Resources section for some useful smartphone camera resources.

“The thing I love about photography is that for just a moment, you can make everyone else look at the world the way you see it.” ― Amy Spalding I may not have great photography 'gear', and I have a lot to learn about composition, but I love landscape photography. Being out in nature, exploring what my immediate location has to offer, making images of land, sea and sky, is what I love about photography. This is what makes me feel truly alive. I took this image recently when I stopped for a break while travelling. It might appear to lack a real subject but in this image I felt that the landscape itself was my subject. I like the way the coastline leads the eye round to the land further back. Although there is a lot of uninteresting sky I didn't want to crop and lose the few fluffy clouds at the top. Shooting landscapes is helping me become more observant, not just of nature but also of the way I take my images and how I can improve them. * When I returned to photography three years ago, I began my journey with my new DSLR camera by taking some landscape images. I was still in Auto mode and knew very little about composition, yet I knew I was drawn to beautiful landscapes. These were not iconic or epic landscapes by any means, just places of simple beauty that I loved. Since then, I have learned a little more about manual and aperture priority mode, which tend to be my modes of choice today, and I have tried out street photography, experimented with close-up photography and made images in lots of different locations that are not strictly landscape locations. Yet I keep being drawn back to photographing landscapes. I love capturing reflections in little country lakes. In this image I focused on the stone in the foreground, the reflection formed the middle of the image and I also caught the mountain peeping up in the background So what is it that makes landscape photography so fascinating? At this point I think it might be a good idea to define exactly what landscape photography is. There are lots of accepted definitions, which a Google search will throw up, but I am referring to what landscape photography means to me. Essentially, I believe that many types of photography can be classed as landscape photography, whether they are regular landscapes, coastal landscapes or woodland landscapes. Urban landscapes and architectural landscape photography have also earned the name. If it’s photography that captures the great outdoors, that doesn’t involve people as a main subject, then it can be termed landscape photography. Since I don’t do portrait, wedding or still life photography, and I am not a photojournalist, most of my images belong in the landscape genre. So why is it so special? In a word – beauty. I love to photograph what catches my eye because of its beauty. It might be a magnificent sunrise or sunset; it might be a mountain reflected in a lake. It could be a lone tree on a hillside or even rain-soaked branches in a woodland. It could be something inherently beautiful, like much of nature, or it could be a subject whose beauty is hard to find, whose ‘ordinariness’ means we have to uncover the real beauty. I love to capture beautiful skies in the evening light. Even when they are not dramatic sunsets, they still reveal the beauty of the natural world For me, this is the challenge in photography – to find beauty and reveal it to others. And this quest to capture beauty in an image, the constant search for a more perfect landscape image, is the reason that I find landscape photography to be so fascinating. What do you find most appealing about landscape photography? Share your thoughts in the comments below. Before you leave you might like to check out these useful landscape photography resources.

"You don't take a photograph, you make it." Ansel Adams Picture the scene. You are travelling along a picturesque route when you spot an area with some wonderful views. You just have to stop and get a photo. You park your car, grab your phone and jump out to capture that amazing view. Maybe you even take a few shots. Happy that you spotted that view, you get back in your car and carry on. Sound familiar? It sounds very familiar to me. In fact, before I took a real interest in photography, that was the way I got most of my shots when travelling. But as I progress along my photography journey, I realise that by doing this I am really selling myself short. I’m not making the most of photo opportunities that present themselves and I am certainly not getting the best image possible. To go back to the scenario described above. What could you do differently? In my view, lots of small changes to that approach would make a huge difference. I have been trying to incorporate some of the advice from experts so this is how a similar scenario could look. I stop at my chosen location, get out and take a shot, either with phone or camera. Then I ask myself the all-important question, the question I have been training myself to ask at every location, How can I make my image better? So, I go back to my image and have a look. I start with the edges of the frame. Is there anything there that doesn’t add to the image? It could be a power line, a piece of litter, anything that doesn’t fit into the image I want. If so, I adjust my position and take another shot. I always prefer to do this than try to eliminate unwanted objects later. What about my second shot? I consider my second shot. I look to see if this is the best I can get. Do I have too much or too little foreground? Do I have a definite focal point? Is the composition as good as it could be – could I get a better viewpoint? Could I get higher or lower, use a different vantage point to change the composition? Do I want to include a lot of sky or only a little? These are all questions I can ask, and I can then take a shot to try each option. What I am doing is making images rather than just taking snapshots. This set of images illustrates the point. I was in a new location and had some time to spare so I began to explore my surroundings. On one side I had a forest area, on the other there was a wide expanse of land with a mountain in the distance. Unfortunately, the sun was high in the sky and the sky was clear blue with no interesting clouds. I had my iPhone with me, so I walked along to see if there were any possibilities for an image. The mountain was too far away to provide a point of interest, so I looked for some foreground interest I like everyday objects in random places, so I found a few of those The gate provided the foreground with the mountain in the background. The sky was uninteresting from a photography point of view, so I tried to include other interest. I then explored the forest area to see what opportunities it would give. I tried to show an everyday scene from a different viewpoint Conclusion Every image can be improved. We can always get a better viewpoint, a different perspective or maybe a more unusual focal point. We can move closer or stand further back. We can look up and include what is above... or look closer to the ground for our subject. We can be deliberate in our composition rather than being snap happy. Taking our time and thinking about how we want to compose our image is what makes the difference between taking snapshots and making photographs. In this location I could have tried snapping mountain views or views of the forest trees from the road, but by focusing on foregrounds, on smaller subjects, by going into the forest to find some images, and by spending time thinking about my images, I believe I created photographs, not snapshots. If you want to create photographs rather than simply take snapshots, why not try out some of these suggestions? If you found this post useful, please feel free to share it.

In my recent post entitled 9 Photography Solutions to Try on Those ‘Not Ideal for Photography’ Weather Days I expressed the view that, for me, photography is a therapeutic activity. It is an escape from the worries and stresses of life and a way to relax and unwind. It is an activity that I enjoy doing and that enhances my wellbeing in numerous ways. Because photography means a lot to me it is important that my priority is to enjoy my photography practice. Yes, I want to improve my composition skills and make more pleasing photos. Yes, I want to create my own unique style of photography and to constantly improve my techniques. But most of all, I want to enjoy what I do; I want to enjoy the process of making an image and I want to enjoy the journey and where it takes me. How can I make enjoyment of photography my priority? I have come up with 7 simple but effective tips that will help you get more enjoyment from your photography. #1 Park, Coffee, Shoot The coffee part is important! You might substitute water, fruit, even chocolate for the coffee, but essentially it is about self-care, about treating your photography shoot as time for you, time to nourish yourself physically and emotionally. When I have previously scouted my location (photography speak for having been there before and looked around!) I know where to find safe parking, so I park up and have my cup of coffee before setting out with my camera. Photography is not about rushing or stressing over getting a certain photo, it’s about taking in a sense of the place, feeling relaxed and enjoying the process. #2 Shoot what you like, like what you shoot Both parts of this sentence are important. Most of us who take photographs do shoot the things we like. We are drawn to a beautiful scene; a certain subject catches our eye and we want to make an image. But there are also the unexpected moments in photography, the moments when we find something different, when we see a subject in a different way, when we are drawn to something unusual, something ordinary, something that may be old or unused, banal even, but it has some attraction for us. For me, these can often be the photos I most enjoy making because they are unique to me, an expression of my vision, and they give a lot of satisfaction. #3 Get out early, stay out late Most times I miss the best part of the day – sunrise. Early morning, the time before the busyness of the day starts, is a quiet, reflective time. It is also the best time for photography, not just because the light is better than later in the day but because we can often capture something new and unspoiled. It could be an image of a city or town coming to life, a rare mist over a mountain, or an image of our chosen subject bathed in that soft, diffused early morning light. Similarly with late evening. When the sun has set and the sky, which a few moments earlier was ablaze with colour, has lost it’s fire, we can wait and watch for blue hour, for the light that will give us amazing silhouettes, for the gentle, unhurried images that emerge as the day ends. #4 Always keep a camera with you for those unexpected moments I have begun the habit of taking my camera with me every time I go somewhere in my car. It is there at the ready, with battery charged, for those times when I didn’t intend to take photos, but I see something that I think would make a good image. I may or may not be able to stop and take the photo, but at least I have the choice, as in the situation below. I was driving home recently when I spotted this lone tree side lit by the setting sun. I just had to stop and capture the image I am also willing to take photographs with my phone camera rather than take no shot at all, and with help from an online course with iPhone Photo Academy I realise that I can do real photography with this 'camera in my pocket.' #5 Shoot regularly As with most things in life, even when we enjoy something we can lose motivation through lack of practice. While I enjoyed photography in the past, I allowed the demands of life to get in the way and I let photography slip out of my life, much to my regret. I am determined not to make that mistake again so I have made myself a commitment to get out regularly and make images, to keep myself motivated and to keep improving my enjoyment of the photography journey. I take a photo most days, and even if they are not good images, they are always learning opportunities. Sometimes I'll just grab a sunrise shot from an upstairs window #6 Embrace your local area Part of my enjoyment of photography comes from being able to find images close to home. I love to go out and allow my curiosity free rein. I love to find images in unexpected places. I love to make an image from a subject that initially seemed banal and ordinary. I love to explore my local area and make the most of the new opportunities that present themselves to me. #7 Be part of the photography community Photography can be a lonely pursuit at times so it is important that we get as much support as we can from fellow photographers. Why not watch some inspirational videos? Or join a photography group, online or in person? The support of other enthusiastic photographers is of tremendous help in ensuring that we enjoy our photography. There are many YouTube channels which give insights into the lives and work of professional photographers, many of whom have recently given up other career paths to make a living from the thing they love. Often, their passion is infectious. I particularly like the YouTube channels of photographers such as Nigel Danson and Thomas Heaton who build a rapport with their viewers and give you as viewer the feeling that they are speaking to you alone. Viewers’ comments and personal views in response to the videos can often be insightful also and they help give a sense of belonging to a community of like-minded people who share your passion for and love of photography. Conclusion Photography is a wonderful pursuit, with tremendous benefits for those who practice it. But photography can also be stressful if we allow expectations, our own or those of others, to get in the way of our enjoyment of our chosen activity. With a bit of awareness, thought and planning we can prioritise enjoyment of our photography and we will have something that will give us pleasure for many years to come. I hope you have found these tips useful and that they will help you continue to enjoy what can become a lifelong passion. Please feel free to share.

Have you ever wondered, what’s the point of blogging? Who cares anyway? I have, frequently. In a recent blog Here’s the Secret to Perseverance in Blogging (or Why We Should Continue Writing Even If We Feel that No-one is Reading) I gave my reasons for continuing to blog, even though I am not sure that I have many readers. And yet I still wonder why do I write? So now I’m going to write in praise of the art of writing itself, and why I believe that writing of any kind can support our wellbeing. And if it supports wellbeing, it’s worth doing. Right? Where it began I have always been an avid reader and, through that reading, was often motivated to write for myself. I wrote short stories, poetry, first chapters of novels and non-fiction, purely for my own amusement. I have spent a large amount of time during my career in education introducing young people to great writers as well as encouraging them to become writers themselves. Having been a lifelong reading ambassador and a strong supporter of various creative writing initiatives, it seemed to be a natural progression to advance my love of writing through starting my own blogsite. And although I started the blog to chart my journey of returning to photography after many years, it has become much more than that. It has become an outlet for self-expression, and it has taken me down exciting paths exploring all sorts of topics that appeal to me. To me, the art of writing has many benefits. It helps me clarify my thoughts and gives me an outlet for my emotions. Writer and poet Michael Rosen once said, “Writing down what we think and feel is a great way to remember things and a great way to share with others the things we care about.” Blog writing is my current choice of writing medium. But why blog writing specifically? What is it about writing a blog that is beneficial to me, and to you? Here are a few reasons worth mentioning: Blog writing encourages personal development. It develops resilience and perseverance to keep going, even when facing a ‘lean’ period. As a means of self expression, it encourages us to explore our interests and increase our understanding of our topic or subject matter. It develops concentration and attention, keeps our mind constantly alert and increases our awareness of ourselves and our beliefs. Blogging is a way of sharing experiences and connecting with others. To quote Michael Rosen again: “What you write about becomes part of the way we all find out together what matters and what the possible ways to behave, think and feel about things are.” It helps clarify our thoughts and “keeps the mental rust from forming.” It encourages us to keep learning. Through our blog writing we are more inclined to constantly look for more sources of inspiration and insight for our writing through reading books and online articles, listening to podcasts, watching videos and doing research on our subject. Through consistent writing we build up a ‘body of work’ to which we can refer, which we can re-read and develop thoughts and ideas from an earlier stage, and which helps us reflect on where we are now and how we have progressed. Blog writing, as all writing, is an ideal activity for entering a ‘flow’ state, a state in which you become fully absorbed in the task at hand, aware only of the creative process in which you are engaged. Writing about topics which interest and engage us helps us to define our vision. We all have our vision, the way in which we look at the world. Our perspective on the world, our opinion of the people in it, the things we find beautiful, interesting or just crazy, are the things which form our vision. Our vision changes as we grow, experience more, learn new things and discover new ways of doing. How we think about life changes so our perspective is ever responding, and this gives great value to our writing. If we are to hold on to our evolving vision, we need a way to keep in touch with the deeper places within us from where our vision springs. Writing helps us in this process; it helps us to be self-aware, alert to our thoughts and feelings, and it allows us to explore, for ourselves and others, the changing ways that we express our vision. Conclusion Not all of us will become great writers, or indeed even good writers. We may never publish a best seller or see our book on any bookshelves, but through blogging we have a chance to express ourselves, publish our writing and have our voice heard by an audience, however small. To me that is a real joy, and a reason to keep on blogging despite the down times. “In your voice, your readers should be able to hear the contents of your mind, your heart, your soul.” Meg Rosoff. If you think this post might interest someone else please share it.

(or Why We Should Continue Writing Even If We Feel that No-one is Reading) Why write if no-one is reading? That’s a question I have asked myself countless times, and if you are a blogger, I’m sure you have asked yourself that question too. Bloggers write because they want to be read. In fact, with the possible exception of those who write personal diaries, most people who write want to be read. And one of the most dis-heartening feelings for writers is the sense that no-one cares about what you write. I have read many articles about growing your audience as a blogger, mostly from bloggers who have thousands of readers flocking to read their newest blog. They may have found the secret of success but many of them do admit to feeling deflated and dejected at many times along the road to success; they admit they were tempted to give up and that they knew of many fellow bloggers who did just that. Their secrets to a successful blogging career vary and are very much dependant on their worldview and their purpose for blogging. While their advice is interesting, it hasn’t helped me gain readers, so I have to ask myself, why do I continue blogging? What is my secret to perseverance in blogging? Why have I not thrown in the towel and admitted that I am writing in a vacuum? Well, here are my reasons, and I hope they will help you if you are in a similar position. Enjoyment of writing This is probably my most important reason for blogging. I have always enjoyed writing. As a child I kept a diary, as an adult I wrote a journal, and from these experiences I realise that the first person you really share your writing with is you. I might mention that at one time in my life I used to harbour the illusion that I was destined to become a great writer – I could see my latest bestseller on the shelves of bookshops everywhere! I even entered short story competitions and made attempts at poetry writing but I never achieved the success I dreamed of! While I no longer pursue that particular illusion, the love of writing has never left me and today, thanks to the blogging platform, I can exercise my writing muscles and reach out to a real audience, however small, and that does give me a real sense of achievement and satisfaction. And I am doing what I love doing. In my case, I love writing about photography, so this is a great incentive to keep going Desire to be useful We each have different goals for our blog. For some blogging is a way to make a living, for others the purpose of blogging is to supplement their income, while for many, like myself, blog writing is purely for pleasure or our own self-improvement. Whether it’s about charting our journey through illness or depression back to health and wellbeing, dispensing advice and tips on all sorts of areas of life or sharing our favourite recipes, our aim is to pass on to others the experience we have gained, and if our goal is to give, we will want to be of use to others, we will want to write from the heart, we will want to be authentic in our writing. When I consider my own experience in doing a Google search, I am usually looking for an answer to a question or seeking information on something that has sparked my curiosity. I can assume that this is similar for most people. If my aim in my writing is to speak honestly from my own experience, with a view to being useful, I may not provide most of the answers others are looking for, but some day an article that I write may just provide one answer that someone else needs. While this type of writing may not be rewarded in monetary terms it certainly has its rewards in terms of personal satisfaction. There is reward in knowing that we have reached out of ourselves to help others and this can give us a well-earned pride in our efforts. Even though I may not get much feedback from readers, I am always delighted to get an unexpected comment that lets me know that someone, somewhere, has been helped by something I write, and that motivates me to keep going. Write what you love and love what you write “The niche you choose must be something that you absolutely love and are passionate about. It must be something that you will commit to doing even if you never get paid for it or attract one single follower.” Tim Denning (successful blogger) My favourite topics to write about are photography, writing (and reading), self-improvement, wellbeing, and all the spin-off topics that they spark. I could say food too, but I prefer eating it than writing about it, so am therefore more of a consumer of foodie blog content!! I have begun to see how the topics I love are the only topics I can write about in an authentic manner so I have to stick to those, but they do branch out in all directions and I find that doing research into one topic often leads me to another, or reading the content of one writer can spark an idea for my own writing. So when I write about what I love, and it points me in new directions, I am happy to follow that direction and see where it leads me. To sum up Success in blogging terms is hard to define and it can mean different things to different people depending on the purpose of the blog. My belief there are good reasons to persevere with blogging, even when it doesn’t appear to be getting much traction, is not about success as it is usually measured and more about what it gives us on a personal level. If I believe that one person is helped by something I write this gives me a sense of personal fulfilment which makes blogging worthwhile and motivates me to continue when it may otherwise appear to be a futile task. Related post: Why You Need To Keep Writing