“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

Are you someone who likes to get to know all the features on the camera of your latest smartphone or do you tend to just open the camera app, press the shutter button and admire your photo? If you are in the latter category you are probably in the majority yet more and more people are realising the potential of the camera that is always at hand and want to know more about its capabilities. I have singled out 5 features that have helped me get the most from my smartphone camera and which many people don’t know about. 1. A quick way to open the camera on your phone. Sometimes we just have a split second to capture an image. Someone is in just the right place at the right time and the light is perfect to capture that great image. Our phone cameras are meant to be ‘at the ready’ but often by the time you waken your phone, key in your password or otherwise identify yourself on your screen and open your camera app the moment has passed. Sound familiar? It doesn’t have to be that way because the camera app can be accessed without even opening your phone by swiping on the lock screen from right to left (iPhone) or pressing the side button and swiping the camera icon upwards in a diagonal direction (Android). When you have the phone open it is a good idea to keep the camera icon in the dock at the bottom of the home screen to be ready to capture any image in a hurry. Being able to quickly open our camera app means we can even try to capture fast moving insects on plants. (There is a bee in the picture!) 2. How to set focus and exposure Most of the time your phone camera does a good job of focusing but it tries to keep everything in focus and at times you may want to choose which aspect of your scene you would like as your main subject. To set focus you just tap on the screen where you want to place your focus. To pinpoint the focus point more accurately you can pinch the screen to zoom in, set focus then zoom out again. In these two images I chose a different focus. In the first photo I focused on the waterfall in the background while in the second photo I placed the focus on the leaves in the foreground, while the waterfall looks blurry in the background To hold the focus in place you press on the square and hold until AE/AF Lock appears on the screen. You can then move slightly without losing your focus point. Tap on the screen again to change or undo the focus point. By tapping the screen where I want to focus I can ensure that I get a shot of the river, not the bars You can also set exposure on the camera screen. When you tap the screen to set focus a slider will appear. If your image seems too bright or too dark you can adjust exposure by moving this on-screen slider up or down. 3. Using Portrait mode (iPhone) Live focus (Android phones) This mode allows us to get a background blur which helps the subject to stand out in the frame rather than get lost in a cluttered background. While primarily useful for taking photographs of people, portrait mode is also good for taking images of pets or of flowers and plants. It is similar to using aperture priority mode on a dedicated camera. Although this feature on a phone camera doesn’t quite match the quality of bokeh obtained with a ‘real’ camera, it is improving with each new phone and these images from the iPhone 11 Pro have quite pleasing background blur. 4. Using Burst mode Burst mode is a common feature on many cameras and is great for times when we want to capture fast moving subjects or action shots. I recently attempted to take photos of my 2-year-old granddaughter playing with a balloon. As she was obviously engrossed in what she was doing, and not interested in my picture, without burst mode I would have struggled to get a shot where she was fully in the picture or properly in focus. Similarly, burst mode later allowed me to capture a picture of her bouncing on the bed!! Although I had my camera on the occasion below, it is not always easy to have a camera in the right place at the right time. That’s where the phone camera comes into its own. Burst mode ensures we’ll never miss those action shots. Burst mode is activated by either holding down the shutter button or, on newer phone models, swiping the shutter button to one side. The best shots can then be chosen from the burst and the remainder deleted. Update: With the latest iPhone software, iOS 14, if you press the volume up button while in camera mode you can take Burst photos. 5. Using the expanded range of lenses When you open the camera app on your phone it defaults to the regular wide-angle lens (1x) and it is with this lens that most photos are taken. Many phones now offer at least one other lens, most commonly a telephoto lens (2x) or an ultra wide-angle lens (0.5x). Each of these lenses gives a different perspective to our photos and it is worth experimenting with each. I particularly like the telephoto lens for getting closer to my subject although I can see how the ultra-wide angle will add a new dimension to landscape photography with a phone camera. Wide-angle, telephoto (with some cropping to balance the subject), ultra wide-angle Wide-angle, telephoto, ultra wide-angle We get a different perspective by simply choosing a different lens. This was one of my first attempts at a landscape image using the iPhone 11 Pro ultra wide-angle lens. Unfortunately it was a dull day with poor light but it shows the potential for the use of this lens Bonus iPhone feature: Live Photos As I have recently ‘migrated’ from Android to iPhone I have just discovered ‘Live photos’, a feature which seems to be exclusive to iPhone right now, although with advancements in phone cameras coming on-stream all the time I am sure other phone makers will soon have their own versions, if the latest ones don’t already. Live photos can be used for a similar purpose as burst mode, as it takes a short video before and after the photograph so that the best image can be chosen later. In the original 'key photo' the fishing rod could not be seen. By using live photos I could pick a key photo showing a raised fishing rod Live photos has other features too, my favourite being the long exposure option. This feature tries to emulate what can be done with shutter speed on a dedicated camera so it will be worth seeing whether this technology will be taken further in the future. Conclusion While the debate regarding smartphone cameras vs ‘real’ cameras continues, there is no doubt that very often the phone camera is the one we have with us and it is encouraging to see that the features of these cameras are improving all the time. Phone cameras are now becoming a viable option for photographers in some situations, so it is worth exploring some of their recently added features. There are lots of tips online, such as https://www.cnet.com/tech/mobile/the-iphone-11-camera-is-no-slouch-here-are-11-tricks-to-take-stunning-photos/ Why not check out one for your phone!

Updated July 2021 When I first wrote this post last year I, like most other people, would not have believed that one year on we still hear news stories about rising Covid cases and emerging new variants, we are still not encouraged to travel outside our own countries, and many of us are still living under certain restrictions which have changed the way we live our lives. Usually, this type of post would be termed ‘ways to improve your travel photography’. But since travelling abroad for photography is not an option for many people, especially those who are nervous about travelling abroad, it looks as though close-to-home photography or staycation photography has taken over from the concept of travel photography, at least for the immediate future. Even in what might be termed 'normal' times, while it would be great to be able to travel the world and photograph the iconic landmarks, for most of us that will never be possible. Add to that the current global pandemic situation and we have lots of reasons to turn to close-to-home photography. Having a camera on vacation gets you out into nature, into the local environment, into a mountainous or woodland area or by the coast, to explore what is on offer and discover new possibilities for your photography. Getting involved in photography near to where you live gives you the opportunity to treat your own country as though it is an exotic photography location and to explore your local area, your wider environment and indeed your country, through your camera lens. I didn't want to carry a camera on this strenuous hike on Fermanagh's Cuilcagh Mountain Boardwalk , but I managed to capture a few scenes with my phone camera Ways to improve your staycation photography Taking the current climate into consideration, and the subsequent need to engage in photography close to home, here are some tips that will help you improve your close-to-home or staycation photography. #1 Showcase your own area No-one knows a local area better than a local, so get out and about in your own local area and take photographs, as you would on holiday. Be a ‘tourist in your own town’ with your camera at hand to capture what you see. If you are a city dweller, you will know the different areas of interest in your city, places where people might not always go but which offer many photography opportunities. Local parks or city parks will always be good for a photograph, as will woodland areas. Cities and towns will also be perfect locations for a spot of people watching, and capturing some of those interesting candid moments that happen on the streets will be a bonus. Dublin's Stephen's Green is a great place to people watch, and capture a few candid pictures If you live near a coastal area there will be ample opportunities to make some images - of people by the sea, coastal landscapes such as rock formations or vegetation, sunrises and sunsets over the sea, silhouette images when the light is right, or even seascape photography by getting close up to or into the sea to capture the action of the waves. This is an image from Sandymount beach, Co. Dublin, looking towards the nature reserve This is a much photographed image of the Poolbeg chimneys, which are an iconic landmark on Dublin's skyline. The chimneys are a relic of the recent industrial past and despite the fact that they are no longer in use they have been saved from demolition due to their cultural significance. On entering the country into Dublin by plane they are the first structures you see and they're the last that you see when you fly out. In that sense, they have significance for Irish people, because they are a symbol of either leaving the country or coming home. This image was taken in Bray, Co.Wicklow, at sunset Dun Laoghaire harbour is always a great place to find images. I particularly love this place in the late evening I am lucky enough to live near the coast, so I can regularly make a trip to explore what the coastal area has to offer. My local parks and river walks also provide ample photography opportunities. River Dodder, Dublin #2 Moving further afield If you don’t live near the coast, it is probable that a staycation will involve some travel to a coastal area of your own country. It could be that you prefer hiking in the mountains – take some photographs to document your hikes! Maybe you will take a river cruise, stopping off regularly at different locations. Taking time in an isolated spot, close to nature, might be your idea of the perfect holiday, but that place can still yield some great images. Staycationing is an opportunity to get to know parts of your country that you normally don’t get to visit, so treat them like a foreign country and capture their secrets on camera. One of my favourite counties to visit in Ireland is Sligo. It has something for everyone; history, culture, a beautiful coastline and great places to eat. Mullaghmore is a picturesque seaside village, situated 25 km form Sligo town, which is renowned for its big wave surfing. It is a perfect spot to spend a relaxing staycation, with beach and cliff walks and bracing sea air. Most images of the village show the busy harbour area (above) but I spent some time finding some different angles from which to show off this beautiful coastal village and surrounding area #3 Take a different view Seeing the sights of your own country that tourists normally come to see might not appeal to you as a photographer. You probably see these as well photographed places whose images adorn all the postcards outside souvenir shops. But why not take a different view, photograph these places and landmarks from a different angle or unusual perspective? In Drumcliffe Churchyard, the location of W.B Yeats' grave, I liked the symmetrical image offered by the church door... ...and a view of Ben Bulben from the church grounds Hook lighthouse, Co. Wexford Alternatively, find some out of the way spots which are off the beaten track and see what image-worthy subjects you can find. I love this secluded spot in Co. Leitrim which has provided me with lots of photography opportunities in all seasons and at all times of day Images: Mohill - Cloonboniagh North, Co.Leitrim, Ireland You can also use the weather to your advantage. I like these images taken on a misty morning just before the sun broke through. #4 Capture everyday moments Life in every country goes on as normal for most people while others are on holiday, so watch how the local people live in the location you are visiting. Capture people at work, doing what they always do. I love this aspect of travelling, no matter which country I am in. I love to see how the locals live, what they do, what life is like for them. It is usually very different than for those who stay in hotels and visit the best places. So, blend in, talk to locals, and get some candid shots that record the real place rather than the tourist place. These are all images that depict everyday life. I like to find these whenever I can #5 Look for beauty in the mundane Photography is not all about photographing fabulous locations and landscapes. A simple image can have just as much meaning because it reflects a part of life. Some objects prompt us to think of the human life around them. We might ask, Who left the object there and where are they now? What is or was their life like? These questions build the story that our photograph shows. I love to find images that get me thinking about the human story behind the object #6 Tell a story This can be an important part of documenting aspects of your own locality. You see the people in their own environment, you know their struggles in life, you know their story. Sometimes an image can stand on its own and tell its story, but sometimes by talking about your images, telling the viewer why you chose to take this particular image and how it speaks to you, you can add to the story that the image tells. By explaining your thought process behind your image you can also engage more fully with your viewer. This image stands on its own and it allows the viewer to imagine the story This provides the context for the first image. This local man collects fish that are discarded by the fishermen and cuts them up to feed the gulls. He allowed me to take his photograph and I watched him finish the task and go off with his bucketful of fish (Hook Peninsula, Co. Wexford, Ireland) #7 Make notes When I travel abroad I always make notes about the places I visit, when I visited and something that will be a reminder of my time there. This can be done with our staycation photos too. I can say when and where I took the image, and also a note about why I took the image, what I was thinking when I took the image, why I photographed it in this particular way, and so on. I was drawn to the sky in this scene as well as the reflection in the water Mohill - Cloonboniagh North, Co.Leitrim, Ireland Conclusion People travel for all kinds of reasons – to satisfy their sense of adventure, to experience different lifestyles and cultures or just to enjoy a leisurely sunshine holiday. These are the things on which many of us have to compromise at the moment, but we can make some changes to ensure that we have an alternative to travel photography. So, pack your camera, a lens or two and a spare battery when you are heading off on holiday this year and take the time to make some photographs. Who knows, you might come home with that gem you’ve been waiting for! Further reading Book: The Skelligs: Islands on the Edge of the World. This is the third book by Cork based photographer Peter Cox, who claims that, despite having photographed 'most of the world's most stunning landscapes', nothing can match 'the drama and grandeur of the Skelligs in Kerry.' He says, “I’ve travelled all over the world, I’ve photographed in Greenland, Antarctica, Iceland. The Skelligs is probably my favourite place to photograph — it is a place that is very special to me personally, but also photographically." Read more here A great recommendation for close-to-home photography! You might also be interested in my post Travel Photography Without Too Much Travel “Some people look for a beautiful place. Others make a place beautiful.” – Hazrat Inayat Khan

Have you ever found yourself faced with a perfect photo opportunity and lamented the fact that you haven't got your camera with you? Have you ever turned a corner and encountered a beautiful sunset but know that by the time you take your camera out of its bag and attach the right lens, the moment will have passed? These are the occasions when I am glad that I have a capable phone in my pocket. Having relied on my phone camera on numerous occasions I no longer see it as inferior to my 'real' camera but as a tool that can enhance my photography practice and allow me to make the most of every opportunity for making photographs. I wrote this post last year and find myself re-reading it as I set out with my new iPhone camera. *********************** I’m always on the lookout for the perfect photo opportunity. I find myself constantly looking around while out walking – for patterns, colour, unusual objects or interesting sky formations. Even when driving I often spot a picturesque scene and find myself stopping to assess its potential for a photograph. This may be what commentators call beginning to think like a photographer, beginning to look at the world from a photographer’s point of view, even without having a camera at hand. It is also one of the reasons that mobile phones have helped photography, as they are usually immediately available to turn that potential image into reality. I don’t imagine that many serious photographers give a lot of credence to pictures taken with mobile phones. Although there are many wonderful images taken with mobile phone cameras, they tend to be dismissed by those for whom DSLR or mirrorless cameras represent real photographic equipment. But apart from developing the photographer’s eye, and being a camera in the right place at the right time, I would venture to say that my phone has actually improved my own photography practice in a number of different ways. Practice! Practice! Practice! As with any pursuit, improvement in photography comes with practice, and indeed, in order to make good progress, daily practice is what is required. That being said, it is not always possible to have a camera on hand at all times, given the busyness of our everyday lives. That is where the mobile phone comes into its own. While walking to my local supermarket on a winter morning I was able to capture the first frost of the year that had covered this bunch of leaves. Similarly, on an evening walk I was surprised by the changing colours of the sky and managed to capture a few images. As mentioned above, having a ‘photographic eye’ (or maybe more accurately a photographic mind) is a major part of developing as a photographer, and it is good to assess a scene or subject from the viewpoint of how it could be framed as a photograph, but it is an added advantage to be able to immediately translate that vision into an image because we have a camera in our pocket or bag. The next few images were taken unexpectedly on a Sunday trip to the countryside. I love the tranquility in these two images, and the sense of waiting. Someone will come to take the boat and all will change! Experimenting with image making There are a few aspects of mobile phone photography which are particularly helpful in improving at the art of photography. A lot of photography teachers will say that the most important elements in a photograph are subject, composition and light. It is essential to an image to have a clear and strong subject or focal point and in order for this subject to stand out in the frame we need to pay attention to the way in which the image is composed. Naturally, how the light affects the image will be of utmost importance and these are all elements of photography that we can ‘play around with’ using a phone camera in order to improve our technique. Turning on the camera’s gridlines can make a big difference to composition and go a long way to balancing our shot. With the gridlines turned on we can easily see how to place points of interest in the intersections or along the lines to create more pleasing images. Setting the camera’s focus is another option that is easy to use on the phone camera and the simple act of tapping on the screen to focus has helped me become more aware of the need to choose a focal point in all my shots rather than simply let the camera choose where to focus. In this image I placed the focus on the post in the foreground, but was also aware of the reflection in the background. Working with single focal length is an interesting aspect of mobile photography. I try not to use the digital zoom on my phone as it doesn’t give a good quality image, and while this does tend to limit the type of shots I can capture I have found that the lack of an ability to zoom forces me to become more creative by varying my perspective and angle, getting closer and looking for interesting subjects that will work will within the given focal length. With my particular phone camera I have the choice of three focal lengths and I can vary the type of shots I take accordingly. Working with my phone camera, and taking into account that I can’t change lenses, has encouraged me to focus on close-up images a lot of the time, and I love capturing small, delicate details that could easily be missed. Capturing textures and colour works well on a mobile phone also, and these are images that I tend not to take with my bigger camera as they are often things I come across unexpectedly. Since photography is essentially ‘painting with light’ it is good to take opportunities to play with different light sources and to make images in all types of light. I enjoy making silhouette images or capturing an unexpected play of light. I have experimented with the phone’s exposure, adjusting exposure manually if the camera is not getting the light just right, and sometimes deliberately underexposing to obtain a certain effect. Candid photos Another area where the phone camera has been an invaluable tool is in taking candid images when out and about - in the street, at the beach, in the park. Wherever there are people doing interesting things there is potential for an interesting photograph, and the phone camera leaves us in a good position to capture those shots. Editing on the go Editing images can be a valuable part of our photography process but editing images from our cameras on a pc in Lightroom, Photoshop or other editing program does take time. Having said that, it is worth making subtle improvements to our photographs from time to time so mobile apps such as Snapseed or Lightroom mobile can fit the bill. They give us a lot of the functionality of a more complex editing program but are quick and easy to use. Conclusion I have outlined just some of the ways in which my mobile phone has actually helped my photography, despite the fact that it might be technically inferior to my bigger camera. But of course, photography is about taking photographs so the main value of the phone camera is that it gets me out there taking pictures. Many of them are consigned to the bin fairly quickly, but below are a few that have survived. Someone's addition of the band around the arm of the sculpture caught my eye! The person at the end of the street drew my eye, but I should have moved closer to get a better shot. All of these images were taken with my mobile phone, and all have taught me something about composition, subject, perspective and focusing. They have also helped me discover the types of photographs I am most drawn to, and given me ideas for improvement. Leica, Schmeika, the camera doesn’t make a bit of difference. All of them record what you are seeing. But you have to see. ~ Ernst Haas Before you go, why not check out my latest post 5 Great Smartphone Features That Most People Don't Know About

This blog was first published in July 2019. Updated September 2020 When I consider travel photography what comes to mind is the shiny photographs of fabulous landscapes in National Geographic magazines, the unique viewpoints of famous landmarks in amazing far flung locations or the perfectly composed candid images of people of various nationalities in celebration of their culture. It is quite far removed from the holiday snapshots I usually take when visiting a new place, even though there may be one or two nice backgrounds among them. Even though the images might not be great, they still provide us with memories of places we have visited Most serious travel photographers would not agree that strategically placing a person next to a famous landmark or in a beautiful scene constitutes travel photography. There is widespread agreement that this type of photography needs to capture images that reflect the culture in which they are set as well as local people in their natural environment. It is primarily about documenting a place, its people, environment, culture and traditions. If travel photography is to be part of my photography journey I have to think of ways to incorporate this genre into my craft within the constraints of my own personal circumstances. I am not likely to be able to travel extensively with professional camera gear in tow, so does that mean I can’t do travel photography? I would like to think not. To me, travel photography can start in my own country by visiting different parts of the country with the specific aim of making images. With photography in mind, every place can yield some potential for a decent image. What will be the difference between travel photography and holiday snapshots? A number of things. Composition will be important, so will remembering the techniques I have learned and applying them to my practice. Doing photography while travelling gives me an opportunity to put into practice the tips and techniques I have learned while in a variety of different settings and situations. I took these images on Rosslare beach in Co. Wexford. Getting down low with my smartphone camera seemed to be a good position to capture these stakes, placed in the late sixties/early seventies to prevent coastal erosion. The stakes also create a leading line out to sea. The image below is a candid photograph of a boy as he tried to fish from the rocks. Travelling along the Wexford coast from Hook Lighthouse I came across this tiny spot which looked to have some potential in terms of photography so I felt it was worth stopping here. After chatting for a while to this local man who was cutting fish to feed the seagulls I did indeed manage to get some photographs that created a story. In the same spot I was walking along the cliff when I met this group of canoeists returning from their adventure. I looked behind when they had passed and I like the shot that I managed to grab. I took some other images in this location, a place that has no claim to fame but can still offer plenty of opportunities for photography. Many images of the Irish coastline are produced by professional photographers and they can make the natural environment stand out as places of great beauty. Not having the equipment or know-how to do this, I concentrated on a few photography techniques such as choosing the place I wanted to capture and then waiting for a person to walk into the frame or taking a well photographed landmark from a more unusual position. The gallery below offers a few images, taken in different locations, as attempts at travel photography. Does a beautiful scene always translate into a good image? Most people visit an area to view the beautiful scenery and any well known landmarks associated with the place. It is true that we often look at a beautiful scene, beautiful landscape or beautiful subject and think, “that will make a wonderful photograph”. We take the picture and, sadly, it turns out to be nothing like we intended. So what do we do? How do we compensate for the fact that the camera can’t see as the eye does? Photographer and photography trainer, Anthony Epes, has said that just because something is beautiful doesn’t mean it will necessarily translate into a beautiful image. When I heard this statement it struck a chord with me because I tend to confuse a photograph of a beautiful scene with what might be called a beautiful, or even a good, photograph. Usually when I come across a beautiful scene I want to take a photograph but the truth is that these scenes have been photographed so often by professional photographers that there is no way my images will compete. What I need to do is admire the scene but chose something less famous for my own photographs. Photographs of famous landmarks or taken at famous viewpoints, taken as part of our travel, are often quick shots which as images are frequently disappointing. Often, the composition of these images leaves a lot to be desired - many times the exact subject is not defined and everything is vying for space in the frame, with nothing for the viewer to focus on. The amateur photographer might be better served by taking photographs of subjects that are not inherently beautiful but where the task of making the image has involved some intention and planning, some use of composition ‘rules’ and some degree of effort on the part of the photographer that will help us produce images that are photographs rather than snapshots. Alternatively, we can try to get our own unique view of a beautiful scene, again, employing some photography 'techniques'. Ben Bulben, Co. Sligo, is a well photographed landmark. I took this image from Drumcliffe Graveyard using the technique of natural framing. The foreground is in focus with the mountain providing a beautiful background Conclusion Travel photography is a photography style that has yielded amazing images from countless photographers all over the world, photographs that have been printed and re-printed, and many of which have become iconic. Most of us will never reach those dizzy heights with our photography but we can still travel, even in our own country, and we can still take good photographs on those travels. All we need is to be true to our own unique view of the world around us and we will begin to produce our own unique images. "The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes". - Marcel Proust

"There are beautiful photo opportunities all around you and as a photographer your job is to learn how to recognise them." Emil Pakarklis Let’s face it, not all of us can travel to iconic photography locations all the time. Many of us don’t live close to areas that might yield ‘epic’ images. Over recent months most of us haven’t even been able to travel far outside our own local area, so our photography has been focused on making images close to where we live. And while this might have seemed like a novel challenge at first, it soon began to feel that we were shooting in very boring locations. Yet the best photographers will insist that photography does not have to be about ‘epic locations’ and that we can make decent images wherever we are if we can change our view of the ‘boring’ landscape around us, go out exploring and try to see what we can find. If we are open to experimentation, to being curious; if we enjoy being out and spending time with the camera, then we will find those images wherever we are. This is the opinion of photographer Thomas Heaton, whose recent video, ‘Landscape Photography in the World’s Most Boring Location’ shows Heaton set himself a photography challenge called 'The Boring 10 Miles.' In the challenge the photographer cycles 10 miles of boring landscape close to where he lives and challenges himself to make 10 images, one every mile. Heaton concedes that all his images may not be good, but he wanted to see what he could learn from the experience and how he could begin to see his local area in a new way. Heaton's video gave me the inspiration to take on a similar challenge and see what images I could make in an ordinary, even boring, location. I decided to take this challenge over a regular weekend, when I wasn’t planning to be in an area with an amazing landscape, and to see what results I achieved. Part of my challenge took place on a drive through a flat, farm landscape, which had no particular beauty spots. The first location I stopped at yielded these images. I was driving along when I spotted this ploughed field, which I thought made a nice foreground for the image of the trees in the background Further along the road was this image of a lone tree, side lit by the setting sun I travelled towards home and found myself stopping at a haulage yard. As it was late in the evening the yard was closed, and I wasn't sure if it is still in use, but I looked around for possible photographic interest. I liked the way the sun lit up this unfinished, and apparently abandoned, building Inspired by Thomas Heaton, I took this shot of a pole and powerlines, aiming to capture an angle not usually seen This is not my usual style of image, and not a particularly good one, but it does prove that there are photo opportunities all around us The birds seem to be ignoring the No Parking sign! The next two images were taken when I stopped at a farm gate. I felt compelled to take them as part of the challenge I had set for myself, and I did like them in a way. I like old metal and old wood, and the two come together here. They tell a story of rural living and how old objects still have their uses Something drew my eye to this image of an abandoned trailer with a muddy line (sort of) leading the eye towards it, while the beauty of nature exists alongside I took this photo near my home. Again, it is just something ordinary that I would not ordinarily bother with. The clouds added a bit of drama on this occasion Abstract images can also be a way to make something from an otherwise boring landscape I enjoyed setting myself this challenge. Taking these photographs took me out of my comfort zone and encouraged me to think differently and to look for images in places where i wouldn't normally look. A challenge such as this is something that I think would be worth doing again in the future. I hope this post and Thomas Heaton’s video have inspired you to take out your camera or phone close to your home and just make some images. There might even be a gem among them! If you know someone who might like this post, please share it.

Photographer Clifford Pickett talks of times when we may wonder about going out to make images because the weather is ‘a certain way’. However, he urges us not to see weather as good or bad for photography, just to see it as a certain way and make the most of it. Certainly, weather is important in photography, and it is particularly important for landscape photography. Our weather on a particular day will often decide the type of light we have to work with, and light is crucial to good photography. So often we are faced with dull, grey days when there is poor light. As photographers those might be the days when we decide that there’s no point going out to do photography. Sometimes we could experience day after day of weather which does not seem to be conducive to photography, and if we allow it to, it could leave us feeling unproductive and frustrated. Alternatively, we can have too much light. We often hear that the optimal time for shooting is around golden hour or blue hour, and indeed those times do allow us to work with the best light possible, meaning that the success or otherwise of the resulting images is down to our own expertise. Yet most of us are not somewhere beautiful all the time to capture amazing sunrises or sunsets or to make the most of that light. Many of us go shooting during the day and often the sun is just too harsh. So, when faced with either extreme of dull days with poor light or very sunny days, also with poor light for photography, what do we do? Well, despite the weather all is not lost and there are plenty of options for those ‘not ideal for photography’ weather days. Here are some suggestions that might work and make photography possible on those days. #1. Change your thinking (and your depth of field). When I have a trip planned to a particular location where I know I can get some nice landscape images I am very dependent on having the weather live up to my expectations. I might arrive in early morning or late evening, knowing that these are good times for landscape photography, but if the sun has not made an appearance any images I make are likely to turn out flat and lifeless. One solution to this is to accept that I can’t change the weather and so try to change my expectations, abandon the bigger picture and go for a narrow depth of field. I can spend some time experimenting with different apertures and getting close to parts of my subject while having the wider vista in the background. In this way I don't need a blue sky or fluffy clouds, yet my chosen background becomes part of the overall image. #2. Fill the frame. Again, this technique is one which doesn't necessarily require amazing light. It's not something I do very often but it does work in this type of scenario where we arrive at a location intending to make some great landscape images and the weather works against us. It can be challenging to find subjects which make good candidates for this type of photography, so I find I have to work a bit harder and really scout around the scene. Filling the frame gives an opportunity to look for interesting textures or shapes that might work well. #3. Try some macro photography I don't have specialized macro lenses so I rely on my phone camera to get as close as possible to a subject. While the images are not great they do give me a flavour of what is possible if I want to invest in a macro lens, and it is an ideal type of photography to practice on those days when the weather won't allow us to capture good wider landscapes. #4. Capture parts of the subject. While I like to photograph parts of objects in the normal course of photography, it fits well with photography on a dull day. While having light fall on part of a subject will undoubtedly enhance any image, it is still possible to make a decent image of this type on a dull day. The challenging part of this is trying to find interesting parts of subjects, varying the angle you shoot from, looking for a unique perspective from which to make your image. If the image itself is a worthwhile one, the lack of good light may not be so obvious. #5. Use the time to experiment. While we all like to come home with some decent images after a photo shoot, we should take opportunities to just experiment. If I go out with my camera or phone and use the opportunity to take multiple images and try different things, I am constantly learning something new and improving my skills. Sometimes I deliberately take my camera out on a dull day with the intention of perfecting a particular skill that I have not yet mastered. For example, I am continually working on improving my use of shutter speed as I am not yet satisfied with the images I have made so far, so days when the weather is not ideal for getting good shots provide perfect opportunities to do this learning. By going out with the intention of experimenting I am not expecting wonderful images, so I give myself permission to try and fail and try again. Instead of focusing on how I want a photo to turn out, I use these opportunities to learn something new and see this as a positive in my photography journey. When we don’t have the pressure of capturing that great shot, and we take the time to stop, question what we are doing, analyze the shot and test different compositions, we will ensure improved results for future shoots. #6. Think in black and white. I like black and white photography and while I realise that images that are to be converted to black and white need good light just as much as colour images, I find that on days when the images themselves may not be great, I do get to spend time thinking in black and white, looking for good texture or tonal contrast and visualising scenes that would make good black and white conversions with the addition of better light. It can also be true that on days when the light is soft we can make better black and white images than in harsher light, so it’s worth having a go if you like to convert to black and white. A day with strong cloud formations can give us good black and white cloudscape images #7. Embrace the weather. We can often get spectacular images after a rain shower, on a foggy day, even mid-day on a very sunny day. All we have to do is embrace whatever nature gives us and adjust accordingly. I have captured a few raindrops on leaves, stopped to grab an image on a foggy day or walked around a subject until I found an angle that wasn't covered in a sun haze. In harsh light, when the sun is high, I just need to spend time looking for the best angle from which to shoot. As the saying goes, “You can’t change the wind, but you can adjust your sails.” I had an opportunity to photograph this ancient tomb but the sun was high and it was difficult to get a good image. I decided to move around until I found the best possible angle that avoided harsh shadows #8. Shoot in RAW, adjust in Lightroom. While no image editing program has a magic formula for rescuing a bad photograph or turning a dull image into a great one, it is possible to make some enhancements using Lightroom or other similar program. When we shoot in RAW initially, we give ourselves more information to work with and more chance of being able to brighten our image and make it pop, but even JPEG images can be enhanced. We can simply do basic edits, use the radial or graduated filter or adjustment brush to brighten parts of our image or try pre-sets. All of these options in an image editing program can transform our thinking about our bad weather photos as we give them a digital makeover. A black and white conversion can make a big difference to an image... ---so can adding a vignette OR Experiment with Colour Grading I find that the colour grading option in Lightroom adds a bit of creativity to the editing process and is another way of re-imagining your final image. Instead of staying at home on a dull day and taking no photographs, you can go out, shoot lots and experiment with the outcomes. They may not be ‘show’ images, but they can provide you with an outlet for your creativity. #9. Experience and enjoy the mental health benefits of photography. Photography is a therapeutic activity for me. It is my escape. I find that when I go out with my camera I can get lost in the image making, I get a break from the worries of everyday life and I enjoy the creative process. I can be in the moment, become observant of the world around me and appreciate what I see and try to capture. It is important that I don’t allow ‘bad’ weather to take this joy away from me, so it is essential to find alternative ways to do photography when the conditions are less than ideal. On some of these days I have what I call my observation days. I will go out without a camera and spend time observing closely what I see, considering possibilities for my next photo shoot, seeing things that I had not seen before or noticing familiar things in a new way. This increases my sense of curiosity, a characteristic associated with positive mental health. Often, I see something I want to photograph and make a note of it for a time when I can go back with my camera. In so doing I bring my photography mind with me wherever I go, I come up with ideas for future photographs and I enjoy a pleasure which inclement weather cannot spoil. Taking time to ourselves, time to recharge, time to daydream, can inspire us and in turn make us more productive. Strolling around my home area or driving to a new destination helps me to appreciate familiar places, discover new places and value all that is around me. Days like these have helped open the door to mindfulness and encouraged my mindful photography practice. Regardless of weather, there is no day when we cannot appreciate the subjects that make our photography possible. Even on a bright sunny day we can pick out a subject to focus on Conclusion Even if the weather doesn’t co-operate for our photography, it doesn’t mean that we can’t be productive. We can experiment, learn something new, work on some images in post processing or just go out and look for locations or spots to go back to when conditions are better. I’ve heard it said that photography is a marathon, not a sprint, meaning that you don’t have to get fabulous images every time you go out. There are lots of ways to grow as a photographer and some of this growth can be achieved even when the weather is not the photographer’s friend. Deciding to make images regardless of conditions has helped me to put less emphasis on the results and to experience the joy of the journey. I hope that maybe I have inspired you to go out and do the same. If you have found this post useful, please feel free to share.