For many photographers, particularly those for whom photography is a way of making a living, it is the final image that is the most important consideration. Their reward comes in the form of compelling images that can be added to their portfolio. For others, however, the final image is not the most rewarding part of photography. Even those who may make some money from photography will often prioritise the process over the final product, and will even claim that enjoyment of and engagement in the process of photography will enhance their chances of getting a better image. Although I am purely an amateur photographer, and I do like to come home with a few decent images after spending time out with my camera, I believe that I will always prioritise process over product. Even though I may at times be disappointed at my failure to create a good image I will still enjoy my photography outings because of the intrinsic artistic and emotional rewards that come from engaging in the process of photography. So, what makes the photography process so rewarding? For those who don't do photography this question may be hard to answer. After all, photography just involves pointing your camera at a subject and pressing the shutter! Even for a photographer, it can be difficult to explain why the process of photography is so rewarding. I mentioned artistic and emotional rewards and I think these are gained from engaging in the creative process of photography rather than from the final creation. To illustrate how this works for me let me take you on a typical photography shoot... It is 8am on a typical October morning. The light is flat and dull as I arrive at my familiar photography location - my local park and woodland. I have my camera with me and although I don't expect to come home with any amazing images, I will try to make a few images if something draws my attention. The first thing I notice is the abundance of colour as a result of a relatively mild and settled autumn. The woodland canopy is a wonderful mixture of orange, red, yellow and green while the floor is a mass of colourful, crunchy leaves. As I walk along I listen to the sounds of nature, watch the squirrels as they scamper around gathering nuts and acorns, and feel the chilly autumn breeze on my face. All of my senses are awakened in this location and whether I get a photograph or not I will still enjoy a walk on this beautiful autumn day. As I progress further into the woodland I begin to look around for potential compositions. The trees look so majestic that I think I can make an image that reflects their beauty. I am drawn to one particular scene - to the path leading through the trees, the beautiful autumnal colours and the way that the trees act as a frame leading the eye further and adding to a sense of mystery in the scene. I experiment with different angles and perspectives and adjust my position to get the best vantage point. I spend time taking some test images until I feel satisfied that I have the best I can get. On each of my photography outings I follow a similar pattern. I look for subjects that catch my eye, seek potential compositions in different locations and under different conditions, I experiment with focal length and distance, and in doing this I become emotionally invested in the act of creation. On one occasion I may be drawn to leading lines... on another I am drawn to groups of trees... while on yet another occasion it may be a single tree or how a tree is in relation to the trees around it. My final images may not be always be worth keeping but I do often manage to create images that I like, that have potential and that are worth taking home to view on a large screen. FINAL WORDS... What makes photography so rewarding? For me it is, without doubt, the experience of creating an image, the process and all that it involves, that brings the real reward in photography. What is it that makes photography rewarding for you?

For most of us interested in photography it is natural, as with most types of art, to want to share our work with others. We might want to receive validation for our efforts or invite creative feedback from others. Sometimes, showing our work is simply part of completing the creative process. There are many ways in which we can show our photography. Some of us may be fortunate enough to be invited to display our work in a local exhibition. Where I live there are many opportunities to take part in local art and photography contests where winning entries will be displayed for a limited time. However, this is not for everyone and sharing work on one of many online platforms or on social media is a more common way to get our work noticed. Social media has its advantages and disadvantages. With strategic use of hashtags on Instagram we can get our work to new audiences and be seen beyond the world of family and friends. On the other hand, social media audiences are very fleeting, and people quickly move on to the next thing while our photography quickly disappears from view. There is one way in which we can display our work in a more permanent capacity and that is to create our own website. By having our own website, we can take control over the display of our work, our photographs will be available at all times to be viewed by anyone who visits our website, and we can put our work into context by accompanying our images with captions or including them in blog posts. Below I elaborate on why I am a believer in the value of having a photography website. I identify 3 main reasons:   1. A website encourages you to do photography your way – not to label yourself or box yourself into any genre. Social media often encourages us to label our photography. It can be the case that we will get more views and more followers if we specialise in one genre and share work in that genre. If views and followers are what we are looking for, that’s fine. But if we want to do photography for ourselves, if we want to follow our curiosity and share our ‘experiments’ rather than a finished product, a website will allow us to do this. It will give us the freedom to do photography our way, without judgement.   2. A website encourages you to be more intentional about your work. A website can be a place to display work on themes, projects, and topics of personal preference. It can place more structure on our workflow. It can allow us to build the story of our photography journey over time rather than share random photos that will be instantly forgotten. A website will help us to share work in a more meaningful way, to engage more fully with our audience and with our own photography process, to be more intentional about what we are doing and to understand why we are drawn to particular subjects and themes in our photography. Through developing a range of subjects on our website, we get time to explore topics and genres in depth, time to discover what interests us and what we want to pursue further. 3. You can create a more long-term gain for your work. When we display our work on our own website we don’t have to shoot and share straight away therefore our work will have a greater longevity. We can save our work until we wish to share it. Often, sharing images in the context of wider themes and projects gives them more meaning and purpose.   I like to experiment and photograph seemingly random subjects which would not appeal to social media audiences. With my own website I can create a platform to display these images and explain why I was drawn to photograph them. FINAL THOUGHTS As an enthusiast photographer I have had difficulty in attracting followers on social media platforms and in getting my photography noticed. I know that those who succeed on social media tend to have a strong ‘brand’, post consistently and frequently engage with others, so a lot more effort was needed on my part if I was to succeed on this platform.   With my own website I can work at my own pace, my work is there for anyone who stumbles across it, and my viewership builds with time. These are the three main reasons why I think it is good to have my own photography website and why I favour a photography website over sharing on social media platforms such as Instagram. You might think of some more.

I am fortunate to live close to a large suburban parkland consisting of a mature woodland which is fed by a local river. The woodland is home to many large, mature native trees as well as smaller groves. It has many of the landscape features common to an 18th century park, including a large boundary wall, a well-maintained walled garden, ornate entrance gates and pillars, bridges, ponds, and waterfalls. The many features mean it provides a haven and a home to many species of plants and wildlife, both on land and on water. The parkland provides numerous opportunities for landscape and nature photography as well as for doing abstract photography and even candid photography at its busy weekend market. I am a frequent visitor to this park and woodland and I never fail to find new photographic opportunities. While I am aware that there are many websites and YouTube videos giving great tips for woodland photography, in this post I want to offer my top 3 tips for improving your woodland photography borne out of my own experience, having spent many hours here, doing all types of photography. I hope you find them helpful. # 1. Visit often Woodlands are busy places with an abundance of opportunities to offer the photographer. If you want to get some worthwhile images you will need to visit often and get to know the woodland well. Look at it from every angle - high up, low down and everything in between.   Get to know the tree characters. Examine the woodland floor for an ‘intimate landscape’ experience. Go there at different times of day for changing light and a different perspective. Become familiar with the seasonal changes and where they are most evident. Try to notice something different each time you visit. #2 . Have your settings on ‘speed dial’ in your mind. Woodlands have huge potential for photography due to the number of features they contain. It is possible to discover something different around every corner. This often necessitates a quick change of camera settings to ensure a well exposed, sharp photo. In one area you will need a medium aperture, such as f/9 – f/11, to capture an image that is as sharp as possible throughout, while at another time you will want a wide aperture to add some bokeh. You might then encounter a waterfall where you need a slow shutter speed to get a milky effect, or to smooth out the water on a pond or gurgling stream. It's vital to be able to choose your shutter speed and aperture at a moment’s notice or you risk missing the shot. Whether you work in manual mode, aperture priority or shutter priority, a good working knowledge of how your camera works and the ability to choose settings quickly will make your woodland photography more successful and enjoyable. #3 . Use a wrist strap Most of us carry our camera on a strap around our neck. It seems to be more natural, safer, and easier to carry that way. However, for woodland photography I would suggest that you ditch the neck strap and carry your camera on a wrist strap. This gives you more flexibility and freedom and it becomes much easier to take pictures from different perspectives, such as getting down low, rather than always shooting from standing height. As a result, you get more interesting, unique images as well as increasing the number of potential images you find. Since I found this advice on a photography blog I have tried it out many times. It really works and has now become my favourite way to carry my camera. I hope these tips will add to what you already know about woodland photography and help you improve the images you make in these amazing locations. Below are some of my woodland images from different seasons.

In the past week there has been a dramatic change in the weather here in Ireland. Instead of calm, settled conditions which we experienced at the beginning of November, rain has returned, skies are grey, and an air of gloom has descended. As I prepared to go out for a morning walk, I wondered whether it was worth taking my camera with me. After all, autumn colours were gone, the crisp leaves had turned to a soggy mess on the pathways and there was no light. Even the dull, grey sky offered no drama. But I took a chance and decided to bring out my small Olympus E-M 10 with a 30mm macro lens. I enjoyed making some images celebrating the aftermath of rain.   Was it worth taking out my camera in dull, damp conditions? Absolutely. I wandered around a small area looking for compositions in a miniature world. I spent time capturing the beauty of nature glistening with raindrops. I observed and photographed tiny details that I would normally have missed. And above all I enjoyed a morning of fascinating nature photography. Next time you are faced with a dull, damp day that doesn't seem conducive to photography, why not take out your camera with your closest-focusing lens and see what you can find.

It’s the first week in November. The weather is unusually calm and unseasonably dry and mild for an Irish November. We had one storm in early October but the trees held on to most of their leaves so many are just losing the last of their leaves now. In my local woodland the paths are dry and crunchy underfoot as I walk on a carpet of brown, orange and yellow. Overhead, the remaining leaves are backlit by the early morning sun, giving them a golden glow. Many are past their best but they are still beautiful as they wait for nature to take it’s course and release them from the branches that have been their home since the spring. Watching the annual process of nature - the slow transformation of the woodland from many shades of green to an abundance of magnificent colour, the appearance of fungi creating their own miniature world, and the final letting go as autumn gradually turns to winter - makes late autumn an exciting, creative and enjoyable time for photography. In general, autumn is the season in which I feel most connected to my photography and when I tend to create my favourite images each year.   It is the season that offers the most opportunities to create either intimate images or wide vistas and I love to do woodland or rural photography at this time when the colour and the soft, diffused light combine to create perfect conditions for photography. This year, due to the mild, dry weather and lack of wind, autumn has been longer and more colourful than usual. I have been able to fully immerse myself in the beauty of nature and appreciate the season in all it's glory. I have looked forward to getting out every morning to see what the new day will bring. Here are some more of the images I have created.   I hope you have had an opportunity to enjoy autumn photography this year.

Woodland on Fire Peaceful Place Woodland Waterfall Brown Hue In the Morning Sunlight The Path Diverges Autumn Colour Palette On the Lookout Along the Avenue Squirrel Watching Fungi Fan Under the Arches Protected Community Gathering Autumn Abstract The Way Out Strip of Light Autumn Glory Days Thank you for viewing my images

As I mentioned in a recent post, I live close to a large urban park and woodland and this is the location in which I do a lot of my photography. While I like to do street and urban photography when I get the opportunity, and I love coastal photography, I am always drawn back to this woodland to walk in nature, to recharge my batteries and to take advantage of the abundance of opportunities which this location offers. I know that if I really want to create something with my camera this location won't let me down, and it's a location for all seasons. If you have a park or woodland near you why not try some photography there. Parks and woodlands provide abundant opportunities for different genres of photography, for practising your photography skills and just for having fun being out with your camera. Enjoy.

I love all seasons for photography. Each season has it’s own beauty and it’s own potential to yield beautiful images. But I suspect that I may have agreement among many photographers in saying that autumn (or fall) has that something extra that other seasons don’t offer in the same way, and that is abundance and vibrance of colour. YouTube is currently full of videos from photographers offering tips and ideas for getting the best out of your autumn photography, and I'm grateful for these as I always pick up something new to add to my own photography practice. But the truth is, even with all these ideas under your belt, when you go out with your camera, and are faced with colour and beauty all around you, it’s hard to know where to start, how to turn this abundance of colour into a worthwhile photograph, how to capture an image that truly showcases the beauty of this wonderful season. Over the last few weeks I have been getting out as much as possible to photograph autumn. And it feels different this year. It feels as though I really do want to showcase the beauty of the season, not just have a few photographs to say I photographed in autumn. Now that I have a bank of images that I quite like, I want to share what I have learned this season and share 3 tips, tips that are not just for making better autumn photographs, but which are also ways to use your photography to showcase the abundance of beauty which this season brings. PREPARE As the season began to turn from summer to autumn, I decided to pay attention to the changes that were happening around me. I watched for subtle signs of the approach of autumn in the woodland, in the countryside, and in the urban parks. I noticed how the summer flowers, many times my macro subjects, were dying away, while fungi were appearing in abundance on fallen tree stumps and along the edges of paths. Being an explorer of the in-coming season gave me a greater appreciation for potential autumn subjects, a greater readiness for the season to come and a greater connection to my resulting photographs. DIVERSIFY Often in the past when I was ‘photographing autumn’ I tended to focus on the wider landscape of colourful trees and leaves, frequently believing that a pretty scene would translate into a beautiful image. Walking along a tree lined street or a path covered with a multitude of different coloured leaves, may provide a feast of autumn colour for the eyes but an image of such a scene is often a disappointment. The problem is that although these scenes are beautiful to see they are just too ‘busy’ for a decent composition. This year I have taken a different approach. I have looked for more intimate autumnal scenes, or I have tried to pick out small details in bigger scenes, such as examples of vivid colours in the midst of dull browns and greens. I have also visited several locations and used a variety of focal lengths to gain a range of perspectives. I have experimented with wide-angle shots, used a macro lens for close-up work and taken a standard zoom lens on walkabout down country lanes, exploring the hedgerows as I walked. I have attempted to use natural light to my advantage, preferring it’s effect to that of an artificial light source, but given the generally dull conditions experienced this season I did try (unsuccessfully) to make some images using a  portable light. I have much to learn in this area! Another option I used was to get out early for my autumn photography. All autumn subjects benefit from the soft light which is available just after sunrise and just before sunset. This light gives a soft,  more painterly image, which I like. The low-angle sun can enhance textures and the long shadows it creates add drama to an image. Alternatively, I used the sun to backlight my subject to create different effects. Misty autumn mornings are great for capturing dewdrops or frosty spiderwebs, while going out after a rain shower will present you with beautiful raindrops to photograph. They may not be the conventional autumn images that you see but these conditions are a natural part of the season and are worth documenting too. Taking a range of different viewpoints can help you see more of the autumn scenery that exists all around us. You can get down low, get close with a macro lens, or shoot from a creative angle to get a different perspective. Often a phone camera can be used to create interesting viewpoints that are not normally seen. Finally, since autumn will be all around you for a short while, why not try to bring the autumn theme into your images and interpret the autumn season in your own way. Having chosen to diversify with the autumn theme this year I now have a diverse set of images showcasing this season. KEEP IT SIMPLE Autumn photography often comprises colourful wide-angle images photographed with powerful lenses which can maximise the beauty of the scene. For those of us with lesser equipment it can be a better option to keep our compositions simple and try to capture some of the more accessible features of the autumn landscape. Fungi make for a great subject and can provide a range of potential images ranging from individual mushrooms to groups of fungi in a miniature landscape. Groups of trees or individual interesting trees in a woodland can be used to create simple yet compelling autumn compositions, which can be enhanced by the use of leading lines or by using overhanging branches as a natural frame. Autumn foliage on walls or old buildings can provide colourful abstract images or serve as subjects for ICM (intentional camera movement) photography. And if you really want to include some of those colourful leaves on pathways, why not use them as foreground interest for a subject such as a bridge or tree. Ferns can be a difficult subject to photograph in an interesting way but with some creative thinking you can produce some simple, captivating images. They are in abundance in autumn, and it can be a mistake to ignore their potential. For those starting out in photography, those with less experience or less expensive equipment, keeping images simple is a great way to showcase the beauty of autumn while still having some very satisfying images to show for your efforts. FINALLY... Autumn is beautiful, it’s photogenic and it offers a rewarding experience for photographers. But it’s also short and one day or night of strong wind can strip away much of the colour, so why not get out while you can and showcase the beauty of this wonderful season.

Autumn has arrived in my part of the world and every year I see photographers on YouTube getting out into the woodland to photograph fungi. Since this was a new experience for me, I was excited to get out over recent days to discover the appeal of this type of photography. I have to say first of all that I do like macro and close-up photography, and I have enjoyed several sessions of flower and insect photography over the summer months. This left me fairly confident that I would also enjoy fungi photography, yet I was unprepared for the difficulties that I encountered. My first outing was a photographic disaster! Most of my images were blurry or badly composed. But I learned three lessons from this outing: ·      Fungi photography cannot successfully be accomplished while hand-holding a camera. ·      Fungi images need to be composed carefully if they are to look appealing. ·      Light, and the direction of light, are important considerations in this type of photography. On my next outing I made some adjustments. I brought my mini tripod, although at times it was not suitable for photographing tiny mushrooms that were close to the ground. For some images I found a stable position on a log or on the ground close to the subject and adjusted the camera position to suit. The second change I made was to spend time with each subject, focusing on different parts of the composition to find the most appealing way to frame the individual subjects or small group of fungi, using the available light to the best advantage. I also paid attention to the background elements and tried to ensure that tiny twigs, leaves, or pieces of tree bark didn’t distract from the main subjects. In some cases I had to gently move objects aside while being carefully not to damage any plants. I love autumn colours in general landscape photography so in this miniature world I attempted to use colour to add a rustic, autumnal feel to my images. While these changes did help to give me more well composed and in-focus images, I did have a few blurry offerings because I still had to press the shutter button by hand, so my final ‘note to self’ is – use the camera's self timer or, even better, purchase a remote shutter release! If you are interested in trying fungi photography I hope that some of these tips will be useful.

Photographs Are Everywhere Mike Chudley is a UK photographer who normally shoots on the busy streets of London. In a recent video he visits his home town in the north of England and tries to prove his view that photography is interesting wherever you go. He sets about exploring what many might consider to be a 'boring location' to see if he can get creative with his photography. In the video Mike Chudley makes the point that if you have your camera with you and spend some time just noticing things and seeing what you can find then unexpected things will show up. The video resonates with me because I have the same belief. When I go out with my camera and remain open to photographing anything that catches my eye I discover lots of compositions. To quote what Mike Chudley says in the video, 'You can still have fun looking for things, observing things, just trying to find the little nuances of each location.' That's what I have done on many photography outings in my local area, which many people would dismiss as uninteresting for photography. Yet I have found that photographs are everywhere, you just have to find them. You can check out Mike Chudley's video below: How to Photograph Boring Places

I recently spent some time on the Sligo/Donegal coast on the north west of Ireland. This particular stretch of the Wild Atlantic Coastline is one of my favourite places to visit. While staying in the quiet village of Mullaghmore, I had on my doorstep an amazing clifftop walk along the Wild Atlantic Way, which can indeed be very wild. I was surrounded by numerous vast sandy beaches, overlooked by several mountain ranges and situated in the centre of a bustling harbour famous for it’s water sports and pier diving. Weather is no obstacle in this part of the country as locals gather every morning for an early sea swim and visitors mingle with residents as they sit to watch, and maybe photograph, regular stunning sunsets. I visit this area every year and enjoy the temperate climate of early autumn. In my morning photo walks I am often fortunate to see the mountains covered in early morning mists or to capture some amazing sunrises. Mullaghmore Pier Mullaghmore - A Village by the Sea Cliff Road around Mullaghmore Headland View through the harbour wall A moment of solitude by the sea Classiebawn Castle, Mullaghmore Sea spray Pick up point for daily boat tours Morning view from the pier A wider view of the village and harbour The Atlantic in a calmer moment This location offers something for every photographer, from stunning wide angle landscape shots to opportunities to capture intimate, creative images. I have photographed here for many seasons and have never exhausted the possibilities. If you live near a coastal area, or have the opportunity to visit such a location, I hope these images will give you some inspiration.