landscape & outdoor photographer
Capturing movement in the landscape is a simple and highly effective way of adding a sense of dynamism to your landscape photography. And while the mechanical nature of photography can, if left unchecked, render scenes looking like little more than a snapshot, with the right compositional approach and shutter speed you can transform scenes in creative ways that transcend the capabilities of human vision.
While recently shooting at Padley Gorge in the Peak District I found I’d missed the best of the autumn colours and wider shots didn’t quite seem to work. Chatting to a couple of walkers I discovered I’d overshot by two weeks, but rather than give up it was a case of tackling the location in a different way.
Middle Black Clough Waterfall in the Peak District is an amazing location for long exposure photography. And with interesting streams leading up to the falls, there are plenty of photo opportunities that could easily keep you busy for a day. The main falls themselves are in a small area, so you’ll need a wide-angle lens to fit everything in. Something like a 16-35mm on full-frame and 10-20mm on APS-C cameras is perfect.
When I first began working at Practical Photography magazine, I just couldn’t get my head around landscape photography. Portraiture, documentary and even motorsport were fine, but when it came to landscapes I was never happy with the results I produced.