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England and Nowhere
It's become one of the mainstays of project-based photography, a simple, semi-mechanical way to invest one's ingrained photo-habits with aesthetic significance. more
Urban Arctic
Not very many think of the Arctic as an urban landscape. However, with modern mans presence in the high north, parts of the wild landscape has undergone some serious undulation. more
Oriental Philosophy & Photography
Art and philosophy are tightly intertwined. Contrary to science, where we try to find answers to questions, art and philosophy look for more questions. Finding the answers to these questions might be a welcome result, but the importance is the questioning process itself rather than the answers. more
A Return to Waldeinsamkeit
Fernfire Wood is a conduit into the Dendle’s Wood National Nature Reserve, also a Site of Special Scientific Interest, which also includes Hawn's Wood. It requires an access permit to wander these woods and I am very grateful to have had the chance to visit it over varying seasons more
The Art of Practice
I recently came to the realisation that what a highly experienced photographer does is very similar to that of an equally experienced musician. That is to be so totally in control of their instrument that it becomes an extension of them. more
Compositional Controversies
Today, it is hard to imagine any aspiring landscape photographer making an inroad into the medium without stumbling over the “Leading Lines” mantra sooner rather than later. more
The Importance of Context
Can you appreciate both a good novel and a good piece of journalism? How about a good poem and a good guidebook? Why is it that many are so resistant to accommodating multiple uses for photography as they do for writing more
Black & White
If I did not have to make my living from photography, I would only stick to black & white. There is so much more freedom in black & white than in colour. more
The Unknown Room
Asked about adventure, Messner said you need an unknown environment to really experience it, an unknown room as he calls it. That, I think, brings into play the authentic side of photography. The moving on towards the unknown. Something you experience for the first time. Something you photograph for the first time. more
Compositional Controversies
Debate has often raged between photographers, about the advantages and characteristics of specific aspect ratios. I know that, having listened (and contributed) to a few such debates over the years. And yet, how significant is aspect ratio, and is it meaningful to us as we develop our photography? more
An Accidental Book Venture
In 2013 I self-published a photography location guide book, which started out as personal curiosity and accidentally ended up as a continuing venture. How I hadn’t thought of combining photography and book publishing before then is a mystery to me in hindsight, but let me explain how it happened. more
Luminous photographs
Technically, luminosity refers to how much light an object emits. In photography we tend to think of luminosity as how much light an object reflects, we measure luminosity with light meters, usually the amount reflected off the subject, though this isn’t really technically correct. A printmaker will think of luminosity in terms of how much of the paper tone will shine through in the final print. An artist will think of how bright the lightest tones they will add more
Rolling Stones, Norwegian Wood and some others
In 1990 I visited the Ansel Adams Gallery in Yosemite National Park. I was eager to see some powerful American landscape photographs. In their collection of work by the American masters, they had several dye transfer prints by Eliot Porter and for very decent amount of money. However at this time in my life I was not ready for Eliot Porter. I simply did not appreciate the subtle content of his intimate landscapes. more
Conflicts of Interest
To anyone who wishes to elevate their experience of photography beyond simply seeking pretty places and checking known compositions off a list, my advice is this: find places and subjects that are personally meaningful to you, and immerse yourself in getting to know them. more
Compositional Controversies
The Rule of Thirds (RoT) may well be the best-known, most-loved and revered, and equally hated and reviled ‘law’ in art and photography. more