dr thd 45y seg r // MAGZUS.CLUB // by Derek Kolush

SHOOT EPIC LANDSCAPES + CAPTURE THE BEAUTY OF SPRING + DECODE THE WEATHER

landscape | wildlife | nature | adventure

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Colourful language After months of living in a world of grey, suddenly our gardens, fields and hedgerows are full of colour. The transformation has a powerful effect on all of us. Colour lifts our mood and brings a huge variety of flowers and blossom for our eyes and minds to feast upon.

THE ISSUE at a glance

Finding pleasure in colour is easy, but if we want to develop as photographers we must learn how colours work together in complement or in contrast with each other. We need to train our eyes to discern the subtle shifts in tone between subjects of the same colour, and we must use our minds to create colour palettes that help us consider how best to capture what we see. Perhaps most important of all, we need to develop our awareness of the way light falls on the colourful subjects we wish to photograph. In this month’s issue we feature Pete Bridgwood’s thoughts on how we choose to portray colour, Tammy Marlar’s beautiful pictures of spring and Tristan Gooley’s brilliant insights into the secrets of weather. Together, they deepen our appreciation of the importance of colour and light in our photography.

Simon Bray discusses his moving photography projects – page 10

Enjoy the issue.

Mark Bentley

Tristan Gooley reveals the secret world of weather – page 22

Tammy Marlar welcomes the beauty of spring – page 26 ON THE COVER Picture by Lee Frost. See page 34.

GET IN TOUCH Email markbe@thegmcgroup.com Write to us Outdoor Photography, 86 High Street, Lewes, East Sussex BN7 1XN Keep right up to date with news by ‘liking’ OP at facebook.com/outdoorphotographymag Follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/opoty

Lee Frost’s great ideas for shooting epic landscapes – page 34

Find us on Instagram at instagram.com/outdoorphotographymag

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FEATURES & OPINION 10 In conversation with… Simon Bray

40 Conservation in the 21st century

The photographer and musician discusses his powerful pictures exploring memory and loss

Jack Daniels on photography and the rising importance of iEcology

LEARNING ZONE

LOCATIONS GUIDE

26 Spring fever

47 Viewpoints

Tammy Marlar highlights the many joys of photographing in the springtime

Your recommended locations to shoot around the country

44 In the spotlight 20 One month, one picture Pete Bridgwood on how we choose to portray colour

Coastal landscape photographer Lucie Averill looks for moments of calmness and serenity

34 Shoot epic landscapes Brilliant tips for creating awesome landscape images

22 World of Weather Award-winning writer Tristan Gooley reveals the secret world of weather

55 Inside track

32 Lie of the land

56 Showcase

Terry Gibbins captures a London landmark in the early morning

Fabulous pictures from this year’s Sony World Photography Awards

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Nick Smith on the challenges of giving an online photography talk

NEXT ISSUE ON SALE 17 JUNE

26 44

GEAR ZONE

REGULARS

YOUR OP

78 Camera test

6 Newsroom

64 Reader Gallery

70 Life in the wild

The small but powerful Fujifilm X-S10 put to the test

What’s happening in the world of outdoor photography

Your pictures could win a brilliant prize

Laurie Campbell on the delights of rockpools

80 Gearing up

8 Out There

68 Your chance

72 Nature guide

Your guide to the latest photography gear

Our pick of the best new exhibitions and books

Discover how to get your work published in OP

NATURE ZONE

Laurie’s tips for what to photograph this month

83 Next issue What’s coming up in OP 269

74 A moment with nature James Roddie on the challenge of photographing pine martens

76 On the wing Steve Young enjoys the wildlife in his garden

NEVER MISS AN ISSUE Have Outdoor Photography delivered direct to your door and save up to 30%. See page 84.

86 If you only do one thing this month… Wonderful pictures of heavenly skies, plus our next challenge

96 Where in the world? Tell us where the shot was taken and you could win a great prize Outdoor Photography 3

OPENING SHOT Rescue of giraffes from flooding island A Rothschild’s giraffe is transported to safety in a custom-built barge from a flooded Longicharo Island, Lake Baringo, in western Kenya. This picture by Ami Vitale is among the winners in the World Press Photo Awards.

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THE LATEST BULLETINS

NEWSROOM CONSERVATION

NEW LAUNCHES

COMPETITIONS

OUTDOORS

TECHNOLOGY

OTHER NEWS

Taking Root by Charles Everitt

Scottish nature in the spotlight Congratulations to Charles Everitt, who has been named Scottish Nature Photographer of the Year 2020. The Edinburgh-based nature photographer’s winning image, Taking Root, depicts pink purslane rooted in the base of a tree. Judge Niall Irvine said: ‘The purslane is nestled in its own miniature landscape of the old tree roots, highlighted by that wonderful dappled light. It takes sensitive observation to see the potential in this plant growing wild. Charles has distilled its story into a quietly powerful image.’ Emily Cassidy was crowned Student Scottish Nature Photographer of the Year 2020 for her image Hazen Rays of Winter’s Encroaching Grasp, while Max Eve, 15, from Hexham, Northumberland, won the Junior Scottish Nature Photographer of the Year 2020 title. All winning images will be exhibited later in the year alongside a Portfolio Yearbook. For details, visit scottishnaturephotographyawards.com.

Greenfinch numbers are declining

Birdwatch breaks records The humble house sparrow is still the most commonly seen garden bird in the UK, according to the RSPB’s Big Garden Birdwatch. The world’s largest annual wildlife survey, which this year attracted more than a million participants – double last year’s numbers – and recorded over 17 million birds, charts the ups and downs of the garden bird world and highlights the winners and losers. And while an average of 4.2 sightings of house sparrow were recorded per garden, only 0.1 of song thrush were spotted, continuing the species’ four-decade decline, with numbers down by 78% since the first Big Garden Birdwatch in 1979. Greenfinch and chaffinch also showed further declines, with the lowest averages for both species ever recorded. The full list of results can be seen at rspb.org.uk/birdwatch. To help arrest the decline in garden birds and encourage people to transform their green spaces, the RSPB has launched a digital initiative, Nature on Your Doorstep. ‘One way you can help revive our world is to bring nature to you,’ said Beccy Speight, RSPB CEO. ‘Your garden, balcony and even windowsill are potential havens for wildlife. Nature on Your Doorstep will show you how.’ Visit rspb.org.uk/yourdoorstep for details.

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Share your story

Last year’s winner – Coffee Shop, Abkhazia by Jonk

Earth Photo, the international competition and exhibition created by Forestry England and the Royal Geographical Society, is calling for entries. The 2021 competition features five categories – People, Place, Nature, Changing Forests and A Climate of Change – and invites eco-conscious photographers to enter up to 10 images or short films that tell stories about the natural world, its breathtaking beauty and ever-growing fragility.

EDITED BY BEN HAWKINS © Elizabeth Kazda / CUPOTY

Macro comp opens This year’s Close-up Photographer of the Year competition is open for business. Showcasing the world’s best macro and micro photography, this annual contest features nine categories – Animals, Insects, Butterflies & Dragonflies, Underwater, Plants & Fungi, Intimate Landscape, Manmade, Micro and Young CUPOTY – and images can be taken using cameras, phones and microscopes. The total prize fund is £5,300, with the overall winner receiving £2,500, and the judging panel includes leading professional photographers and conservationists. The closing date is 23 May and results are announced in September. Enter at cupoty.com.

Z flagship incoming Nikon is developing a flagship full-frame mirrorless camera. Designed to be a significant leap in technology and performance, the Nikon Z 9 is scheduled for release later this year and will introduce a new stacked CMOS sensor and processor, as well as various other ground-breaking technologies for both stills and video. If you’re wondering, stacked sensors improve readout speeds, which in turn allows for faster shooting speeds, more accurate autofocus systems and quicker viewfinder refresh rates. To date, the only full-frame cameras to feature stacked CMOS chips have come from Sony, leading some to suggest the Z 9 will feature the same sensor as the new Alpha 1.

Mandala with miniature tulips by Elizabeth Kazda

BPOTY sneak preview A selection of Bird Photographer of the Year finalists has been shared in advance of the big announcement in September. Chosen from more than 22,000 images, this sneak preview represents the incredibly high standard of entries and the diversity in different species, with hooded crane, red-billed oxpecker and bar-tailed godwit just some of the feathery friends caught on camera. All BPOTY winners will be announced on 1 September, while a coffee-table book featuring the best of the 2021 competition is available to pre-order. Visit birdpoty.com to view the BPOTY finalists. © Gail Bisson / Bird Photographer of the Year

Fiery-throated hummingbird by Gail Bisson

Map the forests

A bug’s life

Cardinal beetle by Penny Frith

Gardeners are being urged to help beetles as part of a new campaign launched by the RHS and the Wildlife Trusts. The Wild About Gardens project features a downloadable guide packed with ideas on how to create habitats for species such as ladybirds, ground beetles and rose chafers, and ultimately boost biodiversity in our outdoor spaces. Although the UK is home to more than 4,000 types of beetle, and many are predators, pollinators and decomposers, some are under threat from habitat loss, pesticides and climate change. ‘Beetles play an absolutely crucial role in maintaining a natural balance in your garden,’ said Ellie Brodie, head of land management at the Wildlife Trusts. ‘At a time when insect populations are on the ropes, it is so important we create and restore wild areas to give them a fighting chance to recover. The Wildlife Trusts want to see nature recovery happening across 30% of all land and sea by 2030. Absolutely everybody can play their part by rewilding part of their garden – collectively we can do so much to give nature a boost and now’s the time to get started!’ Download your Bring back our beetles guide at wildaboutgardens.org.uk.

Can you help map England’s lost rainforests? Guy Shrubsole, policy and campaigns coordinator at Rewilding Britain, has started a new side project mapping every last fragment of temperate rainforest to protect what’s left and to help coordinate efforts to restore them. ‘They huddle in lost valleys and sprout from piles of scree where boulders prevent even the surestfooted sheep from nibbling fresh saplings,’ said Guy. ‘What’s more, they could yet spread further, if we give them the space to grow and protect them from overgrazing.’ At lostrainforestsofengland.org you will find a Google form that Guy will use to update his map.

EPOTY goes live The Environmental Photographer of the Year competition is encouraging you to enter ‘creative, resonant and thought-provoking imagery’ to its 2021 awards. Aiming to showcase the best in environmental photography, the contest includes eight diverse categories, is free to enter and will feature in a touring exhibition. Deadline 31 July. Visit epoty.org for details.

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OUT THERE © Margaret Poynton

the photographic community. The concept is simple: each week’s winner becomes the judge for the following week. Open to all and free from commercial influence or agenda, the only constraint is that images entered each Monday have to be taken within the previous seven days. Last year’s 52 winners are included in #ShareMondays 2020. The pictures, by 38 different photographers, are arranged chronologically, tracing the changing seasons and taking us to inspiring locations across the UK along the way. There are mountain vistas, stormy seas, serene lakes, mist-filled woodlands and stunning wildlife portraits. Urban and architectural subjects are also represented, although nature and landscape are the dominant themes. The book is modest in its production (and cost), but rich in the quality of its content. As well as generating some great images and celebrating the work of talented photographers, #ShareMondays also represents the positive and supportive spirit of the online photographic community. If you don’t already take part in the competition, it’s well worth checking out.

BOOKS Right to Roam Journal, £21.50 (inc. p&p), from inside-the-outside.com Access to nature and open spaces is something UK landscape photography collective Inside the Outside (ITO) cares passionately about. Keen to explore the subject from a diverse range of standpoints, last November they put out an open call, inviting people’s photographic representations under the theme of the right to roam; more than 1,000 images and 30,000 words were entered from around the globe. The most captivating contributions are published in a new journal, which ITO describes as its biggest, most content-packed and socially current publication to date. Right to Roam includes 18 portfolios and an equal number of featured photographers, with an introduction by collective co-founder Robert Hudson discussing the issues surrounding the restrictions on our freedom to explore and roam the countryside, especially in our local environment.

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Each entry in the journal offers something different and eye-opening, from Josh Summit’s minimalist black & white landscape studies that simply reflect the need to escape to quiet places, to Guy Dickinson’s watery abstracts illustrating the fact that public access to England’s watercourses amounts to just 3% of the 42,700 miles available. Robert Davies highlights the problem of abandoned urban developments, while Margaret Poynton explores her relationship to her Canadian homeland as a settler. Many of the images in Right to Roam were captured during the pandemic and lockdowns, making the stories they tell all the more vital and relevant; it is a timely and thought-provoking publication that addresses an issue that affects us all.

#ShareMondays 2020 Paperback, £5.22, from amazon.co.uk Dylan Nardini set up Twitter competition #ShareMondays more than four years ago, and it has steadily gained a dedicated following among

Trees Jenny Fenton Blurb (blub.co.uk) Hardcover £33.55; softcover £27.55; PDF £3.49 Buckinghamshire-based Jenny Fenton is accustomed to shooting epic vistas in dream locations such as Greenland and Iceland. But, since the pandemic, her photographic wanderings have been mostly confined to the rather more subtle landscapes of her local woods, Burnham Beeches and Black Park. Recording the trees through the seasons, Fenton has created what she describes as ‘an unusual collection of images’ that shows ‘the beauty and grace of nature at its finest’. Mostly taken using ICM or in-camera multiple exposure, the pictures capture the myriad colours and textures of the trees, and the atmosphere of these wooded locations. Spanning more than 100 pages, it could be argued that Trees would benefit from a tighter edit, but it is a lovely book that demonstrates the enjoyment that comes from experimenting with creative techniques.

EDITED BY CLAIRE BLOW

EXHIBITIONS Dates are subject to change due to the ongoing situation with Covid-19, so please check with the venue before visiting. © Sanghamitra Sarkar / tpoty.com

Vrindavan, India.

Travel Photographer of the Year Coal Drops Yard, London To 10 June The winning images from the 2020 Travel Photographer of the Year awards are currently on display in a free-to-view outdoor exhibition at Coal Drops Yard in London’s King’s Cross. From epic vistas to intimate animal portraits, and from intriguing underwater views to harrowing reportage in war-torn Syria, this astounding collection of 160 images paints a fascinating picture of life on our planet. Russian photographer Vladimir Alekseev was chosen as the overall winner in recognition of his vibrant shots spanning landscape, wildlife and people. tpoty.com Unearthed: Photography’s Roots Dulwich Picture Gallery, London 19 May to 31 August This summer, there’s another chance to see Unearthed: Photography’s Roots at Dulwich Picture Gallery. This major exhibition traces the history of photography as told through depictions of nature, revealing how the subject led to advancements in the medium. Arranged chronologically, and with a focus on botany and science throughout, the exhibition highlights the innovations of key figures, including William Henry Fox Talbot (1800-1877), Imogen Cunningham (18831976) and Robert Mapplethorpe (1946-1989), as well as overlooked photographers such as Japanese artist Kazumasa Ogawa (18601929) and English gardener Charles Jones (1866-1959). dulwichpicturegallery.org.uk

Charles Jones, Bean Longpod, c.1895-1910.

Chloe Dewe Mathews: Thames Log Martin Parr Foundation, Bristol 20 May to 29 August As part of the inaugural Bristol Photo Festival, which runs until the end of the year, Chloe Dewe Mathews will exhibit her latest series of work, Thames Log. The photographer spent five years capturing life up and down the River Thames, from its source in remote Gloucestershire to its great estuary mouth. The resulting images, displayed in geological order and focusing on subjects that often go unnoticed, examine the ever-changing nature of our relationship with water, from ancient pagan festivities to the rituals of modern life. Like much of Dewe Mathews’ work, Thames Log pits documentary photography’s tendency to categorise and classify against the mystery and poetry of daily life; the lyrical images include data for each event featured, including the exact GPS coordinates, dates, tides and weather. martinparrfoundation.org

Nick Knight: Roses from my Garden Waddesdon Manor, Buckinghamshire 19 May to 31 October British fashion photographer Nick Knight turns his lens to flowers for this beautiful yet seldom-seen series, inspired by his fascination with nature in general, and more specifically with the rose as an enduring symbol of beauty. The photographs have the feel of 16th and 17th-century still life masterpieces, but they could not be more contemporary; photographed on an iPhone, the digital images are enlarged and filtered through software that uses AI to infill the space between pixels. This has the effect of highlighting the painterly qualities of the flowers, which Knight selects from his own garden. waddesdon.org.uk © Nick Knight. Courtesy of the Artist and Albion Barn

Ganesh Visarjan, Richmond, 2015 by Chloe Dewe Mathews.

Nick Knight. Saturday 22nd October 2016, hand-coated pigment print.

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In conversation with

Simon Bray British photographer Simon Bray is on a creative journey through a landscape of diverse projects that are alive with emotional resonance, memory and loss Interview by Nick Smith

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TOP STRAP know it’s a broad brush but just call me a photographer,’ says Simon Bray. We’re looking for a qualifying adjective to get closer to what he does as a professional. ‘For some projects I’m a landscape photographer, others I’m documentary photographer.’ It seems this sort of verbal classification doesn’t seem to bother him much. Perhaps it’s due to the fact that he’s also a musician. Maybe it’s because his photographic output is so creatively varied that fine-tuning the descriptor with extra definitions doesn’t help. And yet, if there is a common factor that unites Simon’s work, it is the landscape. Whether it was helping on his uncle’s farm in Cornwall or going on holidays in the Lake District, the British landscape has played a pivotal role in the photographer’s creative upbringing. ‘The landscape is a safe place for me; it’s somewhere I feel at home in.’ Simon started taking pictures when he moved from Hampshire to read music at the University of Manchester as a means of ‘assimilating into that new urban environment. But exploring Manchester with a camera never satisfied me in the way that, say, North Wales could.’ And while

he’d always ‘dabbled in photography as a kid, it was something I became more invested in while I was studying music’. Because the two interests didn’t present Simon with an ‘inherent fit’, he opted to go into the music industry where, despite his versatility as both a classical percussionist and band management executive, ‘I didn’t really get paid for anything, while I was starting to make money from taking pictures. And so, there was a career breaking point really – I always thought I’d end up in music but here I am.’ Meanwhile, ‘there were my self-initiated projects that allowed me to go out into the landscape’. The word project is one that crops up regularly in Simon’s lexicon, and a quick wander around his website reveals that his overall body of work is made up of smaller distinct projects that reflect his creative direction at the time. I first came across his work a few years ago when he sent me an intriguing, slender monograph of grainy black & whites that were his visual interpretation of the geography and space found in a sequence of ambient music by Brian Eno. Ambient 4: On Land is an extraordinary moment of creativity in which the photographer

Previous page From The Edges of These Isles Below and opposite From Ambient 4 – On Land

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revisits the landscapes of Eno’s album of the same name, using a film camera contemporary with the analogue studio music production technology the composer is using. The images are grainy, monotone and atmospheric, and you could easily sail straight past the point of them. But that is partly the point: you either get it or you don’t. If one of the purposes of ambient music is to ask questions about what music is, then photography about ambient music seems to take the interrogation a stage further. ‘I didn’t want to put a limit on it. I suppose photographing audio sounds mad, but in the context of that record… I didn’t know what I was going to find; I didn’t know how I was going to represent the audio in a direct sense. But it was about trying to find a way to encapsulate music that is eerie, ethereal and with lots of layers. It was a bit of a challenge.’ This is typical of Simon’s portfolio. It questions. It probes. It’s unconventional. There’s also a lot of interaction. With Ambient 4: On Land, Simon was interacting with another artist’s output. With his landscape projects such as The Edges of These Isles, he’s collaborating

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Above Images from Loved&Lost – Nicola directly with other artists to complete the work. With Loved&Lost – perhaps the most ambitious of all his concepts to date – he’s interacting with a stranger’s family history. ‘Don’t get me wrong, I don’t have to collaborate, and there’s plenty of my own work that is done by me alone. For example, I do this annual standalone shot taken every December in memory of my father.’ But there’s something about Loved&Lost that seems to bring all the photographer’s hallmarks together into a collection of personal narratives: a time-travelling sequence of portrait diptychs that commemorates ongoing bereavement by photographing who isn’t there.

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In the series, each participant is asked to dig out a photograph of themselves taken with a ‘lost loved one’. Simon then takes that person back to the physical location of the original image and then recreates the photograph with the obvious difference that the loved one is no longer there. The images also examine less obvious differences in that the passing of time is observed through the changes in technical processes creating different tonalities, evolving fashion and hairstyles. These subtle markers reinforce the sense of time slipping quietly by or arriving with a jolt. It’s also ‘a chance to think back and remember, to tell the story

of that day and of that person they have lost. Loved&Lost provides a platform, allowing participants to acknowledge their loss, to celebrate the person they love and to show that the loss they’ve experienced does not have control over who they are.’ ‘I’ve always wanted to build a way of looking at the world through my work,’ says Simon, recalling how Loved&Lost is informed by the experience of collaborating with a sculptor on The Edges of These Isles. ‘He would take away his sensory impressions of the landscape and maybe interpret them in his studio over a period of months. But I had to learn quite

Above Images from Loved&Lost – Darren quickly how to build a sensory understanding in the moment and put that into a picture while on location. What we’re talking about here is operating within an artistic mindset rather than just taking a picture.’ This experience, coupled with the bereavement felt by Simon after the death of his father in 2009, becomes part of the process and an emotional constant in Loved&Lost. ‘Although it’s a far more documentary-focused project, it is actually an opportunity to explore my response to losing my dad.’ And while that might start with re-staging an old family photograph, ‘it also includes asking the participant questions.

Overleaf Images from The Edges of These Isles It’s a simple mechanism – using photography to show the passing of time – but what it really does is give me a reason to start the conversation about loss. Everyone has their own unique experience and so that all feeds into the depth and breadth of the project, rather than just saying: “Here’s lots of sets of two pictures side by side.” And so, I take more photos of them and their landscape, and record the interview. It’s about place. Going back. Evoking memories.’ It doesn’t really matter how emotionally intelligent the images might be if they don’t work on an artistic level, says Simon, and throughout our conversation he uses narrative-

construction terminology to describe how he keeps his ideas under control in ‘frameworks’. These project parameters are essentially the limits placed on the emotions he is exploring. He recalls that with Loved&Lost, ‘I did a few test shots with my mum, and what I learned was that there is a way to present these images. When you think about it, the original photograph that you’re working from has probably been stuck on the side of someone’s fridge for years. Then you are going to recreate it and present it to the public. It’s a personal thing and yet it’s a thing that everyone has; everyone has these old photographs and yet it’s

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TOP STRAP

Above Images from 30th December not something we often think about going back to re-stage. To revisit the occasion and the place is powerful, especially with older images where the aesthetic has changed. But the two images are just a way of getting into the story.’ The entrusting of old photographs to the new photographer is what Simon calls permission. ‘You’re being given permission to engage with their story. Loss isn’t something that we necessarily have a wide vocabulary for, to the extent that we find it very difficult to start conversations about it, even with people we

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are closest to and know the best.’ Simon thinks it works because there is a shared element of trust, especially as his subjects come to know he has suffered loss too. ‘An affinity between the photographer and the participant emerges from the different, shared experiences. And it’s a privilege for me to work with these people and to know that the project has somehow benefited them. Of course, it helps me too.’ It may seem counter-intuitive, but for Simon photography ‘is about so much more than just looking at things. It’s about having

the means to ask questions – and a lot of that is asking questions about myself. I think I’ve learned that I can understand a lot of my own emotional context through the process of making pictures, regardless of what I end up with, or where I have positioned myself or who I collaborate with in whatever way. But I think that I’m also challenging the viewer to comprehend why I’m doing that.’ To see more of Simon’s photography, visit simonbray.co.uk

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OPINION ONE MONTH, ONE PICTURE

From the luminosity of an imminent rainstorm to the intuition of Lightroom profiles, Pete Bridgwood considers the various ways in which he anticipates and approximates sympathetic colour palettes Last month I started to explore how landscape photography is a process of simplification. First, we find a scene to photograph, choose the perfect viewpoint and then frame our composition by extracting a small section of reality to create a pleasing arrangement for our final photograph. Our cameras translate our three-dimensional real world into a twodimensional image. The final step is to consider reality’s fourth dimension and select a perfect shutter speed so that time itself can assume part of the overall translation and texturally embellish the moving elements of the scene. Following on from all those initial imagemaking considerations, another critically important aspect is how we choose to portray colour. An appropriately sympathetic colour palette can elevate an otherwise lacklustre image to an achingly beautiful final photograph, whereas a conversely careless

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approach can destroy an image completely. Overcast conditions simplify our colour palette for two reasons: they reduce contrast, which has the added advantage of limiting the dynamic range necessary to encompass the full gamut of scenic luminosity; and they reduce saturation, facilitating a more monochromatic rendering. If you’re a fair-weather photographer, I can highly recommend venturing out to make photographs in stormy weather – you’ll be amazed how beautiful the results can be. The other major determinants of colour rendering are the steps taken in post-processing. Different photographers will attach more or less importance to this final stage – to my mind it usually accounts for around 50% of the imagecreation process, with on-location workflow accounting for the other 50%. There are myriad ways colour can be finely tuned in the digital darkroom, from the basic controls to the

individual HSL adjustments to split toning. My favourite way of starting to grade an image is by using the profiles available in Lightroom and a plethora of other profiles I’ve either created or collected over the years; I find using profiles as a starting point more immediate and intuitive. I considered all of these aspects while standing on the shore of Loch Linnhe, under the shadow of an approaching rainstorm, with my camera on my tripod and my trusty umbrella in hand. Any non-photographers would no doubt have thought my attempts to make photographs in such dismal conditions foolish, but they don’t understand the alchemy of the simplified bad weather palette. Loch Linnhe, North Ballachulish, Highland Canon EOS 1Ds MkIII with 24-105mm f/4L IS USM lens at 105mm, ISO 100, 30secs at f/18, Lee 3-stop and 2-stop ND filters, Adobe Lightroom

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The sun doesn’t set in a shoebox. Put kit back in play. In the UK, research shows more than half of photographers and videographers have kit they haven’t used in two years. Every single hidden-away camera and forgotten lens has potential. And that’s why MPB is here. Do you have any kit you haven’t used in years? Sell directly to MPB. Or trade in the kit you have for the kit you want. MPB makes it easy to free up funds. We’ll give your setup a whole new life. Find out how much you could get for your kit with a free instant quote. MPB will pick up your kit for free and pay you within days. Plus, you get free delivery on any used kit you buy in exchange.

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The Secret World of Weather Natural navigator Tristan Gooley’s latest book is a wonderful compendium of weather-reading insights that will enrich the time you spend outdoors. Claire Blow takes a closer look… The author of The Walker’s Guide to Outdoor Clues and Signs and How to Read Water has turned his attention to weather phenomena for his new title – and specifically the signs to look for in the landscape and what they reveal about our present, past and future weather. Gooley talks about a secret world

of weather – one that we all live in, but very few see. By understanding the microclimate – that is to say the local weather – and its relationship to the land around us, he claims: ‘you’ll soon be able to spot and decipher beautiful weather patterns and continue to do so for the rest of your life.’

Divided into 22 chapters, The Secret World of Weather delves deep into the art of deciphering the weather, from the clues waiting to be discovered in a blade of grass to the secrets of the stars. Here, we join Gooley on his journey and share a small selection of the insights and observations presented in his book.

The talk of the skies Naturally, clouds play an important role in Gooley’s weather de-coding guide. As well as covering the basics, such as cloud types, he introduces us to ideas such as the ‘seven golden patterns’ – universal cloud signs that tell us the forecast. Further into the book, the ‘Cloud Secrets’ chapter explores further to teach us about cirrus commas, mares’ tails, mackerels and more. In the following excerpt, Gooley explains why the shape of a cloud speaks volumes.

Cloud clues Cumulus clouds draw a picture that reveals a lot about the air, but it also joins the sky to the land. Every cumulus cloud tells us that there is some moisture in the air, and the size of the clouds gives us a clue as to the level. But it is actually the height of the clouds, specifically the base, that gives us the most useful information. The more humid the air, the lower the base of the clouds. This means that the height of these clouds measures the humidity of the air for us – it acts as a ‘hygrometer’. This instrument has to be read upside down: the cloud base drops as humidity rises. Clouds are lower over oceans than over land because the air is more humid. Rising humidity is a sign of worsening weather, but humidity is hard to see directly. Fortunately, the clouds bring the pieces together. Lowering clouds mean rising humidity, which is why they signal worse weather to come. Cumulus clouds tell us that the air is not stable. If the air was perfectly stable, it would not be rising in this lively way. The size and shape of the cumulus is giving us a good map of how unstable the air is. Now we see why clouds that are much taller than they are wide are significant. The taller the clouds, the less stable the air, and the less stable the air, the worse the forecast.

Illustrations © Neil Gower

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TOP STRAP

Storms If you see a storm cloud in the distance, try to note whether it is moving from left to right or right to left. If either is true, that storm is unlikely to pass over you. Only storms that maintain a constant bearing are heading your way.

Above This storm is about 50km away and moving from right to left.

Trees Did you know that large leaves let more rain fall to the ground than small leaves, or that the Douglas fir is better at holding the heat

near the ground than other species? Gooley heads into the forest to explain how trees create their own microclimate while also reflecting the weather they experience. Here, he reveals a fascinating aspect about the colour of woodland.

Red means sunshine As you emerge from the woods, look for red. It’s not a colour we see very often in the heart of woodland. When we step out from under the trees, the light levels shoot up and many trees salute this with red. The colour is caused by chemicals called anthocyanins, which give the rich hue to grapes, blackberries and plums. In leaves exposed to lots of sunlight, trees use anthocyanins to protect the leaves from damage. I find it helps to think of the chemical and its colour as a sunscreen. Young hawthorn leaves are red as it protects them during this vulnerable stage of life. And you’ll see the same effect in bramble leaves on the sunnier southern side of the bush. There are many trees that have ‘copper’ cousins, often cultivars, trees specially bred for their colours. Copper beeches look like all other

beeches, but for a plum, rich rust or copper colour. It is strongest in the leaves that receive the most sunlight and so are more common on the southern side of the tree. Shaded leaves remain green. If you walk around these trees in parks or gardens you’ll notice a good show of coloured leaves all around the tree, as some of the sun’s light reaches all sides, even if it is indirect. But peer inside the canopy and you’ll spot how the rich colours reach deep inside the tree on the south side, but only touch the surface on the north side. All other leaves are green. The copper colour is mapping the microclimate within each tree.

Fleeting glimpses If there is a good dew or frost on the ground surrounding the woods, it’s worth looking at trees in the distance, especially soon after sunrise. A dew or frost may settle on their tops, and when the sun catches it, it will give the woods a fleeting beautiful sheen. It changes by the second as the moisture evaporates and the sun’s angle changes.

The heart eddies If you study the crops or long grasses that surround an isolated single tree in a field, you may be able to spot the ‘double-backward-eddy’ pattern. As the wind passes either side of the tree, it is whipped into a pair of ‘rebel wind’ eddies that meet just downwind of the tree and create a wind blowing the ‘wrong way’ towards it. I like to call them the Heart Eddies.

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Animals Animals are more sensitive to changes in the weather than we are, and to detect the subtleties in the signs they offer, we need to fine-tune our own senses. There are many folk tales that hold little or no truth, but here Gooley highlights one that is scientifically proven…

Dependable signs For a taste of the richness of animal signs available to us, let’s zoom in on one particular animal behaviour. An old piece of weather lore tells us that ‘Spiders’ webs on long lines foretell a fine day, but if they shorten the threads it will rain.’ Can this really work? Wind, temperature and humidity affect how spiders spin webs. Temperature and humidity influence the architecture and nature of the silk in many ways, but the simplest truth for us to remember is that spiders spin smaller webs in windy conditions. This has been found to

be true in academic research, including studies of spiders in wind tunnels. And we know that the wind often strengthens before rain so, technically speaking, the lore holds true. We could argue that we can sense the wind without the spiders’ help. But that is not really the point here. There is a direct scientific relationship between the size and shape of spiders’ webs and the weather, and that is beautiful. Natural navigators use the relationship between spiders’ webs and the wind to find direction. Webs are more common on the

sheltered lee side of barriers like trees, gates or buildings, but there is an art to reading them. Spiders build in sheltered spots, but their webs survive longer there. So, a spider’s web in isolation is a weak compass, while a collection of collapsed and new webs in one niche is a stronger sign. The ‘haunted house’ look is proof that you’re gazing at a spot where the wind doesn’t reach to do any spring cleaning. This in turn indicates a nook that is protected from the prevailing winds and in the UK this is highly likely to be the sheltered north-eastern side.

Birds on the wing Many birds fly closer to the ground when travelling against high winds, taking advantage of the slower wind speeds there. I regularly see birds, including crows, gulls and pigeons, sweeping in fast and low over the fields when they’re trying to make ground against a determined wind. They fly much higher, heading back in the opposite direction. Sometimes it’s possible to see this effect in a single patrolling circuit. When looking for food, gulls or birds of prey fly over the nearby fields in a stretched oval pattern, a little like a running track. In strong winds they fly lower on the upwind leg and a little higher on the downwind.

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TOP STRAP

‘Did you know that stars appear brighter in winter, even if the atmosphere is identical to a night in summer? We get to see a different part of the night sky and therefore a different part of the universe, in each season.’ – Tristan Gooley The celestial and the sublime

The science and art of twinkling

Gooley concludes his journey into the secret world of weather by looking to space and the universe, including what the moon’s appearance can tell us about the forecast. In this excerpt, he reveals why the stars can also offer useful clues.

The furthest objects you will ever let your eyes focus on are the stars. They are not only the most distant things we will ever see, but they also offer one of the longest-range forecasts we can find in nature. Light from the stars has to travel millions of miles to reach us, but the last tiny fraction of its journey has the greatest impact on how they appear. As the narrowest sliver of light hits our atmosphere it has to find its way

About the author Tristan Gooley is a writer, navigator and explorer. Through his journeys, teaching and writing, he has pioneered a renaissance in the rare art of natural navigation. Gooley has led expeditions in five continents and is the only living person to have both flown solo and sailed singlehandedly across the Atlantic. He has explored close to home and walked with and studied the methods of tribal peoples in some of the remotest regions on Earth. naturalnavigator.com

through the air molecules, which are like syrup compared to the vast vacuum it has just crossed. The light is bounced and jostled a little by them, but if it bumps into any water molecules its journey is somewhat derailed. Stars that appear to twinkle a lot more than normal are telling us there is more water in the atmosphere. This can be one of the first signs of a front approaching, before even the cirrus appears.

The Secret World of Weather: How to Read Signs in Every Cloud, Hill, Street, Plant, Animal and Dewdrop by Tristan Gooley, published by Sceptre, is available now in hardback, price £20

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Spring fever After the longest of winters, the season of rebirth and hope is finally here, with its vibrant colour palettes and uplifting birdsong. Tammy Marlar highlights the many iconic spring attractions to keep an eye out for in both city and countryside

Top (left) Snowdrops can withstand the cold. Top (right) and bottom (left) March’s marvellous magnolias. Bottom (right) Crocus crysanthus.

ast year, the seasons passed in such unfamiliar Covid-induced rhythms that the potential for life to return to some semblance of normality made the arrival of this spring even more enticing than usual. Few

have escaped the mental anxiety and asphyxiation of repeated lockdowns and the tragedy of losing loved ones to the disease. While we waited for the full release from Covid strangulation via a vaccine, we were in desperate need of a surge of

general optimism. ‘The beautiful spring came, and when nature resumes her loveliness, the human soul is apt to revive also,’ said the AfricanAmerican writer Harriet Jacobs, and oh how we needed nature’s revival more than ever this year.

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Winners and losers The anticipation builds through January and February. Bad weather often dominates the news, notoriously unpredictable and with a Beast from the East thrown in perhaps, or that low that just keeps on coming in off the Atlantic, washing everything before it. The odd spikes of beautiful, unseasonally warm weather can tantalisingly intersperse these torpid, dank, dark days. And for sure, that lurching feeling is felt too by nature, which has an awful lot to contend with. So often it is a tale of resilience, bravery and fragile determination. The impacts of climate change – more extreme incidences of drought in the southern hemisphere, milder winters in the northern and the consequent changes to migratory behaviour – mean the natural world is also dealing with seismic shifts in weather patterns. In most cases, nature thus far has been able to perfect the design for this transition. Originating from Europe’s mountains, snowdrops are powerful signs of resilience and these floral superstars are well adapted to life in the cold. They look so delicate with their white flowers nodding bell-like on a stem, but they are tough, making their way through the frozen earth when little else is flowering. Their leaves have specially hardened tips to help them break through frozen soil and their sap contains a form of antifreeze to prevent ice crystals forming. So too January’s hellebores, seemingly miserable and downtrodden after heavy rain one day, up and waving again the next. But there are losers too in this oftenhazardous transition and nature can bowl a googly by firing too early. In the bitterly cold temperatures we experienced at the start of February, five Egyptian goslings hatched in Richmond Park. It had been brutally cold overnight and mother and father goose shuffled their way from the nest, down the icy track to the nearest water with their five little fluff bundles, desperately waddling, almost skating on their oversized big feet, trying to keep pace. Eyes barely open, they were so cold (I was wearing three coats) and the pond was almost completely frozen. There was absolutely nothing to eat. The banks of the pond were steep and slippery and within minutes the first chick was spread-eagled, face-planted to the ice and without the strength to fight for life. Mother goose instinctively knew and didn’t wait. Within minutes, he was picked off by one of the crows who had gathered to watch and wait. The other four miraculously survived the first night, but the temperatures plummeted still further and within 48 hours they were all gone. Born on the wrong damn day. A week earlier, or a week later, these early adopters may well have survived. These are the stories tinged with a sense of the fickle finger of fate, revealing the

Above The magic of swans’ courtship rituals. Below An Egyptian gosling tucked under its mother.

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slim margins between triumph and disaster, the tricky trench that nature must traverse between winter and spring.

Symbol of hope

Above Robins start to sing to establish their territory. Below Hellebores brighten the last winter days.

As the days get longer and the nights shorter, the mercury gradually rises, nature responds in a big way and there is a real sense of awakening. In our gardens, fields, hedgerows and woodlands, on beaches, cities and parks, this almost imperceptible shift soon becomes an unstoppable riot of sound and colour: winter ends and life surges forth once more. After a long, dark and very lonely winter, when spring has both feet firmly through the door, it does literally feel like a breath of fresh air. It is the strongest symbol of hope and of rebirth, and we humans crave and suck up this energy. Colour is another real change. The winter palette of browns and pale blues is gradually overrun by the most vibrant greens, yellows and pinks and we are lifted by a new-life overload: sunshine-yellow witch hazel, mimosa, daffodils and crocuses; golden catkins; acid-green willow, glorious pink camellias; and my favourite spring talisman, the magnolia. Warmer temperatures and the burgeoning colour and scent in turn attract insects. Bees begin their relentless work once more and the volume of birdsong begins to crank up. Our resident birds – blackbirds, great tits, robins and song thrushes – are already singing sweetly to proclaim ownership of their territories and searching for a mate. It is birdsong that I find most restorative and there’s increasing empirical evidence that this is a widespread phenomenon. Recent research from California Polytechnic State University, which investigated the corollary between natural sounds and well-being, showed that walkers who heard birdsong reported a greater sense of well-being than those who didn’t. And as migrant birds return throughout the season, the songs grow in volume and diversity. But it is not until the end of spring, when all our singing species are back, that the ensemble is complete and the dawn chorus is in full swing.

Focus on the details So, when it comes to tips for photographing spring, what to shoot? Well, for me, flowers are one of the main attractions. Here in London, blossom is arguably one of most iconic heralders of spring. ‘Blossom by blossom, the spring begins,’ wrote Swinburne. Dense, blousy clusters of blooming flowers along our suburban streets lift our city spirits and are the perfect pop of colour. But they are short-lived and easily damaged by any late frosts, heavy rainfall or mad March gales, so catch them early before the subtle white and pink petals become soiled and fall to the earth like nature’s own confetti. Sometimes, with branches full of blossom or magnolia flowers, or swathes of daffodils, it

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Above Herons make endless sorties to gather twigs for nest-building. Below Catkins shimmering in the February sun, like gold dangly earrings.

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can be hard to balance composition while also conveying the abundance of new life. My answer is to hone those observation skills, get closer and focus on the finer details. This requires careful aperture choice, paying close attention to the whole frame, the background and the histogram. Try to avoid overly bright spots, areas of high contrast or too much sharp focus. And look for a harmonious colour palette.

If you’re shooting shallow, be careful not to drop too low so as to lose focus on the front or back of your key flowers, and be prepared for higher shutter speeds and ISOs, as the winds they will a’blow. Additionally, much of the action happens low to the ground, so pack a groundsheet so you are shooting at eye level. Down at the ponds, there is frenetic activity among the waterfowl, with constant mating

Tiny beginnings I consulted one of the UK’s most celebrated florists, Shane Connolly, who is known for his espousal of sustainability and all things homegrown in the flower industry. His client list includes esteemed institutions such as the Royal Academy and HRH the Prince of Wales. I asked what spring meant to him. ‘The first of everything,’ he replied. ‘Little green leaves, tiny beginnings, discoveries made and these small differences meaning so much. First the bud, then the colour and then the grand opening.’ In contrast to summer’s glut, when there’s almost too much volume to absorb, the initial sparsity and tantalising graduality of spring’s unfolding is a recurring story of fragile determination and triumph. It seems Chris Packham shares this sentiment. Posting a picture of a primrose on Twitter in the middle of February, he wrote: ‘It’s not much, but a significant little. At the base of a muddy ditch is the first primrose of my spring – glowing in the grey, a little spot of hope, brave, beautiful and perfect. See it as nothing, see it as a flower, see it as a metaphor – you choose.’

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Left A week-old gosling. Above (top) Early spring blossom. Above (bottom) A female kestrel. Opposite (top left) A yellow crocus – short on stature but big on charm. Opposite (top right) Japanese dwarf quince. Opposite (bottom) Camellia after an April shower. and fierce defending of the best nesting sites, as well as increasing numbers of goslings. If you’re lucky, you may catch grebes enacting their elaborate courtship or swans’ heart-shaped mating rituals. The male herons are making sortie after sortie, collecting just the right branches and twigs for their nests. Business as usual and reassuring in the extreme. The Cambridge Dictionary defines optimism as ‘the tendency to be hopeful and to emphasise or think of the good part in a situation rather than the bad part, or the feeling that in the future good things are more likely to happen than bad things’. I’ll drink to that – when it’s allowed.

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LIE OF THE LAND

The power house Battersea Power Station has graced album covers and TV dramas. In the early morning it still retains its visual power, as Terry Gibbins reveals It was back in 2015 that I had a similar view of Battersea Power Station in London published in OP. Life was much different then. We were free to roam and take pictures, free to hug our loved ones and free to breathe the air around us – we just took that all for granted! This has been a year of change and adjustment for all of us – creativity has taken a back seat for many as we readjusted our lives to the pandemic. Originally built as a two-chimney power station in the 1930s, it wasn’t until 1950 that the capacity was doubled by building an identical structure adjacent and then joining the two together to give us the iconic four chimneys that we know and love today. The power station was decommissioned in 1983 and took up a Grade II listed status. I have passed this London monument daily for the past 25 years. Its outline was firmly etched into my psyche as a teenager growing up; seeing it on album covers and as the backdrop for TV dramas, with cops chasing villains in Ford Granadas, so it seemed natural to return here to regain some re-alignment and kick start my photography. Fog had been predicted the day before and was confirmed on my drive home that evening, as the moist air began to hang over the street lanterns. As I arrived on Grosvenor Road the next morning, there was a cold dampness to the air, the trees looked sparse with winter and the far shoreline was barely visible. I knew the drill, there was no need to rush. Nothing was going to happen until the sun had risen from behind the power station and had warmed the air. I chose a gap between two London plane, the trees that adorn most of the Thames shoreline, to set up and wait for the veil of fog to lift. I exchanged pleasantries with some passers-by and a jogger who stopped to show me a photo on his iPhone he had taken a few days before. As the fog began to ebb and flow the tripod waltz began; positioning and repositioning the camera to get a clear shot of the power station without any branch impediment. This went on for some time until I settled. Shooting fairly wide afforded me a large plane of focus and enabled me to keep the branches sharp. I knew a little softness on the power station would be acceptable under these conditions. I processed in Lightroom with some gentle split toning to add a little colour contrast and interest for myself. The image, I think, nods nicely to its fiery coal burning past as it is made ready for the 21st century.

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LIE LIE OF OF THE THE LAND LAND

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LEARNING ZONE

Shoot epic landscapes Landscape photography takes many forms, but nothing beats those big, bold views when it comes to creating awesome images. Lee Frost offers his top tips for shooting epic scenes The primary aim of landscape photography is to capture the beauty and character of the natural world. Soaring mountains, raging rivers, majestic lakes, rolling hills, desolate moorland, ancient deserts – regardless of the type of scenery, we want our images to communicate with the viewer; to transport them from the comfort of their armchair to

the very spot where we set up our tripods. In order to do that, the photographs we take must be much more than record shots – they need to capture the emotion of the place and the raw power of the elements that shape the very scenes we shoot. Light is the key. The light falling on the landscape defines its character and mood

so if dramatic images are your goal, the light itself must be dramatic. The way you compose a scene also makes a huge difference to the impact of the final image. You need to draw the viewer in and take them on a visual adventure through the landscape. Get these two fundamentals right and success is guaranteed.

LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION If you want dramatic images then generally you need a dramatic view to begin with. It’s not the be-all and end-all, but it puts the odds of success firmly in your favour. I’m a huge fan of Iceland and the reason for that is simple – the landscape is epic. Scotland is too. I make regular trips into the Highlands to get my big-landscape fix – Rannoch Moor, Glencoe,

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Isle of Skye, Torridon… you can’t beat it. The Lake District, Peak District, Yorkshire Dales, Dartmoor and Snowdonia are all top contenders too. Basically, any upland region in the UK will hit the spot. Hills, mountains, rivers, lakes and waterfalls are what you need, and due to the geography of the landscape, the weather in these areas also tends to be more dramatic.

Above Jökulsárlón, Iceland There are many epic locations around the world where you basically can’t fail to produce great images, regardless of the light or weather. This is one of them! I was also lucky enough to be there leading a workshop during one of the most amazing sunsets I’d ever seen. Canon EOS 5DS with 24-70mm lens, ISO 100, 0.4sec at f/11, 0.45 ND grad

LEARNING ZONE

BAD WEATHER, GREAT IMAGES The most dramatic landscape images tend to be created in bad weather simply because conditions are more extreme – dark, stormy skies, high winds and changing light provide the perfect ingredients for success. Of course, in order to take advantage of those conditions you must brave the elements, which means you could get a soaking, but then equally you could take the best images of your life. It’s a risk worth taking. There’s nothing better than when the sun breaks through a stormy sky and illuminates the landscape below. It’s difficult to predict

THE RIGHT DIRECTION The direction from which the light hits the landscape can make a big difference to the mood and impact of the photographs you take. Frontal light, where the sun is to your back, is the least dramatic because shadows fall away from the camera, so the landscape tends to look flat. Side-lighting, with the sun at roughly 90° to the camera, works much better because shadows become an integral part of the composition and help to reveal texture, as well as adding a sense of depth. This is most pronounced when the sun is low in the sky as shadows are very long and weak. By far the most dramatic lighting angle is to point your camera straight into the light. Known as shooting contre-jour, this approach can create stunning results, especially when the sun is low in the sky or breaking through storm clouds, though contrast is maximised so the chance of messing up the exposure is increased.

if, when and where this will happen, but that adds to the challenge, and when it comes good you can’t fail to produce epic images. Rain is a landscape photographer’s worst enemy, but if the sun shines while rain is falling there’s a high probability that a rainbow will be formed. To see one, turn your back to the sun. For the best results, try to capture the rainbow against the dark sky or shady hills so it’s clearly visible, and use a polariser to enhance the colours, though be careful how much you rotate or the bow may well vanish. Sunbeams, or crepuscular rays, are often

created when the sun shines through small gaps in a cloudy sky. Sometimes there’s just one or two beams, but on occasion you’ll see a whole band of them streaking down to the horizon. A telephoto zoom will allow you to home in and make a feature of sunbeams.

If you rely on TTL metering to determine exposure, the reading will be influenced by the brighter parts of the scene and any solid features will probably record in silhouette. To avoid this, use a strong ND grad to reduce the difference in brightness between sky and land. A 0.9ND grad will usually do the trick.

Below Cadgwith, Cornwall I love shooting into the light, especially at sunrise and sunset when the sun’s orb is on the horizon. To achieve this starburst effect with the sun, stop your lens down to a small aperture such as f/16 or f/22. Canon EOS 5DS with 16-35mm lens, ISO 100, 5secs at f/22, 0.6 ND grad

Above Rannoch Moor, Scotland Dramatic landscapes deserve to be captured in dramatic weather. I shot this scene as a winter storm approached. The glimpse of light and colour in the sky only lasted for a few seconds, but I was ready and waiting. Canon EOS 5DS with 24-70mm lens, ISO 400, 1/40sec at f/16, 0.6 ND grad

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LINES Natural or man-made lines are one of the most potent compositional tools available to the landscape photographer because as well as providing a natural route into and through a scene, they can also be used to divide up an image into different areas, or to add a strong graphic element. The most obvious lines are those created by man-made features such as roads, paths, tracks, bridges, telegraph wires, walls, hedges, fences and avenues of trees. Shadows can also create strong lines, especially early or late in the day when the sun is low and long and thin shadows rake across the landscape. Natural features such as rivers and streams snake through a scene into the distance and take your eye on a fascinating journey. Horizontal lines echo the horizon and the force of gravity so they’re calm and easy on the eye. Man-made boundaries in the landscape such as walls, fences and hedges are obvious examples of horizontal lines. Vertical lines are more active, producing dynamic compositions with a stronger sense of direction. Think of the regimented trunks of trees. To maximise the effect, shoot in portrait format so the eye has further to travel from the bottom of the frame to the top. Diagonal lines add depth as they suggest distance and perspective. As the eye tends to drift naturally from bottom left to top right, diagonal lines travelling in this direction have the greatest effect as they carry the eye through an image from the foreground to the background. Converging lines are also very powerful because they add a strong sense of depth. If you stand on a bridge and look down a river, or stand on a railway line and look down the tracks, you’ll see that as the distance increases, the parallel sides get ever closer together until they eventually seem to meet at a place in the distance known as the vanishing point. The converging effect is best emphasised using a wideangle lens so the lines appear wide apart close to the camera and rush away into the distance. Left (top) Glen Etive, Scotland In this composition, the waterfall creates a strong diagonal line that carries your eye up through the scene, between the trees, to the distinctive outline of Buachaille Etive Mòr in the distance. Canon EOS 5DS with 16-35mm lens, ISO 100, 3.2secs at f/16 Left (below) Snæfellsnes Peninsula, Iceland Roads make great lead-in lines simply because we can’t help but follow them to see where they go – in this case towards an old Icelandic church set in a stunning landscape. Canon EOS 5DS with 70-300mm lens, ISO 100, 1/20sec at f/18, 0.6ND grad

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LEARNING ZONE

VARY YOUR VIEWPOINT The vast majority of photographs are taken with the camera at eye level. Nothing wrong with that – it gives us a realistic view of the world. However, realistic doesn’t necessarily mean exciting, and by intentionally shooting from alternative viewpoints you can add a sense of surprise and drama to your landscape images. High viewpoints can work brilliantly, so instead of shooting that hill in front of you, why not walk up it and see what the view is like? If that seems too much like hard work, look for ways of elevating the camera position by a few feet rather than hundreds or thousands – it’s surprising how the landscape opens up when you get a little higher because you can see over features that normally block your view. Low viewpoints are interesting too. If you’re shooting with a wide lens and you position your camera low to the ground, seemingly insignificant features loom large in the foreground. Above Embleton Bay, Northumberland The ruins of Dunstanburgh Castle, captured at dawn from the legendary boulder field at Embleton Bay. Negotiating the beach of basalt rocks in semidarkness is challenging, but well worth the effort when shots like this result. Canon EOS 1Ds MkIII with 17-40mm lens, ISO 100, 15secs at f/16, 0.6 ND grad

Below Isle of Skye, Scotland This is one of the most dramatic views on the Isle of Skye, looking along the ancient Trotternish Ridge. It’s worth the effort to seek out the best viewpoints – though this one is well known, and only a few minutes’ walk from the nearby car park! Canon EOS 5D MkIII with 24-70mm lens, ISO 200, 51secs at f/11, 10-stop ND filter, 0.6 ND grad

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BE PREPARED

THE GOLDEN HOUR Perhaps the most photogenic time of day is the hour or so before sunset, when the landscape is bathed in beautiful golden light and even the most ordinary scene is brought to life. The light is often much warmer than at dawn because it’s scattered and diffused by the thicker atmosphere – that’s why the sun often looks bigger at sunset than it did at sunrise. Your images will also come out warmer than you expected because the colour temperature of the light is very low. Another great benefit of shooting with the sun close to the horizon is that long, weak shadows rake across the landscape, revealing detail and texture that adds a strong sense of depth. The low sun is especially effective on scenes where there’s texture in the foreground, such as ripples on a sandy beach. To reveal these textures, shoot with the sun to one side of the camera so shadows rake across the scene.

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Above Pienza, Tuscany, Italy This location was immortalised in the closing scenes of the movie Gladiator. I captured it during the last hour of the day, when the sun was low in the sky and long shadows raked across the landscape. Canon EOS 5DS with 24-70mm lens, ISO 100, 1/4sec at f/11, 0.6ND grad

The lower the sun gets, the longer the shadows and the warmer the light. That said, be aware of features in the landscape such as hills, mountains or sand dunes that could block out the sun before it sets and plunge the foreground into shadow. If you wait too long before shooting you may lose the light, so get some shots in the bag while you can – once the light goes, so will the texture. Although the light tends to be warmest during the final hour before sunset, the first hour after sunrise can also produce stunning results. The atmosphere is often cleaner and the soft, warm light has a freshness that’s symbolic of the start of a new day.

The old saying ‘Chance favours the prepared mind’ certainly applies to landscape photography. Obviously, luck plays a part too – you can grab a camera, head outdoors and bag amazing images without any forethought – but planning definitely puts the odds of success in your favour. Fortunately, preparation is easier now than ever before thanks to the internet. You can check the weather forecast for tomorrow, the day after, next week. You can establish sunrise and sunset times for any day of the year, anywhere in the world, and you can confirm tide times if you’re heading to the coast. The more information you can gather, the more likely you are to be in the right place at the right time to take advantage of fantastic light. And if things don’t go according to plan, well, you may end up taking photographs that are actually better than you’d hoped for. Unexpected changes in the weather often produce spectacular conditions that can’t be planned for, but by being on location you’ll be

LEARNING ZONE able to take advantage of them. It’s not down to luck that top landscape photographers produce amazing images on a regular basis – it’s down to being out in the field, anticipating the light. Patience is also key. You can’t expect to capture amazing light every time you head into the landscape. If it were that easy it would be boring! So be willing to return home emptyhanded when things don’t go to plan, and also be prepared to return to the same location time and time again until you get what you want. Right Ullswater, Lake District I was driving back to my hotel for breakfast after a dawn shoot when I stumbled across this scene. The beautiful light didn’t last for long, but my camera was sitting in the passenger seat ready for use, so within seconds of pulling over, I was shooting. I didn’t even bother setting up a tripod – there wasn’t time. Canon EOS 1Ds MkIII with 70-200mm lens, ISO 100, 1/320sec at f/6.3, 0.6 ND grad

ADD DEPTH One of the most important elements you can exploit to create a dynamic composition is foreground – the area of a scene closest to the camera. Foreground interest is useful for a number of reasons. Firstly, emphasising it will help to give your images a strong sense of distance, depth and scale due to the effects of perspective, as well as providing a convenient entry point into the composition from which the viewer’s eye can then naturally travel up through the scene. Secondly, the foreground contains more information than the rest of the scene and being close to the camera isn’t affected by atmospheric haze, mist and foglike features that are more distant – a handy advantage when shooting landscapes. The strength of the foreground is controlled mainly by lens choice – the wider the lens, the more foreground you can include. Moderate wideangle focal lengths around 15-18mm (24-28mm full-frame) are ideal as they’re wide enough to let you include lots of foreground but not so wide that the rest of the scene seems to disappear in the distance. If you go down to 10mm (16mm on full-frame), you can create incredibly powerful images, but you need to get in close to the foreground otherwise the composition will look windy. Composing in portrait format also lets you include much more of the foreground vertically and this can make a huge difference to the impact of the image, especially when the foreground features vertical lines.

To record the whole scene in sharp focus when including near foreground, use hyperfocal focusing. This involves focusing at a specific distance to maximise depth of field for a given focal length and aperture. When you focus at the hyperfocal distance, depth of field extends from half that to infinity.

At f/11, hyperfocal distances are: APS-C DSLRS: at 10mm – 0.5m; at 12mm – 0.7m; at 16mm – 1.2m; at 20mm – 1.8m; at 24mm – 2.5m; at 28mm – 3.5m. FULL-FRAME DSLRS: at 16mm – 0.7m; at 20mm – 1.1m; at 24mm – 1.6m; at 28mm – 2.2m; at 35mm – 3.5m.

Right Monument Valley, USA A strong feeling of depth and scale is evident in this shot because the small bush in the foreground looks bigger than the sandstone pillars in the distance, which means they must be far away. Pentax 67 with 45mm lens, ISO 50, 1/2sec at f/22, 0.9 ND grad, polariser

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Conservation in the 21st century Did you know that every time you upload an image to the internet, the words you tag it with are helping to develop a new branch of ecology? PhD student Jack Daniels explains how iEcology is transforming the world of conservation © Shutterstock

Online images can help satellites to measure changes in land use.

It might seem obvious to state that outdoor photographers depend on healthy natural environments. Indeed, a quick flick through this magazine will likely reveal many pristine and beautiful landscapes, as well as some incredible wildlife. However, many of these ecosystems are under threat from human activity, with habitats being destroyed at unprecedented rates and a mass extinction event currently underway. Given the amount we can gain from these wonderful environments as photographers, contributing to their protection is arguably a moral obligation. Indeed, numerous photographers have explored the idea of conservation photography, where powerful images are used to draw public attention to important conservation issues. While the power of this technique is undoubted, it can be increasingly difficult to cut through the noise of social media, and as a result it can feel evermore challenging to make a real difference as a photographer. However, this might be about to change with the advent of a new branch of ecology

40 Outdoor Photography

termed iEcology (or internet ecology in full). I recently started working on iEcology as part of my PhD studies, and as an enthusiastic (but distinctly amateur) photographer myself, I was immediately drawn in by the idea that every single photographer can make a difference through their photography. Who knows, your images may already be helping to protect the natural world without you even knowing it.

What is iEcology? In today’s world of technology and big data, nearly everything we do leaves a digital footprint. Data is generated constantly whenever we go online, with information about the photos we upload, our social media posts, the websites we visit and even what we search for, all stored somewhere in the digital realm. While this information was clearly not collected with conservation in mind, the aim of iEcology is to use this data in a way that can reveal entirely new insights into the natural world. While many sources of online data are available to iEcologists, potentially one of

the most powerful is the vast number of photographs that are uploaded to social media. Recent estimates suggest a staggering 1.8 billion photos are uploaded every day, and although the majority of these images are unlikely to be useful, the photographs uploaded by people interested in wildlife and the outdoors are already proving to be a valuable resource. Although the photographers might not realise, these images contain important information regarding the landscape and wildlife, and the extra information contained in tags, captions and geolocations can also provide vital insights.

Species distributions One of the most common uses of iEcology is to explore the geographical distribution of plants and animals. Researchers can search the tags and captions of photographs posted publicly on social media, extract the location where the image was taken and receive a map showing where the species can be found (admittedly, the process can be slightly more complicated than this, but the basic principles remain the same).

TOP STRAP OPINION © Shutterstock

This approach has been applied to a variety of species, including butterflies, birds, sharks, spiders and turtles, but perhaps one of the most fascinating examples is the critically endangered clown wedgefish. A member of the shark and ray family, the clown wedgefish remained unknown to humans until the 1930s and has only been recorded from a very small number of specimens found in the fish markets of Singapore and Indonesia. Researchers combed images posted on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Google for any sign of this elusive fish, eventually finding a cluster of photographs centred around two islands in Indonesia. These images provided the first records of this species in the wild and conservationists hope this evidence will allow the long-term protection of their habitat. Along with species that need conserving, iEcology can also be used to find species that are somewhat less desirable. Non-native species – those which are introduced into new environments by humans – can have a devastating impact on native ecosystems and understanding how far they have spread is a top priority for environmental managers. In the UK,

Right (top) Grevy’s zebras in Kenya. Images like this have allowed researchers to calculate the size of the population. Right (middle) Photographs from social media can help to locate rare fish such as this angelshark. Below Photographs from social media can help researchers to find species in places where they may not be expected, such as this grey heron in a park in central Bristol. © Jack Daniels

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OPINION © Shutterstock

several species of non-native turtles have been released into the wild after outgrowing the care of their owners, despite the fact that this has been illegal since the 1980s. An intensive search of photos uploaded publicly to Flickr showed that non-native turtles were much more widespread than previously thought. This technique is now being applied to a wider variety of more harmful non-native species and offers the chance to apply targeted management strategies.

Population sizes As well as knowing where to find a species, ecologists often want to know how many individuals there are of each species. Estimating the size of a population was initially thought to be a step too far for iEcology due to one obvious difficulty: how do you know if it is a

different animal in each picture, or whether all your images are of one particularly photogenic individual? Thankfully, this problem can be solved with a sensible choice of animal, as shown by a recent piece of work on Grevy’s zebras. Each zebra has a unique pattern of stripes, meaning researchers were able to identify individual zebras in photographs uploaded to Flickr. This allowed researchers to calculate the overall size of the population and their estimates were astonishingly close to those made using traditional (and highly resourceintensive) in-person surveys.

Landscapes The examples so far have largely focused on wildlife photography, but iEcology also has opportunities for those of us who are

Left (top) iEcology allows conservationists to map the distribution of threatened species such as snowy owls. Left (below) Picturesque scenes such as this steam train in the countryside of São João del Rei, Brazil, allow researchers to identify particularly aesthetic areas.

more landscape inclined. From an ecological perspective, perhaps the most exciting of these is the ability of photographs to help understand what covers the Earth’s surface – for example cities, trees or fields. This is usually assessed using satellite images, but the results can differ significantly between different techniques. These differences can be resolved by comparing the satellite images with landscape photographs uploaded to social media, vastly increasing the accuracy of our classifications. Landscape photography can also hold vital information about how humans interact with nature. The words used in tags and captions can reveal the areas that we find particularly beautiful, and the number of photos taken in each location can be used to predict how heavily different areas will be impacted by tourists. This information helps environmental managers to identify areas that might be more extensively damaged by human activity, and allows them to prioritise areas for protection.

Challenges As is the case with every emerging technique, iEcology faces some unique challenges. Questions have been raised about a wide range of issues, but the focus often revolves © Jack Daniels

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TOP STRAP © Shutterstock

Above The number of photographs taken in picturesque locations such as Snowdonia can help environmental managers predict the impacts of tourism. Below Photos from Facebook and Twitter have helped scientists to explore differences in the diets of sparrowhawks.

around the importance of privacy. Thankfully, iEcologists are well aware of this issue and numerous guidelines have already been published to make sure all information is anonymised and that research is conducted in a way that does not risk the privacy of anyone involved. Rather than the issue of privacy, my initial reaction upon discovering this field for the first time was to question whether I wanted researchers to use my photography without my knowledge. However, after taking the time to learn more about the field, I realised that iEcologists are not particularly interested in the images themselves, but rather focus on the information that is contained within them. For this reason, it is exceedingly unlikely the photographs will ever be shared beyond the researchers themselves (particularly without express permission), and the integrity of the work is maintained. On top of this, iEcology is dependent on an excellent relationship with online users, and doing anything that could alienate this community is likely to cause significant damage to the field. For this reason, everyone involved is expected to thoroughly consider the rights of the image’s owner and to make sure their research meets the highest

ethical standards. There are also practical concerns regarding the use of iEcology. For instance, it is possible that photos posted online may reveal the location of an endangered species, or that inaccurate tags, captions or locations might cause the wrong conclusions to be made. In every case, it is vitally important that iEcologists thoroughly consider the potential downsides of their work before beginning and only continue when these risks are vastly outweighed by the potential conservation benefits.

The future The examples in this article provide a small snapshot into the ever-growing field of iEcology. As time goes on, iEcologists will be able to

investigate an even wider variety of ecological questions, and while they are unlikely to solve all of the world’s environmental problems overnight, online images are still a powerful tool in the conservationist’s arsenal. Sadly, the threats facing the landscapes and wildlife that outdoor photographers rely on will worsen in the coming years. In the face of these looming threats, it is vital we all play our part, and as photographers we are lucky that something as simple as uploading our photographs can make a real difference. It only takes a few minutes to add the tags, captions and locations that make these images so incredibly useful to iEcologists, and that is a very small sacrifice to help ensure the subjects of our photographs can survive long into the future.

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IN THE SPOTLIGHT

Lucie Averill Cornwall-based coastal landscaper Lucie Averill concentrates on shooting close to home, looking for moments of calmness and serenity. Nick Smith puts her in the spotlight Nick Smith: There’s a lot of tranquility in your compositions… Lucie Averill: That’s quite important to me. When I go to the beach, I seek out quiet places where there’s no one around. I don’t go for those bright-orange sunrises or sunsets; I tend to go for more muted colours, and I like an uncluttered landscape. In fact, I’m veering more and more towards what I cut out of my images, rather than the bigger picture. I still take the bigger picture, but once I’ve done that, I’m looking for smaller, more minimal, intimate landscapes. NS: Why landscape photography? LA: I live a short distance from the beach. When I first had a camera, my go-to wideangle lens would go on and I’d be trying to get as much into a photograph as I possibly could. But after a while, I started to see things that you couldn’t see with a wideangle; little shapes and patterns became as important as the big picture. My husband’s a painter and he’d point out things that maybe I hadn’t seen and so over time I feel as though I’ve grown into it. NS: Cornwall has some famous landscapes… LA: To start with, I’d photograph St Michael’s Mount because that’s what’s on my doorstep. I still photograph it, but not as often, because unless there’s exquisite light it doesn’t hold the same attraction as it did. Over the years, I’ve tried to go for something a little different because everyone photographs the mount. They come to Cornwall, stick their cameras on the causeway, and sometimes there are 10 people there photographing it. There’s nothing wrong with that, but I don’t really want to be part of that because it doesn’t really make your work stand apart. NS: So, you’re looking for something a bit less obvious? LA: I’ve consciously looked for other things to photograph as my approach has matured. We all learn by taking shots like that, but then you’ve got to break away from that and do something a bit more individual. I play

Top Squall Left Pz Reflection Right Trails Opposite Last light

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IN THE SPOTLIGHT this game with myself, which is that if I go down to the beach then I’m not allowed to take a picture of the mount. And I like that because it means that I have to look harder for patterns and shapes in the sand. NS: Have you always shot locally? LA: Yes. I used to be a teacher and so there wasn’t much time to go further afield. When time is pressurised, you shoot locally. But the benefit of that is you get to know a place and the conditions. For example, if there’s a mist I won’t bother going down to the beach, and yet there are some trees nearby that are normally horrible, stunted things that in the mist look stunning. NS: How did you become a photographer in the first place? LA: I was given a camera at the age of nine, but that didn’t ignite my interest. Later, my brother, who lives in America and is a good photographer, shooting black & white film, came over one summer with his digital camera and I was absolutely amazed because you could see the image immediately. So, I went and bought a digital point-and-shoot and took it with me everywhere. I soon realised I was starting to look at colours and how the light played. Then it broke and I bought myself a DSLR. NS: How long ago was that? LA: This was in 2005. But when I got it home, I panicked because I realised I didn’t have a clue how to use it. I read every magazine on the subject and because I’m determined – and when I do something I like to do it well – I carried on. I taught myself the technical aspects and practised and practised. It just went from there – the more I looked, the more I found.

Lucie’s top tips One thing I never go on a shoot without is… Waterproofs. If I’m cold and wet, I’m much more likely to head for home than continue shooting. My one piece of advice would be to… Don’t pack up when the sun goes down. Conditions after sunset can be intense and you get a longer exposure. Something I try to avoid is… Footprints and pawprints in the sand – they can spoil a minimal shot and are more difficult to clone out afterwards.

NS: Any secrets to how you get some of your images? LA: I often photograph after the sun has set because you get that natural long exposure at a time when there are lovely colours and light. I also like intentional camera movement. These are things I’m starting to explore a lot more. NS: How far are you on your

Lucie’s critical moments April 2014 Started photographing artists’ work and gallery installations

photographic journey? LA: It goes in stages, doesn’t it? I’m happy with where I am at the moment, but there’s always more to learn and there will always be people better than you. It’s a challenge. You want to strive to be the best that you can be, but you can only come to it when you’re ready for it. Maybe until I got the camera, I wasn’t ready to see things, but now I have it, I see more and look at things differently.

To see more of Lucie’s work, visit lucieaverillphotography.co.uk July 2016 Left teaching post to concentrate on photography

April 2017 Gave first camera club talk

May 2019 First exhibition – at Enys Gardens

Feb 2020 Joined Marazion Gallery collective of artists

Oct 2020 Commended image in LPOTY

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LOCATIONS GUIDE VIEWPOINTS We want to see your best shots from around the country. Each month the winner will receive a fantastic £200! Turn to page 69 for submission details.

Musbury Hill Fort Devon

Gardom's Edge Derbyshire

Fraisthorpe East Yorkshire

Dunollie Castle Argyll and Bute

Loch Leven Highland

Thurne Mill Norfolk

5 4

2 6

ACCESS RATING These are based around an ‘averagely fit’ person. Below are loose guidelines to what the ratings mean (N.B. they are assigned by the author and not verified by OP. Walk distances are one-way only):

1/5 Easy access. You can pretty much get straight out of your car and quickly be at the viewpoint via good quality paths.

3/5 Medium length walk of up to about two miles, over quite easy terrain.

4/5 Longer length hike 2/5 Gentle walking is involved, which may be on mixed quality paths.

up to about four miles over mixed terrain, possibly with some quite steep gradients.

5/5 The most difficult access. Long hike over challenging terrain (e.g. mountains/summits/steep coastal terrain); or involves travelling over particularly extreme ground (e.g. scrambling on rocks/exposed coastal paths or mountain ridges) over any distance.

Distance: 4 miles from Axminster • 5 miles from Lyme Regis ACCESS RATING

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VIEWPOINTS WINNER SAVO ILIC savoilic.com

Musbury Hill Fort, Devon usbury Hill Fort is situated above the beautiful village of Musbury and offers stunning views of the Axe Valley in the East Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. This impressive Iron Age fort occupies a commanding position approximately 175m above sea level, with views to Seaton on the south Devon coast. It is located on the East Devon Way, a 40mile walking route which runs from Exmouth to Lyme Regis, through beautiful Devon countryside.

How to get there: From Exeter, travel east along the A3052, turning left on to the A358. Continue along the A358 to Musbury. From Axminster, stay on the A358 for three miles to Musbury. From the village, take Mounthill Lane which leads to the top of the hill. What to shoot: Panoramic valley views and pine forest; deer, buzzards and kestrels. Other times of year: This is a stunning location all year round but is particularly special on misty mornings. Nearby locations: Seaton Wetlands Nature Reserve (3 miles); Jurassic Coast (4 miles).

WIN £200! We want to see your pictures of great photography locations around the UK and Ireland. The best Viewpoint of the Month will win £200. See page 68 for details.

Congratulations! Savo Ilic wins a fantastic £200 for his great photograph!

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Tim Pearson Fraisthorpe, East Yorkshire raisthorpe beach sits just to the south of Bridlington on the east Yorkshire coast and is known for its extensive array of World War Two sea defences, many of which are being slowly devoured by the sea. When the tide is high, a path along the low clay cliff offers an alternative route to the beach, and it’s possible to easily walk all the way to Bridlington itself, or south towards Barmston.

How to get there: From the south (Hull), take the A165 heading to Bridlington and, roughly half a mile past the sign for Fraisthorpe village, take a sharp right towards the beach (signposted). Follow the single-track road (with passing places) for another mile. A large grass car park is available, plus a café.

What to shoot: World War Two defences, freshwater stream entering the sea, long beach views towards Bridlington and Bempton. Other times of year: Excellent for sunrise and sunset photography all year round. Nearby locations: Bempton Cliffs (12 miles); Flamborough Head (13 miles).

Distance: 3 miles from Bridlington • 19 miles from Scarborough ACCESS RATING

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VIEWPOINTS

Distance: 1 mile from Oban • 30 miles from Glencoe ACCESS RATING

Anna Dabrowska Dunollie Castle, Argyll and Bute

unollie Castle is a ruin located north of the beautiful seaside town of Oban. The site enjoys stunning views towards the islands of Kerrera and Maiden, together with the town, harbour and outlying isles. The castle is usually open to the public; this photo was taken from the top of the tower.

How to get there: Whether coming south on the A85 or north on the A816, you need to take the Corran Esplanade from the centre of Oban, signposted to Ganavan beach. Follow the road for two-thirds of a mile until you see the castle entrance on the right. What to shoot: Sea views, islands, ruins and

numerous sea-going vessels. Other times of year: Summer to late autumn is best for the evening light on the sea and islands; stormy winter seas could add an extra element of drama. Nearby locations: Ganavan Bay (1 mile); Gylen Castle, Kerrera (5 miles).

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John Cuthbert facebook.com/john.cuthbert.963

Loch Leven, Highland lencoe is without doubt one of the most beautiful, jaw-dropping, eyewidening and inspiring glens in the Scottish Highlands, with dramatic mountainous landscape all around. Loch Leven provides the perfect foreground. This wild and beautiful place will be on a good few photographers’ bucket list, and rightly so.

How to get there: Taking the A82 from Glasgow is straightforward. The A828 via Oban, taking the West Coast Scenic Route, is a slightly longer drive but generally quieter. Alternatively, there’s the A84 via Stirling/Callander. What to shoot: Stunning scenery and lochs, with the possibility of seeing golden eagle and red deer. Other times of year: Winter has it all, autumn is a close second. Avoid the peak season, it can get busy at times. Nearby locations: Steall Waterfall (7 miles); Blackwater Reservoir (10 miles).

Distance: 0.5 miles from Kinross • 5 miles from Dunfermline ACCESS RATING

Gary Hemmings Thurne Mill, Norfolk hurne Mill is one of the most famous windmills in the Norfolk Broads and is best captured at sunrise or sunset, to make the most of the big skies – ideal for landscape photography. It is located in a picturesque setting, with reeds either side of the waterways, along with numerous boats.

How to get there: From Norwich, take the A47 towards Great Yarmouth. At Acle, take the A1064 to Billockby then bear left on to the B1152. At Clippesby, turn left on the Thurne road and into the village where you can park. What to shoot: Big skies, windmills, boats and wetland wildlife. Other times of year: This is an all-year-round location. Nearby locations: Horsey Gap (9 miles); Hickling Broad Nature Reserve (10 miles).

Distance: 18 miles from Norwich • 22 miles from Cromer ACCESS RATING

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VIEWPOINTS

Distance: 9 miles from Chesterfield • 12 miles from Sheffield ACCESS RATING

Kieran Metcalfe kieranmetcalfephotography.co.uk

Gardom’s Edge, Derbyshire ardom’s Edge is a lovely rocky edge with views over the rolling hills of the southern Peak District. The top sports some areas of silver birch, and there are small patches of old, twisted oaks just below the ridge. Together with the moorland, which surrounds the area, there’s plenty to explore and much to photograph.

How to get there: From the major roundabout on the A619 at Chatsworth, take the A621 (Sheffield Road) which runs up the valley below the edge. Having passed the edge, take a right at the minor crossroads on to Clodhall Lane, and park. The path to the edge starts at the crossroads and runs on to the moors.

What to shoot: Peak District views, rock formations, stands of silver birch and twisted oak, heather and bracken. Other times of year: Year-round for views and textures. Later in the year, the location is ideal for mists and autumn colour. Nearby locations: Shillito Woods (2 miles); Chatsworth House (2.5 miles).

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‘Best Photo Lab Worldwide’ Awarded by the Editors of 26 International Photography Magazines TIPA World Award 2013, 2017 and 2020

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INSIDE TRACK

Talking pictures in the Zoom age Maybe it’s a sign of the times we live in but making presentations to camera clubs over digital video platforms is quickly becoming part of the new normal these days. And yet, as Nick Smith discovers, it’s not quite as impersonal as it sounds

No matter how attractive the thought of discussing my own photographs in the form of an illustrated presentation to a camera club might be, as someone who prefers the solitary and silent world of the writer, the temptation to do so is usually a passing one. Besides, until recently I’ve managed to rub along well enough without getting involved in the activity. I’ve got nothing against them and have spent many happy hours – particularly over the past lockdown year – in the virtual company of photographers spinning yarns and sharing secrets about their portfolios. The reason I’ve never committed to the act is that lecturing is located on the other side of a line I instinctively feel shouldn’t be crossed by me. My job is to write about other people’s photographs, not drone on about my own. And yet, to receive an invitation from one of the most revered camera clubs in the land seemed to be an honour that couldn’t be turned down lightly. Finding myself in the position where refusal risked causing offence, I abandoned my habit of lurking in the shadows and hesitantly accepted the call to arms while secretly feeling rather flattered. Besides, it occurred to me that I might even have something of interest to say because for the past year – with the exception of one studio portrait – I’ve only shot on a smartphone. Nobody among us could have missed the trend towards smartphone photography, and so I thought if ever I was going to benefit from chipping in my two penn’orth on the subject, it might as well be now before the fad passes and we all return to using grown-up cameras again. More than that, I reasoned, everyone these days has a smartphone, everyone takes pictures with the instrument, and it stands to reason, in my mind at least, that everyone should have access to the thoughts of someone who might be able to assist in learning how to make better use of the technology. Talking of technology, rather than the more conventional approach of standing on the hind legs at a lectern delivering sublime utterances in austere tones to an august body of photographers in one of the finest lecture auditoria in the grand metropolis of London, my presentation was to be transmitted via my desktop computer in south Wales via the Zoom video communications software platform. And while we can all agree that such miracles of modern engineering have more than earned their keep of late, I’m of a mind that the prestige associated with formally addressing the club’s meeting inevitably would be somewhat diluted, while the experience itself, as I was about to find out, was no replacement for the real thing.

Aha, I hear you say: you said you’d never done one of these before. That’s right, I haven’t. But there are things in life that you just know. It wasn’t even going to be a ‘close, but no cigar’ moment. Nowhere near. But before I could unleash my thoughts on the world, I needed to gather them, which is where I found myself confronting a blank page in the imagination. What on earth was I to say about my own images? It’s an interesting question because a photograph always seems to me to be the signal that you’ve completed saying whatever it is you wanted to say about your subject. I don’t know if this will help, but I often get very confused when I see a sign on someone’s gate cautioning me to beware of the dog. This is because, logically speaking, surely the dog is the sign that warns us to beware of the consequences of trespassing? It follows therefore that explaining my pictures with words could only add an unnecessary level of noise to a conversation that had already taken place. So, rather than collect my thoughts, I decided it might be easier to collect some photographs. The world of virtual presentation is a curiously sterile one in which there is little in the way of feedback against which to assess how meaningful the experience is for the audience. What should be a dialogue becomes a monologue, and as you sit there in front of your screen (which you can only hope is visible to those that have dialled in to the presentation), you become overwhelmed by the sensation that you’re talking to yourself about yourself. Not liking this one bit, I decided my prepared statements needed to be consigned to the wastepaper basket in favour of something more spontaneous. For the record, I had planned to discuss some moderately sensible points along the lines of the value of planning and location scouting, the importance of taking your time, and how the principles of artistic composition take precedence over any doubts about one’s gadgetry. But since I couldn’t discuss anything in a meaningful way, I simply decided to tell a story. In this I was lucky because my first book of lockdown smartphone photography – To the Lighthouse – has both linear narrative and quest structure. It’s about how I cycled to the headland every day, limiting myself to taking one photograph with my phone. Put like that, I’ll cheerfully admit it’s hardly Great Expectations. But it seemed to do the trick: after what seemed like a matter of minutes, my hour was up and I was fielding a healthy stream of questions, before being politely and enthusiastically thanked for sharing my insights into this small, bright corner of our world.

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2021 Sony World Photography Awards Now in its 14th year, the Sony World Photography Awards attracts thousands of entries from around the world. Here we share some of the best pictures in the competition. Left (top) Canard Mandarin sur les Bords du Léman

Alexandre Pietra I discovered this mandarin duck in the calm water of Lake Geneva, Switzerland. Left (below) Raw Nature

Graeme Purdy This series of images was taken using wideangle lenses and wireless triggers. With these iconic wild animals, being in close proximity is too dangerous, so you need to be inventive and innovative. Right (below) A Bird in the Woods

Au Hin Man This was shot in the woods by the roadside in Tai Po, Hong Kong. In the dark forest, white egrets shine like hope. Opposite Sunrise Flow

Lorenzo Poli In Iceland’s Highlands, there is an uninhabitable volcanic desert of black ash. It is a mostly lifeless but extraordinary landscape.

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PHOTO SHOWCASE © Lorenzo Poli, Italy, Shortlist, Open, Landscape, 2021 Sony World Photography Awards

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Left (top) Morild

Hans Kristian Strand A magical night. Left (below) Young Long-eared Owl

Mati Puum A young long-eared owl cries out to his mother. Opposite (top) Locust Invasion in East Africa

Luis Tato © Hans Kristian Strand, Norway, Shortlist, Open, Landscape, 2021 Sony World Photography Awards

Desert locusts are the most destructive migratory pests in the world. Thriving in moist conditions in semi-arid to arid environments, billions of locusts have been feeding throughout East Africa, devouring everything in their path, and posing a huge threat to the food supply and livelihoods of millions of people. Opposite (below) Drying Fish

Khanh Phan

A woman dries trays of fish at Long Hai fish market in the Vung Tau province of Vietnam.

58 Outdoor Photography

PHOTO SHOWCASE

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Left (top) Foggy Farming

Iakovos-Thoedoros Apeiranthitis At 1,003m, Mount Zas (or Zeus) dominates the Greek island of Naxos. By the time I was halfway up, the fog had become so dense it completely obscured the base of the mountain. I noticed a small herd of sheep grazing peacefully in this strange environment. Left (below) Frozen Landscapes

Carol Graham Forced to refrain from travel, I turned to landscape photography closer to home, and became obsessed by the colours, patterns and textures that appear in frozen puddles. Opposite Autumn Leaves

Yukihito Ono Mount Fuji in autumn leaves.

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Outdoor Photography 61 © Yukihito Ono, Japan, Shortlist, Open, Travel, 2021 Sony World Photography Awards

Left (top) Blue in Black

Right (top) Desert and Lonely Tree

Below Frío Cálido

Arturo de Frias

Mehdi Parsaeian

Alexis Guevara

A blue shark in black & white, photographed on Spain’s Cantabrian coast.

In Iran’s Bafgh Desert, a shrub manages to survive in the most extreme conditions.

An ecosystem of large hills with pine trees surrounds the Laguna Larga in Los Azufres, Mexico. At sunrise, the water gives off steam, which, because of the minerals found in the area, generates a thick mist.

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Canon EOS R5 mirrorless camera body

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READER GALLERY Each issue we publish the best images from those submitted to our Reader Gallery – turn to page 68 to find out how to enter your work. Here is this month’s winner... Winner Richard Glynne Jones At the age of 16, my father presented me with a Zenith B camera and a £5 Leningrad light meter. It all started there, with badly exposed prints. I have long been fascinated with our western seaboard. My sources of inspiration range from the north Wales coast to the Inner and Outer Hebrides. I shun blue skies and always seek changing weather systems. In north-west Scotland you can experience four seasons in a day – the mood and light continually change as the Atlantic presents its wonderful gifts. While the beaches of Harris are a big draw, the beach at Kiloran is a hidden gem on a lovely island. I spent my time on Colonsay staying very close to the beach. I could visit easily and daily, and as a result I began to understand its light and potential compositions. While there, I never experienced a single clear blue sky, which suited me perfectly. Hometown Conwy, north Wales Occupation Retired. Formerly, I was employed as a loss adjuster Photographic experience I have been a photographer for more than 50 years

This image has captured crepuscular light illuminating Conwy Bay, north Wales. Taken from Y Gogarth (the Great Orme), it has a backdrop of the Carneddau mountains, as well as the northern tip of Ynys Môn (Anglesey).

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READER GALLERY

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READER GALLERY

Above This is the beach at Cille Odhrain (Kiloran) on the Isle of Colonsay in the Inner Hebrides. Hebridean beaches are among the most beautiful and dramatic beaches in the world. At Kiloran, I cannot think of a better place to be alone with my camera. Opposite Kiloran beach has stormy weather brooding in the background. Hebridean beaches often have a freshwater stream emptying photogenically on to the sands.

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READER GALLERY

Submit your best images and win great prizes This month’s winner receives a pair of Keen Tempo Flex WP Mid boots, worth £130! The just-launched Tempo Flex boots feature Keen’s innovative new accordion-like Bellows Flex technology to enable hikers to move with less effort, leading to many more miles of comfortable performance during outdoor adventures. In addition to this energy-saving insert, these great-looking boots feature a rip-stop upper with TPU overlays for durability, a Keen Dry waterproof and breathable membrane, and a super-rugged All Terrain outsole to deliver excellent traction on the toughest terrains. Available in men’s and women’s versions. To find out more, visit keenfootwear.com

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GET INVOLVED

Your chance to take part See your work in print + win great prizes!

Online submissions! Go to outdoorphotographymagazine.co.uk READER GALLERY

ONE THING THIS MONTH

Heavenly Skies

READER GALLERY

In OP 265 we asked you to send us your best landscape compositions featuring stunning and atmospheric skies, and we were bowled over by your brilliant submissions. Here’s our winner (who receives a Vango Ozone 30 rucksack) and our 19 runners-up

Winner Richard Glynne Jones

If you only do one thing this month…

Each issue we publish the best images from those submitted to our Reader Gallery – turn to page 68 to find out how to enter your work. Here is this month’s winner...

At the age of 16, my father presented me with a Zenith B camera and a £5 Leningrad light meter. It all started there, with badly exposed prints. I have long been fascinated with our western seaboard. My sources of inspiration range from the north Wales coast to the Inner and Outer Hebrides. I shun blue skies and always seek changing weather systems. In north-west Scotland you can experience four seasons in a day – the mood and light continually change as the Atlantic presents its wonderful gifts. While the beaches of Harris are a big draw, the beach at Kiloran is a hidden gem on a lovely island. I spent my time on Colonsay staying very close to the beach. I could visit easily and daily, and as a result I began to understand its light and potential compositions. While there, I never experienced a single clear blue sky, which suited me perfectly. Hometown Conwy, north Wales Occupation Retired. Formerly, I was employed as a loss adjuster Photographic experience I have been a photographer for more than 50 years

WINNER Claire Waring Mellon Udrigle is one of the most stunning beaches on the north-west coast of the Highlands, with a wide vista over Gruinard Bay to the mountains beyond. The day had been wet, but just as we were about to leave, there was a gap in the storm clouds; the sun lit up the white sand, giving me just a few minutes to take the shot. Canon EOS-1D X with EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM lens at 24mm, ISO 100, 1.3sec at f/16, tripod

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IF YOU ONLY DO ONE THING THIS MONTH Enter our WIldlife Portraits photo challenge and you could have your image published in issue 271 of OP. Plus, the winner will receive two great products from the Keela Insect Shield collection: Machu trousers (RRP £59.95) and Insect Shield T-shirt (RRP £29.95). See page 95 for details.

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READER GALLERY Send us your best outdoor images, and if you’re chosen as our winner you’ll receive a superb prize. Our next winner will receive a pair of Keen Tempo Flex WP Mid hiking boots, worth £130!

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GET INVOLVED

OP COMMUNITY

COMPETITION

Join the OP community on our social channels where you can see what we’re keen to share in the world of outdoor photography. Keep right up to date with news by ‘liking’ OP at facebook.com/ outdoorphotographymag Follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/opoty

Where in the world? If you can identify where these beautifully coloured caves are located you could win a Syrp Genie Micro smart remote, worth £139!

These beautiful caverns were formed by water over thousands of years, and the mysterious caves and rock formations are now a tourist attraction. But is it:

a: The Blue Grotto, Italy b: The Reed Flute Cave, China c: The Marble Caves, Chile The answer and the winner’s name will be revealed in OP 271. You can enter the competition online at outdoorphotographymagazine.co.uk, using Cave268 as the code, or send your answer to opcomp@thegmcgroup.com, stating Cave268 as the subject. Alternatively, drop it in the post to: Where in the World – Cave268, Outdoor Photography, 86 High Street, Lewes, East Sussex BN7 1XN. The deadline for entry is 3 July 2021.

THIS MONTH’S GREAT PRIZE Worth

SYRP GENIE MICRO

The Syrp Genie Micro is an all-in-one smart remote for mirrorless and DSLR cameras. The device allows photographers to control their camera directly from Syrp’s free intuitive smartphone app, available for both iOS and Android. Designed to minimise the set-up time for time-lapse and video, the Genie Micro slides easily on to the camera’s hotshoe and allows you to set up a variety of different shots while also controlling camera settings, such as ISO, aperture and shutter speed. The Genie Micro works with most Canon and Nikon cameras, and additional compatibility with Sony and other cameras will soon be possible. For more details visit syrp.com.

£139

OP 265 WINNER

Find us on Instagram at instagram. com/outdoorphotographymag

In issue 265 we asked you to identify the meandering river in the image below. The correct answer is:

a) Uvac Gorge, Serbia Shutterstock.com

ENTER ONLINE NOW! Where is it?

Congratulations to our winner! Emma Joyce from Dorset

EMAIL ENTRIES

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WHERE IN THE WORLD?

SOCIAL HUB

Tell us the location on page 96 and this month you could win a Genie Micro, the all-in-one smart remote for mirrorless and DSLR cameras. The device allows photographers to control their camera directly from Syrp’s free intuitive smartphone app, available for both iOS and Android.

Please send your views, opinions and other musings to markbe@thegmcgroup.com, or send them online or by post. If your letter is thoughtful and engaging we’ll be delighted to share with all our readers. Please limit your letters to about 200 words or under and be aware that your words may be edited before they are used in the magazine.

For more details visit syrp.com.

We are unable to accept speculative submissions via email, so please do not send work in this way, unless requested to do so by a member of the OP editorial team. Send via post or online instead.

WEBSITE SUBMISSIONS You can send us links to your website, for us to view your general work only. Please note that strictly no correspondence will be entered into regarding website submissions. Send the link to opweb@thegmcgroup.com.

PLEASE NOTE VIEWPOINTS WINNER SAVO ILIC savoilic.com

Musbury Hill Fort, Devon

usbury Hill Fort is situated above the beautiful village of Musbury and offers stunning views of the Axe Valley in the East Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. This impressive Iron Age fort occupies a commanding position approximately 175m above sea level, with views to Seaton on the south Devon coast. It is located on the East Devon Way, a 40mile walking route which runs from Exmouth to Lyme Regis, through beautiful Devon countryside. How to get there: From Exeter, travel east along the A3052, turning left on to the A358. Continue along the A358 to Musbury. From Axminster, stay on the A358 for three miles to Musbury. From the village, take Mounthill Lane which leads to the top of the hill. What to shoot: Panoramic valley views and pine forest; deer, buzzards and kestrels. Other times of year: This is a stunning location all year round but is particularly special on misty mornings. Nearby locations: Seaton Wetlands Nature Reserve (3 miles); Jurassic Coast (4 miles).

Due to the many submissions we receive from our readers each month, if you have not heard from us within 10 weeks (except for Viewpoints) then it is unlikely we will be using your work in the magazine on this occasion. GMC Publications cannot accept liability for the loss or damage of any unsolicited material, including slides.

EXHIBITIONS AND EVENTS If you would like an exhibition or event included in Outdoor Photography, please email markbe@thegmcgroup.com at least 10 weeks in advance. You can also submit it online through our website.

NEWS STORIES WIN £200!

We want to see your pictures of great photography locations around the UK and Ireland. The best Viewpoint of the Month will win £200. See page 68 for details.

Congratulations!

Savo Ilic wins a fantastic £200 for his great photograph!

Distance: 4 miles from Axminster • 5 miles from Lyme Regis ACCESS RATING 48 Outdoor Photography

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Is there a current and time sensitive story you’d like us to cover in our news pages? Please email details to markbe@thegmcgroup.com or submit it online at: outdoorphotographymagazine.co.uk/ contact-us

28/04/2021 13:47

VIEWPOINTS

WRITE FOR US!

We want to see up to 10 of your best digital images from your favourite UK and Irish viewpoints. If one of them is selected it will be published in the magazine, plus there’s £200 up for grabs each month for the winning image. You can submit online at: outdoorphotographymagazine.co.uk Don’t forget to include your name, daytime contact number and email address. And please include camera data for each image submitted.

We are always on the lookout for inspiring new features. If you have a great idea for an article then please send a short outline (no more than 60 words), plus five high-res JPEG images for our consideration.

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LIFE IN THE WILD

Photographing rock pool and seashore life Spotting a gap in his archives, and inspired by a memory of a family day out many years ago, Laurie Campbell determines to reverse his shoot first, identify later approach to rock pools

According to Wikipedia, Coton in the Elms is a village and parish in the English county of Derbyshire. At 70 miles (113km) from the coast, it is the furthest place in the United Kingdom from coastal waters. So, with nowhere being too far from the coast in the UK, it’s perhaps not surprising that a summer holiday by the seaside for the family was, and for many still is, seen as a much-loved tradition. Together with buckets and spades for building sandcastles, consuming fish and chips and ice cream, rock-pooling is still a popular activity. At one time, every other independent general store and newsagent seemed to stock cheap, brightly coloured plastic-mesh shrimp nets attached to the end of a bamboo rod. These were always a must-have for any selfrespecting rock-pooler, but were seldom of any practical use. We always preferred a more hands-on approach by turning over rocks in the pools because of the anticipation of finding something really exciting. That excitement has never waned, but what has changed is there is now a greater awareness of the need to take a more responsible view from an ethical and conservation standpoint. I think twice now about turning over rocks

and whenever I do, carefully return them to their exact original position. I have toyed with the idea of setting up a marine tank so I could hold a few specimens in controlled conditions, just long enough to allow me to obtain some photographs before releasing them. I described the technique of using tanks to photograph aquatic life in OP 250, but this was mainly intended for freshwater setups. Setting up a marine tank is much more specialised, not least because of the need to maintain correct salinity and, as it would be for species from cool UK waters, ensuring it didn’t overheat. My portfolio of photographs of rock pool life isn’t as extensive as it could be, even though I have visited many beaches and rocky shores around the coast of northern Britain throughout my career. Most of my photographs have been taken when I happen to have been in an area working on something completely different. Most often, something will catch my eye and because I usually have a macro lens and tripod handy, I’ll stop and shoot some pictures. With little or no advance research done on many of the subjects I’m photographing, I seem to be forever doing this retrospectively; more

Above The blenny or shanny is a common species around our coast, frequently occurring in intertidal rock pools. At only 6cm long, this individual must have been a youngster that I found in a relatively shallow rock pool barely 1m in length. Nikon F4S with 70-180mm f/4-5.6 macro lens, Fujichrome Velvia 50, 1/15sec at f/22, tripod, cable release, mirror-lock a case of shoot first, identify later. One abiding memory I have that has been gnawing away at my conscience to photograph more is from a family day to a beach when our two sons were much younger. We set off rockpooling, prepared with a bucket to temporarily contain subjects for observational purposes. It wasn’t long before we had found many of the species I was expecting to see, but then we discovered my first ever squat lobster, and shortly afterwards a huge common lobster, so big it wouldn’t have fitted in the bucket had any of us dared to pick it up. That beach is only a 15-minute drive from home so the opportunity has always been there. This could well be the summer I add pictures of a few more marine species to my archive. I really need to do better.

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Taking care at the rock pool Light-hearted as the family activity of rockpooling may seem, there are quite a few health and safety issues that go with it. The most important of these is, of course, the possibility of being cut off by an incoming tide. Locations where the upper shore is beneath rocky cliffs are best avoided because if you do get caught out by a rising tide there can be less chance of escape. Planning visits around the tides is therefore essential and even the BBC Weather website contains information on tide times and, importantly, the height of the tide. The variation in the size and height of tides is affected by the phases of the moon. During a full moon, the sun and the moon are aligned with the Earth when gravitational forces combine to pull the ocean’s water in the same direction, resulting in spring tides where the difference between low and high tide is greatest. Therefore, with more of the lower shore exposed during a full moon, this is one of the best times to go rock-pooling.

Seaweed-covered rocks are another liability and aside from choosing footwear with adequate tread, take a walking pole to steady yourself. Transporting photographic equipment into such a hazardous environment obviously needs a bit of thought. I carry everything in a backpack that also contains a bottle of fresh water for rinsing hands and a towel to dry them before touching camera kit. A kneeling pad of high-density foam or, better still, knee pads from a garden centre, are a godsend if you’ve ever knelt on barnacle-encrusted rocks. I class tripods as essential but try to avoid submerging them in seawater. With sealed lower legs, Benbo tripods are ideal and if you

plan on doing much of this type of work, or indeed in any other watery environments, it’s worth investing in one and simply switching your tripod head over when the need arises. Much as polarising filters are known for reducing glare from water surfaces, it’s usually possible in sunny weather to find an angle where surface reflections can be almost eliminated without using one, with the added advantage of not losing 2 stops of light. Above all, if shooting subjects beneath the surface, it’s essential to only work in calm weather because even the slightest breeze will cause ripples and distort the subject – unless, of course, you are aiming for an experimental, abstract effect.

Above The blood-red colour form of beadlet sea anemones is difficult to miss. Photographed in bright sunlight, the pale surroundings acted as a reflector. Nikon D3X with 200mm f/4D macro lens, ISO 160, 1/4sec at f/32, tripod, cable release, mirror-lock Right Photographed on a desperately dull, damp day on a rocky shore on the Isle of Harris, this breadcrumb sponge was left exposed on an exceptionally low tide. Nikon D3X with 200mm f/4D macro lens, ISO 125, 1.6sec at f/25, tripod, cable release, mirror-lock

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NATURE GUIDE

Laurie’s seasonal highlights Left Sea thrift, also known as sea pink (Armeria maritima), will be a familiar plant to anyone visiting a seabird colony at this time of year. Even when it appears hugely out of focus in the foreground of photographs of seabirds taken from a low viewpoint, the pink colour is always a giveaway. This is a resilient plant, well capable of thriving on the edge whether it be in rock crevices on sea cliffs or on road verges by the coast where the soil is drenched in salt spread by gritting lorries in winter. Just take a little time to photograph only the plant itself. Nikon D7100 with 70-200mm f/2.8 FL lens, ISO 640, 1/250sec at f/8, handheld Opposite (top) The breeding season for birds always presents opportunities to photograph them gathering nesting materials. Many species of garden birds, for example, can be baited with soft materials, such as feathers or dog hair from a grooming brush. For some species, including great crested grebes (Podiceps cristatus), nesting materials are also used in courtship and some birds of prey, such as this golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos), often bring in sprigs of nesting material long after the young have hatched to freshen up the nest. Nikon D3S with 70-200mm f/2.8 VR II lens at 90mm, ISO 500, 1/1250sec at f/7.1, tripod, cable release, hide Opposite (middle) The peak time to look for common cockchafers (Melolontha melolontha) is from late April to June, as its other common name of May bug suggests. These large (25-30mm) reddishbrown beetles spend the first two to five years of their lives underground as large white grubs before emerging as adults (imago). They are active after sunset and attracted to artificial lights, frequently crashing into house windows etc. Not surprisingly, they turn up in moth traps too so these are a good source of specimens to photograph next day before they are released. Nikon D3X with 200mm f/4D macro lens, ISO 100, 1/8sec at f/29, tripod, cable release, mirror-lock Opposite (below) Partly due to changes in agricultural land use policies, the UK has sadly lost many of its areas of damp, boggy grasslands that were an important nesting habitat for many wading birds. Their declining numbers have rung a few alarm bells and there are some signs of change. In the meantime, if you really want to photograph waders in a natural, unspoilt and stunningly beautiful setting, then the flower-rich machair grasslands of the Hebridean islands are a perfect place to start for birds such as this oystercatcher (Haematopus ostralegus). Nikon F3 with 600mm f/5.6 manual-focus lens, Kodachrome 64, 1/60sec at f/5.6, beanbag from car window using vehicle as a hide

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More seasonal subjects Flora

Spring squill Nikon D2X with 60mm f/2.8 AF-D macro lens, ISO 125, 1/20sec at f/22, tripod, cable release, mirror-lock Spring squill (Scilla verna) – a low-growing wildflower of coastal grasslands and clifftops. The peak time to photograph the beautiful blue flowers is from April to May. Cow parsley (Anthriscus sylvestris) – one from the umbellifer group of plants, so called because of the radial formation of the flower heads, and an easier one to identify because it is one of the first to flower. Garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata) – one of the food plants for orange-tip butterfly caterpillars and nectar for the adult butterflies. Also known by the old folk name of jack-by-the-hedge.

Fauna

Corncrake Nikon F3 with 600mm f/5.6 manual-focus lens, Kodachrome 64, 1/500sec at f/5.6, beanbag from car window using vehicle as a hide

Corncrake (Crex crex) – for anyone lucky enough to visit any of the Hebridean islands where this rarity lives, this is the best month to see them before the vegetation becomes too tall. Four-spotted chaser (Libellula quadrimaculata) – a widespread species of dragonfly found near bodies of clean freshwater. The distinct wing spots give this species its name. Northern fulmar (Fulmarus glacialis) – this relative of the albatross family has a long breeding season, with the courtship stage being the most interesting to photograph.

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A MOMENT WITH NATURE

The Black Isle pine marten After an interminable wait for the perfect conditions and several failed attempts, James Roddie finally captured the single frame that justified his patience and perseverance. He’s still grinning even now…

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shudder to think how many hours I have spent waiting for pine martens. For the last five years, I have been fascinated with this beautiful yet elusive species. From my hide in the Scottish Highlands, I regularly spend up to 12 hours a day watching and hoping. I have regular glimpses into the lives of several martens from my hide, but even now my heart races when one of their cat-like heads pops up from the heather. By any measure, martens are challenging animals to photograph. They are fast and shy and it has taken me a long time indeed to build up a rounded portfolio of images. However, like many photographers, I have a mental list of visualised images which I doubt I’ll ever actually achieve. Since I started working with off-camera flash, an idea for an image would emerge whenever snow was forecast. I wanted to photograph a pine marten at night, dislodging snow as it moved through the forest. When I made my first attempt, however, it became clear that it would need very specific weather conditions to work. My hide is sheltered from snow in the woods, so I would only have a handful of opportunities per winter. Additionally, the hide is near to the coast, meaning the snow is generally quite wet when it falls. Wet snow simply wasn’t going to work, as I found on my first attempt: as the marten ran along the log, a few damp clumps of snow fell to the ground; my images were all rejects. For the image to work I needed extremely dry, fine snow to fall on light winds. If there was any wind, it wouldn’t settle on the log. I also needed it to not actually be snowing when the pine marten arrived or my lens would fill up with snow. As well as these specific conditions, I also needed to position the flashes perfectly and then react at precisely the right moment. It was a tall order. When the forecast suggested a big freeze, I mobilised. My first attempts were fruitless, with no martens during 14 hours of hide time. On the third night, after a long wait in -10ºC temperatures, I spotted a long, slender body climbing down a tree on the edge of the clearing. It was an old female pine marten who I knew well. My heart pounded as she ran along the log and a fine mist of dry snow dislodged into the air behind her. I was grinning from ear to ear when I reviewed my images. I had one, just one, that worked, but it was all I needed.

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NATURE ZONE STEVE YOUNG

On the wing Steve Young thought lockdown would be dull and tedious, but then a peacock butterfly, closely followed by chiffchaff, goldcrest and buzzard, lifted his spirits. Beats decorating any day of the week… On that first day of lockdown back in 2020, the days ahead looked long and bleak (and as I write this during lockdown #3, they still do), but at least I had a garden. But what on earth was I going to photograph for the next however many weeks? If you think back, this was a strict lockdown with exercise limited to close to home and for 30 minutes a day. It was going to have to be the garden to the rescue, plus the playing field that lies behind my house. It was the last week in March so spring migrants wouldn’t be far away; something to look forward to at this miserable time. There was a list of home and decorating jobs supplied by my thoughtful wife, plus there was no excuse for not sorting and filing all those images that had built up on the hard drive over the previous 12 months; another wonderful job. I used to keep incredibly detailed birding notes, which have shrunk to just a few lines or nothing at all in recent years, but now I was back with notebook and pen, jotting down everything I was seeing and hearing. I confess that, at first, I sulked – I didn’t want to just watch my garden – but thanks to a fantastic spell of weather I soon snapped out of it and a beautiful peacock butterfly on 26 March lifted my spirits. A singing chiffchaff started the bird log, but with this species now over-wintering it’s difficult to know whether this was a freshly arrived spring migrant or not; but it went in the notes as the first of the spring. A goldcrest was the next unusual

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species, calling from a birch tree in next door’s garden but feeding on branches in mine. The next few weeks took on a familiar pattern, greatly helped by a long spell of warm, sunny weather that led to me having breakfast outside with binoculars and lens at the ready. I was hoping for a migrating osprey to fly over but, despite seeing them twice here before, it didn’t happen. Buzzard became almost daily visitors, however, with five seen on one day, and I realised that I had up to three sparrowhawks visiting the garden – two males and a female. One day in April delivered two willow warblers and a blackcap, while on the field I found a pair of reed buntings, two meadow pipits and a number of butterflies out and about, including peacock, small tortoiseshell and the first orange-tip of the spring. But there was also that decorating list, so on a dull day I started on the back room. I was ‘happily’ painting the ceiling when for some reason I glanced around at the lawn – 10 yards away was a stunning male sparrowhawk on the grass with something in its claws (identified later as a house sparrow). ‘Please

don’t move,’ I muttered. My prayers were answered and it stayed where it was for the next 15 minutes, allowing me to shoot through the window. I then slowly pushed the door open to take an even better series of images. During this time I not only learned about my garden’s wildlife, but also PPE and R numbers and realised how much I missed my family and grandchildren. And through the daily briefings I sadly got to know our politicians as well as the birds in the garden. Above Sparrowhawk The decorating was made more bearable by the arrival of this male sparrowhawk after it had caught a house sparrow – and I downed tools and grabbed the lens. Below (left) Blackcap They are great to see in my garden and have a fantastic song for such a small bird, but I’ve always found blackcaps difficult to photograph – they always seem to sit behind a branch to sing or flit about half-hidden in the ivy. Below (right) Goldcrest This goldcrest was an early pick-me-up in the first few days of lockdown. They are always a delight to see, but especially in my garden when I couldn’t go out.

BIRD OF THE MONTH As mentioned in the main text, willow warblers will be back on our shores for the breeding season, with their downward-scale song brightening up any spring walk. Their song is the best way to separate them from chiffchaff, which have a monotonous chiffchaff, chiff-chaff refrain. Willows are longer winged and have pale legs, but both features can be difficult to see on a flitting bird in a tree or bush. Right Chiffchaff These comparison shots show the difference in wing-length of chiffchaff (shorter) and willow warbler. Far right Willow warbler Below Willow warbler Note the paler legs and brighter colours with a more obvious supercilium above the eye on this portrait of a willow warbler.

BIRD PHOTOGRAPHY TIP

Nuthatch Nowhere is the routine greater than at a nest site when the adult birds, like this nuthatch, are coming to and fro with food for the young birds. Sit, watch and wait to see which way they approach and leave the site.

Birds are creatures of habit, and careful watching will see you discovering their routines. During lockdown I became very familiar with the habits of my garden birds and even those migrants like blackcap,

Barn owl Even when I knew the early-evening routine of this barn owl there was still no guarantee it would come close enough for good photos, though on this occasion it did.

chiffchaff and willow warbler all invariably ended up in the same trees as they sang and fed on the odd day or two they were present. Routine will apply to many species, like waders feeding on the beach, which will be

dictated by the tide, while barn owls will have favourite areas to feed depending on weather and wind direction. Watch your birds and learn where they go and your photography of even the common species will improve.

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GEAR ZONE

Fujifilm X-S10 Fujifilm’s new APS-C mirrorless camera, the X-S10, slots in between the X-T30 and the higher-end X-T4. Its spec sheet promises a great-value package for both aficionados and newcomers to the ecosystem. Fergus Kennedy took it out on location to see if it could deliver on that promise. Guide price £949 Contact fujifilm.eu/uk

Below The 26MP sensor renders detail very nicely and the fully articulated LCD screen is great for low angle shooting.

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The X-S10 continues Fujifilm’s heritage of great-looking cameras with a certain retro chic. It’s angular, solid and appears to be very well built. For this model, Fuji has eschewed the mode control method found on many of its other mirrorless cameras and opted instead for a more traditional mode dial, which will suit users coming from other brands. Elsewhere on the top plate we find control dials for thumb and index finger, video record button, shutter release, quick menu button, ISO button and a further dial on the left which is used for selection of film simulation modes by default. Like the other dials, though, this one is customisable. One small point I noticed is that the dials on the X-S10

LIKES Feels great in the hands Fully articulating rear LCD Excellent image quality in stills and 4K video Effective in-body image stabilisation (IBIS)

DISLIKES Autofocus could be better on fast-moving subjects Dongle needed for audio monitoring in video mode

aren’t clickable as they are on some of the higher-end Fujifilm cameras – not a big deal but worth mentioning. On many, but not all, Fujifilm lenses, the aperture is set via a ring on the lens

rather than via one of the camera dials. Using the X-S10 out in the field, I was immediately thankful for the fully articulated rear LCD. I spent a lot of time in the woods shooting from a low angle looking up at the tree canopy and it would have been very awkward without this feature. While not classleading in terms of resolution, I found the electronic viewfinder (EVF) was fully up to the task. Changing focus point using the joystick was intuitive, and the joystick is clickable, allowing you to either punch into the focus point in question, change the focus area or switch between detected faces, depending on how you want to customise it. In general, the autofocus works pretty well once you get

CAMERA TEST

Left (top) Film simulation modes are great both for shooting Jpegs in camera and as a starting point for Raw processing. Right (top) The Raw files were good for accentuating detail in the sky.

accustomed to Fuji’s implementation. I would say it is not quite up there with the class-leading models in terms of tracking fast-moving subjects, but for most applications it does a decent job. Drive modes can provide up to an impressive 20 frames per second. I really enjoyed the X-S10 in lowlight situations. The effective in-body image stabilisation (up to 6 stops, depending on the lens) and the high ISO performance is competitive with

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS Sensor 26MP APS-C Resolution 6240 x 4160 pixels Lens Interchangeable Fuji X mount Shutter speed 900s to 1/4,000sec (1/32,000sec with electric shutter) ISO 160-12,800 (80-51,200 extended) Viewfinder Electronic LCD 3in fully articulating (3:2) 1.04M-dot Flash Hotshoe Movie mode 4K up to 30fps, Full HD up to 240fps Card formats SD/SDHC/SDXC single card slot Power NP-126S lithium-ion Size 126 x 85 x 65mm Weight 465g (battery/no lens)

the best in the APS-C class. In practice, ISO 3200 and even 6400 is usable with a little noise reduction in postproduction. Image quality in general is exemplary. Many Fujifilm aficionados appreciate the film emulation profiles and will shoot Jpegs to get great looks straight out of camera, including the super-saturated Velvia look or the Acros black & white film. Processing the Raw files provided plenty of scope for elevating the exposure in the shadows if you shoot to preserve detail in the highlights. Video shooters will find plenty to like in the X-S10. You get 4K video at up to 30 frames per second and full HD up to an impressive 240fps, which is excellent for those who like a bit of slow-motion. The IBIS stabilisation works well for video, and face-tracking AF generally works pretty well too. There is a 3.5mm microphone port and you can monitor audio with headphones by using the included USB dongle. You can shoot in F-Log profile and use view-assist to simulate the look once the footage is graded.

VERDICT The Fujifilm X-S10 has a lot going for it. It feels great in the hand, with ergonomics that will be easy to pick up for photographers coming from other brands. Image quality is excellent, as is the feature set at this price point. This camera would make an excellent choice for a wide range of users, with the possible exception of those specialising in fast-moving subject matter. An ever-expanding range of high-quality XF lenses gives you a wide range of options in the glass department, and useful touches like USB charging and the fully articulating rear LCD round off a very competent package.

RATINGS Handling Performance Specification Value

95% 90% 92% 96%

Overall

93%

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Samyang AF 24mm f/1.8 FE

Benro tripods Heard the one about the Bat and the Tortoise? That’ll be Benro’s new ranges of tripods. The Bat is a range of six super-light, super-strong aluminium and carbon fibre models that feature five preset leg angles, dual-locking centre column and Benro’s new dual-panning VX ballheads. Legs can be individually adjusted and even folded back on themselves for absolute precision. The Tortoise series includes seven models – five for photo, two for video – that feature no centre column and fold down to less than 8cm in diameter. Braided carbon fibre tubing improves weight-bearing capacity by 13% while a new auto-hold feature allows the user to position each leg to exactly the angle required at the touch of a button. Tortoise tripods are supplied with Benro’s low-profile GX ballheads. Guide price £190 benroeu.com

Billed as a masterpiece for astrophotography, Samyang’s latest Tiny Series lens ticks all the right boxes for Sony E-mount users. The AF 24mm f/1.8 FE is a compact wideangle prime with a new custom mode for enthusiasts who shoot in the dark. This mode automatically moves focus to infinity at the touch of a customisable focus-hold button, with an LED indicator that turns green when your camera’s factory default setting has been achieved. This setting can then be fine-tuned and saved. Guide price £460 intro2020.co.uk

Craghoppers luggage Craghoppers has launched a range of high-security luggage designed for frequent travellers. The new range comprises seven key pieces, from rucksacks to wheelie bags, and all are available in three colours – black, red and green. The flagship product is the 40l Hybrid Holdall, a versatile weekender that can be worn as a backpack or shoulder bag. Made from 60% recycled polyester, the Hybrid also features slash-resistant pockets, tamper-proof YKK zips and padded tech compartments. Guide price From £40 craghoppers.com

GEARING UP CamRanger 2

Pentax K-3 MkIII The latest iteration of Pentax’s flagship APS-C DSLR is finally here and it certainly packs a punch in terms of spec. While looking very much like the K-3 MkII on the outside, a classic design now six years young, Ricoh says the K-3 MkIII has been significantly upgraded on the inside, with a new backilluminated 25.7MP BSI sensor, Prime V processor and Safox 13 AF system with 101 AF points at the heart of the camera’s overhaul. Other key spec housed within the weathersealed magnesium alloy chassis includes a five-axis in-body Shake Reduction II System 80 Outdoor Photography

rated to 5.5EV, 12fps burst rate, 4K video, high ISO of 1,600,000 (no, that’s not a typo), and revised three-dial control system. Optional extras include a battery grip (£330) and hotshoe cover (£50). Rumours abound that this could be the first and last DSLR launch of the year – or perhaps ever – with Canon and Nikon focusing on mirrorless innovation and Pentax launching new cameras once every blue moon. Is the SLR format we all know and love doomed for extinction? It certainly does look that way… Guide price £1,900 ricoh-imaging.eu

Control your camera from up to 150m away with the CamRanger 2. This advanced wireless tethering system is compatible with all Canon, Fujifilm, Nikon and Sony cameras and can be controlled via free CamRanger apps on iPads, iPhones, Android devices and Mac and Windows software. Perfect for wildlife, time-lapse, focus stacking and night photography, CamRanger 2 allows you to capture and view images remotely, use live view and touch focus, adjust camera settings and shoot HDR and exposure brackets. Other features include an intervalometer, video recording and SD card back-up. Guide price £430 intro2020.co.uk

Fjällräven Abisko Lite Trekking Jacket Looking for the perfect lightweight summer jacket? Fjällräven’s Abisko Lite is designed for mixed conditions, from showers to chilly winds. Featuring a technical hybrid construction comprising G-1000 Lite Eco (recycled polyester and organic cotton) and a four-way stretch fabric on the back and under the arms, the Abisko Lite is packed with smart features. An adjustable hood, two-way front zip and minimal seams enhance comfort and access, while underarm vents with diagonal zips have been carefully positioned out the way of your backpack’s belt.

Gitzo Légende

Guide price £245 fjallraven.com

Want an eco-friendlier tripod-and-bag combo? Introducing the Légende, a new line of ‘forever repairable’ Gitzo products designed to address throwaway culture thanks to unlimited warranties. The travel tripod features carbon fibre legs and aluminium leg locks, along with 170 individual parts, 70% of which can be replaced by the owner, with Gitzo shipping them out at no extra charge. It also weighs 1.45kg, carries a payload of 8kg and extends to 165cm. The backpack’s exterior is made of recycled polyester while 65% of the bag comprises recycled fabrics. Plus, both products’ leather straps are made from non-toxic synthetic materials.

Sony E-mount primes Sony has released a trio of lightweight prime lenses. The FE 50mm f/2.5 G, FE 40mm f/2.5 G and FE 24mm f/2.8 G are all the same size and design (45mm in length and 68mm in diameter), with the same filter thread (49mm) and dual linear motors, as well as the same price tag. Other shared features include a focus-hold button, focus mode switch, aperture ring and aperture click switch. While the 50mm and 40mm primes are intended for portraits, the 24mm has been optimised for creative landscapes, with a close focusing distance of 18cm and aspherical elements and Extra-low Dispersion glass elements. Guide price £630 sony.co.uk

Guide price £487 (early-bird kit) indiegogo.com

Sony 50mm f/1.2 G Master

Sigma fp L Attention landscapers looking for a pocketable full-frame mirrorless camera! With a back-illuminated 61MP Bayer sensor at its heart, Sigma’s fp L also features hybrid autofocus that combines contrast and phase-detection, a new crop zoom function that allows users to digitally zoom in and effectively increase focal length just by pinching the LCD touchscreen, and USB support for charging while the camera is in use. Sigma has also released an external electronic viewfinder for those who prefer composing the old-fashioned way. The EVF-11 features a 0.5in, 3.68 million-dot organic EL panel and is available on its own (£599) or with the fp L (£2,450). Guide price £2,000 sigma-imaging-uk.com

Sony has released the first f/1.2 glass for its Alpha system. Designed for shallow depth of field portraits and wedding photography, the FE 50mm f/1.2 G Master features a newly developed 11-blade circular aperture for ‘smooth, deep’ bokeh, four XD linear motors for fast, precise and quiet AF, and a floating focus mechanism with a minimum focus distance of 40cm. Controls and functions include Linear Response MF, aperture ring with clickable on/off switch, focus mode switch and two customisable focus-hold buttons. Guide price £2,100 sony.co.uk

Lowepro Flipside AW III Lowepro has updated one of its most popular backpacks. The Flipside III is available in two sizes (300 and 400) and two colours (black and grey). Fabric, features and protection have all been upgraded, with backside access now accompanied by front-moulded EVA bumpers for setting the bag on its face, and a new grab handle for easier handling in this mode. Side access now provides a second entry point for quick lens changes, and a storable waist belt and adjustable chest strap provide enhanced comfort. Internally, a revised layout can be arranged to store mixed setups including DSLRs, mirrorless cameras, lenses, drones, laptops and tablets. Guide price From £135 lowepro.com

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How to bring wildlife to your garden – and photograph it Great pictures from Bird Photographer of the Year Shooting landscapes for well-being Photographing with integrity Outdoor Photography 83

Subscribe and save up to 30% outdoorphotographymagazine.co.uk/subscribe Call +44 (0) 1273 488005

WILD PHOTOGRAPHY HOLIDAYS

New and Exciting Photography Workshops Closer to Home We are pleased to announce our all new UK-based workshops visiting some of the country’s most beautiful areas. Many Scottish locations inculding Orkney & Hoy, Harris & Lewis, Coigach and Assynt. North Wales’ Snowdonia National Park and Portmeirion. Whitby – Spirit of the Goths. Time to have a creative adventure!

www.wildphotographyholidays.com

ONE THING THIS MONTH If you only do one thing this month…

Heavenly Skies In OP 265 we asked you to send us your best landscape compositions featuring stunning and atmospheric skies, and we were bowled over by your brilliant submissions. Here’s our winner (who receives a Vango Ozone 30 rucksack) and our 19 runners-up

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ONE THING THIS MONTH Left (top) Alan Thomson Rosamol beach, Isle of Harris. On a dull day, just as we were leaving the beach at Rosamol, I looked back to see this image of sky, sea and distant people. I took one last photo with a wideangle focal length. Canon EOS 6D with 24-105mm lens at 24mm, ISO 400, 1/750sec at f/6.7 Left (middle) Lorraine Heaysman Birling Gap, East Sussex. Watching the sky and wading in my wellington boots, I made the most of the weather and got lost in the moment. Canon EOS 5D MkII with EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM lens at 24 mm, ISO 100, 1sec at f/11, Lee soft grad, tripod lorraineheaysmanphotography.co.uk Left (below) Andrew Hocking Penarth Pier, South Wales. As the sun rose through a cloudy sky, I positioned myself to capture the golden colours through the pier stanchions. The warm sunrise, echoed by the lights from inside the building, contrasted well with the steely-blue sky. A two-minute exposure streaked the clouds as they moved towards me to lead the eye in. Canon EOS 6D MkII with 24-105mm lens at 24mm, ISO 100, 120sec at f/14, tripod, Lee Big Stopper, soft grad hocking-photography.co.uk Opposite (top) Curtis Welsh The shoreline at Cullen on the Moray Firth, Scotland. A brilliant summer sunset lit up the sky, leading me to pause to capture some intense colours. Olympus OM-D E-M1 with 9-18mm lens at 15mm, ISO 200, 1/100sec at f/6.3, tripod curtiswelshphotography.co.uk Opposite (below) David Rees Morning light on the Isle of Skye. This was taken on a workshop that had seen us photographing the Old Man of Storr; the view as we made our way back to our cars was too good to miss. Canon 5D MkIV with 70-300mm lens at 165mm, ISO 100, 1/500sec at f/8

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ONE THING THIS MONTH Left (top) Robin Couchman Taken in the Lofoten Islands a few years ago, when we were fortunate to experience some great displays of the aurora. On this particular night, I liked the way that it seemed to follow the shape of the church roof and then curve upwards. Canon EOS 5D MkIII with 17-40mm lens, ISO 2000, 8secs at f/4, tripod Left (middle) Geoff Smithson Seahouses, Northumberland. I liked the cloud reflection and sun position. I used a wideangle to enhance the composition, exposing for the clouds to make sure the highlights weren’t blown out and to ensure shutter speed was fast enough, as I was shooting handheld in fading light. Canon EOS 7D with Sigma 10-20mm lens at 11mm, ISO 100, 1/100sec at f/11 Left (below) Phil Walker We camp at the head of Derwentwater in the Lake District every September and I love getting up early to photograph sunrise. On this day, I was a little late up and this scene greeted me as I looked out to check the conditions. I quickly grabbed my gear and went out to capture this fantastic display. Canon EOS 7D MkII with 17-40mm f/4 lens at 17mm, 4secs at f/11, ISO 100, tripod philwalker.myportfolio.com Opposite (top) Todor Tilev County Sligo, Ireland. I went to the Caves of Kesh, where I took this picture at sunset. Fujifilm X-T10 with 16-50mm lens at 16mm, ISO 200, 2secs at f/11, tripod todortilev.com Opposite (below) Mark Ferguson Winter sunset at Warebeth beach, Orkney. The sandstone rock patterns along this coastline add foreground interest to the backdrop of the Hoy hills. I visited in February during a low tide to capture the setting sun just to the west of the Isle of Hoy. Canon EOS 7D with Sigma 10-20mm lens at 11mm, ISO 100, 0.8sec at f/18, ND grad, tripod markfergusonphotography.co.uk

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ONE THING THIS MONTH

ONE THING THIS MONTH Left (top) Charles Gibson Very often the Firth of Clyde in South Ayrshire experiences squally showers coming in from the south-west, and when accompanied by intermittent sunshine it can result in wonderful rainbows. I was lucky to catch this one. Nikon D7100 with 18-105mm lens, ISO 200, 1/250sec at f/5.6 Left (middle) David Eberlin A painterly and quite heavenly morning sky over north Norfolk. I was flying my DJI Mavic Pro when I saw the sky light up; I positioned the drone to capture the scene, with the channel leading into the light and reflecting the sky colour. DJI Mavic Pro FC220 at 4.73mm, ISO 113, 1/50sec at f/2.2 davideberlin.uk Left (bottom) Mike South This spot on Rodborough Common in the Cotswolds is a short walk from my house, and I have been there many times for sunset. This evening had the perfect amount of broken cloud to reflect the sunlight and create some amazing rays while the sun was still high enough to illuminate the hillside. Canon EOS 6D with 17-40mm lens at 17mm, ISO 100, 0.4sec at f/18, tripod viewsouth.co.uk Opposite (top) Ron Bambridge Stonehenge, Wiltshire. I wanted to photograph Stonehenge small in the frame, showing how it sits within such an open landscape. Checking the weather before going, I hoped for sunlight shining low across the landscape to pick out the shapes of the stones. Waiting from late afternoon to evening, I was finally rewarded with spectacular lowevening sun on the right and an approaching heavy cloud formation on the left. Linhof Technorama 617 with Schneider 90mm Super Angulon f/5.6 lens, 1/15sec at f/11, tripod, Fujichrome Provia 100F film ronbambridge.com Opposite (below) Lois & David Henderson After a great day out taking pictures in the North Yorks Moors without seeing another soul, I was delighted to experience more superb skies on my return to the car after the sun had gone down. Olympus OM-D E-M1 with 12-40mm f/2.8 lens at 15mm, ISO 200, 1/400sec at f/5.6

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ONE THING THIS MONTH

Top (left) Catherine Illsley ‘Divine Intervention’. I shot this image of threatening clouds looming over the tiny chapel on the summit of the Kleine Kalmit near Ilbesheim, Germany, on an early summer evening. It’s difficult to say whether the clouds are reaching out to the chapel or whether the chapel is sending a message up into the heavens. Either way, I had to capture the drama of the scene and chose to emphasise it through a B&W conversion. Canon EOS 5D MkII with Canon 70-200mm f/2.8 L lens at 200mm, ISO 200, 1/400sec at f/8 cillsleyphotography.com

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Top (right) Georgina Strange South Georgia is a supremely special and incredibly beautiful sub-Antarctic island. I was sailing there on a Fisheries Patrol vessel and as we steamed past the coast of snowy peaks, the light shone through the clouds for a moment, hitting the mountains. It was the last light of the day and I was obviously limited in my compositional options, but it was one of the most memorable moments. Canon EOS 5D MkIII with 24-105mm lens at 95mm, ISO 320, 1/200sec at f/11 designinnature.com

Below Mark Saunders Sunrise over the River Severn, Newnham on Severn, Gloucestershire. Canon EOS 60D with Sigma 10-20mm lens at 10mm, ISO 160, 126sec at f/13, tripod marksaundersphotography.com

ONE THING THIS MONTH ENTER ONLINE NOW! Your next challenge Wildlife Portraits Whether wildlife is your speciality, or the recent lockdowns have inspired you to photograph the creatures that visit your back garden, this month we’re inviting you to send us you best animal portraits. From minibeasts to megafauna, we’re looking for compelling pictures that capture the spirit and character of your subject. The winning picture and the best of the runners-up will be published in OP 271. To submit your images to the competition, go to outdoorphotographymagazine. co.uk/submissions. Closing date for entries is midnight on 20 June 2021. See page 68 for more details plus terms and conditions.

The winner of our Wildlife Portraits competition will receive a Keela Insect Shield bundle, worth £90!

Above Edd Allen Birling Gap, East Sussex. As I headed towards to the coast, clouds filled the sky; no texture, no light breaking through and not much in the way of atmosphere. But I reminded myself that it was good to be outside. I descended the steps onto the shore of Birling Gap and got my camera ready. The sky was brightening and my optimism was renewing. Fortunately, the weather changed and I was treated to a wonderful display of colours that evening. Nikon D810 with Zeiss Distagon 18mm lens, ISO 100, 2secs at f/9, tripod flickr.com/photos/eddallen

This month, we have teamed up with outdoor gear brand Keela to offer two great products from their Insect Shield collection: Machu trousers (RRP £59.95) and Insect Shield T-shirt (RRP £29.95). Ideal for trekking and designed to safeguard the wearer from disease-carrying insects, these innovative garments feature a longlasting insect repelling treatment that’s proven to last through 70 washings on clothing and 25 washings on gear. Insect Shield garments also offer protection from UV light. For more details of Keela outdoor clothing go to keelaoutdoors.com

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COMPETITION

Where in the world? If you can identify where these beautifully coloured caves are located you could win a Syrp Genie Micro smart remote, worth £139!

Where is it? These beautiful caverns were formed by water over thousands of years, and the mysterious caves and rock formations are now a tourist attraction. But is it:

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THIS MONTH’S GREAT PRIZE SYRP GENIE MICRO

Worth

£139

OP 265 WINNER In issue 265 we asked you to identify the meandering river in the image below. The correct answer is:

a) Uvac Gorge, Serbia Shutterstock.com

ENTER ONLINE NOW!

Congratulations to our winner! Emma Joyce from Dorset

Get more than full-frame. Unlock your creativity with the GFX100S Professional-quality 4K/30p

43.8x32.9mm sensor

and colour reproduction

GFX100

GFX100S

GFX50R

F UJ I F I L M -X .CO M IMAGE TAKEN BY CHINA X-PHOTOGRAPHER JI GUO