Inspiring Professionals
Inspiring Professionals 2
www.leefilters.com
Contents
4
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
11-15
16-31
36-55
64-75
82-97
102-121
128-141
146-169
Introduction
Buildings
Coast
Handheld and Travel
Mountains
Sky
Snow and Ice
Water
Joe Cornish
Joe Cornish
Charlie Waite
Joe Cornish
Charlie Waite
Mark Denton
Mark Denton
Mark Denton
Paul Gallagher
David Noton
David Noton
Joe Cornish
Jeremy Walker
Paul Gallagher
Tom Mackie
Tom Mackie
Jeremy Walker
Paul Gallagher
David Ward
Tom Mackie
Jeremy Walker
David Noton
David Ward
Tom Mackie
Jeremy Walker
John Gravett
David Noton
David Ward
Jeremy Walker
John Gravett
John Gravett
John Gravett
32-35
56-63
76-81
98-101
122-127
142-145
170-173
Correct Exposure
Composition
Colour
Shooting Digital
Stitched Panoramas
Charlie Waite
Joe Cornish
David Ward
Creative Use of Filters
David Noton
Jeremy Walker
Thinking in Black and White
Tom Mackie
Paul Gallagher
Contents
4
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
11-15
16-31
36-55
64-75
82-97
102-121
128-141
146-169
Introduction
Buildings
Coast
Handheld and Travel
Mountains
Sky
Snow and Ice
Water
Joe Cornish
Joe Cornish
Charlie Waite
Joe Cornish
Charlie Waite
Mark Denton
Mark Denton
Mark Denton
Paul Gallagher
David Noton
David Noton
Joe Cornish
Jeremy Walker
Paul Gallagher
Tom Mackie
Tom Mackie
Jeremy Walker
Paul Gallagher
David Ward
Tom Mackie
Jeremy Walker
David Noton
David Ward
Tom Mackie
Jeremy Walker
John Gravett
David Noton
David Ward
Jeremy Walker
John Gravett
John Gravett
John Gravett
32-35
56-63
76-81
98-101
122-127
142-145
170-173
Correct Exposure
Composition
Colour
Shooting Digital
Stitched Panoramas
Charlie Waite
Joe Cornish
David Ward
Creative Use of Filters
David Noton
Jeremy Walker
Thinking in Black and White
Tom Mackie
Paul Gallagher
6
Photographers
Joe Cornish
Having studied fine art at Reading University, Joe Cornish then turned to photography, working first as an assistant and then as a travel photographer. He is now devoted to landscape photography, his working territory being predominantly the north of England and Scotland. His freelance commissions with the National Trust have continued over 20 years and an environmental focus defines his work. Joe is the author of the bestselling and influential book, First Light: A Landscape Photographer’s Art. His 2009 book, Scotland’s Mountains: A Landscape Photographer’s View, has been hailed as a classic of its kind. Recent works include the book, Joe Cornish: A Photographer At Work by Eddie Ephraums, and the full-length documentary film, With Landscape In Mind. He is co-director of a publishing company and gallery based in Northallerton, North Yorkshire (the Joe Cornish Gallery). A renowned thinker on photography, he has led workshops, given talks, and written magazine articles for the British photo press for two decades. In 2010, Joe launched onlandscape.co.uk with fellow photographer Tim Parkin. This has become an important web resource for anyone with an active interest in landscape photography. In 2011, he was on the judging panel of the Wildlife Photographer Of The Year and has acted as the competition judge’s ambassador on the Alan Titchmarsh show and in other media events. Joe is also an honorary member of the FRPS. Visit: joecornishgallery.co.uk withlandscapeinmind.com
Mark Denton
Mark Denton is one of the UK’s leading panoramic photographers. He is currently working on his eighth book of original material based in the area around his home in the Yorkshire Dales. This book will complete a trilogy of publications on Yorkshire. Other works include bestselling and follow-up volumes on London, plus the Lake District, Edinburgh and a five-year project covering the whole of England. Mark is also working on a long-term project on Scotland. It covers the entire country and is likely to take up to ten years to complete. He also dreams about honing his mountain skills and bravery enough to one day publish a book on the Alps. Mark runs bespoke courses on film and digital panoramas in a variety of locations, and also sells used professional panoramic equipment. Visit: markdentonphotographic.co.uk
Paul Gallagher
John Gravett
Paul Gallagher is a renowned master black-and-white photographer and printer with 30 years of experience in the use of film and digital cameras. He has lectured extensively for many years on landscape photography and printing, both in the darkroom and on modern inkjet print processes. He is an experienced workshop leader and is the co-founder of Aspect2i, a company that runs workshops and classes designed to teach skills in landscape photography. Paul is a firm believer in teaching how to ‘see’ as opposed to simply mastering camera equipment. His passion for the subject is infectious.
Based in Braithwaite in the Lake District, John Gravett is the photographic director of Lakeland Photo Limited. This incorporates Lakeland Photographic Holidays and Lakeland Photo International.
In 2010, Aspect2i took over the Epson Print Academy UK, and now offers classes throughout the UK in image postproduction and mastering the use of modern printers. Printing has long been a passion for Paul since his professional darkroom days and he sees the print as the ultimate photographic statement.
Over the past few years, he has moved entirely to digital photography, but still firmly maintains the principle of getting it right at the taking stage, rather than relying on digital manipulation, so LEE Filters are an important part of his digital set-up.
Paul is the author of two books. His first, Aspects Of Expression, was an exploration into the mind of the monochrome photographer, while Chords Of Grey is a beautifully crafted, cloth-bound, limited-edition portfolio. Visit: paulgallagher.co.uk aspect2i.co.uk chordsofgrey.com
He is a professional photographer with more than 35 years’ experience and is recognised as one of the most respected photographic tutors in the country, working with more than 300 photographers annually. His workshops are now held in the Lake District, Tuscany, Marrakech, Iceland and the USA, with new destinations planned for the future.
Visit: lakelandphotohols.com
6
Photographers
Joe Cornish
Having studied fine art at Reading University, Joe Cornish then turned to photography, working first as an assistant and then as a travel photographer. He is now devoted to landscape photography, his working territory being predominantly the north of England and Scotland. His freelance commissions with the National Trust have continued over 20 years and an environmental focus defines his work. Joe is the author of the bestselling and influential book, First Light: A Landscape Photographer’s Art. His 2009 book, Scotland’s Mountains: A Landscape Photographer’s View, has been hailed as a classic of its kind. Recent works include the book, Joe Cornish: A Photographer At Work by Eddie Ephraums, and the full-length documentary film, With Landscape In Mind. He is co-director of a publishing company and gallery based in Northallerton, North Yorkshire (the Joe Cornish Gallery). A renowned thinker on photography, he has led workshops, given talks, and written magazine articles for the British photo press for two decades. In 2010, Joe launched onlandscape.co.uk with fellow photographer Tim Parkin. This has become an important web resource for anyone with an active interest in landscape photography. In 2011, he was on the judging panel of the Wildlife Photographer Of The Year and has acted as the competition judge’s ambassador on the Alan Titchmarsh show and in other media events. Joe is also an honorary member of the FRPS. Visit: joecornishgallery.co.uk withlandscapeinmind.com
Mark Denton
Mark Denton is one of the UK’s leading panoramic photographers. He is currently working on his eighth book of original material based in the area around his home in the Yorkshire Dales. This book will complete a trilogy of publications on Yorkshire. Other works include bestselling and follow-up volumes on London, plus the Lake District, Edinburgh and a five-year project covering the whole of England. Mark is also working on a long-term project on Scotland. It covers the entire country and is likely to take up to ten years to complete. He also dreams about honing his mountain skills and bravery enough to one day publish a book on the Alps. Mark runs bespoke courses on film and digital panoramas in a variety of locations, and also sells used professional panoramic equipment. Visit: markdentonphotographic.co.uk
Paul Gallagher
John Gravett
Paul Gallagher is a renowned master black-and-white photographer and printer with 30 years of experience in the use of film and digital cameras. He has lectured extensively for many years on landscape photography and printing, both in the darkroom and on modern inkjet print processes. He is an experienced workshop leader and is the co-founder of Aspect2i, a company that runs workshops and classes designed to teach skills in landscape photography. Paul is a firm believer in teaching how to ‘see’ as opposed to simply mastering camera equipment. His passion for the subject is infectious.
Based in Braithwaite in the Lake District, John Gravett is the photographic director of Lakeland Photo Limited. This incorporates Lakeland Photographic Holidays and Lakeland Photo International.
In 2010, Aspect2i took over the Epson Print Academy UK, and now offers classes throughout the UK in image postproduction and mastering the use of modern printers. Printing has long been a passion for Paul since his professional darkroom days and he sees the print as the ultimate photographic statement.
Over the past few years, he has moved entirely to digital photography, but still firmly maintains the principle of getting it right at the taking stage, rather than relying on digital manipulation, so LEE Filters are an important part of his digital set-up.
Paul is the author of two books. His first, Aspects Of Expression, was an exploration into the mind of the monochrome photographer, while Chords Of Grey is a beautifully crafted, cloth-bound, limited-edition portfolio. Visit: paulgallagher.co.uk aspect2i.co.uk chordsofgrey.com
He is a professional photographer with more than 35 years’ experience and is recognised as one of the most respected photographic tutors in the country, working with more than 300 photographers annually. His workshops are now held in the Lake District, Tuscany, Marrakech, Iceland and the USA, with new destinations planned for the future.
Visit: lakelandphotohols.com
16
Buildings
Architecture is the backbone of not just our cities but, in a crowded country like Great Britain, much of the countryside, too.
Buildings
Be it a towering, modern skyline such as that around London’s Canary Wharf, an elaborate, ostentatious palace set in its own grounds or a semi-derelict barn within the Yorkshire Dales, buildings are often what give a scene its character and personality, speaking volumes about man’s relationship with the land, as well as design, innovation and industry. As with any photograph, the angle at which light hits a building is what gives it dimension but, in many cases, there may also be artificial light sources to contend with – either illuminating a building from within or lighting the streets outside.
Make the most of such contrasts by shooting as the day heads towards twilight: buildings come into their own during this ‘crossover’ period. A polarising filter can help eliminate distracting reflections from windows, while an ND grad will help balance sky with subject, so the viewer is less likely to be distracted by extremes of contrast.
16
Buildings
Architecture is the backbone of not just our cities but, in a crowded country like Great Britain, much of the countryside, too.
Buildings
Be it a towering, modern skyline such as that around London’s Canary Wharf, an elaborate, ostentatious palace set in its own grounds or a semi-derelict barn within the Yorkshire Dales, buildings are often what give a scene its character and personality, speaking volumes about man’s relationship with the land, as well as design, innovation and industry. As with any photograph, the angle at which light hits a building is what gives it dimension but, in many cases, there may also be artificial light sources to contend with – either illuminating a building from within or lighting the streets outside.
Make the most of such contrasts by shooting as the day heads towards twilight: buildings come into their own during this ‘crossover’ period. A polarising filter can help eliminate distracting reflections from windows, while an ND grad will help balance sky with subject, so the viewer is less likely to be distracted by extremes of contrast.
60
61
One of my personal rules is to avoid bright tones breaking through the edge of the image, as I have done here. This is why rules are meant to be broken! The sun does burn out the image where it enters on the left, but it also floods in to the picture, carrying energy with it. The curve of the hill on the left echoes the curve of the foreground heather and, together with the arc of the path, these ‘gestures’ set up the rhythm that unifies the composition.
The central focal point hill, Roseberry Topping, is deliberately centred over the heather dome, which creates a strong vertical axis, stabilising the image structure. The cooler shadow colours in the foreground help balance the dominant warm tones of the setting sun. Energy flows in from the sun, gathers on the sunlit highlights in the foreground, and is contained by the sweeping path, ultimately concluding at the summit of Roseberry.
Perhaps the best-known (and I might say notorious) rule of composition is the so-called rule of thirds. It always gives me a great sense of satisfaction to find that very few of my pictures follow this rule, and Stormclouds Over Alnmouth proves the point. The effective horizon line runs through the middle of the frame, so the sky and the landscape occupy almost exactly the same percentage area of the image. The principle points of focus, the bright clouds (top left) and the white boat (right foreground) do not sit on some magical thirds-based intersection. The picture works composed as it is because the way in which the energy flows and the eye travels through the image is active yet balanced. There is a clarity to the elements, yet they are complex also, providing a sense of depth and interest. The sky, quite literally, is equally as important to the image as the colour/texture of the land and the detail of the boats.
It is worth pointing out that the horizon line itself is low contrast – it barely registers and we are therefore not distracted or bothered by its central position. I honestly think that only someone composing by numbers could take issue with it.
60
61
One of my personal rules is to avoid bright tones breaking through the edge of the image, as I have done here. This is why rules are meant to be broken! The sun does burn out the image where it enters on the left, but it also floods in to the picture, carrying energy with it. The curve of the hill on the left echoes the curve of the foreground heather and, together with the arc of the path, these ‘gestures’ set up the rhythm that unifies the composition.
The central focal point hill, Roseberry Topping, is deliberately centred over the heather dome, which creates a strong vertical axis, stabilising the image structure. The cooler shadow colours in the foreground help balance the dominant warm tones of the setting sun. Energy flows in from the sun, gathers on the sunlit highlights in the foreground, and is contained by the sweeping path, ultimately concluding at the summit of Roseberry.
Perhaps the best-known (and I might say notorious) rule of composition is the so-called rule of thirds. It always gives me a great sense of satisfaction to find that very few of my pictures follow this rule, and Stormclouds Over Alnmouth proves the point. The effective horizon line runs through the middle of the frame, so the sky and the landscape occupy almost exactly the same percentage area of the image. The principle points of focus, the bright clouds (top left) and the white boat (right foreground) do not sit on some magical thirds-based intersection. The picture works composed as it is because the way in which the energy flows and the eye travels through the image is active yet balanced. There is a clarity to the elements, yet they are complex also, providing a sense of depth and interest. The sky, quite literally, is equally as important to the image as the colour/texture of the land and the detail of the boats.
It is worth pointing out that the horizon line itself is low contrast – it barely registers and we are therefore not distracted or bothered by its central position. I honestly think that only someone composing by numbers could take issue with it.
84
Mountains / Badwater fin
David Ward
One might think that the salt at
formations
Badwater, California, change very little from year to year, merely
eroding slowly and becoming
less interesting over time.
The weird thing is that these formations continually change and even grow. Following one of the rare floods, the formations dissolve away then, over months and years, the crust breaks and a fractal pattern of salt platelets forms. Occasionally, one of these platelet boundaries will throw up a really exuberant, amazing form, such as this 60cm high fin. I’d noticed this formation from about 50m away and walked over after shooting the first light on the mountains to the west. The fin was still in the shade, but the tops of the mountains and the landscape in the distance were in strong, early morning light.
I worked out my exposure from the lightest salt in the shaded foreground, placing this at one and a third stops above my chosen reading. This would ensure that it remained white. I then took readings from sunlit areas and found these were a massive five and a half stops brighter. I placed a 0.75ND filter over the mountains and across the dark salt in the middle distance, with the 0.9ND barely overlapping this.
Grad position 0.9ND 0.75ND
Filters used
0.9 ND Grad Hard
0.75 ND Grad Hard
84
Mountains / Badwater fin
David Ward
One might think that the salt at
formations
Badwater, California, change very little from year to year, merely
eroding slowly and becoming
less interesting over time.
The weird thing is that these formations continually change and even grow. Following one of the rare floods, the formations dissolve away then, over months and years, the crust breaks and a fractal pattern of salt platelets forms. Occasionally, one of these platelet boundaries will throw up a really exuberant, amazing form, such as this 60cm high fin. I’d noticed this formation from about 50m away and walked over after shooting the first light on the mountains to the west. The fin was still in the shade, but the tops of the mountains and the landscape in the distance were in strong, early morning light.
I worked out my exposure from the lightest salt in the shaded foreground, placing this at one and a third stops above my chosen reading. This would ensure that it remained white. I then took readings from sunlit areas and found these were a massive five and a half stops brighter. I placed a 0.75ND filter over the mountains and across the dark salt in the middle distance, with the 0.9ND barely overlapping this.
Grad position 0.9ND 0.75ND
Filters used
0.9 ND Grad Hard
0.75 ND Grad Hard
90
Mountains / Emerald Lake at dawn, Yoho National Park, Canada
David Noton
Spending four days working this beautiful
location in the
enticingly named
Yoho National Park was a productive treat.
Often it pays to stop travelling, establish a base and really get to know an area. Every morning, in the darkness before dawn, I’d be the first along the trail around the lake, breaking the cobwebs, wondering if I was about to come face to face with a bear. On the fourth morning, the reflections and this subtle lighting with wisps of low cloud hanging over the mountains was the reward for my persistence.
Grad position Filter used 0.6 ND
0.6 ND Grad Hard
A 0.6ND hard grad laid along the water line perfectly balances the exposure top and bottom.
90
Mountains / Emerald Lake at dawn, Yoho National Park, Canada
David Noton
Spending four days working this beautiful
location in the
enticingly named
Yoho National Park was a productive treat.
Often it pays to stop travelling, establish a base and really get to know an area. Every morning, in the darkness before dawn, I’d be the first along the trail around the lake, breaking the cobwebs, wondering if I was about to come face to face with a bear. On the fourth morning, the reflections and this subtle lighting with wisps of low cloud hanging over the mountains was the reward for my persistence.
Grad position Filter used 0.6 ND
0.6 ND Grad Hard
A 0.6ND hard grad laid along the water line perfectly balances the exposure top and bottom.
98
99
Creative Use of Filters by
Tom Mackie
Not all horizon lines are created equal. Irregularity adds spice to life and to photography.
Unconventional uses for the ND grad. Dynamic angles create the feeling of action within a frame. However, they can also create problems in terms of exposure control and filter use, because they mean the lighter area of the scene is not above the usual flat horizon. Usually, an ND grad is positioned directly parallel to the horizon and covering the sky. But remember, this is an exposurecontrol filter – so it should be placed in such a way as to control the lighter areas of the scene, wherever they may appear in the frame. I created this image during a workshop I was leading in Iceland. The stormy conditions were challenging and, while most people were tucked up inside their cosy houses, we were out braving the elements. With this image of the crashing wave at Reynisdrangar in Iceland, there is a vast difference between the highlights of the sky, sea and crashing wave, and the dark shadows of the basalt columns of the cliff. I positioned a 0.9ND soft grad over the right side of the frame, following the diagonal line of the cliff. This allowed me to bring down the brightness of the sky and the highlights of the water, and expose for the dark shadow areas of the basalt columns.
98
99
Creative Use of Filters by
Tom Mackie
Not all horizon lines are created equal. Irregularity adds spice to life and to photography.
Unconventional uses for the ND grad. Dynamic angles create the feeling of action within a frame. However, they can also create problems in terms of exposure control and filter use, because they mean the lighter area of the scene is not above the usual flat horizon. Usually, an ND grad is positioned directly parallel to the horizon and covering the sky. But remember, this is an exposurecontrol filter – so it should be placed in such a way as to control the lighter areas of the scene, wherever they may appear in the frame. I created this image during a workshop I was leading in Iceland. The stormy conditions were challenging and, while most people were tucked up inside their cosy houses, we were out braving the elements. With this image of the crashing wave at Reynisdrangar in Iceland, there is a vast difference between the highlights of the sky, sea and crashing wave, and the dark shadows of the basalt columns of the cliff. I positioned a 0.9ND soft grad over the right side of the frame, following the diagonal line of the cliff. This allowed me to bring down the brightness of the sky and the highlights of the water, and expose for the dark shadow areas of the basalt columns.
112
Sky / River Thurne reflections, Norfolk
Tom Mackie
Winter is the best time to photograph the
Norfolk Broads. The air is clear, the skies are more impressive and the
holidaymakers have given the area back to locals and the odd photographer.
On a cold January morning, I went to one of my favourite stretches along the River Thurne to see if I could find anything of interest. There is a value in returning to familiar places and I find the fact that I have an in-depth knowledge of an area actually helps me produce fresh images. This location has much photographic potential, with two wind pumps, golden reed beds, sail boats and a large expanse of water where the dyke enters the River Thurne. The air was still and silent, with only the sound of geese flying overhead. I stood beside the riverbank and watched the clouds drifting in from the east.
Grad position
I could feel I was on the verge of an exciting image. I just needed to wait for the clouds to drift to the left side of the frame to balance the image, but not break the edge of the frame. The river was like glass and, within 15 minutes, this gorgeous cloud formation filled my viewfinder from edge to edge in perfect symmetry. One last requirement before tripping the shutter was the addition of a 105mm circular polarising filter to make the clouds pop against a deep blue sky and a 0.9ND hard grad over the sky to balance the exposure.
Filters used 0.9ND
0.9 ND Grad Hard
Circular Polariser
112
Sky / River Thurne reflections, Norfolk
Tom Mackie
Winter is the best time to photograph the
Norfolk Broads. The air is clear, the skies are more impressive and the
holidaymakers have given the area back to locals and the odd photographer.
On a cold January morning, I went to one of my favourite stretches along the River Thurne to see if I could find anything of interest. There is a value in returning to familiar places and I find the fact that I have an in-depth knowledge of an area actually helps me produce fresh images. This location has much photographic potential, with two wind pumps, golden reed beds, sail boats and a large expanse of water where the dyke enters the River Thurne. The air was still and silent, with only the sound of geese flying overhead. I stood beside the riverbank and watched the clouds drifting in from the east.
Grad position
I could feel I was on the verge of an exciting image. I just needed to wait for the clouds to drift to the left side of the frame to balance the image, but not break the edge of the frame. The river was like glass and, within 15 minutes, this gorgeous cloud formation filled my viewfinder from edge to edge in perfect symmetry. One last requirement before tripping the shutter was the addition of a 105mm circular polarising filter to make the clouds pop against a deep blue sky and a 0.9ND hard grad over the sky to balance the exposure.
Filters used 0.9ND
0.9 ND Grad Hard
Circular Polariser
160
Water / Derwent Dawn
John Gravett
Taken from Strandshag
bay, looking across Derwentwater towards Catbells, this image benefited from the
high water levels after heavy rains
the previous
month.
The low viewpoint allows the foreground grasses, usually found much further up the shoreline, to become a strong visual element poking out of the shallow water at the lake’s edge. Carefully setting up my tripod, I ensured that the grasses would neither break into the reflection of Catbells, nor leave too big a gap of featureless water between the grass and the reflection. I used a 0.45ND hard grad pulled down to the far shoreline to balance the sky and the reflections, as I find reflections in water are usually one and a half to two stops darker than the landscape above, and I wanted them to be more balanced.
Grad position Filter used 0.45ND
0.45 ND Grad Hard
I was careful to include the sliver of moon visible at the top of the frame in the sky above Catbells. In all my time in the Lake District, this was one of the most magical mornings I have ever experienced.
160
Water / Derwent Dawn
John Gravett
Taken from Strandshag
bay, looking across Derwentwater towards Catbells, this image benefited from the
high water levels after heavy rains
the previous
month.
The low viewpoint allows the foreground grasses, usually found much further up the shoreline, to become a strong visual element poking out of the shallow water at the lake’s edge. Carefully setting up my tripod, I ensured that the grasses would neither break into the reflection of Catbells, nor leave too big a gap of featureless water between the grass and the reflection. I used a 0.45ND hard grad pulled down to the far shoreline to balance the sky and the reflections, as I find reflections in water are usually one and a half to two stops darker than the landscape above, and I wanted them to be more balanced.
Grad position Filter used 0.45ND
0.45 ND Grad Hard
I was careful to include the sliver of moon visible at the top of the frame in the sky above Catbells. In all my time in the Lake District, this was one of the most magical mornings I have ever experienced.
Inspiring Professionals
Inspiring Professionals 2
www.leefilters.com