Chris Ceaser

All about the image

Photographer Chris Ceaser talks about his passion for landscape photography and how it became a business, selling greetings cards, prints, running workshops and more

York-based photographer Chris Ceasey (ARPS) produces greeting cards and limited and open edition archival photographic prints. He also runs workshops and courses, talks and seminars. So how did his career begin?

“My initial interest in photography was sparked at university. I would borrow equipment and film from the university’s lab and trained myself in simple darkroom techniques. My passion for landscape photography kicked in around 20 years ago. I would carry around a small compact camera and became captivated by the landscape in the north of England.

“A move to North Yorkshire in 2005 saw a change in career direction, and photographing the landscape became my ongoing project. I’ve been running photography workshops since 2007. One of my main pleasures is landscape photography as I love meeting people. I opened my York gallery in 2013, in a lovely old building with two display rooms, which dates back to 1400. Wide open spaces

“I’ve always been drawn to wide open spaces and I was driven to try to recreate those scenes within the camera. In the beginning it was a case of walking about and looking at the landscape that surrounded me. In the early days, when I had to make sense of what was before me, having to arrange those things in a pleasing way in the viewfinder, it was quite difficult to find a good balance within the compositions that I was making.

“Time, and working with the landscape, has taught me what works best for me with regard to the way I compose images and with regard to terrain, the available light on the day and the time of day within different seasons.

“My aim is to capture the beauty within the scene before me and I’m particularly interested in the impact of light on the landscape, and how the light can affect the mood within any particular scene. I enjoy the challenge of arranging the elements that make up a particular landscape into a coherent, balanced composition that will hopefully create a connection with the viewer. I often find myself by water and find that this, together with powerful skies, forms the basis of a lot of my photography.

“As with all photographers, I feel as though I am still evolving as an artist and find that as time goes on there are subtle differences in the way I make my images.

“Though I may have ideas on a particular scene and how it might look at a certain time of day in different conditions, I often find it necessary to revisit locations many times before everything falls into place and I can finally make the photograph.’’ Creating the image

Many photographers digitally manipulate their images after they are taken, but this is not how Chris works. “The techniques I learned in the dark room way back during those university years have served me well in this era of digital photography. Although it is now easier to process the captured images on computers, my main aim is to create the image ‘within camera’ as much as I can. My only aids are a set of Neutral Density Grad Filters to control the exposure. I aim to capture that which is in front of me, whether it is a soft, pastel-coloured seascape at dawn or a dramatic shot of a moorland scene on a stormy day. The image I see in the viewfinder is, in fact, the finished photograph. I don’t allow for cropping, changing skies or manipulating the captured image as such, and I try to keep image processing to a minimum.’’

Chris creates stunning images of the scenery around the north of England, but is there anywhere else he would really like to capture in his viewfinder?

“It would be wonderful to visit New England during the autumn when the landscape is full of warmth. Also New Zealand, with its array of dramatic landscapes, would be a pleasure to visit with the camera. On a personal note I would love to be able to run my Venice workshop again, perhaps this winter, Covid permitting! Thinking of closer to home, the south and south west coast lines are full of photographic opportunities, and I remember the rugged coastlines and sandy beaches from visits when I was younger.’’

So what’s next on the horizon for Chris Ceaser Photography?

“Hopefully, the situation regarding the pandemic will calm down and I will be able to welcome more clients back into my gallery for coffee and a chat about the work on show. It would be lovely to be able to run workshops as I did before the pandemic, meeting new people and listening to their stories about their own photographic journeys. I will continue to work within the landscape, making new compositions.

“In the short term, a change of warehouse location provides an opportunity to reduce the stock levels of my greetings cards prior to the move.’’

Limited offer on greeting cards due to warehouse relocation

Thanks to an imminent relocation to a new warehouse, Chris Ceaser is looking to reduce stock levels before the big move. Available at special offer trade rates, the 7x5 and 6x6 cards are litho printed on silk art board with 140gsm envelopes for a quality feel. To see the cards, head to www.chrisceaser.co.uk and click on ‘cards’ in the menu. To order call Chris on 07920 044094 or email info@chrisceaser.co.uk