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SHOOTING WOODLAND + PHOTOGRAPHING DIPPERS + PENTAX K-3 MKIII

landscape | wildlife | nature | adventure

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Into the woods Woods and forests hold a fascinating place in our imagination. In Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, characters run away from organised society to the woods where they encounter magic and transformation. In Hansel and Gretel two children are left alone in the forest, where they discover a gingerbread house and an evil witch.

And in Little Red Riding Hood a girl walks through the wood to her grandmother’s house, unaware she is being watched by a Big Bad Wolf.

THE ISSUE at a glance

Forests are dark, mysterious and beautiful. They offer an escape from our normal world and a chance to feel close to nature. But they are also a chaos of twisting trunks and grasping branches, where thick leaves block out the light and unseen creatures lurk in the shadows.

Taking photographs of trees and woods is always a challenge. We need to develop strong composition skills so we can frame the scene in front of us to create a picture that will work. We need patience as we wait for the light to appear through the leaves and make the picture complete. And we need imagination as we consider the emotions, ideas and stories that forests can evoke.

Annette Dahl’s beautiful tree pictures – page 10

In this month’s issue we have three articles celebrating the mystery and beauty of trees and woodlands. Don’t miss the fabulous work of Annette Dahl on page 10, Mark Littlejohn on page 26 and Andy Farrer on page 28. They are sure to inspire you.

So if you go down to the woods today, be sure to take your camera. And if you are visiting your grandma while you are out and about – just make sure she really is your grandma.

Enjoy the issue.

Inspiring ideas for shooting woodland – page 28

Mark Bentley

How to shoot dippers – page 34 ON THE COVER Picture by Amos Ravid.

See page 20.

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

Pentax K-3 MkIII tested and rated – page 78

Find us on Instagram at instagram.com/outdoorphotographymag

Outdoor Photography 1

10

FEATURES & OPINION 10 In conversation with…

Annette Dahl The minimalist landscaper talks trees, atmosphere and the Scottish Highlands

42 In the spotlight Find out how Justin Minns developed his atmospheric style of rural landscapes

53 Inside track 18 One month, one picture Pete Bridgwood on twilight and the wonders of being on location

Nick Smith on why photography needs to adopt some good old-fashioned plain language

54 Sands of time 20 Back to nature Enjoy the best of the Nature TTL Photographer of the Year 2021 competition

26 Lie of the land Mark Littlejohn remembers a perfect sunrise at Gray Crag

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Anthony Lamb presents his latest book and its spectacular desert landscapes

LEARNING ZONE

LOCATIONS GUIDE

28 Shooting woodland

45 Viewpoints

Andy Farrer shares his passion for trees and their everchanging colour palettes

The British Isles is packed with stunning locations – here are your favourites

34 Dippers on Dartmoor Ecologist Andrew McCarthy on the unusual lifestyles of these semi-aquatic birds

38 Wild camping Grab your tent and head for a night under the stars with mountain leader Ben Weeks

45 NEXT ISSUE ON SALE 12 AUGUST

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28

54

NATURE ZONE 68 Life in the wild Laurie Campbell looks at the changing fortunes of flora and fauna north of the border

70 Nature guide

GEAR ZONE

REGULARS

YOUR OP

76 The OP guide to…

6 Newsroom

60 Reader Gallery

Discover five of the best dedicated walking shoes

The latest competition and conservation action from around the photo world

Stunning images, fascinating stories, amazing prizes

66 Your chance

78 Camera test Meet the long-awaited Pentax K-3 MkIII – possibly the last ever DSLR

Laurie chooses this month’s seasonal highlights

8 Out There This month’s selection of inspirational photo books and exhibitions

Submit your best images and maybe even win a prize

83 Next issue What’s coming up in OP 271

NEVER MISS AN ISSUE

72 A moment with nature Sahil Zutshi shares his hopes and concerns for India’s rare green avadavat

78

74 On the wing

80 Gearing up

Steve Young undertakes a detailed survey of his local butterfly population

The latest cameras, lenses, papers and essential outdoor accessories

Have Outdoor Photography delivered direct to your door and save up to 30%.

See page 50.

86 If you only do one thing this month…

Be inspired by an explosion of vibrant spring colour, plus our next challenge

96 Where in the world?

If you can identify this location you could win a great prize Outdoor Photography 3

OPENING SHOT

© Kathleen Ricker/PA2F Environmental Photography Award 2021

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Gorilla by the water

by Kathleen Ricker This picture of a young male gorilla by the edge of a stream in Uganda is the overall winner in the PA2F Environmental Photographer of the Year 2021 awards.

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THE LATEST BULLETINS

NEWSROOM CONSERVATION

NEW LAUNCHES

COMPETITIONS

OUTDOORS

TECHNOLOGY

OTHER NEWS

Bottom of the league

© Jose Luis Ruiz Jimenez / Nature TTL

Nature in focus This picture of a barn owl by Jose Luis Ruiz Jimenez is among the winning shots in the Nature TTL Photographer of the Year 2021. The contest attracted thousands of entries from around the world and you can see the winner plus our pick of the best images on page 20.

The winner was Canadian photographer Thomas Vijayan for his picture of an orangutan.

He said: ‘This image means a lot to me because presently the orangutan population is reducing at an alarming rate. Deforestation and humans are the key cause behind this. Trees over 1,000

years old – which are a major asset to our planet – are being cut down for palm oil plantation. As humans we have a lot of alternative choices to replace the oil, but the orangutans don’t have any options other than losing their home. I am very happy to see this image be successful, as it gives me an opportunity to spread the issue to the wider world.’

Thomas Easterbrook, a 13-year-old enthusiast from the UK, won the Young Nature TTL Photographer of the Year 2021 award. For more information on the contest, see naturettl.com.

The UK’s natural biodiversity is in a perilous state, according to a new RSPB report. Comparing the G7 nations’ amount of wildlife and wild spaces lost to human activity, using data compiled by the Natural History Museum, the UK finished bottom of the table, making it the least effective member.

The UK scored just 50%, meaning it has retained only half of its biodiversity, compared to Germany’s 67% and Canada’s 89%, resulting in the UK also ranking 228th in a table of 240 countries and territories, with all four UK nations placed in the lowest 12%.

‘This report shows the perilous state of nature in the UK and why we must urgently protect what is left and work to restore what we have lost,’ said Beccy Speight, chief executive of the RSPB. ‘The nature crisis is not something far away but it is happening all around us. We are seeing both the long-term damage to our natural world as well as the effects of trying to squeeze nature into smaller and smaller spaces to fit in with our plans. The result is that the wildlife of the UK is disappearing from our daily life and we are now at a point where we risk having lost more nature than we have remaining.’

Read the full report at tinyurl.com/ ywn6c9c6. Over to you, Boris…

© Craige McGonigle

Join the mammal survey The People’s Trust for Endangered Species (PTES) is asking the public to take part in its annual Living with Mammals survey.

Following record-breaking numbers of participants during last year’s lockdown period, the wildlife charity has extended this year’s survey, in which people are asked to record signs and sightings of wild mammals in their gardens and green spaces.

More than 2,400 surveys were submitted in 2020, with the most commonly recorded species being grey squirrels, hedgehogs, foxes, mice and bats. However, hedgehog sightings dropped by 3% and rabbit sightings dropped by 4.5% compared to 2019.

Visit livingwithmammals.ptes.org.

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EDITED BY BEN HAWKINS

Drivers wanted

New Big 5 results The New Big 5 project has shared the results of its year-long global vote for the world’s five favourite animals to photograph and observe. The winners are: elephant, polar bear, gorilla, tiger and lion.

Launched by British wildlife photographer Graeme Green, New Big 5 aims to raise awareness of the crisis facing the world’s wildlife from threats including habitat loss, human-wildlife conflict, poaching, illegal wildlife trade and climate change.

More than 250 charities and conservationists have backed the project, including the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund, Save the Elephants and Conservation International, alongside acclaimed

© David Lloyd

wildlife photographers such as Steve Winter, Art Wolfe and Daisy Gilardini.

‘The five animals that wildlife lovers around the world have voted to include in the New Big 5 are not just some of the most beautiful, incredible animals on the planet,’ said Graeme Green. ‘All five also face serious threats to their existence. The New Big 5 are the tip of the iceberg: they stand for all the creatures on the planet, so many of which are in danger. From bees to blue whales, all wildlife is essential to the balance of nature, to healthy ecosystems and to the future of our planet.’

For interviews, articles and podcasts, visit newbig5.com.

The lighter side of nature The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards has revealed a selection of its 2021 finalists in advance of the big reveal in October. From a frowning pied starling in South Africa to a startled prairie dog in Colorado via surfing penguins in the Falklands, these frontrunners are the images that have had judges howling like hyenas.

The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards were founded in 2015 by photographers Paul JoynsonHicks and Tom Sullam to promote conservation efforts. This year, 10% of profits will be donated to Save Wild Orangutans, an initiative that protects these endangered primates in the Gunung Palung National Park, Borneo.

This year’s judging panel includes wildlife photographer Will Burrard-Lucas, TV presenter Kate Humble and comedian Hugh Dennis. See the funniest entries so far at comedywildlifephoto.com.

Buglife has launched a new app that tracks bug splats on car number plates.

Bugs Matter is free to download and is designed to help scientists better understand the decline of insects in the UK. Users clean their number plates before a journey, which is then tracked by the app to collect location and time, and then place a grid over the plate at the end of the journey and use software to count the number of bug splats within the squares.

Leo donates millions Leonardo DiCaprio has pledged $43 million to help conservationists rewild the Galápagos Islands.

Together with the Re:wild organisation and its team of scientists, the Oscar-winning actor wants to use his profile to highlight climate change and the environmental issues negatively impacting the natural world.

‘When I travelled to the Galápagos Islands, I met with Paula Castaño and other environmental heroes in Ecuador working day in and day out to save one of the most irreplaceable places on the planet,’ said DiCaprio. ‘Around the world, the wild is declining. We have degraded three-quarters of the wild places and pushed more than one million species to the brink of extinction. More than half of Earth’s remaining wild areas could disappear in the next few decades if we don’t decisively act.’

Visit rewild.org to find out more.

Battle to rewild Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust is taking over 60 hectares of farmland at Bourne North Fen with the intention of returning it to natural fen. The land, currently planted with field beans, would see reed beds restored, river water cleaned and rare wildlife return. © Kevin Biskaborn / Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2021

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OUT THERE

A CLOSER LOOK…

BOOKS The Sound of Snow Bruce Percy Half-Light Press Deluxe Hardback Edition, £165, from brucepercy.com Edinburgh-based photographer Bruce Percy is a master at stripping a scene to its bare bones to create beautiful, enduring images that focus on form and tone. Here at OP we have long been admirers of his work, and regular readers may remember the features he has written for us over the years, including The quiet landscape (OP 213) and Minimalist winter landscapes (OP 240).

Percy has published several highly collectible fine art photography books during his career, his most recent being Hálendi (2020) which focuses on Iceland’s vast interior.

His latest book, The Sound of Snow, sees him following in the footsteps of his friend and idol Michael Kenna to photograph the Japanese island of Hokkaido in the depths of winter.

Comprising 85 images made over the past six years, often during snowstorms

or in extremely gentle light, it really is a stunning collection.

The white-out landscapes have provided Percy with a perfect, almost blank canvas.

His skilful compositions demonstrate how the careful placement of simple elements can take an image to a new level. We are invited to explore the subtle shifts in tone between land and sky, the delicacy of the branches of a bare tree and the textures of freshly fallen snow.

In the book’s introduction, which is a homage to Kenna, Percy acknowledges that his photographs offer a selective and idealised view of Hokkaido; the reality is that very little of the landscape remains untouched by man.

In order to find the isolated views shown in the book, he enlisted the help of a local guide, Tsuyoshi Kato (who also counts Kenna as a client). ‘Without him,’ says Percy, ‘I wouldn’t have known where to begin.’

Rather like practising Zen meditation, Percy’s photographs encourage us to slow down and simply observe; to appreciate the balance and symmetry that can be found in nature if we look hard enough.

If you’re lucky to pick up a copy of The Sound of Snow, it’s sure to be a prized addition to your book collection and one you’ll keep returning to.

Book publisher Abrams has released two new titles that magnify some of the tiny and often overlooked wonders of nature, revealing details that are invisible to the naked eye…

The Hidden Beauty of Seeds and Fruit Levon Biss Hardback, £30 Acclaimed macro photographer Levon Biss spent months searching through the herbarium at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh to select one hundred striking samples to be featured in his book. Using a bespoke camera system to create his photographs, he combined thousands of pictures of each specimen to produce images rich in detail.

From the curved spines of a sandillón (a species of barrel cactus) to the smooth and intricately patterned (and highly poisonous) seeds of the castor oil plant, the diversity on show is amazing; we are given an insight into the strange and often bizarre adaptations that have evolved over thousands of years.

Captioned with scientific text that provides the backstory for each specimen, this is an eye-opening collection that will make you marvel at the botanical world.

Ants: Workers of the World Photographs by Eduard Florin Niga, text by Eleanor Spicer Rice Hardback, £30 Through his remarkably detailed pictures, Eduard Florin Niga brings us face to face with one of the planet’s smallest but most formidable creatures. His book includes more than 30 ant species, including trap-jaw ants with fearsome mandibles, bullet ants with potent stingers and leaf cutter ants that farm fungus for food. Accompanying the images, text by science writer Eleanor Spicer Rice provides insights into the life cycle and unique adaptations of each species.

While the pictures can’t be described as beautiful, at least in the traditional sense of the word, they are fascinating to look at – although you’re likely to be glad you’re not seeing the insects at this magnification in real life!

© Bruce Percy

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EDITED BY CLAIRE BLOW

EXHIBITIONS

© Franco Fontana, image courtesy Atlas Gallery

© Paul Kenny

Basilicata, 1978

Moon over a Mayo beach, 2015

Dates are subject to change due to the ongoing situation with Covid-19, so please check with the venue before visiting.

Franco Fontana: Language of Colour Atlas Gallery, London To 4 September This summer London’s Atlas Gallery is showing images by Franco Fontana (b.1933), in the first UK exhibition of his work in 17 years. The pioneering Italian photographer is renowned for his abstract colour landscapes, bringing a spectrum of vivid shades to his compositions.

Language of Colour comprises a selection of large works from across Fontana’s career, as well as a collection of more than 170 unique Polaroids. The earliest work on show was made in 1968, an image from his Asfalto series of pavement markings – the artist’s souvenirs of life on the move. The most recent picture is from 2017, made in Havana. In between there are images of Moroccan streets, American architecture and Spanish seascapes. But Fontana’s eye is always drawn home to the curves and colours of the Italian countryside. atlasgallery.com Earth Photo The Royal Geographical Society, London To 30 August Earth Photo has revealed its 2021 shortlist, and the top 55 photographs and videos are now on show at the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG); the winners of the competition’s five categories will be announced on 19 August.

Capturing our planet at a time when human influence is in sharp focus, the images depict urban orchards in Spain, striking aurora borealis in Norway, mangrove conservation in Sri Lanka, and more.

Entry to the exhibition is free, but tickets must be pre-booked for accompanied curated tours in July. Opening times in August are to be confirmed – for details visit rgs.org.

In addition to the London exhibition,

a selection of the shortlisted pictures is included in an outdoor display at Dalby Forest, North Yorkshire, until 19 September. Later in the year they will be displayed at Moors Valley Country Park and Forest, Dorset (4 October to 19 December) and Grizedale Forest, Cumbria (20 December to 24 April 2022). earthphoto.world

Paul Kenny: Seaworks The Atkinson, Southport, Merseyside To 23 October Anyone familiar with Paul Kenny’s Seaworks photographs will know that they are a feast for the eyes. Made without a camera, his abstract compositions are made on small glass plates with objects found on beaches and crystallised sea water. Each of these is scanned to produce large-scale photographs and lightboxes rich with opalescent colours, which take on the form of imagined landscapes. Kenny produces most of the work in Scotland, on the west coast of Ireland and, more recently, near his home in Northumberland.

Over the last two years, Kenny has been developing a hybrid style of animation – slowly evolving versions of his still images which have been described as ‘moving stills’. One of these is also on display in the exhibition. theatkinson.co.uk

Follow the Light: A Year in Epping Forest and Hollow Ponds Orford House, London 26 July to 26 September Nature photographer Caro Jones started documenting Epping Forest and Hollow Ponds during the first lockdown in the spring of 2020 as part of her daily exercise. Wandering between aged oaks and fields of spiky yellow gorse, she decided to embark on a project to record the ancient woodland and sprawling ponds through the year. Her new exhibition includes her favourite pictures, in both colour and black & white, showing how the landscape changes with the seasons.

Jones says that discovering the beauty of nature through photography has benefitted her mental well-being and hopes that people will find inspiration through her images of this special and unique place. orfordhouse.org © Yevhen Samuchenko

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10 Outdoor Photography

In conversation with

Annette Dahl Minimalist landscaper Annette Dahl discusses how, in her search for peace, she removes as much chaos from her images as she can.

‘The world could be so beautiful,’ she says Interview by Nick Smith

TOP STRAP

Above Bow | Opposite (top left) V | Opposite (top right) The crown | Opposite (below) Holly in the mist

ost photographers like to write at least a few paragraphs in the ‘About me’ section of their websites.

You know the sort of thing: a bit of context, a line or two of autobiography, perhaps even the hint of an artist’s statement.

While some photographers use the opportunity for florid self-indulgence or overblown navelgazing, Annette Dahl likes to keep it simple: ‘I am a Swiss photographer with a love for trees and atmospheric woodland scenes,’ she writes.

And that’s pretty much it. Beautifully crafted and minimalist, just like her photography.

A woman of few words – ‘I’m a listener, not a talker’ – Annette is also, for the moment at least, a photographer of few photographs.

‘I have to admit that for the past year, I really haven’t felt like taking images.’ Referring to the coronavirus containment measures that have affected everyone in Switzerland where she lives, she says: ‘I have felt that I have been living in a prison. I’m not a big traveller normally, but I feel as though I’ve been captured here in a small country. It’s hard to be creative in all this;

M

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it’s been hard to find the beauty. With all the fear and sorrow going on, I have not been able to relax and enjoy my photography.’

Indeed, there were times when she thought that photography was ‘not important any more’.

For a minimalist artist, ‘It is hard to connect when there is no calm and no peace. Before the pandemic, I used to go to the forest, and it would be quiet and I’d be alone. But today there are hordes of people in the forest; they are trying to get out of their apartments to escape something. Of course, I completely understand that because they are looking to enjoy being surrounded by nature. It’s the only thing you can do in this crazy time.’

If recent events have not been conducive to Annette’s work process, there has been ample opportunity to reflect on her creative output.

Unashamedly a ‘total amateur’ – she has a fulltime job in a completely unrelated field – she likes the idea that her photography is free from the commercial reality that goes with running a business or making a living. She says it helps her to stay focused on the ‘purity’ of her images.

Because she doesn’t have to make money, she feels no pressure to supply the public with mainstream photographic clichés, leaving her open to focus on what she does best: minimalist landscapes with trees in them.

‘I took up photography because I’m attracted to landscapes with trees,’ she says, before explaining that this can be a bit exasperating when you live in Switzerland, especially when surrounded by what she describes as classical mountain vistas, ‘which I’m not a big fan of’. When she was 21 years old, she found a more inspiring landscape, travelling through Scotland with a friend: ‘It was my first real trip abroad.’ She’d just seen the 1986 movie Highlander, and while others were fascinated with the warrior narrative or the glamour of silver-screen stars such as Christopher Lambert and Sean Connery, Annette fell in love with the landscape. ‘That movie made me go to Scotland; I wanted to see it with my own eyes. I much prefer these softer landscapes to the mountains of Switzerland; I can’t take at home the sort of photographs I can in Scotland or Ireland.’

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Realising that expansive landscapes could never fire her imagination, Annette started to review her past work to see if she could gain any insight into what common features her best images shared. It was this process that made her realise that ‘I like trees. But up until then I’d not really been aware of it. Now it is clear; now I know it is this intimate, tranquil sort of landscape that speaks to my heart and soul. I’m also attracted to the atmosphere of mist and fog. It’s something I like a lot and I am drawn to by other photographers when I see their misty woodland shots. I like classic landscapes too, but they will never speak to me in the way that a peaceful woodland shot with plenty of atmosphere does.’

As with most minimalist art, Annette’s photography is as much about what is left out of the frame as what is included. Although she admits that part of the compositional process is to remove any trace of human interaction with the landscape in order to look at the world from a pre-technological or even pre-historical viewpoint, what’s also going on in her images is the gentle stripping away of chaos, the search for a simpler way of saying things.

‘If you look at a “normal” woodland shot, what’s going on is actually very chaotic. The challenge for me is to make it less chaotic and more peaceful. With a minimalist image, you are reducing the composition to the essence of what is before you. With my pictures, there isn’t much going on: there is a tree, there is a field and there is the sky. I have an image that I took in Ireland in 2019, and there’s a tree in the field, and this is the only object in the landscape. It’s a moment of solitude. Maybe this is a little sad because it is a lonely tree.

It’s a melancholic emotion.’

Annette says that she doesn’t know the exact origins of her appetite for minimalism.

‘It’s not unique,’ she says, before supposing that if you were to put 100 photographers in front of an isolated tree, perhaps as many as three-quarters of them would ‘come up with the same sort of shot as I do: staying back and making the tree small in the composition. Of course, you can take a long lens and do a closeup if you want, but that’s not what I want to do, and probably most people wouldn’t want to do that either.’

She says that this instinct has been nurtured by looking at the work of other minimalist photographers such as Bruce Percy. ‘That was a real inspiration and I thought I’d like to do that too,’ she says, before explaining that if you go

Left (above) Waldgeist Left (below) Last hint of autumn II Opposite (top) Solitary Opposite (below left) Head of the family Opposite (below right) Beech in the mist

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backwards in time through her work there are ‘not many minimalistic shots early on. It was a decision for me to take such shots because I love them. They speak to me somehow. They look like a child’s painting: they are so simple.’

For decades, Annette has taken photographs in deep background to her conventional daily life. She admits that if you were to pass her in her place of work, there is nothing that would communicate that she is an artist. Her life as a photographer is anonymous, isolated and geographically displaced. She has no burning desire to win competitions, belong to a movement or publish books of her images, and neither does she want to become rich or well known as a result of what she does with her camera. It’s almost as if the artist embodies the minimalism of her images and vice versa. This raises the question of what propels her to take more photographs and to develop artistically.

‘Why am I doing what I am doing?’ she asks rhetorically. ‘Now that is a question.’ She repeats it a few times, falls as silent as one of her photographs, takes a few false steps in different directions and then settles on her hypothesis.

‘Maybe it’s a cliché but the fact that you can create such beauty with images is important to me.’ She pauses before confiding in me: ‘Do you know that I take a lot of rubbish pictures?

I have memory cards full of garbage.’ But there are ‘a few’ compositions in Annette’s output that make her happy. ‘I like to show beauty.

I’m not a classical landscape photographer and I find it more interesting to work with subtle, intimate landscapes. But also, because I am not a person of many words, maybe this is my way of expressing myself.’ She takes time to reflect on the notion that her images reveal her true personality, ‘and what I think of the world.

I have a lot of idealistic values.’

One of these deeply held, gently nondisruptive values is Annette’s veganism, something that she gets tired of justifying and explaining. ‘This world is already cruel enough and I don’t want to add to that. Sometimes I think that the world isn’t a nice place at all.

Maybe I should be one of those photographers that takes pictures of animals suffering so that people can see this cruelty. But that would kill me and there are also many photographers doing that. Instead, I try to show people how the world could be. It could all be so beautiful and peaceful,’ she says. ‘If you do want to know what’s going on in my mind, look at my pictures.

One tree in a field: it’s beautiful.’

To see more of Annette’s photography, visit annettedahl.com

Left (above) Last hint of autumn Left (below) Divine Opposite (top) The Sheep and the Tree Opposite (below) Goldie

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OPINION ONE MONTH, ONE PICTURE

The more things change, the more they stay the same, or at least that’s the case when it comes to the wonders of twilight and the restorative qualities of simply being on location, says Pete Bridgwood Researchers tell us that the act of photographing any given event impairs our future recall of that event compared to the more detailed and permanent memories our brains would have otherwise recorded in the absence of photographic distraction. They call it the photo-taking impairment effect.

I’ve long maintained that although this concept seems entirely believable if we’re taking snapshots of our kids blowing out the candles on their birthday cake, the reverse is true for the committed landscape photography enthusiast.

I made this image 13 years ago, but I remember standing there as clearly as if it were yesterday.

The act of intensely studying a scene while considering viewpoint, framing and the myriad other considerations of the image-making process must surely intensify our memories?

I arrived just before sunset, as the sky was turning pink, and realising that the

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clouds were moving quickly, decided to find a viewpoint with the wind blowing directly from behind me towards the castle. I wanted to capture this fanning-out appearance of the cloudscape, created by choice of viewpoint relative to the wind direction and the use of an upwardly pointing wideangle lens with a long exposure. This results in a photograph with compositionally powerful leading lines that draw the viewer’s eye into the image.

Processing this old image made me realise how much things have changed for the better since 2008. Back then, the state-of-the-art Canon EOS-1Ds MkIII was my camera of choice, because I thought its image quality outclassed any other camera available. Although the 1Ds MkIII was Canon’s latest top-of-therange offering, and had new sensor-cleaning technology, spotting images to remove sensor dust was often still the most time-consuming

part of the processing workflow.

Now, just about any camera will match or exceed the IQ of these Raw files and create relatively dust-free results. There was no ‘little stopper’ filter then, so I stacked neutral density filters and used smaller apertures to enable long exposures at twilight. We used to watch the sky and try to predict the likelihood of a colourful sunset, with varying degrees of success; nowadays, we have apps like Skyfire that remove the uncertainty.

Fortunately, though, some things never change, such as the colourful alchemy of twilight, the uplifting psychological benefits of being out there, imbibing those stunning views, and most of all, the magical memories.

Duffus Castle, Elgin, Moray, Scotland Canon EOS-1Ds MkIII, 17-40mm f/4L USM at 17mm, ISO 100, 30secs at f/20, Lee 2-stop ND grad plus 2-stop and 3-stop ND filters, Adobe Lightroom

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PHOTO SHOWCASE

Back to nature We may still face travel restrictions, but photography can transport you around the world in an instant, so sit back and enjoy our pick of the best photographs from the Nature TTL Photographer of the Year 2021 competition © Thomas Vijayan / Nature TTL

© Thomas Easterbrook / Nature TTL

Above The world is going upside down

Thomas Vijayan, Overall Winner After spending a few days in Borneo, I got this frame stuck in my mind. To get this shot, I selected a tree that was in the water so I could get a good reflection of its leaves and the sky. The water formed a mirror, making the image look upsidedown. Then I climbed up on the tree and waited for hours. This is a regular path for the orangutans to use, so patience would surely pay off.

Nikon D850 with 8-15mm lens, ISO 5000, 1/400sec at f/4.5 Left Spoilt for choice

Thomas Easterbrook, Under 16, Young Overall Winner This photo was taken while we were watching a starling murmuration. This peregrine came out of nowhere to attack the murmuration and I was pleased to capture it at work.

Nikon D7500 with 18-300mm lens, ISO 800, 1/640sec at f/6.3 20 Outdoor Photography

© Dennis Stogsdill / Nature TTL

Right (top) Sleepy polar bear

Dennis Stogsdill We were watching this rather photogenic polar bear for a while in Svalbard, Norway, when he climbed a ridge and decided to just rest. All the while the soft afternoon skies created the perfect backdrop for a sleepy bear.

Canon 5DS R with 600mm f/4 lens, ISO 160, 1/640sec at f/7.1 Right (middle) Nature’s pitfall

Samantha Stephens Researchers at the Algonquin Wildlife Research Station recently discovered that juvenile spotted salamanders (Ambystoma maculatum) are being trapped by carnivorous northern pitcher plants (Sarracenia purpurea), as they make their fall migration from aquatic hatching grounds to find over-wintering sites.

This phenomenon has not been recorded for any other population of northern pitcher plants.

What researchers haven’t figured out yet is how the salamanders are becoming trapped.

Although many pitchers lie flush with the surface of the bog mat, some stand erect, almost 15cm above the moss.

Typically, pitchers contain just one salamander prey at a time. When I saw a pitcher that had two salamanders, both at the same stage of decay floating at the surface of the pitcher’s fluid, I knew it was a special – and fleeting – moment.

Canon 5D MkIII with Laowa 15mm macro lens, ISO 1250, 1/100sec

© Samantha Stephens / Nature TTL

Right (below) Taking its toll

David Gibbon I captured this blue morph Arctic fox during a brutal day. Gale-force winds, sub-zero temperatures and heavy snow made hunting very tough for this individual, so the hungry fox lay down in the hope that the storm would soon pass so it could continue its search for food.

Canon 1D X with Sigma 150-600mm lens, ISO 800, 1/2,000sec at f/6.3

© David Gibbon / Nature TTL

Outdoor Photography 21

© Ivan Pedretti / Nature TTL

© Tomasz Rojek / Nature TTL

22 Outdoor Photography

© Amos Ravid / Nature TTL

PHOTO SHOWCASE © Dani Clarke / Nature TTL

Opposite (top left) The eye

Ivan Pedretti On Uttakleiv beach in Norway, these particular rocks looked like an eye. The shot is set against the beautiful colours of the northern lights.

Sony A7R II with 16-35mm lens, ISO 1600, 20secs at f/2.8 Opposite (top right) Sleeping dragon

Amos Ravid Night photography at -25˚C can be a bit challenging, and yet it is most enjoyable and satisfying. This photo is from Ogoy Island in Lake Baikal, Russia. It is also known as the Dragon Island, hence I call it Sleeping Dragon.

Nikon D750 with 14-24mm lens, ISO 4000, 30secs at f/3.5 Opposite (below) Bled

© Mousam Ray / Nature TTL

Tomasz Rojek October morning at Lake Bled, Slovenia. I have visited this place many times and I have seen a lot of pictures of this place, but the conditions on this morning were great. Clouds and mist created a spectacular view.

Nikon D850 with 24-120mm lens, ISO 64, 1/40sec at f/11 Right (top) Into the spotlight

Dani Clarke A young badger from the sett in my garden, captured on my patio eating peanuts. I used a snoot on the flash to concentrate the light on the point of focus.

Nikon D800 with 24-70mm lens, ISO 400, 1/320sec at f/8 Right (middle) Floral bath tub

© John Formstone / Nature TTL

Mousam Ray In India, the autumn days are hot and humid but the nights are pleasant. In the morning, dew drops are found on the grass and flowers, and sometimes water is stored in the flower petals.

A crimson sunbird is seen refreshing herself with the water, which is stored in the petal of an ornamental banana flower.

Nikon D500 with 300mm lens and 1.4x teleconverter, ISO 1600, 1/4,000sec at f/7.1 Right (below) Silhouetted wood mouse

John Formstone Captured on my DSLR camera trap in a patch of small woodland to the rear of my house. One off-camera flash was positioned to the rear of the subject in an effort to create this silhouette.

Nikon D3300 with 12-24mm lens, ISO 400, 1/250sec at f/8

Outdoor Photography 23

© Johan Wandrag / Nature TTL

Left (top) Fish caught by surprise

Johan Wandrag Taken in South Africa, a fish is caught at the moment it is snapped up by a crocodile. The look of surprise really made this shot stand out to me.

Canon 7D MkII with Sigma 150-600mm lens, ISO 400, 1/3,200sec at f/8 Left (middle) The cauldron of creation

James Gifford

© James Gifford / Nature TTL

I found this rhino mother and calf resting in the heat of the day and guessed they might go to a nearby waterhole later to drink. To make the most of the dust, I positioned myself to shoot into the sun on the route I expected them to take, deliberately underexposing to capture the clouds of amber dust. Instead of focusing on the negative aspects of rhino poaching, I wanted my picture to convey a sense of hope – a new beginning almost – as if these were the first rhinos being forged in a fire of creation. The effect of the backlit dust, creating a blurred shadow image, added to the ethereal effect.

Canon 1D X MkII with 200-400mm lens, ISO 500, 1/5,000sec at f/5 Left (below) Tree of life

Jay Roode Suspended in time, a sense of waiting pervades this valley where nothing seems to have happened for a thousand years. The shadow of an ancient camel thorn tree reaches out, like a blackened hand to the delicate tracings of the Tsauchab River, yearning for the life that once was.

Canon 5D MkIII with 100-400mm lens, ISO 250, 1/800sec at f/9

© Jay Roode / Nature TTL

24 Outdoor Photography

© Kallol Mukherjee / Nature TTL

Right (top) Winged family members

Kallol Mukherjee There are many instances of negative human interactions with wildlife, but sometimes there are good things, like with these barn swallows building their nest inside this shop in the Himalayas, safely away from predators. Barn swallows are revered as the harbingers of peace and prosperity, so people gladly accept the faeces and other nuisances made by the birds.

Nikon D850 with Tamron 15-30mm lens, ISO 2500, 1/30sec at f/5.6 Right (middle) Dance of the termites

James Gifford Every year, after the first rains, the future kings and queens of termite colonies leave their nests.

They lose their wings minutes later and most will fail in their quest to start a new colony. The flight only happens for a day or two per year and its timing is dictated completely by local rainfall.

The termites from this colony were attracted to a light, but after taking several shots, I realised I could only capture the effect of the swarm by using a slow shutter speed and gradually panning with the flight of the insects. As they were all moving in different directions, I had to take hundreds of shots to capture what I wanted.

Canon 1D X MkII with 24-70mm lens, ISO 1000, 0.3secs at f/8

© James Gifford / Nature TTL

Right (below) Manta space ship

Grant Thomas Manta rays are filter feeders, sustaining their huge size by consuming large amounts of plankton and small crustaceans such as krill.

The Maldives is one of the only places in the world where you can dive with these majestic animals at night. For this image, I was positioned flat on the sand, watching one manta looping around while feeding. After some time, the manta drifted closer to me until eventually I was able to capture this shot.

Canon 5D MkIV with 8-15mm fisheye lens, ISO 320, 1/50sec at f/11

© Grant Thomas / Nature TTL

For more pictures from the competition see naturettl.com

Outdoor Photography 25

LIE LIE OF OF THE THE LAND LAND

Gray Crag sunrise Even when not taking pictures, the vigilant photographer is always looking, learning and planning. No day is wasted, says Mark Littlejohn I have a favourite picture; a big print of it hangs above my mantelpiece. I look at it every day and I never get bored of it; a rarity for a landscape photographer. And I remember that it took me 24 hours to take it. It’s the light that makes the picture: the direction of it and what it lights up and what it doesn’t.

You can see this scene from the road; that’s how I saw it for the first time. It caught my eye as I drove past at 9am one beautiful midSeptember morning, the changing of the seasons evident in the small flecks of yellow and gold, the jumbled mass of trees appearing as a guard of honour for the one tree standing at the back.

I slowed to a standstill and just looked. I couldn’t do any more; I was already late on my journey home, there was nowhere to park and I had a list of jobs filling the rest of my day. But I was free the following day, so I made a note of the time and how long it took me to drive home from that exact spot.

The next day I got up nice and early, had a good breakfast and set off with half an hour to spare. The conditions were perfect, with a hint of mist softening the light. I picked my spot; the tree, which was central to my shot, was placed exactly where I wanted it to be. And as the clock ticked past 9am, the sun crept over Gray Crag and illuminated the wee copse; it looked exactly as I had imagined it in my mind’s eye.

I took the shot and sighed contentedly. ‘Played for and got,’ as my old dominoes partner used to say.

This one shot teaches me every day that no day is wasted.

We can always learn something, even if we can’t take the shot there and then: we can plan for another day; we can watch the way the light falls on the land. So, set your stall out for the shot that’s in your mind’s eye. It can be worth it.

26 Outdoor Photography

LIE OF THE LAND

Outdoor Photography 27

LEARNING ZONE

Shooting woodland Birdsong, rustling leaves, a place to escape the real world… spending time in the woods can be relaxing and inspirational. Andy Farrer looks at how the changing seasons and ever-evolving colour palettes make trees an endlessly fascinating subject

Being intermittently locked down in the UK for the last 12 months and the unscheduled halt to running my usual overseas workshops has given me an unexpected opportunity to see the seasons change in my home county of Dorset for the first time in several years.

One of the things I enjoy most about living in the UK is the distinct seasons; the characteristic sights, sounds and smells that accompany them punctuate our annual orbit of the sun. Whether you live in the countryside or in the city, you can’t help but notice the changes in the trees as the year passes. Whether it’s a solitary tree at the side of a road, a small copse, a large park or an ancient woodland, there are trees all across our country.

28 Outdoor Photography

I’m fortunate to have grown up on the Isle of Purbeck in Dorset, and have some truly incredible landscapes to visit and photograph within walking distance from home.

Lockdown has certainly emphasised how fortunate living in a rural environment has been for me. Without a doubt, having coast and countryside within such easy reach is a blessing and one I am grateful for. Like everyone, the requirement to stay local prompted me to do considerably more walks from home and many of these outings led me to wander with no particular route in mind.

I rediscovered some paths and woods I had overlooked for decades and visited some I don’t remember ever having walked through, despite driving past countless times.

Above A classic bluebell scene, shot at the edge of a woodland to take advantage of the low sunlight casting shadows across the carpet of flowers.

From a practical perspective, woodland and tree photography is accessible to almost everyone in the UK. There are so many small woodlands, heaths, clumps of trees and forests in every county. One only has to study a local map to discover some hidden gems within walking distance of home.

One of the things I most enjoy about photographing trees is that it is a much more personal pursuit than photographing some of the big scenic views. Finding order in the chaos and searching for compositions is very therapeutic. The scenes are timeless and it’s easy to become absorbed in the moment.

LEARNING ZONE

LOCATIONS AND COMPOSITIONS With woodland and tree photography, it’s all about the tree shape, season, light and weather – not necessarily the location.

Some of my images illustrating this article look like idyllic woodlands and although they are picturesque, some of them have busy roads very close and even dissecting them.

The sound of the traffic was more dominant than the birdsong you might imagine when viewing the photograph.

I would urge everyone to simply take a walk among some trees to see if you can discover a particularly intriguing specimen, one of a different species among its neighbours or a scene that stops you in your tracks.

I have discovered a couple of small woods I had never noticed before by talking to local dog walkers, who always seem to have their favourite close-to-home circuits.

Finding some order within the chaos of a woodland can be the hardest part of woodland photography. One way of helping see past this clutter is to take a card with a rectangle or square cut out of it, to help visualise compositions. It really does help eliminate peripheral distractions. I have a View Catcher, which is an adjustable plastic frame. This is especially useful on scouting trips or before the camera even comes out of the bag.

One of the challenges with hunting out dramatic or unusual trees in woodlands is that it can be hard to find them again. All too often, I notice a tree I find photogenic on a bright day with harsh light and want to be able to earmark it to return to on a foggy day, or in spring or autumn. The best way I have found for logging (pun intended) these locations is with the app what3words. This will allow you to save the location down to a 3x3m reference point with a simple three-word reference.

You can take a photo in the app, overlay the location reference words and save these into an album on your phone for future reference.

When composing in woodland I will carefully consider whether I include sky – in particular, bright patches of sky – in an image as they can be very distracting and compete for the attention of a scene.

Right (top) Garlic woodland in late afternoon light.

Blend of image shot at f/11, with just the sunstar of the f/22 portion used to minimise diffraction.

Right (middle) Morning mist in the valley – the golden foliage of the fallen tree and the water drops added a wonderful foreground.

Right (below) The zig-zag of the valley in north Dorset with the dusting of snow helped accentuate the contours of the land.

Outdoor Photography 29

LENSES AND TECHNIQUE Longer focal lengths tend to be more useful than wideangle lenses. I regularly use my 24-105mm and frequently switch to the RF 100-500mm lens for picking out details further away. The longer lenses also provide a welcome compression to the perspective.

It is often beneficial to have the background in a softer focus to help a scene feel less busy – a long lens and a mid-aperture of f/5.6 or f/8 can add a real sense of depth.

Achieving wide, expansive images in woodlands can be tricky as wider lenses can make trees feel spread out and distorted.

With a camera mounted in portrait format and overlapping a third of each frame on a level

30 Outdoor Photography

tripod, you can shoot a panorama sequence to stitch together. Even if your resulting image is a standard 3:2 ratio, rather than a panorama, you will achieve the compression of a longer focal length. I use a levelling base on my tripod to make it easier.

Keeping the camera level and moving your camera height up or down will help prevent distortion. Tilt-shift lenses would be a great choice as well. The ability to correct converging verticals is very convenient in a woodland setting, but the cost of the lenses can be prohibitive. Keeping the camera level is usually enough in practice.

Colour palettes can often be very dominant

to greens or reds depending on season, so I would recommend keeping an eye on your RGB histogram in these situations. Make sure the green histogram doesn’t have any clipping in spring and likewise the red histogram in autumn. This will ensure good colour tonality and help you fine-tune your colours in editing later to prevent colours from becoming blocky.

Above Vertical images stitched to create a panorama, 160mm focal length. Lightroom range masks help add separation and depth.

Below Vertical images stitched to create a panorama, 120mm focal length. Taken in drizzle.

LEARNING ZONE

LIGHT AND WEATHER As with all landscape photography, light and weather are the elements that can make or break an image. Woodland photography is no exception, although rain is less of a hindrance and often actually adds depth and atmosphere. I’ll often head into woodland on drizzly days and find these conditions very productive. Overcast conditions are beneficial if you have rivers or streams running through woodlands, as the water won’t be as glary and will be more controllable with a polariser.

The great thing about shooting in a woodland is the lesser reliance on an attractive sky. In my experience, having woodland locations in mind as backup is well worthwhile for unremarkable days.

Mist and fog will transform a woodland from a busy scene into a much more minimalist arrangement, with the shapes of the trees more easily defined against a muted or obscured background. Framing strong compositions in these conditions is where recce trips pay dividends. Often a light mist won’t penetrate a deep woodland but linger at the edges, so if you can face the sun and position the camera so the sun is partially obscured by a bough or branch, you can create a starburst with a small aperture. You will also be in the right orientation to catch

sunbeams and shadows, should they appear.

You may notice some localised weather patterns. I have a woodland near me which is on high ground and is often hidden in cloud. The murky conditions can have the appearance of fog and allow for some good shooting. Another wooded area nearby has a lot of open heath sections, but is in a sheltered valley with boggy, low-lying water. It is often

misty there when the surrounding areas aren’t, and in winter it can be frosty and several degrees colder than nearby locations.

Above Peak autumnal colour and misty conditions are an undeniably magical combination.

Below Late morning sun burning through a pocket of mist in a Dorset woodland.

Outdoor Photography 31

SEASONS The dormant season of winter isn’t always the first choice for woodland photography, but skeletal, deciduous trees take on a dramatic feel. I very much enjoy the graphic structure the colder months offer. The inclusion of some sharp, frosty foregrounds or shooting intimate details is always rewarding. Bare trees within the wider landscape really show off their strength and structure in the winter too. As glad as I am every spring to see the leaves

reappear on the trees, I still look forward to seeing the bare winter trees and the more open views as the bracken dies back.

Fresh green leaves and carpets of bluebells are a quintessentially British scene and one most landscape photographers enjoy. Early morning or late afternoon will help prevent the colour from bluebells being washed out, and a polariser will help control the sheen from their leaves, which can become distracting.

The welcome shade of the trees in summer and the rich foliage makes for a nice place to retreat. The soft light is rather more elusive in summer, but bright days are perfect for infrared photography. Although I find summer less photogenic, I enjoy discovering places to visit as I look forward to my favourite season, autumn.

The cooler nights often treat us to misty mornings and some truly glorious conditions.

Often picking a manual white balance of shade or cloud can be more reliable with colour tree photos; an autumn scene can often fool a camera into overcompensating for the warmth and cooling down the white balance too much.

It doesn’t matter too much if you’re shooting Raw, but it can be distracting when you’re not seeing a pleasing result on the LCD. Often, I’ll even switch the camera to mono to aid my composition without the distraction of colour.

Above A nearby bonfire created some wonderful beams in the background.

Below (left) Hiding the sun so that just an edge of it is visible, combined with a small aperture, can create a starburst. Micro adjustment of camera position is essential to prevent flare.

Below (right) Winter frosts can make familiar areas look totally new and are very good for creativity when conditions are so graphic.

32 Outdoor Photography

LEARNING ZONE

FILTERS Come rain or shine, a polarising filter will be your best friend in the woods – thousands of glossy leaves can make a scene extremely busy and controlling the glare can make a huge difference.

Avoid fully polarising every woodland image as this can make an image look flat, but pay special attention to how the leaves look in your images and use a polariser if they are too contrasty. Each scene is different, so don’t forget to remove the polariser now and again to check you are happy with the results. I find it easiest to find some leaves close to the camera to evaluate the effects of the polariser, but remember to face the same direction as your composition, as the results will change depending on your position in relation to the sun.

POST-PROCESSING Whether you enjoy a traditional classic woodland scene or a moodier, more contemporary approach, the new colourgrading tools in Lightroom are surprisingly effective at targeting tonal regions and tweaking the colour. It is great fun to experiment with. You can use colour grading to simply remove a colour cast from the shadows, mid-tones or highlights, and this is sometimes more effective than an HSL adjustment to do the same thing.

The dehaze slider applied locally can help tune the depth of an image. With the local adjustment masks, it’s far easier than ever to get the desired effect in many cases.

I do prefer Photoshop for a lot of the local adjustments though, especially dodging and burning where working on separate layers is a far easier approach.

With summer here and autumn coming, I urge you to get out and explore a local woodland you’ve never visited before and enjoy seeing the seasons change.

Right (top) Heading out before dawn can often yield some photogenic opportunities. Cool blue hour images work very well for winter scenes.

Right (below) This particular tree I have been visiting for a number of years hoping to get misty conditions as the sky is usually overpowering and steals the attention from the tree.

Outdoor Photography 33

Dippers on Dartmoor Amid the steep-sided valleys and fast-flowing rivers of his usual Devon haunts, Andrew McCarthy uses his well-honed fieldcraft and creative vision to capture magical images of this short-tailed, semi-aquatic songbird

Above A dipper posing for the camera in the lovely early morning light.

s a professional ecologist and nature photographer, I find dippers one of our most fascinating and enchanting birds. As well as having an unusual semi-aquatic lifestyle (they swim underwater to hunt their invertebrate prey), they are highly charismatic little creatures and they make compelling photographic subjects.

I have photographed dippers on our Dartmoor streams and rivers for a number of years, and after a successful series of photoshoots in spring 2019 I was really looking forward to working with them again in 2020.

Last year’s plans were, of course, scuppered by the first Covid lockdown, and the enforced lay-off was immensely disappointing. I was therefore really pleased to be able to get out and photograph them again during 2021.

While spring is a good time to capture shots of birds building nests, dippers are conspicuous throughout the year. Summer provides opportunities to photograph adults feeding young, for example, while winter

A

34 Outdoor Photography

enables us to capture unusual images in frosty or icy conditions. In short, dippers make the perfect year-round wildlife subject.

The images in this article were taken with a mix of equipment, in particular the Olympus E-M1X and 300mm f/4 lens plus 1.4x extender. The light weight, portability and long focal lengths of a modern mirrorless setup really suit my mobile photographic style. I rarely use a hide and prefer to carefully stalk my subjects, only settling into a well-hidden spot once the birds (which move around a fair bit during their territory-holding and foraging activities) have moved away for a while. I tend to carry a lightweight carbon monopod rather than a tripod – once I have settled down to wait for the birds to return, the monopod means I can keep the camera at eye level so I don’t have to move when the birds come back, as this could disturb them.

My ideal photographic site would have a combination of features: good cover nearby through which to approach and shoot;

nicely lit ‘props’; and shooting positions that maximise my ability to achieve a clean or interesting background.

It is relatively simple to make a representative image of these birds, since they have a habit of perching (and dipping) on rocks in fairly open conditions, but I am always on the lookout for perches and backgrounds which offer something slightly different. I find it creatively helpful to envisage future images, and when I am out in the field, I seek out certain locations for their photogenic qualities. I choose the approach and shooting position with care, so as to maximise the chance of obtaining images that are a little different to the norm. The slightly abstract head shot of a dipper surrounded by a very out-of-focus zone in this article is a case in point – I had to slowly work my way into position just below the perching bird, but close enough to nearby vegetation to give a blurred framing effect. It is really satisfying when a pre-envisioned image comes together.

Left Enjoying the morning light. Right Shooting through vegetation gaps with a wide aperture helps focus the eye on the main subject.

Camera settings are invariably dictated by prevailing conditions. In my usual Dartmoor haunts, the rivers tend to be in steep-sided valleys, which means that during early mornings when the birds are at their most active, conditions are often not ideal; the sun doesn’t come over the horizon until midmorning and photography can be in deep shade. I generally shoot wide open with the appropriate ISO to give a shutter speed of up

to around 1/500sec – sufficient to stop the kinds of movement these birds typically make while perching, or while looking around for predators prior to flying back to their nest sites.

Good fieldcraft skills are vital when dippers are close to their nest sites as they are particularly vulnerable to disturbance at such times. While dippers are fairly tolerant, there is a serious risk they will desert an area if a photographer spends too much time nearby.

Dipper facts Dippers live in upland streams and feed on aquatic insects such as caddis and mayfly larvae, which are found in fast-flowing and well-oxygenated stretches of water.

Dippers hunt underwater and have a transparent nictitating membrane that allows them to see while swimming.

A low-key image shot in a heavily shaded section of river.

Outdoor Photography 35

Left A dipper carrying a leaf for its nest. Right An adult bringing food to a nest. Below A dipper with nest material. Opposite (top) Composed to make the most of the hues in the background. Opposite (below) A really unusual nest site – high up in a tree and out in the open.

nearby. I will only photograph in the vicinity of a nest if I am sure that my presence won’t have a detrimental effect upon the birds; it is essential that there is suitable cover so that I can make a quiet and unseen approach, and that I can remain properly concealed once I’m in position. While I sometimes carry a portable

bag hide for additional cover, if I’m not 100% certain the birds won’t be disturbed, I’ll move away to search another stretch of river. As always, the unwritten nature photography code of conduct is vital: the welfare of the subject is far more important than getting the image.

Best places to search Look for white-water areas where water tumbles over rocks and stones, but where there are also nearby shallow or slightly slower-flowing sections in which the birds can swim.

Search for regular perching spots – these are often marked by tell-tale white streaks and spots.

Use binoculars to search as far along the river as possible. Dippers can be quite conspicuous while perching, and spotting them from a distance gives you the best chance to plan a really quiet approach.

Photography tips Use the longest focal length possible (at least 600mm and ideally more) in order to minimise disturbance.

Get down low to obtain clean backgrounds – this will give your image maximum impact.

Minimise disturbance – move slowly once the birds have moved up or downstream. Once in place, remain quiet, still and alert. If you think you have caused the birds to leave, move away and search another stretch of river.

36 Outdoor Photography

Outdoor Photography 37

LEARNING ZONE © Jethro Kiernan

Wild camping: what, why, where and how Spending a night in a tent up a mountain in the pursuit of the perfect image might seem a step too far for some, but outdoor writer and mountain leader Ben Weeks investigates why for others it’s worth the commitment

© Jethro Kiernan

38 Outdoor Photography

I’m a mountain man, and while the East Anglian countryside I call home does occasionally stray into gently rolling territory, there’s nothing that comes close to being mountainous. To get anywhere pointy requires significant travel: the Peak District is four hours away, Snowdonia and the Lake District at least six, and even the southern end of Scotland requires almost an entire day’s journey.

To spend any time in these places demands an overnight stay. While a cosy B&B with showers and toilets might make for the most comfortable accommodation, more often than not I’ll opt for a more immersive experience, one that not only provides me with somewhere to lay my head but also puts me in the prime location for photographic opportunities; I’ll grab my tent, stove and sleeping bag and head into the hills for a night of wild camping.

TOP STRAP What is wild camping?

Camping can be a luxurious affair, with electric hook-ups, in-tent heating and clean shower blocks. Wild camping, however, takes everything back to basics. It involves shunning campsites and heading into the corners of the countryside where wilderness still reigns, often high in the UK’s hills and mountains. Everything has to be carried in, meaning heavy packs and big walks. Then it’s just you, your tent and whatever concessions to comfort you’ve made. There are rules and responsibilities too. First, though, there’s a pertinent question to be answered…

Why wild camp?

‘Camping in the mountains and photography complement each other perfectly,’ says Jethro Kiernan, an adventure and landscape photographer based in north Wales. With the mountains of Snowdonia on his doorstep, you might question why he ever feels the need to leave his bed to camp out in the hills. ‘With planning you can capture a sunset, the Milky Way and a sunrise in the same 24 hours.

Having access to two golden hours and two blue hours is not only great for landscapes but is when a lot of wildlife is most active.

Being in the heart of it with a freshly brewed coffee is considerably easier than racing up a

mountain for sunrise.’ And Jethro is far from alone in this opinion.

Terry Abraham is a photographer, filmmaker and the creator of the awardwinning Life of a Mountain series of BBC documentaries and accompanying book.

Camping out has been an essential part of his creative process, and during filming it’s not been unusual for Terry to spend more nights on the fells than in his own home.

‘Wild camping enables you to absorb the atmosphere and character of an area, to learn how the light plays with the landscape,’ says Terry. ‘Spending so much time alone outdoors, you get to see things most folk don’t. Being on the summits at dawn or dusk offers the opportunity to enjoy some special moments. I often say I consider myself a wild camper first and a filmmaker second. Being in the fells has always been my passion; I thrive on the challenges.’

Although they may complement each other, the combination of wilderness camping and photography presents some specific difficulties. ‘The main challenge is lugging all the kit you’ll need,’ Terry explains. ‘Winter is particularly challenging – you need warmer kit and a sturdier shelter, both of which are inevitably bulkier and heavier. There’s also trying to anticipate which photographic kit

you’ll use. From blizzards and bright snows to high-contrast scenes at sunrise with fog-filled valleys, you don’t ever entirely know what to expect. Consequently, I tend to take all the kit I have to cover every possible scenario.’

And the challenges don’t stop once you’ve arrived at your camping location. According to Jethro Kiernan, simply keeping your photographic kit dry and functional can be a battle. ‘Twenty-four hours in the UK mountains can include every weather. Assume you are going to have to deal with torrential rain and have that waterproof bag at the ready for the camera and some means of wiping the gear down. The cold overnight temperatures can kill batteries. You don’t want to wake up to a perfect mountain sunrise and cloud inversion to find a set of flat batteries.’ The efforts are undoubtedly worth it, though.

‘Being able to incorporate a well-lit tent in a landscape shot is great for perspective and a human element. And having the mountains to yourselves once the crowds have departed is magical with or without a camera.’

Where can I wild camp?

This is where things get a little tricky.

Technically, wild camping is illegal everywhere in the UK apart from parts of Dartmoor and Scotland, and even in these

© Jethro Kiernan

Outdoor Photography 39

OPINION LEARNING ZONE © Jethro Kiernan

Wherever you are, it is important to follow the rules and to be respectful. Would-be wild campers should endeavour to arrive as late in the day as possible and leave early the next morning. Tents should be pitched well above the walls that separate the pastureland from the wild mountainside and away from roads, main paths and buildings. In essence, the aim is to avoid coming into contact with any other users of the mountains. And in the event that you are asked by a landowner to move on, you should do so without argument.

How do I wild camp?

areas there are restrictions: campers should avoid enclosed fields and keep away from buildings, roads and historic structures.

Access can also be withdrawn under certain conditions such as during deer-stalking or grouse-shooting seasons, and on Dartmoor there are specific ‘no camp’ zones.

In England and Wales, the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 (CRoW) grants right of access to land mapped as ‘open country’ or registered common land (in Northern Ireland access rights are more restricted), but camping is explicitly prohibited. To wild camp legally you need permission from the landowner, but establishing who owns the particular patch of moor or mountain you wish to pitch on can be difficult, and often impossible.

The National Trust allows responsible wild camping in the Lake District, and says it has ‘always acknowledged this activity can take place as long as it’s within recognised guidelines’. These include setting up camp above the highest fell wall and not lighting

© Phoebe Smith

40 Outdoor Photography

fires. For more information visit: nationaltrust.org.uk/features/wild-campingin-the-lake-district.

A map of the areas where wild camping is allowed on Dartmoor is available at: dartmoor.gov.uk/about-us/about-us-maps/ camping-map.

In Snowdonia and Peak District National Parks the approach is a little less laid back and both make it clear on their websites that wild camping is not allowed without the permission of the landowner or farmer.

Phoebe Smith is a travel writer and photographer, presenter of the Wander Woman podcast and author of Extreme Sleeps: Adventures of a Wild Camper. She would love to see England and Wales following Scottish footsteps. ‘In Scotland, the thinking is that everyone has the right to wild camp. In England and Wales, the opposite is true: no one has the right to do it at all. You can, of course. I wild camp all the time. But the fact that technically you can’t puts people off.’

© Terry Abraham

Aside from all your camera gear, and permission, it’s essential to have the right camping kit. A tent or bivvy, sleeping bag and sleeping mat are the minimum requirements, and all should be appropriate to the season, environment and conditions you’ll be using them in. The same goes for clothing and footwear. Be sure to take enough food and liquids, and if warm refreshment is important, invest in a lightweight camping stove. Water can be heavy to carry, so if you know you’ll be near a water source, a means of collecting and treating the water (such as a filter or sterilising tablets) can save you a few kilograms.

When it comes to choosing your wild camping spot, a bit of advance research pays dividends. Ordnance Survey’s online OS Maps service offers detailed mapping and aerial imagery and is worth signing up for if you intend to camp out regularly. And when it comes to maps, knowing how to use one – along with a compass – is important.

Your phone’s GPS navigation is a brilliant tool but fallible, so an analogue backup is essential. Speaking of phones, bear in mind that a signal is by no means guaranteed in the wildest corners of the mountains. As such, be sure to tell somebody where you’re going, when you’ll be back and what to do if you’re late returning.

Finally, always follow and obey the Wild Camping Code. The reason these wild places

TOP STRAP are so alluring to photographers is because of their unique natural beauty, and it’s up to all of us to help preserve that. I’ll leave the last words to wild camping enthusiast Phoebe Smith: ‘Whether you bivvy out under clear skies, wake up with frost on your eyebrows or fall asleep to rain tapping on your tent, it will make you realise that the best things in life aren’t things at all.’

The wild camping code Camp high on the open hills away from main tracks, houses and farms.

Minimise numbers of people and tents. Large groups should use the official campsites.

Where possible use neutral-coloured tents that blend in with the landscape.

Pitch your camp later in the evening and leave early in the morning.

Do not dig drainage ditches, trample plants or move rocks in order to pitch your tent.

If you’re in any doubt about whether you can camp, choose another location.

If asked by a landowner to move on, do so respectfully and without argument.

Don’t light any fires – use a gas stove for cooking.

Toileting should be well away from any water source or path (30m or more) with waste buried at least 15cm deep.

Paper and sanitary items should not be buried as animals will dig them up. They should be bagged up and carried out.

Do not use streams or rivers for washing with soaps or detergent. Take a small bowl, use eco-friendly products and dispose of this away from water courses.

© Jethro Kiernan

Try to be as quiet as possible during your camp.

Don’t remain in the same spot for more than one or two nights maximum.

Tips from the pros ‘Pack warmer clothing than the seasons might dictate because you may well be standing around with the camera when most sensible people are tucked up in a sleeping bag.’ Jethro Kiernan ‘Enjoy and savour every moment!

Some of my favourite scenes I've captured have been thanks to Lady Luck and just being out there as often as possible.’ Terry Abraham ‘I always take a good camping mat, a warm sleeping bag and an inflatable pillow – “enjoy not endure” has long been my motto.’ Phoebe Smith © Terry Abraham

Outdoor Photography 41

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

Justin Minns Specialising in East Anglia, former graphic designer Justin Minns is a relative newcomer to the world of professional landscape photography. Nick Smith puts him in the spotlight

A misty sunrise at Halvergate marshes on the Broads, Norfolk

Nick Smith: How do you describe yourself as a photographer?

Justin Minns: British landscape photographer is fine. I was a graphic designer before I did this and people in that industry get very hung up on titles. But I don’t worry about any of that. And, of course, my main subject is East Anglia.

Dawn on the tulip fields, north-west Norfolk 42 Outdoor Photography

NS: How and when did you turn professional?

JM: My photography and workshops were growing while I still had a full-time job, and it got to a point in about 2018 when they were starting to make redundancies where I worked. My interest in graphic design was waning, so I thought, ‘If not now, it’s never going to happen. This has got to be the moment.’

NS: Did you jump in at the deep end?

JM: I’m actually not all that brave, and so the thought of doing something crazy like leaving a good job to work for myself would have been scary, but the decision was made for me. I was fortunate in that I already had a photography business and I had clients and so it was just a matter of growing the business.

Dramatic light between showers, Shingle Street, Suffolk

IN THE SPOTLIGHT Justin’s top tips One thing I never go on a shoot without is…

A plan, although changing conditions often mean I end up doing something totally different.

My one piece of advice would be to…

Get to know your camera inside out so you can focus on the more important stuff when you’re in the field.

Something I try to avoid is…

Worrying too much about the technical stuff. Photography should be about the atmosphere and emotion.

NS: When did you first get involved in photography?

JM: From childhood, I’ve always been someone who draws. I wanted to be an illustrator, and graphic design came from there. I discovered computers and then the photography came about because I wanted to take decent holiday snaps. My wife bought me my first decent camera and that ignited a creative path for me.

I’m the sort of person that dives into things and so once I started playing around with the camera, the passion for photography grew.

Summer sunset at Happisburgh lighthouse, Norfolk

NS: How did you develop your style?

JM: I spent a lot of time looking at magazines and books, learning about the settings and ideas such as focal length. This was when I realised, once I’d moved on from using a compact, that the camera wasn’t just for taking pictures with, but for setting an atmosphere. I was seeing all these pictures and wondering how the photographer got effects such as a shallow depth of field.

NS: What was it that got you from that stage to writing books about photography?

JM: Pushing the button – although you need to reach an understanding of how the camera works and what it does – is the easy part.

How it progressed came from looking at other pictures; that’s what’s driven it all. I’d take pictures apart and study the settings and work it all out because I wanted to do similar work.

NS: Is that the graphic designer in you coming out?

JM: It’s probably a bit more instinctive than that, although there are a lot of similarities in terms of things like composition. Although I do think carefully about elements of composition, where I’m drawn to point the camera and where I see a picture is instinctive.

So, you sort of train yourself to do it.

NS: Are you more interested in taking

High tide flooding the marsh at Thornham, Norfolk

pictures than the landscape itself?

JM: All the stuff about technique is what drove me to become a better photographer. What I photograph is ‘Constable Country’ where I grew up in East Anglia. I spent my childhood in the outdoors, birdwatching and fishing, and I have a real love for this area that I know so well. I have a passion for the landscape, which is the focus of my photography. When I realised that landscape photography was what I wanted to do, I dropped everything else. I didn’t really know that I wanted to be a landscape photographer until I became one.

Justin’s critical moments 2006 First camera, a digital compact Christmas present from my wife

2010 Started focusing on landscape photography, particularly locally in Suffolk

NS: What is so special to you about the East Anglian landscape?

JM: Well, it gets under your skin. When I first started, I used to read interviews with photographers who’d talk about having a connection with the landscape, and I never quite knew what they meant. I thought it was a bit pretentious, to be honest. But having photographed in other parts of the world, I now realise that I do have this connection with East Anglia, because I feel like I know the places in my photographs. I feel at home there.

To see more of Justin’s work, visit justinminns.co.uk 2012 First recognition in Landscape Photographer of the Year competition

2018 Started as a full-time professional

2019 First book, Photographing East Anglia, published by fotoVUE

2022 Photographing Essex, my second book for fotoVUE

Outdoor Photography 43

LOCATIONS GUIDE

2 4

VIEWPOINTS We want to see your best shots from around the country.

Each month the winner will receive a fantastic £200!

Turn to page 66 for submission details.

1

Cribyn Powys

2

The Falls of Shin Highland

3

Mull of Kintyre Argyll and Bute

4

A’ Mhaighdean Highland

5

Thornham Old Harbour Norfolk

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.

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

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

4/5 Longer length hike 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.

3

5

1

Distance: 6 miles from Brecon • 19 miles from Merthyr Tydfil ACCESS RATING

46 Outdoor Photography

VIEWPOINTS WINNER STEVE OXLEY steveoxleyphotography.co.uk

Cribyn, Powys

he view across to Cribyn from the summit of Pen y Fan is breathtaking. Unfortunately, on the morning I took this image, the summit was covered in cloud (I reached it half an hour before sunrise).

Having done the climb the year before without success, I decided to hang around in the hope that the sky would clear. The cloud eventually disappeared around mid-morning, by which time the sun had moved around enough to catch the rim of the ridge and Cribyn.

T

How to get there: From Merthyr Tydfil, drive north on the A470 for 19 miles and park at Pont ar Daf car park on the right. From Brecon, drive south on the A470 for about six miles to reach the same car park. The route up Pen y Fan is well signed.

What to shoot: Dramatic views in every direction from Pen y Fan or Cribyn.

Best time of year: Winter is fabulous, but it’s not for the faint-hearted!

Nearby locations: Fan y Big (2 miles); Sgwd Yr Eira Waterfall (10.5 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 66 for details.

Congratulations!

Steve Oxley wins £200 for his great photograph!

Outdoor Photography 47

VIEWPOINTS

Distance: 5 miles from Lairg • 21 miles from Tain ACCESS RATING

Gary Hemmings The Falls of Shin, Highland he Falls of Shin is one of the best-known sights in northern Scotland. The waterfalls are renowned not for their height, but for their great power, and salmon can often be seen leaping upstream in summer and early autumn.

Park at the visitor centre and it’s just a short walk to the viewing platforms.

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How to get there: From Lairg, heading south, take the B864; signs will direct you to the visitor centre where free parking is available. If you’re heading up from the south, you will need to follow the winding road up through Achany Glen, alongside the meandering River Shin on the B864.

What to shoot: Fast-flowing water with

small waterfalls, leaping salmon and the surrounding woodland.

Best time of year: This is an all-year round location, but it is best for salmon from July to September.

Nearby locations: Ben More Assynt (31 miles); Tarbat Ness Lighthouse (33 miles).

Kenneth Brann Mull of Kintyre, Argyll and Bute he Mull of Kintyre offers superb views across to Ballycastle and Rathlin Island on the Antrim coast, plenty of wildflowers and, of course, the lighthouse. This is a very remote location, so there are very few people and plenty of wildlife – including red deer and eagles. Be prepared for a steep descent and a tough trek back out.

How to get there: From Campbeltown, take the B842 towards Southend. About nine miles from the town, turn right just past Keprigan.

Then you’ll need to take another right – this is signposted to the lighthouse. Follow this road out to the Mull of Kintyre. You will find parking at the top of the road down to the lighthouse.

What to shoot: Seascapes and rocky cliffs; wildlife and wildflowers.

Best time of year: All year round; best at sunset.

Nearby locations: Dunaverty Bay (9 miles); Davaar Island (19 miles).

T

Distance: 16 miles from Campbeltown • 144 miles from Glasgow

48 Outdoor Photography

ACCESS RATING

Stephen Blake viewbug.com/member/Stephen-Blake-Photography A’ Mhaighdean, Highland ’ Mhaighdean, a mountain deep in the Scottish Highlands, is one of the most remote places in the UK. As such, it’s quite hard to get to, but it is definitely worth the effort. If you’re planning a few days in the mountains, you could head up the likes of Beinn Airigh Charr for an overnight camp, which also offers fantastic 360º views.

A

How to get there: From the car park at Poolewe, head east along a well-defined path.

Continue with Fionn Loch on your left and cross between Fionn Loch and Dubh Loch. From here, head north, eventually making your way around Fuar Loch More and then head beneath Ruadh Stac Mor. There should still be a welldefined path at this point. From here it gets a

little harder as you proceed to make your way up A’ Mhaighdean.

What to shoot: Beautiful, panoramic mountain views.

Best time of year: Good at all times of the year – but be very careful in winter.

Nearby locations: Eilean Sùbhainn (6 miles); Gruinard Bay (12 miles).

Distance: 10 miles from Kinlochewe • 14 miles From Poolewe ACCESS RATING

David Eberlin davideberlin.uk Thornham Old Harbour, Norfolk he north Norfolk coast has plenty of small harbours, including the one at Thornham, where you’ll find some photogenic boats moored to the stages and posts along a marshy creek. There are some great walks in the area and the vast beaches of Brancaster and Holkham are nearby. As with most of north Norfolk, it is teeming with birds.

T

This is a tidal location – on very high tides the road down to the harbour and parking area will flood, so plan your visit carefully.

How to get there: Take the A149 out of King’s Lynn from the south and continue past Hunstanton. Roughly 22 miles from King’s Lynn, there is a left turn to Thornham Old Harbour;

follow the road down Staithe Lane. The road is single track and parking is available – but beware of the tides.

What to shoot: Big skies, birds, interesting boats and creeks.

Best time of year: Sunrise in autumn and winter.

Nearby locations: Titchwell Marsh (2 miles); Scolt Head Island (8 miles).

Distance: 22 miles from King’s Lynn • 29 miles from Sheringham ACCESS RATING

Outdoor Photography 49

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INSIDE TRACK

Cutting to the photographic chase with plain language Teaching newcomers the basic underpinning concepts of photography would be so much easier if we decoded those obscure ‘dark arts’ concepts with some good old-fashioned plain language and easy-to-understand terminology, says Nick Smith If you get bored with fancy writers starting columns with the words ‘it is a truth universally acknowledged’ then you’re not alone. I’m thoroughly fed up with the convention and not just because it’s a lazy poaching of the opening sentence of one of Jane Austen’s best-loved novels. The reason I’m irritated by its constant use is that what follows, while often true, is seldom universally acknowledged. It’s one of those linguistic collocations (just like ‘with all due respect’ or ‘to tell the truth’) that should ring alarm bells and prepare you for the exact opposite.

And yet I’m ready to go out on a limb here and say that I think there might be universal acknowledgement in the world of photography of the simple truth that the language, terminology, jargon – whatever you want to call it – that we all habitually use, is far too obscure and needlessly complicated: to the point where it appears as a ‘no entry’ sign to those wanting to join in the fun. This is never more apparent than when introducing newcomers to the fundamental principles of how cameras and lenses work. If you’ve ever got tangled up in knots trying to explain to a novice even some of the absolute basics – such as why large apertures have small numbers while small apertures have large numbers – you’ll begin to see why something really needs to be done about the situation.

It was way back in the 20th century when I had my first job on a photography magazine doing freelance shifts as a sub-editor, when I asked this very question. The newsroom went deathly quiet and for the first time in my stint on the production desk I realised that the staffers had taken notice of my otherwise invisible presence.

It was not a comfortable feeling being on the receiving end of an artillery barrage of condescending stares that seemed to say: ‘if he doesn’t know that, what the bloody hell is he doing in our office?’

At this point the goddess Fortuna came to my rescue disguised as the fearsome and authoritarian editor of the magazine in question, who happened to be sauntering through the newsroom. ‘Good question, er, whatever your name is,’ he declaimed to the world in general. ‘Would any of my senior editors care to enlighten Mr… er, um?’

As no-one stepped forward, the editorial overlord took it upon himself to answer by explaining that the way we represent f-stops these days, particularly in magazine journalism, no longer displays the integer that ascribes value to the aperture’s size as the denominator of a fraction, which really should read as ‘f over x’ rather than the appearance of ‘f equals x’. Once you know this, he further ventured, ‘it becomes clear, doesn’t it, Mr… er, um?’ I counter-ventured that it did indeed and thanked

the incontrovertible editor knowing, just knowing, that all those smug hacks were going to give me a wedgie by the coffee machine later.

And there we have it. In a room of so-called experts not one was prepared to explain the concept, the counterintuitive understanding of which is as critical to the operation of a camera as the relationship between the clutch and the accelerator is to driving a car. Now I know, understand and accept that everyone there present once knew all this, but had forgotten how to express such basics as their instinctive relationship with the instrument took over. But, I questioned then as I do now, how are we going to get people interested in extracting the best from their cameras when they feel excluded by the opaque ‘dark arts’ idiolect of the trade. When you look at the markings on lenses, you’ll see a hieroglyphic mass of legacy mathematics that will either confuse those without a degree in optics, or serve no purpose to people who already understand the concepts.

Now, I know that when you complain about something common decency requires you should at least be able to offer some sort of answer to the question: ‘so what can be done about it?’ In fairness to the camera manufacturing industry, its design engineers have responded to the issue by automating as much of the process of taking photographs as possible. But this technological evolution presents a double-edged sword because, while no one could ever doubt it is now easier than ever to take decent photographs, fewer and fewer of us will be able to adequately explain how we came by them.

My suspicion is there is no further need to redesign the technology. After all, photographers are curious people and even the most technophobic, if they are committed to using the machinery to make the pictures they want, will in time work out what those buttons do.

But is that the sort of relationship we want with these bafflingly complex tools of our trade? To judge from a recent experience clearing out my office, that might be how some technical authors see it.

I say this because in the process of having a good old chuck out, I found five camera manuals, all unread and still in their polythene bags. The reason I hadn’t even cracked their spines is not because my expertise in how cameras work is somehow magically loftier than the manufacturers’, but because they cannot be read by photographers. They are obscure, dull, poorly translated, illogical and make crazy assumptions about the depth of our knowledge: most certainly not the sort of thing that would meet with Jane Austen’s approval.

Outdoor Photography 53

Sands of time In his stunning new book, Sand, Anthony Lamb presents his ethereal depictions of the Arabian Desert, capturing the barren beauty of its majestic yet unforgiving landscapes

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15/07/2021 16:27

TOP STRAP

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OPINION

Feeling Left Out, 2019

Caught in the Middle, 2019

By Chance, 2019

When I started the process of visually documenting the Arabian Desert, I found it surprisingly chaotic and therefore difficult to envisage an effective composition. Over the years, my photographic style has grown organically to incorporate a minimalistic approach. This shifts our perspective, so the imagery is less about an actual place and more about an emotional connection. Ultimately, I am not interested in creating work that is merely presenting beautiful, expansive vistas or oversaturated theatrical scenes of place. It is essential to exhibit the character of the desert through intimate, sensitive captures; photographic depictions of its profound beauty; portraits of wilderness that encapsulate an emotional state.

Five years in the making, Sand contains more than 60 of Anthony Lamb’s photographs of the Arabian Desert made between 2016 and 2020. The casebound book is published

by Kozu Books and costs from £45 (standard edition) from kozubooks.com

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TOP STRAP

Power from Above, 2019

Desert Road, 2019

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OPINION

Interlinked, 2019

Arabian Oryx, 2020

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READER GALLERY In each edition we publish the best images from those submitted to our Reader Gallery.

Turn to page 66 to find out how to enter your work. Here is this month’s winner...

Winner Malgorzata Miernik I started to be interested in photography in the 90s. I joined a student photography club and, in those days, we were using analogue film cameras. I owned a Russian-made Zenit. I learned the basics of composition, lighting and darkroom techniques and I was experimenting with street and portrait photography.

When I moved to the UK I bought the entry-level Nikon D40 with the kit lens.

60 Outdoor Photography

I started to travel around the countryside and discover areas like the New Forest National Park and the Dorset coastline. I realised how much I enjoy the connection with nature and creative work like photography; I wanted to learn more about landscape photography and post-production.

I updated my gear and began to intentionally organise all my trips inside and outside the UK for photography. I prefer

rather minimalistic compositions and like to include water in my photographs. I like to use different exposure times composited together to create the correct atmosphere in my pictures.

Hometown Southampton, Hampshire Occupation Image retoucher Photographic experience 20 years Website earthinthelens.com

READER GALLERY

Opposite Bat’s Head, Dorset My original composition was completely different. I was shooting the opposite side, where the light of the sun was illuminating the cliffs.

When I turned around, I noticed the beautiful colours of the sky and the sun touching the horizon line. I changed the composition and set the camera for a small aperture to get the sun star.

Above Durdle Door, West Lulworth, Dorset This is a picture of the iconic Durdle Door, a limestone arch located on Dorset’s coast. I love the beauty and uniqueness of this place. I took this image in early spring when the warm evening light gives a golden glow to the scenery. The low angle of the light emphasises the texture of the sand on the beach below. I used an ND filter to extend the exposure and smooth the water to balance the empty sky.

Outdoor Photography 61

READER GALLERY

Kimmeridge Bay, Dorset Usually, I like to be on location with a reasonable margin of time. In this case, due to unexpected traffic on my journey, I only arrived just in time to catch the last rays of sunset. I knew the area well, which helped me to find the composition quickly.

This image comprises two different exposures, first for the sky and the second for the foreground.

62 Outdoor Photography

READER GALLERY

Chapman’s Pool, Dorset This image was taken last summer when the weather conditions started to change after weeks of a heatwave in the south of England. A variety of clouds formed in the sky, and the light of the setting sun illuminated them with a range of beautiful colours.

Outdoor Photography 63

READER GALLERY

St. Michael’s Mount, Cornwall This photograph I took on my trip to Cornwall during the Christmas holiday. It was a freezing morning and I stayed for over two hours in the icy cold taking pictures. It proved worth it because the sunrise was spectacular.

Submit your best images and win great prizes.

This month’s winner, Malgorzata Miernik, receives a superb Craghoppers Ellis Gore-Tex Jacket, worth £200.

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64 Outdoor Photography

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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 If you only do one thing this month…

READER GALLERY

Vibrant Spring

In each edition we publish the best images from those submitted to our Reader Gallery.

Turn to page 66 to find out how to enter your work. Here is this month’s winner...

In issue 267 we asked you to send us your most colourful spring shots and you did not disappoint. Here’s our winner, Ulrike Eisenmann (who wins a Robens Icefall Pro 3000 sleeping bag), and our superb runners-up. For details of our next challenge, turn to page 95.

Winner Malgorzata Miernik I started to be interested in photography in the 90s. I joined a student photography club and, in those days, we were using analogue film cameras. I owned a Russian-made Zenit. I learned the basics of composition, lighting and darkroom techniques and I was experimenting with street and portrait photography.

When I moved to the UK I bought the entry-level Nikon D40 with the kit lens.

WINNER Ulrike Eisenmann Little beech sprig with some fresh leaves after the rain.

Nikon Z7 with 105mm lens, ISO 125, 1/60sec at f/5.6 lakeartphotography.com

86 Outdoor Photography

IF YOU ONLY DO ONE THING THIS MONTH Enter our ‘Sweeping Landscapes’ photo challenge and you could have your image published in issue 273 of OP. Plus, the winner will receive a pair of Arc’Teryx Gamma Pants, worth £150, courtesy of Trekitt! See page 95 for details.

66 Outdoor Photography

Outdoor Photography 87

I started to travel around the countryside and discover areas like the New Forest National Park and the Dorset coastline. I realised how much I enjoy the connection with nature and creative work like photography; I wanted to learn more about landscape photography and post-production.

I updated my gear and began to intentionally organise all my trips inside and outside the UK for photography. I prefer

rather minimalistic compositions and like to include water in my photographs. I like to use different exposure times composited together to create the correct atmosphere in my pictures.

Hometown Southampton, Hampshire Occupation Image retoucher Photographic experience 20 years Website earthinthelens.com

60 Outdoor Photography

READER GALLERY Send us your best outdoor images, and if you’re chosen as our winner you’ll receive a brilliant prize. This month’s Reader Gallery winner received a Craghoppers Ellis Gore-Tex waterproof shell jacket, worth £200.

Opposite Bat’s Head, Dorset My original composition was completely different. I was shooting the opposite side, where the light of the sun was illuminating the cliffs.

When I turned around, I noticed the beautiful colours of the sky and the sun touching the horizon line. I changed the composition and set the camera for a small aperture to get the sun star.

Above Durdle Door, West Lulworth, Dorset This is a picture of the iconic Durdle Door, a limestone arch located on Dorset’s coast. I love the beauty and uniqueness of this place. I took this image in early spring when the warm evening light gives a golden glow to the scenery. The low angle of the light emphasises the texture of the sand on the beach below. I used an ND filter to extend the exposure and smooth the water to balance the empty sky.

Outdoor Photography 61

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?

Do you recognise this iconic bridge? If so, you could win a Syrp Genie Micro smart remote!

Driving over this much-photographed bridge is now the highlight of many a road trip – but is it…

a: Djurdzhevich Bridge, Montenegro b: Krk Bridge, Croatia c: Bixby Creek Bridge, California The answer and the winner’s name will be revealed in OP 273.

You can enter the competition online at outdoorphotographymagazine.co.uk, using Bridge270 as the code, or send your answer to opcomp@thegmcgroup.com, stating Bridge270 as the subject.

Alternatively, drop it in the post to: Where in the World – Bridge270, Outdoor Photography, 86 High Street, Lewes, East Sussex BN7 1XN. The deadline for entry is 27 August 2021.

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OP 267 WINNER

Find us on Instagram at instagram. com/outdoorphotographymag

In issue 267 we asked you to identify the deserted township in the image below.

The correct answer is:

a) Bodie, California Shutterstock.com

ENTER ONLINE NOW! Where is it?

Congratulations to our winner!

Richard Freeman from Perth

EMAIL ENTRIES

96 Outdoor Photography

WHERE IN THE WORLD?

SOCIAL HUB

Tell us the location on page 96 and this month you could win a Syrp 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 STEVE OXLEY steveoxleyphotography.co.uk

Cribyn, Powys

he view across to Cribyn from the summit of Pen y Fan is breathtaking. Unfortunately, on the morning I took this image, the summit was covered in cloud (I reached it half an hour before sunrise).

Having done the climb the year before without success, I decided to hang around in the hope that the sky would clear. The cloud eventually disappeared around mid-morning, by which time the sun had moved around enough to catch the rim of the ridge and Cribyn.

T

How to get there: From Merthyr Tydfil, drive north on the A470 for 19 miles and park at Pont ar Daf car park on the right. From Brecon, drive south on the A470 for about six miles to reach the same car park. The route up Pen y Fan is well signed.

What to shoot: Dramatic views in every direction from Pen y Fan or Cribyn.

Best time of year: Winter is fabulous, but it’s not for the faint-hearted!

Nearby locations: Fan y Big (2 miles); Sgwd Yr Eira Waterfall (10.5 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 66 for details.

Congratulations!

Steve Oxley wins £200 for his great photograph!

Distance: 6 miles from Brecon • 19 miles from Merthyr Tydfil ACCESS RATING

46 Outdoor Photography

Outdoor Photography 47

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 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

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.

Outdoor Photography 67

LIFE IN THE WILD

Changes in distribution and fortunes Whether due to the effects of climate change, natural expansion or spores carried along roads and railways, certain flora and fauna has migrated. Laurie Campbell shares his north-of-the-border observations Many years ago, I received a commission to photograph some of the wildlife and flora on the Beinn Eighe National Nature Reserve (NNR) in the north-west Scottish Highlands by Scottish Natural Heritage, now NatureScot. The occasion was to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the setting up of this first NNR in the UK. It’s an area of high rainfall, so peat bogs are common, pristine and renowned for the exceptionally large number of species of dragonflies and damselflies (Odonata) they support. One day, I met two gentlemen, asking if I had seen any azure hawker dragonflies (I had, but not that day). They had driven up from Bristol, a round-trip of some 870 miles, for just two days in the hope of ticking this rare species off their list.

I have friends who are avid bird twitchers who will travel similarly great distances at short notice for a tick, but I had no idea there was the equivalent for Odonata.

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I wholly appreciate why people enjoy this activity but it just doesn’t appeal to me because chances are there would be lots of others already on site, hoping to catch a glimpse that would count as another tick.

Out of respect for them and the welfare of the subject, it would be unfair to risk getting close and spending the time I would need to obtain anything more than just a record shot.

Then again, we can get lucky and there have been occasions where I’ve come across a rare or unusual species I haven’t seen or photographed in the most unlikely locations and simply taken advantage because I happen to have been there anyway. The day I photographed a turtle dove on St Kilda springs to mind.

As a generalist nature photographer with a preference for working on my own patch, this approach makes us well-placed to notice changes in the distribution of species over time. Whether it be due to the effects of

climate change or just the natural expansion of the range of some species moving further north, there are some that have effectively come to me over the years, including nuthatches, speckled wood butterflies and banded demoiselle damselflies.

The migration of plant species is much slower and, in many instances, due to the activities of people. The spread of non-natives, invariably damaging, may Below I was waiting by a riverbank for otters to appear when I spotted this banded demoiselle damselfly (Calopteryx splendens). The dark patches on its wings were very noticeable when in flight, and unlike anything I had seen before.

Photographed several years ago, this was an early record for another species whose range has extended north and to my patch in southeast Scotland. Nikon D3X with 200mm f/4 IFED micro lens, ISO 100, 1/2sec at f/20, tripod, cable release, mirror-lock

inadvertently be caused by so-called garden escapes, while the seeds and spores of others can arrive by more subtle means, such as in the dirt attached to motor vehicles or even carried in the air currents generated in their passage along road verges and railway lines.

The bee orchid is one such species spread by the latter means and when I heard it had finally crossed the border into Scotland within easy reach of home, I just had to investigate. Sure enough, I located the colony of around two dozen flower spikes on a road verge in early evening.

The soft, overcast lighting was perfect, but I hadn’t allowed for the air turbulence caused by the passing traffic on a trunk road, stretching my patience when attempting to shoot lengthy exposure times. As light levels faded, it became a case of diminishing returns so I returned early next morning and succeeded in obtaining the photographs I had hoped for.

I’ll never know if the gentlemen from Bristol got their tick of an azure hawker.

I hope they did, albeit at the cost of a substantial carbon footprint.

Winners and losers There have always been changes to the distribution of species, but the evidence is clear that apart from the likes of giant meteorites striking the Earth and causing mass extinction events, the activities of mankind are responsible for changes that are now occurring at a faster rate than ever before.

As nature photographers, we inadvertently create a record in time of the fortunes of our subjects. Inevitably, there are going to be winners and losers and this, of course, affects the range of species we can photograph – and those that we shouldn’t think about photographing because of their vulnerability.

As I write this in late April, I am away from the distractions of my home office, sitting in my motorhome parked by a lighthouse atop 100m sea cliffs, overlooking a huge seabird colony. It’s on a NNR I’ve known all my life. Year on year, kittiwake numbers are declining, due once to the overfishing of sand eels, and now the continuing changes in sea temperatures affecting the distribution of the species of fish they depend on.

Northern gannets fare better because they travel further in search of food and the colony on the nearby Bass Rock was recently declared the largest for this species in the world. These birds are doing so well, in fact, that I’m watching them prospecting the tops of huge rock stacks, looking for new sites to colonise. It seems the Bass Rock must be reaching maximum capacity.

Records I made in my diaries in years gone by for the flowering times of cowslips and early

marsh orchids on the reserve are becoming increasingly unreliable after a series of late, cold, dry springs. And with fewer invertebrates around, I worry about the availability of food for nestling stonechats.

Closer to home, the prolonged dry spell of fine weather means I have a better chance of photographing badgers in good light because the lack of access to earthworms in the dry, hard soil is forcing them to emerge earlier so they can compensate by spending longer foraging for food. Good for photography, not so good for badgers.

More nationally, there are good-news stories

Above This beautiful bee orchid (Ophrys apifera) is a species I always thought I would have to travel much further south to have a chance of photographing, much less that it would be on the verge of a busy trunk road a dozen miles further north of my home. Nikon D3X with 200mm f/4 IF-ED micro lens, ISO 160, 1/4sec at f/29, tripod, cable release, mirror-lock such as the re-colonisation of freshwater wetlands by otters and the expansion of peregrine falcons that breed successfully in urban surroundings. And red kites and common buzzards are a daily sight for many.

Outdoor Photography 69

NATURE GUIDE

Laurie’s seasonal highlights

Left Any brightly coloured, day-flying moth is likely to be distasteful to predators and sixspot burnet moths (Zygaena filipendulae) are no exception. In fact, they produce hydrogen cyanide that is toxic, sometimes fatal if ingested in quantity. These are, however, beautiful moths, with iridescent, metallic-green forewings with six red spots.

The best chance of photographing them when they are active on warm, sunny days is to find a mating pair settled on vegetation.

Nikon F4S with 200mm f/4 manual-focus micro lens, Fujichrome Velvia 50, 1/60sec at f/8, tripod, cable release, mirror-lock Opposite (top) I’ve mentioned before in this column that emerald damselflies (Lestes sponsa) characteristically hold their wings at a 45-degree angle when resting on vegetation in cooler air temperatures early in the day. This can present a problem if you wish to achieve sharp focus from one wing tip to the other. One solution is to photograph them from further away and with less magnification to gain greater depth of field, and then crop the image afterwards in post-processing. Alternatively, go in closer and focus on only the head and thorax.

Nikon D300 with 200mm f/4D IF-ED micro lens, ISO 320, 1/160sec at f/14, tripod, cable release, mirror-lock Opposite (middle) The Scottish primrose (Primula scotica) is a species that is endemic to the UK and only found in a few small coastal sites scattered along the north coast of Sutherland, Caithness and many of the Orkney islands. It has two flowering periods, one in early spring, the other in mid-summer, but at just a few centimetres tall, and with flowers measuring only 8mm across, they are difficult to spot. Many of the sites are quite exposed so a windbreak is a must. In this image, my light diffuser also made a useful white background.

Nikon D3X with Laowa 60mm f/2.8 macro lens, ISO 200, 1/2sec at f/22, tripod, cable release, mirror-lock, diffuser, windbreak Opposite (below) Adult garden tiger moths (Arctia caja) are another day-flying species, and with a wingspan of up to 75mm are more easily spotted wherever they choose to settle, whether it be on a tree trunk, wall or large plant leaf. Confident when out in the open, there is usually plenty of time to set up a tripod to photograph them with some precision. The larvae are known as woolly bears because of the black and reddishbrown colour of the thick growth of hairs that can cause irritation or an allergic reaction if handled.

Nikon F5 with 70-180mm f/4.5-5.6D ED micro lens, Fujichrome Velvia 50, 1/8sec at f/22, tripod, cable release, mirror-lock

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More seasonal subjects Flora

White water lily Nikon D2X with 70-200mm f/2.8 VR lens, ISO 200, 1/500sec at f/18, handheld Tansy (Tanacetum vulgare) – a tall, pleasantly aromatic wildflower with tightly-packed yellow flowerheads.

Orange hawkweed (Hieracium aurantiacum) – commonly called fox and cubs, a wayside wildflower that is difficult to miss because of its intensely coloured orange flowers.

White water lily (Nymphaea alba) – calm, still mornings with no ripples on the surface of ponds and lakes are ideal for photographing water lilies.

Fauna

Mountain hare Nikon D4 with 500mm f/4G VR lens, ISO 640, 1/800sec at f/5.6, beanbag

Mountain hare (Lepus timidus) – photographing them in their brown summer coats makes a welcome change to always seeing them in white winter ones.

Basking shark (Cetorhinus maximus) – the waters around the Isle of Man and the Isle of Coll are just two hotspots for seeing and photographing these impressive creatures.

Starling (Sturnus vulgaris) – watch out for them plucking and feasting on ripe cherries towards the end of this month.

Outdoor Photography 71

A MOMENT WITH NATURE

Among the flock Deep within India’s Mount Abu Wildlife Sanctuary, Sahil Zutshi has been observing and photographing the rare green avadavat as part of ongoing conservation efforts. Here, he shares his experiences, hopes and concerns live surrounded by the forests of Mount Abu Wildlife Sanctuary. Cradled in the southern Aravallis, the oldest mountain range in India, this off-the-beaten-track sanctuary is home to a neglected, lesserknown species of stunning little bird called the green avadavat. To spot these very rare birds, also known as green munia, chances are you will need to visit my neck of the woods. Here, in pockets, they are found in relative abundance and the hill forests of the sanctuary offer this endemic species the best chance for continued existence in the wild.

Found living in colonies, green avadavats are easily trapped for the illicit bird trade.

Distributed within an extremely restricted range, the species has a rapidly declining population elsewhere in the country.

At Abu, increased human activity is resulting in accelerated habitat alteration, fragmentation and wildfires, as well as intensive chemical and pesticide use, which all pose a threat. The authorities’ lax attitude towards environmental and wildlife-related offences doesn’t help.

This spring, I accidentally discovered an area where many flocks were nesting.

Over the course of three months I watched the young munias earn their stripes and graduate to display zebra-barred flanks, bright plumage and cherry red beaks.

At dawn on most days I arrived at a spot enclosed by craggy rocks that work as a natural hide. Following a night of unseasonal showers, puddles had formed in stoup-shaped weathered cavities. Crouched between boulders the following morning, I waited. As usual, a high-pitched chorus of calls reached a crescendo and in no time more than 70 birds, bobbling like golf balls, surrounded me. As luck would have it, four birds lined up neatly to allow me to capture this moment from a tight angle.

At midday I shifted under the shade of a giant mango tree, from where I watched the birds rest and preen in the scrub. My ever-present support crew – a rotational staff of squirrels, Indian robins and bulbuls – offered company. Habitually, the munias appeared in battalions to drink and splash in the puddles to cool

I

72 Outdoor Photography

down – a sight that never failed to make me grin. Periodically, a black-winged kite or a sparrowhawk sent the munia flock scurrying to take cover. Minutes later, the most adventurous bird appeared from the scrub and waved the green signal for the jacuzzi party to recommence, following

a successful reconnaissance mission.

Having spent countless hours in the company of these birds, I continue to photograph and film them at the sanctuary, which is home to some 180 bird species.

My hope is to uncover and showcase natural history moments involving these

striking birds in a light never seen before.

Often there have been moments when I have felt that I live among these birds.

To be presented with this opportunity at my doorstep has been somewhat of a benediction in a year where much turmoil, misery and death have been witnessed.

Tragically, the plunder and pillaging of the forests continues all around me, despite the pandemic. Watching my feathery friends, I wonder what fate awaits them through no fault of their making. Unless we drastically reassess our relationship with nature, the road ahead is inevitably

leading to a frighteningly bleak future.

This endeavour is a humbling experience and one through which I continue to learn more about patience and dealing with disappointments and missed opportunities, while also being pleasantly surprised by being rewarded unexpectedly.

Outdoor Photography 73

NATURE ZONE STEVE YOUNG

On the wing Shying away from rare birds and large crowds, Steve Young instead turned his attention to butterflies, obsessively recording every species he could point his lens at. Here are the results of his detailed survey So, lockdown was over and done with by mid-May of last year (or so we thought), but I must admit I was extremely wary about going around and mixing with groups of people.

Photographing rare or scarce birds was something I just wasn’t comfortable with, as this is virtually guaranteed to produce a large crowd (numbers will vary depending on how rare the bird is) that will totally forget about any social distancing once a bird appears that can only be seen from a particular vantage point.

I felt safe on my golf course, as numbers were strictly controlled and I did have permission to wander with lens and do my usual wildlife recording. My garden-bird diary that was so diligently kept during those seven lockdown weeks was now a distant memory, but I did become slightly obsessed with butterflies during and after this period.

Like most things photographic that you become obsessed with, the results improved the more time I spent with my subjects; the more regular surveys I carried out, the more I learnt about the butterflies of the area and where and when were the best times to photograph them.

And I did become obsessed with my butterfly survey during the spring and summer, walking the field twice a day if the weather was warm enough and recording everything on my camera, despite already having numerous images of all the species I saw.

Orange tips had a good year, probably due to

One of the highlights of the early spring was coming across this mating pair of orange tips.

They actually flew while still together and then landed on a suitable leaf for photography, which has never happened to me before.

the very warm early spring, and I realised that the earlier I went out, the easier (relatively) they were to photograph. They take a little while to become really active and seem to spend a little longer feeding than later in the day when they just seem to fly forever.

I’ve always found this a difficult butterfly to approach closely and it was due to this species that I changed from a 105mm macro to a 300mm lens to try to take better photos. This has now stayed as my standard butterfly lens, which will bring groans of horror to avid macro users. I’m sorry, it just suits my needs.

I managed a lot of photos of orange tip during April/May, including failed flight and display shots, but successfully photographed them mating for the first time on 10 April.

My first peacock of the year was recorded on 26 March and was in very good condition considering it had wintered somewhere

The condition of over-wintering species of butterflies, such as this peacock, photographed on 26 March, always surprises me.

74 Outdoor Photography

safe since the autumn. Comma and small tortoiseshell followed soon after, with the orange tips coming out early April. Greenveined, small and large white were all also recorded.

Holly blues were in short supply in early spring, but one in my garden on 21 July was the earliest second brood I had seen here since I moved seven years ago (usually I see them in spring and occasionally in early autumn).

Speckled woods were present in spring and autumn broods, a small skipper visited briefly during the summer before flitting back on to the field, where there were also large skippers, and red admirals rested on my ivy and also fed on the pears put out for the blackbirds.

It had been a different spring and summer, but my detailed survey of local butterflies had been a very enjoyable task and provided me with updated and better images than I had before.

Photographed on 21 July, this holly blue was the earliest of the second brood I’d seen in my garden; normally, I see them in early spring and early autumn.

BIRD OF THE MONTH

Above left Dunnocks are an inquisitive species and will hunt the garden thoroughly searching for insects. Above right The song of dunnock is loud and reminiscent of a wren but without the wren’s flourished ending. Below right Juvenile birds are even streakier than the adults.

‘Grandad, there’s a small, brown bird doing a jerky type of dance in the garden!’ And my granddaughter was correct – the brown bird was a dunnock, and it does move in a very jerky way as it makes its way along the lawn searching for insects.

Along with my grandson, we sat and watched this common garden bird as it flitted around, never keeping still until it disappeared into the ivy.

Being grey and brown, with a bit of streaking, this species is never going to win a best-looking bird of the year award, but it does have plenty of character and a very nice, loud song.

However, there is a darker side to dunnock and their sex life would take an entire column to write about. Let’s just say the males are not happy with just one female and it is not for the eyes and ears of my two young grandchildren!

BIRD PHOTOGRAPHY TIP

It’s not a great shot but it does show a female orange tip ready to mate and the male flying in; it was something different to try instead of the standard portraits, but I’ll have to try again.

Do you ever try anything different with your photography? I must confess I very rarely do, using the same ISO settings 99% of the time, same lens, same editing process etc.

In other words, I play very safe, know what has worked in the past and tend to stay the same in the future. But occasionally I diversify

I did it once but have never been able to merge two photos ever again…

and try something difficult to photograph, like flying butterflies, without success.

Sometimes I’ll mess about a bit at the processing stage, adding some effects or a background that looks so false I could probably have painted it better with a brush.

I tend not to try photo trickery, preferring

taking photos to hours spent at the processing stage, but I did manage once to merge two shots together that showed a flock of starlings migrating, with a moon behind them. Problem is I cannot remember how to do it and have never managed it again – more practice needed or online tutorials…

Outdoor Photography 75

GEAR ZONE

The OP guide to… walking shoes Your clumpy boots’ chunky soles, stiff protective uppers and high ankle cuff might be just the job when the weather is cold and sodden, but come summer a nimbler alternative is more desirable.

From agile trainer-like footwear to shoes that offer almost all the protection of boots but in a more streamlined form, Ben Weeks picks his favourite dedicated walking shoes

Scarpa Mescalito Best for hot-weather walking Originally conceived as ‘approach shoes’ – shoes worn by climbers to get as close to the crags as possible before putting on uncomfortable climbing shoes – the Mescalito is lightweight, hugely comfortable and capable of handling long-distance walks as well as tackling more vertical rocky terrain. The upper is constructed from a thermo-embossed suede with a rubber rand for abrasion resistance. The bi-density EVA midsole gives great cushioning while the Vibram Megagrip outsole offers maximum grip on smooth surfaces. They are perfect for light scrambling in the mountains and all-day treks on solid trails. The lack of waterproofing (although a Gore-Tex-lined version is also available) makes these cooler and more breathable than shoes with a synthetic membrane, so ideal for hot and dry conditions. £160 scarpa.co.uk

Hanwag Banks Low Bunion LL Best for less than perfect feet To single out the Bunion version of the Hanwag Banks Low is perhaps a little unfair as there are other options, all of them a low-cut shoe incarnation of Hanwag’s popular Banks Boot.

There are Gore-Tex-lined (GTX) and leatherlined models (LL) in both men’s and women’s fits. However, the Bunion Last, which allows the big toe to assume a straighter position to relieve the big toe joint, is unique to Hanwag, creating a classic hiking shoe in high-quality nubuck and suede leather for wearers suffering with hallux valgus. All the Banks shoes are equipped with a particularly comfortable sole which combines a reinforced PU foam wedge with a highquality footbed and soft-heel reinforcement.

The classic walking shoe design of the Banks makes it less suited to nimble footwork on rock but ideal for walks of any length over a variety of terrains. They are particularly good for woodland hikes and easier paths through the hills, heaths, moors and mountains. £180 hanwag.com

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EDITED BY BEN WEEKS

Merrell Moab Speed GTX Best for trainer-like comfort Merrell’s Moab range of boots and shoes have been keeping feet comfortable for years on some of the toughest terrain. The Speed GTX is one of the most recent incarnations and, as the name suggests, is built for fast movers. The FloatPro Foam midsole provides an impressively comfortable level of cushioning on even the hardest ground and makes the Moab Speed feel more like a beefed-up trainer than a typical hiker, although the reinforced toe cap gives more protection than most running shoes. On the underside, the Vibram Ecostep sole is made from 30% recycled rubber (the supplied laces are 100% recycled) and the Traction Lugs provide confidence-inspiring grip. The waterproof Gore-Tex lining helps keep your feet dry and means that a few shallow puddles needn’t put you off your stride. £125 merrell.com

Inov-8 Roclite G 275 Best for fast and light travel Next time you’re out in the hills and a fell runner scampers past, take a look at their feet – there’s every chance they’ll be wearing Inov-8 shoes.

Inov-8 may have made their name in running footwear but the expertise that goes into making shoes incredibly lightweight yet able to handle the challenges of off-road terrain can also be appreciated by slower-moving wearers. The Roclite G 275 weighs just 275g (give or take, depending on size) per shoe, which is practically slipper weight.

The mesh upper is surprisingly tough and designed to expand with your feet as they warm up. The G-Grip sole includes graphene – the strongest material known to man – to increase durability without sacrificing traction. Roclite G 275s have been worn by race winners and record breakers but are just as perfect for landscape explorers who don’t want to be slowed down by what’s on their feet. £130 inov-8.com

Oboz Firebrand II Low Best for grip on rough ground You only have to glance at the Firebrand to see what its strengths are. That oversized, muscular tread that spills out from beneath the shoe like the tyres on a monster truck isn’t just there for the looks (although the map of the Sawtooth Mountain range moulded into it is). This outsole puts the ‘grr’ in grip and provides traction in muddy and wet conditions that would have less beefy shoes slipping all over the place. The leather and abrasion-resistant mesh upper is augmented by a rubber toe cap for extra protection, while a B-Dry waterproof membrane lining the boot keeps any moisture on the outside.

On the inside, the O FIT insole has been moulded to match the specific shape and construction of the Firebrand for optimum fit and feel, while the dual-density EVA midsole provides both cushioning and stability. The Firebrand II is available in regular and wide widths to fit more feet. £135 obozfootwear.com Outdoor Photography 77

GEAR ZONE

Pentax K-3 MkIII After the longest of waits, the K-3 MkIII is finally here and has wildlife photographers firmly in its sights. Matty Graham looks at whether this last bastion of APS-C DSLR technology justifies its premium price tag – and a place in your kit bag Guide price £1,899 (body only) Contact ricoh-imaging.eu

Below (left) The APS-C sensor proves useful for wildlife photography, serving up a 1.5x crop factor.

Below (right) Shooting in Raw offers a safety net when working with high-contrast lighting, with Raw files allowing highlights to be rescued and detail revealed in shadows.

78 Outdoor Photography

Pentax cameras are known for their rugged build quality and impressive colour science, but one thing they haven’t been known for over the years is speed. Well, that’s about to change as the covers have finally been pulled off the K-3 MkIII, a camera that could provide the solution to wildlife photographers who want to stick with DSLRs rather than follow the march over to mirrorless.

The K-3 MkIII takes over from the MkII – which was launched way back in 2015 – as the brand’s flagship APS-C model and sees changes big and small.

At the heart of the K-3 MkIII is a 26MP CMOS APS-C sensor, which is a slight increase in resolution from the MkII (24MP). This gives photographers a maximum file size of 6192 x 4128 pixels – easily enough to make A3 prints or enable photographers to crop in on their frames without overly compromising image quality.

Backing up the sensor is a Prime V imaging engine, which is the key to the camera’s speed and arguably

LIKES Rugged build quality, fast burst rate, improved autofocus, dual SD cards, lots of control dials and impressive image quality

DISLIKES Fixed LCD, premium price tag and will feel heavy to mirrorless users

the main reason for MkII users to upgrade. Let’s cut straight to the numbers: the K-3 MkIII can shoot up to 12 frames per second (fps), which is a huge improvement compared with the 8.3fps delivered by its predecessor.

While falling short of speeds offered by pro-spec cameras such as the Canon EOS-1D X, 12fps is enough to capture the split-second moments that occur in wildlife photography and the K-3 MkIII can maintain these speeds for up to 37 Jpegs or 32 Raw files, opening up new opportunities for Pentax users that were previously out of reach.

The K-3 MkIII’s wildlife credentials are further enhanced by the upgraded autofocus setup, which sees the Safox system offer 101 AF points, 25 of which are the more sensitive cross-type. The system is also able to operate in low-light conditions (down to -4EV). This is a big improvement from the 27 AF points that appear on the MkII and the phase-detection system is also much faster and more accurate, particularly when in continuous-focus mode and tracking moving subjects. In the photography hide, this improved speed makes a big difference and, having used both cameras, I can confirm my hit rate with moving subjects was much higher with the MkIII. While the speed improvements are great, it’s important to weigh up the bigger picture. UK weather is mostly terrible and the K-3 MkIII’s tank-like weather sealing around the rugged magnesium-alloy body will offer plenty of reassurance to photographers

CAMERA TEST

Top (left) The MkIII’s continuous focus is a huge improvement for Pentax, enabling you to easily shoot images of moving subjects.

Top (right) Digital noise is well controlled and colour rendition is impressive, leading to premium image quality.

so they can head out into bad weather and keep shooting without worrying about their kit. What’s more, the K-3 MkIII can operate in temperatures as low as -10°C and includes a DRII (dust removal) mechanism that will get rid of dust particles on the sensor.

The shutter mechanism is rated to withstand 300,000 actuations and a decent battery life of 800 shots on a single charge will mean more shooting time. Battery life can be further extended thanks to an optional grip.

Wildlife photographers are likely to pair the K-3 MkIII with a telezoom to get closer to the subject and this is

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS Sensor 26MP APS-C CMOS Mount K-mount LCD Fixed 3.2in touch-sensitive (1620k resolution) Viewfinder Pentaprism with approx 100% coverage and 1.05x magnification Autofocus Safox 101-point phase-detection Shutter speed 1/8000sec to 30s (rated to 300,000 actuations) ISO 100-1,600,000 Video 4K up to 30p, full HD up to 60p Battery life Approx 800 shots Dimensions 134.5 x 103.5 x 73.5mm Weight 820g (with battery and SD card)

where that APS-C sensor proves to be an advantage, offering a 1.5x crop that will turn a 70-200mm lens into a 105300mm zoom. The MkIII even offers an additional 1.3x crop feature that will get you even closer to subjects, albeit at the expense of resolution. Working with longer focal lengths means camera shake can be problematic, but Pentax is one of the few DSLR brands to have embraced in-body image stabilisation and the MkIII features a five-axis system that offers 5.5 stops of compensation to keep shots sharp.

The K-3 MkIII is easy to use, thanks to the multitude of dials and controls on the body, all of which can be customised. On the negative side, the 3.2in LCD, with its 1620k resolution and touch sensitivity, is fixed rather than tilting. There is a great optical viewfinder to use instead, but the irony is that the MkIII’s live view system works well and being able to touch the LCD to focus is often an easier approach, so a vari-angle LCD would have offered more options, making awkward compositions easier to frame.

The K-3 MkIII weighs 820g with battery and SD card so it’s fairly middle of the road in terms of portability, yet far lighter than its K-1 MkII full-frame sibling (1010g). Other features include dual SD cards and 4K 30p video.

VERDICT As Pentax’s flagship model, the K-3 MkIII is packed with features, functions and controls. At £1,899 (body only), the price tag is at the higher end for an APS-C body and, while it’s hard to suggest rivals now that the likes of Canon and Nikon have transitioned from DSLRs to mirrorless models, Nikon’s D500 (launched in 2016) is around £1,500 and Canon’s 90D is around £1,300. Essentially, with that rugged build, fast speed, dual cards and impressive image quality, the K-3 MkIII can be viewed as a pro-spec body that just happens to pack an APS-C sensor. Although for many the fixed LCD and DSLR format may be deal breakers, I actually think the K-3 MkIII will find its own place, not only with existing Pentax users but with those wanting a more mechanical approach that rails against the mirrorless movement.

RATINGS Handling Performance Specification Value

85% 80% 85% 80%

Overall

83%

Outdoor Photography 79

10mm f/2.8 fisheye

60mm f/2.8 II macro

55mm f/1.4 II

7Artisans budget lenses 7Artisans has announced three new budget optics for full-frame and APS-C systems. The 10mm f/2.8 fisheye ($270) features an eight-bladed diaphragm, declicked aperture ring and minimum focusing distance of 17cm. Internally, it comprises 11 elements in eight groups. Canon RF, Leica L, Nikon Z and Sony E-mount versions are available. The 55mm f/1.4 II ($130) comprises six elements in five groups, with a nine-bladed aperture and minimum focusing distance of 42cm, while the 60mm f/2.8 II is a macro lens with 11 elements in eight groups and a nine-bladed diaphragm. Both are available for Canon M, Fujifilm X, Nikon Z, Sony E and Micro Four Thirds systems.

7artisans.co.uk

GEARING UP Panasonic GH5 II Panasonic’s GH5 II is a Micro Four Thirds stills/video hybrid that improves on the original GH5’s already impressive spec. Built around a 20.3MP Digital Live MOS sensor and new Venus Engine processor, the GH5 II features a 1840k-dot 3in free-angle LCD and advanced IBIS, allowing for shutter speeds up to 6.5 stops slower. Video spec includes unlimited Cinema 4K at 60p and wireless live streaming of Full HD at 60p via a Wi-Fi router or Lumix Sync smartphone app. Future firmware updates to add RTP and RTSP streaming (real-time video delivery using dedicated streaming servers) are also promised. The GH5 II is available body only (£1,499), as an ‘M’ kit with 16-60mm Lumix lens (£1,699) and ‘L’ kit with 12-60mm Leica lens (£1,999). panasonic.com 80 Outdoor Photography

Flare

Easy Camp headtorches Shine a light on your next outdoor adventure with Easy Camp’s latest headtorches. The Flare (£7.50) is made from tough ABS plastic and features an adjustable headband for comfort and a red-light option for enhanced night vision. It is powered by three AAA batteries (not included).

The Flicker (£4.99) is a slimline version of the Flare and is powered by two supplied CR 2032 batteries to minimise its size and weight, which tips the scales at just 30g. Easy Camp has also announced a new Mosquito Lantern (£12.49), which can be used as a light only, a light and mosquito zapper, or mosquito zapper only. Perfect for bite-free night photography!

Nikkor Z MC 50mm f/2.8

Nikon Z Series macro lenses

easycamp.com

Tamron 11-20mm f/2.8 Di III-A2 RXD

Laowa Argus 33mm f/0.95 CF APO

Designed for Sony APS-C mirrorless cameras, Tamron’s 11-20mm f/2.8 Di III-A2 RXD measures 86x73mm and weighs a featherweight 335g, with 12 elements in 10 groups and an impressive minimum focusing distance of 15cm. Although the zoom lacks any kind of image stabilisation, autofocus is driven by Tamron’s Rapid eXtra-silent stepping drive (RXD) and is compatible with Sony’s Fast Hybrid AF and Eye AF tracking, and the lens itself is moisture resistant, perfect for your wild-weather landscape exploits.

The first in a new series of ultra-fast, manualonly primes for APS-C systems from Venus Optics and its prolific Laowa brand, the Argus 33mm f/0.95 CF APO comprises 14 elements in nine groups, including one extra-low dispersion element, one aspherical element and three ultra-high-refraction elements. It also boasts a stepless aperture ring, ninebladed diaphragm and 35cm minimum focusing distance. It’s available for Canon RF, Fujifilm X, Nikon Z and Sony E mounts.

Nikon has added its first two macro lenses to its Z family. The Nikkor Z MC 50mm f/2.8 (£649) is an entry-level standard prime with a minimum focusing distance of 16cm, ninebladed aperture and AF focus limit switch.

It’s compatible with both full-frame and DX-format cameras and offers magnification ratios of 1:1, 1:2 and 1:4. The Nikkor Z MC 105mm f/2.8 VR S (£999) is a pro-spec midtelephoto macro with a minimum focusing distance of 29cm, in-lens vibration reduction and nine-bladed aperture. It’s also dust and moisture resistant, with anti-reflective coatings to reduce ghosting and flare. nikon.co.uk

Guide price £499 ukdigital.co.uk

Guide price £819 tamron.eu

Canson matt baryta paper Showcase your finest landscapes with the industry’s first matt baryta paper. Canson’s Infinity Baryta Photographique II Matt lacks any kind of light reflection from any viewing angle and is manufactured on a traditional alpha-cellulose base, adding to its authentic darkroom feel. This ultra-smooth 310gsm stock also features a high D-Max (black density) for added contrast, depth and colour vibrancy and intensity, and the same bariumsulphate layer as the standard Baryta Photographique II. Baryta Photographique II Matt is available in various sizes, from 5x7in sheets to A2 and beyond.

Guide price From £17.84 canson-infinity.com

Nikkor Z MC 105mm f/2.8

Outdoor Photography 81

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NEXT ISSUE Outdoor Photography 271 | On sale 12 August EDITORIAL Editorial Mark Bentley, Claire Blow, Scott Teagle markbe@thegmcgroup.com Designer Toby Haigh

Inspiring pictures of the Milky Way Photographing garden birds How to predict the light

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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 Find us on Instagram at instagram.com/ outdoorphotographymag © Antonio Solano / 2021 Milky Way Photographer of the Year

Outdoor Photography 83

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WILD PHOTOGRAPHY HOLIDAYS

Remarkable Iceland – Confirmed Departures Start July 2021 Great news for lovers of out of this world landscapes, the Land of Fire and Ice has been granted a spot on the UK green list. Think surreal volcanic landscapes, vast black sand deserts, geothermal bathing, luminous iceberg lagoons, spectacular waterfalls, immense glaciers and steaming geysers. Ready for an adventure?

www.wildphotographyholidays.com

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

Vibrant Spring In issue 267 we asked you to send us your most colourful spring shots and you did not disappoint. Here’s our winner, Ulrike Eisenmann (who wins a Robens Icefall Pro 3000 sleeping bag), and our superb runners-up. For details of our next challenge, turn to page 95.

WINNER Ulrike Eisenmann Little beech sprig with some fresh leaves after the rain.

Nikon Z7 with 105mm lens, ISO 125, 1/60sec at f/5.6 lakeartphotography.com

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ONE THING THIS MONTH Left (top) Tammy Marlar There is a magnificent ceanothus bush in my street which the bees adore, and I love the purple haze the flowers create with a spotlit bee doing its thing.

Canon EOS 5D Mk IV with 180mm macro lens, ISO 3200, 1/3200sec at f/8 tammymarlar.com Left (middle) Michael Thornton Etherow Country Park, Stockport. The image was taken in April, when the new buds had begun to establish themselves on the trees.

Canon EOS 5D MkIII with 100-400mm lens, ISO 100, 1/50sec at f/7.1 Left (below) Steve McDonald This wild garden was photographed in Sussex.

The composition shows an explosion of flowers which I thought was very dramatic.

Canon EOS 5D MkII with 24-105mm lens, ISO 200, 1/80sec at f/4.5 stevemcdonaldphotography.co.uk Opposite (top left) Catherine Illsley Bright yellow fields of oilseed rape in bloom stretching across the countryside are a sure sign of spring. However, that’s the only way most people see oilseed rape – as a mass of colour, but no detail. When you look more closely, the flower heads are actually quite complex and that is what I wanted to show with my image, while retaining the eyepopping mass of yellow.

Canon EOS 5D MkII with 70-200mm lens, ISO 125, 1/640sec at f/7.1 cillsleyphotography.com Opposite (top right) David Constantine A male starling, with its hackle feathers raised on its throat and its bill slightly open, was singing gently in the April sunshine to advertise its nest site in a nest box on our nearby house wall.

Canon EOS 5D MkIV with 100-400mm lens, ISO 400, 1/2000sec at f/8 Opposite (below left) Elaine Hagget The snake’s head fritillary is an amazing flower; it brightens any spring morning with its gorgeous drooping head.

Canon EOS 30 with 90mm macro lens, Fujifilm Velvia 200 flickr.com/photos/elainehagget Opposite (below right) Deborah Hammond Green-veined orchid photographed at a local nature reserve.

Canon EOS 5D MkIV with 100mm macro lens, ISO 200, 1/500sec at f/4

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ONE THING THIS MONTH

Outdoor Photography 89

ONE THING THIS MONTH Left (top) Angus Reid I loved the natural light on these fresh crocuses and the vibrant contrast of the orange and violet. Using a wideangle lens and extension tube emphasised the front flower while keeping the whole cluster of blooms sharp.

Nikon D700 with 24mm lens plus 8mm extension, ISO 200, 1/10sec at f/16 Left (below) Jackie Matear I took this image of cherry blossoms in a local cemetery on a sunny day in late February. I opted for a high-key look, using a relatively shallow aperture to isolate the closest blossoms, throwing the more distant flowers out of focus.

Canon EOS 5D MkIV with 100mm lens, ISO 640, 1/200sec at f/8 Opposite (top) Geraint Evans Cherry blossoms.

Nikon D850 with 70-200mm lens, ISO 200, 1/200sec at f/2.5 flickr.com/photos/126232476@N06/ Opposite (below) Paul Roberson I decided to get up early (3.50am!) to prepare for a dawn shoot at West Woods in Wiltshire.

The low morning sun illuminated the ground mist, and this backlit beech tree among the bluebells caught my eye.

Nikon Z7 with 24-200mm lens, ISO 64, 0.6sec at f/13 paulroberson@smugmug.com

90 Outdoor Photography

ONE THING THIS MONTH

ONE THING THIS MONTH Left (top) Brian Carroll Photographed on a perfectly still pond on the edge of Exmouth in Devon in early May, these Canada goose goslings must have only been a couple of weeks old.

Canon EOS R5 with 100-400mm lens, ISO 800, 1/320sec at f/8 Left (middle) Tammy Marlar I relish magnolia time at Kew Gardens as the most beautiful harbinger of spring, and this year everything seemed to align in terms of timing and perfect shooting conditions. This is Sprengeri Diva variety, one of my favourite magnolia flowers to photograph and this one just seemed thoroughly joyful!

Canon EOS 5D Mk IV with 180mm macro lens, ISO 200, 1/500sec at f/6.3 tammymarlar.com Left (below) David Eberlin This was taken in my garden last spring, just as the flowers and green leaves started appearing. I decided to attach a macro lens, increase the ISO and see what I could get; I like the vibrant and contrasting colours of this tiny bee-fly and the flower in the sun.

Canon EOS R with 105mm macro lens, ISO 800, 1/8000sec at f/2.8 davideberlin.uk Opposite (top) Bert Roos Ornithogalum umbellatum along the roadside near my home.

Sony A7R III with 90mm macro lens, ISO 100, 1/250sec at f/4 Opposite (below) Steve Palmer Shot in a meadow next to a bypass, the grass was covered with dew which glistened in the early morning light. The cuckoo flower was half frozen and shot with the sun behind to highlight the delicate frost.

Sony A7RIII with 100mm macro lens, ISO 320, 1/3200sec at f/2.8 stevepalmer.photography

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ONE THING THIS MONTH

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ONE THING THIS MONTH

Left Carol Hall Our local woodland has a lovely carpet of bluebells in the spring, but I am very drawn to the blue and white mix of the bluebells and the greater stitchwort. I used a wide aperture to blur the bluebells and keep the stitchwort sharp.

Canon EOS 77D with 105mm lens, ISO 200, 1/400sec at f/3.2 Below Tony Bateman The apple tree was looking stunning while it was catching some early evening light. The blossoms don’t last long and, just over a week later, most of them were on the ground.

Canon EOS 5D MkIII with 70-200mm lens, ISO 100, 1/40sec at f/2.8 flickr.com/photos/113960907@N06/ Opposite (top) Todor Tilev A dew-covered ladybird, photographed in my backyard in Athlone, Ireland.

Fujifilm X-T20 with 100mm macro lens, ISO 200, 1/1400sec at f/8 todortilev.com Opposite (below) Leslie Allan No flower does a better job of announcing the arrival of spring than a bluebell – and my local valley has plenty to choose from.

Nikon D500 with 150mm macro lens, ISO 100, 1/400sec at f/4.5

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ONE THING THIS MONTH Your next challenge

ENTER ONLINE NOW! Sweeping Landscapes This month we want you to go big. Big seascapes, big skies, big landscapes. Send in your images of the grandest sweeping landscapes you have photographed. The winner and runners-up will be published in issue 273. To submit your images, go to outdoorphotographymagazine. co.uk/submissions. The closing date for entries is midnight on 20 August 2021.

See page 66 for more details and terms and conditions.

Enter and you could win a pair of Arc’Teryx Gamma Pants worth £150, courtesy of Trekitt Trekitt is your friendly, independent, online outdoor retailer. Got a query?

The Trekitt team will happily share their unbiased knowledge with you. The winner of our Sweeping Landscapes competition will receive a pair of Arc'Teryx Gamma Pants (RRP £150), perfect for the unpredictable, British summertime.

Available in men’s and women’s sizes, they offer four-way stretch for unrestricted movement, durability and, above all, comfort. They have a tough, rain-shedding exterior (not waterproof), a soft interior finish and are super tough for a wide range of conditions.

In fact, they’re a great year-round product. Mark Trepte of Trekitt says: ‘What I really like about this pant is the shape, not too baggy, but not super trim.

Equally comfortable whether you're moving fast or standing still. Burly and comfortable, these are a proper classic’.

Find out more at trekitt.co.uk

Outdoor Photography 95

COMPETITION

Where in the world?

Do you recognise this iconic bridge? If so, you could win a Syrp Genie Micro smart remote!

Where is it?

Driving over this much-photographed bridge is now the highlight of many a road trip – but is it…

a: Djurdzhevich Bridge, Montenegro b: Krk Bridge, Croatia c: Bixby Creek Bridge, California The answer and the winner’s name will be revealed in OP 273.

You can enter the competition online at outdoorphotographymagazine.co.uk, using Bridge270 as the code, or send your answer to opcomp@thegmcgroup.com, stating Bridge270 as the subject.

Alternatively, drop it in the post to: Where in the World – Bridge270, Outdoor Photography, 86 High Street, Lewes, East Sussex BN7 1XN. The deadline for entry is 27 August 2021.

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THIS MONTH’S GREAT PRIZE SYRP GENIE MICRO

Worth

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 267 WINNER In issue 267 we asked you to identify the deserted township in the image below.

The correct answer is:

a) Bodie, California Shutterstock.com

ENTER ONLINE NOW!

Congratulations to our winner!

Richard Freeman from Perth

Meet the demands of any destination with f-stop camera backpacks Stocked in the UK with free next day delivery Browse the complete f-stop range at

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CRAG HOPPERS

LEGENDARY SINCE 1965 Our Kiwi trousers are made with recycled yarns, they're our most sustainable range yet. Don't forget all of our product is guaranteed for life.

Here's to the next 56 years of our Kiwi trousers.

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