Beyond the lens

anThony laMB

Early on in my photographic journey, a quote by Henri Cartier-Bresson caught my attention: ‘Your first 10,000 photographs are your worst.’ It motivated me. As a selftaught photographer, I practised my craft obsessively and studied other photographers who inspired me. In these early years, finding the perfect light, perfect locations, telling meaningful narratives and building collaborative collections seemed less critical. It was simply about immersing myself in nature, documenting my encounters.

Nature has always been a calming influence on me, a sanctuary where I can remove myself from everyday life.

Even now, I don’t think my photographic collections are preenvisaged. The story tends to evolve organically from the connective experiences on location. There is, however, a more profound thought process behind location selection, weather conditions, chosen subject, composition, and preferred techniques used. But I never shy away from opening my eyes on location and following a free-spirited approach.

So how often do I get the opportunity to head out into the outdoors with a camera in hand? There can be a misconception of how often landscape photographers can do what they love, capturing images in the heart of nature. The proverbial emails need to be replied to, written proposals, marketing, writing articles/books, commercial photography work, exhibitions, and hours and hours of post-processing. This is not an exhaustive list but provides an insight into what probably takes up to 70% of my time. Please don’t misunderstand me, I still love every minute of my job and wouldn’t change a thing. I’ll now take you through the process of photographing a scene from initial research to selling a limited edition print. The first decision as a landscape photographer is the choice of subject or location. over the years, I’ve changed my approach; early on in my photographic journey, I would head out with my camera in only favourable weather. Now, I tend to select a suitable region, research the location using Google Maps and pin specific areas of interest that might provide appropriate subject matter. I will also look at tide times, sunrise/sunset times, and weather conditions based on the time of my visit. This process allows me to build up an approximate schedule, reducing the risk of wasting time on location. However, all the planning in the world doesn’t always equate to what you might have envisaged.

No matter which location I choose to photograph, I intentionally head out in overcast or challenging weather conditions. Sometimes the weather can turn for the worst, with wind, rain, sleet, and sometimes snow. I’ve always had a fascination and desire to immerse myself in the elements of nature. I’ve placed myself into desert storms on the Arabian