FEATURED PHOTOGRAPHER

Peninsula, executed long exposures in horizontal rain in the Scottish Highlands, and caught the sunrise on the dizzy heights of Mont Blanc. Having selected a location, determined a strong subject, and conditions are perfect for my photographic approach, now I must compose the image on location and create a personal perspective of the scene to provoke visual interest.

For me, a strong composition creates the balance, structure, and focal points required to produce a photograph that

will bring all the frame elements together.

For many years now, my photographic style has revolved around simplicity by reducing the subject matter in the composition and using space to provide a sense of air. The photographer then begins to tell the story of the landscape through subtle glimpses. on many occasions, fellow photographers have observed the glacial pace that I work at in the field when composing an image. I think my composition consideration is the reason. I’m visually sorting through what’s in front of me; I’m ‘really looking’ and arguably ‘seeing more’. Minimalism makes you consider every aspect of the photograph, which is why it’s so paramount to get things close to perfect in camera. I share this thought process through my educational workshops. The in-field mentoring workshops offer advice to passionate photographers who wish to use their creativity, inspirations and originality to achieve results.

Photography doesn’t just have to stop at capturing what’s in front of you.

The digital darkroom allows me to use my creativity to perfect or adjust the image in line with my vision. I avoid deception, removing or adding large objects. But by adjusting saturation, hue, contrast, tones, and directional light, I aim to portray my emotional connection to the landscape. The painterly expression I employ probably dates back to my childhood when I was lucky to browse art galleries containing

Canalettos, Turners, and an assortment of Impressionist paintings. Choosing which images are portfolio worthy can be a selection nightmare. I’m probably my most prominent critic, so I will sometimes leave an image to mature before deciding if to include it in my body of work. I’ll also rely on gallery curators, fellow photographers and close family to help me make a final call. once I have a body of work, it’s up to me to take it to market. I may start by entering international competitions; work that’s been successful is then pitched to galleries and art consultants. It’s a great way of gauging the direction of photography and provides you with a benchmark against other photographers in the market. I conduct seminars discussing how a series of images is developed. Getting your work into the public domain is essential and understanding how people react is paramount.

Creating a body of work requires patience. In some cases, it’s taken me years to build a collection worthy of being considered for the next step: exhibiting a collection. I’ve been lucky enough to work with art curators and consultants when selecting, and I’ve learnt a lot from their advice. Creating flow in an exhibition is so important; creating synergy through composition, colour, hue, and subject holds the portfolio together.