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HOW TO TAKE GREAT SHOTS OF LAKES AND RIVERS

landscape | wildlife | nature | adventure

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IN THE MAGAZINE THIS MONTH...

EDITORIAL

COVER + 16

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A lifelong passion to travel has fuelled Robert Salisbury’s desire to seek out the world's most dramatic and unusual landscapes from land or air. For Rob, landscape photography is all about conveying a sense of mood and atmosphere. Whether it’s an iconic location or somewhere just down the road, it's the weather and light that will produce the goods. robertsalisbury.photography

Pete Bridgwood is a fine art landscape photographer and writer. He is fascinated by the creative foundations of landscape photography and passionate about exploring the emotional elements of the art. petebridgwood.com

Lizzie Shepherd is a professional photographer based in North Yorkshire, specialising in landscape and travel imagery. She provides tuition on a one-to-one basis as well as leading group workshops. She co-leads workshops in the UK and Europe for Tripod Travels. lizzieshepherd.com

36 Richard Garvey-Williams is a fine art nature photographer and author of books on photography. Having spent his childhood in Africa, he relishes opportunities to return and share his experience through leading photography safaris. Now based in Devon, he also offers landscape photography tutoring on Dartmoor. richardgarveywilliams.com

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Editor Steve Watkins stevew@thegmcgroup.com Deputy editor Chris Gatcum opdeped@thegmcgroup.com Assistant editor Anna Bonita Evans anna.evans@thegmcgroup.com Designer Toby Haigh

ADVERTISING Advertising executive Guy Stockton guy.stockton@thegmcgroup.com, 01273 402825

MARKETING Marketing executive Anne Guillot anneg@thegmcgroup.com, 01273 402871

PRODUCTION Production manager Jim Bulley Production controller Scott Teagle Origination and Ad design GMC Repro. repro@thegmcgroup.com, 01273 402807 Publisher Jonathan Grogan Printer Precision Colour Printing, Telford, 01952 585585 Distribution Seymour Distribution Ltd Outdoor Photography (ISSN 1470-5400) is published 13 times a year by GMC Publications Ltd. 86 High Street, Lewes, East Sussex BN7 1XN. Tel 01273 477374

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48 Niall Benvie has photographed and written about the natural world and our relationship with it, professionally, for over 20 years. He is co-founder of the international photography project Meet Your Neighbours. niallbenvie.com

Andrew Ray is a full-time professional photographer based in Cornwall who specialises in UK landscape images. His work has been widely published, and he has won numerous national competitions and awards. andrewrayphotography.com

Drew Buckley is an award-winning professional landscape and wildlife photographer from Pembrokeshire. His images are published internationally in magazines, books and other media. He also runs location-based photographic workshops around Wales. drewbuckleyphotography.com

76 Laurie Campbell With more than 30 years’ experience of photographing Scottish wildlife, Laurie Campbell’s creative aim is simple: to share his passion for Scotland’s landscapes, flora and fauna. He regularly leads nature photography workshops, and his images are widely published. lauriecampbell.com

© Guild of Master Craftsman Publications Ltd. 2017

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82 Tom Mason is a 23-yearold professional wildlife photojournalist from the UK. He has worked on various projects both at home and overseas and is passionate about sharing stories from the natural world. tommasonphoto.com

Steve Young has been at OP from issue one. His images have appeared in numerous publications and he has written two bird photography books and photo-edited two bird identification guides.

He was the overall winner of the 2010 British Wildlife Photography Awards. birdsonfilm.com

Carlton Doudney is a landscape photographer based in Perthshire. As a kitchen-bound chef, he loves getting outside as much as he can. And as a keen mountain walker, the main focus for his photography is in high places, year round.

Fergus Kennedy At the age of five, Fergus Kennedy loved messing around in the sea and playing with gadgets. Forty years on, very little has changed. He is a marine biologist and works as a freelance photographer, drone pilot and camera operator for clients such as the BBC and Canon Europe. ferguskennedy.com

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE

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Nick Smith nicksmithphoto.com, Andy Farrer andyfarrer.co.uk, James Grant jamesgphotography.co.uk, Stu Meech stumeech.co.uk, Paul Atterby paulatterbyphotography.co.uk, Robert Birkby robertbirkbyphotography.co.uk, Bruce Little brucelittle.net, Emanuele Biggi anura.it Outdoor Photography considers article ideas for publication, which should be sent to the Editor, along with a stamped self-addressed return envelope if you require your material back. GMC Publications cannot accept liability for the loss or damage of any unsolicited material. Views and comments expressed by individuals in the magazine do not necessarily represent those of the publishers and no legal responsibility can be accepted for the results of the use by readers of information or advice of whatever kind given in this publication, either in editorial or advertisements. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior permission of the Guild of Master Craftsman Publications Ltd. With regret, promotional offers and competitions, unless otherwise stated, are not available outside the UK and Eire.

GMC Publications cannot accept liability for the loss or damage of any unsolicited material.

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The countdown begins Oh, how time flies! This month we are thrilled to be launching the new Outdoor Photographer of the Year competition. Now in its seventh year, it has been wonderful to watch it grow both in scope and in stature among the global photography community.

We are once again innovating the competition, this time with an exciting new Fjällräven Award of £3,000 for the overall winner and the introduction of a prize for the runnerup, who receives a Fjällräven Award of £1,000. These awards will allow the recipients to choose a dream set of outdoor gear tailored to suit the needs of their own style of photography and the environments they prefer to operate in.

We are also introducing a brand new category, called View from Above, for aerial landscapes, whether they are taken with a drone or from other aircraft. This exciting area of outdoor photography has already generated some superb imagery, and we are looking to bring those photographers to the fore to showcase how new technology can be used to produce

compelling shots of the planet.

The overall winner and runner-up will be announced live on stage at The Photography Show at the NEC Birmingham (17-20 March 2018). The launch of the OPOTY exhibition will take place at the show too, and we are once again teaming up with leading printers Spectrum Photographic to produce the stunning prints for it.

The competition is always one of the highlights of the year, and I am already looking forward to seeing your images and following the excitement on social media as it builds towards the deadline and then the shortlist reveal.

Of course, the big question is, what are we looking for? There’s no easy answer unfortunately, but the best advice I can offer is that the judges will be looking for something extra that comes from within you to be perceptible in the image. Your emotional response to a subject or scene is unique to you, and tapping into that can help produce unique, maybe awardwinning, images.

Steve Watkins

THE ISSUE at a glance

We chat to landscape photographer Robert Salisbury – page 16

Lizzie Shepherd’s guide to shooting lakes and rivers – page 28

Niall Benvie explores the overuse of neutral density filters – page 40

GET IN TOUCH Email Contact the Editor, Steve Watkins, at stevew@thegmcgroup.com or Deputy Editor, Chris Gatcum, at opdeped@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 http://twitter.com/opoty

ON THE COVER

Find us on Instagram at instagram.com/outdoorphotographymag/

Robert Salisbury took this wonderful image in Chilean Patagonia.

Fergus Kennedy tests out the Panasonic Lumix GH5 – page 90

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OCTOBER 2017

FEATURES & OPINION 16 In conversation with…

Robert Salisbury When Robert Salisbury moved to Australia he discovered his passion for aerial photography.

He talks to Nick Smith about finding lines, patterns and form all around us

25 One month, one picture Pete Bridgwood visits a place imbued with atmosphere and reflects on how to convey its spirit through a single image

40 Opinion Niall Benvie on how certain kit can create a false impression of a place and what that means in a wider sense

59 Astronomy Photographer of the Year Awe-inspiring images from this year’s competition

68 In the spotlight UK photographer Chris Davis shares his landscape imagery

LEARNING ZONE

LOCATIONS GUIDE

28 How to photograph lakes and rivers

48 Loch Inchard, Sutherland

Lizzie Shepherd’s in-depth guide shows how the inclusion of lakes, rivers and lochs can enhance a picture tenfold

Andrew Ray travels to one of the most remote parts of the Highlands to capture a stunning waterside scene at sunrise

51 Blencathra, Cumbria 36 Quick guide to…Shooting landscapes contre-jour Richard Garvey-Williams’ top tips for getting the most out of this dramatic photography style

Drew Buckley captures an alternative, highly graphic view of one of the Lake District’s most dramatic mountains

52 Viewpoints 39 Lie of the land

85 Inside track

Andy Farrer on retaining individuality in photography

Carlton Doudney extolls the benefits of simple things

CALL FOR ENTRIES! Outdoor Photographer of the Year 2017 SEE PAGE 43

Eight top UK locations to shoot this month, including photogenic spots in Devon, Perth and Kinross, Cumbria and North Yorkshire

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NATURE ZONE 76 Life in the wild Turning your lens to more common wildlife – like the woodpigeon – might offer up some pleasant surprises, says Laurie Campbell

78 Photography guide Laurie’s nature highlights for this month, plus world wildlife spectacles and five top sites to see grey seal pups

GEAR ZONE

REGULARS

YOUR OP

88 Gearing up

8 Newsroom

14 Social hub

Our round-up of the latest outdoor kit to hit the shelves

Keeping you up to date with the latest photography, outdoor and conservation stories

Your feedback, thoughts and musings on all things photography-related

10 Out there

64 Your chance

Our pick of the latest photo titles, including Steve McCurry’s new book, plus mesmerising time-lapse videos

Discover how to get your work published in OP

90 Camera test: Panasonic Lumix GH5 Other than its class-leading video capabilities, what else does Panasonic’s new top-ofthe-range mirrorless camera have to offer? Fergus Kennedy finds out

12 The big view The latest exhibitions, wildlife events and winter festivals to inspire you

66 Next month A sneak peek at the November 2017 issue of OP

71 Reader gallery

81 A moment with nature

Our pick of this month’s best readers’ images

Tom Mason on the trials and tribulations of using camera traps on location

104 If you only do one thing this month…

The winners of our ‘essence of travel’ photography competition, plus details of our next challenge

82 On the wing Despite a lack of sleep, Steve Young enjoys a glimpse of an extremely rare winged visitor to the UK

NEXT ISSUE ON SALE 19 OCTOBER 2017 In conversation with… Sandra Bartocha How to convey emotion in wildlife images On test: Nikon D7500

112 Where in the world?

Correctly identify the location featured and you could win a pair of Aku Montera Low GTX hiking shoes, worth £125!

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Sand stalker

by Emanuele Biggi This image shows a Peringuey’s (or sidewinding) adder (Bitis peringueyi) hidden in the sand in Naukluft National Park, Namibia. The Peringuey’s adder is an ambush predator of the Namib desert. By burying its whole body, except for the eyes and nostrils, it can remain perfectly concealed for hours, waiting for passing prey.

Sometimes, it may uncover the tip of its tail and wriggle it in the fashion of a beetle larva, to lure passing sand lizards closer. Because their camouflage is so successful, finding these adders is very difficult.

I searched for their tracks in the early morning or late afternoon. You have to work fast, as the wind shifts the sand and quickly covers over the tracks, but in this case I was able to find a place, underneath a shrub, where an adder was lurking.

It was important to approach slowly and quietly, so the snake wasn’t disturbed. These adders can deliver a deadly bite to sand lizards, but the venom is relatively harmless to humans – it just causes localised pain.

Seeing and photographing this species up close was an amazing experience. It is so well adapted that even its eyes are placed on top of its head, allowing it to submerge itself almost fully in the sandy sea of the Namib. It’s a perfect example of a sit-and-wait predator, and has adapted to hunt in the oldest desert on Earth.

© Emanuele Biggi / naturepl.com

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THE LATEST BULLETINS

NEWSROOM COMPETITIONS

OUTDOORS

Winnats Pass sunset

A unique challenge On 22 July, Jason Bould and his wife, Tracy, set themselves a very specific photographic challenge: to take 73 landscape photographs in 73 days in 73 locations around the Peak District… using the excellent book Peak District Through The Lens by James Grant as a guide. The reason behind their impressive mission wasn’t to

augment their portfolios or raise their social media profiles, but to raise money for a number of charities that helped them following the death of their daughter, Emily, shortly after she was born in February this year.

As Jason and Tracy both work full time, the logistics of reaching each location for a sunrise

TECHNOLOGY

OTHER NEWS

or sunset shoot are immense, as are the potential difficulties they face when they arrive. After 26 days, the couple had already driven more than 1,100 miles and hiked over 60 miles; ‘we aren’t hikers/walkers, we aren’t particularly fit and we are finding it difficult,’ said Jason. And that doesn’t even begin to take into account the notoriously fickle Peak District weather.

Thankfully, the pair are not alone in their efforts: they have been joined (or will be joined) by a number of photographers and organisations, including Thomas Heaton (landscape photographer and vlogger), Adam Karnacz (aka First Man Photography; landscape photographer and vlogger), Michael Cummins (the official Visit Britain photographer), Tony Worobiec (landscape photographer and author), James Grant (the author of the guide book the couple is using), BBC Radio Stoke, BBC Midlands Today and Simon Cunningham (their consultant at the hospital, a keen landscape photographer and now good friend). Jason admits that ‘it’s been a heart-warming experience seeing how the photography community has got behind us’.

At the end of their physical and emotional journey, which finishes on 2 October, the couple will exhibit and sell a selection of prints, with all proceeds going to their chosen charities. They’ll also be donating prints to Royal Stoke Hospital to display in its Forget Me Not rooms, where parents stay after their baby has passed away.

To find out more about Jason and Tracy’s journey, see their shots so far and donate to their cause visit 73in73.com. © shutterstock.com/g/Alexander+Kolomietz

NEW LAUNCHES

© Jason and Tracy Bould

CONSERVATION

New regulations for drone pilots As drones become an increasingly common sight in UK skies – especially in the hands of enthusiast pilots – the dangers surrounding them have grown considerably. It’s perhaps unsurprising that in response to an increasing number of ‘near misses’ with other aircraft, the government has announced it intends to tighten the rules surrounding the use of drones.

Following a public consultation run by the Department of Transport between 21 December last year and 15 March this year, two main regulations are set to come into play. The first is that anyone flying a drone weighing 250g or above will need to be registered. The registration – which is likely to have a fee attached to it – will apply whether they’re an enthusiast or a commercial pilot. Although the details are still undecided, early indications are that pilots will most likely only have to register once, no matter

how many drones exceeding the minimum weight they fly. This is of particular benefit to commercial operators with multiple drones.

The second change will come in the form of ‘mandatory competency testing… for all leisure users.’ For now, it appears this will only apply to hobbyists, as the consultation recognised that ‘commercial users already have required standards to meet.’ However, the 65page report does warn that ‘in future there might be a need for new standards for commercial pilots too, above those already in place.’

As part of these new regulations, embedded electronic identification options are being explored, as is tracking technology, ‘so that enforcement action against irresponsible drone use can be improved.’ By extension, the government is also considering how it can ‘tighten rules around where users can fly

certain classes of drones’ and ‘increase penalties when the law is broken.’

You can find out more about the new regulations and download the full consultation document at the Department of Transport website (gov.uk/government/organisations/ department-for-transport). You can also brush up on the Civil Aviation Authority’s Dronecode at dronesafe.uk/drone-code.

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EDITED BY CHRIS GATCUM

Black+White Photographer of the Year 2018

Sharon Madden-Harkness, Natural World category winner, 2015

© Caltech/Hajimiri Lab

The prestigious Black+White Photographer of the Year 2018 competition is now open for entries. The competition, which is run

by Black+White Photography magazine, in association with Fujifilm, is looking for the best in contemporary black & white photography. There are three categories to enter and images can be taken on any kind of camera, from a smartphone to vintage wet plate, and everything digital or analogue in between. The categories are: • The World Of People (from formal portraits and street photography to photojournalism).

• The World Around Us (landscapes, cityscapes, seascapes and wildlife).

• The Creative World (let your imagination roam, from still-life to abstract , using old processes to smartphone filters; whatever you think fits).

As well as the chance to be named Black+White Photographer of The Year, each of three category winners will walk away with a Fujifilm camera: an X-Pro2 plus three lenses, an X100F or an X-T20 plus lens for first , second and third placed photographers resp ectively.

Entry costs £10 for up to fi ve images and the competition closes at midnight on 30 October 2017. For full competition details visit bpoty.com.

A lensless future?

Caltech’s lensless chip sitting on a US penny, demonstrating the diminutive size of the tech. Multiple chips could theoretically be combined to create wafer-thin ‘cameras’.

As digital imaging technology continues to make advances into previously unexplored territory, Caltech (the California Institute of Technology) has announced that its engineers have developed a single thin layer of integrated silicon photonics that emulates the lens and sensor of a digital camera, or to put it simply, a lens-less camera that is effectively little more than a layer of silicon. The magic lies in the time delay (or phase shift) that can be applied to any one of its large array of light receivers, enabling the camera to selectively look in different directions and focus on different things.

The project’s team leader, Ali Hajimiri, claims that the array can ‘mimic a regular lens, but can switch from a fisheye to a telephoto lens instantaneously – with just a simple adjustment in the way the array receives light.’ He goes on to explain how ‘the ability to control all the optical properties of a camera electronically using a paper-thin layer of low-cost silicon photonics without any mechanical movement, lenses, or mirrors, opens a new world of imagers that could look like wallpaper, blinds, or even wearable fabric.’

Whether this project will translate into real-world technology and we’ll find ourselves one day using paperthin, lens-less cameras remains to be seen, but it’s unlikely to happen any time soon – at the moment, the ultra-lowresolution images the device produces confirm proof of concept, but little else.

Visit caltech.edu to read more about this potentially revolutionary technology.

‘Long distance love triangle’ With a headline that wouldn’t look out of place in a tabloid newspaper, and a storyline that could have been lifted directly from your favourite soap opera, RSPB Scotland has discovered a male sea eagle that defi nitely wants to have his cake and eat it.

The bird in question – an eight-year-old male known as Turquoise Z – has been caught travelling between two nests on Scotland’s east coast. The unusual behaviour has seen the feathered polygamist not only raising a chick in Fife with his regular partner, Turquoise 1, with whom he has been breeding since 2013, but also raising a chick with a younger bird (Red Z) at a site in Angus.

RSPB Scotland admits that this ‘has been seen on the west coast of Scotland on a handful of occasions,

but these nests were just a few miles apart and the demands of providing enough food for both nests always resulted in failure.’ What makes Turquoise Z’s endeavours most impressive is that he is not only visiting two nests that are 28 miles apart, but he is taking shifts incubating at both sites, as well as providing food for both females and feeding himself – and his philandering ways appear to be paying off.

According to RSPB Scotland, ‘Both sea eagle chicks have now taken their first fl ight from the nests and will soon be hunting for themselves. They have been fitted with wing tags and satellite transmitters so that their movements can be followed over the coming months as they leave their parents’ territories and start to explore Scotland.’

NUMBER CRUNCH 1.7 million To date, Macphun’s Aurora HDR photo-editing soft ware has only been available to photographers running a Mac, yet it has still been downloaded more than 1.7 million times. That number now looks set to sky-rocket as the company has revealed that the latest edition of its program – Aurora HDR 2018 – will also be available for Windows users. Boasting a redesigned interface, improved operating speeds and built-in lens correction, the cross-platform newcomer should enable you to produce eye-popping – or subtler – HDR images. Visit aurorahdr.com/2018 for details.

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Flints Auctioneers has opened for business in London and is promising to hold at least four ‘fine’ sales a year offering cameras from the earliest wet plate examples through to modern 35mm ones.

In addition, three annual ‘collectors’ sales will offer more affordable pieces as well as group lots. Flints’ first ‘fine’ photographica sale is to be held on Friday 20 October at Stoke Newington West Reservoir Centre, Green Lanes, London N4 2HA. Further details can be found at flintsauctions.com.

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A survey has revealed that 55% of Scottish adults are ‘less likely’ to visit scenic areas in Scotland if they contain industrial developments, such as commercial windfarms and super-quarries. The survey was carried out on behalf of the John Muir Trust, as part of its Keep It Wild campaign.

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Natural England is looking to improve access to a 77km (47.8 mile) stretch of the Dorset coastline, extending from Lulworth Cove to the Hampshire border at Highcliffe. If the plans are approved, a National Trail will be created along the entire Dorset coast, providing the public with access to the county’s beaches, cliffs and other coastal environs.

It would also add to the England Coast Path – a project designed to see a long-distance walking route created around the whole of the English coastline.

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THE LATEST NEW MEDIA

OUT THERE BOOK OF THE MONTH

Maimana, 1992 © Steve McCurry/Magnum Photos

Afghanistan Steve McCurry Taschen 978-3-8365-6936-1 Hardback, £59.99 Steve McCurry first visited Afghanistan in 1979, after he met members of the mujahideen in Pakistan who wanted to show him (an American photographer hoping to tell the story of their war-torn home country to the wider world) what was happening across the border.

Disguising himself in Afghan dress and smuggling in film by sewing it into his clothes, McCurry, aged 29, was taking the first steps to creating some of the most iconic photographs of our time.

Forty years on, here we see 230 of his lushly coloured (and a handful of B&W) reportage images of the country – all taken between 1979 and 2016. This large format, retrospective portfolio of the Magnum photographer’s most compelling work highlights the contradictions of Afghanistan: how war dominates people’s lives and has caused irrevocable damage to the nation, yet elements or moments of beauty can still be found.

Looking at the images en masse shows us McCurry’s unrivalled understanding of light and excellent use of it, especially in portraiture. Aligning with his thinking that an image should speak for itself, there is no supporting text from McCurry – only very brief captions. There is, however, an engaging afterword by writer and historian William Dalrymple. Insightful, striking and hugely compelling, if you buy one book this year make sure this is it.

7 Years of Camera Shake: One man’s passion for photographing wildlife David Plummer Unbound 978-1-7835-2393-1 Hardback, £25 David Plummer has taken pictures for the last 25 years and is fast becoming one of the UK’s most accomplished wildlife photographers.

This monograph showcases images from the last seven years of Plummer’s career, where he explored the lives of different animals inhabiting the planet. From big cats in Africa to tawny owls in the UK, David’s stunning imagery gives the reader an insight into each animal’s behaviour, breeding habits, prey, habitat and the ecosystem it is part of.

The book’s title also refers to a life-changing moment for David, as seven years ago he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. Not one to be defined or inhibited by his illness, David focuses his energies on doing what he loves. Yet as Richard Taylor-Jones says in the foreword, ‘It’s important that Parkinson’s has nothing to do with how we look at David’s work as it speaks for itself.’ With this in mind, 7 Years of Camera Shake is a powerful portrait of one man’s passion and talent for photographing the world’s most interesting animals.

50% of profits from each book sold goes to Parkinson’s UK.

THREE GREAT NATURE BOOKS Wise Trees Diane Cook and Len Jenshel Abrams 978-1-4197-2700-9 Hardback, £30 For two years Diane Cook and Len Jenshel travelled across five continents to photograph 50 significant trees. Alongside each image printed here is a short synopsis of that particular tree’s influence; highlights include the planet’s oldest species (the bristlecone pine) and the tree that led Sir Isaac Newton to discover gravity (a flower of Kent apple in his former Lincolnshire home).

In the Company of Seahorses Steve Trewhella and Julia Hatcher Wild Nature Press 9978-0-9955-6732-0 Hardback, £19.99 British photographers Steve Trewhella and Julia Hatcher’s informative guide to seahorses found in UK seas highlights just how remarkable these creatures are – take for instance how the male not only carries the developing eggs, but gives birth as well. A large portion of the book is dedicated to other marine life.

Mariposas Nocturnas: Moths of Central and South America, a study in beauty and diversity Emmet Gowin Princeton University Press 978-0-6911-7689-5 Hardback, £41.95 Best known for portraits of his family from the 1970s, Emmet Gowin has been involved in photographing moths native to Central and South America for the last 15 years.

After photographing thousands of species, Gowin has organised them into tile effect panels, with 25 pictures per panel, and the results are powerful. This large-format book befits Gowin’s ambitious project.

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EDITED BY ANNA BONITA EVANS AROUND THE WORLD IN SIX TIME-LAPSE VIDEOS Time-lapse videos show you the world in motion and often reveal something you had not previously perceived. This can help inform your photography – especially long exposure shots. Here are six of our favourite time-lapse videos presenting some of the most beautiful parts of the planet. All of the videos are available to view on the Outdoor Photography website at outdoorphotographymagazine.co.uk – simply head to the article Around the world in six time-lapse videos.

1 1 Namib Grand: Spellbinding time-lapse of an African desert Matthew Hood The name for Namibia’s coastal desert, Namib, translates as ‘vast place’ – a quality Matthew Hood has encapsulated powerfully in his three-minute film. Showing the beautiful simplicity of these arid vistas, you can watch shadows drift across the landscape and marvel at the varying light altering the appearance of rocks and trees.

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2 Yosemite Range of Light Shawn Reeder See Mirror Lake, Half Dome, El Capitan and Yosemite Falls in a different light with this stunning four-minute film of the national park progressing from day to night.

Watch daylight melt away and backdrops full of celestial delights appear, making the park’s famous landmarks even more dramatic.

The result of two years work, Shawn Reeder’s film celebrates America’s great wilderness.

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3 Awakening: New Zealand Timestorm Films Footage of the ever-changing cloud formations contrast with the mountainous terrain, while almost every scene is reflected in the surrounding crystal-clear lakes. This mind-blowing video will remind lovers of this Polynesian country why they fell for it in the first place, while newbies won’t be able to resist its allure.

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4 Seasons of Norway: A Time-lapse Adventure in 8K Morten Rustad Norway’s landscape is a major draw for outdoor photographers; nature is lush in warm seasons and the winter months bring other equally appealing subjects to the fore. With a variety of wide vista and close-up shots, viewers will enjoy how Morten Rustad has paced the visuals with the music.

Rustad has also uploaded a number of time-lapse tutorials to his YouTube channel so you can try it for yourself.

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5 Field of View: 4K Ultra HD time-lapse Dakotalapse Setting itself apart from the others on our list, this video is a collection of different locations. Shot from a low vantage point, see the sky light up and tumultuous weather pass through the landscape in all its glory. In places the colour saturation filter has been set a bit too high for our liking, but this film is still as inspiring as the subject it captures.

6 Patagonia 8K Timestorm Films Another on our list from the creator Timestorm Films, this four-and-ahalf-minute film on southern Chile and Argentina was shot in 8K over a six-week period. Travelling across 7,500km of wilderness, Timestorm captured an estimated 100,000 still images to produce this paean to one of the most beautiful parts of the world. Get ready for breathtaking peaks, striking waterfalls and stunning colours from the changing light.

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THE LATEST WHAT'S ON

THE BIG VIEW EXHIBITIONS Scottish Nature Photography Awards 5 to 31 October Logan Botanic Garden, Dumfries and Galloway From the dramatic scenery of Buachaille Etive Mòr to the wondrous wildlife of the Cairngorms, Scotland has long been an inspiration to outdoor photographers who hope to encapsulate the beauty and diversity of the natural world through stunning imagery.

See some of the most successful pictures of Scotland’s wilderness at Logan Botanic Garden this autumn, where 30 pictures from the 2016 Scottish Nature Photography Awards will be on show. Now in its seventh year, the competition has ten categories – including land, sea and coast , natural abstract and wildlife. The judges were Scottish landscape photographer Andy Hall, underwater photographer and ecologist Richard Shucksmith and co-organiser of the competition Niall Irvine. rbge.org.uk Goatfell sunset © Alan Mclerie / Scottish Landscape – The Land category / SNPA

TWO WEEKS LEFT – DON’T MISS! The Untouchables To 5 October Maddox Gallery, London David Yarrow’s black & white images of the world’s most spectacular wildlife are on show for two more weeks at Maddox Gallery’s new art space in Westbourne Grove. Having travelled across all seven continents to photograph the world’s most endangered species, Yarrow is known for his refreshing viewpoint and highly st ylised aesthetic. He’s also celebrated for his unusual techniques to get up close to animals, such as coating his camera kit in smells that will attract subjects. Pictures from his most recent excursion to North Korea will also be included. maddoxgallery.co.uk Naturalium 2 © Rob Munday

Jungle Book Stories, 2017 © David Yarrow

Naturalium 26 October to 7 December Little Black Gallery, London After receiving critical acclaim when it was first shown at Photo London earlier this year, Rob Munday’s hologram series Naturalium returns to the capital for the winter season.

These enlarged images of exotic flowers are a mixture of holographic light boxes and 3D lenticular photography, resulting in ‘photographic light sculptures’. Set against a black background with vivid colours and a graphic style, the pictures convey the sensuous quality of the subject.

Munday first became interested in holography in the early 1980s. He is now the leading technical innovator in the field and has created hologram portraits of Karl Lagerfeld, Angelina Jolie and Queen Elizabeth II. He designed the world’s first 3D digital hologram printer and is the recipient of the Royal Photographic Society’s Saxby Medal – one of the most prestigious and international awards for creative and technical achievements in the field of 3D imaging and holography. thelittleblackgallery.com

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EDITED BY ANNA BONITA EVANS

FROM THE ARCHIVES…TWO EXHIBITIONS WITH A DIFFERENCE The Lie of the Land: Exploring Modern British Landscapes from the Swindon Collection To 22 October Swindon Museum and Art Gallery, Swindon Distinguished paintings of the landscape from the 20th century are currently on show at Swindon Museum and Art Gallery. Dating from 1920 to the present day, the artworks are from the museum’s collection and include pieces by Mary Fedden, Vanessa Bell, Roger Fry and Christopher Nevinson. Drawings, prints and photography are also within the exhibition and all depict the countryside or nature in an emotive way. swindonmuseumandartgallery.org.uk

© Brian Morrell

Dawn Flight 8 October, 6.45am WWT Caerlaverock, Dumfries and Galloway Welcome the start of the day with the spectacular sight and sound of thousands of wild barnacle geese flying against the dawn sky during this early morning session at Caerlaverock nature reserve.

Booking is essential, normal admission charges apply; to book a place call 01387 770200. wwt.org.uk

The Art of British Natural History To 1 July 2018 Natural History Museum, London With the display changing every four months, this free exhibition celebrates how artists have captured the broad range of Britain’s flora, fauna and geology in the last 300 years. The 200 illustrations are drawn from the Natural History Museum’s extensive Library Collection, with some having never been on public display before. The theme for the selection on show until 2 November is the life-sized artworks by Scottish naturalist William MacGillivray. nhm.ac.uk Top Back of the Granary, Poland © Robert Polhill Beavan Below Oak eggar by John Emmerson Robson © The Trustees of the Natural History Museum, London

OTHER WORLD FESTIVALS FOR YOUR DIARY - UK DATES OCEAN FILM FESTIVAL WORLD TOUR To 21 October Various locations across the UK Be inspired by the ocean’s mystery, majesty and all things life aquatic during this fourth edition of the Ocean Film Festival’s UK tour. With seven fantastic films to enjoy, topics range from ocean adventure to marine conservation. A particular highlight to this year includes Fish People, a film looking at the powerful effect time spent in or close to the ocean can have on humans.

See the festival trailer at outdoorphotographymagazine.co.uk. oceanfilmfestival.co.uk

Still from the film The Legacy Photo by Erick Higuera

WILDLIFE AND NATURE EVENTS

Still from the film Into Twin Galaxies © Eric Boomer

EUROPEAN OUTDOOR FILM TOUR 27 October to 8 November Various locations across the UK With seven new short films to inspire you, sit back and enjoy 120 minutes of high-octane, adrenaline-fuelled adventure. Highlights include La Congenialità, following Italian alpinist Simone Moro and ski mountaineer Tamara Lunger; Into Twin Galaxies, an expedition across Greenland’s gigantic ice sheets with snow kites; and Dug Out, Benjamin Sadd and James Trundle’s journey down the Amazon in a hollowed out tree trunk.

Check eoft.eu for the latest films; see the trailer at outdoorphotographymagazine.co.uk.

Autumn tree walk at Dulwich Wood 11 November, 2pm Dulwich Wood, London For photographers, autumn is arguably the most inspiring of the four seasons, so soak up the full colour palette, lush scenes and dramatic light during this 90-minute walk across one of the largest remaining fragments of the Great North Wood – an ancient oak forest that once stretched from Croydon to Camberwell.

Free to attend; book your place by calling 07734 599286 or email sbtoon@wildlondon.org.uk. wildlondon.org.uk Walking with wildfowl 7 October, 2pm WWT Washington, Tyne and Wear Join the wardens for this guided walk around the reserve and learn fascinating facts about Washington’s rare and endangered water birds. An aviculture expert will also be on hand to talk about the WWT Washington’s conservation and breeding programme.

No need to book in advance, just turn up on the day; normal admission charges apply. wwt.org.uk

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THE LATEST FEEDBACK

SOCIAL HUB We love hearing your views and opinions. Write to us, tweet us or join the conversation on Facebook and Instagram!

Tweet us at twitter.com/opoty

Connect with us at facebook. com/outdoorphotographymag

Follow us at instagram.com/ outdoorphotographymag

© Chris Gatcum

Email your letters and comments to anna.evans@thegmcgroup.com

Traditional values I have been getting Outdoor THE MONTH Photography for several years now and generally enjoy the format and content. However, I would like to make a plea to you to have more traditional landscapes included within the main features of the magazine. While I am interested and eager to see new and emerging techniques, I am surprised by the regularity of images that are not in focus, abstract and frankly unattractive. I have taken lots of photos that have shake (deliberate or otherwise); that have not been fully in focus; or have failed to capture the reality of the scene, but I frankly reject or delete these.

I am sure many other readers are striving to achieve a likeness of the light, colour and scenery that surrounds us in the country and beyond, and would prefer to see more of the outstanding, high-quality works of photographers such as Peter Cox (OP221), which are examples of what I believe most readers strive to produce.

Keep up the good work, by all means provide insight into emerging trends, but fi nd space within the magazine for classic and conventional practice that inspire the reader to improve and engage.

Eddie Boyd, email LETTER OF

OP says: From pinhole images on subminiature film to ultra-high-resolution digital capture through tack-sharp optics, photography

can be approached in myriad ways to create very different interpretations of the world around us. While not all of them will be to everyone’s taste, here at OP we believe that photography should be celebrated in all its guises, from very traditional to highly experimental, and all of the glorious meanders in between. We try to walk a path that reflects this, by presenting ‘classical’ landscape photographs as well as less conventional images that are perhaps more challenging: that variety, as the saying goes, is the spice of life!

book of Lakeland photos, it is a collection of images from a variety of locations that every photographer should have in their bookcase.

Steve Ball, Cheshire OP says: Colin’s book has proven to be very successful, and the first edition of 500 copies has now sold out. We’ll keep our ears to the ground for any news of a reprint. You can still see some of the images, of course, by going to colinbell.photography.

Healing

Photography is a lifeline, not just a hobby

I was delighted to see a review of Colin Bell’s book Healing in the September issue of OP (OP221). The book fully deserves your accolade of ‘Book of the Month’, as it is offers a collection of subtle but stunning images from a number of locations through different seasons. However, your review does not do full justice to Colin’s work, as it suggests that the images contained in the book are limited to a small area around Thirlmere in the Lake District. In actual fact, the book also contains some excellent images from another area of the Lakes, around Holme Fell, as well as a number from a stunning location in Delamere Forest, Cheshire. In my opinion, the latter highlight the quality of Colin’s work, particularly as they showcase a location that will be unknown to many photographers. This book represents far more than just another

I have always been a keen amateur photographer, but in March this year I was diagnosed with stage one pancreatic cancer. Essentially, my world fell apart and I went into a very dark place, shutting down everything, including my photography.

After all, it was only a hobby.

It took me more than two months to come to terms with my diagnosis, but in that time my whole relationship with photography changed. As part of my rehabilitation, photography became a lifeline, gaining a degree of importance that I could never have expected; I was learning new skills, upcycling old photographs and enjoying the experience.

I am still undergoing chemotherapy, but have now started to go out on photoshoots again as my energy levels improve. For me, photography has definitely been a lifeline.

John Westwood, via email

October’s letter of the month winner Eddie Boyd receives a £30 voucher from Triplekite Publishing, and can choose a book of his choice.

This month we’ve teamed up with Triplekite Publishing to give away a £30 voucher so the winner can choose a book of his or her choice.

Set up and run by David Breen and Dav Thomas, Triplekite is dedicated to producing high quality, fine art landscape photography books.

Discover more at triplekite.co.uk/book-shop 14 Outdoor Photography October 2017

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IN CONVERSATION WITH

Robert Salisbury A decade ago, Robert Salisbury traded the Yorkshire Dales for Australia’s west coast, where he developed a taste for aerial landscapes packed with pattern, line and colour Interview by Nick Smith

am constantly looking for contrasts in both colour and texture,’ says Robert Salisbury, referring to his aerial shots of the salt-crystallising ponds in his adoptive homeland of Western Australia.

The imagery is often abstract, even colourist, recalling the simplicity of Rothko’s late ‘multiforms’; it is undeniably powerful stuff.

It is also only one part of a striking portfolio that includes slightly more orthodox terrestrial photography. For Rob, it does not matter whether he looks from above, or with his feet on the ground, because ‘wherever you look, there are romantic landscapes waiting to be discovered…from the subdued and harmonious colours of the deserts, to the vibrant over saturation of the rainforests, or the bluest water contrasting with the sunburnt arid interior.’

The 44-year-old Yorkshireman is originally from the market town of Otley, on the edge of the Dales, but a little over ten years ago he emigrated 9,060 miles to the city of Perth on Australia’s west coast. In terms of making a clean break, that is quite a statement, but Rob, who describes himself as ‘very down-to-earth’, does not see much point in psychoanalysing his motives. ‘We were on holiday in Australia and everyone seemed happy there. People doing the simplest things had a smile on their face and everyone seemed willing to help you. England just didn’t seem like that. I was 33 years old, and it was just work, work, work. So we thought we’d move to Australia. The reason we ended up in Perth was because that was the fi rst place I was offered work.’

‘I

It is perhaps not that much of a surprise that Rob should emigrate to the other side of the world, as he has always been a traveller and an outdoorsman. In fact, the travel came ahead of the photography and like many people before him, Rob picked up a camera simply to record his adventures. It snowballed from there, but apart from one workshop, he is entirely self-taught.

‘At school I was never much good at words, so whenever I could I’d go to the art classroom.

I really started to enjoy that, and then the whole backpacking thing came along.’ This is when Rob bought his fi rst proper camera, a Pentax SFXn 35mm SLR. ‘I just loved it, but what I found on my travels was that you could spend all that time going somewhere really fantastic, and you’d get there and it would be packed with tourists who would take a shot and go away without even stopping to think about the place they were at. Even early on, I realised that I preferred a different process in which I’d sit down for half an hour absorbing what was there, and then maybe take a few shots so I could show people what I thought and felt about the place. I think that’s probably the same for most landscape photographers.’

The move to Australia had the additional benefit of helping Rob’s health get back on track.

Diagnosed with depression, he had been ‘quite ill’, but was determined to do something about it. His doctor in Australia advised him that one approach to rehabilitation would be to throw himself into an activity. Rob had not been taking images regularly, due to a lack of inspiration, but decided to pick up his camera again. At this

point he was also stimulated by the photography of Australian landscaper Christian Fletcher.

‘I walked into his gallery and thought that the stuff this guy was doing was just fantastic.

I couldn’t believe that you could do that with the camera. It just whacks you in the face.’

With a revitalised creative spirit, Rob hit the road looking for fresh subjects to shoot.

Eventually he was to join Fletcher on an aerial shoot: ‘I jumped into my car and drove nine hours down to Shark Bay where all the salt ponds are, and then we took to the air for a couple of hours.’ There’s something quite liberating, says Rob, about taking the doors off a plane, just hanging out and circling around and around, looking for patterns. ‘That’s what I like to do. There are so many textures and different states of evaporation, as well as various substances coming out of the ground that change the colour of the lakes. I also love the way that the land dries out into these snakeskin salt patterns. You get a lot of petrified trees as well, and if you go up early in the morning there are really long shadows cast over the salt flat. It’s just beautiful.’

Back at ground level, when Rob is shooting in England, Iceland or Patagonia, his work is different to his Australian output. It is far more literal and often includes staples of landscape photography, such as isolated buildings. The colour palette reworks itself slightly to include more greens and greys, while the overall effect is less figurative and more illustrative. I wonder whether there is an artistic current that connects a certain style with a certain type of topography?

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Abstract salt patterns at Lake Grace, east of Wagin in the southern wheatbelt of Western Australia.

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Alumina residue waste management ponds, south of Perth, Western Australia.

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Salt ponds at Useless Loop, near Shark Bay in Western Australia. This closed company town was set up to aid the production of salt.

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‘I think it’s more to do with playing the cards you are dealt,’ says Rob with his slightly unnerving knack of making everything sound simpler than it really is. ‘Obviously, I’m still learning about what it is I like to shoot. I like the abstract stuff and I’m starting to quite like the minimalist kind of thing.’

He then drifts off into recalling a photography workshop where he travelled with Scottishbased wilderness photographer Bruce Percy to Bolivia. South America had never been on Rob’s radar, and the decision to go there was purely circumstantial: ‘He’s so busy, and that was

Top left A borax field at Laguna Colorada on the Bolivian Altiplano.

Top right Abstract patterns in a salt lake near Wagin in Western Australia.

Bottom left Flock of birds over Lake Quarbing, near Wagin in south-west Australia.

Bottom right Indian Ocean currents off Rottnest Island, Western Australia.

the only tour I could book myself on to. I went there by chance, really.’

Rob, in common with many photographers these days, does not have a great deal to say about cameras. For him they are simply the

machines he uses to record his ideas with.

However, as he likes to express these ideas as large, 30in prints, he is an advocate of medium-format digital photography, with his instrument of choice being the Pentax 645Z. He experimented with high-end professional full-frame cameras by Nikon and Canon, but found they were not suited to what he was doing. ‘They’re great if you’re shooting sport or wildlife, but I’m trying to get the sort of detail that will still surprise you in years to come.

So I had to move up to medium format.’ By his own admission, his early images were not

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Surfers at Margaret River, off the coast of south-west Australia.

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The Cuernos del Paine above Lago Pehoé, in the Torres del Paine National Park, Chilean Patagonia.

to the standard he wanted them, but he is not making any excuses. Rob, who is a kitchen fitter by trade, is a keen believer in the tradesman’s motto that a poor craftsman blames his tools.

Currently, Rob describes himself as an amateur part-time photographer who has distinctly mixed feelings about turning professional. ‘To be a professional you need to have been incredibly lucky. No, it’s not that. I’m not quite sure what it is, but it’s not so much about the photography any more then, is it? It becomes much more about marketing and selling yourself, and that’s not

something I could ever really see myself doing.

At the moment, photography brings me immense happiness and it gets me travelling, which I love.

It also gives my travel a purpose.’

Rob goes on to say that he is concerned that there are so many photographers flocking to iconic locations that the resulting imagery starts to blur into one. ‘When it comes to somewhere like Iceland, you are so bombarded with images of the same sort of thing. If everyone is shooting in a certain way, then I’ll shoot something different, even if it’s just a crack in the ground.’

However, if some irresistible force – or slice of luck – were to lead him down the path to turning pro: ‘I’d love it. I’d absolutely love it. But for the moment I’ve got bills to pay. Okay, I sell a few prints here and there, but it’s more of a personal satisfaction thing I’m working with at the moment. When I look at a scene, I’ll sometimes think: “yeah, that might make a nice picture.”

And if it does, it does. But if it doesn’t, it doesn’t.’

To see more of Rob’s photography visit robertsalisbury.photography

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ONE MONTH, ONE PICTURE

For Pete Bridgwood, Dungeness’ deserted post-apocalyptic future-scape is brimming with atmosphere, which makes it the perfect place to experience ‘ruinenlust’ Many landscape photographers, myself included, share a spiritual belief that the land has a character and personality of its own.

For example, whenever I visit the Outer Hebrides I am struck by the distinctive ominous and brooding aura on Lewis contrasting with the equally primordial, but relatively more welcoming ambience of Harris. If you’re yet to witness such fanciful notions and usually end up scratching your head whenever the words ‘emotion’ and ‘landscape’ are used in the same sentence, go to Dungeness: it might just change your mind.

The landscape at Dungeness is unique.

There’s a vast expanse of shingle, sparsely punctuated with corroding machinery, dilapidated old shacks, rusty rails and abandoned decrepit old boats gagging for photographic attention. Yet given the barren nature of this place, it is surprising to discover that it is celebrated for an exceptionally huge variety of flora and fauna. Therein lies its secret; any building or development is

strictly prohibited because it is a designated conservation area and Site of Special Scientific Interest.

Decay has long been a potent stimulus for classical painters. The Germans have a word, ruinenlust (ruin lust), which describes the curious aesthetic pleasure we feel when looking at architectural ruins or art that depicts them. Why should this be? One might expect to feel saddened by witnessing something’s demise, rather than pleasured.

At the deepest psychological level, perhaps comedy provides a parallel. Apparently, the reason we laugh when we witness someone slip on a banana skin is because of a subliminal and primitive instant expression of delight that it didn’t happen to us. Could it be that viewing dilapidation and decay provokes a similar sense of gratitude that the same decay is not directly affecting us and our loved ones, or our treasured possessions?

Decay is both a metaphor for our own mortality, and a reassuring reminder of

opportunities not yet lost. At a more basic level, we find great beauty in vulnerability and imperfection, and our visual cortex is always seeking meaning and association; it is easy to understand why visual representations of ruin or decay remind us of our own beautiful vulnerability. We also derive great pleasure in creating our own narrative around an image, so photographs of decaying objects stimulate our imagination and make us question what may have happened.

Whatever the reasons, photographing decay – whether in the natural world or in a place like this – provides a wonderful challenge: how do you translate all those subliminal emotions through to the viewer of a single photograph?

Dungeness, Kent.

Fujifilm X-T2 with XF 14mm f/2.8 R lens, ISO 250, 1/60sec at f/8, Lee 2-stop ND grad, handheld, processed in Adobe Lightroom with Fuji ‘Pro Neg Hi’ profile

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LEARNING ZONE IMPROVE 28 How to photograph lakes and rivers

36 Quick guide to...

Shooting contre-jour

FOR THE LOVE OF WATER Lizzie Shepherd shares her secrets for shooting lakes and rivers

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LEARNING ZONE

How to photograph lakes and rivers Water is one of the most compelling components to include in our photographs.

Lizzie Shepherd explores some of the opportunities surrounding lakes and rivers Water can enhance our photography in myriad ways. It can bring life to a scene that might otherwise be flat and lifeless, it gives us endless options for abstraction and it also provides a ready means of showing movement and the passing of time. For these reasons – and more – the sea is an endlessly popular subject, but what about other sources of water?

Rivers and lakes (and the many derivatives thereof) offer wonderfully diverse and rewarding opportunities. I’d like to think that pretty much

everyone has a river, stream or burn nearby, and let’s not forget about canals either – they may be manmade, but are potentially every bit as rewarding to photograph. Similarly, most people won’t have to travel too far to find a lake, reservoir or loch (or a more diminutive tarn or lochan).

There is usually less scope for capturing movement in these relatively still waters, but they are often surrounded by wonderful scenery and support all manner of flora and fauna that we can explore with our cameras.

Still waters Still, inland water forms are termed ‘lentic’ (from the Latin lentus, meaning sluggish), and the various common terminologies for them are often used fairly loosely. We tend to think of lakes as being far larger than ponds, for example, yet the distinguishing factor is depth: to qualify as a lake, the water must be deep enough in part for sunlight not to be able to penetrate to the bottom.

Although most lakes are freshwater lakes, fed and drained by rivers and streams, there are also a good number of saline lakes worldwide, which are known as terminal or endorheic lakes. The water that flows into this type of lake is high in salt or minerals and has no means of draining. Instead, the water evaporates, increasing the salt and mineral content of the lake.

A tarn gets its name from the Old Norse word tjörn, meaning pond. It is a small, steep-sided mountain lake that is formed when rain or river water fills a cirque (hollow) that has been eroded by a glacier. The Lake District, for example, boasts more than 100 tarns.

A reservoir can be natural or manmade in origin, but it is always used to store water, with a dam regulating its levels.

Some natural lakes have been turned into reservoirs through the addition of a dam, while building a dam across a river and causing it to flood forms a manmade reservoir. Prolonged spells of rain can lead to unusually high water levels that partially submerge the surrounding trees and other plants; this can be particularly fascinating to photograph.

Above The remarkable colours of the mineral rich and saline waters of Tso Pangong in Ladakh, India.

Nikon D800E with Nikon AF-S 18–35mm f/3.5– 4.5 G ED lens at 35mm, 25sec at f/16, ISO 50, Lee Big Stopper, polariser, tripod

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THE AERIAL VIEW Rivers look amazing from the air, and a fresh and intriguing perspective can often be found by walking to a viewpoint above your subject (assuming a photographic flight is out of the question). Taking an elevated position can also work well with waterfalls. Shooting down the flow of the falls can really emphasise the sense of a vertiginous drop and the irresistible force of rushing water. With taller waterfalls – where you can get up extremely high – you can even create a sense that the image was taken from the air.

Including people or birds in the shot can add scale, or you can opt for full intrigue and provide no clues.

For woodland falls, a bird’s-eye view down through the canopy can create a powerful sense of place, but you need to choose a time of year when the leaf cover is not too dense to ensure the waterfall remains a significant element of the subject.

If you’re looking to record a more intimate watery view, angle your camera downwards from as high as you can hold it or mount it. You can create a sense of intrigue by homing in on a small section of the edge of a river, lake or tarn and work with the shapes, tones and textures to produce striking, abstract images. It’s important to combine the various elements in such a way that there is a balance to your composition – you want to encourage your viewer to work their way round the image and present them with an enjoyable visual puzzle rather than a frustrating conundrum.

Top No flight required for this aerial view, looking down from high on to the Panagia monastery and the Voidomatis Springs in the Vikos Gorge in Greece.

Canon EOS 1DS MkIII with Canon TS-E 90mm f/2.8 lens and 2x converter, ISO 100, 1/6sec at f/11, tripod Right Miniature landscapes and abstracts also work really well from an elevated position. The tripod was at full height to photograph this rock pool detail in the Yorkshire Dales.

Canon EOS 1DS MkIII with Canon EF 70–200mm f/2.8 L lens at 85mm, ISO 100, 1/4sec at f/20, tripod October 2017 Outdoor Photography 29

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A SURFACE THAT REFLECTS The reflective nature of water is, arguably, one of its most alluring characteristics. Static bodies of water are generally preferred for reflected images, allowing us to embrace a wonderful, inverted landscape that is seemingly painted on to the surface of the water. While a beautiful landscape with a perfect reflection can make a wonderful photograph, bear in mind that an extra ingredient or two can make the world of difference. It may just be the way the light is falling, the inclusion of mist or fog, or simply the way in which the reflections are broken up – by ripples, stones, ice or vegetation.

The angle you shoot from will play a huge part in how much of the reflection you can see, as well as determining how it sits within the overall composition. A little time spent moving around and refining your viewpoint can go a long way here, as can staying still and watching. Observe how the light plays on the land and water and see how ripples affect the reflection as wind comes and goes.

Reflections don’t just occur with still water. For a more abstract interpretation of the landscape, try experimenting with the way light reflects off moving water, forming an array of fascinating shapes and colours. The ripples on a lake or the splashes and bubbles created by faster flowing rivers can reflect light in many fascinating ways. Just watching it is hypnotic and there are no end of different photographic effects that can be achieved by simply changing the shutter speed.

PRO TIPS A polarising filter is invaluable when it comes to minimising glare and enhancing colours, but take care not to over-polarise the water or you could eliminate the wonderful reflections and lose any sense that light is bouncing off the water’s surface.

Left Ripples on Ullswater, Cumbria.

Nikon D800E with Nikon 55mm f/3.5 Ai macro lens, ISO 100, 0.8sec at f/11, tripod Below Jökulsárlón lagoon, Iceland.

Sony A7R II with Zeiss 35mm f/2 lens, ISO 100, 1/13sec at f/11, tripod

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A SENSE OF MOVEMENT One of the biggest advantages of including rivers within our photographs is that it allows us to record the passage of time and harness the movement of water to add another dimension to the image. There are numerous factors you need to consider when you decide on the most appropriate shutter speed to use: How fast is the water flowing? Do you want texture or would you like the water rendered silky smooth? What kind of mood are you looking to create? Do you want to freeze the movement of the water?

The great news is that there really is no one right or wrong way to go about things: subjectivity plays a huge part and the effect of long exposures on moving water is a highly divisive issue. If you’re unsure, experiment with a range of different exposure times to see what works best for you.

It is important to consider the other components in the image and how they will be portrayed in relation to the water. For example, if a river is flowing through a landscape brimming with sculpted rock formations or impressive boulders, you may find that a long exposure that renders the water smooth will really help to make the rocks and boulders stand out in all their graphic beauty.

However, if there is a lot of pounding white water – at the bottom of a waterfall for example – a shorter exposure might be needed to stop the large mass of water appearing completely white and textureless, and potentially unbalancing your composition.

If you are looking at going in close to your subject – perhaps to capture a small section of the river – you will usually find that a faster shutter speed will give you a more interesting image. I often find speeds of around 1/10sec to 1/40sec work well in this instance, but if you want to capture the sharper lines of ripples and reflected vegetation, shutter speeds of 1/100sec are necessary to give you that feel of a crisp penand-ink drawing. Again, it is worth experimenting, as slower shutter speeds can blur ripples and reflections for a more surreal effect.

PRO TIPS If you want to capture the trail of swirling leaves or froth in the eddies at the bottom of a waterfall you will typically need to use a shutter speed of several seconds. A lot will depend on the flow of water, of course, but try exposures of 10sec and upwards.

Zoom in to your images on your camera’s LCD to check the effectiveness of the textures and movement you’ve captured. Consider making a few different exposures to compare on your bigger computer screen when back home.

Right, top Fast-flowing water in Slovenia’s Velika Korita.

Canon EOS 1DS MkIII with Canon EF 16–35mm f/2.8 L lens at 22mm, ISO 100, 2.5sec at f/14, Lee polariser, tripod.

Right, bottom Lindley Wood reservoir, Yorkshire.

Fuji X-E1 with Fuji XF 18–55mm f/2.8–4 LM OIS lens at 30mm, ISO 800, 1/200sec at f/7.2, handheld

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WATER LIFE Rivers, lakes and their many derivatives form part of the world’s aquatic ecosystems, with fresh water being home to numerous types of flora and fauna. Some live and grow within it, while others just depend on it, but all of them can be both rewarding and challenging to photograph. As ever, a willingness to practise and experiment will give you a better chance of getting results that please you.

Reeds and grasses, lilies and bog bean are just a few of the plants you’ll find growing in freshwater. An isolated patch of just a few plants may make for more simplistic, cleaner images, but don’t be afraid to tackle more chaotic areas. Look for shapes that help anchor your composition – circles, triangles and repeated lines are all really effective compositional devices.

A sense of intrigue and a degree of ambiguity can add another dimension to this kind of photograph, so think about how you can incorporate flora and fauna both above and below the water: the reflection of a flying bird on the water’s surface, the shadow of a water bug’s feet on the floor of the river bed or the inclusion of submerged pondweed, for example. Immerse yourself in your surroundings and you’ll start to see how these different elements can combine to create photographs that hint at a story and set the mind thinking.

PRO TIP Experiment with your focus point. Try focusing on a reflection and then on the actual surface of the water; with a shallow depth of field you’ll get remarkably different results.

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MAN’S INFLUENCE Rivers and canals bisect cities, towns and villages throughout the world, and many also have lakes and ponds within their confines.

A long and expansive stretch of water is a wonderful foil for impressive architecture and a classic cityscape incorporating a river will always impress. Plain blue skies suddenly come into their own as well – with all the different shapes and sizes of building, you don’t really need anything more dramatic above. Stitched panoramas can be effective here, possibly even incorporating both sides of the river. Lightroom does a remarkably good job of stitching panoramas that include moving water and it’s rare that much – if any – retouching is required.

You can also take advantage of the incredible variety of bridges that cross our rivers. Although some of the more utilitarian bridges are not obviously photogenic, try homing in on one section to isolate shapes and textures. Again, the water below is your friend here, particularly if you take advantage of its potential to record movement and reflections.

Jetties and piers on lakes, canal locks and water mills are other subjects you might want to consider. Alternatively, many reservoirs have been built with architecturally pleasing overflows. The vagaries of climate change and our mixed-up seasons make it challenging to catch them with the right amount of water, but reservoirs provide great scope for both wider landscapes and more abstract, closeup images. If opting for the latter, don’t forget to experiment with those shutter speeds.

Rivers and canals are also fascinating subjects for a more documentary st yle of photography. Try building up a series of images showing life alongside the water. Compare and contrast the different styles of architecture to be found, and seek out quirky elements.

Photograph the boats and the people on them, and experiment with how you process the images. Consider going for a slightly desaturated look, or convert into black & white; think about how different styles of photography and processing affect the story you want to tell.

Opposite, top left Inverted reflection, Holme Ground.

Sony A7R II with 50mm lens, ISO 100, 0.4sec at f/11 Opposite, top right Reeds in a lochan in Harris.

Sony A7R II with 70–300mm lens at 270mm, ISO 100, 1/6sec at f/11, tripod Opposite, bottom Guisecliff tarn.

Sony A7R II with 70–300mm lens at 185mm, ISO 100, 1/2sec at f/11, tripod Right, top Thruscross reservoir.

Fuji X-E1 with 55–200mm lens at 200mm, ISO 800, 1/550sec at f/7.1, handheld Right, bottom Fewston reservoir.

Fuji X-E2 with 23mm lens, ISO 200, 8sec at f/7.1, Lee Big Stopper, tripod

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FROZEN WATER The last few winters in the UK have been on the mild and wet side in most parts of the country, so frozen water has become something of a rarity. Perhaps this year will be different, or maybe photographing frozen lakes and waterfalls will now require travel to colder climes.

Glacial landscapes – such as those found in Iceland – give you the opportunity to photograph partially icy waterscapes even during summer. There’s something rather

magical about photographing beautifully sculpted icy forms floating in a lagoon while the air around you is relatively mild. It’s fun to try to reflect this surreal feeling in the images you make and a really still day with mirror-like reflections can help in this respect. So too can a bit of low cloud, mist or light rain.

Closer to home – and if the weather plays ball – the UK can allow you to enjoy a mixture of snow, ice, slush and unfrozen water. The combination of patterns, textures and

colours that can result are really rewarding to photograph, both as wider landscapes and in more abstract, detail shots. Again, the water’s edge can be a very rewarding place to explore, with trapped air bubbles and cracks in the ice creating yet more fascinating shapes. Look at using the cracks or ripples of snow on a lake’s surface to give shape to your composition – leading lines, echoes and repetition can all help you create a well-balanced image.

STEPS TO SUCCESS For a more cinematic feel, try creating ultra-wide riverscapes using stitched panoramas. Don’t be afraid to try this with long exposures – Lightroom can often merge and blend the frames perfectly.

Conventional wisdom says you should leave space in a photograph for a waterfall to visually ‘flow’ into. However, there is no reason not to frame your image so that you simply show a section of the waterfall; this works particularly well with a ‘letterbox’ crop or a panel of images.

If you’re using Lightroom or Adobe Camera Raw to process photographs that include moving water, try playing with the Clarity slider to increase or decrease the amount of texture in the water. Use the adjustment brush or the Gradient tool to apply the effect to isolated areas within the image.

Experiment with your use of shutter speed and your approach to capturing movement – you’ll be amazed how often something you think will not work can lead to new discoveries.

If you want to create crisp images with a ‘calligraphic’ feel you’ll typically need to use shutter speeds of 1/100sec or faster. Look for reflections of branches, twigs and reeds and spend time watching how they metamorphose as the water moves in the breeze.

We often look for ‘flow’ in our photographs as a means to help the viewer move through the scene.

Take advantage of the natural flow of rivers and streams to create fluid compositions.

Your camera’s auto white balance can be fooled when photographing waterfalls in shade. Although you can adjust this later when processing, it is worth shooting at a few different settings so you have a reference as to what feels ‘right’.

Left Good hard winters are a rarity in the UK, but the partially frozen water at Catrigg Force in the Yorkshire Dales really lifted the tones and shape of this image.

Canon EOS 1DS MkIII with EF 70–300mm f/4–5.6 L lens at 300mm, ISO 100, 1/2sec at f/16, tripod

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A classic sunset shot.

The dust y atmosphere over the Serengeti plains ensured rich colours and also meant that the orb of the sun could be clearly defined.

Canon EOS 7D with 100–400mm lens, ISO 100, 1/10sec at f/16

QUICK GUIDE TO… Shooting landscapes contre-jour Pointing the camera directly towards the principal light source is something that many photographers shy away from, but as Richard Garvey-Williams points out, you could be missing out on something very special On a recent holiday in Greece I found myself sitting with a chilled beer in my hand gazing out at the sun setting over the Messinian Bay. I was reminded of the natural propensity we all have to point our cameras directly towards the sun on such occasions. As the sun nears the horizon its rays pass through more of the dusty atmosphere coating Mother Earth, en route to our eyes or camera sensors, and this generates the dramatic colours that draw our attention.

Colour is only part of the story, though, and shooting into the light doesn’t have to be confi ned to sunrise and sunset. Backlighting the subject in a scene generates a stronger contrast between light and dark and generally serves to hide detail while emphasising lines and shapes. There are many occasions when this can yield striking results; the graphic strength of a silhouette is a case in point. Here there is a strong enough difference in tone

between the bright light source and the relatively dark subject matter to result in the subject being represented

simply as a solid shape comprised of a single dark tone. This is not, however, your only option.

Chinkwell Tor on Dartmoor – an example of a very simple graphic silhouette.

Canon EOS 5Ds with 17–40mm lens, ISO 100, 1/25sec at f/11

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CREATIVE TIPS When you shoot into the light the emphasis falls on shapes and outlines, rather than subtle colour and tonal variations. Take care to compose your shots with these in mind and keep things simple.

For the same reason as above it is worth considering the potential impact that rendering the image in black & white might provide.

A ‘starburst’ emanating from the light source can be an appealing feature.

Setting the aperture to f/16 or smaller and using shorter focal length lenses helps generate these radiating flares from point light sources. There are also star effect filters designed specifically to generate flares of different types, with different numbers of radiating arms.

Partly obscuring the light source so the sun is peering around something or so the rays of light are breaking through clouds or foliage can work well.

Due to the phenomenon of aerial perspective, a sense of depth is often strongly conveyed by shooting contoured landscapes into the light.

A mist y, dust y or hazy atmosphere will often enhance this further.

Above Timing this shot so the rising sun was peeking through a gap between the rock masses of Haytor has helped create an appealing starburst.

Canon EOS 5D MkIII with 24–105mm lens, ISO 100, 1/1000sec at f/11 Below left Converting this image to black & white helped draw attention to the subtle tonal variations of the water surface in this tranquil Greek coastal scene.

Canon EOS 5D MkIII with 24–105mm lens, ISO 400, 96sec at f/14, ND filter

PRECAUTIONS Try to prevent the bright areas around the light source ‘burning out’. To retain more detail you may want to employ a graduated neutral density filter, or try blending two or three exposures during processing.

If the light source is just out of frame, a lens hood can help prevent any stray light causing unwanted flare. You can also use your hand to shade part of the lens, or position yourself so the lens is shaded by some nearby object, just out of frame.

In extreme lighting situations consider removing any unnecessary filters to reduce the risk of stray light bouncing between layers of glass and creating flare.

Right This image was produced by carefully blending five exposures.

Three of them were taken with my outstretched hand in various positions to prevent parts of the image being affected by lens flare.

Canon EOS 50D with 17–40mm lens, ISO 100, f/20

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LIE OF THE LAND

Too much of a good thing?

Andy Farrer questions whether consuming large quantities of images on social media can involuntarily influence our way of seeing and affect our photography Living in one of Britain’s most photographed areas, Dorset, I have had my fair share of attention and success from capturing iconic locations in exceptional light. I also consider myself fortunate to have helped to inspire other photographers who have caught the bug, although this is something of a doubleedged sword.

Like most landscape photographers I’m guilty of travelling many miles at unearthly hours to visit certain locations. When I started shooting landscapes this was often because I’d seen a photograph of a particular place online, which inspired me to see it for myself. Social platforms such as Flickr not only helped open my eyes to some incredible locations, but also to techniques and photographers as well.

Now, with online platforms such as 500px, Facebook and Instagram we can consume thousands of great images a day without having to seek them out.

Yet, while it’s true that looking at – and appreciating – other people’s work can

inspire us, it can also make it harder for us to progress and develop our own photography.

Consuming images may encourage us to go and visit a certain location or recreate a particular style in one way or another, but it can also set unrealistic expectations and make it increasingly tricky to capture something innovative. This effect may not even be something we are conscious of.

I remember visiting a beach in Cornwall and coming home thrilled that I had nailed a terrific shot, only to see an image in my Flickr favourites from an almost identical viewpoint. Even though I had never set foot on this beach before, it appeared that I had somehow managed to gravitate towards a ‘familiar’ part of it. It became clear that I was unwittingly working my way through a mental hit list, and being influenced far more by the photographs I was looking at online than I would care to admit. My reaction was to delete all the images from the shoot; and I didn’t go back to that location for a long time.

From then on, I rarely allowed myself to look at Flickr and instead started using maps, The Photographer’s Ephemeris and Wikipedia to research locations. This meant I was only seeing ‘geography schoolbook’-type images, which was enough to give me an idea of the location, without showing me interpretations of the places I wanted to go. I discovered that arriving early, having a walk around and observing gave me a real feel for the place.

It allowed me to tune in to the location, discover a composition through my eyes and enjoy the process far more. I am less strict with myself nowadays, but still try not to spend too much time viewing other photographers’ work.

Of course, as a beginner, learning the basics of image capture can be aided by shooting well-known locations; it enables you to concentrate on the mechanics of exposure and focus with a composition that’s simple and familiar or borrowed. However, landscape photography is an emotional pursuit and we need to nurture and preserve our own eye.

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OPINION

All a blur The over-use of neutral density filters should prompt some wider questions about landscape photography, suggests Niall Benvie I bought my first graduated neutral density filters, from Singh-Ray, in the early 1990s and they transformed my landscape photography.

Anyone who has shot transparency film will recall its narrow exposure latitude, which meant there were little more than five stops (at best) between pure black and blown-out white.

Yet with these filters I had the means to balance the exposure for sky and foreground in a way that had been impossible before. No wonder film workers embraced these filters so eagerly.

After I made the transition to digital capture in 2005, I was delighted to discover that each new generation of camera had an exposure latitude that rendered my ND grads ever less relevant. However, as I started to lead more and more photography tours I was surprised to see how many guests had been persuaded to invest heavily in comprehensive ND grad sets. What was de rigueur in the days of fi lm was starting to look anachronistic at a time when the dynamic range of sensors was growing ever wider.

One of the unfortunate consequences of this loyalty to ‘The Grad’ is the prevalence of overdarkened skies, to the extent that it has now become the norm. But the next time you’re out, just check to see if the sky actually has the same exposure value or is darker than the foreground – it doesn’t often happen in nature away from saltpans, beaches or snow in sun. More often than not, the camera’s dynamic range will allow you to record highlight and shadows without recourse to any filters; if adjustment is needed, it can be achieved with much more control in Lightroom.

While the popularity of ND grads can be seen as a hangover from film days, the rise of very dense ND filters (in the region of 6–10 stops or more) is a clear response to the relatively high base ISO of many cameras, which can make it impossible to get a shutter speed that’s as slow as you want. Unfortunately, these fi lters have also spawned a whole new photographic ‘look’, where mush replaces content. Were one or two photographers doing this it would be charming and idiosyncratic; it might even be mistaken for style. But the look has become so generic that one photographer’s work is now indistinguishable from another’s and the effect has become clichéd. Open the shutter for 30 seconds because it is almost dark and you’ll create something that’s moody and believable; do it at noon with a dark ND filter and it just looks phoney.

I’d venture that the reason so many people are enchanted by this look is because it makes up for

Saligo Bay, Islay, Scotland.

This scene required a 13-second exposure because it was actually dark.

shortcomings in the content of the photograph: the sea lacks colour or motion; there is a crowd of people that needs to be blurred out; or the sky would benefit from being jazzed-up with some streaky clouds. This in turn points towards a more fundamental question about how we approach the landscape. If we have to resort to cheap tricks to make it ‘interesting’, then perhaps it is time to reevaluate Romantic-era notions of the landscape as a subject in its own right? Perhaps, instead, the landscape is better regarded as a setting – a place where the story

of the subject can be fleshed out in the Classical manner? When I view a landscape now, more often than not I crave a presence in that space.

Without it, it just feels like an empty stage.

By perpetuating the Romantic fantasy of the time-warped, unpopulated idyll in our photographs of the British landscape we play unwittingly into the hands of those in whose interests it is to maintain it in its gravely degraded form. Make no mistake; without sheep on the Scottish hills (sheep whose net economic contribution is hugely out of proportion to

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the land they occupy), many of the vistas we celebrate and promote as photographers would gradually disappear as natural forest cover returned, and with it, rich natural communities that are currently marginalised or extirpated.

The recent designation of the English Lake District – one of the most degraded, ecologically damaged uplands in Europe – as a UNESCO World Heritage Site (WHS) is a travesty in which everyone who has made celebratory images of its fells has played a small part (however innocently) by perpetuating a myth.

If somewhere as damaged as the Lake District can receive WHS status, if the bar has dropped so low in terms of the expectations of the vitality of our landscape, then it bodes ill for less celebrated places with greater riches.

We rightly disparage those who spread lies and stir up divisions using inflammatory language, whether it is online or offl ine. But given the ubiquity of imagery in communication, perhaps we photographers need to give a bit more thought to the messages our images send out, however large or small the audience.

The domesticated sheep, in the estimation of commentator George Monbiot, ‘is a fully automated system for ecological destruction’.

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It's time to step into the spotlight... could it be you?

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It’s time to enter our seventh OPOTY competition! We’ve once again teamed up with Fjällräven and have exciting new prizes for the winners

THE BIG PRIZE! £3,000 FJÄLLRÄVEN AWARD From raging storms in the mountains to the stillness of the whitened forests, Fjällräven creates garments to keep you warm and dry, all year round, for a lifetime in nature.

This unique award will allow you to choose a photographer’s ultimate set of outdoor equipment, and you will be personally advised by an expert from the Fjällräven UK team on what gear will best suit your needs and the environments you like to take photographs in. You won’t have to get everything in one go either, as you can use the award on several occasions to add to your outdoor gear collection, so can tailor selections to trips you are planning throughout the year. To whet your appetite, we’ve put together a sample of what the Fjällräven Award could get you (see below), but make sure you explore the Fjällräven website (fjallraven.co.uk) and make your own dream list!

What would you choose if you win?

This is an example of what the OPOTY overall winner's Fjällräven Award could get you, but of course you are free to select whatever equipment suits your own needs: Expedition Down Lite Jacket £495 Keb Lite Padded Jacket £215 Keb Eco-Shell Jacket £425 Keb G-1000 Jacket £255 Keb Fleece Jacket £160 Abisko Technical T (x3) £150 Keb Trousers £185 Vidda Pro Trousers £140 Wax Bag £20 Canvas Brass Belt £22 Clip Suspenders £52 Base Sweater No 3 £215 Base Trousers No 3 £185 Keb Fleece Balaclava £45 Re-Wool Hat £50 G-1000 Seat Pad £22 Duffel No 6 Medium 70L £195

New – Runner-up prize!

New for this year, there will also be a runner-up selected, who will receive a £1,000 Fjällräven Award, which will function in the same way as the overall winner’s award.

He or she will also receive personalised advice on what equipment will work best for their needs, depending on the type of outdoor photography they do.

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OPOTY 2017 – THE CATEGORIES OPOTY 2017 – Overall winner The prestigious title of Outdoor Photographer of the Year 2017 is given for the photograph, chosen from the adult category winners, that the judges feel is the best single image entered. Prize: £3,000 Fjällräven Award.

OPOTY 2017 – Runner-up New for 2017, the judges will also select a runner-up in the competition, chosen from the adult category winners. Prize: £1,000 Fjällräven Award.

Light on the land Under sunset’s fiery skies, in fleeting twilight, with the gentler light of the moon, or with the first rays of a new day, we are looking for stunning landscape images from anywhere in the world.

Wildlife insight There has never been a better time to be a wildlife photographer.

We are looking for compelling compositions showing the spirit and behaviour of wildlife around the planet.

Live the adventure Capture adventure sports activities around the globe. From hiking and mountain biking to backcountry skiing and paragliding, and everything in between, we want to see the thrill of life lived to its maximum.

At the water's edge Lakes, rivers, waterfalls and the coast make for some of the most appealing outdoor photography subjects. We want to see inspiring images of them either in their wider environment or more intimate views.

DEADLINE DAY! Deadline for entries is midnight on Thursday 9 November 2017 CATEGORY WINNERS’ PRIZES There can only be one Outdoor Photographer of the Year and one runner-up, but category winners will each receive a superb Fjällräven Kaipak 38 backpack and £200. To find out more about the Kaipak 38 backpack, go to fjallraven.co.uk.

GET THE OPOTY BOOKS! Want to be inspired about what to enter into this year’s competition, or just fancy treating yourself or someone else? The beautifully produced OPOTY books, Portfolio I and Portfolio II, feature all the winning images and the very best of the other entries from the previous two competitions.

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Small world Nature can be at its most amazing in the smallest forms. We want to see your macro and close-up photographs of the plants and insects all around us that often go unnoticed.

Under exposed We want to celebrate the breathtaking photographic work that is going on underwater. From seas and oceans to rivers and lakes, we are looking for images that showcase the remarkable world beneath the surface.

Spirit of travel Cultures, people, places and festivals of the world; we want to see some of the most compelling and freshest images that capture the spirit of your experiences on journeys around the planet.

View from above NEW AERIAL CATEGORY! Whether shot from a drone, helicopter or aeroplane, we are looking for the most inspiring images – whether grand scenes or abstracts – of our planet’s landscapes taken from the skies.

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FOR MORE DETAILS AND TO ENTER GO TO OPOTY.CO.UK facebook.com/outdoorphotographymag twitter @opoty instagram.com/outdoorphotographymag web outdoorphotographymagazine.co.uk facebook

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TOP STRAP

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. P Walk distances are one-way only):

1/5 Easy access – you can prett y much get straight out of your y car and quickly q y be at the viewpoint via good quality paths.

2/5 Some gentle walking – generally less than a half mile – is involved, which may be on mixed quality paths.

Glen Strathfarrar, Highland by Robert Birkby

LOCATIONS GUIDE 1

8

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

4

48 Viewpoints of the month 1 Lock Inchard Sutherland 2 Blencathra Cumbria

4/5 Medium length hike – up to about four miles over mixed terrain, possibly with some quite steep gradients.

52 Viewpoints 10

3 Belstone Cleave Devon

5 High Force County Durham

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.

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5 9

4 Black Spout Perthshire

6 Glyder Fach Conwy

2

7 6

7 Grindsbrook Derbyshire 8 Glen Strathfarrar Highland 9 The Strid North Yorkshire 10 Buttermere Cumbria

3

Map plottings are approximate

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Loch Inchard, Sutherland A dawn start pays off for Andrew Ray when the sunrise light illuminates an idyllic scene in the north-west Highlands of Scotland. The big challenge was controlling the exposure Loch Inchard is a large sea loch, fed by the Atlantic Ocean in Scotland’s North West Highlands UNESCO Geopark. There are numerous photogenic viewpoints along its fivemile length, the most accessible of which are on the northern shore.

Considering it is such a remote location the loch has good road links, which is largely due to the fish-handling depot built at Kinlochbervie in the 1980s. Here, local fishing boats – as well as ships from the east coast of Scotland – land their catches before they are transported by road to other parts of Europe.

Tourism is also an important part of the local economy, the main attractions being the scenic beaches at Sandwood Bay and Oldshoremore, the mountainous scenery to the east of the loch and the abundant wildlife, which includes sea otters, golden

eagles, grey herons, goosanders, mergansers and common eiders.

In October 2016 I stayed for a week in a holiday cottage in West Achriesgill, on the loch’s northern shore. After a couple of predominantly wet days, I set my alarm for an early start with the aim of capturing sunrise from high above the north shore. The conditions overhead were not promising, but there were signs of brightness to the east. I drove the short distance to a viewpoint I had scouted out earlier, where I knew I would have a great view down the loch towards the mountains of Foinaven, Arkle and Ben Stack. After a short wait the sky above the mountains began to illuminate.

I carefully composed the image I had in mind, with rocks and a farmstead in the foreground, and the distant mountains across the upper third

58 miles from Ullapool • 94 miles from Inverness

ACCESS RATING How to get there From Ullapool, take the A835 north for 18 miles until it reaches the A837. Turn left on to the A837, heading north towards Loch Assynt. After eight miles, turn right on to the A894; follow this road for 24 miles until it joins the A838 at Laxford Bridge. Turn left and follow the A838 for fi ve miles to Rhiconich, at the head of Loch Inchard, before turning left again on to the B801 towards Kinlochbervie.

After three miles you will reach Badcall Inchard; there are limited roadside parking places at the top of the hill, close to a tarmac farm track that descends towards the loch. This image was captured from the top of the grassy bank at the right of this track.

What to shoot Sea loch, with the mountains of Foinaven, Arkle and Ben Stack in the distance.

Best time of day Sunrise or late afternoon tend to work best in this location.

Food/drink The Kinlochbervie Hotel, Kinlochbervie, IV27 4RP, 01971 521275, kinlochberviehotel.com.

Accommodation Braeside Bed and Breakfast , Kinlochbervie, IV27 4RP, 01971 521325, braesidebandb.com.

Other times of year Sunrise during the winter months.

Ordnance Survey map LR 9 Nearby locations Oldshoremore (3 miles); Sandwood Bay (8 miles).

line of the composition. Contrast was going to be problematic, as the colourful sky was much brighter than the rest of the composition, so I fitted a Lee 0.9 (3-stop) ND hard graduated fi lter to balance the exposure, and shot a bracketed set of images. There was just enough time to capture

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horizontal and vertical versions of the composition before the intense sunrise colours faded to subtler shades of orange. A heavy rain shower brought my early morning photography to a premature conclusion, although fortunately the rain didn’t persist long enough to prevent me from

completing the walk to Sandwood Bay later in the day, followed by sunset at Oldshoremore beach.

After returning to my native Cornwall, I processed the middle exposure of my bracketed Raw fi les using Lightroom. The sky and its reflection were perfectly exposed,

but the land required an extra one and a quarter stops of exposure adjustment, as well as a Clarity tweak to bring it into line with the rest of the scene. After removing a mild colour cast, the image was transferred to Photoshop to correct the diverging verticals and for sharpening.

Canon EOS 5D MkII with 24–105mm lens at 28mm, ISO 100, 1/2sec at f/13, 0.9 ND hard grad, tripod, remote release

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Photographing SCOTLAND

by Dougie Cunningham Winner of LPOTY 2016 Classic View

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Blencathra, Cumbria Blencathra (aka Saddleback) is one of the Lake District’s most famous and dramatic mountains. Drew Buckley heads towards the summit via Sharp Edge and captures evocative light on the ridges

Wainwright wrote extensively on Blencathra, describing the mountain as ‘one of the grandest objects in Lakeland’. It is hardly surprising that it was high on the list when I was coleading a photography workshop on a week-long tour around some of the best locations in the Lake District and nearby Yorkshire Dales.

We chose the ascent from Scales as our starting point. The pathway is rocky and can be quite wet if it has rained recently, so the going can be slippery in places. The path climbs steeply as it curves around Mousthwaite Comb and nearing the ridge there are a few boulders to cross before heading on up towards the plateau.

Turning westwards on the plateau you get your first glance at the summit and the iconic Sharp Edge, a rocky ridgeline that lies between Tarn Crag and Foule Crag, on a route to Blencathra’s summit via Atkinson Pike.

If you choose to traverse it, the ridge should be treated with upmost respect,

especially in inclement weather: extreme caution is needed at all times and you need to ensure you are kitted out with the right equipment.

On this occasion the sky was cloudy, but there was an occasional pop of sun throwing light on to the curves of the mountain and crags.

As we were some distance away, I used my 70–200mm telephoto zoom and walked around the boggy plateau to line up the mountainous elements: Sharp Edge in the middle distance with the curve of Brunt Knott in front to boost the depth of the scene.

To control the brightness of the sky I used a three-stop ND soft grad fi lter on my lens and waited patiently for the sun. The clouds were shifting quickly across the sky and only a few fleeting glances of sun hit the hillside.

However, one of them lit both of my main focal areas – bingo!

Due to the weather we didn’t make it to the summit that day and this was one of only a handful of shots I took.

Back at home I decided to convert the image to black & white, as I feel it enhances the mood and reflects the relatively bleak conditions we had.

Canon EOS 5D MkIII with EF 70–200mm lens at 170mm, ISO 125, 1/320sec at f/9, 0.9 ND soft grad, handheld

12 miles from Penrith • 42 miles from Kendal ACCESS RATING How to get there Take the A66 west from Penrith (junction 40 of the M6), following signs for Keswick. Continue for just under 34 miles. As you enter Scales, turn right at the White Horse Inn. Parking can be found here or along the lane at Comb Beck. The pathway towards Sharpe Edge starts by the river, a short distance further on.

What to shoot Hilltop views, reflections in Scales Tarn, abstracts of crags and rocks, and the meandering river in the valley below. From the top there are views back towards the countryside surrounding Keswick.

Best time of day Morning provides

the best light in and around the tarn, while late afternoon and evening is preferable for western views into the valley. Any time of the day will work for abstracts.

Food/drink White Horse Inn, Threlkeld, near Keswick, CA12 4SY, 01768 779883, thewhitehorse-blencathra.co.uk.

Accommodation White Horse Inn – as above.

Other times of year Snow blankets the higher fells in winter, with ice-filled tarns. In midsummer the russet tones of bracken cover the hillside, while the sheep-filled fields in the valley

below are rich green.

Ordnance Survey map OL 5 Nearby locations Castlerigg Stone Circle (5 miles); Latrigg (8 miles).

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Belstone Cleave, Devon elstone Cleave is a small wooded valley to the north of Dartmoor.

It was formed by the river Taw, which rises nearby and flows past the village of Belstone and the northern fringes of Dartmoor before heading northwards, entering the sea near Barnstaple. There are very pleasant walks to be had here, which take you to the nearby village of Sticklepath.

© Bruce Little

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How to get there Starting at Okehampton, take the B3260 east out of town. Cross the A30 and after approximately half a mile turn right at the crossroads, signed Belstone. Around three quarters of a mile along the road – just before you enter Belstone village – there is a car park. Park and walk through the village, keeping to the left when the road forks and heading downhill over the grassy area to the river Taw. Cross the river by the bridge and walk along the bank to explore the cleave.

What to shoot Fast-flowing water; woodland scenes; views up and down the cleave (particularly from Ivy Tor).

Best time of day Anytime, particularly in autumn when overcast.

Food/drink The Tors (pub), Belstone, Okehampton, EX20 1QZ, 01837 840689, thetors.co.uk.

Accommodation The Barton B&B, Belstone, Okehampton, EX20 1RA, 01837 840891, thebarton-dartmoor.co.uk.

Other times of year Spring for vibrant green foliage.

Ordnance Survey map LR 191 Nearby locations Scorhill stone circle (7 miles); Meldon reservoir (9 miles).

3 miles from Okehampton • 25 miles from Exeter ACCESS RATING 1/3 mile from Pitlochry • 26 miles from Perth ACCESS RATING

Black Spout, Perthshire lack Spout is at the edge of Pitlochry and is a quick and easy location to reach if you are up early for a sunrise shoot nearby. The main attraction is the 60-metre drop of the mare’s tail style waterfall, but smaller falls a little further up the path offer plenty of additional opportunities for blurred water shots.

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© Carlton Doudney

How to get there Take the A9 north from Perth and continue for approximately 25 miles until the sharp turn off for Pitlochry. As you enter

Pitlochry, keep an eye out for a small sign on the right directing you towards Black Spout, where you will find a car park and picnic area.

What to shoot A collection of waterfalls; woodland scenery; distant views of Ben Vrackie.

Best time of day Great on overcast days or at sunset when you may get some golden light filtering through the trees.

Food/drink Victoria’s Restaurant, 45 Atholl Road, Pitlochry, PH16 5BX, 01796 472670, victorias-pitlochry.co.uk.

Accommodation The Old Mill Inn, Mill Lane, Pitlochry, PH16 5BH, 01796 474020, theoldmillpitlochry.co.uk.

Other times of year Worth a visit any time of year, but autumn is best .

Ordnance Survey map LR 52 Nearby locations Ben Vrackie (1½ miles); Linn of Tummel (3 miles).

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High Force, County Durham

F

How to get there Head north-west out of Middleton-in-Teesdale on the B6277.

Follow the road for approximately four miles until you reach the High Force Hotel pay and display car park on your right. To access High Force, cross the road and take the footpath on your left.

Follow the path down the steps and across a field to join the Pennine Way, then walk west to the viewpoint.

What to shoot Dramatic high-plunging waterfall nestled in a woodland valley; rock fissures for abstracts; rock pools along the riverbed.

Best time of day Late evening can produce a colourful sunset backdrop, while morning sunlight shines directly

on the falls. Overcast conditions work well for waterfall and woodland images, as well as abstracts.

Food/drink The High Force Hotel, Alston Road, Forest-in-Teesdale, Barnard Castle, DL12 0XH, 01833 622336, thehighforcehotel.co.uk Accommodation Langdon Beck Hotel, Forest-in-Teesdale, DL12 0XP, 01833 622267, langdonbeckhotel.com Other times of year Winter conditions have been known to freeze the falls and produce huge icicles. The surrounding trees are vivid green in spring.

Ordnance Survey map OL 31 Nearby locations Low Force waterfall (1½ miles); Grassholme reservoir (9 miles).

© Drew Buckley

ound on the river Tees, High Force is a 71-foot-tall waterfall that plunges over a series of cascades into the river below. It has the highest volume of water falling in England, and is most spectacular when in spate.

Access to the northern bank is via a private footpath, for which a fee is charged, but the southern bank can be reached free of charge via a public footpath that skirts the river.

5 miles from Middleton-in-Teesdale • 84 miles from Leeds ACCESS RATING 6 miles from Betws-y-Coed • 16 miles from Bangor ACCESS RATING

Glyder Fach, Conwy

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the summit of Glyder Fach. The path is often a scramble, so great care should be taken. Once at the top the views open up over Snowdonia.

What to shoot Plenty of opportunities on the summit to shoot in all directions.

Best time of day Sunset is the prime time, but sunrise and the hour after can also work nicely.

Food/drink Pen-Y-Gwryd hotel, Nant

Gwynant, LL55 4NT, 01286 870211, pyg.co.uk.

Accommodation Pen-Y-Gwryd hotel – as above.

Other times of year Summer can be good, as the valley lines up north–west, but the area is fantastic in winter.

Ordnance Survey map OL 17 Nearby locations Castell y Gwynt (½ mile); Llynnau Mymbyr (5 miles). © James Grant

lyder Fach is a rock-strewn summit with outstanding views down the Ogwen Valley and across to Tryfan. There are many photographic opportunities, but a particular highlight is standing at the top of Bristly Ridge looking down to Tryfan; the ridge is craggy and sharp and leads its way perfectly into the distance.

Wait for a bit of ‘magic’ light to glance the mountains and you’re in for a treat!

How to get there The easiest route to take is the Miner’s Path that starts near the Pen-Y-Gwyrd hotel (details below).

Follow this simple, sometimes boggy, track to the col and head left towards

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Grindsbrook, Derbyshire rindsbrook provides one of the most rugged and inspiring routes on to the Kinder Scout plateau.

The path starts in the attractive village of Edale (which is also the start of the Pennine Way) and winds its way up past tumbling waterfalls, heather moors and on to the rocky plateau.

How to get there Starting in Hope, take Edale Road (opposite the church).

Follow the road for just under five miles until you reach Edale; park in the pay and display car park on your right.

Walk through Edale, past The Old Nags Head pub. After a short distance, there is a path on the right, which will take you north up Grindsbrook.

© Paul Atterby

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What to shoot Waterfalls (either on their own or as foreground interest to the valley); the rocks on the plateau make great foregrounds or abstracts.

Best time of day The valley lies north-west so summer evenings and winter mornings see directional light on the valley. Overcast conditions prevent dark shadows, while mist is great for adding drama.

Food/drink The Old Nags Head, Edale, Hope Valley, S33 7ZD,

01433 670291, the-old-nags-head.co.uk.

Accommodation The Old Nags Head – as above.

Other times of year Late summer and early autumn shows the heather.

Winter after a freeze or snow can be very dramatic, although it can be very slippery underfoot.

Ordnance Survey map OL 1 Nearby locations Mam Tor (2 miles); Ladybower reservoir (10 miles).

8 miles from Hope • 21 miles from Sheffield ACCESS RATING 16 miles from Beauly • 26 miles from Inverness ACCESS RATING

Glen Strathfarrar, Highland trathfarrar is one of three glens in the Cannich area that head west into spectacular Highland scenery, but due to restricted vehicular access it is not as busy as the likes of Glen Aff ric. In October the colour of the vegetation is superb, while the river and lochs ensure numerous photographic opportunities.

© Robert Birkby

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How to get there From Inverness take the A862 west for approximately 10½ miles then turn left on to the A831, signed Balblair, Struy and Cannich. After almost nine miles make a right turn on to a minor road, signed Glen Strathfarrar.

Approximately half a mile further on you will reach a gate; it is necessary to check in at the gatehouse for vehicular access (for opening times visit mountaineering.scot).

What to shoot Classic mountain and loch landscapes with superb colours provided by the birch and Scots pine trees; the river Strathfarrar; red deer; possibly golden eagles.

Best time of day Access is restricted to 9am–6pm in October, but the autumn colours make it possible to get great shots throughout the day.

Food/drink The Cnoc Hotel, Struy,

by Beauly, IV4 7JU, 01463 761264, thecnochotel.co.uk.

Accommodation Strathglass Cottage, Struy, by Beauly, IV4 7JS, 01463 761330, strathglasshighlandcottage.co.uk.

Other times of year Late summer for the heather. Note that the glen is closed to vehicular access from November through March.

Ordnance Survey map LR 26 Nearby locations Glen Affric (20 miles); Urquhart Castle (23 miles).

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after three miles turn right into Strid Wood car park. A short walk on good paths signed The Strid will take you to the viewpoint.

What to shoot Autumnal trees; elevated views of the river; waterfalls; birds (including kingfishers and woodpeckers).

Best time of day Morning is best in terms of the position of the sun and increased possibility of mist; any time of day works for waterfall details in overcast conditions.

Food/drink Strid Wood Tea Rooms, Bolton Abbey, Skipton, BD23 6AN, 01756 711745, stridwoodtearooms.co.uk.

Accommodation Howgill Lodge, Barden, Skipton, BD23 6DJ, 01756 720655, howgill-lodge.co.uk.

Other times of year Spring for the impressive display of bluebells.

Ordnance Survey map LR 104 Nearby locations Bolton Priory (2 miles); Malham Cove (20 miles).

A

How to get there From Skipton, take the A59 east for just under fi ve miles until it intersect s with the B6160 at a roundabout. Take the first exit, signed Bolton Abbey and Burnsall (B6160) and

ALL MAPS © Crown copyright 2017 Ordnance Survey. Media 037/17

t Strid Wood the river Wharfe winds through some very colourful ancient woodland, including important tracts of sessile oak trees. The Strid itself is a dramatic narrowing of the river, which creates waterfalls and rapids that are both impressive and dangerous, so great care is needed. Despite the popularity with walkers and photographers, this remains an incredibly unspoiled and inspiring location.

© Robert Birkby

The Strid, North Yorkshire

8 miles from Skipton • 21 miles from Bradford ACCESS RATING 10 miles from Keswick • 28 miles from Penrith ACCESS RATING

Buttermere, Cumbria cale Force waterfall is the highest in the Lake District, with a single drop of 170 feet. On the way from Buttermere towards Scale Force you will encounter this beautiful view, looking back to Crummock Water and Buttermere, with a lone tree in the foreground.

What to shoot Wide-angle vistas, long lens landscapes and detail shots of flora; waterfall further upstream.

Best time of day Winter sunrises or late mornings in autumn.

Food/drink Croft House Farm Café, Buttermere, Cockermouth, CA13 9XA, 01768 770235, crofthousefarmcafe.co.uk.

How to get there Park in the centre of Buttermere and follow the southerly footpath to Scale Bridge. Turn right and follow the footpath along Crummock Water. When the footpath splits in two (approximately 1½ miles from the start of the walk), take the left fork and head uphill, parallel to Scale Beck on the northern side.

© Stu Meech

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Accommodation The Bridge Hotel, Buttermere, Cockermouth, CA13 9UZ, 01768 770252, bridge-hotel.com.

Other times of year Winter for frost and snow-covered landscapes.

Ordnance Survey map LR 90 Nearby locations Surprise View (11 miles); Castlerigg stone circle (13 miles).

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PHOTO SHOWCASE

INSIGHT ASTRONOMY PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR 201 7 Now in its ninth year, this prestigious competition continues to wow us with its out-of-this-world imagery. These are just a handful of our favourites from the winning and commended photographs

OVERALL WINNER AND WINNER, STARS & NEBULAE Artem Mironov, Russia The Rho Ophiuchi clouds Taken over three nights at a farm near Gamsberg Mountain in Namibia, Artem’s image depicts the Rho Ophiuchi cloud complex (also known as Rho Oph or the Ophiuchus molecular cloud).

This dark emission and reflection nebula is around 14 light years across and is situated approximately 460 light years from our planet, in the constellation of Ophiuchus (the ‘serpent-bearer’).

Sky-Watcher 200mm f/4 reflector telescope, Sky-Watcher HEQ5 PRO mount, Canon EOS 5D MkII, ISO 1600, 15-hour total exposure

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Left, top

HIGHLY COMMENDED, STARS & NEBULAE Andriy Borovkov, Ukraine NGC 281 Pacman The NGC 281 nebula is sometimes referred to as the ‘Pacman Nebula’ due to its striking resemblance to the much-loved video game character. In the ordinary colours of the visible light spectrum it can look rather dreary, so Andriy used the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) palette to combat this, presenting the nebula in a vibrant blue surrounded by rusty oranges. The image was taken during August and September 2016 in the small town of Elmshorn, Germany, and the original stars were replaced with RGB (red, green and blue) coloured stars.

UNC 30512 305mm f/4 reflector telescope, Sky-Watcher EQ8 mount, Moravian Instruments G2-8300 Monochrome CCD camera, 25-hour total exposure

Left, below

RUNNER UP, AURORAE Kamil Nureev, Russia In autumn dance A glowing green auroral ray arcs through the night sky over the Siberian forest tundra in Noviy Urengoy, Russia. Kamil’s photograph consists of eight vertical frames shot with a 24mm prime lens and stitched together to create a larger image.

As the polar light was changing all the time, the photographer had to move as quickly as possible to capture the scene. The polar shine silhouette is reminiscent of the mathematical ‘golden ratio’.

Canon EOS 5D MkIII with 24mm f/2 lens, ISO 2000, 4sec

Opposite

WINNER, AURORAE Mikkel Beiter, Denmark Ghost world During October 2016, Mikkel stood and observed the waves from the sea slowly rolling up the long beach at Stokksnes, Iceland. The water was making the sand wet, creating great conditions for photographing reflections. Suddenly, clouds appeared over the nearby mountains and floated across the sea, enabling him to capture this otherworldly scene of a powerful teal aurora sweeping across the night sky.

Canon EOS 5D MkIII with 24mm f/2 lens, ISO 1600, 6sec

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Above

Opposite top

Opposite below

RUNNER UP, OUR SUN

RUNNER UP, PEOPLE & SPACE

HIGHLY COMMENDED, SKYSCAPES

Eric Troops, USA Solar limb prominence and sunspot This striking image of a searing solar limb prominence and sunspot was taken in Georgia, USA, during the spring of 2016. Using Lunt H-alpha filters in a custom-made telescope, Eric was able to record the solar activity using a high magnification to reveal incredible detail.

Multiple exposures were stacked to stabilise the ‘seeing conditions’ (negating the blurriness of Earth’s atmosphere).

Homemade telescope, Point Grey GS3-U360S6M-C camera

Kurt Lawson, USA The Cable Route of Half Dome at night Kurt Lawson and fellow astrophotographer Sean Goebel embarked on a mission in 2016 to shoot a night hike up the Cable Route of Yosemite’s iconic Half Dome. Between them, the pair carried 50kg of equipment and water to the summit of Mount Watkins, a sculpted rocky summit northeast of Half Dome on the opposite side of Tenaya Canyon. They set up their cameras, and another friend, Wade Meade, made the ascent from Yosemite Valley to the summit of Half Dome, lighting the trail with a small lantern and some bright headlamps.

While Wade made the climb, Kurt and Sean took photographs. For this image, eight exposures – each of which was eight-minutes long – were stacked in Photoshop to give a total exposure time of 64 minutes.

Sony α7R with 100mm f/2.8 lens, ISO 500, 64min

Bartlomiej Jurecki, Poland Nacreous clouds A spectrum of colour rolls across the sky over Lofoten, Norway, in the form of nacreous clouds – which are also known as polar stratospheric clouds (PSCs) or mother of pearl clouds due to their almost shimmering appearance. These clouds form in the stratosphere over the Polar Regions, and are seen most easily when the sun is just below the horizon at sunset, as it illuminates the clouds from below. The particles that make up nacreous clouds are much smaller than those in common clouds, so the light from the sun is scattered and diff racted more dramatically as it passes through them, resulting in a strikingly colourful display.

Nikon D800 with 300mm f/2.8 lens, ISO 160, 1/800sec at f/7.1

EXHIBITION AND BOOK Insight Astronomy Photographer of the Year is run by the Royal Observatory Greenwich in association with Insight Investment and BBC Sky at Night Magazine. Now in its ninth year, the competition received over 3,800 entries taken from over 90 countries across the globe. The best of these exceptional photographs – winners, runners-up or highly commended in the competition’s different categories and special prizes – are showcased in a free exhibition in the Royal Observatory’s Astronomy Centre, which is open to the public from 16 September 2017 until 22 July 2018. Winners and shortlisted entries will also be published in the competition’s official book by Collins, available exclusively in the Royal Observatory Greenwich shop from 17 September and on sale across all bookstores and online from 3 November. For information about entering next year’s competition visit rmg.co.uk/astrophoto.

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PHOTO SHOWCASE

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IF YOU ONLY DO ONE THING THIS MONTH...

Take on our ‘Lakes and Rivers’ challenge (see page 111), and as well as the chance of being featured in the February 2018 issue of OP, you could win a superb Goal Zero Nomad 7 Plus Solar Panel worth £100!

POSTAL GUIDE DIGITAL SUBMISSIONS When burning your CD, create two folders: one containing TIFF or JPEG – saved at quality 10 or above – files, saved at 300ppi, RGB or CMYK, and MAC compatible; and a second folder with low-res 72ppi JPEG files. Only send 8-bit files (not 16-bit files) and flatten any layers. Add your own name to the image file names. If sending Viewpoints for multiple months, please add the month to each image filename. Please write your name and contact details on your CD, or include this information in a text file on the CD. Finally, print off, if you can, a contact sheet of thumbnails of the images included on the CD. PLEASE DO NOT ATTACH STICKERS TO YOUR CD

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WHERE IN THE WORLD?

SOCIAL HUB Please send your views, opinions and musings to anna.evans@ thegmcgroup.com, or send them online or by post. If your letter is our ‘Letter of the Month’ you’ll win a prize; this month’s winner received a Triplekite Books voucher, worth £30 to use on their photography books. Please limit your letters to 200 words or less and be aware that they may be edited.

Tell us the name of this snowcapped volcano featured on page 112 and this month you could win a pair of Aku Montera Low GTX shoes worth £125! Made for light hikes and coastal walks, the shoe’s tread has been inspired by mountain bike tyres and gives great traction on a variety of terrain. The outsole’s asymmetric construction has ELICA technology for even weight distribution and extra comfort.

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IN THE SPOTLIGHT

Chris Davis Surrey-based Chris Davis is a computer graphics artist who turned his hand to landscape photography five years ago. This was the start of a journey that has seen him go from ‘not having a clue’ to leading workshops. Nick Smith puts him in the spotlight Nick Smith: You’re a computer graphics (CG) artist by trade, but how did you get into photography?

Chris Davis: I actually started out as a chef in pub kitchens before travelling in Australia, which saw me come back married with a child. That’s when I decided I wanted more responsibility, so in the late 1990s I did a course in computer graphic design. At the time, 3D work was in its infancy, so I took it from there and went out looking for work. By 2012 I was working at one of the biggest digital effects facilities in Europe.

NS: And that was a key time for you?

CD: Yes. At this point I was dabbling in photography and getting frustrated with my daily commute. So I quit my job and started out on my own. As this transition took place, we booked a family holiday to America and I took my DSLR on a road trip. We did Yellowstone and all those places and it was fantastic.

But when I came back, my images just didn’t convey the experience.

NS: What was it like to be a professional CG image-maker, and yet not be fully satisfied with your photography?

CD: It was frustrating, although to be fair I hadn’t expected that much, as I didn’t have a clue what I was doing – it was all handheld JPEGs! It was a good catalyst to kick things off with, though. For the past 15 years I’d been creating 3D images for other people and I’d got to the point where I didn’t want to spend so much time in front of a computer screen – you can spend a month creating one 3D image and I was losing my appetite for that.

NS: How far are you along the path to becoming a pro photographer?

CD: Transitional, I’d say. In the past year I’ve started to move into one-toone tuition with photographers who have started contacting me, and I’ve

got a couple of workshops scheduled for the end of the year. So this is really my first foray into the world of being a professional photographer. I’ve also had a few good results on the competition circuit, although photography has taken a bit of a back seat this year, as I’ve had a lot of CG work on.

NS: How did you acquire your new stills photography skills?

CD: When I get into something, I really get into it. I spent a fortune on books and magazines and read everything I could on the subject. I attended a few workshops, and even the ones that weren’t all that great were useful because I could learn what not to do.

I just kept going, and the further I got and the more I understood, the more I enjoyed it. I also loved being out there.

I’m quite introverted, with lots of stuff going on in my head, so it was a change to be out there with a camera, in the moment, with nothing else on my mind.

Below Searching out unique compositions in popular locations.

Opposite top Improvising when the weather turns bad.

Opposite below Sunset in Glencoe, on the banks of the river Coupall.

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NS: How did you end up choosing the British landscape?

CD: When I quit my job and started my own business I also got a dog.

It’s a great dog, but it doesn’t like being left behind when we go abroad.

So we started to change our travel plans to fit around the dog. We’d never had a holiday in the UK before we had the dog – now we regularly go to the Lake District, Scotland, Cornwall and Norfolk.

NS: What’s next for Chris Davis?

CD: Now that my children are a bit older, the plan is to wind things up here in Surrey and relocate somewhere that will allow me to concentrate more on the photography. Somewhere I can step out of the door and not have to drive for two hours to take a picture. The kind of landscapes I enjoy shooting aren’t really accessible from here.

Chris’ critical moments 2009 First DLSR, although it didn’t get much use until…

2012 Family road trip to USA and the start of my landscape photography.

Chris’ top tips One thing I never go on a shoot without is… a pair of Muck Boot wellies. They are the Land Rover of wellingtons and vital to me.

My one piece of advice would be to… just get out there and take photographs. It’s important to do research at home, but it’s more important to take pictures.

Something I try to avoid is… shooting popular locations in the same way they have been done in the past. You can’t always do that, but I try.

To see more of Chris’ work visit chrisdavis-photography.com 2015 Winner, Portfolio Prize in David Noton’s landscape competition.

2016 Entered the world of social media to promote my work.

2016–2017 Images included in the OPOTY II and SLPOTY 3 books

2017 Launched one-toone tuition and small group workshops.

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READER GALLERY Each month we publish the best images from those submitted for our Reader Gallery. Turn to page 64 to find out how to enter your work using our online system. Here is this month’s winner…

Winner Lee Acaster My first foray into photography was as an art school student, but it wasn’t until I moved to East Anglia in 2011 that my interest in it was really ignited. I’ve barely put a camera down since!

After experimenting with various genres I came to realise that landscape photography is where my passion really lies. I wouldn’t say my work is particularly traditional, though.

I have a tendency to try to add a slightly darker mood to my images, and am usually

trying to find a quirky take on subjects. It’s not something I consciously set out to do, but I’m always drawn to images with a sense of unease about them, and a lot of the time that seems to manifest itself in my own photography.

I’d love to spend all day out with a camera, but I’m not sure I’d really get the same pleasure from it if it became a full-time job. I do the occasional workshop, and have co-led a couple with Greg Whitton; they are always great fun, with the added opportunity of getting to see some pretty amazing landscapes. That may be something I expand upon, but for now my

main ambition as a photographer is to keep improving and experimenting, and see where it leads me. I currently have a selection of rather large images for sale in Columbia Road Gallery in London, and am also exhibiting with them at the Affordable Art Fair in Battersea, which I’m really looking forward to.

Hometown Wortham, Suffolk Occupation Graphic designer Photography experience Six years leeacaster.com

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Previous page Sloth I spent most of last autumn and winter exploring the woods at a nearby nature reserve, especially the less well-trodden areas where the brambles and scrub have taken hold. I find the challenge of trying to find compositions among the chaos of the undergrowth particularly rewarding.

The conditions were excellent on this particular morning: there was a heavy mist , but the sun broke through and beautifully illuminated the birch and vines for a few brief moments.

Sony A7R with Sony FE 55mm f/1.8 ZA lens, ISO 200, 1/13sec at f/11 Left Cutter A light mist and a covering of frost made it the ideal morning for a wander around a nearby area of heathland. I’d noticed this scene on a previous visit, in less promising conditions, so made my way over to see if the rising sun would penetrate the woods enough to breathe some life into it. It just so happened that it fell perfectly for the composition.

Sony A7R with Sony FE 70–200mm f/4 G OSS lens at 72mm, ISO 200, 1/13sec at f/11, two-shot stitched panorama

Send in your best images and win great prizes. This month’s winner receives a superb Manfrotto Bumblebee-130 PL backpack, worth £189.95!

Part of Manfrotto’s new range of camera bags aimed at outdoor photographers, this pack is designed to take weight and heat off the shoulders, neck and lower back. Its AirSupport breathable harness and back panel, plus its adjustable Camera Protection System padded dividers help distribute heavy kit. With enough space for a DSLR, 70–200mm zoom lens and eight extra lenses, the Bumblebee also has a dedicated compartment for a 15in laptop.

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8/23/17 3:38 PM

NATURE ZONE DISCOVER 76 Laurie Campbell: Life in the wild

78 Nature photo guide

81 A moment with nature

82 Steve Young: On the wing

SEEKING GOLDEN OPPORTUNITIES...

Laurie Campbell looks at various ways to photograph goldďŹ nches

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With little time to react, this mixed flock of woodpigeons, rooks and jackdaws took flight from a field of recently sown winter wheat just as I approached.

Nikon D3 with Nikon 500mm f/4 VR lens, ISO 400, 1/640sec at f/6.3, handheld

Life in the Wild With nature photography becoming ever more popular and an increase in animal disturbance, Laurie Campbell asks if it is time to champion the concept of photographing more common species Many years ago, when I left school, my fi rst employment was as an animal keeper for the Royal Zoological Society for Scotland in Edinburgh, working on what was known then as the bird section. One day, in the room where we prepared food for our charges I discovered a rather tatty copy of one of the volumes of Birds of Berwickshire by George Muirhead. Although first published in 1889, I felt an immediate connection with the text because it gave local names for locations I grew up with, such as the cliffs close to St Abb’s Head where it mentioned white-tailed sea eagles nesting (to this day the location is named ‘Ernes Cleuch’ meaning ‘eagle cliff ’). Yet while the locations were recognisable, the book came from an era when bird watching and recording methods were very different, with many of the Victorian-era entries beginning with the words ‘a fine specimen was shot’.

Incredibly, there was mention of a passenger pigeon being recorded. This North American species once had a population of billions of birds; vast flocks could take days to pass and tree limbs snapped due to the weight of

numbers. Incredibly, in just a few decades the passenger pigeon was persecuted on such a scale that it became extinct, a term so unfamiliar at the time that it had yet to be defined.

There are still a few examples of birds that occur in vast numbers, such as the red-billed quelea in Africa, although there’s nothing on the same magnitude as passenger pigeons. Apart from the huge flocks of starlings that we see at wintertime roosts (which are seasonal and often bolstered by overwintering visitors), it is difficult to think of any UK species of bird that is so numerous. However, a recent survey shows that a distant cousin of the passenger pigeon – the woodpigeon – is in the top five.

Unlike the passenger pigeon, the current UK population of woodpigeons is higher than would occur naturally because it has benefited from the amount of land given over to intensive agriculture. At certain times of year, large flocks descend to take advantage of this, causing real damage to arable crops and leading farmers and landowners to resort to curbing numbers by shooting them and using gas-fuelled bird

scarers. I cannot see this situation changing any more than the continuing need to cull red deer in the Scottish Highlands where we have exterminated most of the natural predators and numbers are artificially high. In both cases we have upset the balance of nature.

As useful as it is to delve back into historical records, it can also be slightly depressing to realise what we have lost and the rate at which we risk losing so many more vulnerable species.

I can’t help wondering whether our Victorian predecessors – having shot a bird and had the opportunity to appreciate its beauty close-up – had any regrets.

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Pigeon pointers With every hand seemingly against them in the wider countryside, it follows that the best place to photograph woodpigeons is in town parks and large gardens where they are not exposed to the same levels of persecution.

Unmolested, many become very trusting, to the extent that they can even be hand-fed in some locations. These are handsome birds and having had the opportunity to view and photograph them close-up it is not difficult to appreciate details such as their brilliant yellow eyes and soft, smooth plumage.

Woodpigeons respond very well to baiting, so if you are planning a winter feeding station or perhaps a semi-permanent set-up on a woodland edge, it is worth scattering some wheat on the ground. Take into account that these are relatively large birds, so don’t bait too close to your hide. You should also allow space around the bait because you may end up attracting a number of birds at once, with inevitable disputes breaking out; this can provide opportunities to photograph the birds in action as they start sparring for position.

Woodpigeons have a slightly unconventional breeding cycle in that they have been recorded nesting in all months of the year. Most often, they time their egg laying to coincide with an abundant food supply for their growing young.

This commonly takes place from mid-to-late summer, when crops and natural food sources are ripening. Courtship behaviour is highly ritualised, with the male following the female around whenever they are both on the ground, circling around her with much stooping and head bobbing to attract her attention.

Once nest construction begins there are good opportunities to photograph the birds flying back and forth, bringing in nesting material. These are birds that nest in enclosed places with little choice over how they access their chosen site. It is therefore quite easy to identify flight paths that they regularly use and determine where best to position yourself to photograph them.

below left These roosting woodpigeons were photographed at dusk in early April, after they had strengthened their bond and established a breeding territory.

Nikon D4 with Nikon 500mm f/4 VR lens, ISO 1250, 1/250sec at f/4, handheld above right One of two woodpigeons in flight, shortly after it was involved in a skirmish with another woodpigeon. Manual exposure based on a reading from a nearby wall.

Nikon D3 with Nikon 500mm f/4 VR lens, ISO 800, 1/1600sec at f/5, handheld below right Photographed from a low-level, semi-permanent wooden hide at the edge of a wood, this woodpigeon was attracted to fallen birdseed that was being dislodged from a hanging feeder above.

Nikon D3X with Nikon 200–400mm f/4 VR lens at 400mm, ISO 400, 1/160sec at f/4, tripod, hide

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WHAT TO SHOOT THIS MONTH…

Laurie’s October highlights

Sadly, and thanks to changing farming practices, we rarely see stubble fields left for long after harvesting before they are ploughed. Those that remain offer a good supply of food in the form of spilt grain and weed seeds for many farmland birds for the coming months. Flocks of rooks (Corvus frugilegus) commonly band together with jackdaws (Corvus monedula) and carrion crows (Corvus corone corone) to feed in these fields as well, and their dark plumage and shapes contrast nicely against the straw-yellow surroundings.

Nikon D4, Nikon 500mm f/4 VR lens, ISO 800, 1/1000sec at f/6.3, beanbag, car as hide

Suggesting photographing fungi at this time of year may be an obvious thing to do, but to make things more interesting keep it simple and head out with only one lens. Rather than a macro or close-focusing zoom, take a wideangle lens or perhaps a fisheye lens and look for sp ecies and surroundings that lend themselves to a very close approach. If lighting is difficult because your camera and lens are shading the subject, try using aluminium foil as a reflector. In the case of long exposures you can also use a small LED video lamp or torch to light up those dark, awkward corners.

Nikon D3X with Sigma 15mm f/2.8 diagonal fisheye lens, ISO 100, 1sec at f/22, tripod, cable release, mirror-lock

We are moving into the time of year that promises autumn colours and dramatic skies, so images of lone trees on mountains and crags are something worth trying for. Rowan trees (Sorbus aucuparia) are also known as mountain ash for good reason, as they are mostly found in upland habitats.

Many rowans grow in inaccessible places, often on the tops of boulders and rock ledges where they are away from the grazing pressure of sheep and deer.

Nikon D3X with Nikon 17–35mm f/2.8 AFS lens at 17mm, ISO 200, 1/60sec at f/14, polariser, tripod, cable release, mirror-lock

We often see photographs of goldfinches (Carduelis carduelis) perched on the tops of the dead seed heads of teasels. While they do feed on the seeds of these plants, look closely and you may see that niger seed has been sprinkled on top to attract the birds. While the setup may be staged, it is still fairly authentic, although there is always a way of doing things differently. Providing alternative perches close to a standard, man-made seed feeder for birds to ‘queue up’ on is one such option.

Nikon D3X with Nikon 500mm f/4 VR lens, ISO 250, 1/400sec at f/6.3, tripod, hide

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© Jenny Sturm / Shutterstock.com

More seasonal subjects

5 top sites to see grey seal pups

Flora Alder (Alnus glutinosa) – watch out for siskins (Carduelis spinus) feeding on seeds of the ripening cones.

Sweet chestnut (Castanea sativa) – once the leaves have fallen, try photographing the distinctive spiral pattern of the bark.

Rufous milkcap fungi (Lactarius rufus) – sounds a bit of a mouthful, but simply a beautiful rust-coloured fungi with gills that ‘bleed’ a milk secretion when disturbed.

Fauna Stoat (Mustela erminea) – a difficult mammal to locate, but they like to explore drystone walls for prey, so try following one if walking cross-country.

Red deer (Cervus elaphus) – rutting red deer stags in the Highlands commonly wallow in peat.

Great tit (Parus major) – one of the many species of tits and finches that take advantage to feed on the fallen mast beneath beech trees.

The UK has two types of seal – the common seal and the grey seal. Grey seal pups are born from mid-September through to January; October is a peak pupping time for colonies in Scotland, while November/December are good for the east coast of England.

However, before you race to the coast with your camera, make sure you’ve packed some commonsense as well. It’s easy to get carried away in the moment and forget that seals are not just there for you to harass while you find the ‘perfect angle’. Follow any and all local guidelines, keep your distance (100m+) and especially avoid crowding a pup while its mother is out at sea – mother seals will not return if there are people and dogs nearby, which can lead to pups being abandoned. This effectively reduces their chance of reaching adulthood to zero.

Polar bears, Canada Every year from October, ice forms in Canada’s Hudson Bay, transforming the saltwater bay into a vast frozen plain. The ice typically lasts from mid-December until mid-June, and as the big freeze starts, polar bears leave their summer habitat on the tundra, in anticipation of the journey north to seal-hunting territory. For a brief period in October and November – before the ice freezes fully – the bears gather on the shores of the bay, making it the perfect time to experience these distinctive animals. Churchill, in the state of Manitoba, claims to be the ‘polar bear capital of the world’, attracting hundreds of bears each year. With them come thousands of visitors, heading to the town to witness the winter exodus. There are plenty of companies offering safari-like expeditions on to the ice, most often in custom-built ‘tundra buggies’, but places are limited and in high demand; early booking is essential. everythingchurchill.com Jaguars, Brazil October sees the end of the dry season in Brazil’s Pantanal, and with it the last chance to see the elusive jaguar before the rains begin and more than three quarters of the tropical wetland are submerged once again. Although jaguars inhabit various regions across central and southern America, the Pantanal is widely accepted as the best location for viewing the big cat thanks to an abundance of prey (capybara and caiman) and a ban on hunting. The greatest chance of seeing and photographing a jaguar comes from taking a dedicated boat safari along the Cuiabá River with an experienced guide. However, sightings are not guaranteed – while the region boasts the highest density of the big cat, jaguar numbers are still low overall, with WWF estimating there are ‘only around 15,000 jaguars left in the wild’. wwf.org.uk/where-we-work/places/pantanal

Orkney, Scotland Orkney is home to around 15 per cent of the world’s grey seal population and if you couple this with the fact that grey seal pups remain on land to suckle for 18-21 days after they are born you’ve definitely got a betterthan-average chance of seeing pups on the archipelago. Fly from a major Scottish airport, or catch a ferry from Aberdeen, Scrabster or Gills Bay. visitorkney.com

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© Hans Wagemaker / Shutterstock.com

© NancyS / Shutterstock.com

World wildlife spectacles

The Monarch Islands, Scotland The uninhabited Monarch Islands are home to a colony of around 10,000 grey seals, which can almost double when the pups arrive. This makes them a great destination for witnessing grey seals en masse, although accessing the islands isn’t easy; scheduled boats run from neighbouring North Uist (five miles to the east) during the summer tourist season, but at other times of the year you will need to charter a boat. scotland.com/reserves/ monach-islands

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Farne Islands, Northumberland When it comes to photographing the Farne Islands’ grey seal colony, one of the most exciting options (assuming

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you can dive) is to book a diving trip that will allow you to experience the grey seals in a completely different way.

Numerous boats leave from Seahouses on the Northumberland coast to the National Trust-owned islands. nationaltrust.org.uk/farne-islands

Donna Nook, Lincolnshire Owned by Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust, the Donna Nook National Nature Reserve sees seals giving birth close to the beach’s accessible sand dunes. In direct response to increased seal deaths due to human interference, a fenced-off public viewing area is in operation from late October until December; visit during the week when the crowds are thinner. lincstrust.org.uk/donna-nook

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Blakeney Point, Norfolk Blakeney Point is a four-milelong spit owned by the National Trust and home to England’s largest seal colony. During the breeding season the end of the Point is fenced off to protect the seals, but seal-watching boat trips from Blakeney and neighbouring Morston Quay will get you close to the action with minimal disturbance to your subjects. nationaltrust.org.uk/blakeneynational-nature-reserve

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Stokksnes

Sony A7r, 35mm ZA lens. 0.8 sec @ f/14, iso 100

Iceland’s intense terrain of volcanic rock, savage mountains, glaciers and malevolently active volcanoes are an exciting challenge to the adventurous, and an irresistible attraction for contemporary landscape photographers.

This terrain is a visual challenge too. The darkness of the volcanic geology, combined with brilliant white snow and ice in marginal lighting can make contrast management quite a headache.

LEE 0.6 ND hard grad filter

In many circumstances, neutral density graduates can ride to the rescue; this photograph from Stokksnes illustrates an unorthodox application, with the 0.6 ND graduated filter (two stops) positioned lower than you might think. The sun was fading behind western cloud banks, yet the snow on the side of Vestrahorn remained bright, brighter than all but the breaks in the cloud behind the mountain. Full filter density covers the jagged profile of the mountain; the graduation zone begins at the foot of the snow and extends over the dunes in the distance. The filter is clear in front of the foreground dune grasses.

Put simply, the filter is half way down.

Even with a hard graduate, careful positioning of the filter (especially with high quality truly neutral filters) can produce a seamless, ‘invisible’ effect. It helps represent the scene in a way that emulates the way the brain maps it, with good tone and detail throughout.

Hard grad filter Joe Cornish www.joecornishgallery.co.uk

leefilters.com

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A MOMENT WITH NATURE

A remote possibility Tom Mason thought that camera traps would provide him with an easy way of getting some unique wildlife images, but little did he know the frustration they’d cause As a photographer I have always been captivated by close-up ‘wildlife in the landscape’ images, so a couple of years ago I decided to learn how to set up a camera trap. The process seemed simple enough: just position a camera in a suitably wild and remote place, attach a trigger to detect wildlife and you’re ready to capture the perfect image.

As it transpired it was a hard slog to get any images, let alone something good. Firstly there were the technical problems. Getting my camera to fire when it was triggered needed some serious DIY adjustment, which involved a soldering iron and days spent working out which wire was shorting out the whole system and causing my batteries to lose their charge.

When I finally had a working system it was time to set it up in the field for the first

time. This was extremely exciting, and after a couple of hours on location I had lined up the trigger, adjusted the composition and set up my flashes to create the perfect lighting.

As I packed up and walked away – leaving my camera gear locked to a tree – I imagined how I’d return to a card full of awesome images.

The reality was very different. What you’re more likely to find is that the camera will be dead, your memory card will be full of false triggers and – in my case – you will have lots of images of wood mice (which defi nitely wasn’t what I was after). These mice have since become my most common enemy; it’s almost as if they want to be on camera.

My breakthrough came photographing little owls. Having known about an owl location for a few years I decided to use

my trap for a different style of image. Aside from the fact that I had to jump and pull myself 5m up into an oak tree with 15kg of cases, wiring and cameras, the location was perfect and a few hours later (having used a bag of cable ties and a roll of gaffer tape) things were good to go.

I left the camera in position for two weeks.

On my return I was not all that hopeful, and even when I climbed into the canopy and saw my sensor had over 100 triggers, my first thought was ‘those darned mice can fly!’ But when I opened up my custom housing I nearly fell out of the tree with excitement. There were little owls just inches from the lens. All that pain, trouble and effort was more than worth it and now I simply love my camera traps. Well, sometimes…

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NATURE ZONE STEVE YOUNG

On the wing Continuing from the previous issue of OP, Steve Young waves goodbye to the Isles of Scilly and heads north in pursuit of a mega-rare Siberian accentor I left Scilly early in the afternoon, caught a shuttle bus to Penzance and picked up my hire car, ready for the very long drive to East Yorkshire. Stopping only to stock up with supplies, plus a road map and in-car charger for my phone (mine were all safely in my car at home), I was on the A40 by late afternoon. I already knew I wasn’t going to make it to my destination until the following day so there was no rush; I drove nice and slowly until I started feeling tired, then pulled over for three hours sleep.

A few more stops and naps later, I arrived at Easington, near Spurn Point, and eventually found the designated farmer’s field for parking. It was 4am, so I planned to settle down for another nap. However, my nap was short-lived. I knew that a queuing system was going to be enforced that would allow a set number of birders in to view the bird at any one time, but I hadn’t expected people to start queuing this early! As the line of people started to form I forgot about sleep and reluctantly got myself ready to join the throng.

After a short walk in the half-light I joined a queue of about 70 birders. As I knew many of them, the time passed quickly, with various tales told about birds of years gone by. Eventually, the first group was allowed into the viewing area. It was good news, the accentor was still present and 10 minutes later a group of smiling and happy birders was walking back past us.

After another hour it was my turn and I soon found myself watching this gorgeous bird hopping around the rough area of an old school yard. It was still too dark for photography, but that didn’t stop me from taking some shots at a ridiculously high ISO setting before I left and re-joined the back of the queue. I did this a few more times until finally I was watching the Siberian accentor

in good light and at close range. Now that the light was better I could take lots of pictures at various ISO settings; the bird didn’t do that much, apart from feed on the ground, but it was great that it was still here after all my efforts!

There were a few other good birds in the area, but I only had time to see a firecrest and take a few shots of a shore lark before I had to head for home and hand back the hire car; something I managed with just two minutes to spare! It had been a fantastic trip and was well worth the effort and expense involved. I wouldn’t like to say that I’d do it again, but sometimes, when a special bird appears you don’t know what will happen!

Above It might seem crazy, but birders queued from well before dawn in the hope that the accentor would still be present.

Luckily it was!

Nikon D500 with Sigma 18–50mm lens at 18mm, ISO 1250, 1/13sec at f/4.5

The bird my journey had been for. It was a difficult bird to photograph, as it rarely stopped moving along the floor and the light was poor, but in my opinion it was worth all the effort.

Nikon D500 with Sigma 500mm lens, ISO 1000, 1/80sec at f/5.6, tripod

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LOCATION OF THE MONTH © travellight / Shutterstock.com

STEVE’S OCTOBER HIGHLIGHTS BIRD OF THE MONTH There is another accentor that is far more common than its mega-rare Siberian cousin. In the UK, the name ‘hedge accentor’ is rarely used, but this is the ‘proper’ name for our very own dunnock. (This species is also sometimes called a hedge sparrow, but as it isn’t a sparrow this is totally wrong.)

The dunnock is common and widespread in gardens and parks, so is a very easy bird to see and photograph. However, it does like to hide in the undergrowth searching for insects and seeds.

The body and wing-markings are very similar to the Siberian accentor, but the head markings are totally different. The dunnock is an intriguing and interesting bird in its own right; it’s complicated and varied sex life is certainly too risqué for this magazine!

Top It doesn’t look much, but the dunnock is a fascinating species and relatively easy to photograph.

Bottom With more common species it is nice to photograph something different, such as this shot of a juvenile dunnock sunbathing.

BIRD PHOTOGRAPHY TIP If my trip to see the Siberian accentor had happened 30 years ago I wouldn’t even have bothered trying to take photos in my first couple of queuing sessions. Slide film of agency quality had a speed of 100 ASA, so it wouldn’t have been possible to take a shot, and I would even have struggled using 400 ASA print film.

With digital capture, however, this type of shot is no longer impossible. Although my earliest photographs of the Siberian accentor were all deleted, they would have been acceptable if the bird had disappeared before the light picked up or it had been taken by a sparrowhawk!

They might not have been the ‘cleanest’ shots, but at least I would have had some shots.

Do not be afraid to set a high ISO if you need to. However, rather than wait until you are faced with a special bird, try out your settings locally, on a common subject, to see the results your camera gives. Remember that the higher the ISO, the ‘noisier’ the image will be, so try to avoid cropping too much to make the bird bigger in the frame; sometimes a smaller, sharper bird is better than a big, noisy one.

Top right Shots like this flying nuthatch were impossible to take in the ‘old days’ of slide film, but shooting at ISO 4000 is now commonplace.

Bottom right A digital image shot at ISO 800 is far superior to a shot on 800ASA film.

Spurn, Yorkshire Spurn used to be a three-mile long sand and shingle spit at the northern tip of the Humber Estuary, with road access to its very end (Spurn Point). However, after the road was partially washed away by storms, the spit became a tidal island. Although this means there’s no longer vehicular access to Spurn Point (with the exception of the ‘Spurn Safari’ vehicle) it has arguably benefitted the island’s wildlife, which includes lizards, roe deer, seals, butterflies and – of particular note – the migratory birds it attracts in their thousands in spring and autumn.

Spurn has always been a favourite spot for birders, with its first observatory opening in 1946. The wetlands at Kilnsea, where Spurn joins the mainland, attract a wide variety of waders, while Spurn’s easterly position means that it’s often visited by birds blown off course as they migrate south from Scandinavia.

A number of hides are available.

The rugged strip of sand should also keep landscape enthusiasts happy, with sand dunes and marram grass for classic beachscapes and a number of manmade structures.

Location Spurn lies approximately 25 miles east of Hull, at the mouth of the Humber estuary.

Getting there Parking is available in Kilnsea, but access to Spurn is by foot or bike unless you take a ‘Spurn Safari’ in a dedicated vehicle.

Accommodation Kilnsea offers a number of accommodation options, as does the nearby village of Patrington.

Website ywt.org.uk/reserves/ spurn-nature-reserve

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WILD PHOTOGRAPHY HOLIDAYS

Iceland’s Vibrant Autumn Colours October 2017 Photograph the northern lights, fabulous autumn colours, and epic glacial landscapes on our Iceland workshops during October. Small groups, professional tutors, unique locations and our local knowledge – a transformational adventure.

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INSIDE TRACK

No update required Life’s modern gadgets offer many conveniences but, says Carlton Doudney, dealing with the endless updates they require is not one of them. He reflects on the importance of retaining simple objects in our lives that can provide immense pleasure without the need for software

K.I.S.S – the acronym for ‘Keep It Simple Stupid’ – was fi rst accredited to Kelly Johnson, an engineer at Lockheed Skunk Works who was responsible for much of the input on the beautiful SR71 Blackbird aircraft. The same tenet was adopted by the US Navy as a design principle in 1960, the key point being that the simpler a system is, the less likely it is to fail.

But modern life seems far from simple, thanks to the constant need to update the many devices that we use in our daily lives. Our phones, tablets and computers constantly nag us to update both firmware and software; it shouldn’t be avoided when it concerns security of our devices, but it’s another burden in our busy schedules that begs for our attention. As I sit and watch my television, a notice pops up now and then informing me that there is an update waiting; at work, the fancy touchscreen ovens all too often display a message requesting an engineer, who will duly arrive, plug into a USB port and update the programme; even my car needed an update when it went in for a service.

Some of these changes can take a matter of seconds, others can be left to get on with it, but then there are those that require constant attention: permissions need to be granted, systems have to be rebooted and other hoops must be jumped through to ensure successful completion. ‘Time is the flame in which we burn’, wrote the American poet Delmore Schwartz, the perfect anthem for this dreaded task.

Our cameras are also far from simple, not only in their operation by us, but also in terms of what’s going on under the hood. No sooner has a model been released than there’s a firmware update (which can be for the lens as well as the camera) and this usually addresses a problem that has shown itself after we’ve customised the buttons in some way, meaning all of our painstaking changes are undone.

Of course, firmware can add extra features, which are to

be welcomed, and I tip my hat to the engineers who manage to cram so much into these tiny boxes. Sometimes, though, it would be nice if they were a little less complicated – perhaps even manual in operation.

There was an innocent simplicity to my first camera.

Like many from yesteryear it was a simple box camera.

All you needed to do was load some roll film in the back and you were good to go: lift a little metal hatch, peer down at the tiny image in the viewfinder, push down on the metal shutter release lever on the side with your thumb and with a satisfying clunk you had taken a photograph. The two cameras that followed were slightly more advanced, with a few additional controls, but they shared the same ethos: they were simple, manual affairs that didn’t require any updates or batteries.

I like my guitar for the same basic reason. It’s a curvy box (archtop) with a spruce top, beautiful, wavy, quilted maple back and sides, mated to a neck with six flatwound nickel strings. While there is a floating pickup for plugging into an amplifier, it’s essentially an acoustic instrument, so it produces a warm, rich, smooth sound regardless of whether it’s plugged in or not; I always liken it to hot chocolate laced with brandy, with cream floating on top. I must confess I pretty much bought the thing for its aesthetics alone, so the fact that it has a rich tone is a bonus. No updates required, just the reassuring knowledge that barring a minor tune-up it’s good to go at whim.

Finding a balance and pleasure in the simple things is a great antidote to the complexities that plague us. They work as a counterbalance to the constant updates we face, and can also give us something to do while we are waiting for said updates to complete. With that in mind, the next time I grab my camera I’ll set everything to manual and – as Kelly Johnson inferred – I’ll ‘keep it simple’.

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9/4/17 9:35 AM

GEAR ZONE ACQUIRE 88 Gearing up

90 Camera test

STEP IT UP A NOTCH Discover the latest gear that will enhance your time out on the trail

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Fjällräven Bergtagen Eco-Shell Jacket A waterproof, breathable three-layer jacket for hiking in mountainous terrain, the Bergtagen is made from Fjällräven’s high-function EcoShell fabric, which promises complete protection in wet weather and is fluorocarbon-free. The water-resistant, two-way zippers, Velcro adjustments at the sleeve cuffs and drawcord adjustment help keep the wind and rain out.

Guide price £495 fjallraven.co.uk

Nikon AF-P NIKKOR 70–300mm f/4.5–5.6 G ED VR A 4.3x zoom telephoto lens compatible with Nikon’s FX format cameras, this powerful piece of kit is ideal for wildlife photographers.

Its sophisticated stepping motor provides fast, quiet and smooth autofocus, plus the electromagnetic diaphragm mechanism promises precise aperture control. Combine these two functions with its Sport mode – previously only seen on Nikon’s super-telephoto range – and you’ve got one impressive lens for photographing fast-moving subjects. It’s also lightweight, at 680g.

Guide price £749.99 nikon.com

GEARING UP Marumi Exus Solid lens filter Safeguard your lenses without compromising on image quality with this new protector from Marumi. Constructed from ultra-low reflective glass, the Exus Solid is up to seven times stronger than conventional filters and has a water and oil repellent, anti-static coating. It fits securely on to your lens, and is super slim to avoid vignetting.

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BenQ SW271 This 27in 4K UHD monitor offers extraordinary clarity when you want to examine fine image detail thanks to its 10-bit panel display. The SW271 offers 99% Adobe RGB and 100% sRGB colour space coverage, with hardware calibration via Palette Master Element soft ware.

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Coleman Batterylock 2-Way Panel Light+ LED This multi-purpose portable light emits 200 lumens and features a magnetic back panel so it can be attached to all metal surfaces.

With two lighting modes (at 8m and 5m output distances), the light has a runtime of 20 hours when set on high and 55 hours on low.

When you want directional light, the panel doubles up as a torch.

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Obōz Firebrand B DRY Built using Obōz’s O FIT Insole system for extra support and protection around the heel, this hiking shoe is made from high quality nubuck leather and fabric. With breathable mesh panels and a B DRY waterproof membrane, the shoe’s design includes a narrow heel to eliminate slippage and a wide forefoot and toe box for comfort.

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Tamron 18–400mm f/3.5–6.3 Di II VC HLD

Genesis Denali

This new superzoom lens for APS-C DSLR cameras covers an impressive range of focal lengths from wideangle to telephoto, equivalent to 27–600mm in 35mm format. Light and compact , the lens includes 16 glass elements arranged in 11 groups, three low-dispersion elements, two glass aspherical elements and one hybrid aspherical element.

Designed with travel photographers in mind, the Genesis Denali is a photography bag and hiking pack in one. The camera compartment – which holds a DSLR, three lenses and a 15in laptop – is removable if you want to leave your kit behind for the day and pace it up the trail.

Multiple pockets and pouches will come in handy, while the Genesis Air Flow System technology will keep your back comfortable and cool.

Guide price £649.99 intro2020.co.uk

Guide price £50 genesisgear.pl

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GEAR ZONE CAMERA TEST

Panasonic Lumix GH5 The Panasonic GH4 was not only a very capable stills camera, but it also found favour with indie filmmakers. So when the GH5 was announced, Fergus Kennedy was keen to see if he would be impressed with the improvements made

Guide price £1,699 Contact panasonic.co.uk

Opposite page The GH5 handled fast action well, and survived the challenging coastal elements.

Panasonic Lumix GH5 with Lumix G Vario PZ 45-175mm f/4-5.6 lens at 144mm, ISO 200, 1/2000sec at f/5.5 Below Contre-jour images retained good shadow detail.

Panasonic Lumix GH5 with Lumix G Vario 7-14mm lens at 14mm, ISO 200, 1/60sec at f/13

There’s no denying that Panasonic’s GH4 was an immensely popular camera, which appealed to a wide range of users, so the company’s new top-ofthe-range mirrorless offering carries a substantial weight of expectation.

The first thing that’s noticeable is that the GH5 is slightly larger than its predecessor. It’s not a huge difference, but it will be noticed if you’re trading up from the GH4. While the general layout of the controls will feel familiar to GH4 users, there are some changes and additions: the pop-up flash has gone, there is a new AF point selection joystick and the viewfinder is larger and has a higher resolution than that of the GH4. Hidden changes include the addition of dual SD memory card slots and in-body image stabilisation.

The GH5’s general specification also

LIKES Good ergonomics Class-leading video capabilities Five-axis in-body Image stabilisation Uses same batteries as GH4

DISLIKES Subject tracking AF can be fooled Battery life slightly less than GH4

shows significant improvements for both stills photographers and video shooters. Keen to put the camera to the test with some fast-paced action, I took the GH5 down to the beach on a bright and breezy summer’s day. Kitesurfers proved a challenging subject and after some experimentation with the AF settings I came away with

a good number of pleasing shots.

The new Panasonic can shoot at an impressive nine frames per second with continuous autofocus. This is more than enough for most situations, and I got some great sequences, but there’s also a 6K photo mode that allows you to extract 18MP still images from a 30fps video clip.

The GH5 features a number of customisable AF presets for different types of subject and it is definitely worth experimenting with these to find out what works best in any given situation. However, I did find the tracking autofocus sometimes struggled to maintain a lock on a subject, particularly with a confused background of breaking waves and sun-glint. I also found that if the AF lock was lost, it took a bit of time to cancel it and get it to relock. Although the AF performance of these mirrorless cameras has improved massively in the last few years, it’s still not quite up there with the best DSLRs (and it would probably be unfair to expect that).

A welcome upgrade from the GH4 comes in the form of in-body image stabilisation, which is especially effective when used in conjunction with an IS lens. This is particularly useful for anyone who wants to shoot handheld video, or low-light stills. Another benefit is the camera’s weather sealing; the magnesium body feels tough and wasn’t fazed when shooting in the spray generated by near-gale-force winds.

To get an idea of image quality – rather than speed – I went out at sunset to shoot a few landscape images. I was immediately impressed with the electronic viewfinder, which is both larger and higher resolution than that found on the GH4 – the difference is

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TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS Sensor 20MP Micro Four Thirds Resolution 5184 x 3888 pixels Lens Interchangeable Micro Four Thirds Shutter speed 1/8000sec – 60sec, plus Bulb ISO 200–25600 (from 100 with expanded ISO) Viewfinder Electronic viewfinder with 3680K pixels LCD 3.2in articulated LCD, 1620k pixels, static touch control Flash Hotshoe Movie mode Max 2160p (4K) up to 60fps; 1080p up to 180fps Card formats SD/SDHC/SDXC (dual slots) Power BLF19 li-ion Dimensions 139 x 98 x 87mm Weight 725g (with battery/no lens)

appreciable. The new 20MP sensor also packs a punch, with great detail and an impressive dynamic range. I deliberately shot towards the light, with much of the landscape in deep shadow. As I had hoped, if I exposed for the highlights and boosted the shadows of the Raw files during processing, the images retained plenty of detail.

Video enthusiasts will not be disappointed either, as the GH5 offers class-leading features and specifications. You can shoot 4K video at up to 60 frames per second with 4:2:2 10-bit subsampling and a 150Mbps codec, and an even higher quality codec is promised as a future firmware upgrade. In contrast with the GH4, the GH5 now uses the full sensor to shoot 4K, so there is no crop factor.

For those who like slow motion, the GH5 shoots at up to 180fps in 1080 HD. The hardware also ticks a lot of boxes for the serious videographer, with sockets for headphones and a microphone, plus HDMI out, as well as a fully articulated, touchscreen LCD. For those who want to use professional audio kit there is also an all-new XLR adapter that fits on the hotshoe.

Some video users may bemoan the smaller sensor size compared to the

Super 35 or full-frame competition, as this limits the possibilities for extremely shallow depth of field.

However, even this limitation can be circumvented to some extent with the use of adaptors such as the Metabones Speed Booster in conjunction with full-frame or APS-C lenses.

VERDICT In summary, the GH5 is a great all-round camera. The stills performance is up there with the best of the latest generation Micro Four Thirds cameras, while the video performance and specification is class leading.

Coupled with a comprehensive range of compact and light lenses, the GH5 will satisfy the needs of many outdoor stills photographers, in a form factor where a backpack of kit won’t be too hernia-inducing!

RATINGS Handling Performance Specification Value

95% 96% 95% 90%

Overall

95%

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092_093_OPHO_223.indd 92

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For Panasonic accessories visit wex.co.uk

8/23/17 3:42 PM

visit wex.co.uk 01603 208768

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092_093_OPHO_223.indd 93

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up

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Cyber-Shot HX90V £339

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Coolpix P900 £479 Coolpix A900 £329 Coolpix B500 £239

16 mp 5x zoom

18.2 mp 30x zoom 1080p

IXUS 185 HS ............................£99 IXUS 285 HS ............................£159 PowerShot SX60 HS ..............£379 PowerShot SX730 HS ............£349 PowerShot G1 X MK II ...........£448

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Landscape | Wildlife | Nature | Adventure

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Everything is interchangeable at any time. It has never been so easy to combine photography and filming.

94 94 Outdoor Photography October 2017

OPHO_223.indd 94

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HOLIDAYS, COURSES & TUITION

River, loch & sea: Long exposures course on the Isle of Skye November 26 - 30, 2017

Quality tuition designed to match your individual level of experience Black & White waterfall workshop Yorkshire Dales December 9 & 10, 2017 *Introductory courses for beginners new to landscape photography

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Ta Take T kK , the step f F ilatest Uke M ynext ae n m a r up , I nindyour i a , photography, Z a m b i a , Sy rcontact i L a n kus a ,for n l a ntour d , Fdates: rance, Madagascar, Uganda

07913 4 15 7 01 ww w. naturalwondersphotography. y co.uk 415 701 www. naturalwondersphotography.co.uk e.hello@naturalwondersphotography.co.uk e.hello@naturalwondersphotography. y co.uk tt.. 07913

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HOLIDAYS, COURSES & TUITION To advertise on these pages, please contact the Photography team on 01273 402841 or advertising@thegmcgroup.com

"Just to say many, many thanks for last week; it was one of the best workshops I have participated in. The weather helped but more-so it was the approach you took in getting us out there to the right places at the right time, being flexible and the willingness to share your expertise and experience" Paul Dowgill - Skye, March 2017

WORKSHOP SELECTION 2017/18 Please see website for more details

NOVEMBER 2017

Shropshire · 3rd - 5th · 2 nights £475 inc DBB (1 Place) Northumberland · 13th - 16th · £545 inc DBB (1 Place) Snowdonia · 21st - 24th · £675 inc DBB (2 Places, Max 4) DECEMBER 2017

Isle of Skye · 7th - 12th · £895 inc DBB (1 Place) FEBRUARY 2018

Iceland Aurora · 16th - 23rd · £2,450 inc Flights, DBB (1 Place) MARCH 2018

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On the Knepp Wildlands Project With Sussex Wildlife Trust Photographer David Plummer

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Creative Landscape Photography Workshops

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Supported by Lee Filters and Wex Photographic

Take your photography to the next level

©Sarah Howard

©Sarah Howard

The Yorkshire Dales and Fountains Abbey October 15th - 18th

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Autumn Colours at Westonbirt October 23rd & 25th

©Sarah Howard

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For more information on all our workshops visit

100

www.imageseen.co.uk 07760 498 112

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103

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If you only do one thing this month…

Essence of travel In our July issue we asked you to submit inspiring images that capture the spirit of travel, and you certainly delivered. Here is our winner, who receives a MindShift Gear TrailScape 18L backpack, plus pictures by our nine runners-up

WINNER Jason Freeman Above This image shows Twin Otter passenger planes taxiing and taking off at the notorious Tenzing-Hillary airport in Lukla, which lies at 2,845m in the Nepal Himalaya.

Considered by some to be the most dangerous airport in the world, it is used by trekkers and climbers going to Everest Base Camp. Set in an amphitheatre of mountainous terrain, it is only accessible by short-take-off-and-landing aircraft, and the runway is sloped to help aircraft accelerate or stop.

Nikon D600 with Nikkor 16–35mm f/4 lens at 35mm, ISO 100, 1/500sec at f/4.8, handheld gowildimages.com

Adrian Squirrell Opposite (top) On a recent trip to Sulawesi, Indonesia, I stayed on an Island called Palau Bangka, at a marine biology research centre.

We took a boat trip around the island to see a mine that has the potential to do great ecological damage to the coral reefs (legal action by people trying to protect the island has momentarily paused work at the mine site). En route we saw children playing on the remains of an old pearl-fishing jetty.

Olympus OM-D E-M10 with Leica DG 100– 400mm lens at 132mm, ISO 200, 1/1000sec at f/7.1, handheld

Richard Blake Opposite (below) I saw this girl on a river on the outskirts of Hôi An in Vietnam.

The shape of her hat coupled with the bow of the boat instantly appealed to me.

But most of all it is a shot that, for me, is quintessentially Vietnam: mysterious, serene and intense.

Nikon D610 with Nikon 24–120mm lens at 120mm, ISO 200, 1/80sec at f/4.5 500px.com/richpblake

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Mike Cotton I took this image last winter while living in Tignes in the French Alps.

The day I took this photograph was bitterly cold and it had recently snowed. As much as I wanted to ski the fresh powder, I knew there was a chance that ski tourers would be heading out into the Tignes backcountry and that this hut would be a nice focal point for a shot.

Olympus OM-D E-M5 with Olympus 40â&#x20AC;&#x201C;150mm f/4â&#x20AC;&#x201C;5.6 R lens at 123mm, ISO 100, 1/250sec at f/11 nomadsontheroad.com

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Vivienne Davies Above There are many different aspects of Turkey’s Cappadocia region to enjoy as a photographer, and this view of Ortahisar seems to bring many of them together: the amazing rock formations (formed from the volcanic ash of Mount Erciyes), the mix of architectural styles and the wonderful light. This was taken from a restaurant balcony one evening, and I rested my camera on the balcony rail as an impromptu tripod.

Olympus OM-D E-M10 with Olympus 14–42mm f/3.5–5.6 EZ lens at 35mm, ISO 200, 1.3sec at f/7.3

David Skinner Opposite (top) After some snowfall in March, I walked out of the city of Granada, in Andalucía, Spain, to view the Alhambra palace and fortress from the opposite side of the valley. It was early morning and the light was soft and slightly warm.

Canon EOS 6D with Canon 24–105mm f/4 lens at 58mm, ISO 100, 0.3sec at f/13, tripod revdavephotography.myportfolio.com

Robin Couchman Opposite (bottom) This photograph was taken from a rocky ledge overlooking Lake Bled in Slovenia and had involved a long climb up a very icy track in the dark. When the sun finally came up we were rewarded with this beautiful view of the lake, with the island and castle appearing through the mist.

Canon EOS 5D MkIII with EF 24–105mm f/4 L lens at 65mm, ISO 200, 1/200sec at f/11, tripod

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William Dore Right I waited in the car at Tunnel View in Yosemite National Park, USA, in the hope that the persistent rain would ease. It briefly did and some of the clouds shrouding the valley lifted, allowing me to quickly capture this view. The rainfall then became torrential and I retreated to the car.

Nikon D810 with Tamron 24–70mm f/2.8 lens at 42mm, ISO 900, 1/80sec at f/11, handheld, three shots stitched together in Lightroom CC wmdore.com Nick Seymour Below (left) This image shows a dramatic storm forming over the city of Shenzhen in Guangdong Province in south-east China.

Canon EOS 5D MkII with 17–40mm lens at 40mm, ISO 50, 2.5sec at f/14 instagram.com/nseymourphoto Tony Butler Below (right) To access Chitwan National Park in Nepal, you have to take a boat ride in a dugout canoe across a river. As we approached the shore another boat appeared through the early morning mist.

Nikon D600 with Sigma 50–500mm f/4.5–6.3 lens at 95mm, ISO 500, 1/1250sec at f/6.3, handheld

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Your next challenge ENTER ONLINE NOW! Lakes and rivers Lakes, river, lochs and streams form an alluring part of the landscapes around us, and they can offer much to the outdoor photographer. You can choose to include their snaking courses as leading lines into the frame or capture abstract reflections in the water surface – or explore the many other photo opportunities they provide.

Producing strong images of these water features requires a good understanding of the techniques involved and creative imagination to visualise how the scenes can look in the final photograph. Make sure you have a thorough read of Lizzie Shepherd’s insightful guide to all you need to know to shoot lakes and rivers, and then send us your best images for a chance to be published in our February issue.

To submit your images, head to outdoorphotographymagazine. co.uk/submissions. Closing date for entries is 8 November 2017.

See page 64 for more details and terms and conditions.

Enter and you could win a Goal Zero Nomad 7 Plus Solar Panel, worth £100!

The winner of our Lakes and rivers competition will not only see their image published in the February 2018 issue of OP, but will also receive a superb Goal Zero Nomad 7 Plus Solar Panel charger. With next generation monocrystalline solar cells and clever re-connecting circuitry, the Nomad 7 Plus can perform in low light and variable conditions.

You can even stick it on to the back of your pack with the minicarabineers to power up your USB devices while on the move.

Find out more at goalzero.com

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COMPETITION

© Shutterstock.com

Where in the world?

If you can identify this snowcapped volcano, you could win a pair of Aku Montera Low GTX shoes, worth £125!

Where is it?

This stunning volcano has erupted more than 50 times over the last few centuries. But is it:

a) Cotopaxi, Ecuador b) Mount Asama, Japan c) Klyuchevskaya Sopka, Russia The answer and the winner’s name will be revealed in OP226 (on sale 14 December 2017). You can enter online at outdoorphotographymagazine.co. uk/c/win, using ‘Volcano223’ as the code, or send your answer to opcomp@thegmcgroup.com, stating ‘Volcano223’ as the subject. Alternatively, drop it in the post to: Where in the world – ‘Volcano223’, OP, 86 High Street, Lewes, East Sussex, BN7 1XN.

THIS MONTH’S GREAT PRIZE Aku Montera Low GTX

WORTH £125!

This month we’ve teamed up with Aku to offer you the chance of winning a pair of Montera Low GTX shoes, worth £125! Made for light hikes and coastal walks, the shoe’s tread has been inspired by mountain bike tyres and gives great traction on a variety of terrain. The outsole’s asymmetric construction has Aku ELICA technology for even weight distribution, and the elasticated collar provides a snug fit around the ankle for extra comfort while pacing it up the trail.

AUGUST ISSUE WINNER In our August issue, we asked you to name the crater lake in the image below.

The correct answer is: c) Lagoa das Sete Cidades, Azores

Shutterstock.com

ENTER ONLINE NOW!

Find out more at aku.it/en

Nikolay Yordanov from Newbury is the winner of the Snugpak Generation 2 Kitmonster 70L bag – congratulations!

Deadline for entry is midnight on 8 November 2017.

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8/23/17 3:45 PM