Photography Blog

Shooting in the field, editing and printing

Some of the ideas held here have been superseded or revised. If you would like up-to-date thoughts on photography – both shooting and editing and my thoughts about the art, please consider subscribing to my mailing list at the foot of this page.

AI: How will it Impact Photography?

June 24, 2023

There is a lot of chatter in the photography community about how AI will change the industry. And in the Midjourney beta, you can already see that graphic designers and digital artists of the future will need good verbal prompting as part of their skills repertoire. The future of photography is less certain, but photographers are concerned about the negative impacts of AI on their craft. However, I am not worried. AI is bound to alter the way many people shoot

Is it Better to be an Amateur Photographer?

April 12, 2023

In the 90s Boris Johnson famously wrote two articles. In one, he argued for Britain’s leaving the European Union; in the other, he outlined reasons for remaining in political union. The anti-Brexit article went unpublished and barely two decades later, Johnson became the figurehead for the leave campaign. Although Johnson claims the pro-EU article was satirical—a mere foil to develop his thinking—at one point Johnson seemed undecided on the matter that defines his political career. I often find myself torn on

LPOTY 2022

October 31, 2022

I am very pleased to announce that my image of Glastonbury Tor, Storm and Fire, has been highly commended in the UK Landscape Photographer of the Year awards. This was my first time entering the competition, and I am really pleased to be recognised by the judges. Some of the people who most inspire me have placed in this competition in the past or are otherwise involved in the judging or—indeed—founded LPOTY. Tuesday last week, I attended the awards evening, and

Using ‘Texture’ and ‘Dehaze’ to Edit in Lightroom

September 6, 2022

I have written before about my love of soft, indirect light. This preference has only grown in the past eighteen months. There are a few reasons I prefer soft light. They are all practical: (1) while direct sunlight largely determines a composition for us, flatter light allows one to bring mood and story to an image during the editing process; (2) cloudy, overcast days give more time to explore and shoot; and (3) you get to keep more sociable hours. Don’t

The Permissible and the Prohibited: Image Manipulation in Landscape Photography

August 30, 2022

Not long after first taking up a camera, you will discover the rules of photography—someone will feel duty-bound to tell you. We don’t need an exhaustive list here, but look for the verb in the imperative form: “always fill the frame,” “remember the rule of thirds,” and “look for odd numbers.” These are all common edicts. However, no matter how firmly stated, rarely are these directions essential to creating a pleasing photo. Once you’ve mastered your camera settings, put away the

Printing at Home

April 28, 2022

This weekend, I had a couple of things on my to-do list: eBay some old tech and frame some recent images. eBay was a necessary evil, but I was looking forward to printing my work. I had the romantic vision of a slow Sunday proofing and perfecting my images, cup of tea in hand. However, in the end, my expectations were reversed. Listing items on eBay wasn’t as clunky as I remember it, but printing and framing were slow and frustrating.