Looking beyond the obvious an article in Outdoor Photography magazine

Published in this months Outdoor Photography magazine www.facebook.com/outdoorphotographymag this is a copy of the letter I wrote about familiar locations.

I have lost count at the number of times I have you opened a photography magazine only to find the same images of familiar UK locations? Every part of Britain seems to have one; an iconic landmark which is so often photographed that it has become the defining feature of an area. The lone tree on Ranock Moor in Argyle(sadly now no longer standing), the Old man of Storr on Skye, Burnham Lighthouse in Somerset, Eileen Donan Castle in the Western Highlands, Thurne Mill in Norfolk and the much photographed boat landing stage on Derwent water in Cumbria. All are amazing places and fully deserve their iconic status for the quality of photographs that they have inspired, but as artists should we not look beyond the obvious and try to seek out the detail in a landscape instead of being encouraged to replicate already successful images?

As a photographer on the Suffolk Coast I have many beautiful local landmarks available for me to photograph. Several have become magnets for image makers and have almost come to define this stretch of coastline. If you have never been here before you may well be forgiven for thinking that the best the Suffolk coast has to offer is a pier at Southwold, interspersed with rows of colourful beach huts, a giant scallop shell adorning the beach at Aldeburgh and an amazingly fanciful "house in the clouds" at Thorpness.

These features are so well photographed that they have become instantly recognizable landmarks on the Suffolk Coast. I am not denying their attraction to a photographer. When the sun rises in front of Southwold pier it is hard to image a more perfect image and one I have been guilty of trying to replicate many times in the past. It is right that these places should inspire us but they should also lead us to search for something different. After all it is not the landmark that makes a great photograph, but the skill of the photographer. With this in mind maybe we should choose compositions which are more representative of an area as a whole instead of heading straight for the well known landmarks. They may not initially seem as striking but then surely that is the challenge?

There have been many times that I have visited an unfamiliar area with preconceived ideas for the type of images that I would like to take there. These have generally been formulated from photographs seen in magazines, books and tourist information literature. Often my destinations for a photographic outing are chosen based on familiar iconic images. However I have found there is a fine line between inspiration and replication and going to an area with fixed ideas can be creative suicide.

In my work I have found that iconic images tend to lead to inspirational and beautiful areas of the British countryside, but once there I have found from a creative point of view it is much healthier to ignore the obvious and look around for something more subtle.

It has often surprised me how many different images can be created from within a very small area, even when at first the potential may not seem obvious. I believe the skill is really in seeing the landscape in every detail; looking into its soul if you like to get the best from it, much as you would if you were taking a portrait. The deeper you delve, the more you discover what a particular landscape is all about, and it is this understanding that goes a long way to creating a compelling image.

Now, when I am planning a trip to an unfamiliar area I look at the images that already exist together with OS maps and then I spend my time researching the environments and habitats that I am likely to encounter when I get there. Understanding the topography, the flora and fauna and land use give me a much better idea of what to expect when I arrive.

My work as a photographer on the Suffolk Coast has led me to document a small area of estuary shoreline in an attempt to uncover the true character of the place. Over two years I have put together a collection of photographs which create a fascinating insight into a beautiful stretch of coastline. There are no iconic images, even though several exist locally, and few man made structures but I hope my images go some way to conveying the beauty of the Suffolk Coastline in a more in depth way than is usually portrayed by shots of Southwold Pier or the Aldeburgh Scallop shell.

For my part I believe that there are enough amazing places to photograph in the UK to fill magazines and books for years to come without continually replicating the same landmarks. It would be wonderful to see something different from now on so that we can truly begin to appreciate what a diverse and visually rich country we live in.

Words on images - adding extra impact

We are all familiar with the old addage "a picture is worth a thousand words" which refers to the notion that a single image can convey a complex idea. Whilst it is true that a photographic image is a very powerful medium sometimes adding a little extra in the form of words can help create a greater impact. This technique is used all the time in marketing campaigns, but it is also something worth considering as a photographer especially if you are trying to add that extra punch or meaning to your images.

In May's edition of Outdoor Photography magazine Niall Benvie http://niallbenvie.photoshelter.com/ wrote a really interesting article about the subject. "Too many images, he believes, are being lost in the crowd, not because of any aesthetic or technical shortcommings but because they lack context". This is a problem Niall says can be overcome by adding a few words to a photograph and getting the image to speak to its audience.

This is a process which can easily be undertaken in Photoshop or Indesign, but it is worth paying careful attention to your choice of words and the font type, size and location - all of which are fundamental in getting your message across.


My winning entry in the Outdoor Photography words on pictures competition


This image was taken on Christmas day on the shores of Loch Reraig in Wester Ross. It was fairly early in the morning and the loch shore was deserted. I took the shot hoping to convey the peace and tranquility of this beauiful place. When it came to adding the words I used indesign and Palatino Linotype font to express the connection I felt with the outdoors at that moment in time. I hope this creates an image with just a little more impact.

Here are some other examples of my images with added words