A CHANGE OF PRIORITIES

“Life is what happens to you while you are busy making other plans.”

The keener eyed among you may have noticed that I haven’t written a blog since way back in February. No self-enforced sabbatical here, but rather a crossroads that changed our lives forever.

Cath was diagnosed with breast cancer in March and, as I’m sure you can imagine, we were stunned beyond belief. There had been no signs of any illness prior to the diagnosis, but in hindsight Cath knew that something wasn’t quite right. The team at our local breast care clinic were brilliant from the off. They reassured us that the cancer had been caught early and was curable, but that a mastectomy was needed due to the number of tumours. They gave us confidence that a plan was in place for Cath and that the outcome would be successful. Following 10 hours of surgery in May, the long, long road to recovery started.

Rewinding slightly, 2024 was going to be a great year for us. We’d got two foreign holidays booked, a family wedding to look forward to, and we’d planned to go new car hunting. Picture a huge “pause” button and me pressing it!

(In one quick aside, the holiday company I’d booked with were most sympathetic when I called to cancel, but politely informed me that they wouldn’t fully compensate me. I lost a lot of money, but sensibly I’ve always had holiday insurance and recovered some of it. I’ve recently booked two breaks for 2025 but the company I’ve previously used will no longer have my custom.)

Cath’s recovery from surgery took several months and when I look back now at how frail she was when she first came home to where she is a couple of weeks before Christmas, I’m staggered at both her resilience and tenacity. Of course, it’s not just the physical aspect of the surgery that needs to heal. Cath knew that what came next would be another, different, challenge. We met with the oncologist at Velindre Cancer Care Centre in July to discuss chemo and radiotherapy. This was Cath’s biggest fear and had caused us quite few sleepless nights. Happily we’ve come through all that and Cath was told she was cancer free in October. We’re both very positive people and even during the worst days kept going but this year has profoundly changed our priorities. There’s still a way to go with Cath’s treatment but it’s all preventative from this point on and that’s less of a burden to carry with you every day.

I had to put my photography business on hold while we got Cath well again. I cancelled all my tuition workshops and turned down a number of commissions, but was lucky enough to find time to fulfil print orders. If I’m honest, dealing with business enquiries became a real chore during this time. I got to the point where I decided to close the business in the new year. It wasn’t a difficult decision - my work simply wasn’t a priority anymore and my heart had gone out of it. I decided to tell Cath once her treatment had finished because I didn’t want it to be a distraction. When the time was right I told Cath my plan and she was heartbroken. She told me she simply couldn’t imagine me not doing something I’d loved for so many years and asked me to reconsider. For clarity, this wasn’t in any way a financial issue. This was Cath telling me that I needed to rediscover the joy of being outdoors and making images (subtext being “and not being under my feet every day” ). Of course she was right, and while I was mulling things over I received a number of workshop bookings for 2025. I’d forgotten to close the 2025 calendar as I hadn’t thought that far ahead to be honest, but perhaps that was a happy accident. I’ve also had a couple of friends drag me out with the camera recently, all of which has helped enormously with deciding to keep the business going.

So, with renewed energy, I’ve spent some time revamping my website, increased the range of tuition workshops for next year, and slimmed down my online galleries and print shop. You never know, I might also get that calendar printed next year…..

While this all sounds dangerously like making plans (as per John Lennon’s quote above) it feels good to be back doing something positive, now I have a little more free time with Cath getting stronger with each passing month. It feels good to start looking ahead again albeit fairly cautiously at the moment, but the motivation’s finally back which feels even better. One of my biggest challenges will be getting fit again - a year spent in hospital waiting rooms rather than on hillsides has taken its toll and so I’ve moved the scales out of bathroom for now……

We feel blessed though to be ending the year on a positive, and are so grateful for all the support and love from our families and friends, and I can’t end this blog without thanking all of the wonderful people in the NHS who have saved Cath’s life. God bless every single one of ‘em.

And finally, I want to wish you all a happy, safe, and peaceful Christmas. Enjoy every minute of it. I know we will !!

ART FOR ART’S SAKE….

Happy St. Valentine’s day to you all ! Valentine may be the patron saint of lovers but did you know he’s also the patron saint of epileptics and beekeepers?

On that note, I’ll get to the point of this month’s blog.

I’m currently working on a commission for one of South Wales’ Tourist Boards. The theme is night skies and the effect of light pollution and, given that it’s currently Dark Skies week here in Wales, you’d expect the weather to play ball. Not a bit of it! My brief is to capture images that show how wonderful the night sky is in dark sky areas and then capture a comparison of an urban nightscape where light pollution shields the stars from view (more on that later). I’ve got another month or so to complete the project so I’m keeping everything crossed for clear nights in the coming weeks.

The gig doesn’t pay much and I have to cover my own travel expenses, but I’m grateful for the opportunity and I’m hoping that some wider exposure via the Tourist Board’s media coverage will be good for my business’ profile, leading to more work. However, it got me thinking about how much a photographer’s work is actually worth. I’ve said before in my blogs that I consider landscape photography to be art, even though a fair proportion of it (in my case at least) generates some income. It may be a wholly subjective question but what price art? Yes, it’s a buyers market but I often wonder if I’m underpricing my images, especially when I look at price ranges of other photographers whose works are on a similar level to mine. Their outgoings such as fuel, printer consumables, and paper etc must be on a par with mine, yet their prices are four or five times mine in some cases and I often wonder how many they actually sell. I’m the first to admit, though, that I suffer slightly from imposter syndrome, often thinking that a customer may not like their purchase once it arrives with them. So I’m not thinking of increasing my prices anytime soon and feel lucky every time a new sale arrives. Many of you may think that getting paid for doing something you love is a privilege and I wouldn’t disagree but earlier this week I spent six hours capturing night sky images in freezing conditions and started to question my choice of occupation. I could of course take up wedding photography but it really doesn’t appeal, I prefer the solitude and beauty that landscape photography never fails to provide. Besides which, one of my greatest friends has it nailed in my opinion. Les McGrath is an extremely popular wedding photographer in the Wirral and Merseyside area so if you’re planning a celebration, function or family gathering check out Les’ website here :

http://www.platinum-photography.co.uk

Now if I was more savvy business man, I’d expect a commission from Les for all that publicity !! We’ve been friends since we were five years old so I know how that’s going to work out……….

So the commission got off to a good (if cold) start and I’ve researched the next two locations already. Although I complain about poor weather it’s on dull days that I scout locations out in order to ensure no problems when I actually arrive to take photographs. I’m planning to capture the urban light-polluted image around the time of the full moon, especially as it’s a viewpoint in the middle of a large expense of woodland so I’ll have some decent light to guide me. Not sure who needs to be more afraid - me or the local wildlife?

That brings me to the second point of this blog - the dreaded light pollution. Not many people realise just how bad the problem is, not just here in the UK but worldwide, and to many it really doesn’t matter. It’s not just us astrophotographers that suffer from the problem though and it may help to clarify exactly what light pollution is.

The International Dark Sky Association classifies light pollution in four categories:

• Glare – excessive brightness that causes visual discomfort, LED street lights are often a good example of this.

• Skyglow – a brightening of the sky over inhabited areas, most of us are familiar with this and it is the reason it is so hard to see the stars in a city

• Light trespass – light falling where it is not intended, this tends to be a consequence of poorly designed or installed lighting.

• Clutter – Bright, confusing and excessive groupings of light sources – a feature of built up areas and city centres

Sky quality is often quoted on the Bortle scale which ranges from 1 to 8. A sky quality of 1 is very rare and wonderfully dark, it can even show shadows cast from the Milky Way ! Class 2 is also very good indeed, such truly dark skies are rarely seen in the UK. Here’s a map of Bannau Brycheiniog (formerly Brecon Beacons) National Park showing the extent of light pollution, remembering that this a largely rural area of Wales.

No explanation needed. Humans are creating an environmental problem that may have far reaching impacts for everyone.

There is now clear evidence demonstrating beyond reasonable doubt that excess natural light can have devastating consequences on wildlife. Insects in particular are very sensitive to light and evolved to be active at night to avoid predators. Their whole life cycle can be governed by it – the way they forage for food, attract mates and their whole circadian rhythm. Stray light, particularly in the blue parts of the spectrum, can seriously disrupt their lives and is claimed by many to be a huge contributor to the catastrophic decline in insect numbers currently being witnessed in the British countryside. Insects of course are a major pollinator of wild and crop plants and trees and they are a very important source of food themselves for birds and mammals. Damaging the bottom of the food chain undermines the whole ecosystem above it…...

However, it doesn’t end there. Studies are increasingly showing the effects on humans including the stray street lighting that can come into bedrooms at night. Even relatively small amounts of light have been shown to disrupt the production of the sleep hormone melatonin, this in turn can have consequences for the rest of the endocrine and immune system and circadian rhythms.

This happens in humans because light stimulates serotonin, which gets the body ready for activity. If the cycle of these hormones is disturbed it can lead to disruptions in the timing of dopamine and cortisol production until the whole body is out of synchronisation. Humans have evolved to be awake during the day and sleep at night with as little light as possible, whilst many nocturnal creatures are the opposite and we disturb that balance at our peril. Possible long term effects can be disturbed sleep, obesity, heart disease, cancer and diabetes. Increasingly, light pollution is being recognised as an avoidable hazard for the environment and human health that has simply been overlooked. I accept that there may be safety and/or security reasons for night time lighting but it can be done in a responsible and sensible way that doesn’t contribute to the problem. There’s lots of guidance available online.

So come on people, switch your lights off ! Sermon over….

As I look out the window there’s so much low cloud in the valley that it’s hard to tell where the rain ends and the land starts. Prospects for the coming week don’t look much better either ! The clock’s ticking, but there’s plenty of time left to complete the project, so no need for panic just yet (honestly). I’d like to be finished just after the next new moon so that I can spend a few days at the Photography and Video Show at the NEC from March 16-19 where I’ll meet lots of like-minded photographers all moaning about commission fees and the imminent threat of starvation for us poor old landscapers……

At any rate it would be great to have it all parcelled up and delivered to the client for Easter, which is incredibly early this year, giving me less time to photograph lambs and daffodils (preferably in the same frame). Now they sell really well!

Not all doom and (light polluted) gloom then !

MOON AND JUPITER ABOVE TINTERN ABBEY.
SUFFERING FOR MY ART ON A FREEZING WINTER NIGHT.

NEW YEAR, NEW PLANS

May I start this month’s blog by wishing a belated happy new year to all my wonderful customers and to the good folks who take the time to read my ramblings.

We’re all full of good intentions as we start another journey around the sun, but how determined are we to see those good intentions through to a successful outcome? I know, …..me too.

In the coming year I’ve got a number of exciting projects to look forward to, with visits to Scotland, North Wales, Cornwall and Wiltshire coming up. I still continue the charade that it’s work but I’m not really kidding anyone am I? I’m also planning to change my car this year. My beloved Audi is starting to look as tired as me, so despite being the workhorse that has taken me on countless photographic journeys these last few years, it’s time for a change. So, lots to look forward to, despite the plans for a new Les Paul dropping down the list (again).

I’ve also got other plans in place that don’t involve a camera. Perhaps a little background is worth sharing.

As I get older I’ve found, more and more, that I love to learn. This definitely wasn’t the case at school where I managed to scrape through my exams despite having no interest at all. I’d spend half the day gazing out of the window, wishing to be outside. I should apologise to all those long-suffering teachers who I must have frustrated the hell out of. I owe them all a huge debt because, notwithstanding me being as receptive as a crystal radio, some of their teaching stuck. I’ve always been an avid reader so maybe those long suffering teachers gave me a love of educational books, because a brief review of the last few I’ve read include “The Lost Rainforests of Britain”, and “Iron Age Hillforts of Wales”. (Both highly recommended by the way). I also spend (far too much) time researching subjects on the internet.

So I’ve now embarked on a new learning project for 2024. I’m working towards gaining accreditation as an Ambassador for Bannau Brycheiniog (formerly Brecon Beacons) National Park. As some of you know, it’s a part of the world I spend a lot of time in, and somewhere I’m really close to, both physically and spiritually. The aim of being an Ambassador is to promote the national park’s culture, heritage, landscapes and habitats. This dovetails nicely with my photography work, particularly the social media aspect, and can be put to use when meeting visitors to the area when I’m out and about.

Having spent over 10 years walking and photographing the park I believed I had a good knowledge of the area which I could put to good use in the role. How little I actually knew! Although the range of subjects covered in the modules isn’t huge, the detail in each one is really extensive and there are 91 online modules to complete, with a test on completion of each one in order to gain Ambassador accreditation. The last time I did computer based training (CBT) was in a previous life when I had a “proper job” !! Thankfully the course is in English as well as Welsh, because despite my best efforts I’m still struggling to become fluent in the Welsh language. In contrast, I’m really pleased with my progress with the course so far but the modules have been a real eye opener, particularly in terms of the area’s cultural and industrial heritage.

I’ve always had a fascination with history and had a favourite uncle who taught the subject at high school level. I loved spending time talking to him about a wide range of historical topics and was always amazed at his memory when it came to dates, names and places. Soaking up all of this information is a real challenge and I have to keep reminding myself that all of the fascinating subjects I’m learning about are confined to this one specific part of South Wales, an area of just over 500 square miles (1300 sq km). But because of it’s unique topographical and geographical character, the park has seen a huge sequence of events dating back to pre-history in the Neolithic that give it claim to being a unique part of Wales. So much to learn!

There is, though, a responsibility that naturally comes with being an Ambassador for the area. And that’s the case across all regions involved. The Ambassador scheme began in North East Wales back in 2013. It’s now a national programme funded by Welsh Government Rural Communities project and has close links to Wales Tourism and there are currently 10 different Ambassador courses. Two of Wales’ three National Parks are included (Eryri being the other one alongside Bannau Brycheiniog) as well as a number of small more local areas. I’m hoping Pembrokeshire Coast National Park comes online soon as it’s another area that’s close to my heart. Here’s the resource link if you’re interested in taking part : https://www.ambassador.wales

The aim of all this learning is to gain and share knowledge and hopefully get people to love the Beacons as much as I do. It’s a unique, atmospheric, ancient kingdom and I love every minute spent there, even when the horizontal rain finds its way through your waterproofs!

So I’ll continue learning and working towards my accreditation which with a little luck will be very soon. But it won’t end there because I’ll start the Eryri Ambassador course fairly soon after.

I must be a glutton for punishment. Will I never learn?

CENTRAL BANNAU BRYCHEINIOG - WHAT’S NOT TO LOVE?

I FOUND A RAINFOREST AND LOST A DAY

After a man of the match performance by Autumn this year, when I spent days capturing the changing season, you’d think I’d be tired of more time in woodland. Not a bit of it.

My love of woodland goes back to my childhood (yes, I can remember that far back !) when we spent every waking hour exploring local woods; climbing trees, falling out of trees, making dens and rope-swings, and occasionally straying into another “gang’s” territory. We were so lucky to have this great green playground on our doorstep and, in the main, to ourselves. It provided frogspawn in the Spring, conkers in the Autumn, and deadfall for making fires when playing cowboys and indians at any time of year.

Simpler times maybe, but they invested me with a lifelong love of being immersed in a woodland environment. Of course, nothing lasts forever and I well remember the day we discovered that a school was being built to serve our estate and the woods would be torn up. I thought about them every day I attended that school until moving on to high school and teenage years. A time for moving on in all senses, leaving much behind.

So now I find myself in the fortunate position of being able to spend lots of time exploring the woodland valleys of my new home in South Wales. I still have that sense of wonder and after 10 years here I’m still finding new places to visit. Which brings me nicely to the story of this month’s blog.

As Autumn ended I paid a first visit to a remote woodland in a steep-sided valley hoping to find compositions for Winter. Woodland can look pretty spectacular in the right conditions at this time of year, when bare branches finally get their chance to be the star of the show. After a couple of productive hours and a well earned coffee break I decided to move to the far end of the tree line and grab a view down the valley. Halfway there I noticed a holloway leading to what looked like a darker area so, on instinct or by pure luck, I followed the sunken path. Before long the character of the woodland began to change and I half held my breath as I had a feeling I knew what lay ahead and I’m so pleased to say I was right!

As the track became more and more boulder-strewn and there was an increase in mosses, I knew I was about to chance on a small isolated remnant of rainforest. Now I know what you’re thinking so I’ll take a little time to explain.

Britain has remains of what is known as temperate rainforest. This gives a clear distinction from tropical rainforest but it’s as ecologically important. (Incidentally, the term rainforest was coined in the 1990s as an alternative to “jungle”, which had imperialist connotations). Temperate rainforests are defined as woodland where it’s wet and mild enough for plants to grow on other plants and is in fact rarer than tropical rainforest, covering just 1% of the earth’s surface.. They are so rare in the UK that until around 10 years ago no-one had mapped them but it’s fairly safe to say that their distribution is now mainly on Britain and Ireland’s western Atlantic coasts, hence the term Atlantic temperate rainforest.

Between the end of the last Ice Age, around 12000 years ago, and the start of the Neolithic period (circa 6000 years ago) Britain was almost completely covered in virgin woodland. That huge expanse of endless forestry, now commonly referred to as “the Wildwood” was untouched by human activity but that didn’t last long. Imagine what that must have looked like!

So what happened to “the Wildwood” and it’s large element of temperate rainforests? Sad to say, we destroyed them. A transition from Stone Age hunter gatherers to an agricultural society saw wholesale clearance of Britain’s woodland. Since the Ice Age, humans have removed one third of the world’s tree population, half of which has happened in the last 100 years ! Woodland now covers a mere 13% of Britain and less than 1% of that is temperate rainforest, which mainly survived because of its location on steep hillsides. Temperate rainforest is mainly populated with oak, though not the kind of mighty trees that went to build Henry VIII’s navy. Rather this is sessile oak which is both stunted and twisted but is equally beautiful due to its age and difference. These characteristics most likely saved them from the axe, at least until recently when there have been increased clearances for commercially gown timber.

So now these ancient oases are few, fragmented and small. And I’d found one !! Over thousands of years their population has changed to include holly, rowan, hazel and ash. Some have been found to include birch and hawthorn in remoter upland areas. They are a haven for mosses and lichens as well as rare fungi and are home to a wide range of mammals. They are also a store for large amounts of carbon so their environmental benefit shouldn’t be underestimated. But the romantic in me values them for all of these and other reasons. For me they are the stuff of legends, of Welsh Wizards, of Druids and of Faeries. They come from a time when Magic still held sway in the world and elves and goblins made the forest a place to be feared at night. Ancient bards refer to “the Wildwood” in numerous writings and Tolkien reveres them in The Lord of the Rings. They are in our collective DNA from a million generations and time spent amongst them revives our senses. We have a duty to protect them.

The remaining fragments of temperate rainforest are as much under pressure today as they have been at any time in the last 10,000 years. But people have begun waking up to their importance and legacy. Given the opportunity to regenerate they could spread over time so there’s still a chance to save them. But there has to be a will both politically and environmentally at local and governmental level and that’s a fight that has to be fought each and every day. One of the largest landowners of areas that contain fragments of rainforest is the Duchy of Lancaster but, despite claiming environmental credentials and a love of preserving the past, campaigners have been unable to secure a commitment in writing from His Majesty that will ensure the future of these precious fragments.

Time for an apology. What was meant to be a brief background explanation turned into me sharing my hopes and fears ! I could have written chapters on this subject but I’ll spare you any further downloading (for now at least….).

Finding this gem of an oasis so unexpectedly has been a real gift, one that I hope remains exactly as it is for future generations to visit and appreciate. I obviously won’t tell you where it is, but it’s in a remote location that involves a long, steep walk and it’s invariably raining and cold there which may dissuade the casual observer from paying a visit. Lovely !! It’s so full of character and there was an air of mystery about the place as I stood there imaging the scenes on a freezing misty morning. I couldn’t help thinking of the many feet that had walked these ancients paths and the stories that occurred under the canopy. Had it been home to our ancestors in the distant past?

So instead of having a brief look around, I ended up spending a day there and losing brownie points for leaving chores undone back at home. I spent a long time treading carefully over the boulders and ferns, astonished by the mosses, worts and lichens. The camera stayed in the bag for while until I found a tree with so much character and had to photograph it. The image gives no clues to its location but captures how stunning this small “woodland within a woodland” is. I hope to be able to go back and visit this special place many times before my days are done. I’ll never share it’s location, not for selfish reasons, but because it’s not mine to share.

Despite the horror story of woodland devastation, the future isn’t totally bleak. There are lots of people who are working hard to preserve and expand this precious resource and gains are slowly being made. Reading Guy Shrubsole’s wonderful book “The Lost Rainforests of Britain” was a Damascene moment for me, and I know many more who feel the same. I can’t recommend it highly enough. Guy is at the forefront of campaigns to preserve the remnants and has a way of getting your buy-in without tub thumbing and he makes a compelling case for his and others’ work. It’s something dear to my heart and while I’ll never be an activist I find other ways to support such an important cause.

I’ll be spending lots of time in my new favourite wood over the Winter and can’t wait to see how it changes as Spring approaches. I know how lucky I am to find this tiny remnant so I’m guessing I’ll be losing many more days in the coming months.

“THE MEDUSA”

THE GIFT THAT HAS KEPT ON GIVING

I’m just back from a day in the Forest of Dean, one of many I’ve spent there over the last six weeks. What keeps drawing me back are the Autumn colours that have put on such a dazzling show this year.

This Autumn has been by the far the best I can recall in over thirty years of landscape photography. I first noticed bracken beginning to change colour right back at the beginning of October, and here we are in the dying embers of November with canopies and understoreys still ablaze with oranges, reds and yellows. I’m always fascinated by the varied rates of change in different species of trees. This year the beeches began to turn first, followed by birch and alder. This varied rate of change gives us the tremendous range of colours starting with yellow and orange through to deep golden hues. When the oaks and hazels joined in the tapestry was completed.

By any standard last year’s Autumn was a huge disappointment, arriving late and lasting just a couple of weeks. This year, though, has more than compensated at least in my part of the world. A wet summer, followed by a very warm September and October may be contributing factors but, whatever the reasons, our most beautiful season continues to delight. After three storms in quick succession I’m amazed that there are any leaves on the trees at all ! I’m guessing the next storm will finish things for this year. In the meantime, there’s a lot to be grateful for and I’ll be making the most of it (weather permitting).

I mentioned that my part of the world still looks fantastic and judging by social media it would appear to be a similar tale in the southern half of the UK. I’ve been lucky enough to spend a lot of time photographing many of the forests in the South Wales valleys in recent weeks and they’re just starting to come to the end of the season but the added bonus here is that the leaf fall adds an extra dimension to both the forest floor and to the banks of waterfalls and mountain streams. I’m banking on another few weeks of images containing leaf litter !

Across the border into Gloucestershire, the colours in the Forest of Dean look to be less further on, hence the reason I’ve been spending so much time there. We just need another couple of weeks of calm weather and a sprinkling of sunshine to get maximum benefit from this late Autumn bonus. That said, I wouldn’t be disappointed with some misty conditions as well.

I’ve written previously of the benefits of the information I get from locals whenever I’m out photographing popular woodlands. Folks are so helpful in pointing me at a better view or brighter colours and I’m always grateful. My usual approach is to get to a woodland around sunrise so that I can get most benefit from early light but can also work in isolation before the first dog walkers arrive. Woodlands soon get busy on fine days, so some scenes are impossible to shoot but I’m more than happy to share these beautiful places. Most people will stop for a chat as they’re keen to see what I’ve been capturing, and this will generally lead to a “you need to go and photograph such and such” conversation. And that’s exactly what I’ve been doing this past week - exploring sections of woodland I’ve not visited before, storing up information for future projects. Some locations will look great in mist, others with a dusting of snow. They all get sorted away for next time or next year.

Surprisingly, I haven’t encountered one other photographer in any of the locations mentioned. I generally keep away from the “honeypot” locations at any time of year and I like to explore off the main woodland paths so there may be a reasonable explanation for this. I’m not complaining though as I’ve seen images of three or four popular spots posted hundreds of times recently. They must be barging each other out of the way at times !

So I’ll be out and about in perfect isolation most of the next week or so if the forecast good weather arrives. That said, I’ve had a few soakings lately so the rain isn’t always a showstopper. I’m hoping that I still have some time left to capture my favourite season, so forgive me if the social media Autumnal overload continues for a while.

I have a very good excuse though. After all, this Autumn has been the gift that has kept on giving….

JUST WATCHING THE WORLD GO BY…..

BUSMAN’S HOLIDAY

AN IDIOT ABROAD

Apologies but it’s just a short blog this month.

I’m a little pushed for time with a few business loose ends to tie up and it’s just a few days until we jet off for our summer holiday. After the weather we’ve had in the UK this year we’re really looking forward to time in the sun ! It’s been a busy year so we’re both ready for a break and this time we’ve chosen somewhere completely different. We resisted the temptation to return to one of our favourite destinations - we love Menorca and Zante and plan to go back soon. But we both felt somewhere new would be great.

I’m not too particular about when or where we go to be honest, as long as the flight isn’t too long and somewhere local serves a decent pint of Guinness ! Not a lot to ask I reckon. That said, this year’s request was different. I asked if we could go to a resort with a south facing coastline and that we visited around the middle of the month. Sounds bizarre but I have good reason…..

I really wanted to do some night time photography in a European dark sky location and our holiday destination meets both those criteria. I reckon Cath’s really come up trumps ! We arrive four days after the new moon and are virtually guaranteed to get clear skies. As we’re at a more southerly latitude, the Milky Way core rises around 21:00 and stays high for a good few hours, so there’s no need for really late photography nights ( fewer brownie points lost! ) and there are dark skies right on our doorstep. My only challenge appears to be how much and what camera gear to pack. I’m not going to risk taking a star tracker (in case my luggage goes missing) and I’m fairly sure laser alignment pointers are illegal there, so that narrows down which lens and camera combination to choose. Naturally, I’ll also be doing sunrise and sunset shoots as well so I’m planning on one camera and two lenses plus usual paraphernalia. I can fit all that in my cabin bag so no issue there. So that’s the first week taken care of……

So where are we headed to?

Our destination is the Istrian Riviera. No wiser? Ok, I don’t blame you. The Istrian Riviera is on the Adriatic coast of Croatia and is one of the most historic areas of the country. We flew over the Croatian coastline a while ago and it looked fantastic, with myriad islands and miles of golden beaches, so we decided we’d visit one day. Croatia was an important Roman province and Emperor Diocletian came from this region (then known as Dalmatia). There’s an almost complete amphitheatre in Pula which is close to where we’re staying so that’s a must visit. Lots of sightseeing to do as well then.

I mentioned earlier that it’s been a busy year so some of you may be wondering why I’m not having a complete break from photography while I’m away. If I’m honest I try to balance holiday photography with winding down and spending time relaxing around the pool. To be fair, Cath’s happy with a book and a cocktail by the pool so she probably won’t notice if I disappear for an hour or two ! So the photography isn’t a chore and I could spend more time doing it but I wouldn’t take advantage or push my luck. Besides, the bar is open from 11:00 and who doesn’t love a cold beer at lunchtime? So toting the camera bag around definitely isn’t a busman’s holiday for me and I’ll hopefully have lots of images to share when we get back.

So until next month, stay safe and I hope you have good weather wherever you are in the world. I’m hoping Autumn will be in full swing when I get back to the UK so there’s lots to look forward to.

So that’s me off to pack my suitcase. Now where’s my mankini?…….

BUSY DOING NOTHING……

THE MYTHOLOGY OF A PRO PHOTOGRAPHER’S LIFE

Random encounters with members of the public when I’m out and about are often the inspiration for my blogs and this month is no exception.

I wish I had a pound/euro/dollar ( please insert relevant currency here) for every time someone has said to me “Oh I bet you’re out with your camera every day.” Nothing could be further from the truth. but there’s a reasonably understandable misconception that professional photographers only ever take photographs. In reality I only manage between two or three days at most with the camera each week, mainly due to family and business commitments but also due to the blessed British weather.

Perhaps it would help if I explained what a typical week looks like in my personal bubble. I’m a very organised person by nature and I take a meticulous approach to planning anything to do with my photography and you’ll see why if I break my week down.

MONDAY is mail day. Print orders are taken to the post office and get shipped around the world. Oh how the folks behind the counter must look forward to me turning up every week armed with cardboard tubes meant for destinations far and wide. There’s always a few grumbles further down the queue as well ! The follow up to the physical shipping is recording details on the website with the tracking reference letting customers know their much-valued purchase is on the way. On the subject of shipping, costs have increased sharply in the past year. An international tracked and signed for parcel now costs $20 to send to the USA, up from $15 a year ago.

The afternoon is spent online researching new photography locations and I always see this as a really good use of my time. The hours spent doing this make a huge difference when I actually get to a location. O.S. maps online and Google Earth Pro are such a valuable resource here but online forums and Facebook groups are also excellent particularly from a seasonal change point of view.

TUESDAY is scouting day. The time invested yesterday is so important because I have a clear plan of where to visit and how long I’m likely to be on the road. The aim is to squeeze in three or four different sites and the benefit of actually being there is irreplaceable. Issues such as parking, accessibility and walking distances can only be verified by being there. One of the key things to verify is line of sight i.e. will the sunrise be blocked by a hillside or has the vegetation grown to an extent that it ruins sunset views. Additionally if I’m scouting a location for night photography I need to be sure I’m not going to be falling off a cliff when I return in the dark ! A good look around the car park helps as well - if the litter bins are overflowing and there’s discarded booze bottles and other “recreational paraphernalia” scattered around then it may not be somewhere I want to visit alone at night. This is also very important if I’m considering adding a location to my list of 1:1 photography workshops.

If I can find two or three definite locations then it’s been a very good day but I’ve had lots where they’ve all been unsuitable. Conversely, I’ve often stayed at a location for a sunset shoot if it’s really good and the weather’s playing ball, especially if it’s more than an hour’s drive from home.

WEDNESDAY is a shooting day. Time to reap the rewards of the scouting trips. It may be a coastal sunrise/sunset shoot or a day exploring a newly discovered woodland but these are the days I love most and the one’s I always imagined when my mind wandered during a long ago business meeting or conference call.

I rarely come away with “keeper” portfolio images but if I can get one a month then I’m happy. The value of these days, though, is twofold for me. I get to spend time outdoors and can literally switch the brain off for a few hours, enjoy the solitude, get some much needed exercise and invariably meet some like-minded people. But the other benefit is logging a location that would suit certain weather conditions e.g. a section of woodland that would be perfect on a misty morning or a section of hills that would look perfect following snowfall.

A day out with the camera is day added to your life in my opinion !

THURSDAY is admin day. Not my favourite day but essential nonetheless as this is where the money is made and there’s a lot to do on these days. I usually spend the morning processing print orders. I have some lovely, highly-valued, returning customers who place regular orders with me and their importance to my small business is huge. I guess there are only so many images you can purchase from one photographer but repeat orders are the lifeblood of any business.

As well as carrying out housekeeping on the website, I also spend time answering email enquiries, booking in tuition workshops and arranging client meetings. I prefer a face to face meeting especially if it’s with a pub or hotel who are considering a deal to sell my images. I like to see the venue and get a feel for the setting, especially if it’s a commission arrangement, as I’ll be replacing my work regularly if sales are decent. But I understand if that doesn’t work for everyone - zoom works best for busy people.

Another important aspect of admin is replenishing stock such as packaging, photographic paper and inks (don’t get me started on the cost of ink. Daylight robbery !!). I won’t compromise on the quality of products I use so ensuring I’ve got the right stock is important.

FRIDAY is my second shooting day of the week. Highly valued after admin day ! Have you noticed how much happier people are on Fridays? People actually smile and say hello, some even stopping for a chat ( giving me an opportunity to share my business card….).

As before, I head out with no expectation of capturing a Nobel prize winning composition but you never know. I tend to stay a little closer to home on Fridays which could have something to do with making sure I can pick up a few beers and some takeaway food on the way home. Well it is Friday after all !

Saturday is my day off. After photography and music, my other passions are sport and cooking. So whether it’s football, rugby or cricket, watching live sport is a must for me and that means on TV after a busy week. It also gives me chance to get Saturday’s evening meal ready and we alternate each week with either Chinese or Indian food. Can’t beat it.

Sunday is printing and packaging day. I take great pride in the service I give to customers and that starts with printing images on the best quality paper and ensuring they’re carefully prepared for packing.

Prints are wrapped in archival paper then placed in acid-free poly sleeves with a thank you note before being rolled up into strong cardboard tubes and sealed ready for the onward journey. Printing address labels is done one at a time so I don’t make the rookie error off sending the wrong print to the wrong customer. It hasn’t happened to me yet so fingers crossed it never does !

Printing and packaging can sometimes take all day but it’s something I get great pleasure from and it never feels like a chore. Seeing my work ready to be shipped also feels like a good end to the week.

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So that’s a quick look at a typical week. Obviously some of the days are interchangeable and this is more of a snapshot than a comprehensive list. I haven’t included things like running tuition workshops as they don’t happen every week, and I didn’t cover night shoots as they mean I have to rearrange the following day but I hope the insight is helpful.

There are a lot of moving parts to running a small photography business and many of them don’t involve a camera, but if I’m completely honest I’m really not sure I’d want to be out with the camera every day. “Groundhog Day” comes to mind.

But next time you get into a conversation with a professional landscape photographer ( well, one of the less grumpy ones) you won’t need to ask them what they do all week.

It’s good to have a plan - even if it looks a little chaotic…..

(ANTI)SOCIAL MEDIA

GOOD, BAD OR DOWNRIGHT UGLY?…….

Rather than being a place where people discuss world news, social media platforms have found themselves becoming the news following events of the last couple of weeks. The “BBC Presenter” furore and spurious attempts to name the person involved led to numerous (predictably) false allegations on Twitter in particular. Prior to that the launch of Mark Zuckerberg’s new platform “Threads” has created headlines all over the world.

Both issues highlight social media’s positive and negative sides. So is Social Media good or bad for society and individuals?

Looking at the bad first, the “BBC Presenter” issue and the febrile atmosphere around naming names without any supporting evidence must have had a huge impact on a number of innocent parties and their families. I’ve never subscribed to the “no smoke without fire” approach and can’t understand the joy some people get from doing it. No-one should have to deal with what happened last weekend where several well known BBC employees had to take the unusual step of publicly denying any involvement in the scandal. Mud tends to stick though and some careers will have been tarnished by association. Those who posted lies could find themselves on the wrong end of a lawsuit as a result.

Everyone has, and is entitled to, an opinion though and clearly some need no invitation to share theirs but it should always be done respectfully and if offence is accidentally caused then an apology should sort the problem out. Entering and prolonging an online spat is just plain nonsense. But the keyboard warriors who hide anonymously behind their fake profiles feel empowered to push the boundaries of decent behaviour. I’ve always followed the principle of never posting anything I wouldn’t say in person, and I feel that goes for all of my contacts on various platforms. In all honesty I’m likely to get thumped by some of my childhood friends if I upset them !! So the disrespect and “entitlement” is a real issue and it feels as though too many people get away with posting racist or misogynistic filth. As Cat Stevens said “Hope you make a lot of nice friends out there
But just remember there's a lot of bad and beware”

On the good side, the launch of Meta’s latest platform has caused something of a stir. A sister platform to Instagram, “Threads” launched last week and 10 million people (myself included) signed up on the first day. By the end of the week that number had risen to 100 million ! Zuckerberg’s empire of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp already had a combined user base of about 3.6 billion users! This means that on average half the world uses at least one of these apps! I was a late adopter of social media, only joining as recently as four years ago but quickly saw that Threads was another platform for me to showcase my work, especially as it’s not constrained by Twitter’s ridiculous image crop algorithm. I’m hoping that my images reach a new audience and that they like what I share. Zuckerberg’s timing looks perfect as Twitter appears to have been self-destructing in recent months. Limited tweets, the removal of no-fee account protection, and problems with posting have all caused huge disenchantment with Elon Musk’s newly acquired baby. I’m not convinced Threads is a Twitter killer but it’s a great alternative. For me, the huge sign up and migration shows that people want a platform where they can safely discuss subjects without fear of an avalanche of abuse. Let’s be honest, despite tech giants promising to regulate abuse there’s still far too much of it on Twitter. I’m sure the trolls will eventually migrate to Threads but for now it seems a pretty nice place!

So yes you need a thick skin on social media sometimes but remember - what goes on your socials stays on your socials. There’s been quite few careers ruined by historic posts and it’s common practice for prospective employers to browse applicants’ socials prior to selection. As I’ve said, I have self-imposed rules the stand me in good stead and go back to before my retirement when the principle was a simple as to never send the boss a snotty e-mail when you’ve had too many sherries !

As a photographer trying to promote my business I see more positives than negatives. The positives for me are great feedback for my images from lots of lovely folks and being able to stay in touch with lifelong friends. Priceless. As for the negatives,I don’t read the trash anymore now than when I bought a daily newspaper, so I’m not exposed to a lot of the bad stuff. I occasionally get pointless negative comments on some of my posts but I don’t engage (however much I’m tempted…..).

So however we view it, social media is a part of our everyday lives and we should never underestimate its power, whether good, bad or downright ugly !

“A.I. CAPTAIN”

RISE OF THE MACHINES

I’ve just returned from the Wales and West Photography Show where, besides all the shiny new kit you’d expect to see, the main topic of conversation among those people I spoke to was one that’s causing a right old kerfuffle in the world of photography.

Artificial Intelligence applications have recently been added into the major image processing software suite and it’s fair to say that’s its not universally popular. A.I. in this iteration allows users to completely remove items, add items that weren’t orginally there and even change images that were taken in daylight into night scenes. All at the click of a button or two.

“Fraud,” “deception” and “cheating” are just a few of the emotive words I’ve seen used on various forums (and no, they weren’t discussing the former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom…..), though to be fair, image manipulation has been around for some time. Long before Photoshop was even thought of, Ansel Adams, the great American landscape photographer, produced some of his finest work in the 1920s and 30s through altering light and shade in images via many long hours in his darkroom. He made no secret of the fact and encouraged others to do likewise. People complained about authenticity and he was shunned by a number of fellow professionals but he won out. His methods became accepted by the majority and soon became the norm.

After World War 2 the huge rise in popularity of consumer cameras saw many enthusiasts create their own darkrooms, usually in attics or even in under stairs cupboards! The ability to alter contrast and exposure was seen as a huge breakthrough. People were able to manipulate images at home for the first time ! Fast forward to the digital age and the introduction in 1990 of Adobe’s Photoshop which became the go to editing software for professionals and amateurs alike. We’ve all heard the phrase “its been Photoshopped” to describe something that looks fake. The truth is Photoshop, like all image editing software, is simply one part of the image creating process.

All of these advances and innovations caused a stir and splits in the photographic community at various times despite them clearly being just another addition to the photographer’s toolbox. A.I. feels different though, possibly because it’s such a quantum leap. Or is it because of the fear of sentient machines?…….

Artificial intelligence is a machine’s ability to perform the cognitive functions we usually associate with human minds.

I remember watching Will Smith in “I, Robot”in the early 2000s with fascination. Learning that the original concept came from Isaac Asimov in the 1950s is even more fascinating! For those that haven’t seen the film, it deals with a potential threat to humanity from increasingly intelligent mass-produced robots. Science Fiction then perhaps, but now? One of the drawbacks of being in the car at mad o’clock for early or late photography trips is the stuff you get to listen to on the radio (with all due respect to the very talented Yvonne Mattocks who’s excellent Radio Warrington show doesn’t quite make it to South Wales). I recently heard a discussion on A.I. where the highly qualified professor being interviewed actually said “experts” (whoever they might be. We never found out) are extremely concerned about A.I.’s ability to learn and that it will pose an existential threat to mankind in the next two years. He gave no detail on who these experts might be so I’m guessing it was a tabloid moment. Think about it for a second though. If remotely true, we should be hearing something at governmental. or probably global level, about plans to limit use of certain A.I. applications. Like nuclear weapons, deadly viruses and vuvuzelas, these things can have devastating effects in the wrong hands. Now I’m not suggesting for one second that A.I. applications in image editing software is a threat to humanity but I’m trying to show the broader picture (pun intended).

A.I. learns on the hoof, so to speak, and could quickly outthink humans if allowed free reign. Geoffrey Hinton, the “godfather of A.I.” recently expressed major concerns that his invention could pose as great a threat to humanity as pandemics and nuclear weapons proliferation. Although AI can perform life-saving tasks, such as algorithms analysing medical images like X-rays, scans and ultrasounds, its fast-growing capabilities and increasingly widespread use have raised concerns. Fake images used to create tensions between super powers are becoming common. The big fear, though, is that as machines become more and more intelligent and more powerful, the day might come where the capacity vastly exceeds that of humans and humans lose the ability to stay in control. Mitigating the risk from A.I. will surely become a global priority if these doomsday scenarios are not to become reality.

Phew. That got heavy quickly!! Back on your head Tim…..

So where do I stand on the issue of A.I. aiding image editing? To be honest I’m not getting my undegarments in a tangle just yet. It has its uses and I’ve tried a Beta version of Photoshop that can change the colour of clothes, place wildebeest into the vastness of the Brecon Beacons, and add rainbows to a scene. It’s a very powerful tool and I found it great fun to use but it’s not for me I’m afraid. The real pleasure for me is creating the image in camera and hopefully capturing a moment I’ll recall many years later. When reviewing archive images I can remember every single occasion and it almost like being transported back there. A.I. couldn’t give me that. Never say never though because if it can fix some of my duff images I’ve rejected over the years then I might take another look.

I can understand the consternation though and there will always be people who will use manipulated images as their own work but they need to be honest with their audience before trying to pass it as authentic. “Integrity” appears to be a buzzword in British politics at present, but it certainly applies here even if it doesn’t in Westminster. I’m all for advances in technology and I’m looking forward to watered down versions making their way into everyday image processing.

So until A.I. can cook me a banging chicken Madras or make me look good in selfies, I’ll say thanks but no thanks. But who knows, this time next year Rodney a bot could be writing these blogs (see, told you there was an upside…….).

PLEASE SIR, CAN MAY LAST FOREVER SIR?

It’s not a big ask, in my humble opinion. If someone could just have a word with the big man upstairs (preferably someone who’s on better terms than I……..)

You see, the month of May is everything a landscape photographer could wish for. Sunrise isn’t ridiculously early (no, that’s July and August), days are longer, warmer and sunnier, the forests are greening up in spectacular fashion, and the woodland floor is literally bursting with colour and new life. April is merely the opening act for Spring’s headliner - May in all it’s glory.

Winter seemed to hang on forever here in the UK. April began with cold grey days and rain, lots of rain, which is not ideal for those of us who just want to be outdoors. On days when I ventured out, there were very few signs of Spring’s arrival although the birds were busy nest building ( our nest boxes remain unoccupied for a second year in a row, despite several viewings from the locals), and the snowdrops put on a great display but it was bitterly cold with a north easterly wind dominating for a couple of weeks. The early lambs must have been freezing their little fleeces off! Still, it made for a predictable conversation at the supermarket checkout. Patience needed…..

May came galloping over the hill just when we needed it most, and it was definitely worth the wait. I’ve spent the last fortnight photographing the gradual transition from wood sorrel and bluebells to ramsons and what a display it’s been. Social media has been saturated with images of Spring woodland and this year’s showing in South Wales has been spectacular. I’ve also visited several sites in the Forest of Dean and it never disappoints. The bluebells are past their peak now and the ramsons are in full bloom, filling the woodland with that unmistakeable garlic scent that I love so much. I’ve spent this morning in a beech woodland less than five miles from Cardiff and despite the occasional sound of traffic on the A470 it was the perfect time to capture Spring at its best. Of course timing is important in these instances but it gives me an excuse to regularly return to favourite spots so it’s hardly a chore ! When I look at the paths lined in blue and white it’s hard now to imagine the drab, colourless landscape I moaned about a couple of blogs ago. It’s almost worth all the midge bites…….

I’ve also previously written about the threats our woodlands increasingly face. Successive administrations at both local and national level have enabled developers to buy up parcels of land adjacent to ancient woodland and despite objections planning permission always seems to be granted. I read recently that a local planning authority not far from where I live had raised no issues with a riverside development citing no possibility of wildlife impact or reqirement for special National Resource Wales Licence. Rather predictably, there are otter holts within 30 metres of a proposed bridge which raises so many questions about who carried out the survey (if indeed one took place) and why this was overlooked. Objections have piled in. Changes to legislation involving development of green spaces could be another step too far so, as I’ve droned on about (and will continue to), make the most of our precious green spaces while you still can.

May has one more trick up its sleeve for us photographers as its the last month with proper astrological dark until the end of Summer. So despite the night skies only being truly dark for two or three hours this month it’s the last opportunity to properly capture the newly returned galactic cores for some time. By the end of the month sunrise will be at 05:00 with astrological twilight beginning two hours earlier which makes a four hour round trip difficult to justify, so there’s a need to pick and choose locations carefully. There’s still plenty to see in what remains of May however. The International Space Station transits southern skies on May 19th at around 22:30 and there’s a new moon on the 20th so get out and have couple of hours stargazing if the skies are clear.

So May definitely gets douze points from me and I wish it could last forever. Folks simply smile a lot more when they’re out walking in beautiful woodland surroundings and even squirrel-chasing dogs are a little more bouncy than normal. If the good weather holds we may be in for a spectacular few weeks and although I’ll be sorry when bluebell and ramson season ends at least we get to see it every year, so long may it continue. The clock’s ticking by the way so don’t miss out on this special time of year.

Many hours spent doing something I love is a privilege I never take for granted. Creating images is the icing on the cake and I’m pleased I’ve captured some keepers this year but it’s ok if I don’t because I can have another go next year (God willing). The seasons seem to fly by though and it will soon be time for the June blooms of foxglove, cowslips and evening primrose. Blink and you’ll miss ‘em. But for me they can’t compare with the riches of May and the promise it brings.

So if someone can arrange for May to hang around forever I’d be very happy ! In the words of Morrissey:

So please, please, please
Let me, let me, let me
Let me get what I want
This time……

Finally, despite all this time in the woods I haven’t seen one vicar…….. (with a nod to Mr Anthony Poole, the best teacher ever).

NARROWING THE ODDS

As far as the weather’s concerned it’s been a pretty eventful month here in the UK. Freezing temperatures, a tremendous Northern Lights display, and then a proper dump of snow to signal Winter’s last hurrah have made landscape photography quite challenging to say the least! It’s been difficult to know what the next day’s weather will bring and has been very frustrating at times.

As a landscape photographer I’m often asked how I plan for the weather. Am I just lucky or do I try to ensure the odds are in my favour? I’ve spoken previously about the amount of planning that goes into getting a half decent landscape image and weather forecasts are an integral part of the preparation. A 200 mile round trip is fairly common for me and in these days of increased fuel costs I need to carefully consider the chances of getting an image I’m happy with. It’s impossible to get the right weather conditions all of the time but narrowing the odds in my favour is so important. So how do I go about it?

I plan my trips weeks in advance based on where the sun is going to rise or set and choosing a location that suits the composition I have in mind. The same applies to astrophography. I know a long way ahead where and when the Milky Way will rise and how the moon’s cycle will influence the night sky. All of these things can be factored into the plan to the nth degree but none of it counts if the weather doesn’t play ball. To quantify the challenge, no weather forecast is 100% accurate. It is simply what it says - it’s a forecast, and although there is more science behind meteorology than ever before, there’s no money-back guarantee. So in the last few days before a shoot I spend more and more time checking the forecasts, watching the forecasts and listening to the forecasts. Over the years I’ve come to trust some more than others, mainly based on getting soaked to the skin when factor 30 sunscreen was recommended…… Short of simply throwing the curtains back and looking outside, I need to be as certain as possible what the day will bring. So which apps or organisations do I use and which have proved to be the best? This is only a sample and there are lots of other apps available that other folks swear by.

From around a week out I’ll look at the Met Office website (https://www.metoffice.gov.uk) for general conditions and Clear Outside ( https://clearoutside.com ) for a more in-depth view. Both of these are pretty reliable in terms of trend, despite the Met Office always erring on the cautious side. I don’t have complete confidence in either of these but they are a decent starting point for planning.

A couple of days before my trip I’ll start looking at an app called YR ( https://www.yr.no ). I have this as an app on my ‘phone so that I can access it when away from home for any length of time. Provided by the Norwegian Meteorological Institute, I have great confidence in YR to the point where I trust it more than the Met Office. I also start looking at a website called Windy ( https://www.windy.com ) which can give me far more information on cloud layers, fog, ice and also wave height. This a very in-depth set of data and takes a while to investigate but it’s very accurate.

On the day, I’ll also check Rain Today (available on IOS and Android) and Metcheck ( https://www.metcheck.com ) for the latest view. These are both extremely reliable but are only good for a short period ahead on the day in question.

Even with all of this helpful information to hand I’m never completely confident and many a time I’ve set off with all the weather signs in my favour only to turn back or get to the location and be disappointed. A recent failed astro shoot on the Gower coast was one of the reasons I chose this subject for the blog. Leaving home under clear skies as forecast looked promising but a 90 minute drive proved almost fruitless, and despite being pigheaded and suffering in a freezing wind for three hours, even the occasionally cloud breaks stopped me from getting the image I’d had in my minds eye for months. It’s hard to remain positive when this happens but as relative newbie to astrophotography I learned a few things (such as stay home you fool !!) that will help me next time I’m out. The other reason for this subject was, as mentioned earlier, the widely differing and changeable weather we’ve experienced through February into March.

We’re only a few days away from Spring as I write, so the prospect of longer, warmer days are just around the corner. With luck we’ll see a spell of settled weather with more photographer-friendly conditions. I’m not holding my breath though. I’m away in Cornwall next week hoping to take full advantage of the South West coast’s milder conditions but the forecasts are currently undecided. Should I take that as a positive sign?

I totally accept that weather forecasting can be hugely difficult. The recent Sudden Stratospheric Warming (SSW) and it’s subsequent effect on global weather systems exposed some of the shortcomings in weather forecasting. To add to the mix, a recent spate of Coronal Mass Ejections (CME) from the sun has complicated matters further. (SSWs and CMEs are both subjects that fascinate me, but may be a yawn-inducing step too far for the lovely readers of this blog !) So I don’t expect everything every time. Living in the UK for over 60 years has taught me that there’s a reason why we’re always discussing the weather.

All I want is something that will help me narrow the odds in my favour. I don’t think that’s too much to ask do you?

(Yes, I’m looking at you Michael Fish !!)

SNOWDROPS AND MOONBEAMS

(EVENTUALLY)

SCIENTIFIC FACT: The pull of a warm duvet on a freezing morning is stronger than the tractor-beam on an alien vessel in an episode of Star Trek.

I’ve spoken before about the challenge of Winter landscape photography, mainly from an aesthetic viewpoint. A general lack of colour in the landscape coupled with dull light isn’t always inspirational. Even during cold snaps like the recent one here in the UK it’s difficult to find original compositions, unless extreme cold gives us hoar frosts and icicles ! So the temptation to hit the snooze button is never greater. It pays though to be reactive to changing weather conditions and also take opportunities to document the changing seasons. I recently did just that, thinking I was getting ahead of the game for once. You’d think I’d know better by now…….

I plan my photography shoots thoroughly and things generally work out despite the odd curved ball thrown by the weather. On this particular day every app (including the Met Office) was forecasting dense fog in two of my favourite woodland locations, so I chose the one which was most photogenic but was unfortunately also the furthest away. An early start in perfect conditions reassured me that I’d made a sound choice and I looked forward to the 50 mile drive. My journey took me close to the alternative location where the fog seemed to be getting more dense (a good thing ! ). After crossing the border into England, I felt my luck was holding but the climb out of the Wye Valley became my downfall. As I reached the outskirts of the Forest of Dean it became clear ( in every sense!) that I’d made the wrong choice but I carried on to my destination just to be sure. It’s not often you hear a landscape photographer moan about clear skies but this one definitely did on this occasion. Instead of feeling sorry for myself (ok then, just a wee bit….) I had a coffee and headed back to the second location that I’d passed 30 miles earlier. Now, regular readers of my BLOG will know what happened next but for new folks, let’s just say it was an absolute washout !! The hour I’d lost getting to and from the first location meant the fog had been burned off by the Winter sun. I reflected later at home that a 100 mile round trip had been both a waste of time and a very expensive waste of fuel. Oh how I laughed……..

Still, all was not lost. Every cloud and all that, although in this case, it was the absence of clouds that were the silver lining. I’d planned to squeeze an astrophotography session in later that week as there was an opportunity to capture Orion inside the Winter Hexagon in South-facing night skies. I knew the perfect location and I’d got perfect weather conditions so decided to go that same night. Some food and a Nanny nap would be just the thing to put me in the right frame of mind for the session ahead. After the Milky Way, Orion is one of my favourite night sky subjects and capturing it keeps me interested in astrophotography during the Winter. It won’t be long before it leaves our skies until late Autumn so this may have been my last opportunity before Spring. A frost had formed on the car when I set out at ten o’clock that night but Venus and Jupiter were already putting on a show as I left home. Keep everything crossed for the next couple of hours!

Less than an hour later I crossed the escarpment overlooking my destination in thick cloud. It just wasn’t going to be my day, even though it was nearly the next day ! 150 miles, four and half hours driving, and not an image captured…….. I really do question my sanity at times like this.

The only thing left to do is go home, get some sleep and, most importantly, keep perspective. Because not every day/night is like this. The next session might turn out to pretty special…..

Two days later I’m out at 06:00 on my annual pilgrimage to a woodland that alway seems to produce the first crop of Snowdrops, harbingers of Spring. There’s just a slight frost when I arrive which will add some character to my images but it will melt when the Sun comes up so I’d best get a move on (a significant challenge at my age !) as I’ve got a 20 minute walk and need to get set up well before sunrise. I haven’t scouted the location since last year so there’s an element of doubt in my mind as to whether the Forestry Commission in their wisdom have ripped up this section of forest or perhaps it has fallen victim to the ever-increasing scourge of fly tippers. There’s a burnt out Volkwagon Golf still smouldering half a mile from the car park. Welcome to Beautiful Britain in 2023 folks! My hearts sinks. It’s only another half mile to where I’m headed but I needn’t have worried. As I turn off the footpath and round a corner my head torch picks out a little island of beautiful snowdrops, heads bobbing with dew. A smile spreads across my face and I give silent thanks. There’s 10 minutes until sunrise as I take my first test shot and after a few minor adjustments I’m ready to capture these beauties in all their glory ! I spend an hour making sure I’ve done the location justice, never seeing a soul, although a Springer Spaniel popped his head around the corner, decided I didn’t look like I wanted to play, and went off in search of his owner. (There’s an important point to note here. If you find a middle-aged man kneeling as if at prayer or even flat on their belly in the middle of the forest, don’t always assume you’re about to enter a crime scene or have stumbled on a medical emergency. A simple “Good Morning” should be enough to establish that the fool in front of you is A) alive and B) well, although in my case further investigation may be required!! ) I’m really pleased with my images. A simple, uncomplicated shoot where everything comes together feels like a reward after earlier failures.

Buoyed by the morning’s success I decide to make the most of the cold, clear weather and arrange a night session to capture the Winter night sky. Back to Wye Valley that evening and the wind has picked up a fair bit making an already cold night even colder. I’m at Tintern Abbey to capture the setting Moon with Jupter in conjunction and straight out of the car there are compositions everywhere. It’s a fantastic location that I’ve wanted to photograph at night for some time. The Abbey is lit up in red, possibly for the Six Nations Rugby, and although I’d have preferred more subdued lighting it doesn’t really detract from the scene. Once the Moon sets, the dark skies in this area show off the constellations really clearly and there’s Orion sitting in the South just above the Abbey ruins. It doesn’t take me long to set up a new compostion and I’m ready for the rest of the night’s images, a fantastic couple of hours capturing this breath-taking scene. By 02:00 I’ve got everything I need but I’m reluctant to leave despite being cold and hungry because there aren’t many nights like these where you get all of your images and can then spend time picking out different constellations and nebulae. Jupiter is long set but Mars still gives off it’s orange glow and Plaiedes is really bright in the Western sky. Even my old eyes have no problem finding billions of stars in these conditions. Tired but happy I drive home reflecting on the different outcomes of the past few days. I guess the failures make the successes feel even better and I’m certainly grateful for the latter. Can’t wait to see the images on the computer !

But first, there’s a warm duvet that’s got my name on it when I get home ……….

SNOWDROP SUNRISE

TINTERN MOON

Got G.A.S. ?

DON’T BLAME IT ON OVERINDULGENCE AT CHRISTMAS !

Happy New Year folks ! I hope you all had a happy and peaceful Christmas.

Speaking of which, at Christmas I was the lucky recipient of Alyn Wallace’s epic work “Photographing The Night Sky.” Check it out here: https://alynwallacephotography.com/shop/photographing-night-sky-astrophotography-book At well over 500 pages, it’s the product of four years work and is currently flying off the shelves, due mainly to Alyn being one of the world’s leading astro-landscape photographers. Based on his incredible depth of knowledge and also using his engineering background, Alyn’s book covers everything you would ever need to know about this fascinating photographic genre. Be aware though, it weighs a ton and at almost 10 inches square it won’t be making it’s way into my backpack anytime soon !

As well as being full of images of shiny stars, planets and nebulae, the book is also full of shiny gear such as astro modified cameras, wide aperture lenses and equatorial mounts (star trackers to you and me). In that aspect, it’s not only educational but also aspirational. You’ll want a lot of the featured gear if you’re serious about astro photography. But it’s not just photographers who drool over new kit. Everyone has G.A.S (gear acquisition syndrome). It’s common amongst all hobbyists, semi-professionals and seasoned pros in any walk of life (especially people who do The Walk Of Life…….) Let’s be honest, we all like shiny new toys, but do they really improve our output or make our lives better?

People appear to be in constant pursuit of the latest iteration of kit, the iPhone being a perfect example. In terms of camera gear, I wish I had a pound for every time someone’s asked me which camera they should buy ! In reality there’s no way to answer that question. It all depends on the buyer’s budget, what they plan to use the camera for (sports, wildlife, or landscapes) and whether they’re just planning to use it on holiday or intend to put it to more serious use. I try and advise of course, but I never recommend a specific make or model. You can start with an entry level DSLR at around £400 and produce excellent images. But people are attracted to the kit used by vloggers on YouTube with, in some cases, the latest profession mirrorless cameras costing around six thousand pounds ! They’re called influencers for a reason……

I often point people to the second-hand market (or pre-loved as it’s sometimes called nowadays) where there are real bargains to be had. Camera gear is usually well looked after and in many cases very lightly used after the owner got bored or simply gave up. Many reputable and trusted online dealers buy and sell used gear and often give a six or twelve month warranty. It’s a fairly inexpensive and hazard-free way to get into the gear market and is a great way to upgrade your own kit. If anyone would like more details on this, drop me a line and I can recommend folks I trust.

The common sense approach is to learn with the kit you’ve currently got. Get to know all the modes, menus and programmes in your camera so that you’re able to fully adapt to and make the most of differing situations. Switch out of automatic mode and exploit the range of features available to you. Learn how your camera performs in low light and what the best settings are for those conditions. Similarly, discover how your camera performs in high contrast situations such as sunrise or sunset. How does your lens perform in these scenarios? If you progress sufficiently and feel you’ve extracted the maximum from your current equipment, or you’re moving into a type of photography that your kit is struggling with, then that’s the time to think about investing in better (and obviously more expensive) kit. But don’t get fooled into thinking that better gear makes better photographers though. It doesn’t, believe me.

I feel a bit of a fraud advising against buying gear (see my kit list here: https://www.timscanlanphotography.com/our-story ) but I’ve seen lots of photographers spend big bucks on kit and then leave it gathering dust after a few months. I believe this is true of most hobbies - gumtree and eBay wouldn’t exist otherwise! In my experience golfers are the worst for this, always looking for that new club that hits the ball straighter and further and ditching anything that does otherwise. I know ‘cos I’ve been there ! I’ve accumulated my camera gear over many years and while some of it may look a bit bashed up I’m happy as long as it works. I stand by the idiom “Tools not Jewels” !

So with all that kit I definitely don’t have photography G.A.S. this year……..

I’ve got a shiny new guitar to save up for…..

TOOLS NOT JEWELS……….

A CHRISTMAS SPECIAL !

As Christmas approaches thoughts turn to giving and receiving gifts and a million wish lists are written and re-written.

My personal choice (surprisingly) is always photography related. I only do that to make it easy for loved ones to buy for me…..

However, a recent article in Outdoor Photography got me thinking (I know, but this is a Christmas tale after all…) about how much I value my photography gear. To clarify, I take great care of my kit and always keep it clean and well maintained, and I’m amazed at the high level of technology tucked away inside the titanium shell, but it’s really just another set of tools that enable me to do my job. The latest Sony camera would definitely be at the top of my Christmas present list, but would I cherish it any more than my present DSLRs? Definitely not.

People (especially men) crave all sorts of techie stuff at this time of year - the latest iPhone, a swanky watch, even a new motor (“Hey Dave have you seen the new Mitsurari 4000 with heated rear hub caps and five speed ashtrays?”) but I must admit they leave me cold. I’ve been lucky enough to drive some of the best German cars over the years but they were really just something to get me to meetings all over the country in relative comfort.

No, my objects of desire are crafted by luthiers, originally in Kalamazoo but now in Nashville USA since the ‘80s. I’m talking of course about Gibson guitars and more specifically about their Les Paul and SG models. I’ve owned a couple over the years but regretfully sold them on during several house moves. One particular seventies model is now way out of my price range so I really do wish I’d kept it. But I’ve got my eye on a shiny new one - it’s a thing of beauty, handcrafted to the highest standard and it delivers the legendary tone every guitarist loves. I spend half my life looking at photography kit online and the other three quarters (did I mention I was rubbish at maths?) looking longingly at Nashville’s latest output. Some time in 2023 one will be mine (remember the scene in the guitar store in Wayne’s World? ).

And that’s the paradox.

To many working professional guitarists these objects of my desire are simply the tools of their trade. Lord knows there’s enough beaten up Les Pauls on the second hand market to prove that. Pete Townshend is famous for smashing his onstage! And he’s not alone in this act of sacrilege! But mine would be cherished, kept in its case and having pride of place in my office, only emerging into the light of day to be strummed and picked, with the odd power chord thrown in, before being cleaned and then safely tucked away again. I’m not exclusive in this approach either. I have a friend and former colleague who owns a very expensive acoustic guitar ( a real beauty by the way) that quite rightly never leaves the house. Instead, he gigs with a beautiful Tama guitar that’s over 40 years old. Now that’s how you look after a guitar ! As a footnote Richard and his band frequently gig around the Chester area in North West England and also around North Wales. Support live music and get along to one in the new year. Details here: https://www.facebook.com/TheRichardGJonesTrio

So please Santa, bring me lots of photography related Christmas gifts by all means. But what I really want for Christmas (and beyond) needs plugging into a Marshall amp turned up to 11 ! Marshall amps - now there’s another whole new area of desire for this ageing musician.

Without doubt a musical instrument is, for me, a thing of beauty. Their mahogany and maple, lacquer and wire should be appreciated and cared for. They take days to make by hand and despite modern production techniques are still the result of loving craftsmanship. Cameras on the other hand are mass produced machines constructed on a production line.

I love ‘em both, but clearly one more than the other……...

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I’d like to finish this month’s blog by thanking everyone who’s supported my small business during the year. Your help is invaluable so a big thank you everyone who has purchased prints or attended workshops.

I also want to mention the lovely folks who take time to read my blogs and give me feedback. Thank you.

A very Merry, Healthy and Peaceful Christmas to all my friends and clients.

Best wishes for 2023.

Sweet Child O' Mine

SHARING THE LOVE

All major credit cards accepted…….

Retirement is a fabulous thing. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. There are no downsides. None. At. All.

I had a number of ambitions still left to achieve when choosing to call an end to my career. Starting my own business was near the top of my list. Turning a hobby into a job doesn’t always work out well, but my love for photography goes back almost as far as my 40 years in telecommunications. Like many things when you have a young family, photography took a back seat for a few years but has been very much my sole use of spare time for the last ten years. Being honest, setting up the business wasn’t the biggest gamble ever as it was never going to be my main source of income, so I had a financial buffer zone that gave me a huge amount of freedom. I was in a position to put as much or as little as needed into the venture.

One of the many luxuries that come with retirement is time, that most precious of commodities. Like many people, I wish I’d had as much free time 20 years ago ! Nevertheless, I now had an opportunity to use my time on a new challenge, one that would get me out of the house, getting regular exercise and keeping me far more occupied than I could ever have imagined. There are a number of strands within the business that need regular attention such as the online presence through this website, promotion through social media, web-based print stock agencies, and my own print sales either through this site or other outlets. The other major strand, and the one that probably gives me most pleasure is 1:1 client tuition. It’s not the busiest part of what I do but it takes the most time and I find it the most rewarding.

So why would someone book a 1:1 landscape photography workshop?

I offer a range 1:1 client workshops via my website, with options for choice of duration, location and subject, depending on what the client is looking for. A key element to making the tuition a success is having a clear picture (pardon the pun) on what exactly the client wants to achieve. This can vary enormously from wanting to learn the basics of how to use a digital camera to more advanced subjects such as long exposure waterfall images. Many of my clients have either just bought a camera or have received one as a Christmas or birthday gift and I love working with these clients as the potential for passing on knowledge is greatest and seeing someone capture their first landscape image is priceless (well, not exactly as I do charge a fee…). I get a number of repeat clients from this particular group and remain in touch with many of them. It’s a real pleasure to see someone’s skills improve knowing I’ve played a small part in their development (does that count as a pun?). A growing client base are those people who have owned a camera for some time and are looking for the confidence to get out of automatic mode and use more of the cameras settings. It’s vital here to understand the client’s ability in order to get the best from the limited time we have together. I always send my clients a proforma prior to our session so that they can tell me in their own words where they think they are in terms of skills and also clarify what their photographic ambitions are. I make sure they let me know what make and model of camera they own so that I know how to navigate their camera’s menus system (SONY please sort your menu navigation out ! They’re a nightmare !!!). Besides technical aspects I also need to have a clear understanding of a client’s physical ability as some of my workshops involve walks of a couple of miles or more. As an example, the waterfalls workshop lasts five hours and requires a decent level of fitness and mobility to access the riverside locations. I need my clients to feel safe and don’t want them to be disappointed if they’re not able to get the most out of a session. So there’s plenty of prep work and information gathering done before the day we meet.

Depending on location and client preference, I offer to meet at an agreed location to drive them to the venue. I actually prefer this as it gives us a chance to get to know each other, puts them at their ease, and allows me to glean a little more information regarding their aims for the session. I want my clients to enjoy learning so setting the right environment is really important. To be honest I’ve had some hugely funny experiences over the past few years, even so far as a client forgetting their camera (we got around it though) ! Although I never take my camera to the sessions I’ve always got one in the car so on this occasion we were able to carry on. One lady client (who hopefully doesn’t read my blogs) slipped on a wet rock and let out the most enormous “trouser cough” I’ve heard in a long time. To her credit she was completely unfazed and simply said “I’m always doing that.” Luckily, we were at the latter end of the session so I never had to find out if it was true.

But it’s not all rainbows and unicorns on workshops. There are a few challenges involved. Not having my camera with me is the biggest, especially when there’s an epic sunrise that I can’t capture, but if the client thinks the light is down to me then it’s all good for business! Conversely, despite doing my best to ensure success by controlling the controllables, the UK weather often has other ideas. I always give clients the option to rearrange dates if the weather forecast is poor a couple of days out, but what happens on the day is very much in the lap of the gods. That said, I can count on one hand the number of times we’ve had to abandon but I always want good light and weather conditions so that the experience is a positive one. Another challenge I’ve faced is interruptions from members of the public. Once I’ve explained that I’m holding a tuition session most folks apologise and continue on their way but I’ve had a few cases of the message not sinking in and have had to adopt a more direct approach. Comes naturally to me to be fair !

I’m always fascinated by clients’ observations and often get told “ I’ll never be up to your standard” which amazes me. In these cases I always reassure the client and emphasise that any success is proportionate to the effort made. When I tell them that I’m regularly out with a camera three or four days a week they start to get the message. I also regularly hear “ you’ve got professional gear so you’re bound to take good pictures.” Nothing could be further from the truth to be honest - it’s not about the kit. The most important piece of equipment are the eyes behind the viewfinder in my opinion. Another common view is “digital images are not as genuine as the old film photos because you can manipulate them on a computer.” Granted there’s more data captured on a digital sensor but one of the greatest American landscaper photographers of all time confessed to spending more time in a darkroom (getting his film images just how he wanted them) than he did on location.

I absolutely love 1:1 workshops. Meeting people and having a common interest is so rewarding. Passing on knowledge is something I’ve always enjoyed and feedback at the end of the sessions has always been really positive which gives me the energy to keep doing more. COVID 19 lockdowns put a major crimp on things for a couple of years but we’re back in full swing now I’m pleased to say, and if my business only ever consisted of running workshops I’d still be a very happy photographer. I’ve never had a client I didn’t get along with and have always been able to tailor my approach to whatever is needed on the day. I love landscape photography and seeing that passion start to blossom in other people is pretty special.

So I hope I’ve shown you that sharing the love is important to me (but it doesn’t come free).

OTTERS, WINDMILLS AND SLEEPY COWS…

A LONG OVERDUE RETURN TO NORFOLK

We’ve just returned from a visit to East Anglia, scratching a 10 year itch and capturing beautiful Autumn colours.

Autumn breaks are almost all about the photography for me, so the timing has to be spot on if we’re to make the most of the changing seasons. I feel we were maybe a couple of weeks too early to catch the best of the colours but no complaints from me - we made the most of our time there.

I had a couple of objectives in mind, mainly centred around the wonderful Thetford Forest as it’s an area I know fairly well and could maximise my limited time in the best locations. Cath, of course, had her own plans for the week but we’ll come to that shortly. Thetford is centrally located for all of the East Anglia honeypot locations, being in easy reach of The Broads, the Norfolk and Suffolk coast, and the main centres of Norwich, Ely and Cambridge. There’s almost a timelessness about this part of the world despite being within easy reach of London. The landscape is relatively unspoiled and, lack of contours aside, it’s ideal territory for a landscape photographer. Let’s be honest, if it was good enough for Constable to paint then it’s more than good enough for me to capture digitally.

I spent some time photographing the area around the River Little Ouse and never fail to appreciate how pristine the whole region is. Crystal clear waters and a wide variety of wildlife transport you to a simpler time where everything slows down. People have time to stop and chat, sharing their appreciation of a special place. We spent a fabulous morning walking the stretch of river near the wonderfully named Santon Downham, watching sleeping swans drift on a gentle current prior to waking up at sunrise. Further upstream we saw otters fishing for breakfast as a Kingfisher flew past. Perfection. Further along we heard the sound of snoring. Yes, you read that right. Rounding a bend we came across of herd of ginger Highland Cattle, all fast asleep with their breath steaming in the morning chill. Must be the Norfolk air ! A stand of fir trees catching the morning sun completed the scene so we decided to head off and find somewhere for breakfast.

A while later it was time to indulge one of Cath’s obsessions. A short drive took us to RAF Lakenheath, currently home to the U.S. 48th Fighter Wing and their stunning F-35A Lightnings. Cath loves anything to do with aircraft and could happily sit at Cardiff or Bristol airport all day. We’d heard jet engines firing up on our drive there, so imagine Cath’s joy when four F-35s flew over us as we arrived. We were then treated to Boeing KC-135 Stratotankers practicing “touch and go” manoeuvres on the main runway. Lakenheath has a large viewing area so we had a fantastic view of the runways and things got even better when two F-35s taxied out in front of us ready for take off. Nothing quite prepares you for the noise these machines generate and I can see why people find them so fascinating. Capturing the jets in flight is really challenging but I enjoy trying and was pleased with some of my results. It is, of course, a completely different style of photography to the more pedestrian landscape work that I love so much, but fun nonetheless. After the peace and quiet of the morning the contrast couldn’t have been greater though.

After a busy couple of days we decided to take a trip to the coast and a visit to Great Yarmouth gave us a chance to take in huge skies and miles of golden sand. Much more in my photographic comfort zone ! I love coastal resorts at this time of year. The crowds have gone, arcades have closed down, and there’s space to breathe and take in the views. It was pleasing to see that the town acknowledges its heritage with the promenade displaying images of the huge herring fleet that operated out of the port for centuries. A good long walk in fresh North Sea air is always a benefit and never fails to work up an appetite !

The next few days were spent photographing the fabulous Norfolk Broads and I’m always drawn to the numerous windmills (or more properly, drainage pumps) that dot the landscape here. They’re so photogenic and in the right conditions can deliver images that become excellent additions to the portfolio. Unfortunately I didn’t get any of the misty sunrises I was hoping for but I’m still really happy with the images I came away with. It’s great to see that many of the pumps are looked after by various trusts set up to ensure they’ll be around for some time to come.

We spent a day in the wonderful city of Ely, at 85ft above sea level the highest land in the Fens ! Visiting the beautiful cathedral is of course a must and it never disappoints. The city centre is a delight to walk around and it was good to see so many shops owned by independent traders rather than the usual crop of chain stores. Oh and the parking was free as well. What’s not to like ! A very enjoyable day out but I needed to get back to photographing landscapes.

The rest of the trip was spent photographing woodland. Readers of my blogs will know I’m drawn to woodland as a first choice for my photography and this part of the world never disappoints. Thetford Forest covers 47000 acres so there’s plenty to go at. Knowing where to find the best locations is important when faced with an area of this size for such a limited time. I could honestly spend a week just in the woodland and will probably return on my own at some point to do just that. Although peak Autumn colours are still a couple of weeks away there’s still enough change to keep photographers interested and I really enjoyed my time there.

Unfortunately time ran out and I wish we could have stayed longer but we’d pushed our luck with the weather and with a stormy outlook for the coming week it was time to head home. No complaints though. We’d met some lovely people, discovered some excellent restaurants and seen fabulous scenery, wildlife and architecture. Cath got her aviation fix as well ! Lots of memories captured that I’ll now revisit as I edit my images over the next few days.

Norfolk is such a wonderful place to visit and we’ve already booked to return next year. I can’t wait to get back and visit those otters and windmills and I’m fairly sure those cows will still be snoozing amongst the fir trees !

No trolls under this bridge !!

IT’S NOT JUST ABOUT THE IMAGE

(Well, maybe not all the time…….)

I spent a very rewarding day in the Forest of Dean earlier this week.

Having arranged to meet an old friend for a walk, I arrived early to see how the seasonal change was progressing.

With two hours to spare this was more of a scouting trip than a photography session, but I’m always hopeful of finding a scene that can be turned into an image. Since my last visit a couple of weeks earlier it was clear that the thick carpet of woodland ferns were starting to die back with shades of brown adding much-needed contrast to the forest floor. The ferns will soon be taking on shades of orange and that’s when I’ll start to include them in my images. As it was still fairly early in the day there were only a few people around but chatting to one of the locals walking a beautiful Golden Retriever gained me some useful information about a spot near to us for a future visit. I’ve lost count of the number of times people have been kind enough to share knowledge of their local area, so as well as being polite and saying hello, it’s always good to pass the time of day and can often be beneficial in unexpected ways. Gleaning this type of information is definitely a short cut, saving both time and leg work in finding the right scene.

After leaving my new four legged friend behind, I walked for a mile or so taking in the detail of the forest and noting a significant increase in signs of wild boar activity. Despite recent culls their numbers appear to be on the increase again, meaning there are more hunters (licensed and unlicensed) in the forest nowadays. Rounding a bend in the trail I noticed movement above me on the embankment to my left. Around 200 metres away was a doe and her two fawns slowly making their way down the wooded bank towards the path. Dropping to my haunches I tried to stay as still as possible (not easy at my age!) hoping they remained unaware of me but after a few more paces the doe stopped and sniffed the air, looking straight at me. She then carried on with the fawns close behind her and appeared not to have seen me. At this point I was trying (and failing) to get my phone out my jacket pocket without moving or making a sound (ever tried it? Impossible). The doe then stepped onto the trail and saw me for the first time. She sprang around six feet into the air, easily clearing the path and landing in the undergrowth on the opposite side. The fawns ran across and disappeared as quickly as their mother. I hate disturbing deer as they’re so wary of humans and I didn’t like the thought that I’d frightened those babies. I wish I could have got an image of the doe leaping the path though but it wasn’t meant to be. I was just happy that they all appeared to be safe. Had I been one of the many hunters in the Forest of Dean I’m certain there would have been a different outcome and venison on the menu of one of the local hotels later that week. (Venison, by the way, comes from the Latin venatus, “to hunt” and the word historically referred to any edible animal but is now mainly used to refer to deer meat). But for a twist of fate, two fawns could have been orphaned this morning, their lives irrevocably changed and under threat.

Continuing on I found myself in a reflective mood, thinking how fragile life is (cue the beautiful Sting ballad). The sad passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth only days earlier was a poignant reminder that nothing is permanent and as the nation mourns we inevitably reflect on our own lives. I’m at an age where material things become less important (says he, with a backpack full of camera equipment), and values change. The wellbeing of loved ones takes on even greater significance than ever and friends and family become even more valued. There’s no doubt that time mellows a person but does it make them more thoughtful towards others, possibly even philanthropic? In my own case, I believe I’ve always had a social conscience but recent world-wide events as well as the passing of time, bring these thoughts more to mind these days. Perhaps I’m getting soft in my old age……

Having been lost in thought for some time I found the woodland changing from broad leaf to plantation, not my favourite type of forest, certainly not from a photographic point of view, but I accept that plantations are essential and provide vital habitat for a wide range of flora and fauna. It felt like a good time to head back to the car, now an hour away, so after a quick coffee and a look at the map I found a shorter route back, heading higher up the bank I’d walked below earlier. Signs of Autumn were few and far between but the next six weeks will bring the changes to the forest canopy. I was also on the look out for early signs of fungi but didn’t find any - another symptom of this year’s drought? We’re now just a week away from the Autumn equinox so the longer nights will bring a drop in temperatures - the catalyst for leaves changing colour. I look forward to Autumn so much and I’ve said here previously that it’s easily my favourite season but I’m not sure what type of Autumn we’re likely to get this year. The extremely dry Summer has already caused leaves to turn brown due to lack of water so we may have an early, brief spell of colour before the first storms come. The weather forecast isn’t predicting much rain over the next two weeks so I really can’t call it. I’m obviously hoping for a prolonged, vivid change so that we have maximum opportunity to capture that one season-defining image to add to the portfolio. Lots of misty mornings would be welcome too ! There’s still room for some selfish thoughts occasionally.

I was in time for the rendezvous with my old mate Kevin and his new rescue dog George, a stunning Cocker Spaniel. George was abandoned by a breeder because he had problems with, how can I put it?, the more delicate parts of his anatomy, which meant he would be no use as a stud animal. Sad, but I guess those are the economics of the dog breeding business. Fortunately he now has a good home and is much loved by Kevin and his wife. We walked for over three hours and had lunch sat on a bench alongside a busy lake, watching the world go by and catching up on family news etc. COVID and its associated lockdowns put a temporary stop to days like these and so it was a huge pleasure to finally meet up again after three years. Kev’s got the driest sense of humour and laughs easily - just the kind of company you want on a day out. We’re meeting up again in a couple of weeks for a trek in the Cotswolds so this was a bit of a dress rehearsal and a chance to brush up the navigating skills.

The day was over far too soon but the weather had been kind, the company was outstanding, and the scenery was beautiful. Eight miles under the belt wasn’t too bad either and definitely worked up a thirst and despite being in woodland all day, the camera never came of out of the bag. There’ll be other days for that. I’d had a great day out, got plenty of exercise and met some new four legged friends.

So it’s most definitely not just about the image (well not on this day anyway).

A NEW LOVE

I have a new love……..

We only get to meet up a few times each month (which only increases the excitement) so I sneak out in the dark and make sure I’m home before daybreak.

Our liaisons are always somewhere quiet and remote and, while they’re carefully planned, so many things can stop them from happening. Last minute cancellations are not unusual. Those few precious hours, therefore, are so valuable and I cherish every minute of them.

As shocking as it may sound, Cath’s completely OK with it. In fact she positively encourages it !

I don’t mind admitting I’m a hopeless case, besotted, and always waiting for the next time, despite the fact that I find it all very tiring at my age, and seem to spend most of the next day sleeping. The anticipation though makes it so addictive.

Most of the time we’re on our own when we meet but occasionally there are other people around. I’m quite happy to share the pleasure.

But wait…..

Before I descend into the realms of a Barbara Cartland novel I should perhaps clear up any misconceptions I may have created. I am, of course, talking about astrophotography,

Followers of my social media posts (God bless you for your support) will have noticed a marked increase in nightscape images this year and I’m not afraid to admit that I’m obsessed with photographing the night sky.

Upwards of 90% of my summertime photography is now done at night and there are several good reasons why that is. I’ve previously documented how challenging I find summertime photography and wrote in my June blog ( https://www.timscanlanphotography.com/blog) about my lack of enthusiasm between spring and autumn. Besides sunrise and sunset being at hugely unsociable times, the sun’s in the wrong position for much of the coastal photography I enjoy down here in South Wales. Woodland is another favourite of mine but to me it looks so average in summer and has little appeal.

Astrophotography is the perfect solution and has been the antidote to my seasonally induced creative slump !  It gets me out there in the landscape, keeps me enthused and helps me to continue learning. It couldn’t be better timed either. The Milky Way core season starts in March in the Northern Hemisphere and lasts until the end of September by which time Orion is back in the night sky but equally importantly my favourite time of year is with us. Autumn begins and the landscape changes colour - a special gift before winter is upon us.

The majority of people in the developed world have never seen the Milky Way. Light pollution means that the best show in the universe is blotted out and things are only going to get worse (please switch your lights off at night folks!). There is a movement to preserve our dark skies and it’s gathering momentum (more info here https://www.darksky.org ). There are several Dark Sky Sites already established here in the UK and I’m lucky to live very near to Brecon Beacons National Park which is designated as a Dark Sky Reserve. If you’ve never seen a truly dark sky then do yourself a favour before summer’s over and find one near you. I’m not able to describe the sense of wonder I get when I’m looking at the night sky but I’d love you to share the experience of viewing something that our ancestors also gazed at thousands of years ago. The ancients ascribed huge importance to the constellations and their connection to the passage of time. They were able to plot the seasons by the moon’s cycles and learned to navigate at night by understanding the position of the planets at various times of the year.

Astronomy is a huge, wide-ranging subject that never fails to fascinate. There’s so much to learn and that’s something I’m always keen to carry on doing. The best time to view the night sky is the week prior to the new moon and the week that follows as the moon waxes to fullness. Unfortunately from a photography point of view, a full moon is often so bright that you’ll struggle to see many stars, meaning there’s only a limited period in each month where nightscapes are achievable.

In addition to learning about the night sky, I’m learning how to photograph it. I’m not afraid to admit that I’ve had quite a few failures but I feel my images are improving. It’s almost like starting photography all over again where lessons are learned from failures and the occasional successes keep you coming back for more. It definitely takes a lot more planning than daytime landscapes but that’s an aspect I enjoy. The technical aspect of capturing the image is also challenging. Three or four hours can go by so quickly when you’re trying to get everything just right. Of course, the stars don’t move. It’s the Earth’s rotation that makes that appear to be the case, so properly framing up an image with a foreground subject is crucial to coming away with a decent result. A few moments delay can mean the difference between success and failure.

I’ve quickly learned that the changing seasons greatly influence the look of the night sky. The Milky Way is a perfect example of how the earth’s position effects the location of a subject in the sky. As I said earlier, the Milky Way core becomes visible in March for those of us in northern latitudes and rises in the south east, so there are several great locations on the coast for a perfect composition. By July, the Milky Way rises due south and those locations are no longer suitable but others will be. As we approach September the core will rise in the west, making the wonderful Pembrokeshire coast the ideal place to capture great images. Lots to take in and lots to think about !

Of course all this planning and learning is all well and good but we’re always completely at the mercy of the weather. Here in the UK that takes on a whole different meaning and is the main reason why I can spend all day checking weather apps and websites. Honestly, you should see my browser history…….(oh, on second thoughts maybe not…….). But things can change for good as well as bad and what was forecast to be a cloudy night can often turn out to bring perfectly clear skies. It pays to never give up hope where the British weather is concerned. That said, we’ve been blessed with a tremendous spell of warm weather and clear skies so far this year - long may it continue !

Being out under the night sky is a fantastic experience so don’t be afraid of the dark ! On that point, I’m often asked if I ever get scared being alone in remote locations. I’m glad to say I don’t but, for example, when a vixen shrieks on a perfectly still night it can test the mettle somewhat ! I am though often wary and always take safety into consideration. I try to make sure I know a location well and often visit in daylight as falling off a cliff tends to curtail a photography session. I also make sure I have an alternative route back to the car if I’m uncomfortable with the presence of other people. I do enjoy the company of other photographers at night though. We’re kindred spirits in a way so it’s great to have a chance to share information. Not all visitors are as welcome. I’ve lost count of the number of times a couple of car loads of youngsters have appeared in the wee small hours. Someone needs to explain that noise carries further at night and Sean Paul is not my choice of music at 02:00 a.m.  I’ve never felt threatened (or been threatened for that matter) but I am aware that situations can change quickly so I’m always cautious.  However, I learned early in life that you shouldn’t let your fears hold you back, so I’ll carry on being one of those things that go bump in the night for a while yet !

I hope I’ve persuaded you that the wonders of our galaxy are worth taking a look at, are available to everyone and all for free !! The next new moon is on Saturday August 27th so get yourself somewhere dark so you can see the wonders of the heavens for yourself. I wish you clear skies.

Who knows? You may have a new love too……….

August’s Perseid meteor shower over Pentwyn Reservoir,
Brecon Beacons National Park.

EVERYONE’S A PHOTOGRAPHER NOW ! The photography evolution.

Not so very long ago photography was the preserve of professionals and serious hobbyists.

Many people had an uncle or a neighbour who owned an ancient Box Brownie that was dusted off for family gatherings, the results being less than flattering (assuming your head was still in frame !). More formal gatherings were often graced by the local pro who could be guaranteed to delivery high quality 6x4 glossy prints at a premium price. As parents we’ve all felt the pain of taking out a second mortgage to pay for school photos, despite our dear offspring doing their best to look bored senseless. And as a kid, I loved sorting through old black and white family photos with my Mum. A happy memory.

Photographs back then were for special occasions. A treasured record of a happy moment in time, in colour if you were lucky. Of course there were newsworthy shots in the daily papers and monthly magazines (no, not those kind……) featuring numerous gobsmacking images (on second thoughts….).

A surge in the world economy in the late 1960s and early 1970s and huge improvements in mass manufacturing processes, in Japan especially, led to a drop in price and availability for consumer goods. Cameras and camera equipment most certainly came into this category. Major manufacturers like Canon, Olympus and Nikon were able to offer more and more advanced kit at an (almost) affordable price. Cameras became lighter and less bulky and were becoming a common sight on the beaches of Torremolinos and Talacre. Holiday snaps became the norm, all captured on 35 mm film. Waiting for your photographs to come back from the developer, and the subsequent disappointment with the out of focus, over-exposed results, are long forgotten feelings today.

In 1975, Kodak produced the first “digital” camera. In a backward step, it was the size of a bread bin and took around 30 seconds to produce an image which was around 0.01 megapixels and saved to a cassette tape (ask your parents what a cassette tape is kids!!). It would be more than 10 years before what was the first truly digital camera was produced. Fujix’s DS-1P came with a 2MB memory card and could store up to 10 images. Neither of these cameras were ever commercially available but both represented significant steps forward in photographic technology.

Then in 1994 Apple (yes Apple !) produced the first affordable digital camera at around $1000. The Apple QuickTake was designed by Kodak and manufactured by Chinon in Japan. The QuickTake 100 had a fixed 50mm equivalent lens, an optical viewfinder and an LCD display to view the settings. It was Apple’s first venture into digital camera space. Again, the major players were quick to follow with their own DSLR offerings, each new model claiming to deliver more than its rivals and predecssors. We also saw the compact camera making photography even more accessible and convenient, and with basic image editing software included in Microsoft’s Office package, popularity soared again.

Five years later Kyocera launched the Visual Phone VP-210, the world’s first camera phone. Imagine it - a phone that had a camera in it !! In 1999 ! The real game changer, however, came in 2007 with Apple’s first iPhone. It may not have been the first phone camera but in terms of usability, convenience and desirability it blew the market apart. Today, the iPhone is the biggest selling camera ever.

Ok class, history lesson over.

Going from the old wooden large format cameras that we often see in cowboy movies, to Kodak film jobbies through to Polaroids, the evolution has been going on for over a century. We’ve reached a point where the majority of the world’s adult population has a camera with them at all times. There’s more tech in them than was used in NASA’s moon landings (the astronauts were issued with Hasselblad cameras by the way). Today’s smartphones come equipped with multiple lenses, Bionic chips (can I have ketchup with mine please?), night vision, AI, increasingly powerful sensors, and more and more megapixels have given everyone the capability to produce stunning images anytime, anywhere. I’ve just spec’d the latest iPhone model and, at the risk of losing a large part of my audience, here it is:

• Pro 12MP camera system: Telephoto, Wide and Ultra Wide cameras

• Telephoto: ƒ/2.8 aperture

• Wide: ƒ/1.5 aperture

• Ultra Wide: ƒ/1.8 aperture and 120° field of view

• 3x optical zoom in, 2x optical zoom out; 6x optical zoom range

• Digital zoom up to 15x

• Night mode portraits enabled by LiDAR scanner

• Portrait mode with advanced bokeh and Depth Control

• Portrait Lighting with six effects (Natural, Studio, Contour, Stage, Stage Mono, High‑Key Light Mono)

• Dual optical image stabilisation (Telephoto and Wide)

• Sensor‑shift optical image stabilisation (Wide)

• Six‑element lens (Telephoto and Ultra Wide); seven‑element lens (Wide)

• True Tone flash with slow sync

• Panorama (up to 63MP)

• Sapphire crystal lens cover

• 100% Focus Pixels (Wide)

• Night mode

• Deep Fusion

• Smart HDR 4

• Photographic Styles

• Macro photography

• Apple ProRAW

• Wide colour capture for photos and Live Photos

• Lens correction (Ultra Wide)

• Advanced red‑eye correction

• Photo geotagging

• Auto image stabilisation

• Burst mode

• Image formats captured: HEIF and JPEG

Still here? Good. Thank you.

The whole point of this ramble down memory (human not digital) lane is two-fold. Does the availability of all this tech make people better photographers and is the profusion of images on social media devaluing the art form?

Let’s look at the first point. I have no doubt that the majority of users will simply wish to capture a second in time (whether that be Tracey regurgitating 15 sambucas or their cockapoo wearing its new elf outfit) and that’s not a bad thing. I’m certain, though, that some folks will become more interested in expanding their photography knowledge and experience, hopefully through taking a ‘phone image that gives them great pleasure. I’ve got an up to date iPhone and use it on many of my landscape shoots, both for recording a location for future reference and to enable me to upload an image to social media in real time. I’m able to edit, crop, and reframe the image before uploading it and can honestly say I’m really happy with results. I know lots of other photographers who exclusively post phone shots on their social feeds and you’d struggle to see the difference between them and an image shot on pro kit. The only drawback will be if the creator wants to produce a large print. I’m not convinced that the resulting print will be of sufficient quality (certainly not for large sized commercial use) but I’m open to persuasion.

Which brings me to the second point. Is the art of photography now devalued by both it’s volume and immediacy? As someone who earns revenue from my work, should I be concerned? I’m as guilty as anyone else in this. I regularly upload phone shots to social media and I post stuff every day on a range of platforms, although the majority of uploads are pro camera DSLR images. Selling images to publications (including newspapers) has always been a tough game but when someone captures a great image on a phone, be it a weather event or a snap of a celebrity, they can send that image in seconds and get paid equally as quickly. Additionally, someone is more likely to want to hang one of their images on the lounge wall rather than purchase one of my outstanding landscape creations (apologies for the shameless plug there….). So there’s the commercial devaluation to ponder but there’s also the image overload devaluation which for me is a greater concern (you know who I mean here Tracey’s mate….). Will we reach a point where subsequent generations fail to appreciate a wonderful image because they’ve already seen 100 weirdly dressed cockapoo images that morning? Devalued and desensitised maybe?

Interestingly, the big hitters such as Nikon, Canon, Fuji etc have seen a steady decline in sales of “proper” cameras for a number of years now. I’m sure they’ll continue to innovate and re-invent but is the writing on the wall? Don’t be surprised if one of them goes bang sometime soon.

Lots to ponder but one thing’s certain - the evolution will continue and while I honestly believe that’s a good thing, I clearly have reservations.

Oh, and don’t get me started on video……….

P.S. Just to reassure regular readers, the MOJO is well and truly back. More on that next month (see last month’s blog for details !).

An example of iPhone’s low light capabilities.

MOJO - what is it ?

………….and why it can do one !

Summer you say? Bah humbug I say !

Without doubt this is my least favourite time of year. It might be great if you’re a gardener, bee keeper or simply a sun worshipper, but for landscape photographers it’s the worst season of all. I’m not complaining about Summer in general. Certainly not. After all who doesn’t love warmer days, meadows full of wild flowers and the chance to enjoy a sundowner on the patio? Biting winds and permanently grey skies are a fading memory at this time of year. So I’m not against Summer per se.

My complaint is that there’s too much darned daylight. If that sounds crazy perhaps I should explain.

The old phrase “long Summer days” feels more like a curse if you’re a landscape photographer. Sunrise is around 05:00 which means setting the alarm for an inhumane time (and I’m a lark by the way !) and sunset hovers around 21:30 (that’s nearly bed time for us sexagenarians !!) which generally sees me getting home around midnight. I’ve spoken before about landscape photographers needing to be motivated to leap out of bed at daft o’clock but I’m starting to draw the line at one or two early starts per week nowadays.

If you’re an astrophotographer it just gets worse at this time of year. June means permanent twilight for most of the UK so we haven’t even got dark skies to keep us out of mischief….

Which all means that I’ve definitely lost my photographic mojo at the moment. Please don’t worry - I’m in no pain and haven’t even gone cold turkey yet. After taking a two week holiday in May, I was hoping that my mojo would magically re-appear when I unpacked my suitcase, especially as I’d enjoyed taking a few sunrise images to capture some memories of a lovely island. But no, it’s done a runner and doesn’t look like coming back anytime soon.

But what exactly is mojo? One dictionary definition is: “mojo (countable and uncountable, plural mojos or mojoes) A magic charm or spell. Supernatural skill or luck”. I’m not sure any of that applies to me if I’m honest. Definitely not the skill part anyway. It’s one of those indefinable things that we all speak about and assume everyone knows what it is. I guess it means different things to different folks and can be applied across a number of life’s little quirks. Like everything else in the UK at present, it’s most definitely in short supply but in this case there’s no external forces at play and no one to blame. Another definition reads : “To lose one's confidence, energy, or enthusiasm, especially coinciding with a decline in one's success”. Now that sounds more like it - enthusiasm and energy are definitely on ration around here right now. I don’t feel I’ve nailed a top image for some time and almost got to the stage where I felt I was going through the motions. It would be easy to fall into the trap of succumbing to G.A.S. (gear acquisition syndrome) to get me going again. (Actually I’ve got my eye on a very nice super-fast astro lens at the moment. I really need it, honestly). But buying new kit isn’t the answer. Lord knows, I’ve got enough gear to sink a battleship (has anyone else got four photography back packs? No? Just me then….).

No, it’s a change of mindset that’s needed, and the sooner the better. I’m definitely lacking inspiration because I’m not even enjoying woodland photography at the moment as it feels as though we’re wedged between the best seasons which means I’m well off my game. Perhaps it’s something all photographers go through. Perhaps it’s not down to mojo then. Perhaps “slump” would be more accurate in my case, which probably means it’s not terminal, probably reversible, and hopefully temporary.

The temporary element is really important as I’m setting off on my annual North Wales road trip next week. Seven days of photography with a few nights of wild camping thrown in for good measure. If that doesn’t stir the creative juices (steady now!) I’m not sure what will. I’m re-visiting some of my favourite locations but also exploring some unfamiliar places, so I’m confident that I’ll come home with a couple of portfolio images. But I’m not going to put myself under pressure to get great shots. It doesn’t matter if the weather doesn’t play ball or the light isn’t right because I’ll be fully back in the photographic saddle amongst hills, lakes and along the coast. My trip starts in Snowdonia, moves on to Anglesey and the Lleyn peninsula, then takes me along the Pembrokeshire coast. A new moon on the 29th means that our satellite is waning during my trip so I’m planning to shoot the night sky as well (twilight permitting).

I’m always excited about exploring new places. You never know what you’ll find when you get there.

Perhaps I’ll find my mojo………

P.S. Sincere apologies for not publishing a blog in May. No excuses except to say the weather was warm and the Mythos was cold and a sun lounger trumps blog writing. Please don’t judge me.

It’s not all bad……….Not a cloud in the sky on a stunning Summer morning