Outdoor Photography

SPRING WILDLIFE + FABULOUS LANDSCAPES + QUIET PLACES

landscape | wildlife | nature | adventure

Buy. Sell. Trade. Create.

mpb.com

Photography can

Together, let’s change the our
bigger picture. MPB puts understanding.
cameras and lenses into more
hands, more sustainably.

MPB. The platform to buy and
sell used photo and video kit.

mpb.com #ChangeGear

Waiting for beauty THE ISSUE

Was there ever a time when Corfe Castle in Dorset was not beautiful? Today it’s at a glance
a wonderful subject for landscape photographers but I wonder if it was held in
less affection in years gone by. In conversation with
Linda Bembridge – page 10
After the Norman Conquest, a string of castles was built across the country.
The idea was not to boost tourism in the area. These were huge structures designed Pete McBride travels to some of the
to instil fear in the local population. They were symbols of power and control. But world’s quietest places – page 20
the Normans could not keep their grip on history forever and over the centuries
many castles fell into decline. Some, such as Corfe Castle, were partially
demolished because of their role in the Civil War.

A dilapidated and redundant building could have been seen as an ugly scar
on the countryside – but quite the opposite has happened. Castles now enjoy an
after-life as romantic ruins. They have become deeply rooted in the landscape.

More recently, the West Pier in Brighton received thousands of visitors in its
heyday in the early 20th century. Sadly, it fell into disrepair and was closed to the
public in 1975. Parts of the structure collapsed and two fires did significant further
damage, leaving a blackened skeleton of the once popular attraction. But what
many thought was an eyesore has become part of the new coastal landscape
and is now beloved by photographers and starlings.

Sometimes man-made structures have a shape and a story that add to the
beauty of the landscape. It just takes time before that beauty is revealed.

Enjoy the issue.

Mark Bentley

ON THE COVER Simon Roy on photographing
Picture by Simon Roy. wildlife in spring – page 36
See page 36.
Fabulous pictures from
GET IN TOUCH ILPOTY – page 44

Email [email protected]
Write to us Outdoor Photography, 86 High Street, Lewes, East Sussex BN7 1XN

Keep right up to date with news by ‘liking’ OP at facebook.com/outdoorphotographymag

Follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/opoty

Find us on Instagram at instagram.com/outdoorphotographymag

42

FEATURES & OPINION LEARNING LOCATIONS

10 In conversation with… 42 In the spotlight ZONE GUIDE
Linda Bembridge discusses Rodney O’Callaghan on
her abstract and sumptuous capturing the beauty of 30 Making the most 50
new pictures County Kerry in Ireland of reflections
Richard Garvey-Williams
18 One month, one picture 44 Photo showcase incorporates water features
Pete Bridgwood considers Take a closer look at some in a more meaningful way
a possible link between of the best pictures from
tripods and originality International Landscape 36 A wild spring 50 On location
Photographer of the Year Simon Roy recalls some of his Alan Novelli explores
20 The sound favourite seasonal encounters Cheshire’s unique tourist
(and sight) of silence 61 Inside track with revitalised flora and fauna attractions, from cities
Peter McBride specialises in Nick Smith on the power to forests
capturing a lack of man-made of the first pictures to NEXT ISSUE
noise in two dimensions be taken on the moon ON SALE 53 Viewpoints
19 MAY Discover stunning landscape
28 Lie of the land 66 Photo showcase locations in the Isle of Wight,
Martin Birks goes wild An inspiring selection Cheshire and Ireland
camping in the Peak District of Travel Photographer
to sample the joys of summer of the Year highlights

2 Outdoor Photography

30 36

66
44

NATURE GEAR ZONE REGULARS YOUR OP
ZONE
82 The OP guide to… 6 Newsroom 62 Reader gallery
74 Life in the wild Waterproof trousers are A wild mustang, a leopard seal Winner Marlon Porter shares
Find out why May is the month essential if you plan to be and a Cuban painted snail his striking animal portraits
that Laurie Campbell looks out in all weathers hit the OP headlines
forward to the most 72 Your chance
82 8 Out There Send your images to OP and
Your guide to the best new join the online community
76 Nature guide photography exhibitions,
The month’s seasonal books and wildlife films 87 Next month
highlights include ramsons, Coming up in the next issue
common snipe and sessile oak NEVER MISS of OP – on sale 19 May
AN ISSUE
78 A moment with nature 84 Gearing up 88 If you only do one
Graeme Purdy uses his Panasonic’s G6 and Sigma’s Have Outdoor Photography thing this month…
incredible underwater images 20mm f/2 lead this month’s delivered direct to your Your best wildlife behaviour
to promote oceanic wildlife latest product releases shots – and your next challenge
door and save up to 30%.
80 On the wing See page 87. 96 Where in the world?
Steve Young is joined by Name this location and you
skylarks and meadow pipits could win a superb prize

Outdoor Photography 3

OPENING SHOT

The Intruder by Simon Turnbull
This picture of Wistman’s Wood on Dartmoor was among the best pictures
in the International Landscape Photographer of the Year competition.
For more great pictures from the contest see page 44.
internationallandscapephotographer.com

4 Outdoor Photography

© Simon Turnbull / The 8th International
Landscape Photographer of the Year

Outdoor Photography 5

THE LATEST BULLETINS

NEWSROOM

CONSERVATION NEW LAUNCHES COMPETITIONS OUTDOORS TECHNOLOGY OTHER NEWS

© Henley Spiers © Martin Stevens

Making a splash

Winning images from Underwater Photographer Wideangle and Macro, with four of the sections Photographer of the Year went to Matty Smith,
of the Year have been revealed. The contest, specifically for shots taken in British waters. an Englishman now living in Australia, whose
which was founded in the UK in 1965, celebrates portrait of a great white shark was taken in
photography beneath the surface of oceans, This year’s winner was Rafael Fernandez the Neptune Islands, South Australia.
lakes and rivers. This year 4,200 pictures were Caballero of Spain, whose stunning image
entered by photographers from 71 countries. captures a group of whale sharks feeding See those images and a showcase of
The 13 categories included Behaviour, Wrecks, together at night in the Maldives’ coastal waters. fabulous pictures from the competition in
The separate award for British Underwater next month’s OP.

Snail placed

The Cuban painted snail (Polymita picta) has won
the coveted title of Mollusc of the Year 2022.

The eye-catching species beat off stiff
competition, taking 62% of the polling. Sadly,
there is no cash prize for the Cuban painted, but
its entire genome will now be sequenced at the
LOEWE Centre TBG in Germany.

Raised eyebrows aside, the competition –
which is organised by LOEWE, the Senckenberg
Nature Research Society and the Worldwide
Society for Mollusc Research – raises great
awareness of these endangered species and the
DNA findings will hopefully help to protect it
from extinction, as it’s currently on the Cuban
red list for invertebrates.

The species lives mainly in coastal habitats
in subtropical forests and is endemic to
eastern Cuba.

© Bernardo Reyes-Tur

EDITED BY KINGSLEY SINGLETON

© Amos Nachoum

Natural selection There were also six UK photographers featured Right to roam
across the gold, silver and bronze awards:
The World Nature Photography Awards has recently William Fortescue, Robert Maynard, Irina Petrova Campaigners attempting to
announced its 2021 winners. Top prize went to Amos Adamatzky, Vladislav Tasev, Vince Burton and save historic paths have won
Nachoum from the US, who captured this amazing Christian Tuckwell-Smith. a big victory. The Countryside
image of a leopard seal and gentoo penguin in waters Rights of Way Act 2000 had
off the island of Plano in the Antarctic. set out that the registration
of unmapped paths through
On the right track private land had to be
submitted by 1 January 2026,
The RSPB has partnered with South Western but the deadline has now
Railway to transform several stations into wildlife been scrapped. It would have
hubs and encourage biodiversity. The scheme will otherwise meant a loss of
see the planting of wildflowers, cutting holes in rights of way across many
fences for hedgehog highways and putting up nest parts of England. Now paths
boxes. The stations include Sunningdale in should be better protected for
Berkshire, Havant in Hampshire, Ashurst in the future generations, even if
New Forest and Brading on the Isle of Wight, which they have fallen off official
is next to the RSPB’s Brading Marsh nature reserve, maps and need to be restored.
a Site of Special Scientific Interest. Take a look if But the fight isn’t over, so get
you’re passing through. involved at ramblers.org.uk.

© Scott Cooper Pure class

© Scott Wilson Software specialist DxO has
announced a new version of
Worldly winners its PureRAW package.

One of the globe’s premier photo competitions, PureRAW 2 improves
versatility and speed, and
the Sony World Photography Awards has announced adds support for Fujifilm
X-Series cameras, but if you
its open category winners for 2022. haven’t tried it, the nature of
the software will be of most
With more than 170,000 images entered, it’s interest. PureRAW lets you
pre-process images from
a huge achievement to win, so congratulations to within Adobe Lightroom and
reduce noise, improve colour
all those who placed – and a special mention to the and refine detail.

UK’s Scott Wilson for his dramatic black & white This opens up older images
shot on older cameras
image of a wild mustang, kicking up dust in or those you might have
discounted due to shooting
north-west Colorado. at higher ISOs.

Winners pick up Sony kit and go on to compete It’ll cost you £115, or £69
if you’re upgrading from
for the Open Photographer of the Year title and the previous version.

a $5,000 prize, announced on 12 April along with Find out more at dxo.com.

the student, youth and professional categories. Eye in the sky

The winners and shortlisted entries are on show Historic England has made
400,000 aerial photos
at Somerset House, London, until 2 May. Find out available online. Using
the organisation’s Aerial
Photography Explorer
tool, people can examine
how landscapes have
changed over 100 years via
an interactive map. Even
more images from Historic
England’s six million-strong
catalogue will be added
over time.

Find out more at
historicengland.org.uk.

more at worldphoto.org.

Outdoor Photography 7

OUT THERE

© Claudio Contreras Koob/naturepl.com of the colonies against the spectacular Decisive Moments:
backdrop of the Ría Lagartos river delta. A guide to the art
BOOKS Across three main chapters, Contreras Koob, of photography
who has a degree in biology, records the Andy Hall
Flamingo flamingos at every stage of their life-cycle. Luath Press
Claudio Contreras Koob Combining a deep subject knowledge and Paperback, £16.99
teNeues an artistic eye, he has produced a superb In his latest book,
Hardback, £35 collection of images that play with colour, Andy Hall looks back at his
Award-winning light, form and movement. 30-year photographic journey and shares the
photographer Claudio lessons he has learned along the way. Based
Contreras Koob has In one respect, the book is a conservation in Stonehaven, north-east Scotland, his eye
spent more than 10 success story; the creation of nature reserves is naturally drawn to the stunning landscapes
years documenting the colourful world of the in Yucatán has led to a huge increase in that surround him, but also featured in Decisive
Caribbean flamingo on the Yucatán Peninsula, flamingo numbers. However, nowhere on Moments are scenic pictures taken further
in his home country of Mexico. His hard work, Earth is immune to the impacts of man’s afield, plus wildlife, portrait and travel shots.
patience and dedication have resulted in a actions, and Flamingo highlights the fragility Drawing on his teaching experience, and
stunning new book that offers an unrivalled of the birds’ environment; Contreras Koob’s exploring artistic elements in his own work,
insight into the lives of these striking birds. pictures play a vital role in showing us what Hall has combined each image with a key
Flamingo contains more than 120 is at stake. learning feature for photographers to reflect
photographs showing the beauty of the on. Topics range from light, composition,
species, from close-ups of their distinctive colour and design, to tips on shooting in
plumage to aerial shots that depict the scale different seasons and weather conditions.
As the book’s title suggests, the importance
© Drew Buckley – Wonders of the Celtic Deep of timing is a key theme throughout.
Clearly written and easy to dip into, Decisive
Moments is full of ideas and musings that will
chime with many photographers.

Wonders of the
Celtic Deep
Graffeg
Hardback, £25
Wonders of the Celtic
Deep is the companion
book to the landmark
BBC natural history documentary of the same
title. Made by One Tribe TV for BBC Cymru,
the four-part series reveals the astonishing
diversity of life above and below the waves
in coastal Wales.
Introduced by the series’ executive producer,
Dale Tempar, the book takes us from Wales’
rugged and exposed coastline to the deep
waters visited by ocean giants. Among the
wildlife highlights are the bottlenose dolphins
of Cardigan Bay, the seabird city of South
Stack, Anglesey, and the Atlantic grey seals
that shelter along Pembrokeshire’s shoreline.
A hidden world is revealed in the shallow waters
surrounding Wales, home to magical kelp
forests and many marine invertebrates and
fish. In the depths, basking sharks, leatherback
turtles and 25m-long fin whales are among the
long-distance travellers that pass through.
Featuring more than 300 images, including
the one shown here by Drew Buckley, the book
is a wonderful portrait of Wales’ marine life and
a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at the
making of a wildlife documentary.
Wonders of the Celtic Deep is available
to watch on BBC iPlayer for a limited period.

8 Outdoor Photography

EDITED BY CLAIRE BLOW

© Alessandro Bergamini/tpoty.com NATURE ON THE BIG SCREEN

EXHIBITIONS Fuel your wanderlust with these three new films that use cutting-edge
cinematography to document some of the wildest places on Earth
Travel Photographer of the Year 2021
Granary Square, London To 31 May venture high into the Tibetan plateau.
Here, they explore one of the last
The winning shots from the latest TPOTY are sanctuaries of the wild world, where rare
currently on show in a free-to-view outdoor and undiscovered animals live. Munier’s
exhibition in Granary Square near King’s mission is to find a snow leopard, one of
Cross and St Pancras stations. Despite the the world’s most elusive creatures.
restrictions on travel of recent times, the
competition attracted some 20,000 images River © Chris Burkard
from 151 countries. Overall winner Fortunato
Gatto takes pride of place in the exhibition River is the second in a trilogy of orchestral
with his painterly images of the sand and
tides in the Scottish Hebrides. concert films that, in the words of director
Turn to page 66 for our TPOTY showcase.
Jennifer Peedom, ‘explore the impact
tpoty.com
of landscape on the human heart’.
International Photography Exhibition 163
RPS Gallery, Bristol To 3 July While Mountain, the first film, focuses

Held every year since 1854, the International on those who seek risk and challenge © Vincent Munier
Photography Exhibition is the world’s longest
running photography show. More than 8,000 in the landscape, River tells a more The Sanctity of Space
images were submitted to the latest edition, Inspired by an 80-year-old image taken
resulting in an impressive collection of work universal story. Featuring state-of-the-art by renowned aerial photographer Brad
spanning all genres. From the shortlist – Washburn, three leading climbers
chosen by a guest panel – 58 photographers cinematography, the film shows the world’s decide to pioneer a route across the
have been selected to exhibit. Themes include most forbidding peaks of Alaska’s
identity, cultural heritage, global societal rivers on a scale and from perspectives Denali mountain range. The film cleverly
issues, gender politics, mental health, the interweaves the highs and lows of the
natural world and the human condition. never seen before. Made in collaboration climbers’ adventure with the story of
Washburn’s amazing career.
rps.org with the Australian Chamber Orchestra,
River and The Sanctity of Space
the stunning visuals are enhanced by an are available to watch on demand
(£9.99 each) at watch.dogwoof.com
extraordinary soundtrack.

The Velvet Queen
Coming to UK and Irish cinemas from
29 April, The Velvet Queen follows
acclaimed wildlife photographer Vincent
Munier and writer Sylvain Tesson as they

The Mooses Tooth, Alaska

© Tamary Kudita

Outdoor Photography 9

Glow or Fade, from Windows From Walls

In conversation with

Linda Bembridge

Abstract photographer Linda Bembridge has entered a ‘second phase’ in which
her image making is dictated by one manifesto objective: ‘If I enjoy it, I do it.’

Interview by Nick Smith

10 Outdoor Photography

A ll the photographs that Waterfall of Ocean Light, from Windows From Walls
accompany these words are from Ice panes of Light, from Windows From Walls
Phase 2 of Linda Bembridge’s
career as an image maker. She
hasn’t supplied any from Phase 1, not
even for comparative purposes. Anyone
interested in being reminded of what her
previous output was like will need to dig
out their copies of Outdoor Photography
from five years ago. She hasn’t abandoned
these earlier works, which she still regards
as ‘foundational’. She hasn’t crossed the
Rubicon or burned her bridges. It’s just
time to move on, to react to a change of
circumstance and allow an evolving sense
of abstract exploration to enter the work.

Five years ago, I described her successful
Phase 1 creative output as having an
‘instantly recognisable style’ that cast
its light on ‘spellbinding blurry images
of the natural world’. When it comes
to her Phase 2 images, there is splendid
originality and self-expression. Abstract
and sumptuous, her new photographs are
the work of an artist that’s gone up a gear.

And yet, there are moments during our
interview when Bembridge is reluctant to
use the word ‘photographer’ when referring
to herself. ‘I’m a full-time creative…
whatever,’ she says in a matter-of-fact tone
that seems at odds with the vagueness of
her statement. She explains her hesitation:
‘It’s because I tend to spend an awful lot of
time working on images that started off as
photographs. I do a lot of printing. I treat
the photograph as the start of another
series of creative activities. For example,
I will embellish all of my prints. Whether
you’d classify that as photography is a
question. But the process is critical to me.’

When pushed, she reveals that she
devotes far more time to printing than
pressing the shutter. Added to which,
entering a debate on what constitutes
photography, what its boundaries are and
where we draw lines in the sand, ‘just
doesn’t interest me at all. If I enjoy it, I do it.’

The emotional engagement with pleasure
is something that features prominently
in Linda’s discussion of her second phase
of photography. To set the scene of what
life was like before, she recalls a long
narrative of a high-pressure international
career as a consultant in which there was
nothing remarkable in taking as many
as 40 long-haul flights in a year. It was a
time when she had no money, lost contact
with friends, had no time to herself:
‘And you can’t live like that for long.’

After four years of existing in the
corporate meat grinder, ‘I decided I couldn’t
do this anymore. You keep going, keep
going, keep going. And then when it stops,
you realise you are done. It all stopped

Outdoor Photography 11

Leaf Chimes, from Effervescence abruptly and then we went straight into
lockdown. During the first lockdown, I
Splashing, from Effervescence just rested. I had a fridge that had stuff in
it. I slept in my own bed. It was a chance
12 Outdoor Photography to rest and recover and reset. I’d done no
photography for three or four years. I’d put
the camera away and I didn’t have a clue
what to do next. I’d not done anything
creative for years. I hadn’t even read a novel.’

This extraordinary sequence is now over,
and Linda reflects ruefully on how she
‘resembles a normal human being again,
going out for a walk with my dog, messing
about in nature, doing something real.
I love that.’ But it has also meant that when
she picked up her camera again after such
a long hiatus, she ‘didn’t want to do what I
was doing before. Whatever Phase 1 was, I
knew that I didn’t want to revisit it. So, the
main difference, the main trigger point,
between Phase 1 and Phase 2, is time.’

Another differentiating factor is
maturity: ‘Phase 1 was really all about
me learning the craft. I was much more
focused on landscape and as I look back
on that, I try to understand the threads,
try to tease the threads out. They are
joined, but it’s not easy to understand
where they are joined. It’s like looking at
a rope. I recently listened to Paul Kenny
describing his creative journey and he
describes it this way. The rope starts out
quite small and you add threads to it
over time. Some of these threads will run
through everything you do, even as you
move through phases of your photography,
and remain consistent. I’ve been trying to
reflect on what those consistencies are.’

One conclusion that Linda has reached
is that towards the end of Phase 1, she was
simplifying her landscapes and ‘changing
them so that they had more feeling to
them’. She thinks that these images were
heading in the abstract direction, ‘but
they weren’t completely abstract. They
were still representational, even though
I was messing about with them, trying
to make it all seem a bit more creative.
When I look back, I can see that I’m
building on those images even today.’

Only now there’s more emphasis on
colour as a component of the image rather
than a side-effect of it. ‘I love working with
colour’ says Bembridge, who describes her
range as being ‘from muted to bonkers’.
Colour is increasingly becoming ‘something
that I’ve got to get out of me; colours that
you won’t necessarily find in the landscape.
That’s me adding them in or pulling
them out. It’s not easy to put this in exact
words, but when I look back to the end of
Phase 1, I can see the start of a change.’

It might be something to do with how the
outside world perceives photographers, or

Silent Tumble, from Effervescence

it could be related to the status psychology and a truly frightening, if not very specific, have one camera and one lens and that’s
of the competitive business world that Linda ‘great big bag of stuff’. She describes how it. I did all that while I was still working,
has left behind, but another difference she’d be bent double trying to carry it all, because I knew then that when I got back
between the two phases is that ‘I used to before deciding that enough was enough: to my photography, I’d not want to get back
have so much kit, I could hardly carry it’. She ‘I sold it all. All of it. Absolutely everything. to all that kit. It just weighs you down.’
recalls lugging around enormous tripods I gave away what I couldn’t sell, and I now
While getting rid of the gear has been a

Outdoor Photography 13

Tune the Strings, from Believe

Beating Belief, from Believe Opposite Brightness Learned, from Believe

14 Outdoor Photography

Outdoor Photography 15

Gates of Pearl, from Forest of Iron Lines creatively liberating experience for Linda,
she’s pragmatic about her divestment. And
Glimmering Starlight, from Forest of Iron Lines although she doesn’t explicitly say so, she
drops more than a hint that when you do
16 Outdoor Photography as much post-processing as she gets up
to, factors such as the sharpness of your
original image are barely relevant. She’s
more interested in whether her machine
can perform in-camera multiple-exposure
blending. ‘So, why do I need a tripod and
super-sharp lenses? What’s the point?’ she
wonders rhetorically, before answering
her own question by stating that one of
the biggest drawbacks of having so much
kit in the past was that ‘there were times
when I couldn’t be bothered to go out
because I had to take all that stuff with
me. Now, my one camera fits in a little
bag and goes everywhere with me.’

At this juncture, Linda reminisces
on a field trip to the Lakes with some
other photographers who looked at her
single camera with a quizzical eye. One
commented on her bravery in using a
‘pared back’ rig for the day. She replied:
‘This isn’t pared back. This is it.’

The million-dollar question for Linda
has nothing to do with kit, or even the
absorbing issue of what phase of her
creative journey she’s currently inhabiting.
For her, it’s all about recognising the
moments in time from which we can all
look back – ‘And you probably only have
three or four of them in your entire life’ –
and say that something has changed forever.

One such pivotal moment for Linda set
her on the path to her distinctive way of
presenting the world as she sees it. ‘I was
standing in front of a dirty old wall in
Morocco in a market. I love windows, but
I’m not so keen on doors. Any tatty old
window will do. I can stand in front of it
for hours faffing around with the camera.
I love them for their own sake, but I also
love them for their metaphor: look through,
look out, change your perspective. I was
messing about, just hanging around waiting
for people with half an hour to kill.’

This was the decisive instant Bembridge
discovered that white balance can be
changed part way through a multiple
exposure. She found a combination (that
she can now repeat at will), and the die
was cast. ‘Because of this combination,
I was getting bright pinks, bright yellows,
blues… all these colours that were not
there when I was looking at this window
with my eyes. And I’m thinking: where
have all these colours come from? And
I thought: if I can do this with a camera,
I’m up and running.’ Welcome to Phase 2.

To see more of Linda’s photography,
visit lindabembridge.me

Retrace, from The Shadow Glows

Under The Rain, from The Shadow Glows The White Moon, from The Shadow Glows

Outdoor Photography 17

ONE MONTH, ONE PICTURE

How you feel about tripods may be the key to discovering what kind of photographer you are, and how this mindset
influences your workflow, particularly if your personal Holy Grail is originality, suggests Pete Bridgwood

When it comes to iconic locations, huge satisfaction in selecting the optimal are those with the ability to step into either
photographers generally fall into one of view, then sometimes spending hours camp as the location and situation dictates.
two camps. If, like me, you enjoy creating rendering and cloning the edit to create an
dramatic standalone images, you’ll adore appropriately exaggerated dreamscape. The Those of us with static workflows have a
epic locations. Places like Callanish are time spent in the digital darkroom is of equal huge amount to learn by adopting a handheld
iconic for good reasons, because they offer importance to the time spent on location. approach. One advantage is that it encourages
the possibility of combining dramatic or the creation of themed photographic series,
beautiful main subjects with complementary Photographers in the alternative camp and this requires a completely different
backdrops. We can spend hours drinking in may baulk at this single-minded strategy. mindset. Similarly, those with a dislike for
the atmosphere, obsessing over our viewpoint They’ll likely favour handholding over tripods might benefit from experimenting
and its juxtapositions, then mount the tripod-based workflows and enjoy using their with a more focused workflow.
camera to the tripod, slowly gear up and legs to explore their location; moving from
down, left and right, fine-tuning our framing one viewpoint to the next, photographing The most famous locations may have been
as we witness a series of potentially perfect innumerable different views, rather than photographed thousands of times, but it’s
ephemeral moments. Click, click, click. ‘boringly’ standing in the same place. precisely for this reason that they present
such a challenge for those wishing to create
By the time the light fades, we’ll have They might liken my intense approach something original. Whichever camp we sit
enjoyed a wonderful interaction: Callanish, to watching paint dry, and their Lightroom in, pushing ourselves to try an alternative
done. My Lightroom grid usually displays grid will display a cornucopia of imagery full approach is always a fabulous way of
dozens of instances of the same view, with of variety and change. For photographers invigorating creativity.
slowly changing dynamic elements. As I in this camp, the best-known locations are
cycle through the images, the cloudscape best avoided; why photograph a subject that’s Callanish I, Lewis, Outer Hebrides
intensifies and then deteriorates, and I find been done to death by the world and his dog? Fujifilm X-T2 with XF14mm f/2.8 R lens,
ISO 200, 0.7sec at f/11, 2-stop ND grad
Perhaps the most successful photographers

18 Outdoor Photography



SEEING SILENCE

20 Outdoor Photography

The sound
(and sight)
of silence

With mechanical noise infiltrating
the solitude of even the most
remote of places, genuine quietness
is becoming increasingly hard to
find, as Pete McBride knows only
too well. He talks to Graeme Green
about silence, exploring Everest
and the Grand Canyon, and using
his work to protect wild places

P ete McBride has spent two decades
exploring the world’s remote wild
places. Originally from Colorado,
the self-taught photographer,
filmmaker and author has travelled on
assignment to over 75 countries, from Kenya
to Chile to Antarctica, for organisations
including the National Geographic Society,
Smithsonian and Google. For one Nat Geo
assignment, he hiked the entire length of
the Grand Canyon National Park – over
800 miles – without a trail. The expedition
also became a book and feature-length
documentary, Into the Grand Canyon, which
earned an Emmy nomination and won Best
Feature at the Banff Mountain Film Festival.
Clearly a man prepared to go to great
lengths, McBride has also travelled India’s
sacred Ganges River from source to sea.
But it isn’t just images that have stayed
with him from his adventures. Noises and
sounds have also had a lasting impact,
specifically the sound of silence. His new
book, Seeing Silence, collects together images
and stories from remote places where he’s
experienced an absence of human-made
machinery and noise, including places where
the silence might not last much longer.

Outdoor Photography 21

SEEING SILENCE

Graeme Green: How do you go about GG: So, 20 years in, you’re realising PMB: Yes. There’s data that backs that
capturing silence in a photo? you’re in the wrong job and should up. There are people who record natural
Pete McBride: For me, it’s about trying have been a sound engineer rather than soundscapes for museums or Hollywood.
to capture a beautiful and unique image, a photographer? These experts I interviewed said they used
something that holds our attention and PMB: Perhaps, perhaps. I’m just finally to define wilderness in North America as
that resonates with stillness and humility figuring that out. Honestly, it’s a fun mix of 15 minutes of uninterrupted natural sound.
and awe for the natural world. My book two mediums. I make documentary films, Now, it’s hard to find places where it’s more
is about silence, but really, it’s about and half of any documentary film is audio. than five minutes.
places without mechanical noise, which With photography, you need to not forget
doesn’t mean they’re without sounds. I’m there’s this other ‘landscape’ that can trigger Grand Canyon has deep magical silence,
highlighting remote places in the world that emotion, which you can also try to capture. but on the western side, there’s a huge
aren’t totally changed yet by the mechanical air tour industry with many helicopters.
noise we’ve blanketed the planet with. It’s an interesting question: if we go out Sounds travel, especially in canyon country.
There’s definitely an element of mood and and try to see these amazing landscapes, in When you have 400 flights a day in a
a quieting of the mind, and images that are England, Africa or North America, but we’re national park, which is meant to operate
calming. But there are some shots in the filling them full of noise and boom boxes like a wilderness area, it’s not quiet.
book capturing wildlife in action, in places and machinery, are they still the same place?
like Kenya and Antarctica. A lot of wildlife on the planet communicates GG: Has Western culture lost the ability
or ‘sees’ through hearing – marine life, to quiet our minds? And what impact do
I’ve worked in many remote parts of for example, like orca or humpback, see you think the absence of quiet has on us?
the planet. We live in a world saturated through their audio. If we don’t protect that, PMB: We’ve very much lost it. We have
with images, so it’s sometimes easy for we’re changing those places. a hard time being quiet. We get awkward
our images to get lost in the shuffle. But I because we’ve got so used to having noises
remember the sounds: What does a penguin It’s also affecting us. We lived and all the time. In my life, I couldn’t work or
sound like when it’s swimming next to your survived for thousands of years depending write at times without background noise.
kayak? What does a lion sound like chasing on our hearing, not just sight, but we’ve kind Some people can’t sleep without noise.
prey through a river? The sounds I’ve heard of forgotten the hearing element.
on assignments have often lingered longer They’ve done studies on it, and medically
than the imagery. GG: Are silent places becoming it has a huge impact on us. It clutters
harder to find? our thinking process. It makes us more

22 Outdoor Photography

edgy. It affects our sleep, and it has longer and Star Wars-like sounds all night long. Everyone thinks it’s a desert, but it’s 6,000ft
term ramifications. They say it’s linked We got caught in an avalanche, but deep, 277 river miles long, but with a lot of
to Alzheimer’s and that silence can help zigs and zags, and 18 miles wide, so there’s
slow the process of dementia. There’s also thankfully it didn’t kill us, as they’d made a lot of change across it.
stress and high blood pressure – silence is the route go into protective crevasses.
a soothing tonic. We’ve created a frenzied, The magic to the Sherpas’ work isn’t just I walked 800 miles through it, initially
busy world that’s full of noise. The ‘blue working out how to get through the ice, but to tell a story for Nat Geo. I wanted to do
zone countries’, which have longevity and listening to the ice, which tells them what is the Grand Canyon in a different way, as the
health, usually have moments of peace and safe and what is fragile. Grand Canyon has been photographed a lot.
quiet in their lives, as well as a healthy diet. At the time, more people had stood on the
Silence has an effect. We need to consciously GG: What’s it like up on Everest? surface on the moon than had walked end-
think about it and embrace it better. PMB: There’s another spot on Mount Everest to-end inside the Grand Canyon. There’s no
called the Valley of Silence. Once you get trail, so it’s very complicated. You have to
GG: Some places are quiet because they’re above the chaotic icefall, there are moments find water and find your route.
inhospitable to humans – what’s the most of vacuous silence. The wind might pick up
inhospitable place you’ve ever been? and you hear that, but there are moments The impetus was to write a story about
PMB: I’ve been in a few. I was caught when you feel like you’re in another world. protecting it. We need to pay attention to
on the flanks of Mount Everest at about It’s magical. If you can get your breathing how quickly these places are changing. The
20,000ft, which is not the friendliest place. under control for a second, so you don’t hear Grand Canyon is symbolic of many famous
That’s pretty scary. On Everest, there’s a yourself panting, it’s beautiful. wild places on our planet that are under a
place called the Khumbu Icefall, a sort of lot of pressure, either because they’re loved
frozen waterfall. It’s the main route up GG: What made you want to walk to death by commercial tourism or from
the south side of Everest. I was there to the entire Grand Canyon? resource extraction.
document the Sherpa who built that route. PMB: I saw that the place was under
This place has incredible hostility and commercial threats to change. It’s one of GG: What impact did that Grand Canyon
incredible beauty. They call it the Khumbu our most iconic national parks. It’s one of expedition have on you?
lullaby because as you’re sleeping at the base the only canyons you can see clearly from PMB: Silence was one of the greatest
of this glacier you hear creaks and moans space. It has a lot of archaeological history, takeaways, and seeing the night skies. Also,
geological history, and huge biodiversity. understanding and being more connected to
the native indigenous voices that live down

Outdoor Photography 23

24 Outdoor Photography

Outdoor Photography 25

SEEING SILENCE

in this area. There are 11 Native American GG: Is it important to you to use your place. We all just need to get out and
tribes that call that place home. work to help protect wild places? take a minute in silence and appreciate
PMB: It is. I’ve been very lucky to see all it because it’s spectacular.
I took 100,000 photographs, I did a seven continents, but I realise just how
documentary and a book, but the greatest quickly so many places are changing. For more, see petemcbride.com
takeaway for me was the silence. There were I grew up in Colorado. The headwaters and instagram.com/pedromcbride.
moments where it was so deeply quiet. I woke of the Colorado River flow through seven
up to the sound of bat wings over my head states and into Mexico. It ran to the sea Seeing Silence: The Beauty of the World’s
in the morning – that was my alarm clock. for six million years, but it dried up Most Quiet Places by Pete McBride, with
and doesn’t reach the ocean now. That a foreword by Bill McKibben, is out now
GG: What’s next for you in 2022? happened in my lifetime. There’s now (Rizzoli, £22.95). rizzoliusa.com.
PMB: I’m working on another film, bringing a paved road to the back side of Mount The Grand Canyon: Between River
native voices back to endurance sport and Everest. There’s a proposal to build a and Rim (Rizzoli, £40) is also available.
looking at transcendentalism through road through the Serengeti.
physical challenge. And I have just finished
a short film on the Gila River, which is part We need to find our way back to being
of the Gila wilderness, – America’s first more connected and to having more
wilderness area – in New Mexico. There’s reverence for our home, this big blue
a proposal to protect 424 miles of it as wild planet we share. All these tech gadgets
and scenic. I did a journey in a pack raft to and screens we’re addicted to won’t do
bring in local voices on why they want to much if what we’re sitting on is dying
protect this place. underneath us. It’s still such a beautiful

26 Outdoor Photography

Do you want to advertise OUTDOOR PHOTOGRAPHY
in the definitive guide to BINDERS
Outdoor Photography?
Keep your magazine
Call now on collection in order
01273 402855 with this stylish and
Or email durable binder
[email protected] Holds a year’s worth
of issues

£8.99

(PLUS P+P)

Visit gmcsubscriptions.com/binders
or call +44 (0) 1273 488005

LIE OF THE LAND

28 Outdoor Photography

The joys

of summer

Wild camping presents the landscape
enthusiast with some wonderful
opportunities, says Martin Birks

S ummer seems to be an
unfashionable time for landscape
photography, but for me it’s one of
the most uplifting seasons to get
outdoors and enjoy taking pictures. At this
time of year the landscape is full of life – the
trees are vibrant greens, birds are singing,
there are wildflowers in the fields, the
weather should be relatively warm and there
are plenty of daylight hours to go exploring.

While there’s a lot going for spring and
summer, early sunrises and late sunsets
can be hard work, but I’ve discovered
there’s a knack to shooting at this time of
year. Shooting at midday can work very
effectively on a day of sunshine and showers;
spotlighting effects from a strong sun poking
through clouds can allow for fantastically
dramatic photography conditions.

As good as this can be, I still enjoy golden-
hour photography and at this time of year, as
the gaps between sunset and sunrise are so
short, it makes perfect sense to head off for
an evening shoot, stay out all night and catch
a sunrise too.

I like to head to one of the national
parks and wild camp at or near my chosen
photography spot. You get more bang for
your buck this way, with two golden hours
in quick succession, and the early wake-up
call can be something to relish, as you can
be photographing within seconds of getting
up rather than having to make a long early
morning drive.

Some highlights of doing this have been
capturing colourful sunsets in the Yorkshire
Dales, sleeping under the stars in the Peak
District and waking up above a sea of fog in
the Lake District. This approach really allows
you to get to know a place and its wildlife,
and if you can’t sleep, you can easily shoot
through the night for astro pictures.

The image here was taken on a warm,
sunny June evening in the White Peak. Apart
from a friend shooting nearby, there were
only the local sheep and the birds around for
company. It was an incredibly relaxing way
to spend the evening, just waiting for the
light and listening to the sounds of summer.
I spent the night in the hills nearby and woke
up to a misty sunrise. I can’t wait for more
of this in the next few months.

Outdoor Photography 29

Making the most of reflections

Water features are present in many of the locations that we visit and reflections on the water surfaces
frequently catch our attention. Richard Garvey-Williams considers how we can incorporate
them into our photographs in a meaningful and positive way

them into our photographs in a meaningful and positive way
frequently catch our attention. Richard Garvey-Williams considers how we can incorporate
Water features are present in many of the locations that we visit and reflections on the water surfaces

30 Outdoor Photography

LEARNING ZONE
LEARNING ZONE

When you witness a young dog seeing
itself in a mirror for the first time, it makes
you appreciate the emotive impact that a
reflection can have. In the natural world, the
predominant reflector is, of course, water.
This is a significant feature in many habitats
that we, as outdoor photographers, explore
and the reflections that it harbours naturally
tend to catch our attention. Consciously
including them in our compositions,
perhaps with a degree of creative intent, can
lead to highly impactful imagery.

So, it is worth making a point of scanning
the surface of any aquatic features that we
pass on our meanderings, to see if there are
any creatures or landscape features being
reflected nicely or if there are any patterns
or colours on the water surface that draw us
in. It is then a case of considering how we
want to ‘reflect’ what is before us in the
form of a photograph.

Opposite A puddle on a track leading up into the
Taygetos mountain range in Greece acted as an

excellent mirror in this instance, with the track

naturally leading us on to the mountains beyond.

Canon EOS 5DS with 24-105mm lens at 65mm,

ISO 100, 1/13sec at f/18, tripod

CONDITIONS Particularly in the field of wildlife Above The reflection of the sky at sunset on
photography, when your subject is relatively this waterhole in Etosha National Park in
AND LIGHTING nearby, supplementary lighting can also Namibia provided this wonderful backdrop
work well. As the water and reflections are for the silhouettes of the elephant on the near
For clear, defined reflections, still and going to be nearer the camera, there is a side and the reflections of the giraffes and
relatively clean water surfaces are generally risk that it will end up being relatively overlit. springbok on the far side.
needed. However, flowing or rippled water However, if using on-camera flash, you Canon EOS 5D with 100-400mm lens at
can also provide for some interesting may have to look for a way to channel the 400mm, ISO 250, 1/160sec at f/16, tripod
reflections by breaking them up or distorting
them to create some alluring or pleasing A drinker moth settled on our bathroom mirror.
patterns. You may even choose to zoom in Canon EOS 5D with 105mm macro lens, ISO 100, 1/80sec at f/32, camera-mounted flashgun
on part of the reflection itself to provide a
relatively abstract representation or simply
to reveal a pattern.

Regarding light direction, midday sunlight
coming straight down on to the subject
may be a bit limiting, but front, back and
side lighting can all work in their own ways.
To reveal all the details in the face of an
animal drinking at a waterhole, soft front
lighting may yield the best results. Side
lighting will typically reveal more texture and
form in both the subject or landscape and
its reflection below, while angled lighting
coming in from behind can also provide
stark images with shadows of your subject
matter being conveyed on to the otherwise
illuminated, glowing water surface. This in
effect reveals a silhouette of features on the
shore. So, if you’re positioning yourself or
setting up a hide in anticipation of catching
images that you have in mind, it will be
important to take all this into account.

Outdoor Photography 31

LEARNING ZONE light so it only illuminates the animal itself
and not the water. Carefully positioning
32 Outdoor Photography a flashgun nearer to where the subject is
likely to appear and then firing it remotely
when it arrives may also work, but it would
be important that the flashgun itself can’t
appear in the reflection.

Interestingly, in the accompanying image
of the moth settled on a bathroom mirror,
I simply used an on-camera flashgun.
Because I was positioned slightly to the
side, the flashgun didn’t appear in the
reflection and the light clearly bounced
off the mirror and lit the underside of the
moth nicely, producing a well-lit reflection.
However, presumably because the moth’s
upper wing surfaces were angled slightly
downwards and away from me and the
light from the flashgun was coming from
above the macro lens used, its upper
wing surfaces weren’t affected too much.
Fortunately, it all came together nicely.

COMPOSITIONAL

CONSIDERATIONS

One possibility when incorporating a
reflection into an image is to keep things
simple by keeping the focus solely on our
subject and its reflection. In this approach,
there are only two key elements to include
and the message conveyed tends to be
largely about the relationship between them.
So, naturally it makes sense to allocate
about half the frame to each element.

Putting our subject off-centre
generally encourages the viewer to look
for relationships between our subject
and any other features present, in this
case the reflection that is almost as
dominant. We may even choose to allow
the horizontal dividing line between the
two elements to precisely divide the
frame into two halves – a ploy that would
normally be taboo. Yet the inherent
simplicity, symmetry and balance in this
type of image often works very well.

Left (top) The dark background further
simplifies this image of a mandarin
duck. Allocating half the frame to the
reflection worked well.
Canon EOS 5D with 100-400mm lens
at 360mm, ISO 1600, 1/320sec at f/7.1

Left (below) Half the frame was given to the
tufted duck and half to its reflection in
this very simple portrayal.
Canon EOS 7D with 100-400mm lens at
400mm, ISO 400, 1/500sec at f/6.3, monopod

LEARNING ZONE

Above The arrival of the two jackals and their
inclusion in the frame was rather fortuitous in
this shot of a giraffe and two zebras quenching
their thirst at a waterhole in Namibia.
Canon EOS 5D with 100-400mm lens at
360mm, ISO 320, 1/320sec at f/10, monopod

However, there are also situations where
we wish to include other key features in
the surroundings. Here, we’ll probably be
tending to zoom out a little, and to shift the
subject and its reflection in one direction
or another to create a pleasing sense of
balance, or to fit in with lines or other graphic
features in the image that may encourage
the eye to follow a particular path or to
perceive a message that we wish to convey.

By experimenting with various viewpoints,
we can decide where to position ourselves
and then fine-tune to get the optimal
position by moving our camera up and down
and to each side. The amount of the frame
taken up by the reflection will be particularly
affected by vertical adjustments in our
position. Precision in terms of our positioning
is often of paramount importance.

Right I chose to include parts of the boats
and fishing tackle to relay some context to
this image, which is really about the
wonderful reflections in the water.
Canon EOS 5D MkIII with 24-105mm lens
at 105mm, ISO 250, 1/100sec at f/14

Outdoor Photography 33

Top The ripples on this lake surface provided for some pleasing swirls of branches, leaves EXERCISING
and sky in this relatively abstract rendition.
Canon EOS 7D with 100-400mm lens at 115mm, ISO 400, 1/100sec at f/5.6, monopod YOUR CREATIVITY

34 Outdoor Photography When water surfaces are disturbed or
flowing, the shutter speeds we use will
influence the clarity of the reflection and
how it is rendered. So, particularly when we
are looking for a more abstract depiction,
it can be worth experimenting with some
slower shutter speeds. It can also be worth
taking a series of photographs, as each will
be very different due to the motion of the
water surface and the consequent changes
in the distortions of the reflection.

Aperture selection and the resulting depth
of field is another important consideration.
Generally, we’ll be wanting to keep our
subject matter and the water surface
bearing the reflection in focus. However,
we may choose to reduce the depth of field
on occasion to provide for more blurring
of background and foreground surroundings
and perhaps direct the interest of the viewer
to a part of the reflection.

If you have zoomed in on patterns in
a reflection on rippling water, obtaining
precise focus using autofocus can be a
challenge due to the constant changes and
absence of clearly defined edges. Here, it
may be worth switching to manual focus.

MAKING USE OF FILTERS

Polarising filters are generally used to
reduce reflection and glare on water and
leaf surfaces, so one would think they would
reduce the impact of reflections. However,
in my experience, particularly when light
is coming in from the side, they can still
frequently have a positive effect both on
the subject and its reflection. This is no
doubt largely due to them cutting out the
surplus, unwanted glare. With a circular
polariser, you can always experiment with
degrees of its effect by rotating the filter.

With still subject matter and very disturbed
water, using a tripod and a neutral-
density filter to enable a long exposure
can sometimes lead to some interesting,
slightly soft and surreal reflections.

A hard neutral-density graduated filter
is also worth considering on occasion to
slightly darken the physical subject matter
in the upper part of an image to bring its
luminosity closer to the naturally darker water
and reflections below. This again can serve
to support the perception of the similarity
of a reflection with what it is reflecting.

Left I experimented with a few shutter speeds
to find one that worked well to suggest the
flow of the River Dart in Devon and yet retain
a measure of clarity in the reflections.
Canon EOS 5DS with 24-105mm lens at
67mm, ISO 100, 1/2sec at f/13, tripod

LEARLNEIANRGNZINOGNEZONE

10 TIPS FOR Above A polarising filter worked well for this image taken on the river passing through
St Antonin in southern France.
REFLECTION Canon EOS 5D with 24-105mm lens at 28mm, ISO 250, 1/40sec at f/11, polariser

SUCCESS POST-PROCESSING as the tones in the water may appear a little
cooler than the land and sky above.
1 Think about light direction and time It is often appropriate to apply some subtle
your visits to locations to improve processing locally to the reflection in order to However, let me caution against over-
your chances of success in this regard. enhance it a little to draw attention to it and processing here. We don’t want to end up
There is often less wind early in the perhaps support the message of its similarity with one of those stark, unnatural images
mornings, ensuring clearer reflections. to the feature it is reflecting. In Lightroom, where the reflection is actually more defined,
for example, it may be appropriate to lighter and with more contrast and colour
2 Tides are also worth considering experiment with contrast and saturation than the subject it is reflecting.
for coastal shoots. Rock pools by applying a series of mild adjustments
at low tide or expanses of smooth, to that area using the adjustment brush. In Of course, water surfaces often bear
wet sand left as the tide goes out Photoshop, using a curves adjustment layer floating material fragments that can distract
can provide great reflectors. often works well, with the accompanying from the reflections, so a little cleaning up
layer mask being used to apply the may also help. If you might go on to consider
3 Autumn can be great for lakes adjustment in a controlled way just to the entering the photo in a competition, perhaps
and rivers, with the autumn reflection area. Colour balance may be stall on this until you have checked if this is
colours also giving added impact something to take into consideration too, an acceptable alteration.
to the reflections. However, it’s also
worth noting that at certain times
of year there may be more debris
or algae in the water.

4 Take time to think about what
you are intending to express or
reveal through the photograph. You
can then adopt an appropriate strategy
to support and emphasise this.

5 Keep things simple and try to
avoid including anything that
serves to distract from the reflection.

6 Small changes in your viewpoint
can often make a big difference,
both compositionally and also in the
clarity and impact of the reflection. Take
your time to experiment with different
heights and positions.

7 Always study the detail in the
reflection and consider zooming
in on the reflection itself or even
just parts of it.

8 Look out for other potential
reflectors, man-made or natural,
such as mirrors, glass, ice, shells
or eyes.

9 With moving subjects or water,
be prepared to take a series of
shots so you can choose the one
that works best.

10As always, patience is often
rewarded. The wind may drop,
providing a clear reflection, or a passing
boat may generate some disturbance in
the water, generating pleasing patterns.

Right This springbok clearly needed to cool
off while quenching its thirst at the end of a
hot day in Namibia. I waited until it ventured
out a little and turned side on.
Canon EOS 7D with 500mm lens,
ISO 320, 1/250sec at f/11, tripod

Outdoor Photography 35

LEARNING ZONE

A wild spring

As unpredictable as the natural world can be, one thing is guaranteed: spring means an exciting
new cast list of fascinating flora and fauna. Simon Roy recalls his favourite seasonal
encounters and offers some invaluable fieldcraft insight

I always look forward to the arrival of spring. my camera, drawing upon instincts and Above A lovely little wren (Troglodytes
As nature rouses from a dormant winter, the fieldcraft gained in previous years. Rising troglodytes), singing from dead bracken
monotone veil is lifted and gradually green early is essential if you want to witness the in a meadow of bluebells.
shoots of new life push through. For me, best of a spring day, to walk by a river where Canon 7D MkII, 500mm f/4L IS II USM lens,
this is a time of opportunity, a chance only the dipper has been, or stand alone in a ISO 500, 1/320sec at f/5, tripod, scrim net
to rekindle old projects and begin new woodland with the sound of a dawn chorus
ones, or to just get out and explore with and the scent of growing things.

36 Outdoor Photography

LEARNING ZONE

PLANNING AHEAD

My spring campaign often begins during
winter when I can no longer feel my toes.
I find myself looking forward to warmer days
and quite often spring projects are conceived
before Christmas. Obviously, wildlife is quite
unpredictable, so I’m not suggesting it is
possible to plan every detail, but starting early
and thinking ahead will result in better images.

A few years ago I was granted permission
to photograph a pair of little owls that nested
in an old oak tree on farmland not far from
home. During the winter, so as not to disturb
the birds’ courtship, I spent several very
chilly days constructing a small shed and
converting it into a snug hide. This was
located near to the nest tree in a narrow
meadow between a hawthorn hedge and
a field of newly sown barley.

I positioned some natural perches in front of
the hide, knowing the area was often carpeted
in buttercups by late May. When I returned
in spring, it was clear the owls had accepted
the hide and were using the perches. As I had
hoped, the meadow was soon full of flowers
and my preparation was rewarded when the
handsome male bird dropped in, looking
back at me with those bright yellow eyes.

EARLY SPRING A wild male little owl (Athene noctua) perched in a meadow of buttercups.
Canon 5D MkIII, 500mm f/4L IS II USM lens, ISO 320, 1/160sec at f/5.6, tripod, scrim net
Spring is a very dynamic season and I like
to have several projects planned in. I might, A dipper (Cinclus cinclus) resting on a rock in a small river.
for example, be hoping to revisit a favourite Shot using a slow shutter speed to create motion blur in the water.
location or feel there is unfinished business Canon 90D, 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens, ISO 100, 1/20sec at f/5.6, tripod, scrim net
with a particular subject, but also I could be
aiming to start a completely new campaign.
Working in this way allows me to keep my
options open and I have a back-up plan if
one of the ideas is unproductive.

In March and April I can often be found
lying on the rocks beside a small river,
hoping to see a white-throated dipper.
This aquatic songbird is one of my favourite
species and has a preference for clean,
fast-flowing water. Typically, these locations
are beautifully wild wooded valleys that are
best visited in early spring before the trees
put on their summer coats.

Last year I discovered a new dipper site,
a small upland river running under a pretty
arched bridge. The birds were quite active
in the area and regularly hunted the rapids
just downstream. On one occasion, the water
level had dropped and I was able to shoot
from a sandbank directly below the bridge.
A dipper soon appeared, landing on a rock
in front of me where it preened momentarily
and then rested with one of its legs raised.
The bird was stood still, in a kind of sleepy
trance, so I used a longer exposure to
create some motion blur in the water.

Outdoor Photography 37

LATE SPRING to find them. Butterflies are cold-blooded as you can arrive early and find the best
and rely on thermal energy to heat their flight specimens, but searching for these little
Spring is a season that starts as a whisper muscles, so the best time to photograph creatures in the half-light before sunrise is
then suddenly bursts into song, and by late them is during cooler periods at the not an easy task, even when you know where
May the world is brimming with blooming beginning and end of the day. they are. Try to find an area where butterflies
flowers and buzzing insects. Now, as the are active in the evening and fine weather is
temperature rises, butterflies emerge, and I have found morning to be more productive, forecast for the following day. Cooler nights
they make a great subject if you know how between warm days seem to be optimal
and can also result in dew forming on the
surrounding vegetation.

For close-up images, you will need a macro
lens, but I prefer to shoot with some space in
the frame using a longer focal length and wide
aperture to isolate the main elements. As with
most wildlife photography, you should be at
the subject’s eye level and try to ensure your
camera’s sensor is parallel to the butterfly’s
wings. In this situation, I always mount my
gear on a tripod and will often use a remote
release or self-timer to reduce vibrations.

Left Common blue butterflies
(Polyommatus icarus) in a wildflower
meadow backlit by the rising sun.
Canon 5D MkIII, 300mm f/4L IS USM lens,
ISO 200, 1/1000sec at f/4.5, tripod

CAPTURE MOMENTS One of my favourite behavioural moments of me. A short time later, another youngster
occurred in late April a few years ago, while appeared, possibly a sibling, and they
If you really want to elevate your photography, photographing juvenile rabbits at the edge of nestled together against the evening chill.
try to capture moments rather than just a grassy meadow. I had been in position for
pictures. Spring has all the ingredients you about an hour, lying behind my gear, which Below Juvenile rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus)
need to make dramatic, highly commercial was concealed beneath a camouflaged scrim resting in a wild meadow among nettles.
wildlife images: territorial battles, net. Suddenly, one of the kits hopped out and Canon 7D MkII, 500mm f/4L IS II USM lens,
courtship displays, sibling rivalries, family sat among the spring foliage directly in front ISO 400, 1/160sec at f/5, tripod, scrim net
relationships, parenthood, predation, birth,
death, love, aggression and affection.

38 Outdoor Photography

LEARLNEIANRGNZINOGNEZONE

FIELDCRAFT AND ETHICS

Fieldcraft is a general term which covers downwind, and watched from a distance Above A stunning wild red fox cub under the
the skills needed to find, approach and as he dropped the kill at the earth and then bluebells at the edge of mature woodland.
eventually photograph a target species. trotted away. I noticed some movement Canon 7D MkII, 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS
At an advanced level, this includes the and was amazed to see five little cubs II USM lens, ISO 500, 1/400sec at f/5.6,
ability to track animals through their above ground during the middle of the day. tripod, scrim net
natural habitat without them being
aware of your presence. The most I knew this was a great opportunity and respectful distance. Foxes have a superb
fundamental thing when photographing spent the following week observing the site, sense of smell and I knew the vixen would
wildlife is understanding your subject moving gradually closer and trying to work be wary, so I showered without soap or
and being respectful towards it. out a suitable place to shoot from. After that shampoo and wore clothes that were clean
first encounter, I only ever witnessed two but not freshly washed. I arrived at the
Last spring, I discovered a fox earth cubs together and they would show briefly location before sunrise and moved slowly
while exploring a small local woodland and a few times a day. They tended to stay close and as silently as possible to my chosen
it was clear from the level of excavation to the main entrance hole in the sanctuary position. I waited for four hours, with just the
that it was an active site. I made a mental of some tree saplings, but the bolder ticks as company, then glimpsed a flash of
note of the location and moved on, but of the pair would occasionally wander copper as a cub appeared in front of me.
hadn’t gone far when I spotted a dog fox slightly further into a patch of bluebells. I lined a single focal point over the right eye
moving purposefully with a large prey item and captured one of my favourite images.
in its jaws. I followed cautiously, staying I decided this area gave me the best
chance of a nice shot while maintaining a

Outdoor Photography 39

LEARNING ZONE

EQUIPMENT AND SETTINGS

Knowing your camera and its capabilities focus or change settings. subjects that feed on or near the ground.
is an absolute must if you want to produce I will almost always use a tripod or Typically, when photographing spring
consistently good photographs. The best
way to do this is to just go out and take beanbag to support my gear, as this will wildlife, you will need to shoot at the longest
pictures – you will make mistakes, lead to sharper images, especially in lower focal length available so you can make
but learn how to fix them and you’ll light when using slower shutter speeds. images without too much disturbance.
understand why when it all comes together. This is also more practical in situations Using a wide aperture will help isolate your
These skills are particularly useful to the where long waits are required, as you don’t subject and blur out distracting elements
wildlife photographer, as your subject is have to hold heavy equipment or leave it within the frame. Wear muted colours or
unlikely to hang around while you try to lying around. A tripod that allows you to camouflaged clothing and use a scrim
shoot from a low level is really useful for net to aid concealment.

40 Outdoor Photography

LEARNING ZONE

Opposite (top) A beautiful wild brown hare 10 TIPS FOR WILD SPRING SUCCESS
(Lepus europaeus) wondering what I am.
Canon 7D MkII, 500mm f/4L IS II USM lens, 1 The most fundamental thing 6 Wear muted colours or camouflaged
ISO 500, 1/2000sec at f/5, tripod, scrim net when photographing wildlife is clothing and use a scrim net to
understanding your subject and being aid concealment.
Opposite (below left) A rabbit (Oryctolagus respectful towards it.
cuniculus) in spring grass and bluebells. 7 Use a long focal length and wide
Canon 5D MkIII, 500mm f/4L IS II USM lens, 2 If you really want to elevate your aperture to isolate your subject and
ISO 100, 1/100sec at f/4.5, tripod, scrim net photography, try to capture blur out distracting elements.
moments rather than just pictures.
Opposite (below right) A bluebell flower backlit 8 Try to be at your subject’s eye level,
just after sunrise. 3 You need to have patience and as this will result in more intimate
Canon 5D MkIII, 300mm f/4L IS USM lens, perseverance and be willing to photographs.
ISO 160, 1/250sec at f/4.5, tripod invest without immediate return.
9 Know your camera and settings
Below A gorgeous goldfinch 4 Use a tripod or beanbag to support so you can make quick alterations
(Carduelis carduelis) on spring blossom. your gear. when required.
Canon 5D MkIII, 500mm f/4L IS II USM lens,
ISO 100, 1/160sec at f/5.6, tripod, scrim net 5 Choose a subject that you are 10 Cloudy conditions produce
genuinely interested in and will diffused light, which is more
challenge you. flattering for subjects with fur and
feathers.

Outdoor Photography 41

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

Rodney O’Callaghan

Based in County Cork, Rodney O’Callaghan is a full-time professional landscaper specialising
in his home country of Ireland. Nick Smith puts him in the spotlight

Nick Smith: Why is Ireland so special
for the landscape photographer?
Rodney O’Callaghan: Here in Ireland we
have wonderful landscapes and, of course,
a very photogenic coastline, which is
what I was attracted to, especially County
Kerry where I spent my training days as a
photographer. So, it was inevitable that I’d
end up specialising in this area. Dingle and
Killarney are where I did my groundwork.

Wild Atlantic sunset, County Kerry NS: Tell me about your style.
ROC: I’m a landscape photographer, which
I suppose most people would associate with
the wider vista. But to be honest, that’s a bit
too wide for me. I like to focus on the more
intimate aspects of the landscape. When I
started off, I said: ‘Yes, you’re a landscape
photographer, so you use a wideangle lens.’
But that’s not the way I work anymore.
I like to look into the landscape. I also want
people to view my pictures and get them
straight away. I don’t want them to ask:
‘What’s he trying to show me?’ And that’s
what I teach my workshop clients: ‘What are
you trying to show me?’

Doneen Pier, Dingle, County Kerry NS: There’s also a lot of golden light.
ROC: I’m a morning photographer. I prefer
the mornings because there’s always an
option B or C if the sun doesn’t happen in
the way you were hoping. And that’s when
being a workshop leader really kicks in,
because if something’s not working for a
group, you have to make a quick decision
about what you’re going to do next.

NS: How long have you been
a photographer?
ROC: I’m 49 years old and I’ve been taking
photographs for 15 years. I’m now a full-time
professional and it’s been a bit of a rocky
road to get there. I bought my first camera
just to take photos of my children and found
my way into the local camera club, and that
opened my eyes to lots of different genres.
But the main one that caught my attention
was landscape.

NS: How did the camera club help
your development?
ROC: One of the main benefits is that
you make friends, and we organised little
outings and then bigger outings. And then
you’d start to go abroad and make friends

The Devils Horns, Coumeenole beach, County Kerry

42 Outdoor Photography

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

there too and invite them back to Ireland.
And then eventually, when I was in Iceland,
I came across a workshop group, and I
thought, ‘I could do that’.

NS: What’s it like being a professional
in Ireland?
ROC: It can be a bit difficult. We are a
great and friendly nation, but we don’t see
the benefit of paying people to do things
and it’s hard to make a living here, which
is why I tend to organise my workshops
abroad. Ireland has this amazing coastline
and I know every inch of it, and I’ve guided
photographers in Donegal and Antrim.
That’s something I want to look into –
bringing more photographers over here.

NS: What was your route into landscape? NS: That sounds like a big leap of faith. Sunrise at Coumeenole beach, County Kerry
ROC: I grew up as an outside person, but ROC: Well, for one thing, my back-up had
it wasn’t until I took up photography that gone, but it was the best thing I’ve done decision, and it was terrifying, but you don’t
I got this appreciation for the landscape because the decision freed me up to go want to die saying, ‘I wish I’d done that’.
around me. Up until 15 years ago, I was what out and get more work. It was a difficult
you might call a Jack of all trades. I don’t To see more of Rodney’s work,
have any qualifications. My last job was in a visit rocphoto.ie
warehouse, and they were very good to me
when I was working part-time. I’d get home
from a trip late on Sunday evening and I’d
be at work early on Monday.

NS: How did the Covid pandemic affect
your move to becoming a professional?
ROC: It had a huge effect, but I did a lot
of work online with camera clubs because
that’s where that whole scene went.
Working online meant that I could keep
in contact with my customers and clients,
which kept the show on the road. It was a
very difficult time, but at the start of August
2021, I had 10 weeks work ahead of me and
I did the maths and decided I didn’t want to
go back to the warehouse.

Rodney’s top tips

One thing I never go on a shoot without is…
An idea. Try to visualise the image – create
the composition in your mind’s eye.

My one piece of advice would be to…
Get to know your camera and its limitations
and work with them.

Something I try to avoid is…
Traditional good weather. I love to shoot
in bad weather and high-contrast light.

Taking in the view at Clogher, Dingle, County Kerry

Rodney’s critical moments

2007 Joined local 2009 Started to 2011 Organised day and 2016 Met a group 2017 Started to organise 2021 After five years of
camera club with my realise my passion for weekend photography workshop in Iceland and my own international being part-time, went
first bridge camera landscape photography trips with friends realised ‘I could do that’ workshops full-time professional

Outdoor Photography 43

PHOTO SHOWCASE International
Landscape
44 Outdoor Photography Photographer
of the Year

Open to pros and enthusiasts,
the eighth ILPOTY competition
attracted over 4,500 entries from
across the globe, with Aytek Çetin’s
spectacular portfolio claiming the
overall title. Here is one of his
winning images plus a stunning
selection from the top 101 entries

internationallandscapephotographer.com

Left (top)
From Twilight to Light by Aytek Çetin
Mount Kazbek, Georgia

Left (below)
Autumn Blues by Franka Gabler
Eastern Sierra, Nevada, California, USA

Opposite (top left)
Renascence by David Aguilar
Cirque du Fer-à-Cheval,
French Alps, France

Opposite (top right)
The Road to Heaven
by Andrea Zappia
Maspalomas, Gran Canaria, Spain

Opposite (below)
Winter Forest
by Heiner Machalett
Neunkircher Höhe, Hesse, Germany

Outdoor Photography 45

Left
Cold Way by Mauricio Narea Pizarro
San Pedro de Atacama, Chile
Below (left)
Wintertree by Peter Nilsson
Knutstorp, Sweden
Below (right)
When Seasons Collide by Franka Gabler
Yosemite Valley, USA
Opposite (top)
Kingdom of Winter by Matt Jackisch
Mount Slesse, British Columbia, Canada
Opposite (below left)
Eye to the Sky by Greg Stokesbury
Sierras, California, USA
Opposite (below right)
The Puzzle by Hans Gunnar Aslaksen
Ula, Norway
Overleaf (top)
Reflector by Ben Goode
Lake Bonney, South Australia
Overleaf (below)
Grand Finale by Adam Gibbs
Abraham Lake, Alberta, Canada

46 Outdoor Photography

PHOTO SHOWCASE

Outdoor Photography 47

PHOTO SHOWCASE

48 Outdoor Photography