Less Is More

I’m not the most prolific of photographers. I tend not to have a lot of time to get out shooting landscapes, which can be frustrating when the sky is putting on a wonderful show and I’m not able to get out to capture it, but I don’t think it’s necessarily a bad thing.

After a five year break from landscape photography I came back to the genre late in 2019. This return to a dear, old friend wasn’t quite the same second time around. The mantra, Less is More is certainly at the forefront of my mind.


One of the first images I made on my return to landscape work. It was definitely the blue-print for my current style.

Having a creative outlet and being in the outdoors were the two attributes that drew me into the world of landscape photography around 14 to 15 years ago, and before very long it had me well and truly hooked. With this new found passion came an almost obsessional desire be out taking photos at any given opportunity. At that time it was important to gain experience, learn from my mistakes and sample all kinds of conditions and locations in order to improve my skills. However, my approach back then was a little more random. Often heading out on a whim, not really planning shoots, so I was relying on luck as to whether the conditions would play ball or not.

Since I came back to landscapes I have been much more deliberate in my approach to when I shoot, what I shoot, and what I share

WHEN I SHOOT

Planning shoots has become much more important to me now. Admittedly, the technology available to us photographers now is much improved. There are a significant number of mobile apps that weren’t around 15 years ago, all of which help to plan as much detail as you need. I know the style or type of image I want, and so it makes more sense to head out when the conditions are close to those I need to get what I want.
Of course, no conditions are ever perfect, but there are a few key details that are important. For example: knowing times for first/last light and sunrise/sunset is pretty vital, along with positions of the sun at these moments. Journey times to the location is often overlooked, arriving late will definitely spoil the party. For beach or seascapes knowing tide times is essential. Some locations don’t work at low tide, where others may be inaccessible at high tide. Then there is the weather itself, in particular amounts and types of cloud cover. They can all make or break the success of your shoot. It’s not an exact science, forecasts aren’t always correct, and some shoots don’t pay off, but I get more success than failures for sure.
I find I head out less now, but the amount of usable ‘good’ images is definitely up.


Getting up early for a sunrise shoot only to arrive to find an uninspiring blanket of grey cloud can ruin your day. It's definitely worth planning properly and waiting for the right conditions before heading out. I was like a kid in a sweet shop when I came back from this sunrise shoot. It made the 4.45am start feel very worthwhile.

WHAT I SHOOT

When the conditions are working, it’s important to capitalise on your good fortune. At sunset or sunrise the best light or colours will often only last for a few minutes, so having the best composition at that time is vital. With this in mind, I will only work one composition for that shoot, and will use a tripod to help fine-tune it. If I am still trying to recompose when the light is right, the chances are that the moment will be missed. Coming away with one good image from a sunset shoot is a success.


This composition was definitely not going to change as the sun went down. I'd set-up with enough spare time to wait and capture the beautiful colours when they were at their best.

Another thought I have when making images is to keep the composition simple. Quite often knowing what to leave out of the photograph will be the one thing that makes the final image work. The idea behind every image I make is to make it interesting and hold the viewer's attention. Too much clutter can be distracting, so I try to remove it to leave what I feel is interesting.


This composition couldn't be more simple. I saw this black stone and used it as the anchor to the shot and used the to the movement of the water to provide the interest in the image.

WHAT I SHARE

One piece of advice I read very often is to only share your best work.
Part of the discipline of producing photographic work is knowing what are your best images from a shoot. Whether that is picking just one image from a series of the same composition or the best shots from a number of different viewpoints.
Ultimately I want my work to be enjoyed by those that view it, and in my opinion offering a large number of similar images would only dilute the impact of my most striking ones.
For example, from my most recent shoot GORLESTON BEACH AT SUNRISE the conditions were such that I had the fortune of being able to work around eleven compositions, with several shots of each. From there I whittled those down to one shot per composition, before sharing just six in the post. What I offer for print purchase will in all likelihood be reduced further.
It is hard to leave the images that were nearly good enough behind. I always feel some connection to them, after all there is a reason they made the first few selection rounds, but you have to draw the line somewhere.
Being disciplined enough to only share what I consider to be the best images has definitely resulted in more positive feedback about my work. It also pushes me to improve the quality of what I produce each time I head out.


I love this shot of Hopton Beach. It is definitely up there as one of my better photographs. It was a bit tricky to get into position to shoot this, which adds to the joy of the final result.

THE FINAL WORD/size]

Ultimately what I show is a tiny fraction of what I actually photograph. For every one image I share from a shoot, there will be another three or four shoots which, even with the best planning, failed for whatever reason without an image being seen. Sometimes, the weather or conditions are not delivering what a forecast may have promised, and sometimes I’m just not feeling inspired enough when I arrive.
Back when I started I would get very frustrated when a shoot didn’t work, but age and experience has taught me that you either win or learn. What’s the worst that can happen? I spend a few hours outdoors, breathing fresh air and studying whatever part of nature I am in. I’m away from the stresses of life just taking it all in enjoying the peace that comes with it. Not a bad way to fail is it?


I nearly didn't share this image online. I'd already posted a couple of similar compositions of a groyne and thought it would be overkill. It wasn't until I needed to post something new on Instagram to celebrate Norfolk Day, that I went with it. It went down a storm, and is one of my most liked photos.

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LIMITED EDITION PRINTS
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