Landscapes

Caerthillian Cove - digital photograph

Photographing locations

Finding locations to take photographs can be a time consuming job if you just go out to collect photographs from everywhere you visit. What am i talking about I hear you ask?

Rather than going out, armed with your camera, finger at the ready, consider taking time to find locations and make a note of what will make that particular location work well for you. Note this down and take advantage of situations when they arise.

It’s a bit like hunting I guess. You first learn about your “quarry” for us the location. Learn how it reacts to different conditions, there are many variables to have in your list, here are a few:

• Tide - will tide height show more interesting detail. Can you get to areas to improve angles on your shots, will a longer looking beach add more to the photograph.
• Cloud - nice strong clouds will help frame many shots and give them more depth. However, sometimes a cloudless shot may well be perfect for the image you are trying to capture, have a look at this cloudless sky at Hayle in Cornwall
• Wind - adding texture to water scenes, movement to trees and flags, storms produce some of the most dramatic images full of action and emotion.
• Mist - Shaded trees enveloped in mist produce fantastic photographs and can be soft and comforting or harsh and cold, it’s up to you!
• Sun - The angle of the sun is possibly the most important single factor for daylight photography. Direct over head sun is harsh, bleaching and flattens images. Early or late sun contains warmer colours and casts long, interesting shadows, catching rocks and other items to add interest to your image. this effect can be seen in the image here on the cap of the cliff on the right hand side of the image.

So, you have the idea. Learn about what makes your location work and when you get the right combination, hop in the car, take a walk and capture the image portraying the picture you want to show.

After a while you will get to better understand this system and you will have lots of options open to you that you can take advantage of depending on the conditions that day!

Image of Cornwall

Poldhu Cove, here in Cornwall bleak and cold. This was taken only a few weeks ago and the beach should be packed with holiday makers, but sadly due to the weather the visitors have been few and far between.

I am going to build a collection of photographs from around my local area and try and capture and share with you some of the more interesting and unusual aspects of Cornwall, its coast, places of interest and general interest photographs.

If you have any ideas of places you would like to see then please contact us, or if you would like a portrait or other work taken at any of the locations let me know. You can contact me here Digital photography contact form

Dartmoor under snow

This photograph was taken late winter 2008 on Dartmoor close to Prince Town.

I was returning home from visiting my family in Honiton and due to the weather, I decided to return home by crossing the moor. There was a good covering of snow in many places but suddenly I came across this view and the most amazing shafts of sun light playing across the moor.

Photograph of Dartmoor

In the shafts as you can see there was good light, with the fringes looking to the naked eye, as almost night time. Capturing this strong contrast was a challenge. I took about 6 images all at differing exposures with my Nikon 40 digital SLR, I was delighted with the slightly surreal photograph of Dartmoor that came from this.