Much of our reading and research when studying for a degree, quite rightly, centres around past masters but the work of current photographers never fails to inspire, whether in magazines, books, exhibitions, the internet or television. The current collection of images from the Landscape Photographer of the Year competition is no exception, the range and quality of stunning and inspirational photographs being amazing. The current competition is divided is divided into four categories: Classic View, Living the View (featuring images of people interacting with the outdoors), Urban View and Your View (What does the UK landscape mean to you). The competition is founded by Charlie Waite, one of our foremost practising landscape photographers, and the judges include, the editor of Amateur Photographer, Charlie Waite, Picture Editor of the Sunday Times Magazine, Publisher AA media, Actress and writer, Director of the National Theatre, Director of Bayeux pro-photo lab and Epson UK.
The overall winner this year is Robert Fulton with his fabulous winter image of a copse of trees on a tumulus. It features a sky full of interest and is beautifully lit. It reminds me very much of several such sites in the Lincolnshire Wolds near my home which I have recently been photographing. I still wait for that magical light and also the combines at work in the crops.
The winner of The Classic View is Tim Harvey and his picture features a winter storm on the coast of Guernsey and, interestingly, was captured using a 500mm lens and 1.5 converter, not equipment one immediately associates with landscape photography. It is painterly in it's effect, almost like a water colour. I have seen images in the same vein taken of the piers in Whitby and a shot I hope to capture myself one day. The runner up in the class, a picture of a disused salmon bothy on the River Tay in Scotland by Angus Clyne has stunning evening light, the light of Galen Rowell's Magic Hour. Also in the Classic View section is an image by Damian Shields of the Bridge over the River Braan at the Hermitage, near Dunkeld in Scotland. It would make a wonderful image for the water theme in Assignment 3. It features a beautiful packhorse bridge, the wonderful soft green of summer beeches and lusciously liquid water given just the right amount of motion blur by the use of a slow shutter speed of 1.5 seconds. I have the opportunity to visit this location in three weeks time and hope to capture my own slant on the image. Tarn Hows in Cumbria, photographed by Malcolm Blenkey is another location I have been lucky enough to visit and photograph on more than one occasion. This shot though has captured the sumptuously warm colours of an early November morning with the Langdale Pikes forming the backdrop. David Horner's image of a steam train crossing the Ribblehead Viaduct in Yorkshire shows rich saturated colours as preferred by Galen Rowell and a magnificent sky with the clouds seeming to be slightly backlit. As much as I like the image though I feel that he waited slightly too long before pressing the shutter and the train is moving out of the shot. Perhaps that was his intention in order to introduce some tension into the picture. Stawek Stasczcuk has two images in this section taken in East Sussex. They are both very interesting, slightly abstract images of farmland, pictures I could look to capture in Linconshire. Sometimes I think I go for the wide view too often and zooming in with a telephoto would be beneficial on occasions. Adam Burton is one of our most accomplished landscape photographers and he has more than one image in the collection. His shot of Porth Nanven in Cornwall shows wonderful colours and texture in the foreground granite boulders and the curving lines of the creek running across the beach to the sea, provides perspective and leads the eye to some distant islands on the horizon. I could go on mentioning images in this section as there are so many inspirational ones but another that stands out is Andrew Charleswoth's fabulous rich black and white 'Alone on Twistleton Scar'. This is a much photographed location but his treatment of it is excellent and the cloud formations superb. This image is very reminiscent of the work of Ansell Adams. Mention must be made of Pavel Klarecki's 'The Dark Hedges' for the wonderful perspective and colours. Another one that catches my eye is 'Losehill from Mam Tor' by David Speight - wonderful colours and mist in the valley, something I would love to capture in The Hope Valley. Simon Byrne's poppies remeind me of ones I have taken this year and am considering for inclusion in my portfolio. Cauldron Force By Robert Garrigus is a slow shutter speed image of West Burton Falls with wonderful motion blur and would be ideal for Assignment 3's theme of water. I have a similar image of my own but would need to revisit the location before I could include it in my work. The final image in this section by Simon Atkinson is similar to one I took earlier this year from under the Humber Bridge - sadly mine lacks the delicious sunset colours. Interestingly he was unable to use an ND grad to balance the light levels so used HDR - a technique I have experimented with this morning.
In the Living the View section there are, again, many wonderful images but the one that stands out to me is Luke Regan's 'A Pool of Light in a Secret Sea Cave North of Arbroath'. Composition and colours are good, there is an excellent reflection (again good for the water theme) and the rocks show pleasing texture.
Again there are many remarkable images in Urban View but I am particularly taken with Ashvin Suri's image of St Pauls reflected in wet pavements. He has turned the image upside down to present it and it adds a totally different dimension to it. Again it would make a good subject for the water theme in Assignment 3. One of my favourite images in the collection is Simon Atkinson's image of 'Staithes at Twilight'. Again another much photographed location and I also have my own shots from here. I love the rich colours in this shot with the deep blue of the sky and the lights adding warmth.
One image that stands out in the Your View section is that by Iain McLean of Machrie Moor Standing Stones on the Isle of Arran taken in the fading light of twilight but with one of the stones lit with off camera flash - the subject of project 17.
I could have mentioned many more images in this collection but I would finish up rewriting the book. All in all some inspirational stuff.
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