A winter’s day in the Lake District 🏔️
Some frames from a day out testing some gear and brushing up on some Winter skills.
I’ve been experimenting a lot with my editing style recently and have really been enjoying creating these gritty invert edits.
I’ve always been a big fan of black & white imagery. It feels timeless, emotive, and I love the minimalist feel it gives photos.
These days, black & white is seen as nothing more than a way to fix a ‘bad’ photo.
But when used intentionally, it can enhance the image by bringing focus to the shapes, composition and emotion.
What are your thoughts on Black & White photos? 👇🏻
A day out in the Lake District, capturing some classic Kentmere boulders for @slaphappyclimbing
This was the first shoot I used my @godox_global speedlight, and I‘m really happy with the results. It worked particularly well in the dark forest to properly expose and ‘freeze’ the climber as it allowed me to utilise a fast shutter speed without having to crank my ISO up high.
It was directly mounted on my cold shoe, giving a really nice direct light source, which created depth to the image and worked well with the gritty style I was going for.
🧗 @cameron__paterson_ projecting Run the Weasel 7B
#lakedistrictphotographer #climbingphotography #boulderingphotography
Crafting a Story in 5 Shots 📸
Constructing a narrative through a set of images helps link the series together and is a great way to connect with the audience by creating intrigue and triggering emotion.
While utilising narrative in imagery could easily be a whole essay topic, here are some essential shots I always have on my shot list to help me tell a story with my images ⬇️
1️⃣ The Wide Establishing Shot – Set the scene and show the character in the environment.
2️⃣ The Portrait – Show your character(s).
3️⃣ The Product Shot – Essential on any product shoot and if it’s not a product shoot this (+ The Function) could be replaced by details.
4️⃣ The Function – To show any standout functions of the product.
5️⃣ The Action Shot – Helps break up a set of ‘static’ images by adding motion. This can also be a ‘wild card’ image, something more experimental.
While there’s so much more to telling a compelling story through imagery, this is a great place to start.
What’s always part of your shot list?👇🏻
How I plan my Photoshoots with Notion 📸
Notion plays an integral part of every photo project I work on, it essentially acts as the central hub where I plan, manage and stay on track of all the moving parts of a project.
I use it during all stages of the project to manage everything from key documents to detailed shot lists to even managing invoices.
Looking back to golden evenings hiking in the Peak District with @sealskinz
Captured during a campaign shoot showcasing the comfort, performance and versatility of Sealskinz range 📸
#lakedistrictphotographer #outdoorphotography #hikingphotography
This lens really surprised me 📸
I bought the Sony 20mm f/1.8 on a bit of a whim and for the first few months it sat there gathering dust. I think this was mainly due to the focal length being out of my comfort zone as I tend to shoot the majority of my work between 40mm & 60mm.
To force me out of my comfort zone and to make me use the lens it became the only lens in my bag on a few trips.
After a few failed attempts at trying to force my go to compositions, I started using the lens for what it’s great for. Showing the full scene and emphasising the relationship between the subject and environment.
Wide focal lengths when used well can be really immersive as they allow you to get really close to the subject whilst still showing the surroundings.
This lens has accompanied me on a couple of commercial shoots from photographing interiors to a recent climbing shoot.
During both projects the lens was a valuable asset. The wide focal length allowed me to capture the entirety of each room during the interiors shoot and gain unique perspectives during the climbing shoot.
Overall I’ve been really impressed with how the lens performed both for photo and video. It’s extremely lightweight, great in low light and the 20mm focal length gives you a really interesting wide perspective with minimal distortion.
3 Days with no phone signal in the Scottish Highlands ⛰️
A much needed few days spent in the Scottish Highlands hiking from Glefinnan to Inverie where we concluded the hike in the UK’s most remote pub.
Life becomes so simple on trips like this. Your only focus becomes putting one foot in front of the other, eating, staying hydrated and deciding where you’re going to pitch your tent.
Days spent winding through valleys, bog hopping and making the most of each swim spot we encountered.
I don’t realise how much I need time like this until I’m there and the noise of daily life instantly vanishes. My brain gains some much needed clarity, perspective and is able to solely focus on the present.
We were blessed with incredible weather but as to be expected midges and ticks were our number one enemy throughout.
📸 Ricoh GRIIIx & iPhone 14 Pro
#ricohgriiix #scottishhighlands #explorescotland
New work for @slaphappyclimbing 📸
On mission to reinvent climbing gear Slap Happy Climbing make all their products by hand here in the Lake District and have built a strong community around the brand.
With the build up to the launch of some new products, this is the first a few shoots planned with Slap Happy Climbing to showcase the new products and help tell the brands story.
With this initial shoot we only and a couple of hours so the goal was just to test a few concepts and get to know Flinn and the brand more.
Looking forward to creating more with Slap Happy Climbing over the coming months 👀
#lakedistrictphotographer #climbingphotographer
