Outdoor Photography I284 08.2022_downmagaz.net

LANDSCAPES AROUND THE WORLD + BIRDS IN ACTION + ADVENTURE PHOTOGRAPHY landscape | wildlife | nature | adventure

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Sorting your pictures THE ISSUE Editing your pictures should be a straightforward job. Just sit down for a few minutes, at a glance weed out the images that aren’t working, add a few light touches in post-production then neatly file the best ones in the correct folder. No problem. But for many of us, In conversation with that simple workflow is an ideal we rarely achieve. Mara Leite – page 10 For me – and I’m sure many others – just finding the time is the first challenge. After Fabulous cave photography family and work commitments there’s very little time left and I would rather use by Robbie Shone – page 20 those moments outside with the camera than hunched over a computer screen. So the editing gets left and the number of pictures grows larger. When I do reluctantly sit down to edit, I’m faced with a colossal number of pictures requiring considerable time. Some of the images are OK, many of them are not and some I don’t even remember taking. But the fact that so much time has passed since I took the shots means I am less sentimental about them. It doesn’t matter how much effort I took to take the picture, the only thing that counts is whether it works or not. And that’s when things become interesting, because as I sit down to go through the pictures I’m reminded of two things. Firstly, that editing is part of the creative process. Whittling the images down to the very best ones helps keep the eyes and brain sharp. We learn a great deal from our mistakes and are wiser when we are back outside taking photographs. Secondly, I actually enjoy the editing process. It’s time- consuming but enormously satisfying to work on a picture and prepare it for printing. It requires a cool head, a critical eye and a touch of ruthlessness, but it’s worth it. Enjoy the issue. Mark Bentley ON THE COVER Great ideas for photographing Picture by Gary Bhaztara. garden birds – page 30 See page 46 Your guide to adventure GET IN TOUCH photography – page 36 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

10 FEATURES & OPINION LEARNING LOCATIONS ZONE GUIDE 10 In conversation with… 42 In the spotlight Astrobiologist and former Landscaper Malcolm Blenkey 30 Garden birds in action 52 Landscape Photographer answers our questions Ben Hall shows how a feeding of the Year Mara Leite on station can provide you with 52 On location her love of colour 44 A walk in the woods action shots of feathery visitors Lloyd Lane explores the in Estonia extreme contrasts of East 18 One month, one picture Frank Gardner recalls close 36 Evoke the spirit Sussex’s beautiful landscape- Pete Bridgwood adopts encounters and near misses of adventure friendly hotspots a beginner’s mind while Jeremy Flint specialises in 55 Viewpoints exploring Milan 46 Photo showcase dynamic subjects, unusual The Highlands, North Yorkshire The best World Landscape viewpoints and dramatic and Shropshire provide this 20 Going underground Photographer 2022 images weather month’s locations Robbie Shone explores and photographs the world’s 61 Inside track NEXT ISSUE deepest caves Nick Smith doesn’t like it when ON SALE you turn your back to him 28 Lie of the land 8 SEPTEMBER Mark Littlejohn captures 62 Photo showcase an everyday scene The best of the 2022 Milky Way made beautiful by light Photographer of the Year 2 Outdoor Photography

30 46 76 NATURE GEAR ZONE REGULARS YOUR OP ZONE 82 The OP guide to… 6 Newsroom 68 Reader gallery 74 Life in the wild A warm, comfortable sleeping Bird Photographer of the Nick Oakley shares his Laurie Campbell explores bag guarantees a good Year, red kite update and atmospheric landscapes the UK’s first national night’s sleep Photography Show highlights of the Surrey countryside nature reserve 82 8 Out There 72 Your chance Our tips for the best new How to get published in OP 76 Nature guide books and exhibitions for This month’s seasonal outdoor photographers 87 Next month highlights include Scots pines, OP 285 is on sale 8 September waxcap fungi and limpets NEVER MISS AN ISSUE 88 If you only do one 78 A moment with nature 84 Gearing up thing this month… Alwin Hardenbol shares a The latest lenses, macro Have Outdoor Photography Your best macro images of nature, Finnish fell with an elusive lighting, tripods, hiking shoes delivered direct to your plus our next photo challenge male ptarmigan and more door and save up to 30%. 96 Where in the world? 80 On the wing See page 60. Name the mystery location Steve Young finally bags and you could win a fantastic his marsh harrier photos Lowepro backpack Outdoor Photography 3

OPENING SHOT Upland buzzard versus corsac fox by Baozhu Wang Among the sprawling Mandu grasslands of Inner Mongolia, two apex predators fight over the same meal. These territorial clashes can be spectacular, but rarely result in injury or loss of life. Moments after this picture was taken by Baozhu Wang, the upland buzzard flew off, leaving the corsac fox to enjoy its spoils. Wang is a finalist in this year’s Bird Photographer of the Year competition – see a selection of other finalists’ images at birdpoty.com.

© Baozhu Wang / Bird Photographer of the Year Outdoor Photography 5

THE LATEST BULLETINS NEWSROOM CONSERVATION NEW LAUNCHES COMPETITIONS OUTDOORS TECHNOLOGY OTHER NEWS © Derek Horlock Shoot for redwoods Originally planted in the 1800s by Victorian plant hunters on their return from California, the UK has a population of more than half a million redwood trees. These huge conifers are the largest and tallest living organisms on the planet. In order to promote the role of giant and coast redwoods in fighting climate change and providing much needed habitats, Forestry England has launched a series of walking routes where they can be enjoyed. Alongside this is a photo contest where you can win memberships and Cotswold Outdoor vouchers. To find out more, go to forestryengland.uk/route-for-redwoods © 2021 Julian Gazzard / Shutterstock Out of this world It’s been another bumper year for the Astronomy Photographer of the Year competition. Run by the Royal Observatory Greenwich, the 2022 contest received more than 3,000 entries from all across the world. This year’s shortlist has just been announced, with the grand winner to be selected on 15 September. Those in the running include this shot of the Milky Way as a backdrop to stones stacked on the beaches at St Agnes in the Isles of Scilly, taken by Derek Horlock and made with a Nikon Z 6II. High achievers The Bird Photographer of the Year competition has just announced its 2022 shortlist. Now in its seventh year and providing support for charity birdsonthebrink.co.uk, this year’s contest saw more than 20,000 entries from 115 different countries, all competing for the title and a £5,000 grand prize. As usual, the competition celebrates the diversity of bird life in all its forms, with categories such as Birds in the Environment, Attention to Detail and Birds in Flight. With winners announced on 8 September, shortlisted photos include Walter Potrebka’s picture documenting the Manitoba Burrowing Owl Recovery Program and its discovery of a wild nest and six healthy owlets, the first nest observed since 2011. It was taken on a Sony A1 with 70-200mm f/4 lens. Visit birdpoty.com to find out more. © Walter Potrebka / Bird Photographer of the Year 6 Outdoor Photography

EDITED BY KINGSLEY SINGLETON Fledgling fun You could inspire the next generation of conservationists by taking them along to one of the RSPB’s Big Wild Summer fun days. Nearly 40 reserves will be offering activities, with self-led trails, pond dipping, minibeast safaris and lots of species to discover including swifts, swallows, bats, dragonflies, common lizards and slow worms. Check out rspb.org.uk/ bigwildsummer for more. Red return © 2021 DasyaDasya / Shutterstock Alpha species The return of red kites to British skies has been a to help rescue that population. So, just as Spanish There’s a great selection remarkable success since reintroduction began in birds were brought to the UK in the 1990s, now 30 of speakers heading to the the 1980s and there are reckoned to be more than red kites from England will be released in south- Photography Show from 17-20 4,000 breeding pairs today, protected by law. Now, west Spain, where it’s hoped they’ll thrive once September at Birmingham’s in a move that mirrors the original programme, more. More birds will be added next year in an NEC. Some of the top picks juvenile specimens are being flown out to Spain attempt to create a sustainable population. include marine biologist, explorer and photographer Cristina Mittermeier (above) and renowned landscape photographer Colin Prior, sharing his four decades of experience. Head to photographyshow.com to book now. Alarming outbreak Great Skuas, Isle of Noss NNR, Shetland Lowepro greener In an effort to protect vulnerable seabirds from avian © Lorne Gill NatureScot tactic flu, NatureScot’s Isle of May and Noss National Nature Reserves have been closed to public landings other reserves such as Hermaness. In worrying news, In a further from 1 July until further notice. There’s also advice positive cases have been recorded in Shetland, commitment not to take direct access on to seabird colonies on Orkney, St Kilda, Lewis and St Abbs, where great towards a skua and gannets have been hardest hit. Head to sustainable nature.scot and follow the advice to help. future, Lowepro’s award-winning ProTactic range will now be made using recycled fabrics. From now until 2023, there will be a full conversion of manufacturing materials as well as a move into solution-dyeing, which combines processes to save 80% of water and reduce carbon emissions. Find out more at lowepro.com. Outdoor Photography 7

OUT THERE BOOKS Aurora celebrations, Athabasca Glacier, Jasper National Park, Canada © Paul Zizka Sea Signatures Spirits in the Sky His quest has taken him from his doorstep in Marianthi Lainas Paul Zizka Banff, through the Canadian Rockies and to the Kozu Books Rocky Mountain furthest reaches of the northern hemisphere: Hardback, £35 Books the Northwest Territories, Yukon, Nunavik, (plus p&p) Paperback, £17.99 Labrador, Iceland and Greenland. Based on the Wirral If you have ever peninsula, Marianthi attempted to Zizka’s best images to date are brought Lainas is fascinated with exploring the coastline photograph the together in Spirits in the Sky. Selected to show close to her home and is especially inspired by aurora borealis, you will have great admiration the variations in colour structure and behaviour the ever-changing nature of the intertidal zone. for Paul Zizka’s impressive work. The Canadian of the aurora borealis, they also showcase Her desire to find new ways of connecting with has spent more than a decade chasing some breathtaking nocturnal landscapes, from and interpreting this dynamic landscape has the northern lights, acquiring the scientific silhouetted mountains and moonlit lakes to led her to put her camera aside, turning instead knowledge, technical expertise and patience glacial caves and iceberg-filled bays. Often, to the cyanotype process to create her images. needed to capture their spectacular beauty. the photographer places himself in the frame, Lainas works mainly at the strandline with adding a human element and a sense of scale. light-sensitive papers, allowing the waves, wind, sun and sand to leave their mark. Back in the The book is not only an inspiring collection studio, she uses materials such as wax, fibres, of northern lights images; it is also a record of pastels and paints to embellish her pieces. The the thrilling adventures Zizka has enjoyed while resulting prints display a mesmerising array seeking out these magical celestial displays. of patterns, textures and tones that strongly evoke the essence of the sea and shoreline. By hand-making the chemistry, Lainas brings out earthy tones as well as the deep Prussian blue associated with cyanotypes. Containing more than 50 works made between 2017 and 2021, Sea Signatures is a beautiful book to be cherished; it will appeal to anyone who appreciates more experimental approaches to landscape photography. BOOK IT NOW! Dufton Ghyll, Cumbria © Mark Littlejohn Irish Light – The Big Day Royal Marine Hotel, Dublin 25 September The Big Day is the headline event of the annual Irish Light landscape photography festival, and it always promises a stellar line-up of speakers. This year is no exception, with Mark Littlejohn, Peter Gordon, Alex Nail and Isabella Tabacchi taking to the stage. You can attend in person or bag yourself a virtual ticket to watch the show from home. Tickets cost €85 or €55, respectively. irishlight.ie Tidal Pool #4, 2021 © Marianthi Lainas 8 Outdoor Photography

EDITED BY CLAIRE BLOW Road to Nowhere © Ted Leeming Made out of Orchards © Mandy Barker, mandybarker.com Tessa Bunney EXHIBITIONS Plastic Soup Martin Parr Foundation, Bristol Fox Talbot Museum, Wiltshire Only When I Dream To 25 September To 23 April 2023 Coningsby Gallery, London W1 Tessa Bunney has spent more than 25 years 30 August to 10 September photographing rural life, working closely with Working with scientists around the world, individuals to explore how the landscape is Mandy Barker specialises in raising awareness Memories and dreams, real or imagined, are shaped by humans. Since autumn 2019 she has about plastic pollution in the planet’s oceans, explored in the Coningsby Gallery’s new group been documenting cider makers in and around highlighting its harmful effect on marine life show. Curated by Beth Taubner and Andrew Somerset, which has more working cider farms and ourselves. Her striking photographs, made Coningsby, Only When I Dream is inspired by than any other county in England. In the last with plastic debris, encourage the viewer to Irish poet John O’Donohue’s idea of ‘the invisible 70 years, however, there has been a huge dip look closer and think differently about the world’ and his philosophy that a dream is in the number of orchards as we have moved growing environmental problem. a sophisticated, imaginative text full of figures away from small-scale fruit-farming; Bunney’s and drama that we send to ourselves. series, commissioned by the Martin Parr The image shown here, from Barker’s Soup Foundation, captures an industry in flux and series, shows 500 pieces of plastic found Photographers Morag Paterson, Ted Leeming, highlights what may be lost. in the digestive tract of an albatross chick Claire Rosen and Gina Glover will exhibit their martinparrfoundation.org in the North Pacific Gyre. work, together with multimedia artist Carol Sharp and illustrators Sam Falconer and Martin O’Neill. © Tessa Bunney nationaltrust.org.uk coningsbygallery.com LAST CHANCE TO SEE… © Thomas Peschak, Wildlife Photographer of the Year Wildlife Photographer of the Year National Museum Cardiff until 29 August Outstanding images from the renowned international wildlife photography contest. museum.wales/cardiff Paul Kenny: 10 Years of Seaworks Joe Cornish Gallery, Northallerton, until 27 August Exquisite abstracts by Paul Kenny made from materials found in the landscape. joecornishgallery.co.uk Outdoor Photography 9

In conversation with Mara Leite London-based astrobiologist Mara Leite stepped out of the laboratory and into the limelight by winning the 2021 edition of Landscape Photographer of the Year Interview by Nick Smith Above Morning at countryside | Opposite Natural flow Y ou wouldn’t expect a newcomer more important things going on in her feast. The message is loud and clear: colour to arrive in such trailblazing professional life than the pursuit of pictures. photography should be colourful. ‘It’s the style. Her photography has all most difficult thing about what I do,’ she the hallmarks of an artist that’s An academic conducting serious work on says. ‘Getting the colour right is important.’ spent many a year developing a signature microbes that may ultimately contribute look. There’s a consistent excellence to to the future colonisation of Mars, Mara Having spent much of her early student her output that suggests it comes from the fits in photographic adventures around her career in Seattle, posting photographs on camera of a seasoned veteran with a hard- doctoral research. Yet her portfolio, full of social media, American-Portuguese Mara won grasp of what makes a distinctive classically crafted compositions overlaid came to realise that to get where she wanted, landscape. And yet Mara Leite is an amateur with a wildly unorthodox palette, exudes she needed to develop her technique. The photographer – ‘maybe you could call it confidence of expression. All the technical opportunity presented itself when she my hobby’ – a new kid on the block with aspects are solidly nailed down, creating a crossed the pond and fetched up in London wireframe over which to drape a rich tonal at the University of Westminster as an 10 Outdoor Photography

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astrobiology PhD candidate. ‘I couldn’t keep travelling the world just putting my work on Instagram because that’s too time- consuming. I decided to concentrate on landscapes that were relatively close to me.’ She describes how, on a weekend break from her academic studies, she visited West Sussex, where she photographed Mill Lane, a well-known footpath in Halnaker. The result of her outing is Morning at Countryside, which went on to be placed overall first in the 2021 Landscape Photographer of the Year. Head judge and founder of the competition Charlie Waite described Mara’s image thus: ‘With the glorious ring lighting and splash of golden light at the top, there is a sense of security and protection as much as secrecy that emerges from this delicate photograph where we are beckoned to go forward. Despite the gate at the far end, perhaps there is an additional feeling that one would never wish to reach it.’ For Mara, Morning at Countryside is more than a photograph. Quite apart from the composition-defying convention of being the wrong way round – ‘Most photographers take the shot with their back to the gate, I did it looking towards it’ – it’s a moment in her photographic career that changed how she would build her reputation in the genre. With social media no longer a serious option, she turned to competitions, an approach that meant that as an amateur she could dip in and out of the world of photography as her studies permitted. Competing in this scheduled way represented a good fit – despite the obvious time demands on a researcher investigating how algae could help humans travel to and settle on Mars, Mara says that there’s a degree of flexibility that can accommodate the entirely predictable competition timetables as they go through their annual cycles. ‘You can look more or less a year ahead to when you need to submit your photos. And that gave me breathing room to work on my photography alongside my research. That became my method and I was able to take my time, plan ahead and always aim to be a finalist.’ The reason for this ambition is simply for Mara to calibrate the level of her work against other photographers. ‘If I land as a finalist, I can always think, “OK, that’s good-quality work and I’m progressing well”. But I never expected to win this competition because it seems to me to be so subjective to the jury, such a personal choice. I couldn’t believe it, to be honest.’ Left (top) Purple dream Left (middle) Ice and fire Left (below) Green fairy Opposite Keep the faith 12 Outdoor Photography

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Above Angry waters | Opposite (top left) In between | Opposite (top right) Double | Opposite (below left) Take me away | Opposite (below right) Morning run Mara has ‘always been interested in space camera for astrophotography. I got my first composition on YouTube, I also studied and biology, but I had to pick one of these DSLR and I’d go to scenic viewpoints around post-processing techniques, which is where when I went to university’. The arts also Seattle at sunrise or sunset and I’d meet other I think you can make an image your own.’ played a big role in her formative years. photographers. I’d see them every week and She enjoyed drawing, painting and playing we started to become friends. Then you start One day, she says, ‘I will share my early piano, ‘and so I knew that art as well as to take trips further afield together, to the photographs and you will see the photos science would play a role in my life. But mountains, to the coast. Then it starts to were so bad. They still hurt my eyes today photography wasn’t so serious. My mum become a very serious thing. Your circle of – that’s where I started – but you keep always had cameras around the house, and friends becomes a bunch of photographers studying. You compare your work with we liked to travel a lot, so wherever we went and that’s what you do every weekend.’ photographers that you admire, and you we would always carry a camera. I guess my realise that you’re still not good enough. You love of landscape photography – including Mara accepts that there is a long journey push and you push and you push, until one cityscapes and astrophotography – must have between hanging out with like-minded day you say, “OK, this is starting to happen”.’ started with these experiences.’ But it wasn’t individuals and where she is today, winner of until Mara moved to Seattle that taking an international competition with an image Perhaps the central objective for Mara pictures started to become important to her. of such quality of execution, composition was that of finding her own style and and creativity that a cadre of experts accord voice. ‘You’ve got to ask how you go about ‘Seattle is a photogenic city, surrounded her title, laurels and prize. I ask her what discovering that. I was so lost, because these by mountains and forest, but my point-and- she thinks is the key to this success and days there are so many great photographers shoot camera that I was learning on by myself she replies simply, ‘I’m critical of my own out there, and of course, it’s completely was limited. So, it was time to upgrade my work. Nothing is ever good enough for me normal to imitate the work of those you are equipment and, because I love space, I started and this is both a blessing and a curse. In fond of. But that’s not your voice. You need to to research what was the best entry-level the same way that I studied cameras and produce work where the viewer can say that they recognise the photographer behind it. 14 Outdoor Photography

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Above Humble beginnings | Opposite (top) Forest secrets | Opposite (below) Curves and hills So how do you make that photograph your For Mara, it’s all about colour. ‘It’s doesn’t feel instinctively comfortable with, own? And this is where the post-processing the hardest thing to get right. At the its logical derivative necessarily being comes in, and this is where I work a lot.’ beginning, everything was overly saturated. that ‘if you never go outside with your I couldn’t figure out what colours went camera then you can never go wrong. It’s This is also where we encounter the with others. There was a lot of study the same with astrobiology because if you key to Mara’s work, the combination of and research that went into this.’ But don’t look at biology in the field, you’ll conventional composition and daring it’s also subjective, and arguably Mara’s forget its magic. Of course, it’s science, colour: ‘My images must be realistic photography is most successful when she but with my PhD I spend a lot of time in representations of what I’m photographing, instinctively communicates the landscape the laboratory and it’s frustrating when but they must be magic too.’ Mara admits in dazzling hues, as if she’s loosening her experiments aren’t working. If I’m not this objective approach led her down the scientific grip to allow her creative heart doing experiments, I’m writing about them blind alley of ‘making a pile of pictures by to do the talking. She agrees that this and that is the thing that I like the least.’ photographers that I liked’, reasoning that might be the case, but laughs ruefully if these images spoke to her in a meaningful at the pitfalls, because inevitably ‘it will And so, says the photographer who way, they must also reveal elements of what mean that you just know that there thinks of herself primarily as a scientist, her style should be. ‘But it didn’t work. will be days when nothing happens’. ‘that’s when I go to Regent’s Park with I wanted to be more unique. I wanted more, my camera. I need that to reset my brain. and that made me more critical of myself.’ This is a risk that the scientific brain After I’ve done that, I feel much better.’ To see more of Mara’s photography, visit maraleitephotography.com. 16 Outdoor Photography

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ONE MONTH, ONE PICTURE Exploring Milan with a ‘beginner’s mind’ allows Pete Bridgwood to view the city through the eyes of a child and focus on colours, juxtapositions and modern street furniture. Anyone for a Garibaldi? Trips abroad can be expensive and, or information before travelling. This trip eye, possibly because of my love of biscuits. because we don’t want to miss the most would be completely unplanned – I had I didn’t realise it at the time, but I was iconic or photogenic locations, careful no idea what to expect and I would have venturing into the richest district in Europe. planning is vital to avoid wasting our to photograph reactively to make the best time and money. Isn’t it? of whatever subject matter I could find. The three things that stood out visually were the modern architecture, the huge It does seem obvious that to not plan a I’ve made similar trips before in the colourful advertising hoardings the trip effectively would be mindless, or at UK to random unknown places and I size of buildings and the presence of best lazy. Online exploration is so easy find them incredibly exciting from a so many digital billboards. I started to and visualisation of various photographic creative perspective because you’re seeing photograph a series of images to visually possibilities can also excite our artistic everything anew. Photographing unfamiliar elaborate these themes, emphasising bold spirit, allowing us to mull over all the visual locations intensifies our curiosity and we colours and relational juxtapositions, and opportunities that lie ahead. But I wonder automatically move a step closer to what incorporating digital billboards – or in if there is an element of FOMO (fear of Zen Buddhists call shoshin, or ‘beginner’s this case, reflections of them – wherever missing out) in all this and that perhaps mind’, whereby we are encouraged to view I could. Photographing Milan with this ignoring this advice is not so mindless after things with a fresh perspective and an mindset felt amazing and I can thoroughly all. Could it even actually be mindful? open mind, just like a beginner or a child. recommend ‘beginner’s mind’ photography. So, for my trip to Milan, I decided to I asked the receptionist in the hotel where Porta Nuova, Garibaldi, Milan, Italy experiment. I’d never been there before and the most interesting areas in the city were, Fujifilm X-E4 with XF18-55mm f/2.8-4 R LM OIS was not familiar with any images from the my only proviso being that I didn’t want to lens at 30mm, ISO 160, 1/250sec at f/5.6, city. I decided to be purposefully lazy and get mugged. He kindly highlighted several Adobe Lightroom (Modern 01 profile) avoid looking at any online photographs locations on a map. ‘Garibaldi’ caught my 18 Outdoor Photography

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Going underground Cave photographer Robbie Shone spends his days climbing, exploring and hanging from ropes hundreds of metres above solid ground. He talks to Graeme Green about close calls, artificial light and the most beautiful cave on Earth 20 Outdoor Photography

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Being trapped deep underground as all-important photos), but it was a reminder above the cave floor, and the challenges of water rises all around is a nightmare of the dangers involved in exploring places photography, with the added complication scenario that sounds like it’s taken where nobody has been before. that there’s usually no natural light. from a Hollywood thriller, but photographer and cave explorer Robbie Shone Born in Cheshire, but now based in the Previous page Krem Ladaw, India experienced the panic and fear for real when Austrian Alps, Shone fell in love with caving Below Kavakuna cave, Papua New Guinea flooding struck during a 14-day expedition in in the UK’s Peak District. He’s explored and Right (top) Miao Keng, China the world’s deepest known cave: Veryovkina photographed some of the deepest, longest Right (middle) Krem Chympe, India in Georgia’s Caucasus mountains, which and largest caves in the world, from Mexico Right (bottom) San Wang Dong, China descends 2,212m. He and the expedition team to Malaysia. His work combines all the lived to tell the story (and got out with the hardships of caving and climbing, sometimes hanging suspended hundreds of metres Graeme Green: What got you hooked with paints and a canvas didn’t work. in, and we have meetings in advance, so on photographing caves? I realised I had to put down the paintbrush everybody knows their jobs. Robbie Shone: I was 19, studying fine art at and pick up the camera. university in Sheffield. I was painting large GG: Many caves have no natural light – have abstract landscape paintings. One of the GG: Is it difficult to combine the demands you had to master artificial lighting as well? reasons I moved to Sheffield was because of of caving with photography? RS: Lighting is absolutely everything. Caves the rock climbing. A friend on the course RS: There is a lot to juggle. When I’m are the darkest places on Earth – you can put had just taken up caving and said I should hanging on a rope 500m off the floor with your hand in front of your face and not see it. try it, but I didn’t want to go underground at my tripod sticking out of the wall and trying Even on a really dark evening when there’s no weekends, when there was glorious sunshine to coordinate a photograph, I don’t have to moon, there’s some ambient light around. If and gorgeous Peak District landscapes. think too much about the rope work, because you exposed the camera for a minute at ISO Reluctantly, I went caving for the first time I spent 10-15 years at the beginning of my 6400, you’d get something. If you did that in at the Dolly Tubs entrance into Long Churn career doing that all around the UK. a cave, it would still be black. in the Yorkshire Dales. People talk about love at first sight – it gave me such a rush of I also make drawings of the kind of photo I had to teach myself lighting. Just having adrenaline and excitement that I realised it I want to take. I know in my head how light from the camera gave a really flat image. was something I would do forever. I’m going to take the photograph because I realised I had to move lights away from the I’ve visualised it in my head on the nights camera, placing them high in the roof or on Caves were my life. I wanted to make before I go into the cave. Sometimes, we the floor. I was using a film camera and I’d pictures of the caves, but going into caves do reconnaissance a few days before we go keep a diary in the cave to record f-stops, 22 Outdoor Photography

shutter speeds and different flashes, so I could look at an image in the lab and figure out what made it work. Now, it’s dead easy with a digital camera to look at the picture and make changes. GG: What made you want to explore such massive caves all over the world? RS: Early on, it was about the exploration. I used to travel around the world as the expedition photographer, going into places where no one had been before. That was a special feeling: knowing you’re the first people in there. With caves, you never know what’s around the next corner or at the bottom until your light illuminates it for the first time. It was also about the challenge of making a picture in a cave. Your light meter is your brain. I got a real sense of satisfaction doing that. I also enjoy seeing people’s faces and reading people’s comments when they see what’s underground. There are so many of us on the planet living on the surface, but there’s more to the world than the surface. GG: You were hit with flooding at the bottom of Veryovkina, the deepest-known cave in the world, in Abkhazia, Georgia – was that the closest call you’ve had? RS: That was definitely the closest I’ve come to losing my life. For 18 years, I’ve been aware of the dangers of caving and how caves can flood, but I’d never been in a cave when that happened. In Veryovkina, we were at the bottom – the water table was 2,212m and we were camping at 2,100m below ground. We were planning to be underground for 16 days. We’d been down there for 10 days. We were having breakfast in the main tent when we got a call from the other team members to say a huge flood pulse had just raced through the canyon. After about 20 minutes, we heard what sounded like a freight train coming through a tunnel underground. A wall of white water spurted out of the hole where our rope went up, which was our escape route. We couldn’t go down and couldn’t go up, so we just stayed at the camp. Some of the expedition team went to check a low point where there was a pool of water, to make sure it wasn’t coming up. I’ll never forget the look on the face of one of them – his face was white and he looked terrified. I rushed over and saw brown foamy water rising in front of our eyes. I panicked. I’d never been afraid of being trapped underground before this. I said, ‘We’ve got to get out of here right now’. I realised it was impossible to pack my cameras and gear in time or carry it up, so I took the memory cards out and put them in a Ziploc bag, so at least I’d have my precious photographs. I left everything else. Outdoor Photography 23

GG: Was it difficult to get out? RS: It was extremely hard work. The water was coming down through the opening of the cave and our rope went up through there. So, we had to fight our way against the force of the water. When the rope hit the bolt and I had to change on to the next bolt, I had to do that blind and feel my way through. The rope access work I’d done for 12 years and the fact it’s second nature to me, and all the other guys are super-experienced cavers, meant we could get out. GG: Did everyone get out safe? RS: Everyone got out safe, but the chamber was almost full of water by the time the last person got out. GG: How much gear did you leave down there? RS: Maybe £10,000 worth. GG: What’s the most surprising thing you’ve ever found underground – have you discovered rock art or artefacts from ancient civilisations? RS: I’ve never discovered any cave art, but I’ve been on assignments where we’ve been to some amazing places and seen examples. To get to see cave paintings in Chauvet in France and Altamira in northern Spain that were created 38,000 years ago makes the hairs stand up on your neck. GG: Is there more life in caves than people might expect? RS: Absolutely. Even at the bottom of Veryovkina, we found tiny creatures. We found a pseudo scorpion, which lives in total darkness, which is incredible. There are bats in the entrance of many caves. In Meghalaya, northern Indian, I photographed the largest cave fish ever discovered, called Tor putitora. It’s over a foot long. They were completely blind and had no pigment. GG: What’s the largest cave you’ve been in? RS: In Mulu, in Malaysian Borneo, there’s one called the Sarawak Chamber. It’s absolutely vast. When they measured it in the 1980s, they found you could fit eight Boeing 747 jumbo jets nose to tail along the main axis. GG: Which cave that you’ve seen is the most beautiful? RS: A lot of people think of beautiful caves as ones with beautiful formations, Left (top) Cloud Ladder Hall, China Left (middle) San Wang Dong, China Left (bottom) Xinu Attic, China Right (top) Dong Wan Dong, China Right (bottom) Switzerland 24 Outdoor Photography

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Left (top) Gasterntal valley, Switzerland Left (middle) Gornergletscher, Switzerland Left (bottom) Cloud Ladder Hall, China stalactites and stalagmites. Lechuguilla in New Mexico is by far the most beautiful that’s been discovered – it was featured in Planet Earth – but I’m not too bothered about these formations. I’m more interested in something like Cloud Ladder Hall, one of the largest underground natural chambers in the world. It’s in Quankou Dong in Wulong, China, an area that’s full of big, spectacular caves. There’s beauty in the rock shapes water has carved in the walls, and the shape of the passage itself. A lot of people are put off photographing such a space, because you end up lighting the fog inside it, but I thought it could make a mysterious image, especially if a beam of light was cutting through it from a headtorch. GG: What’s been the most difficult or dangerous cave you’ve worked in? RS: We explored a cave in Papua New Guinea called Phantom Pot, which involved a 2km- long passage that was 10m tall and just a body-width wide. The walls were sharp and prickly, like a cheese grater, and you knew that if you slipped and fell, you’d lacerate yourself to bits. GG: Are there any caves you haven’t yet photographed that you’d like to? RS: I’m working with my fiancé, who’s a professor, and she’s studying caves in north- east Greenland. She’s leading an expedition next year. They’re the most northerly caves on the planet. Nobody has ever been in there, so I’m super-excited about going to them. There’s also one cave called Hang Sơn Đoòng in Vietnam that I’ve been to, but not with my camera – I was the assistant to National Geographic photographer Carsten Peter. So, I’d love to go there with my camera. I think there’s an untold portfolio in that cave that nobody has shot yet. See more at shonephotography.com and follow on Instagram @shonephoto Hidden Worlds by Robbie Shone is out now, published by Kozu Books, priced £45 (standard edition), £95 (special edition) and £195 (collector’s edition). See kozubooks.com for details. 26 Outdoor Photography



LIE OF THE LAND Summer breeze Sometimes, the subject matter plays second fiddle to the illumination, as it did when Mark Littlejohn captured this everyday scene made beautiful by the light I’m supposed to be thinking summer greens, but somehow summer breeze sounds better. More a feeling of summer as opposed to a plateful of healthy vegetables. I know landscape photographers are scared of summer. Dawn is half an hour earlier than you normally go to bed, there are flies, ticks and tourists everywhere, and green is such a scary colour. But it’s actually rather pleasant to wander around this green and pleasant land in summer. You don’t have to wear 17 layers of clothing to stay at a comfortable temperature. If you do get up for first light, you can have the loveliest, most peaceful time. No one else is around to disturb you. There isn’t even a photographer; they are all hibernating (or, rather, ‘estivating’). And green is actually quite a soothing colour. In any event, if you have dogs, you’ll probably have to get up early to walk them. Some dogs aren’t mad and don’t appreciate the midday sun. I’m not sure if there is a sight I enjoy more than the sun starting to burn through early morning mist. Even more so if I am wandering along the edge of a beautiful wood, maybe at the bottom of a valley, a river flowing by gently, encouraging pockets of mist to form, the light made softly rich and diffuse. This picture was taken near Haweswater in Cumbria in mid-June, the sun already climbing despite the EXIF data showing a time of 6.32am. The light can be so beautiful at such times that the subject matter can be less important than catching that gorgeous light; the rich contrast between the golden glow and shaded darkness. This is an everyday scene made beautiful by the light, the summer foliage enhancing the colours of the sun, the rays being softened by the fresh green leaves, that blend of yellow and green bringing a sense of peace and tranquillity. But that beauty won’t last long. Tarry in bed and that light will be gone, the sun at full strength, these same eerily quiet lanes quiet no more. But by that time, you could be back home enjoying a cup of tea and a dark chocolate digestive while you pat yourself on the back for witnessing a little bit of beauty while everyone else was asleep. 28 Outdoor Photography

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Garden birds in action Regardless of how much outdoor space you have, with a little ingenuity, patience and perseverance, a well-managed feeding station should provide you with the opportunities for stunning action shots of your garden visitors all year round. Ben Hall shows you how Wildlife photography is so often about venturing into the veritable haven for wild birds, providing endless photographic subject’s habitat as an invisible observer that the idea of opportunities throughout the year. A well-situated garden creating habitat and thereby attracting the wildlife to you is feeding station doesn’t come without challenges, but put in often overlooked. It isn’t necessary to travel to far-flung, exotic the ground work and you will find a variety of images are places to capture stunning images. With some forethought possible, from portraits and environmental studies to and careful planning, your own back garden can become a subject interaction and flight shots. Coal tit on washing line. Using props such as washing-line pegs, watering cans or garden forks as perches can be a great way of creating a sense of place. 30 Outdoor Photography

LEARLNEIANRGNZINOGNZEONE Above Redstart in flight. My brother has a pair of redstarts that nest at his house. Just after the young had netting can help to disguise your outline when fledged, I managed to capture the male hovering before dropping down to feed the hungry mouths. shooting through a window. SETTING UP A GARDEN FEEDING STATION I would recommend keeping at least three feeders out at all times, with a different A garden feeding station doesn’t need to the colours and tones of the background. food type in each of them. In this way, you be complicated. A simple pole with feeders A dark background can be achieved by will be supporting the specific nutritional attached is enough to attract plenty of birds, shooting towards an area of shade. This is a requirements for a large variety of species. but you will need to think carefully about very effective way of eliminating unwanted Peanuts and sunflower seeds are a staple for its positioning. Your first consideration distractions and producing images with most garden birds, but it is well worth putting should be the direction of light. Although I impact, particularly when shooting contre-jour. out niger seed, meal worms, suet and different generally prefer overcast light for garden bird high energy seed mixes. Windfall apples can photography, having the option to shoot in Although some garden birds can become be a great way of attracting thrush species, both front-lit and back-lit conditions will open relatively accustomed to people, you should while a mix of fat and peanut flour will usually up more opportunities for experimentation. still remain hidden from view in case a more attract one of my own personal favourite wary species, such as a sparrowhawk, comes garden birds, the long-tailed tit. Ensure that the background is at an along. There are many commercially available, adequate distance, so as to be rendered purpose-built hides on the market, or you A big advantage to setting up your own completely out of focus when a large may even have the convenience of a shed feeding station is the control it gives. With aperture is used, and take into consideration or house window from which to shoot. Scrim some carefully positioned natural perches – small lichen-encrusted twigs or moss- covered logs, for example – you should be able to dictate precisely where the birds will land. Your perches should be placed just a few inches from the feeders, but far enough away from any surrounding foliage to encourage the birds to rest there before hopping on to the feeder. I leave three or four feeders out at all times, but then take all but one down when taking photographs. This often creates a queue of hungry visitors, encouraging the birds to land in exactly the spot that I want and increasing my chance of subject interaction. Drilling a hole into a log and placing food out of sight is a great way of creating a larger and very natural-looking perch. With room for more than one bird, you will have an even greater chance of action, as squabbles over food break out. Left Fieldfare with berry. In winter, fieldfares and redwings visit the hawthorns in my garden to gorge on berries. Using high-speed drive mode was critical here. Right Blue tit on lichen-covered perch. Using attractive perches such as mossy or lichen-encrusted branches will add interest to your images. Outdoor Photography 31

LEARNING ZONE Above Blue tit in flight. Backlighting can be wonderful for photographing birds in flight. Here, I shot towards a darker background to increase the contre-jour effect. RECOMMENDED GEAR LIGHTING potential harsh shadows. It should be possible to capture fine detail without too much risk of With most garden birds being so small, Of course, light is critical in any type of under or overexposure. Depending on the time I would recommend a focal length of 400mm photography. For photographing garden birds, of year, sunny days can be more problematical. or more. With anything shorter, you may it can be used creatively for different effect. In spring and summer, the first and last two struggle to achieve a shallow enough depth On overcast days, light will remain soft, which of field to blow the background out of focus. can be beneficial due to the elimination of any Fast lenses that open up to f/2.8 or f/4 are ideal, as they will allow plenty of light in – Above Crested tits backlit. Backlighting creates a rim-lit effect, highlighting the shape and form of the birds. a huge advantage when shooting action. You will need a tripod to support your lens, especially when sitting for long periods of time focused in one place. A gimbal head will give you complete freedom of movement while removing all of the weight from the lens, allowing for quick and easy adjustments to your compositions. If you are shooting from a window, a beanbag resting on the windowsill will provide a solid support. A clamp fixed to a flexible arm is a useful item to have, as it will allow you to fix perches in place and move them to exactly the right spot. Depending on your particular garden or outdoor space, you may find it difficult to find a suitable background. A painted sheet can be placed in front of a wall or other man-made object to give the illusion of a natural backdrop. Muted colours such as greens or browns will work well and keep your images looking as natural as possible. 32 Outdoor Photography

hours of light are optimum, when the light is LELAERANRINNGINZGOZNOENE rich and warm. Towards the middle of the day, the light will lose its warmth and become harsh Outdoor Photography 33 quickly, so it is best to avoid shooting during this period. When shooting in sunlight, it is important to always keep a close eye on the background, as shadows and highlights can ruin an otherwise clean backdrop. However, areas of deep shadow can work well as a background, providing there are no highlights to distract the eye. Dark backgrounds can be used to create mood, drama and impact, and help the subject to ‘pop’. When capturing action, such as in-flight shots or a bird taking off or alighting on a perch, backlighting is my preferred method. Shooting into the light can produce wonderful images of birds in flight, as the light will burn through the wings, creating a translucent effect that highlights shape and form. This should only be attempted during the golden hour, otherwise contrast levels will be high, resulting in washed-out colours and harsh shadows. Darker backgrounds can work particularly well when shooting backlit, but you should make a habit of checking the histogram to ensure that you are not losing highlight detail. CAPTURING ACTION Small birds move incredibly quickly, making any type of action shot a challenge. You will need a shutter speed of at least 1/2000sec to freeze the movements of a small bird, so you may need to raise your ISO depending on the light levels. Opening up to a wide aperture will help, but this may result in a depth of field which is too shallow, making precise focus even more important. Stopping down to an aperture between f/8 and f/11 will give you a greater margin for error when tackling in-flight shots and more chance of rendering two squabbling birds in focus, but you will need to ensure your background is distant enough so as not to become distracting. It is a careful balance. A bird’s wing position can make or break a shot. Selecting high-speed drive mode will allow you to fire a burst of images, giving you a sequence to choose from and increasing your chance of capturing that special moment. Single-point autofocus is fine for most situations, but for images of birds in flight, Right (top) Bullfinch and chaffinch. When tackling action shots of small birds, a fast shutter speed will be required. I used a shutter speed of 1/2500sec here to freeze the motion of both birds as they squabbled. Right (below) Blue tit in flight. By switching to manual focus and pre-focusing at a point in between the perch and feeder, you should find it possible to achieve flight shots of even the fastest- moving garden birds.

landing or taking off is best done by pre- focusing on the space between the perch and feeder. Place an object in between the two, such as a garden cane, focus on the tip, then remove it. Switch your lens to manual focus and use a remote trigger to fire a burst of frames as the bird flies between the two. It is a hit and miss technique, so be prepared to take plenty of shots, but put in the time and the rewards can be enormous. THE DECISIVE MOMENT For an action image to be successful, it should grab the viewer’s attention instantly. It should excite and stir emotion, evoke a particular feeling and ultimately create a connection between the subject and the audience. The decisive moment is a phrase coined by the French photojournalist Henri Cartier-Bresson and describes the important moment when a spontaneous event happens. I like to search for those moments whenever possible and the key to capturing it lies in anticipation. The more time you spend observing the birds at your feeding station, the easier it will become to predict their movements and you should soon be able to anticipate the moment when some action might occur. A squabble between two or more birds can be over in the blink of an eye, so begin firing as soon as an altercation occurs. Hesitate and there is a good chance the action will be over before the shutter is released. Left (top) Greenfinches in snowfall. In winter birds will gather to feed in greater numbers. Below (left) Chaffinch in flight. I often drop my shutter speed slightly to create some blur in the wings. Below (right) Sparrowhawk. Always keep an eye out for predators, and listen for panicked alarm calls. 34 Outdoor Photography

10 TIPS FOR CAPTURING LELAERANRINNGINZGOZNOENE ACTION IMAGES OF GARDEN BIRDS Robin. To conjure mood and atmosphere, look for dark 1 Back-button focus will give you the ability to areas of shadow to shoot towards. This can often combine single and continuous focus modes create a low-key effect, and also help eliminate together, saving precious moments when photographing any moving subject. unwanted distractions. 2 When shooting two birds squabbling, Outdoor Photography 35 you may need to stop down to a smaller aperture to gain enough depth of field to render both birds sharp. 3 Being parallel to the perch or log will further increase your chances of keeping more than one subject sharp. 4 Experiment with light direction. Backlighting can result in a halo of light around your subject known as rim lighting, which is a great way of highlighting shape and form. 5 Keep your shutter speeds fast when photographing action – around 1/2000sec minimum is what I aim for. 6 A bird in flight that is completely sharp can sometimes look a little static. As long as the eye is sharp, some movement in the wings can introduce a feeling of movement and energy. 7 If you find yourself shooting against the sky, you will need to increase exposure by around 2 stops depending on the light to prevent underexposure. 8 Setting up a wideangle lens with a remote shutter can be a great way of capturing your subject in a garden environment. 9 Foliage can be positioned either in front of or behind the perch to create a feeling of depth. 10 Garden birds generally look most photogenic between the months of February and March, when they are in breeding plumage. This is a great time to concentrate your efforts on capturing flight shots.

LEARNING ZONE Evoke the spirit of adventure Love to run, cycle or kayak? Adventure photography could be your new favourite genre. Jeremy Flint limbers up for an exercise in dynamic subjects, unusual viewpoints and dramatic weather conditions Adventure photography is a fascinating through the rapids, it’s a broad church fast-moving subjects and pursuits in which genre that covers the art of documenting that can refer to exploration and extreme the subjects are constantly on the move. But outdoor adventures in a way that conveys activities, and also less strenuous pastimes whatever the activity, adventure photography your excitement to the viewer. From balloon such as camping, exploring nature, sleeping can be a hugely rewarding genre. Here are safaris over the Serengeti and cruises down under the stars, cycling and horse riding. The some tips and advice to help you capture the the Nile to surfing in the waves and rafting biggest challenge is capturing potentially excitement of your next escapade. ADD SCALE Above Man walking in dunes at Sossusvlei, Namibia. One of the most pertinent aspects of Canon EOS 5DS R with 24-70mm lens adventure photography is conveying a sense at 24mm, ISO 100, 1/10sec at f/13 of scale. By adding context, you can help to emphasise different aspects of a location and main subject. This image of a hiker striding complement the composition of an image. courageously across the dune in the enticing One of the best ways to add scale is to include desert environment of Sossusvlei in Namibia a person or object in the frame, such as trees really emphasises the nature of the scene in the landscape or boats in the water. and the gorgeous location. Introducing a human element and showing Other examples of people to include in your the subject as part of the bigger picture adventure photography could be a runner can be a great way to add interest. Where on a trail, a kayaker on a river or a cyclist on the background and foreground subjects a road or dirt track. You can even include complement one another, both can have a yourself in the frame by setting up your place in the frame and can help to enhance camera on a tripod (or suitable perch) and the overall dynamic of an image. A great using the self-timer function to allow you time example of this would be mountains and epic to get into position before the shutter fires. scenery with rivers and lakes running through, or even featured as an epic backdrop to the 36 Outdoor Photography

LEARNING ZONE CHANGE YOUR PERSPECTIVE One of the biggest challenges you may subject differently within the wider landscape. action and energy. I captured this view of encounter is trying to capture something The aim is to enhance composition to offer Melissani Cave in Kefalonia from above to unique, and shooting from an alternative angle give an alternative look and feel to the regular is a great way to achieve a different take on a new perspective and an interesting side images you see taken from eye level. a familiar subject. Shooting from an unusual to your adventures. Consequently, a change height is perhaps the easiest way to change of viewpoint will help your images to stand Below your perspective. Instead of shooting from out. For example, getting in on the action – Melissani Cave, Greece, from above. eye level, experiment with a variety of shooting photographing from a bike or near to a boat Canon EOS 5DS R with 16-35mm lens angles, from high up to low down, to convey your – can result in more attractive and dynamic at 19mm, ISO 100, 1/180sec at f/4.5 images that will convey a greater sense of Outdoor Photography 37

Above Cyclist in front of the Brandenburg Gate, Berlin. Canon EOS 5D MkIV with 16-35mm lens at 16mm, ISO 100, 1/500sec at f/11 EMBRACE YOUR SURROUNDINGS SHOOT WIDE Great adventure photography doesn’t mean event special and show the spirit of adventure While it can work well to focus in on your you have to be on a multi-day expedition in your images. subject, framing up a wider scene is a brilliant scaling a mountain or indulging in extreme way to bring your adventure photos to life. outdoor pursuits. Heading into the wild on Invoking the spirit of adventure in your Shooting a larger field of vision is useful when a day trip can be a real adventure, whether images is a great way to connect with your you want to show a broader sense of the you are hiking up hills, kayaking along a river audience, but doing so takes more than just landscape, and a wider perspective helps to or even embarking on a solo excursion or a a pretty scene. This is more about embracing show the subject as part of the overall scene. family trip somewhere new. Many enjoyable your surroundings and capturing what you By including more of the natural beauty of adventures can be had in your own backyard feel when embarking on an excursion in an your surroundings, there is also the option to – stargazing, playing sports, birdwatching or effort to inspire others to get out and explore crop later if required. With the image opposite, simply exploring your own town are all great while also highlighting the beauty of the world. I opted for a wider view of the seascape to local adventures you can enjoy. Whatever Reflect the joy of your adventure with dramatic highlight the expanse of the beach and the you choose, try to capture what makes the light or creative composition and include colourful sky surrounding the surfers. people in the frame to add to the narrative. Shooting the width of a river or vastness PACK APPROPRIATELY While packing the right camera gear to of a plain will be better understood by the capture your adventures is important, your viewer when including a raft or backpacker, If you are heading into the hills on a day survival and safety is paramount. You will need as it shows the subject in relation to their hike or multi-night backpacking trip, you to make sure you have enough water and food environment. Exploring the Grand Teton will need to ensure you pack accordingly to preserve your energy levels and clothing to National Park in Wyoming, I came across and take the appropriate equipment. keep you warm and dry, such as a hat, gloves a group of people on horseback and Depending on where you are going on your and extra layers. Always check ahead for the spontaneously captured them in front of trip, the elevation you are climbing and the weather forecast, as you may need to pack the expanse of the Teton mountain range. weight you want to carry will determine how wet-weather gear too, such as a waterproof much kit you take. A camera body, multiple jacket and trousers. Looking after your body Opposite (top) lenses, memory cards and a battery are is essential, so carry a first aid kit in case you Horse riding, in Wyoming, USA. Canon EOS 5DS R essentials. Whether you bring a tripod will encounter any emergencies and advise people with 24-70mm lens at 24mm, ISO 200, 1/750sec be dictated by the weight of your existing where you are going and when you aim to be at f/11 kit and your shooting requirements, while back in case of any unforeseen difficulties. Opposite (below) a suitable backpack that protects your Surfers in Cornwall. Canon EOS 5D MkIV with gear and has enough space is crucial. 24-70mm lens at 24mm, ISO 200, 1/320sec at f/11 38 Outdoor Photography

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LEARNING ZONE GET CREATIVE times of the year, especially if you are in the mountains. Autumn light can be spectacular Whether you choose to keep your adventures and can enhance the seasonal colours, local or travel to a bucket-list destination, while winter snow on the mountains can your location and choice of activity will play add another dimension, despite the much a part in what kind of images you can capture. colder conditions. However, dramatic weather can be used to your advantage whatever the pastime, Don’t be afraid to get creative with shutter particularly when the sun is low in the sky and speeds, as varying your exposure times can casting long shadows. The trick is to shoot result in very different visions. Shooting with in all weathers, even when it is sunny and slower shutter speeds can help to blur your cloudless or overcast with grey skies – clouds subject and convey motion, while using faster can provide even lighting by diffusing the sun. shutter speeds will help to capture the action and create a sense of dynamism. Embrace the elements and challenging lighting situations that can occur at different Below Wild horses being rounded up by a wrangler and his dogs, Turkey. Canon EOS 5DS R with 24-70mm lens at 24mm, ISO 200, 1/350sec at f/8 40 Outdoor Photography

LEARNING ZONE 10 TIPS FOR ADVENTURE PHOTOGRAPHY SUCCESS 1 Provide a sense of scale by including 5 Illustrate your adventures by including people where you are going and when you a person or object in the frame. yourself in the shot or someone else plan to return. doing adventurous activities, such as a hiker 2 Capture the wider scene using a walking across a landscape, a jogger on a 8 Shoot what interests you and don’t wideangle lens to show the subject trail, a paddle boarder on a river or a cyclist just shoot what you think others as part of the overall landscape. on a dirt track. would like to see. 3 Alternatively, fill the composition with 6 Don’t just shoot at eye level – change 9 Be creative with shutter speeds – use the main subject to emphasise the your position and viewpoint and shoot slow speeds to convey motion and fast action and minimise the background. from an appropriate angle that conveys your shutter speeds to capture the action. subject differently within the wider landscape. 4 Capture adventures from a different 10 Use dramatic weather to your viewpoint by shooting from afar and 7 Pack well for your trip and include advantage to complement your above – perhaps even from the comfort food, water, clothing and a first aid kit composition, particularly when the sun is low of a hot air balloon or an aircraft. besides your camera gear. Be sure to tell or the lighting is diffused by clouds. Outdoor Photography 41

IN THE SPOTLIGHT Malcolm Blenkey Retired operational research project manager Malcolm Blenkey is a landscape photographer concentrating on shooting his local Yorkshire in a classical style. Nick Smith puts him in the spotlight Danby Moors Nick Smith: As a landscaper, what are your NS: You seem to have an orthodox situations where there are traditionalists like favourite places to photograph? approach to photography me, and hopefully there is room for everyone. Malcolm Blenkey: I’ve always enjoyed MB: I’ve always admired the work of Joe wandering along the coast or on the hills. My Cornish, David Noton and Charlie Waite, and NS: You’ve had a long career in photography main areas for photography are the North I’ve got a lot of books by these photographers and overseen the change from film to digital. Yorkshire coast, North York Moors, Yorkshire from which to draw inspiration. I think MB: I spent 20 years working with 35mm Dales and the Lake District. As a retired person, these days there is a trend for something a bit slide film and I think this teaches you to get I can wait for promising conditions at different more dramatic and there are some very good as much right in camera as possible. This is times of year and respond quickly, especially photographers doing that, but it’s hard to know a method of working I still use with digital as all these places are right on my doorstep, what the public will choose when it comes equipment, but I appreciate the digital within five minutes to two hours driving time. to landscapes. You’re always going to have workflow benefits of being able to adjust the highlights and shadows and colour balance in post-processing. Also, the benefits of digital printing have made me regard the final product as a mounted print. NS: Were you ever a pro photographer? MB: No, I trained as an engineer and served my time in the drawing office, and then went on to have a career in management. I was always quite good at drawing while I was at school, and it was thought that I might go to art college, but my parents thought it would be better if I got a proper job! I do think that some of my composition ideas in photography are linked to having a basic artistic inclination. Bluebell woods NS: You seem to have had quite a lot of success in competitions recently. MB: It’s nice to get a bit of recognition and I still get a thrill from winning camera club competitions, but once you get to the national level you can’t really tell what’s 42 Outdoor Photography

IN THE SPOTLIGHT going to be popular with the judges. Some of these competitions will get tens of thousands of entries and it’s not easy to see how the adjudication process works. NS: What do you think is the key to becoming a good photographer? How did you develop your skills as a photographer? MB: Establish what your main interest in photography is and then work on developing the necessary skills. Explore the work of other photographers and keep an open mind about how to approach your chosen genre. NS: You’ve been with the Saltburn Photographic Society for four decades now – how have you benefitted from being in a camera club? MB: As a camera club speaker, I enjoy passing on my experience to less experienced members and I like to think that I am giving a bit back and repaying the clubs for things I learned in my early days. As a camera club judge, I try to make my feedback as constructive as possible, remembering that the image I am critiquing may be from someone entering a competition for the first time. Also, I get to see some top-class images from the advanced workers, which can give me inspiration. NS: How do you think that your photography has changed? MB: I’ve tried to become more creative these days, and that is the result of looking at other peoples’ work. And so, I try to introduce more variations now into what I do, and that’s something I enjoy. When I look back at my earlier work, it’s nice to think that this development is still going on and will hopefully continue for some time. Right (top) Derwentwater dawn Right (middle) Rosedale mist Right (below) Saltwick sunset Malcolm’s top tips One thing I never go on a shoot without is… An idea of what I’m looking for. But I don’t stick rigidly to that, and keep an open mind to the conditions. My one piece of advice would be to… If you are a beginner, join a camera club. They have lots of experienced photographers to learn from. Something I try to avoid is… The usual tripod positions in well-known locations. So, I try to avoid standard views as much as possible. Malcolm’s critical moments 1983 2001 2008 2009 2016 2021 Joined Saltburn Included in the Wanderlust First Commended Transition from 35mm Awarded Associateship Sixth inclusion in the Photographic Society as Travel Photos of the Year image in Landscape transparency film with the Royal Photographic LPOTY awards and winner a beginner in my mid-30s London exhibition Photographer of the Year to digital Society of ‘Lines in the Landscape’ Outdoor Photography 43

A walk in the woods in Estonia A damp and drizzly journey through an Eastern European forest yielded a number of close encounters and near misses for Frank Gardner, including one with a rather famous politician with a mischievous sense of humour Wood warbler, putting on a display to attract a mate. A soft summer rain was falling as we drove south out of Tallinn, heading for the forest of Pied flycatcher. These were everywhere in Estonia in early summer, but harder to find in Britain. Sütiste Tee. This, said Argo, my Estonian nature guide, was actually a good thing. ‘Normally, at 44 Outdoor Photography weekends, these woods would be full of people out walking their dogs and picnicking, but not today. The forest will be full of fauna instead.’ As someone passionate about nature photography, there was an added bonus for me. In this soft, diffused spring light, I knew I wouldn’t have to cope with the glare of dappled sunlight, having to dial down the exposure to avoid bleaching out the subject, but relegating the background to a night-time look, something I rarely welcome. I had brought with me my Canon 100-400mm zoom lens, which I hoped would pick out every fluff and feather in this light, if I could get close enough. This three-hour foray into the wild was something of an unexpected bonus. I had spent the past few days reporting from NATO’s eastern flank on the Russian border, a place where a majestic river valley flowed between two imposing fortresses. The Russian river bank at Ivangorod was close enough to hear a nightingale singing, unseen, from the tangle of vegetation that tumbled down to the river. And now, I was in Tallinn, attending a security conference where one after another, Baltic ministers queued up to vent their outrage at Russia’s invasion of Ukraine while welcoming Finland and Sweden’s intention to join NATO. A break in the schedule saw me change out of my suit and head straight for the forest. There is something especially magical about the delicate, feathery coating of fresh green leaves that adorns a mixed conifer and deciduous wood in early summer. Full enough to give it a sheen of colour, but not so fulsome as to make it impossible to spot any wildlife. Winding its way between the tree trunks was a russet-coloured path, softened by fallen pine needles that helped silence our footfall as we moved through the wood. First to appear was a bird I haven’t seen in Britain since I was 11 years old: a pied flycatcher. Perched on a lichen- covered branch, it sat there calmly observing us between occasionally successful airborne sorties. Before long, we came to a clearing where someone had helpfully scattered some nuts and seeds. By now, the rain was falling hard, but that did not seem to deter the wildlife. A red squirrel, all tufty ears and matted fur, appeared and ran nimbly across our path before seizing on a nut and clasping it tightly between tiny, dexterous paws. High above us in the trees, a solitary brambling hopped amid the dripping leaves while siskins and chaffinches

foraged on the ground. A rodent appeared, A red squirrel in Sütiste Tee, glimpsed through the foliage. LEARNING ZONE a tiny creature with white whiskers, large, The familiar but ever-beautiful great spotted woodpecker. black eyes, a pure white belly and aerodynamic Outdoor Photography 45 swept-back ears. This, Argo informed me, was no town mouse vermin – it was a wood mouse, a genuine creature of the wild. We moved on, deeper into the woods, pausing to let a couple of fit-looking mountain bikers cycle past us, almost the only people we encountered all afternoon. Suddenly, Argo stopped in his tracks as a piercing call rang out through the trees. ‘Do you hear that?’ he asked. ‘It’s a goshawk. This is where he comes to hunt. If we stay very still, we might catch sight of him.’ It was a tantalising 10 minutes, which sadly ended in a no-show from this stripe-bellied apex raptor, but we were about to be given a consolation prize. Just visible through the rain-sodden branches was an extravagantly plumaged bird with a quite preposterously sized beak. So massive is this beak in relation to its body, in fact, that the Estonians have a name for it. They simply call it ‘Big Beak’ – Suurnokk-vint in Estonian. It was a hawfinch, a bird I last saw in Thiepval Wood on the Somme during the big centenary there in 2016, and obligingly it then flew down and hopped towards us on the forest floor. With all the pine trees in this far north- eastern corner of Europe, I had hoped we might see an exotic owl or woodpecker, some obscure continental species that simply never occurs in Britain. So, it was some disappointment to find that the only woodpecker to make an appearance was our good old great spotted variety, the same bird that adorns bird tables and gardens in the Home Counties. But the woods of Sütiste Tee had one more gem to offer up to us. From deep within the feathery foliage, a lovely, liquid song emerged, interspersed with high-pitched trills. Slowly, patiently, we traced its origin to a delightful summer migrant, another bird I haven’t seen in Britain since my childhood. It was a wood warbler, with its unmistakable black eye stripe and yellow chin giving way to a clean white breast. It seemed unperturbed by our presence and put on quite a display for us, perching on a thin branch and fluttering its wings in a display while calling out, presumably to attract a mate. There was one final, unexpected epilogue to this damp and drizzly journey through these East European woods. That evening, I was lucky enough to have dinner in medieval Old Tallinn with, among others, the previous president of Estonia. ‘I managed to get out of the city this afternoon,’ I told her. ‘I know,’ she replied with a smile. ‘What, you had me followed?’ I joked. ‘No, but that was us who cycled past you this afternoon, just me and my bodyguard. We enjoy our nature as much as you do!’ Frank Gardner is the BBC’s Security Correspondent and author of the bestselling novel ‘Outbreak’.

World Landscape Photographer 2022 Founded in 2020 during the Covid pandemic by landscape pro Nigel Danson, WLP aims to celebrate the best of nature photography while raising as much money for charity as possible. Here are this year’s award-winning images Above Paul Killeen Overall winner The Dark Hedges, Stranocum, Northern Ireland. This image was made on 14 April 2021, the morning of Lynsey’s funeral. As soon as I saw the two birds fly into my frame, I was immediately reminded of Lynsey and her husband Simon. This is a very poignant and personal image. Left Archie Wallace Junior winner During a school trip to Iceland, and its iconic black sand beaches, I was drawn to the immense power displayed in the crashing waves. They were unlike anything I’d seen before, and the sea spray illuminated by the light behind, paired with the moody skies, swarming gulls and layers of sand and sea made for a fantastically dynamic scene. 46 Outdoor Photography

PHOTO SHOWCASE Above Florian Hagemann Below (left) Andrew Baruffi Below (right) Woodlands, 1st place Woodlands, 2nd place Hans Gunnar Aslaksen Teutoburg Forest, Germany. This image Rochester, New York. I framed up on was taken in a local forest close to my home three main characters, and the bloom Woodlands, 3rd place on an early morning in May. I had scouted dotted the scene giving a wonderful bit I live in a small town called Larvik, in the and photographed this scene for the first of contrast. The fog added a tinge of south of Norway, home to Norway’s largest time a couple of days earlier, without the separation from the dark forest beyond. beech forest, Bøkeskogen. It is very rare that fog. Just a week later, I was fortunate to All in all, it was a fulfilling woodland we have thick fog, so when it appears, it is a revisit the location and find the scene moment that gave my mind some peace. drop everything moment. Fresh snow made the with the wild garlic still blooming and the scene look less busy. The subtle colours caught fog muting colours and adding depth. my attention – and there was something so fragile about the leaves clinging stubbornly to the branches, despite the harshness of winter. Outdoor Photography 47

PHOTO SHOWCASE 48 Outdoor Photography