Inspirational Landscapes

What inspires a creative person ?

Speaking as a photographer, there are many things that move me to take a photo. Light, shapes, human interactions and landscapes. Sometimes, a change of scenery will excite me to want to capture moments which is ultimately what we do as photographers.

My partner and I came back yesterday from a weeks break in Anglesey, North Wales. I was brought up holidaying in the Lake District primarily and only venturing into Wales once or twice. We never visited Anglesey in my memory although I’m told I went with my parents as a very young child. Snowdonia was not on our radar for some reason. My partner on the other hand is far more familiar with Wales and since we met 9 years ago, we’ve been there several times. Anglesey is an enchanting island with fabulous beaches, awe inspiring cliffs and amazing lighthouses on rocky promontories. The interior of the island is generally flat agricultural land but it’s the coast that brings the island to life. Its proximity to Snowdonia is very handy too. The image above is of Carnedd Llewelyn, a substantial mountain in the Ogwen Valley. The light changed every few seconds, bringing its own drama to the majesty of the mountain.

South Stack Lighthouse on the north west coast of Anglesey is a jaw dropping location for photographers. The 91ft high tower is dwarfed by the 300ft cliffs next to it. We have visited this place before but you get a greater sense of scale from this angle at Ellin’s Tower, a 19th century folly built as a summer house for the wealthy Stanley family from Penrhos.

All the while we were staying on the island and at our AirBnb, I struggled with my existing camera gear and what I should do. The minute I began taking photos wherever we went, those dilemmas vanished. My Nikon Z7ii behaved superbly, rendered some great photos and never once got in the way of my getting the best shot. I have two Nikon bodies and a few lenses plus the magical Ricoh GRIII X. I kept thinking, should I switch systems and have one mirrorless interchangeable lens body and a small selection of lenses instead of two. Sony would be the only move for me as they have a greater selection of lenses but then I edited the images from the Nikon and this dilemma diminished. I realised whilst out taking photos, I didn’t once consider the gear and concentrated on the composition and the moment. The camera didn’t get in the way of the creative process. It was a machine doing what I wanted it to, efficiently and with very little fuss.

The photographer and YouTuber James Popsys, describes his Sony A7RV as boring, because it does the job without any drama or complications. It is a very good camera in the same way as my Nikon Z7ii, more megapixels than either of us would ever need, top notch lenses and the ability to execute any action without a hint of difficulty.

Most artists, creators choose their tools on the basis of how well they perform not how they look. Photography is strewn with fashionable, highly priced, vintage inspired gear. We are fed the line that having a cool looking camera or one with great history and caché matters. There are those who buy into a system and then spend at least 50% of the time convincing you their choice is the right one. I arrived at where I am now by falling for the look a camera, the label rather than the ability to help me create really good images. I am not a Nikon fanboy but they do the job really well. I am sure equally, Sony would be great as would Canon but this is the system I’ve invested in and it helps me do what I need.

The takeaway from last week was an appreciation of some beautiful landscapes, amazing sunrises and a real feeling of relaxation. I enjoyed taking my photos because the location and the company were the main inspirations not how retro or fashionable my camera looked. I can shoot with the Nikon or Ricoh bodies and no one gives me a second look. They are like assassins, stealthy and effective. They allow me to love what’s in front of the lens and not fixate over what’s attached to it. I don’t doubt Leica or Hasselblad cameras are capable of producing brilliant photos but they aren’t so far advanced of mine purely based on the their street cred. I’m sure if Hasselblad came a knocking and offered me and X1D II and a couple of lenses, I would be more than happy but in the mean time, I’ll stick with enjoying the landscape, the street scene, the moment. They are what matters, not the gear.

Eureka Moment

I had a frustrating walkabout two days ago.

I took a Pentax DSLR and some lenses into Halifax and went to the market to take some shots. I found myself chopping and changing lenses, not content with any of them.

This contrasts with the day before in Manchester. We visited the David Hockney exhibition at the Aviva studios and my main lens of choice was the Nikon Z 40mm f/2 SE. Limiting myself to shooting mostly with that was quite liberating. I zoomed with my feet, worked harder to get the right shot but enjoyed the experience much more. Following my photo walkabout in Halifax and after reviewing my images, I ended up deleting half the photo because I didn’t like either the composition or the fact I had had to work so hard to get them.

I sat and thought about the experience and came upon a realisation. Why am I burdening myself with an excess of choices? The obvious answer to this is to only use a zoom lens. A zoom will allow me to cover all the standard focal lengths and I wouldn't have to move about so much in order to get the shot. I have a beautiful Nikon Z 24-120mm f/4 S lens which does an excellent job. For landscapes, it’s pretty much all I would need as it gives me a broad focal length reach when sometimes you are restricted by your environment. I am however, not just a landscape photographer. Often I will rock up in a location and look for the human interest in a ‘landscape’ setting. I also love architecture, people and documentary photography. For these more urban or street settings, a small prime lens is much better. My cameras aren’t massive and a small prime will make for a relatively discreet set up.

I then did a review of my edited images on Lightroom and went by focal length. It turns out that one of my favourite focal lengths just happens to be 40mm. The images at 40mm weren’t just on primes and often on a standard zoom lens. Now I have two small cheap Nikon primes (the 40mm f/2 se and 28mm f/2.8 se). I use the 40mm far more than the 28mm purely because I seem to like the field of view you get with a 40mm. When I shot with Canon full frame, my favourite lens was the 40mm f2.8. Yesterday, we went into Leeds and I took a quick stroll around the market area using only the 40mm. It was a hugely liberating experience to not have to think about zooming or changing lenses. The less you change the less likely you are to risk getting dust on the sensor. Some of the most iconic photographers of all time only used one or two prime lenses. They moved and worked for their shots, restricted themselves in order to free up their creativity.

So why 40mm? For me, it is wide but not too wide. It allows me to get a degree of background separation without distorting the subject. There is the long ranging debate as to what focal length does the human eye perceive the world. It is generally thought that we see between 40 and 50mm. Pentax do a 43mm f/1.9 which is seen as the optimal real world view we experience. Leica recently released a 43mm version of the Q3. So, using a 40mm is slightly wider than our normal view but not too wide as to distort. I’m not a great proponent of this whole real world focal length thing but what I do know is that just before I put the viewfinder to my eye, I see a composition. If that composition is there in my viewfinder, It makes my life a little easier. The Nikon lens is a relatively cheap lens but it is really well made considering its price point. it is very light and compact, autofocuses quickly and quietly. It renders colours and images with an almost nostalgic look (they worked some weird magic) and most importantly, is an uncomplicated lens. No buttons, options , just a lens. Your photography became much less about what kit you have and more about what you’re doing. Landscape photography is generally a much slower process than street or documentary. You can use a zoom to get just the right composition and take your time. I do like doing this but by nature, I am impatient. I see an image and take it. I often don’t prepare, hardly ever use a tripod and almost never bracket or focus stack. I should probably try doing it more but do I want to miss the moment setting up? I admire so many landscape photographers for their skill, preparation and attention to detail.

The upshot of this is that I will be using my 40mm lens far more than before. I also carry the 28 for when I want a wide angle shot but generally, I’ll stick to 40mm. I still have the 24-120 and the superb Z 50mm f/1.8 S as a portrait lens which will not be neglected. I shall be offloading a bunch of gear as having too many options is not good for me. I now have to work on making sure I have the correct settings for every scenario. There are so many conflicting opinions as to how you set up your camera for street photography but I will just have to do more research. I hope you like my 40mm gallery of photos on this blog post.

Unworthy or Uncomfortable

Red Wharf Bay, Anglesey - Leica SL typ601 + Panasonic 24-105mm f4

For almost as long as I have been taking photographs seriously; I have wanted to own a Leica. Maybe it’s the kudos, the legend that is Leica? Three months ago, I got my hands on one. It is a beautiful piece of precision engineering, designed to make photography a pleasure. The camera has not put a foot wrong. I have enjoyed every minute using it. I can’t carry on owning it.

Ok, that sounds perverse. In some ways it is but hear me out. Before the Leica, I was shooting very happily with a Panasonic S5. Quite simply, the best camera I had ever owned. It did everything very well and was a pleasure to hold and use. The only gripe I had was the abundance of options available in the way of controls. I knew what they did but they confused me. The Leica is a solution to this issue. The Leica however has its drawbacks, one of which has proved to be the main reason I am going back to the S5. The Panasonic has IBIS (in body image stabilisation) and once you have owned a camera with it, it’s very hard to go back. Even my beloved Ricoh GRIIIX has IBIS which is part of the joy of that little gem. I tried raising the minimum shutter speed and that helped to a certain extent. I bought the Panasonic 24-105 which has optical image stabilisation, but it works only moderately when not paired with an IBIS equipped body.

South Stack Lighthouse, Anglesey.

The Panasonic is the match to the Leica in sensor, out performs it on dynamic range and low light capability. Its video features are stunning and it is half the price of the Leica. That brings me onto the other reason. Owning a Leica is a pleasure but also a burden to those of us who don’t always feel deserving of such expensive kit. I know I am a semi professional photographer who needs a decent level of quality gear but Leica takes you well beyond that threshold. I’m not berating myself and wailing ‘Im not worthy’ but if I can achieve the same results with well made and more affordable gear, then I feel better about it. I hope this will have scratched the ‘I want a Leica’ itch once and for all. I don’t want more megapixels or lightning quick autofocus. I want a camera that produces beautiful images when this bloke does a half decent job of pointing it in the right direction. I don’t want to feel nervous of taking it out and using it. I don’t want people to think I have only got one because of the name. I recognise it is a fabulous camera, especially when in the hands of a skilled, experienced professional. I am not there yet and consequently need all the help I can get from my gear. I realise I shake more than I thought and having stabilisation, helps me nail focus more often than not. I will miss the simplicity of design, the straightforward menu system and the minimalist layout. I realise these are compromises I must make but make them I must. I can now say I am a Lumix and Ricoh user and live with that. It is not a step back, merely sideways.

Beaumaris Pier, Anglesey.