Couldn’t wait for the morning it's been a few months since I'd been to Northumberland to take some shots and I finally had a full day where I could relax and enjoy the magnificence that is the Northumberland coast. Gear all packed ( Canon 5D MKII, 24-105mm, 70-200mm, tripod and Lee Filters), forecast looking good and up bright and early to make the 60 mile trip up the road. Nice and clear sky all the way, come off the motorway heading for Alnmouth and then greeted by pea soup! Unfortunately it wasn’t a nice warm cup of pea soup it was thick fog!
This can be a common occurrence when shooting landscapes but instead of turning round and heading back home I always see it as a challenge. I'm down in Alnmouth Bay which is a fantastic setting for photography and with the fog and the small fishing boats it gives a sense of mystery.
When I'm doing one to one landscape courses one of the two main hurdles students have is composition and how to make the best of a bad situation. They look at the photography magazines and see the amazing seascape images with dramatic sunrises, crashing waves and naturally aspire to create something similar. What they don't realise is that the photographer who took the shot may have been to that particular location several times before they were presented with the natural elements. Professional landscape photographers are always looking for potential shots then visualising how that shot would look at different times of the year, different weathers and different lights.
I say the same to all my students when it comes to capturing the moment; "If you were to phone someone back home and describe what you are seeing and feeling then whatever is in your first sentence that is what you should try and capture".
In Alnmouth on that foggy day I was feeling a little lonely (nobody is stupid enough to get up that time of day on a foggy morning), a little cold but also very calm with the fog giving an air of mystery. That’s what I looked to capture with the below shot.
Remember if you can't take the amazing shot go for detail, composition and make the best of the situation that you are in. Look at the surrounding area from all angles and isolate certain subjects and draw the viewer’s eye into the shot. You never know you may get lucky and that beam of light may just pop out to say hello! If you would like to book a one-to-one photography course with Kelvin then please visit Photography Courses North East for details.
This can be a common occurrence when shooting landscapes but instead of turning round and heading back home I always see it as a challenge. I'm down in Alnmouth Bay which is a fantastic setting for photography and with the fog and the small fishing boats it gives a sense of mystery.
When I'm doing one to one landscape courses one of the two main hurdles students have is composition and how to make the best of a bad situation. They look at the photography magazines and see the amazing seascape images with dramatic sunrises, crashing waves and naturally aspire to create something similar. What they don't realise is that the photographer who took the shot may have been to that particular location several times before they were presented with the natural elements. Professional landscape photographers are always looking for potential shots then visualising how that shot would look at different times of the year, different weathers and different lights.
I say the same to all my students when it comes to capturing the moment; "If you were to phone someone back home and describe what you are seeing and feeling then whatever is in your first sentence that is what you should try and capture".
In Alnmouth on that foggy day I was feeling a little lonely (nobody is stupid enough to get up that time of day on a foggy morning), a little cold but also very calm with the fog giving an air of mystery. That’s what I looked to capture with the below shot.
Remember if you can't take the amazing shot go for detail, composition and make the best of the situation that you are in. Look at the surrounding area from all angles and isolate certain subjects and draw the viewer’s eye into the shot. You never know you may get lucky and that beam of light may just pop out to say hello! If you would like to book a one-to-one photography course with Kelvin then please visit Photography Courses North East for details.
