Brad

Welcome to Wales. Land of myth, legend, and folklore. A land that has been inspiring artists, writers and poets for generations, and I’m one of the latest in a long line of messengers waxing lyrical about its’ natural beauty. Having explored this enchanted land for years now, it is easy to see why so many people seek out this charming landscape for inspiration. The trees speak softly, the mountains stand guard like watchmen, and the rivers and lakes house fairies that will bring healing to your soul.

I’ve been a lover of The Lord of the Rings books and movies since I was a child, and now, having explored so much of this beautiful country, I see why Wales is credited with providing inspiration in so many different ways for Tolkien as he created his imaginary world. Even his Elvish language was inspired by the Welsh tongue.

Wales is a dream for any landscape photographer and, though relatively small in size, it offers something for every one who shows interest in landscape and nature photography. It has provided me with a constant source of inspiration over the past half a decade that I have been creating photographs, and these very lands have helped to heal many of my own wounds and brought a sense of peace to my soul. I still have so much ground to explore, so many photographs to create, and stories of my own to tell. Despite countless adventures to Eryri/ Snowdonia and seemingly walking every inch of my local mid Wales landscape, I sometimes feel as though I am only just scratching the surface of what this glorious country has to offer.

In this article, I want to introduce you to some of my favourite locations in Wales for landscape and nature photography that I have discovered so far. These are places that have, and still do, provide me with an incredible amount of inspiration for creativity and storytelling, and now I hope that I can inspire you to go out and unleash your creativity and tell your own stories of these wonderful places.

The Great Wood, Gregynog Hall – Mid Wales

I walked innocently into one of Wales’ most beautiful ancient woodlands, yielding my flask filled with coffee, books and camera. As I closed The Fellowship of the Ring for the last time, mounted my flask back into the side pocket of my bag and withdrew my camera, my hands rose to the heavens as beams of soft, golden light shone down on me through the canopy. It was an enlightening moment in my photography journey so far.

I credit this beautiful woodland in the heart of Montgomeryshire for changing the way that I do photography forever. In my initial years behind the camera, I could often be found running around from place to place, gathering photographs like a bee does honey. Finding these trees back in 2021 forced me to slow down and connect on a deeper level to the landscape that I found myself in. There was something very special about this patch of oak woodland and it made me feel emotions that I hadn’t experienced before. These trees played more than their part in inspiring my 2021 photobook titled, ‘A Year Amongst Trees’.

Some of the trees were planted back in the 18th century, and one of them was even standing when Henry VIII was reigning over the country. Walking between these gigantic trees for the first time was a rather special experience. I looked up in wonder as I marvelled at the sheer size of the ancient oaks that stand here on this ground, and felt an overpowering sense of insignificance at species that have been standing since the days of my great, great grandfather.

The woodland itself was used as hunting ground back in the day but now it’s left relatively untouched, bar a few sheep that sometimes wander the land, and the footsteps of myself and a few others that like to roam aimlessly amongst the ancient oak trees.

Autumn is, of course, the best time to visit most woodlands, in my opinion, and this one is no different. The bed of bracken and ferns is good enough to sleep on, and with fog and mist regularly filling the valley, you might just be treated to some of the best photography conditions that you remember, as I was on this magical autumn morning in 2021.

The sun rises quite lowly over the Montgomeryshire hills, and the light can be truly special if you care to be out early enough to capture it. Two or three of my favourite photographs have been produced here in this woodland after months of scouting and mornings spent walking meditatively between the old oak trees. I’m an advocate of the Japanese art of ‘shinrin yoku’ or ‘forest bathing’ to clear my busy mind and gain some clarity in my life, and there is no better place to take in the wonders of the woodland than right here in Montgomeryshire, in my opinion.

Photography Tip:

Try photographing with the camera pointing into, or at a 45 degree angle to the sunlight. Using mist in your photographs can be a perfect way to diffuse the sun and avoid blowing out those all important ‘highlights’ which will cause you to lose lots of detail in your imagery. Using the beautiful and soft morning light can provide some wonderful opportunities for photographs and maximise your chances of getting some of that all important fog or mist needed to create those beautifully atmospheric stories with your camera.

What I love most about this woodland is that every season brings with it plenty of new and exciting opportunities for photography. Just as you might be beginning to think that you have seen it all and expended all possible compositions, a change in temperature may make you think again before moving on to your next location. This woodland has kept me busy for two years already, and I’m sure that there are many more still to go.

Photography Tip:

If you are someone who bounces around from location to location in search of the next photograph, why not change your approach and try photographing one location for a while. You might be surprised to see how your vision evolves as you force yourself to look deeper into the landscape to find your next image.

For more tips on how to improve your woodland photography, click here.

 

Rhiwargor & Lake Vyrnwy – Berwyn Mountains, Mid Wales

I stood alone in the heart of the Berwyn mountains. Overnight, a sprinkling of snow had fallen, peppering the tops of the mountains that surround Lake Vyrnwy. As the water gushed down from Rhiwargor, past the ancient silver birch trees and along the grassy banks, I approached excitedly with my rucksack in tow.

I had one of those feelings that something special was going to happen that morning. The forecast looked good for some atmosphere and breaks in the cloud for light to enter the landscape. The scene had already stood out to me as one with a lot of potential during the autumn months that preceded. I knew that the snow-capped mountains behind were going to look special with the beautiful stream carrying the eye along the tree-lined embankment and out into the distance. What happened next, and for only a matter of seconds, could never have been predicted, and probably wont be seen again in my lifetime. A fleeting rain and snowstorm passed over my head. As it swept beyond and into the distant mountains, beneath which Lake Vyrnwy lies silently, a brief break in the clouds allowed the most gorgeous golden light to flood in from the east, backlighting the drizzle and sleet beautifully. The flash of burning embers brought to attention the silhouetted old guard of ancient silver birch trees that appear to be charging over the hill and away into the light.

You might be able to tell from this short piece of writing that this little corner of Lake Vyrnwy is up there amongst my favourite places to photograph out of all of them on this list. There really is something for everyone around this glorious part of the country. Whether you’re a tree lover like myself, or mountains and waterfalls are your thing, you aren’t going to be disappointed when you take a walk around Rhiwargor and Lake Vyrnwy.

Photography Tip:

Don’t be afraid to be a little curious whilst outdoors exploring, especially around Lake Vyrnwy, where some of the best photographs appear once you have veered away from the well-known footpaths. There is nothing quite like making your own tracks in this life, and photography has provided me with the perfect opportunity to do just that. I allow the camera to lead me, rather than me lead it, and the great outdoors will always provide opportunity for further exploration.

This part of the world is another of those that looks glorious throughout the seasons and offers plenty of variation when it comes to landscape photography. The area is a woodland paradise, and there are trees growing out of every nook and cranny on the hillsides that surround the lake and waterfall. There is an abundance of silver birch trees that line the slopes of the waterfall, and the colours that are on display throughout the autumn months are truly magnificent.

If you like photographing reflections then you may want to make a stop off at one of the small beaches or picnic areas around Lake Vyrnwy, where you’ll be presented with some truly remarkable compositional opportunities. First thing in the morning, the lake is often completely still and the reflections are perfectly mirror-like.

The Victorian water tower on Lake Vyrnwy makes for an interesting subject, appearing to be almost fairy-tale like; perfect for the stories of old witches and wizards like in Welsh folklore tales. There are many compositional opportunities for photographs of the tower. The main bridge at the south-eastern point makes for the more common angle, but I prefer to be a little more creative and make my own compositions these days. Sunset provides some incredible light, and sets beyond the Berwyn mountains that stand watch behind the tower. On a side note; you might want to look out for one of many walking routes that will lead you out onto the tops of the mountains surrounding Lake Vyrnwy. There are some terrific hikes to be found here and you could easily spend a few days in the area.

If you care to slow down and open your eyes widely enough as you make your way around the 12 mile stretch of road that runs around the lake, you might notice that there are some beautiful patches of native, deciduous woodland just waiting to be explored. This one, towards the easternmost point of the lake, holds promise for photographers and storytellers who are brave enough to ascend the steep banks and venture into the unknown. Some of the ancient oaks will make you feel as though you have been transported back in time; perhaps to a time when the Celts gathered around oak trees as part of their rituals and rites, sometimes even offering worship to a goddess of the oak tree, named Daron.

Photography Tip:

I like to look for a main protagonist in my woodland photographs occasionally. Characterful trees, like the one above, can help to tell a story, and every woodland seems to have at least one that stands out from the crowd like the ugly duckling.

 

Llyn Dinas & Dinas Emrys | Eryri/ Snowdonia National Park

If wild swimming is your thing, be sure to watch out for a sharp pointy thing floating around in Llyn Dinas. Rumour has it that Excalibur, weapon of choice for King Arthur, might have been thrown into here back in the 6th century. Providing you don’t find that and make yourself a millionaire, you’ll want to wander the waters here on the lookout for photographs as it’s one of the most underrated places in Snowdonia for photography.

The light rises in the morning over the Moelwynion mountains; of which Moel Siabod is the tallest and can be seen at the northernmost point of the lake. It is just viewable, off centre to the right, in the photograph above. There are plenty of loose rocks and stones that make for some interesting features in photographs, and a few species of trees line the shores of the lake which can be added to your imagery to create the complete landscape photograph that will combine all of the elements.

If you managed to find the sword, you might want to keep it wielded as you cross the busy road to Craflwyn Hall, from which a footpath runs behind that will lead you to Dinas Emrys; birthplace of the red dragon.

It is rumoured that King Vortigern was building a castle on Dinas Emrys back in the 5th century which kept collapsing overnight because of tremors throughout the landscape.

Having queried it with his men, and failing to come to an answer to explain what was happening, King Vortigern was advised to seek the help of a boy that was born of a virgin mother. Vortigern sent his men out to search for such a boy and they eventually found Myrddin (Merlin) the wizard.

King Vortigern was going to offer Merlin’s life as a sacrifice but Merlin quickly advised him that the reason he couldn’t get his castle to stand was because two dragons were living inside of the hill, beneath the pool of water that, to this day, can still be found on Dinas Emrys.

The two dragons were awoken from their slumber and coaxed out from under the water. One was red and the other, white. They began to fight in the air above the hilltop. Eventually the white dragon fled, leaving the red dragon victorious, giving King Vortigern a new emblem for his flag, and a sign of the impending victory against the Anglo-Saxons.

Let thoughts of dragons, kings and wizards inspire you as your imagination runs wild atop this beautiful hilltop in north Wales. Sunrise makes for a beautiful time to visit, as the view towards the Moelwynions and over Llyn Dinas is one of the best in the area. Lining the western face of the hill as you walk to the summit is an enchanted oak forest, through which the winds blow and bring voices of Welsh baritones from afar.

If you’re a woodland photographer, then you’re likely to have a field day on Dinas Emrys; the trees are some of the gnarliest and most wicked in the national park, and there are many stories to be told of them.

 

Rhaeadr Ddu & Ganllwyd – Eryri/ Snowdonia National Park

Rhaeadr Ddu, the beautifully quaint little waterfall in the southern region of Snowdonia translates as ‘Black Falls’ due to the appearance of the black stone over which the two-tiered waterfall descends. The short walk from Ganllwyd will lead you along a path next to which the Afon Gamlan runs through the Coed Ganllwyd National Nature Reserve. You’ll walk for no more than a mile, at which point you’ll be transported into a real life fairy-tale, surrounded by ancient, twisting oak trees, with the sound of the ever-changing waterfall for company. Visiting through different seasons will bring with it new conditions, as the water levels can change rapidly depending on rainfall in the area and surrounding mountains.

One of my favourite times to visit this fantastic and somewhat, underrated location has to be throughout the spring. I was lucky enough to capture the photographs below during the peak spring weeks in 2022 when the colours were at their vibrant best.

Waterfalls tend to look at their most spectacular after a few days of heavy rain, which does make for some great photographs. However, I prefer to shoot them when the conditions are a little calmer due to the look and feel that I tend to like in my photographs. My style reflects the more calming and peaceful moments as opposed to any chaos and drama. Perhaps this is how I feel when I’m outdoors in nature and therefore that is how I like my viewer to feel when looking through my portfolio.

I think that it’s very important to try to gain an understanding of yourself and some level of self-awareness as you progress through your photography journey. Spending time in beautiful places like this should make self-reflection incredibly easy, giving you plenty of time to think about the stories that you’d like to tell through your photography.

Photography Tip:

When photographing waterfalls, it might be worth attaching a circular polarising filter (CPL) to your lens. There are many places that CPL’s will work wonders for your photography but none will be transformed quite like a colourful autumnal or spring waterfall scene, where the effects of twisting the filter to your likening will bring out those beautifully vibrant orange, yellow and red colour tones and reduce the glare on the surface of the water, helping to add depth and mood to your image.

For more tips, I have a blog containing Ten Top Tips for Landscape Photography.

Waterfalls have to be up there among my favourite things to photograph. There is nothing quite like the feeling of excitement building as you hear the sound of the crashing water gradually getting louder as you approach. This little gem in Ganllwyd provides some really special ancient woodland with moss covered trunks and dry stone walls too, all of those will make for some fantastic subjects to photograph aside from the waterfall itself.

Photography Tip:

I like to keep my eye out for natural frames in the scene when photographing waterfalls like Rhaeadr Ddu. In the first image, you can see that I have been sure to include those twisting tree branches in the top of my frame, which help to keep the viewers eye pinned on my subject; the stunning waterfall. In the second photograph, I got down low to find a subtle leading line and natural path through the rocks to lead the viewer towards the waterfall, also making sure that I included those lime green spring leaves to add to the overall balance and story of the image.

If you cross the road after you have made your way back along the footpath from Rhaeadr Ddu, you’ll find yourself the most beautiful stretch of river that is lined with trees and peppered with rocky boulders. It might appear to you, as it does to me, to be yet another one of the pictures from Tolkien’s imagination, and it would be easy to sit and picture a herd of horses charging up the valley. You might want to break out your camera and tripod to grab a quick photograph before they do though. There are opportunities to attach your wide angle lens and get closer to some of the rocks, or use a mid range telephoto as I did here to scope out a segment of the river.

This stretch of river is best viewed in the morning, as the sun will rise over the hill to the east. My intuition tells me that late autumn and early spring could be a wonderful time to visit, as the sun will rise a little further round the hillside, providing you with some lower and, therefore, softer light for your photographs. This will also mean that the leaves are beautifully backlit, adding to that sense of dreamlike magic that Wales often provides.

A little further along the A470 in Ganllwyd is something of a hidden gem here in Wales. The Coed y Brenin forest boasts a number of waterfalls and if you’re willing to become a little bit more curious, then you might just discover something special like I did when I stumbled upon Pistyll Cain one winters’ afternoon. The waterfall is hiding away somewhere around a mile or so upriver from the Afon Mawddach. Here you can see a photograph from one wet and wild afternoon on which the wind was blowing the waterfall back up the gorge into which it falls.

 

St. Mary’s Vale & Sugar Loaf – Abergavenny, Black Mountains

Tucked away in a quiet corner beneath the distinctive summit of the Sugarloaf, is a hidden world of twisting oaks and forgotten silver birch trees. The unforgettable St. Mary’s Vale is nestled away somewhere between the ridges of the Llanwenarth and Rholben hills. On one side of the valley, ancient oaks hang onto its’ steep sides, and silver birch pepper the ground too. On the other side of the Nant (stream) Iago, an ancient beech forest stands elegantly on the banks of the valley, and one step into here might make you feel like you have wandered into Lothlorien.

Maps of this small area around the Black Mountains show promise of plenty more native, deciduous woodland, and this is one part of the country that I am dying to explore more often. If photographing trees is your thing, then you can’t look far past the beautiful St. Mary’s Vale and surrounding areas in the south of Wales.

Once the morning mist has dissipated, be sure to wander along the footpath that winds between the ancient trees, which will lead you to the top of the unmistakeable Sugar Loaf; a 596m hill that is the southernmost of the summits making up the Black Mountains. From this hilltop, you’ll be treated to one of the finest views in south Wales, looking right out over the River Usk to the south, and Bannau Brycheiniog (Brecon Beacons) to the west.

With this being Wales, you’re almost guaranteed to face some dynamic weather conditions, no matter when you visit, so be prepared with a variety of clothing choices, and also ensure that you have your camera at the ready because you might just witness a passing snow and hailstorm, and glorious, lateral light like I did in the photograph down below.

 

Moel Y Golfa – Mid Wales

Standing at 403m, it would be very easy to bypass this humble hilltop as you cross the England/Wales border to make your way towards some of the more popular spots in mid Wales, such as Lake Vyrnwy and Elan Valley. Many locals even often overlook this hilltop in favour of its’ neighbour; Rodney’s Pillar, of which, due to decades of quarrying, stands out in the landscape like a sore thumb from the west. Moel Y Golfa has been left relatively untouched by humans, bar the monument known by us from around the local area as ‘Gypsy’s Monument’. Atop the hill, you’ll be treated to some spectacular views of the Berwyn Mountains and even as far as Eryri/ Snowdonia out to the west. From experience, sunset is by far the best time to explore this landscape, and lateral light interacts beautifully with the unique rock formations on the summit. In summer, splashes of pink and purple paint the ground, in the form of heather which flourishes up here overlooking the mid Wales savannah.

Photography Tip:

Attach your wide angle lens and point it towards the ground up here to create some beautiful depth in your photographs. The rock formations on the ground are far too interesting and captivating to leave out. Look out for the lateral light at sunrise or sunset to add depth and natural contrast to your images.

You’ll want to come equipped with your telephoto lens if you are hiking to the summit of Moel Y Golfa as there is a terrific meander in the river Severn down below, which beautifully demonstrates how the river has formed over millenia and eroded through the landscape. Here in mid Wales, if you didn’t already know, we have an abundance of glorious oak trees that stand proudly in the fields and meadows. With a long enough lens, you’ll be perfectly placed to scope some of them out for those lone tree photographs that every photographer loves. Happy sniping folks.

 

Cors Bodgynydd & Llyn Bodgynydd – Eryri/ Snowdonia National Park

There are no fun stories of myths and legends around here, and that’s great because it means that it’s one of the lesser known spots here in Eryri/ Snowdonia. Maybe it will give you an opportunity to write your own story for the history books. The tree-line pathway below certainly looks as though it belongs in a fantasy story, don’t you think? I’ve had many relaxing mornings around this beautiful area over the past few years.

The sun sets beyond the Carneddau mountain range that provides the perfect backdrop for any landscape photographer. I love this location because it offers something different to your usual Snowdonia landscape. It isn’t exactly grand or epic like you might expect from the area, and instead offers plenty of poetic charm, similar to what you might see in a 19th century oil painting. The colours throughout the autumn months are truly spectacular, with an abundance of silver birch trees lining the outskirts of the lake, and colourful grasses and plants emerging from the water.

There is plenty of diversity to photograph in many different styles, with the mountainous backdrops allowing you to shoot wide and capture the whole scene, and the variety of tree species and plants giving you the option to break out a long lens and capture something a little more intimate.

Follow the footpath around the edge of Cors Bodgynydd and you’ll uncover something of a hidden gem called Llyn Bodgynydd, which provides this sensational view of Moel Siabod. Mornings are by far the best time to photograph this glorious location, with mists regularly shrouding the lake through the spring and autumn months.

 

Cnicht & Croesor – Eryri/ Snowdonia National Park

Standing proudly in isolation among the Moelwynion mountains, is Cnicht, often known as ‘The Welsh Matterhorn’, for its’ beautifully formed pyramidal structure when viewed from certain angles. Its’ name, Anglo-Saxon for ‘knight’ was given to it by medieval sailors who likened it to the shape of a 14th century knights helmet after they viewed it from the sea to the west, similar to the view that I had when creating the photograph down below in the Summer of 2021.

Cnicht is one of the lesser photographed mountains in Snowdonia, and that’s absolutely fine with me. I love the challenge of finding unique and interesting photographs of the national park, and this area around Croesor and Nantmor offers plenty. To my eye, there aren’t many more perfectly shaped mountains in Snowdonia and I am very much looking forward to including it in my photography portfolio moving forwards. There are some spectacular patches of woodland around here, and I recommend that you lace up your walking boots and follow your nose on the hunt for your own unique compositions.

That is all for now in my latest photography location guide to Wales. I hope you have taken something away with you, and are feeling inspired to get out there in the landscape; to connect and create. Wales is a land that holds plenty of promise for photographs and stories and I hope that you enjoy creating yours. As you can tell by reading this, Wales has provided me with enough inspiration to last a lifetime, and I am sure that it will offer plenty more for me yet. As always; stay connected and creative, be curious, and go wherever your heart is leading you. It won’t often lead you wrong.

Words & photography ©2023 Brad Carr Photography 

 

INTRODUCTION

We’ve all been there. Back home after a long and exhausting day of landscape photography out in the field. We throw our bags on the floor and kick our mud-covered hiking boots off in the doorway. The dog is super excited to see us for the first time in 12 hours, she’s starving and needs feeding. But, of course, we don’t care. We have an SD card that full of images and the world will end if we don’t sit down at the computer to download them immediately and edit until the early hours, forgetting about any other life responsibilities.

With the downloading process in motion, we head into the kitchen, dog in tow. She’s disappointed when she realises that a cup of tea is the only thing on your mind. Plus the memories of the day and them sweet looking landscapes, of course. You sit back down and there you are, greeted with 600+ images, 400 of which are nearly identical, with just a slight change in angle to tell them apart. As you make your way through your days’ work, the feelings of disappointment grow stronger. ‘These aren’t anything like the beautiful photographs that I’ve seen on Instagram’, your inner voice declares.

Well, what I’m hoping for, by writing this blog post, is to prevent you from some of those terrible feelings of disappointment and give you a solid foundation from which you can build and improve your landscape photography. At the bottom of the blog, I’ll provide you with some links to the YouTube pages of some of my favourite photographers that have been an outstanding source of information for me over the last two and a half years.

Below, are 10 of my top tips that I think have helped me significantly through my landscape photography journey so far. The points discussed all go beyond what I would call ‘the technical basics’ of taking photos, meaning, that I’m not going to be touching on cameras, lenses, aperture or shutter speed in any real depth. The tips are based around things that you can do personally to improve your photos and compositions. I will release another blog post in the future that will help with some of the basic camera settings that I use in some of my images. If you don’t want to miss that, make sure that you are following me on my Instagram & Facebook or, you can subscribe to my newsletter that will be rolling out very soon. The newsletter form can be found at the bottom of this page.

 

1. PATIENCE

Anybody that has spent a little time outdoors, especially here in Wales, will know just how quickly the lighting can shift sometimes and completely transform a landscape from a sunny, blue sky paradise, into a deep, dark, moody looking Game of Thrones set. There have been a number of occasions throughout my photography journey so far, where I have left, or been about to leave a location when, out of nowhere, the clouds part and it’s as though God is shining a torch down from heaven, with a wry grin on his face as if to say, ‘don’t be so hasty young man!’

Having practiced the art of patience through my bodybuilding over the years, I feel that it transitioned into my photography right from the beginning. Anybody following me on Instagram might have seen me working out while waiting for some light to hit the top of Buachille Etive Beag in Scotland last year. Still, I’m no master of patience. Little lessons and reminders do often still appear. Only a couple of months back, I was making my way home from a short photography trip to Lake Vyrnwy, where I wanted to create a large panoramic image of the boathouse and Victorian water tower. I’d already had my tripod set up for well over an hour and I’d decided to pack up because the light hadn’t changed and the whole scene was looking a little too dull. Five minutes up the road, the clouds broke and allowed some light through. With no hesitation, I span the car around, went back to my spot and ended up coming back with this photograph.

You might be wondering what on Earth I’m doing while I’m stood outdoors in the open, in the same place for an hour or two, with nothing but the birds for company. Well, this takes me nicely onto point number 2.

 

2. SLOW DOWN & TAKE A BREATH

I think it’s pretty clear to us just how much the digital revolution has changed the world. All you have to do is take a walk along your local high street and you’ll probably see one in two people either looking at, or listening to a mobile phone. We are facing the beginning of what I feel, could be an attention span crisis. Generally speaking, we don’t know how to pay attention to a single task. How often do you find yourself breaking out your phone when it buzzes during a face to face conversation?

I don’t personally think that a short attention span would do me any favours out in the field. Photography is an art form based on our senses. If we can’t tune in to these senses because our minds are always elsewhere or waiting for the next notification, how can we expect to create compelling landscape images that capture the attention of our viewer?

Around a year ago, on a solo trip to photograph the Point of Ayr Lighthouse in Talacre, North Wales, my mind was all over the place. I’d had one of those weeks and whilst driving up to North Wales, all I wanted to do was turn the car around and go home. I persevered and on arrival, I decided that I would spend a while simply walking around the location, taking it all in, practicing some deep breathing and just clearing my head before even taking out my camera and looking for a photo.

Now, I’ll purposely aim to arrive a little early (before the best light) to allow myself time to walk around and breathe. I’ve been an advocate of the Wim Hof Method for about a year now. My phone will often be placed on airplane mode while I’m out there in order to better connect with nature and the landscape and to gain a deeper understanding of how I’m feeling, as I think this all translates into an image.

Using these methods was a huge turning point for me and since adopting it, I feel like I’ve noticed the biggest improvement in my photography, with the below image being the result of my first practice back in January 2020 (yes… the one where I wanted to spin the car around and go home)!!!

 

3. CHASE PROGRESS, NOT PERFECTION

With platforms like Instagram forcing comparison by constantly showing you an unbelievably high level of photography, every minute of every day, it’s so easy to become disillusioned with where you are in your journey.

This is where it’s important to focus on your own art and try to make each photograph just that little bit better than the last. If you’ve only just picked up a camera, you can’t expect to become the next Ansel Adams over night. Try revisiting the same place over and over again and with each new journey, try something a little bit different. If you took a photo using a fast shutter speed to capture some water on your first visit, perhaps try slowing the shutter down this time to see what kind of photograph that produces. It might not work but at least then you have a reason to analyse what didn’t work in the image, allowing you to make tweaks for the future.

Brick by brick is a little philosophy that I live my life by. I have some big ideas but when I’m trying to build a large mansion, focusing on my next little brick is the only thing that’s important to me. Rome wasn’t built in a day, of course.

Below is another image of the Point of Ayr Lighthouse, this time I tried a long exposure to create a very dramatic looking photograph.

This leads me very nicely onto my next point.

 

4. TRY UNIQUE IDEAS

What is the one thing we have in this world that no one can steal, copy or borrow?

Our identities. Who we are. Our own experiences. Why we like to communicate in the ways that we do. You need to try to tap into this and make it your superpower. Learn to translate these experiences into your own photography to create imagery that nobody else can.

Of course, with the average person being shown literally hundreds or thousands of photographs every day, it’s so easy to get caught up in travelling to all of the famous places to get those ‘Instagram shots,’ without realising just how much opportunity there is on our own doorsteps to create something that is entirely unique.

While it’s obviously great to travel to those places, I do love them myself and they are all widely photographed for a reason of course, you just can’t beat the satisfaction you feel after getting up at the crack of dawn to capture a photograph like this one below from a secret place that tells its’ own story and will, most likely, never be photographed again.

 

5. PLAN AHEAD

This one isn’t very straightforward and will definitely take a while to understand – It’s actually the main thing that I’m working on improving for my own landscape photography as there is just so many different elements that go into planning.

In my experience, the best photographs have been created after many visits to the same place. I think that you really have to take the time to get know and understand the landscape in order to know what you would like to capture from a certain scene. Once you know, you can then proceed to use apps such as The Photographers Ephemeris, which will show you the direction of sunrise, sunset, moonrise & moonset, anywhere in the world.

Apps like this are a great tool but won’t do all of the work for you. They might give you a solid foundation of knowledge but you will need to grow your understanding of a place by visiting in person. That way you can watch the way the light moves around and scout for interesting elements that you can use in your future compositions. If there is water in the scene, you will need to know how light interacts with it. Will you need a polarizing filter to aid with taking some of the glare and reflection from the surface of the water? Where will you need to stand and what focal length will you need to use to convey the feeling that you want to get across to your viewer? Will you shoot with a wide angle and emphasize the vast landscape and foreground detail, or will you opt for a longer lens, to compress the image and bring some scale into your shot?

These are all things that can only truly be decided once you’ve visited and built up some experience. You can then combine your knowledge of the landscape with your choice of tech tools to visualise pictures in your head.

Another app that I have heard nothing but great things about it Photopills, though I haven’t made it round to using it myself just yet.

 

6. SIMPLIFY YOUR COMPOSITIONS

The photographs that I feel most pleased with are generally the ones where there isn’t too much going on within it. I tend to try to keep a clear subject in mind when I have my camera in my hand, ensuring that distractions stay to a minimum in order to avoid taking my viewers eye away from where I want it to be.

I’m a sucker for some negative space and I believe that this can be included to create a very powerful photo that helps to capture a viewers imagination and allows them time to think. I love the idea of creating a sense of wonder and I feel that the below image does just that. Perhaps making the audience imagine standing on the summit of Snowdon and reaching for the moon?

Below is another example of how minimalism can have a powerful impact in your landscape photography as I captured this solo hiker tackling the winter whiteout to summit Y Garn in Snowdonia. Lone figures in a vast landscape have always captured my imagination. They make me ask all sorts of questions about who I am and what I am doing here. There’s something I have always found fascinating about how small we are in comparison to nature and this incredible planet that we are on.

 

7. CREATE BALANCE WITHIN YOUR PHOTOGRAPHS

This one doesn’t need too much explaining. I feel like a photograph looks much more pleasing to the eye if you can create some sort of balance between your elements within a scene. If you take this image from the Ogwen Valley in Snowdonia, you’ll see that my subjects; the tree, the white house, and rays of sunlight are perfectly balanced from the edges of the frame (also see rule of thirds and visualise the provided grid over this photograph).

While it’s much better if you can get this right in camera (practice and experience will help with this), you can make good use of the crop tool within your editing software to fix your photograph afterwards, cropping out any unwanted objects from the edges of the frame. If there are central elements that you don’t like within your photograph or, for example, a piece of stray dirt made it onto your lens and left a mark on your photograph, then you can make great use of some of the ‘spot healing’ tools within camera editing software. My favourite being the one provided in Adobe Photoshop for operations like this.

 

8. USE THE RULE OF THIRDS… (BUT UNDERSTAND WHY).

Like any rules, they sometimes need to be broken. This one, is by no means set in stone but will be fairly consistent throughout the world of landscape photography and photography in general. Look at the graphic that I created below of a photograph I took while adventuring around Glencoe in Scotland on a trip late in 2020.

You can see clearly that the image has been divided into nine different sections, containing four different intersections toward the centre. When framing an image, it’s always a good idea to try to visualise this graphic and decide whether you want to place your points of interest on, or close to the intersections or break the rules for a different visual effect. You can see in this particular image that I’ve used the rule for the benefit of the composition and combined it with some negative space to the right of the photograph, which allows the viewers eye to follow up the stream and away into the mountains behind without getting distracted by any stray objects. Remember I spoke about simplicity and minimalism in photography a little earlier? This image is a combination of two of my tips.

Personally, I feel like this photograph is actually one of my most pleasing in terms of the composition. It has so many different elements, from the tree that makes up the foreground, the house and base of the mountains that form the background, the stream linking the two and providing interest in the middle of the photo and then the leading lines, rule of thirds and negative space. Perhaps the complete composition, if you like to follow rules, that is!

Just a quick one. You can enable the above grid in your iPhone camera, which may help you to get some practice. Mine has been left on permanently since I enabled it a few years ago. Here is how to do it:

• Open ‘Settings’
• Tap ‘Photos & Camera’
• Find ‘Grid’ and toggle it on

Below is an example of me ‘breaking’ the rules and why.

In this photograph, which I named ‘Stage Fright,’ I purposely placed the young fawn far down in the bottom right of my frame as I feel that it helps to convey the story of this isolated, innocent young animal out in the vast open wilderness, with the trees acting like all of the scary things that life is about to throw at it. Or, as the name suggests, the trees are playing the parts of judges & audience as the young fawn is about to step out on stage.

This is a good chance to think back to point number 2, where I talked a little about paying attention and understanding your surroundings. There is no way that all of those complicated thoughts about how I wanted to frame this image would have occurred if my mind was elsewhere. It’s so important to be present and constantly observe your surroundings when out in the field taking photographs.

 

9. HONE YOUR EDITING SKILLS

No image, in my opinion, is complete without a photographer putting a stamp on it through some editing software like Adobe Lightroom or Photoshop. The photographs that your camera captures tend to look a little bit flat as a RAW file and will usually need at least a basic edit to correct the darker or lighter parts (shadows & highlights).

Not only that, some cameras and especially lenses have a difficult time picking up accurate colours from the landscape. You can have a tonne of fun playing around with the colour sliders in your editing software to correct these and give your photographs a signature style. You might even find yourself reading books about the origins of colour like in the summer of 2020.

Quick tip: I would always suggest investing your money into lenses before an expensive camera body. A cheap body with an expensive, high quality lens ALWAYS beats an expensive body paired with a cheap lens. Most of my photographs so far have been taken on a £600 Canon 800D, I’ve only recently invested in the 5D IV and made sure that I had the lenses to fully complement it.

My favourite part of photography is obviously the getting outdoors part but I made the editing process a bit of a tradition early on. I’ll be sure to get myself a cup of tea, put some of my favourite music on and really get in the zone for it. In its own way, it is just as fun as being outdoors. You get to build a brand around how your photographs are edited. At least, that’s how my mind works anyway.

It takes a lot of time to find your style but I promise you you’ll notice quick improvements if you hack away at it at every chance that you get. Try revisiting old images for practice, and take things to the extreme in software to find the things you like and the things you don’t like. All of a sudden, the buttons you press, the colours you choose and the sliders you slide will start to become second nature to you and you’ll find your groove.

Another tip within a tip: try not to get stuck in a groove. It’s always good to push yourself and find ways that you can improve. No one is ever the finished article. Instagram is a wonderful platform but it can get addictive trying to build that ‘consistent feed’, meaning that you never really test your limits or learn anything new. I’ve learnt recently, that each photograph has its’ own story all together and may need a completely different style of edit in order to bring out the best in it. Wouldn’t it be a shame if you only knew of one way? If you normally edit with warmer, orange tones in your work, try using some cooler tones and enhance your blue and aqua colours for a change that might help to emphasise a feeling of cold.

Ansel Adams famously stated that editing is 50% of the entire photography process and this is something that I’ve really learnt to resonate with. I’ll be releasing some blog posts & videos on my editing process very soon. Feel free to sign up to my newsletter at the bottom of this page for all of the latest updates.

10. JUST GET OUT THERE AND SHOOT

Seriously. Stop reading this. Now. Well.. I mean, I suppose you could at least finish this point first.

Not really. I’m done. Go. Pick your camera up and get out of here.

Pssst I’m joking. You still here? Ok. Well I might as well expand now.

You can read all of the blog posts, watch all of the YouTube videos and buy all of the books that you want. There is not a single thing in that list or any one of my points that will transform your photography as much as going out and clicking that shutter button. Aim it at everything. Just promise me that you won’t do anything illegal and then tell the police that I told you to do it?!

Most of my learning about ISO, aperture and shutter speed was done in the garden and around my local town. I didn’t have a car to drive to locations when I first started photography so I was forced to think creatively. Luckily my Mum loves her garden so I made great use of her flowers and plants to learn everything that I could about my camera and the lenses that I owned back then. There is also a beautiful little field next to my house so I would venture over there to practice my skills and learn a little about composition and the rule of thirds. It wasn’t glamorous. But we can’t be in Snowdonia or Alps all of the time now can we?

You’ll make mistakes. I still make mistakes regularly. There are just longer intervals between my mistakes. And they aren’t as stupid as not knowing how to focus a lens. Yep, I literally took out-of-focus photos for weeks before I saw a friend twisting the end of his lens and asked ‘what does that do?’ Embarrassing then. Very funny now. But there you go. It won’t be perfect, just like anything. But like I said in point number 3; chase progress, not perfection.

On saying that, here is your queue to leave now. Go. Take photos. Like my nan says, ‘you know you’re always welcome to come and visit whenever’. If you want to share some photos with me, or if you need any help the I am only an Instagram message away.

One more thing, as promised. Here are some links to channels down below. Three legends of photography. Sorry that they are links to other people, you’re obviously here because you want to learn from me. Who knows, one day I might have my own videos to link to.

Nigel Danson – cinematic and beautiful videos & story telling.
Thomas Heaton – very open, honest & real. And a damn good photographer!
Mads Peter Iversen – dramatic, epic & moody. His Isle of Skye videos are what first inspired me to go there myself.

Don’t forget to subscribe to my newsletter at the bottom of the page for updates on my future blogs, workshop events and 1 to 1 coaching.

Thank you for reading. Happy photographing.

Words and photos: Brad Carr

Originally published on the Brad Carr Photography website.