Tips for Photographing the Woodland in Spring

I think I’m starting to sound like a scratched record as I’ve said it so many times over the last few weeks, but I’ll say it one more time; thank goodness winter is coming to an end! It has been the worst winter for woodland photography since I first started to point my lens towards the trees. I prefer calm, relaxed conditions when I photograph the woodland and the high winds and relentless rain has meant I’ve lacked the motivation to pick up my camera and head to the woodlands over the last couple of months. Now winter is finally coming to an end and with spring just around the corner, I’m now looking forward and planning for another season of fresh green leaves and colourful carpets of woodland flowers.

So, in a bid to share some of the lessons I’ve learned over the last few years, I’ve listed a few tips that I feel can help anyone trying to get the most from their springtime woodland photography.

1. Get to know the woodland you plan to photograph

Starting with the big one. Scouting! This, in my opinion, is the most important thing any photographer can do when looking to photograph a spring woodland. Knowing where those colourful wildflowers will appear and having some compositions in mind means that when the time comes and conditions are right, you can head to the woodland prepared with some ideas as to what to photograph.

It’s worth noting that when all the fresh flowers and leaves appear, the woodland transforms and can look very different compared to its lifeless, wintry self. So, although it’s great to head into the woodland with some previously scouted compositions in mind, be prepared to change things up if the shot you planned is no longer on.

2. Be prepared to revisit your chosen woodlands

The thing about the woodland in spring is that it’s not always easy to tell when the colour will appear. It can happen in just a matter of days. So, when you’ve found the areas of woodland you plan to focus your attention on, be prepared to revisit a few times so you catch the growth at the perfect time. For this reason, it’s also worth thinking about trying to find local woodlands to photograph, that way you can keep a closer eye on how things are progressing.

Below are three photos of the same scene spanning just two weeks. Look how fast the woodland bloomed into life.

3. Embrace the woodland’s natural disorder

When I first started woodland photography, the number one springtime photo I wanted to take was the iconic uncluttered carpet of bluebells surrounding a bunch of perfectly straight beach trees. For some, it’s the holy grail of springtime woodland photography. Fast forward a few years, and as my woodland photography has progressed, I’ve learned to embrace the clutter and am now much happier seeking compositional order in a natural disorder. I am immeasurably more satisfied when I find a composition I like after working harder on the arrangement.

4. Learn to spot the telltale signs of a misty morning

Like 99% of all other woodland photographers, I love a misty woodland. Along with removing distracting backgrounds and defusing the light, having mist or fog while photographing the woodland can add atmosphere and a sense of mystery to the images.

Although it is never foolproof, it helps if you can identify the telltale signs of a foggy morning when checking your favourite weather app the night before a shoot. In a nutshell, the chances of encountering a misty forest significantly increase when there is little or no wind, humidity is in the high 90s, and the dew point matches the temperature. The weather being the weather means that even when all the signs are there, it doesn’t always work out the way you plan.

5. No mist, no problem

The thing about foggy or misty conditions is that even when all the signs are there, more often than not, it doesn’t happen. So, my advice to anyone photographing woodland is to embrace the woodland whatever the conditions.

Misty mornings aside, my ideal conditions for photographing woodland is in soft, defused light. Personally, I struggle when the light is strong and direct but the great thing about living in the UK is that there are plenty of cloudy days and even when the sun is out, it typically won’t be long before a cloud floats in and tempers the harsh light.

Another challenge when photographing woodland is that it can be quite dark and if there is any sky visible between the trees, it will likely be the brightest thing in the shot and appear very distracting. In foggy conditions, this is less of a problem as the light will be defused but when it’s clear, I will typically find a composition without any sky, using the thicker foliage or the undulations in the landscape as a backdrop to the image.

6. Use a polarising filter to give the colours a bit of punch

If like me, you enjoy photographing the woodland early in the morning or in damp, rainy conditions, you will almost certainly come across wet, reflective leaves in your scene. Reflective light can be very distracting in your woodland photos. This is where a circular polarising filter (CPL) can come to the rescue. A CPL filter works by blocking the reflective light from entering your lens, which means less glare and more punchy colours in your woodland images. This effect is practically impossible to replicate when processing your photos back at the computer, so, to get the very best quality pictures in these conditions, it’s definitely worth mounting a CPL onto the end of your lens.

Just a word of caution. A common mistake many photographers make is to automatically turn the CPL all the way; removing all reflective light from the image. This can result in flat, highly saturated pictures. My advice is to rotate the filter back and forth until there is a good balance between eliminating the distracting reflections and retaining some of the life in the scene. Taking it one step further, photograph the scene with and without the filter mounted so you can choose the picture you like best later.

7. Photograph the small scenes

When the woodland comes alive with new growth in spring, there can be an abundance of smaller scenes to photograph and one thing I’ve been trying to do more often is to get much closer and photograph the finer details. With so much texture and patterns on offer, once you get the camera up close to these smaller scenes, you will be able to tap into a wealth of photographic opportunities and although getting down that low can often be a little tough on the back, by slowing down and taking your time to compose the image properly, you will undoubtedly capture some beautiful, intimate woodland photos.

At the time of writing, I don’t own a macro lens as I don’t want to carry yet another piece of camera gear. Instead, I invested just a few pounds in a set of extension tubes which I mount between my camera and the lens. These allow me to focus much closer for a fraction of the price (they cost me about £30). Extension tubes may not be as good as a high-quality macro lens, and you typically lose a stop of light when using them, but they are the next best thing in my opinion and incredibly handy for the odd occasion where you want to get a little closer to your subject.

8. Embrace the vibrant greens

Photographing the plethora of beautiful colours can be a wonderful experience, however as quickly as they appear, they will be gone again, and you will be left with an abundance of vibrant green tones across the woodland. I love to include those fresh leaves in my images, but having a single colour across the entire frame can result in an image that lacks interest or dynamism. One approach I take to make more interesting photos is to use the strong lines created by the trees to break up the colour and add structure to the composition. This is the approach I took for the photos below and they remain some of my favourite springtime woodland photos I’ve taken.

9. Leave no trace

Over the last few years, so many people have rediscovered the beauty of their local woodlands, and I love to promote the benefits of woodland photography, but all this footfall is having a big impact on these important natural spaces. That’s why, through effective education and following a few simple principles, these popular places can still be visited and enjoyed, but remain protected for future generations to experience.

Our actions directly impact these natural spaces, and one key example is the English Bluebell. Bluebells are a protected species in the UK and picking or digging them up is illegal, but not many people know just how fragile they are. Bluebells can take years to recover from the damage caused by people trampling over them just to take a selfie, and if their leaves are crushed, they can be weakened (as they can no longer photosynthesis). This can all be avoided if everyone sticks to the woodland pathways.

Nature First is just one of many organisations trying to help us woodland photographers to keep these natural spaces safe and they have a few simple principles to follow. By doing so, we can all do our part to preserve our beautiful woodlands.

• Prioritize the well-being of nature over photography.

• Educate yourself about the places you photograph.

• Reflect on the possible impact of your actions.

• Use discretion if sharing locations.

• Know and follow rules and regulations.

• Always follow Leave No Trace principles and strive to leave places better than you found them.

• Actively promote and educate others about these principles.

I hope you found that somewhat useful and if you’re looking for some more woodland photography-related articles to read, check out these three I’ve posted below.

Until next time.

Trevor

My Camera Gear for Landscape Photography in 2024

Does camera gear really matter when taking landscape photos? Well, this may seem somewhat controversial to some, but yeah, I actually think it does. Sure, it’s not the be-all and end-all when it comes to taking photos, as most modern cameras are pretty decent at that, but I believe a camera and lens system is a subjective choice based on the photographer’s specific needs and priorities. Being happy with the size, weight, ergonomics, functionality, menu system, lens choices and features is, in my opinion, very important as it can remove much of the friction from the picture-taking process, leaving the photographer to focus on the creative side of photography.

I’ve been using Fujifilm’s X series for around 8 years now and am still very happy with the choice I made way back in 2016. Having used the system for so long, I know the camera inside out and love the fact that while out in the field, I can manage all my settings without going near a menu. That and the balance between size, weight and features means that this system still works best for me.

Here’s a rundown of the photography gear I use when out taking landscape photos in 2024.

My landscape photography gear

Fujifilm Camera and Lenses

• XT5 camera: With a weather-resistant shell, dual card slots, 40 megapixels and tons of other useful features, this is a great camera for landscape photography. If you want to read more about how well the camera performs from a landscape photographer’s perspective, you can read my review of it here.

• XF16-55 F2.8 standard zoom lens: Although I still have the very capable XF18-55mm, in 2022, I decided to upgrade to the XF16-55 F2.8 as I wanted all my main landscape gear to be weather sealed. The improved optics is a nice bonus, but the extra weight most certainly isn’t.

• XF50-140mm F2.8 telephoto lens: For the same reasons I upgraded my standard zoom, I also traded in my XF55-200mm lens for the even heavier but weather-sealed XF50-140 F2.8.

• XF10-24mm IOS WR wide-angle lens: New to 2024 is this wide-angle lens. I used to own the original non-weather-sealed version but decided to sell it as I wasn’t using it often enough, but in 2023, I felt not having the ability to go as wide as 10mm limiting in certain situations and with the release of the newer, weather-sealed version of the 10-24mm lens, I decided to buy it once again.

• XF70-300mm IOS WR telephoto lens: Like with the wide-angle lens, I felt at times when out in the landscape, the 50-140mm lens lacked the extra reach I needed. So, instead of buying a teleconverter as I had originally planned, I opted for the 70-300mm instead. I’ve not had this lens too long, so the jury is still out but after using it just a few times, so far so good.

DJI Mini 3 Pro drone

In 2022, after what seemed like an eternity of indecision, I finally took the plunge and purchased my first drone. For a few reasons, I opted for the DJI Mini 3 Pro. Having owned it for a while now, and given most of the blogs and YouTube videos out there talk about the video side of things, I wrote a few blog posts about using the DJI Mini 3 Pro specifically for landscape photography.

DJI Mini 3 Pro | A Landscape Photographer’s Review

DJI Mini 3 Pro Camera Settings for Landscape Photography

How I Process My Landscape Photos Taken with the DJI Mini 3 Pro

Filters and accessories

• Kase Wolverine magnetic filters: I used to carry larger, square slide-in filters and would spend time fiddling with step-up rings for the different lenses and the holder before being able to slide in the filter I intended to use. That all changed when I got the Kase Wolverine filters. No more fuss! Snap the filter onto the lens and get shooting. In the pouch, I have a CPL, a 3-stop, 6-stop and 10-stop filter. I wrote more about my experiences with these filters in a previous blog post here: Kase Magnetic Filters | A Landscape Photographers Review.

• Benro Mach3 TMA37AL tripod: After using my previous tripod for several years, I was after something a little sturdier and a little taller without relying on a less stable centre column. After much research and getting a few recommendations, I eventually opted for the Benro Mach3TMA37AL.

• Benro Gd3Wh geared tripod head: For years I’d been happy to use a ball head on my tripod but when I started taking woodland photos, the lack of precision and having to compensate for further movement while making small adjustments with the tripod head began to frustrate me a lot. I invested in this Benro geared head and although it has a bit more bulk, it has solved this problem for me completely.

• Spare batteries: The Fujifilm NP-W235 used in the XT4 and XT5 is so much better than the last generation of batteries and I can shoot for much longer on a single charge.

• Memory cards: You can’t have too many memory cards. I still prefer to use Sandisk as they have been bulletproof for me so far, but I know there are other brands, just as capable out there.

• 3 Legged Thing L-bracket: Used to quickly switch from landscape to portrait orientation when using my tripod.

• 3 Legged Thing Toolz: A handy tool to tighten tripod legs, remove L-brackets, etc.

• Headtorch: Not much to say about this one, other than it is bright, light, waterproof and rechargeable. It cost about £15 and lights my path on those dark treks before or after a shoot.

Camera Bag

If you don’t own a load of camera bags, can you even call yourself a landscape photographer? Jokes aside, I’m still using the Vanguard VEO Active 46 as my primary means to carry my landscape photography gear around. For the features I wanted, the size, weight and price, it ticks all the boxes for me.

Going forward, I have half an eye on what Fujifilm plan for the X-T30 II replacement in 2024 as I may decide to buy a backup camera. I’m also contemplating the XF16-80mm F4 lens to complement the XF70-300mm and use them both for trips where I need to keep my camera bag weight down.

As with all my blog posts, if you have any comments or questions, feel free to drop a comment below.

Until next time.

Trevor

Timeless City | An Introduction

London is my local city. It’s the closest city to where I grew up, a place I’ve worked for quite a few years and ever since I first picked up a camera and started taking photography more seriously, it’s a city I have spent countless hours photographing.

Why London?

Growing up in the suburbs, I didn’t visit London often as a child, when I did, it was usually a family day out or a school trip to some of the tourist hotspots such as the Tower of London or Trafalgar Square. I remember walking around the city, dwarfed by the buildings around me, in awe of the many different styles of architecture I saw. The hustle and bustle, the noise, and so many people; it was a different world to the one I was used to. This was all decades ago, when there were just a handful of buildings taller than St Paul’s Cathedral and over on the Isle of Dogs stood a solitary One Canada Square. How times have changed.

Fast forward a few years and long before I’d taken up photography, I took a job which involved travelling to London almost every day and getting to know the city much better. My work took me all over London and this is when I first started to build my own, personal connection with the city.

In 2016, photography started to evolve from an occasional hobby, photographing a bit of everything, to the passion it is for me today. After a few years of working closer to home, I was back in London most days and naturally drawn to landscape photography and given the connection I’d already built with the city, it made sense that I would feel more compelled to point my lens at London’s incredible cityscape.

Since then, I’ve spent an untold number of hours across countless visits to the city walking the streets, seeking out new compositions and like all landscape photographers, hoping for perfect conditions in a bid to take that perfect image, knowing full well that such a thing doesn’t exist.

I chose to use “Timeless” in the title because from the subject to processing style, I felt it represented a few of the important ingredients that make up this project.

London as we know it has existed for around 2000 years, from a time when Londinium was the size of Hyde Park to the megacity it is today. Throughout all that time, architectural styles have inevitably evolved, from the medieval Tower of London, English Baroque such as St Paul’s Cathedral through to post-war brutalist and the contemporary 21st-century style with plenty of glass being used today.

London’s iconic cityscape is still represented by all of these architectural styles, and this is why timeless doesn’t mean a city that never changes, embodying just a single point in history. To me, it means a city that represents all times, a place consistently evolving over hundreds of years to a point where all of the significant architectural ages London existed through are represented across its skyline. With both old and new coexisting side by side, I wanted to capture a sense of that in my work.

Although the need to develop and evolve with the times has contributed to London’s ever-changing cityscape, this somewhat mishmash of styles has by no means been solely by design. Through the many turmoils the city has faced, such as the great fire or the blitz, London has been forced to rebuild significant parts of the city over the centuries, and one of the challenges I relish is to seek out ways to represent London in my photography and how it’s many structures stand together side by side in what I can only describe as a chaotic harmony.

The goal here isn’t to produce an “old and new” series of photos and even though most of the photos I take will include more than one architectural style in the frame. The goal is to document London’s cityscape across the entire body of work from high up in the rooftops with views stretching for miles, to closer, more intimate photos where scale can be represented better by including a subject in the composition.

At the time of writing this post, the earliest photo I have included in this project was taken in 2018, which, in the grand scheme of time, isn’t very long at all, but still long enough for many changes to take shape across London’s cityscape between then and now. The rate at which new buildings are being erected, particularly in the financial districts is accelerating and as I continue to take new photos, I will be inadvertently documenting these changes as they happen. If this ends up being a very long-term project, I think it will be good to look back at how the cityscape used to look years before.

Why this aesthetic?

Something important to mention about this work is that it is intended to be more of an artistic project than a documentary one, and every photo is taken with the full intention of being edited in post-production. This will include converting the raw files to black and white (more on that later) and alongside some usual tonal and contrast adjustments, I use plenty of selective dodging and burning to achieve the final look.

I still, however, have my own views about authenticity and how I edit my images. I never swap out the sky and never add something that wasn’t in the scene at the time the picture was taken. I might clone out the odd distraction if I feel it is taking away from the aesthetic, but these are typically transient elements such as rubbish in the foreground, old chewing gum on the pavement or the odd crane in the background. I want the viewer to be confident that if they were standing next to me as the shot was taken, they would have observed the same scene I show in my final image.

Alongside those adjustments, if the dynamic range is too much or I want to illuminate certain moving elements in the scene, I will blend images. I will only do this if there is just a very short time between frames and the camera has not been moved.

Sometimes reality doesn’t quite behave as we want, and we need to find our own limit as to what we are willing to do to get the final image. There is no right or wrong answer here, but I do believe in being upfront and honest about how the photo was created. You should stand by your work and not purposely mislead the viewer.

Getting back to the point about this being more of an artistic project than a “straight out of the camera” documentary, I wanted to give the finished photos a timeless look and feel.

I felt to represent the work as a single body, I had to ensure the final look was as consistent as it could be and given the ever-changing conditions, the many different styles of architecture and the multitude of colour in the scenes I photograph, removing colour and producing only black and white work seemed the right choice.

Of course, I still love colour photography and still produce most of my landscape work this way. So, once the project was starting to take shape and I ventured out into London to deliberately take photos for this black and white project, I learned very quickly that I would have to think and see differently. I had to remove colour from being a compositional element and focus only on shape, form and light. I feel, however, that it was a necessary step to make, as in addition to a more consistent look, black and white photography has a timeless feel about it, as the process does not age the photos and although I have no intention of doing so, they are free from a style that represents any contemporary trend in my work.

Another creative decision I made for this project was to use the square format for all finished photos, and like my decision to only process the images in black and white, there are several reasons for this. The first and most obvious reason for the square is that by having a single aspect ratio for all photos, it helps when trying to obtain a consistent look across the entire body of work.

Additionally, using a square crop has other compositional advantages. For instance, it can help when placing the subject in the centre of the image. I tend to do this quite often and the square crop, with all sides equal, can further emphasise that symmetry in the frame.

For a landscape photographer, the square format may appear more restrictive than the traditional 3:2 or 4:3 aspect ratios, but that’s not the case at all. I feel I have more freedom when composing a photo as the traditional “rules” carry less weight. Having equal sides seems to reduce the need to compensate when composing the image. I’m able to place the subject close to the middle or nearer to the edge of the frame without feeling the picture lacks balance.

Michael Kenna’s work is frequently referred to as being “zen-like” and although I’m sure this has a lot to do with his photographic style and technique he uses, I think that his use of the square format and the compositional freedom it provides has a little something to do with it too.

What’s next?

It’s early days and way too soon to know where this project will go. For now, I’m enjoying heading out with my camera and shooting new images for the collection alongside my traditional landscape work.

I’m still tweaking and refining as I go and allowing the project to develop as the body of work builds.

Along with a spin-off Instagram account dedicated to the project here: https://instagram.com/_timeless.city_, I wanted to give the project a permanent home, so I created this project page. I plan to update the page now and then with newly released photos and if I publish any more “behind the lens” or general blog articles related to the project, I’ll also post them there.

I’ve started to think about how I might present the images and at the moment, I have a few themes such as views from the rooftops or from along the Thames. There are, however, other images creeping into the collection that don’t fit a specific theme just yet and as long as they align with the spirit of the project, I’m quite happy to let them lead me somewhere new.

To get the very best experience of one’s work, I truly believe photography should be printed so I will of course be printing this work. To start it will be printed just for me, but in time I would love to turn this project into a series of zines or maybe even one day, a coffee table book. Thats a little way off yet but certainly something I would like to aim for.

That’s it for this project intro. Hopefully, you found that useful, but as ever, if you have any questions and want to know more about the process or ideas for future blog posts, just drop them in the comments below.

Until next time.

Trevor

How I Process My Landscape Photos Taken with the DJI Mini 3 Pro

When I first decided to buy a drone to use for landscape photography, I had to consider the pros and cons of each model available at the time. For example, the larger Mavic models typically have a more capable camera, but the smaller, sub 250g Mini models have fewer restrictions on where they can be flown. After weighing up the pros and cons, I eventually chose the DJI Mini 3 Pro. I’ve already published a post covering my thoughts on this drone, and you can read a full review from a landscape photographer’s perspective here: DJI Mini 3 Pro | A Landscape Photographer’s Review.

Following on from the review I wrote about this drone, I published a second post demonstrating the different camera settings I use while out taking landscape photos with the Mini 3 Pro. DJI Mini 3 pro Camera Settings for Landscape Photography.

You can find both of my previous DJI Mini 3 Pro blog posts below:

So, given that I’ve written a review of the Mini 3 Pro and published a blog post detailing the settings I use to take landscape photos, what’s this blog post all about then? When I published my previous post, I had a few messages asking for a bit more detail as to how I process the Mini 3 Pro raw files and although there are countless different approaches one can take, I decided to write this post detailing the steps I took from raw to final edit using a photo I took recently in low light conditions.

Before I start, I wanted to make two points. Firstly, this post is aimed at those wanting to get their files ready to be printed. The techniques I use to sharpen and overcome noise in the image aren’t really going to benefit you if you plan to just share your drone photos on social media.

The second point to make is that both this and the camera settings for landscape photography post above applies to those using the DJI Mini 3, Mini 3 Pro and the recently released Mini 4 Pro. Features may vary from model to model, but overall, their capabilities are very similar when it comes to taking landscape photos.

Step 1: Taking the photo in the field

Let’s start with the original raw files I took in the field. This is Arundel Castle located in West Sussex and after sunset came and went without much fanfare, I decided to hang back just a bit longer to take a photo during blue hour. It’ll not win any awards but with the low light conditions, I figured this image was a good candidate to use for this processing blog post.

Raw files as shown in Adobe Lightroom. DJI Mini 3 Pro | 24mm Pano | 1/6th and 1/3rd Second | f/1.7 | ISO100

In terms of camera settings, I used the 48mp setting in PRO mode when taking this photo to get the highest resolution. I knew from previous experience that there would be some noise in the files, so I decided to take two pictures, manually adjusting the shutter speed for each. The first image was exposed for the castle at 1/6th of a second, and the other was exposed for the sky at 1/3rd of a second.

Step 2: Increase detail and reduce noise in Adobe Lightroom

As I expected, there was some noise in the sky when viewing the raw file at 100%. So, before I merged the bracketed images, that noise needed to be dealt with. Even though I can see the noise at 100% here on my screen, I’m not too sure how well that comes across on yours, so here’s a 100% and 200% crop demonstrating the noise I can see in the sky. I know the 200% crop isn’t representative in the real world but it’s just to help visualise the noise. If you still can’t see it, you’ll just have to trust me that it is there.

There seems to be a plethora of noise reduction software hitting the market recently and among those, Adobe released its own AI Denoise feature in Lightroom and Camera Raw. Having tried some of the other tools available, in my opinion, Adobe’s AI Denoise is as good as, if not better than many of the other options out there. Plus, its baked into Lightroom making for an easier workflow.

AI denoise is a part of Adobe’s Enhance feature (located in the Photo menu along the top). Along with denoising an image, it also improves raw files by enhancing the details and reducing artefacts. It can, however, only be used with raw images so needs to be applied before using the Photomerge-HDR function in the next section.

To remain consistent across both the under and over-exposed raw files, I ran them both through the Enhance feature, being careful not to add too much noise reduction as overuse can have unintended consequences.

Below is a side-by-side comparison of the original and enhanced files. With any hope, you will be able to see the refined edges and enhanced definition on the right-hand side.

Step 3: Merging the bracketed image files in Adobe Lightroom

With the two new DNG files created by the Enhance feature, I selected them both and used the Photomerge-HDR option in the Photo menu (or via a right-click on the photo). I typically use the settings you see below and once finished, a new HDR DNG file is created. This new file will have less noise in the shadow areas and more detail that can be recovered in the brighter areas, resulting in a cleaner, editable image.

Step 4: Editing the image in Adobe Lightroom

Now, with the image file prepared, it’s time to edit.

This post isn’t a tutorial as to how best to edit a photo as everyone’s style will be different. However, what I have highlighted below is the Detail panel showing that I have applied minimal sharpening in Lightroom and for the small amount that is applied, I have increased the masking to ensure it only applies to the areas of high contrast such as the castle edges, excluding large parts of the image such as the sky.

Step 5: Sharpening in Adobe Photoshop

A note on sharpening. Opinions vary as to when to apply it. During the edit or only when the file is being outputted for a particular use case such as web, socials or print. This is just my approach, and I don’t for one minute suggest it is right for everyone. I will typically add some sharpening when editing, call it a “base sharpening” if you will. This is typically fine for all of my online needs but If I feel I need to add any more sharpening for print, I will do so when preparing the file before sending it to the printer.

Not being a big fan of how Lightroom sharpens my raw files, I apply just a small amount of sharpening using the Details panel before I finish it off properly in Photoshop. For this, I use the High Pass filter. It’s a great tool to detect the edges (or high contrast areas) in a frame, which, when combined with a contrast-boosting blending mode applied to those edges, sharpens the photo without affecting the areas with less contrast, such as the sky.

First up, create a duplicate layer and then, from the menu, select Filter - Other - High Pass. Here, you will decide how much sharpening you want to add by adjusting the Radius amount. Choosing the right number depends on the resolution of the file and how much sharpening you want to add. Typically, I stick between 1-2 pixels at this stage with the view that I can add more later if needed. If you start to see colour artefacts in the preview, you’ve probably taken it way too far. Experiment with the radius yourself to get the effect you like. Once I’m happy with the thickness of the edges detected by the High Pass filter, I then hit OK.

Next, I use the Overlay blending mode for the same layer. This blending mode will hide the grey areas and add contrast to the edges highlighted by the High Pass filter, resulting in a clean, sharper file. Hopefully, you can see the effect by comparing the before and after images in the screengrab below.

The final image, ready to print

After a few Photoshop tweaks that include the spot healing brush to remove a few distracting lights and a final 3:2 crop back in Adobe Lightroom, here is the final photo with more clarity and less noise than before.

As with all processing methods, this approach, which works for me, may not work for everyone, but in some way or another, I will use some or all of these steps when processing my drone photos.

Having said all of that, the proof is in the pudding, so, next up, I plan to print this and a few other photos I’ve taken with my drone to see how the quality holds up at different sizes. If I can find a way to communicate that process in this blog format, I’ll post a follow-up article on that soon.

I hope you found this article useful, and if you have any tips or tricks or can suggest any improvements to my workflow, feel free to leave a comment below.

Until next time.

Trevor

My Favourite Landscape Photos from 2023

I probably start these yearly posts the same way each time but the reason for me to write them never changes. I enjoy these annual retrospectives as they give me a reason to look back at the last 12 months, enjoy some of the photos and relive some of the adventures I had with my camera in tow.

Have you ever listened to some music and it transported you back to a time and a place where you first heard it? You could have been on a big night out with friends, at home on the sofa with someone special or even in the car driving to work. However momentous or mundane the setting, there is now a connection in your mind between that song and the time or place you heard it. That’s what photography does for me. I look back at these photos and yeah, it’s great to have something nice to look at, but adding the recollection of that time I was stood in the woodland, first thing in the morning with the surrounding mist deadening all sound but the birdsong above me, or standing at the edge of a frozen lake in Snowdonia with distant mountains in front of me and the sun just rising, illuminating the peaks. That is something else altogether. However much I feel that photography is a way to express myself artistically, they are all connections to a time and place where I felt the moment was special enough to capture and keep forever.

So, to sum up, I get as much, if not more joy from writing these yearly posts than anyone might get from reading them.

The Woodland

I think 2023 was the first year since photographing landscapes that I spent more time capturing the woodland than the grand landscape. I really have put a shift in. I’ve made so many early morning trips into my local forest this year and between all that effort, practice and getting to know the woodland properly, I feel my woodland photography has progressed significantly in 2023.

Fujifilm XT5 | XF16-55mm | 23mm | 0.8 Seconds | f/10 | ISO400

Fujifilm XT5 | XF16-55mm | 26mm | 0.5 Seconds | f/7.1 | ISO125

Fujifilm XT5 | XF16-55mm | 35mm | 1/10th Second | f/7.1 | ISO400

Fujifilm XT5 | XF16-55mm | 34mm | 1/3rd Second | f/8 | ISO125

This year, I started to think about how so many of my photos never see the light of day and decided that I wanted to release more of these photos in the form of on-location blog posts. They’re not supposed to be too overwhelming, but just enough to feature the handful of photos I might take on a successful photography outing. Here are a couple of blog posts I wrote about my trips into the woodland.

London’s Cityscape

I was quite productive when photographing London in 2023, but not in my usual way. Ordinarily, I seek the wider, epic cityscape with dramatic clouds or vivid colours in the sky. This year was a bit different as I’ve not taken as many of what some might call my traditional style of cityscape photo. So, why was it productive if I didn’t take as many of my usual cityscape photos? Check out the section towards the end of this post featuring my Timeless City project.

I still managed, however, to bag a few keepers on my many outings into the Big Smoke and I’ve shared some of my favourites below.

Fujifilm XT5 | XF16-55mm | 16mm | 1/13th Second | f/8 | ISO125

Fujifilm XT5 | XF10-24mm | 10mm | 1/40th Second | f/11 | ISO125

Fujifilm XT5 | XF16-55mm | 16mm | 1/1000th Second | f/6.4 | ISO125

Fujifilm XT5 | XF10-24mm | 10mm | 1/100th Second | f/4 | ISO125

Fujifilm XT5 | XF16-55mm | 16mm | 2.5 Seconds | f/13 | ISO125

The Landscape

I always like to share some of the traditional landscape photos I took during the previous 12 months, but this past year, I struggled a little. With the shift to taking more woodland photos and recently feeling a little uninspired by my local landscape, I didn’t make as many trips and subsequently as many landscape photos as I normally do.

I did take a few worth sharing though, often revisiting some of my regular locations in the area to document how they have changed over time or through the different seasons. It’s something I do more and more these days. When I get to a location I like, I will revisit it time and again to try to improve on the photos I’ve taken before, or like I have been doing with the view of the low-lying woodland below, taking photos throughout the year as a mini seasonal project.

Fujifilm XT5 | XF16-55mm | 16mm | 0.4 Seconds | f/11 | ISO125

Fujifilm XT5 | XF16-55mm | 35mm | 1/10th Second | f/6.4 | ISO400

Fujifilm XT5 | XF50-140mm | 56mm | 1/10th Second | f/9 | ISO125

Fujifilm XT5 | XF50-140mm | 140mm | 1/80th Second | f/8 | ISO125

The Small Scenes

I thoroughly enjoy photographing small scenes like this and in 2023, I managed to take a handful of photos I like, some I’ve shared below.

I do, however, feel I lost my way a little when photographing the small scenes over the last 12 months. I believe that to photograph the details around me, I need to practice seeing them, looking down more often at what’s around my feet and working harder to notice nature’s textures and patterns that surround me every day. I just don’t think I did enough of that. It’s not about the number of photos I took, more that if I’m tuned in better to the details, I will spot them more often instead of just walking by. Something for me to work on in 2024.

Fujifilm XT5 | XF50-140mm | 140mm | 1/8th Second | f/9 | ISO125

Fujifilm XT5 | XF50-140mm | 134mm | 1/15th Second | f/9 | ISO125

Fujifilm XT5 | XF16-55mm | 55mm | 0.6 Seconds | f/8 | ISO125

Fujifilm XT5 | XF50-140mm | 140mm | 1/25th Second | f/2.8 | ISO125

The Drone

I have thoroughly enjoyed taking landscape photos with my done this year, but having only owned one since late 2022, it became apparent quickly that taking landscape photos with a drone was going to take a different approach altogether. There was quite a learning curve involved. With so much time spent photographing woodlands, not many of my dedicated landscape photography outings allowed for drone photography, but when they did, I took the opportunity and ended up with a handful of photos I particularly like.

If there’s one thing I want to take more photos with in 2024, it’s my drone, so I’ll be working hard to achieve that over the next 12 months.

DJI Mini 3 Pro | 24mm (effective) | 1/8000th Second | f/1.7 | ISO100

DJI Mini 3 Pro | 24mm (effective) | 1/30th Second | f/1.7 | ISO100

DJI Mini 3 Pro | 24mm Pano | 0.4 Seconds | f/1.7 | ISO100

Photographing Wales

With some beautiful woodland, rolling hills and chalk-lined coastlines, the Southeast of England has a lot to offer the landscape photographer, but what we don’t have is mountains and waterfalls and those lucky sods in Wales have ample amounts of both. So, over the last few years, I’ve been making multiple photography trips to both the Brecon Beacons and Snowdonia National Parks to get my fix of a more rugged landscape.

Since these were dedicated photography trips, I also wrote a couple of On Location blog posts that include more of the photos I took and some behind-the-lens stories. Select one of the thumbnails below to jump straight to that blog post.

A Landscape Photography Trip to Snowdonia

In January 2023, I spent a couple of days photographing a very wintry-looking Snowdonia. Barely scratching the surface, it was my first dedicated photography trip to this stunning location, learning lots along the way and getting to know the area as best I could in the short time I had. With any hope, the more times I visit, the better my photos will be, but as I just mentioned, this being my first trip dedicated to landscape photography, I’m still pleased with the photos I took.

Fujifilm XT5 | XF16-55mm | 18mm | 2 Seconds | f/8 | ISO125

Fujifilm XT5 | XF16-55mm | 16mm | 1/4th Second | f/5 | ISO125

Fujifilm XT5 | XF50-140mm | 54mm | 1/200th Second | f/9 | ISO200

Fujifilm XT5 | XF16-55mm | 16mm | 13 Seconds | f/8 | ISO200

Photographing Waterfall Country

Along with Snowdonia in January, I also took a trip to the Brecon Beacons National Park in October. Given the time of year, I was hoping for a little more colour on the trees, but the leaves were still predominantly green. Still, I made the best of it, taking some photos I was happy with, and I mentally clocked that to get the best colour, it will have to be an early-mid November trip next time.

Fujifilm XT5 | XF10-24mm | 14mm | 0.5 Seconds | f/9 | ISO125

Fujifilm XT5 | XF10-24mm | 10mm | 1/6th Second | f/8 | ISO125

Fujifilm XT5 | XF10-24mm | 10mm | 1/5th Second | f/7.1 | ISO400

Fujifilm XT5 | XF10-24mm | 15mm | 50 Seconds | f/10 | ISO125

Timeless City

I started the Timeless City project this year and was excited about it from the first photo I processed. I’ve been documenting London with my camera for a few years, making countless trips into the city and I feel I have finally found a way that allows me to share the photography as a cohesive body of work.

I deliberately used the word timeless as it represents so much about the project. The years I’ve been and will continue to photograph this great city, the way the old and new architectural styles sit side by side, and the aesthetic of the final image I create with the square crop and monochrome processing. All of it matters and represents something in the project.

I know the project has a way to go yet, not only in terms of the images I take but what it means and how it might develop. For now, I’m just excited to let it flow and see where it takes me.

Looking forward

As I mentioned at the start of this post, I usually spend a little time looking forward and thinking about what I want to achieve in the coming 12 months. Rightly or wrongly, these aspirations are relatively fluid as time is always limited and priorities can change. However, right here, right now, I’ve listed a few things I would like to achieve or make progress on in 2024.

• Be it the woodland, cityscapes or small scenes, continue to be curious and inspired by the landscape.

• Take more trips and make more memories to look back on in 12 months.

• Be more consistent with both my blog and newsletter.

• Publish my first book/zine and with hope, sell one or two.

• Develop my Timeless City project further. Write about it, give it a dedicated space on my website, promote it and continue to build the work in preparation for something more in the future.

• Print my photos more often.

• Take photos with my drone more often.

• Complete some of my seasonal woodland/landscape series.

There you go. That’s this year’s retrospective done and dusted. All that’s left to do is thank everyone who has supported me and my work this past year and I wish you all a happy and successful 2024.

Until next year.

Trevor

DJI Mini 3 Pro Camera Settings for Landscape Photography

I’ve had quite a few questions, both in the comments or sent via email since I posted my 6-month review of the DJI Mini 3 Pro for landscape photography, and one question that has been asked a few times is how I find the image quality, particularly when it comes to editing the raw files. The DJI Mini 3 Pro is a very capable drone. When looking to fly almost anywhere (flight restrictions aside) by staying under the 250g weight limit, you will do well to find a more capable drone on the market today.

DJI Mavic Mini 3 | 24mm (effective) | 1/30th Second | f/1.7 | ISO100

That being said, there is no getting around the fact that the image sensor used in the Mini 3 Pro’s camera is a little on the small side. With smaller pixels and a lower resolution compared to some of the larger drones on the market, getting the very best image quality will require you to take advantage of all of the settings and features available. In this article, I will share some tips and tricks I’ve picked up over time so you can take the best aerial landscape photos possible with the DJI Mini 3 Pro.

One final point before we jump in. This article has been written with a specific focus on photos and contains my personal opinion based on my own experience capturing and editing photos taken with the Mini 3 Pro. I won’t be covering other topics in this post such as the best video settings or even flying modes. I’ll save those topics for someone else.

Set the photo mode to PRO

Like most traditional cameras, the Mini 3 Pro has both auto and pro (manual) camera modes. For those that may be apprehensive about switching their camera away from auto mode, it really isn’t as scary as you may think and making the switch provides you full control of the shutter speed, white balance and ISO settings. Having the PRO picture mode enabled will open up more possibilities to ensure the image looks the way you want, and the great thing is, the real-time feedback you get on the screen will help ensure you don’t under/over-expose your photos. Many of the settings I mention in the post rely on PRO mode being activated, so, in my opinion, this should be one of the first things you do when you’ve mastered flying your drone and want to take better photos.

To switch from AUTO to PRO mode, simply tap the AUTO icon located in the bottom right-hand side of the screen. You will know you are shooting in PRO mode as the icon will change and more settings will appear.

Shoot in J+R (JPEG+RAW)

Most people who take digital photos will be familiar with a JPG or JPEG file as it’s by far the most used image format out there. But what is a raw file? Think of it as a digital negative. It’s a lossless picture format that contains all the image data captured by the drone’s camera, without any editing or adjustments and although not for everyone, shooting stills as raw images really is the best way to ensure all of that image data is retained.

When taking JPGs, the camera’s processor will apply the default picture profile settings and discard all other data no longer used. The file size is smaller and if that’s all you need, that’s great. But if wanting to maintain full control of the final look of the image and plan to import the photos into your chosen editing software, then choosing to shoot raw is the better choice.

It’s worth noting that the Mini 3 Pro doesn’t have a raw-only mode, so whatever format you choose, you will still have a JPG copy saved onto your card. That can be useful for the times you just want to quickly grab an image from the memory card to share, bypassing the editing stage altogether. It really is the best of both worlds.

You can shoot in JPEG+RAW in either AUTO or PRO modes. To change from jpg to raw, tap the word JPEG in the bottom right-hand corner of the screen, and depending on whether you are in PRO or AUTO mode you will need to select either J+RAW or J+R.

Keep your ISO as low as possible

The native ISO for taking photos with the Mini 3 Pro is 100, and although raising your ISO can be incredibly useful when the ambient light is too low to take a sharp photo, it will negatively affect picture quality. The higher the ISO, the more digital noise and artefacts will be introduced to your images, and yes, a sharper, noisier image is better than a blurry one in nearly all cases, to keep my images as clean as possible, I will only raise my ISO as a last resort.

If you are in a situation where a higher ISO is needed and PRO mode is enabled, simply tap the ISO icon located at the bottom right of the screen and slide the dial until you have the exposure you need.

Enable the Histogram and Overexposure Warning

Unlike traditional photography where you and the camera typically have the same view of the subject, taking photos with a drone means relying far more heavily on what you can see on the screen. So, in my opinion, the more info it provides, the more likely you will take a high-quality, well-exposed photo and that’s why I keep the histogram and Overexposure Warning enabled when taking pictures with the Mini 3 Pro.

I won’t dig too deep into what a histogram is, but in short, it is a graph that visually represents how much light, mid or dark tones are in the photo. The shape of the graph will depend on the type of photo being taken but the thing to watch out for is when the graph data starts to touch and overlap with the far left or right-hand side. Typically, this is called clipping and means you’re losing image details in the shadows or highlights which might not be recoverable later in post-processing.

The Overexposure Warning feature is a little easier to explain. All this really does is highlight parts of the image that are overexposed with black and white moving lines. To some, this might be a bit too distracting, but I use the same option on my main Fujifilm camera and find it a useful feature to enable to prevent overexposing parts of the image.

To enable one or both features, select the three dots on the top-right of the screen to open the main menu. From here, select the Camera settings sub-menu and scroll down. Here you will see both options with a toggle switch to enable or disable the feature.

Shoot to the right

This suggestion requires the histogram to be enabled, so check out the previous point to see how this is done.

Typically, the more light collected onto the sensor when exposing an image, the higher the quality, because less noise and artefacts will be present in the resulting photo. So, one technique to try is to overexpose an image by a stop or two where the histogram will be heavier weighted towards the right. This is where the term “Shoot to the right” or STTR comes from and is commonplace in traditional landscape photography.

Shooting to the right should be practised with a degree of caution. For example, slowing down the shutter speed risks adding motion blur to an image and if not careful, you can also end up pushing it too far and clipping the highlights. Shooting to the right along with AEB being enabled (see the next tip) can help get around these issues.

Use AEB mode when shooting in high dynamic range situations

AEB stands for Auto Exposure Bracketing and is a super useful feature enabling you to capture varying exposures of the same scene, all with a single press of the shutter button. It works by taking a base exposure using the settings you have already chosen, then taking either one or two extra photos on either side, increasing or decreasing the exposure by a stop each time. This results in 3 or 5 separate images which can be merged in your chosen image editor later.

DJI Mavic Mini 3 | 24mm (effective) | 1/2500th Second | f/1.7 | ISO100

As I mentioned at the beginning of this article, the DJI Mini 3 Pro has a smaller sensor, with smaller pixels compared to the higher end/bigger drone models, meaning it will have more difficulty properly exposing a photo in high dynamic range scenes. So, to make sure I gather as much image detail in the highlights and shadows as possible, I will take 5 bracketed images of a given scene 90% of the time. Not all photos will need to be bracketed, but the file sizes are relatively small and, in my opinion, the benefits significantly out way the minimal drawbacks.

To enable AEB when in photo mode, select the icon just above the screen’s shutter button, select Photo, then AEB, then select whether you want to take three or five bracketed images. Select the AEB icon above the shutter once more to close the menu.

Capture a panoramic image for maximum resolution

The native image resolution for the Mini 3 Pro is 12MP which, by modern standards is on the lower side and if you plan to print your photos, then a great way to boost your resolution is to take multiple images and stitch them together in post. There are actually a few ways to achieve this.

First up, there are the built-in Pano options. If there is plenty of light and the dynamic range isn’t too high, then using one of the built-in pano modes is a great option as the drone will take care of panning and picture taking. All you need to do is set your exposure settings and press the shutter button.

I used the built-in Pano mode when I created the picture below.

DJI Mavic Mini 3 | 24mm (effective) | 1/2000th Second | f/1.7 | ISO100 - Wide Pano Mode

When shooting in jpeg+raw, the drone will automatically stitch the JPEG image and place the individual raw files in their own sub-folder on your memory card, ready to be imported and merged into your chosen software later.

To access the built-in pano modes, choose the icon above the screen’s shutter button and when the menu opens, scroll down and select Pano. Here you can select from the different panorama options which are Sphere, 180°, Wide Angle, and Vertical. I won’t go into all the various options here but for a traditional panorama, you would select the wide option. In this mode, the Mini 3 Pro will take a grid of 9 photos automatically.

The built-in pano modes are incredibly useful but to retain more control of the final image, I prefer to take the individual photos manually, like I would when taking traditional landscape photos with my main camera. My typical approach would be to switch the camera to portrait mode (a welcome feature introduced in the Mini 3 Pro) as this provides more vertical resolution without the need to tilt the camera up or down, thus avoiding any unnecessary distortion which would need to be dealt with in post. I will then pan horizontally, taking individual photos as I go, overlapping by 30-50% and leaving a little room on either side for cropping.

DJI Mavic Mini 3 | 24mm (effective) | 1/5th Second | f/1.7 | ISO100

Create a manual pano with AEB for maximum dynamic range and resolution

This is the number one reason why I like to create my panoramas manually. For reasons only known to DJI, the Mini 3 Pro does not have the ability to take AEB images in pano mode. Maybe it will be introduced later but this seems an obvious feature to add with a firmware update. So, for now, I manually combine the two by taking a manual panorama with the 5-image AEB mode enabled. The resulting images will have the highest (native) resolution with the most image detail and the highest dynamic range.

I will then import them into Adobe Lightroom (my chosen image editing software) and with all the raw images highlighted, I select Photo - Photo Merge - HDR Panorama from the main menu.

With the sun setting behind the mountains, I needed all the dynamic range available to avoid blowing out the sky when creating the panorama below.

DJI Mavic Mini 3 | 24mm (effective) | 1/6400th Second | f/1.7 | ISO100

Use the 48-megapixel mode, (but do so with some caution)

The Mini 3 Pro comes with a high-resolution stills mode, allowing you to take photos at 4x the resolution compared to the base 12-megapixel option. In the right conditions, using the 48MP mode can help when you might want to crop the image later or print your photos even bigger.

Sounds too good to be true, right? Well, maybe. Although the native resolution is 12MP, to achieve a 48MP image, the Mini 3 Pro’s camera has a type of filter (called a quad bayer filter) which, splits each of the 12MP into four, resulting in the 48 megapixels mentioned. The issue is that smaller pixels capture less light and can result in noisier, lower-quality images. If the conditions are good for photography and there is plenty of light, the 48MP images can look really good, but when conditions are less than ideal, the images can leave a lot to be desired. That’s certainly my experience, anyway.

My usual workflow when taking stills with the Mini 3 Pro is to hedge my bets and capture a native 12MP image with AEB first and then a 48MP version which I can then compare and decide on the best one to edit later in Lightroom.

To enable the 48MP stills mode, simply select the icon above the screen’s shutter button, from there select Photo then to the right, select 48 PM.

It’s probably worth mentioning that using the base 12MP stills mode and taking a panorama can result in high-resolution, less noisy images too, but it will be a wider aspect, requiring the drone to be closer to the given subject. There is no right or wrong here, just different options suitable for different situations.

Set your white balance to manual

There are a couple of reasons why you might consider manually setting your white balance while out taking photos with the Mini 3 Pro. If you’re taking single, raw photos, then it’s not such an important topic as the white balance can be changed later in post. But if taking JPEGs, the white balance is baked into the image at the time it is taken, so getting it right while out with the drone is much more important.

Secondly, and the main reason I set the white balance manually is to keep all images completely consistent when taking panoramic images. As you pan the camera around, the changes in the scene being photographed might lead to changes in the white balance which can add more work when trying to seamlessly stitch the photos together later.

I tend to keep the WB at about 5300-5500 on brighter days and a little higher when there is more cloud around but typically, I will judge each situation individually. To manually set the white balance, you need to be in PRO photo mode. On the bottom right corner of the screen, there will be a square with WB and a Kelvin number next to it. This number is the numerical value the white balance will be set to. Select the WB icon and a familiar box will pop up. At the top, if the white balance is set to automatic, the box with Auto will be highlighted in yellow. If so, tap that and then use the slider to scroll through the numbers to your desired white balance value.

BONUS TIP: Fix it in post!

Ok, I hear you. We all want to take the very best photos while out in the field but sometimes you will reach the limit of what the Mini 3 Pro camera is capable of and have noisy photos. Luckily, we seem to be in a bit of a boom when it comes to software-based noise reduction. Amongst others, DxO, Topaz and not Adobe have all recently released updated software with some impressive noise-reduction features. So, even if you use all the suggestions I have listed in this article and still end up with noise or artefacts in your photos, try running them through one of these applications as it might save the day.

Printing your photos taken with the DJI Mini 3 Pro

If you regularly visit my website, you will know that I am a big believer in the printed image. Be it a single print, a photo book or wall art, the physical, tangible print is a far better way to view and experience a photo compared to a screen. With this in mind, I recently printed some of the drone photos I’ve taken over the last year to get a better idea of how they look in the flesh.

I printed a selection of my photos, taken using many of the techniques I mention above at both A4 and A3 sizes, and although it’s impossible to demonstrate here, I have to say, they look pretty good. Nice and sharp and with little to no noise. If you’ve taken some photos with the Mini 3 Pro and are on the fence when it comes to printing your photos, then my advice is to power up that printer or choose a good lab and get some printed. You won’t regret it!

DJI Mavic Mini 3 | 24mm (effective) | 1/30th Second | f/1.7 | ISO100

So, there you have it. If you follow some or all of these suggestions, you will take the very best landscape pictures possible from the DJI Mini 3 Pro and if you have any suggestions I might have missed, feel free to leave a comment below.

Until next time,

Trevor

Fujifilm XT5 | A Landscape Photographer’s Review

Towards the end of 2022, while out in the field on a shoot, the screen on my Fujifilm XT2 started to flicker uncontrollably and after a few minutes of strange behaviour, it turned itself off and however much I tried, I couldn’t get it to turn on again. It seemed after 5 faithful years of service, the XT2 was dead. So, I had a decision to make. Do I fix it? Or do I invest in a new camera body? When it comes to cameras and lenses, unless there is a particular problem I need to solve, I never chase the latest gear.

I much prefer familiarity over shiny and new. If my camera does the job for me and I know it’s strengths and weaknesses (they all have them), I tend to stick with it.

After 5 solid years of use, I decided it was time to say goodbye to the XT2 and hello to the newly released XT5. Before buying the XT5, I briefly considered the recently released XH2 but decided against it as I wanted to stick with the familiar dials and ergonomics of the XT range.

Having now used the camera for 6 months and along with a few of the photos I’ve taken with it, I wanted to share some of my thoughts and opinions on the Fujifilm XT5 from a landscape photographer’s point of view. As with my other gear reviews, this will be far from scientific (a simple Google search will provide you with those). I won’t talk about every new and improved feature this camera offers, these are my personal observations and opinions based on how I use the camera in the field and other people’s experiences may differ from mine.

What’s in my camera bag?

Before we get into the XT5, I wanted to mention what gear I currently carry with me while taking landscape photos. More specifically, the lenses I use with my XT5 on a day-to-day basis.

At the moment, I am quite happy carrying just 2 lenses, the XF16-55 f2.8 standard zoom and the XF50-140 f2.8 telephoto. These are red badge lenses so considered the best quality in the XF lens lineup and give me an effective focal range of 16 to 140mm (24mm to 200mm in 35mm terms) which is fine for 95% of the photos I take. That being said, with constant f2.8 apertures, they may be better quality but they’re also a lot heavier than Fujifilm’s variable aperture lenses. Worth thinking about if weight is a priority.

You may have also noticed the DJI Mini 3 Pro which I also reviewed from the perspective of a Landscape Photographer. You can read about that here.

For more details about all the gear I carry in 2023, pop over to my latest “Whats in my camera bag” blog post.

Is the Fujifilm XT5 bigger and heavier than its predecessors?

Well, yes and no. It would have been fair to assume that the XT5 wouldn’t be immune to the current trend that sees mirrorless cameras getting bigger over time and yes, compared to the XT2 (133 x 92 x 49mm, 507g) the XT5 (130 x 91 x 64mm, 557g) is slightly bigger and heavier, but Fujifilm has, to their credit, shaved off a little size and weight compared to the XT4.

However, in real terms, these numbers don’t really mean a lot to me. A few mm here, a few grams there won’t make a huge difference and although its important camera manufacturers keep the size and weight of their respective systems in check, it’s probably easier to say that the XT5 is around the same size as those before it. That’s a good thing.

Fujifilm XT5 | XF16-55mm | 16mm | 1/100th Second | f/5 | ISO125

I spend a lot of time hiking up hills, exploring woodland or even as per the picture of London above, climbing the 528 steps to the top of St Paul’s Cathedral. So, what’s even more important to me is that I choose to shoot with a smaller, lighter system compared to the full frame and medium format systems. Using an APS-C system allows me to carry the XT5 along with 2 heavier, flagship lenses and still have a lighter camera bag compared to other full-frame or medium format systems.

How good is the XT5 build quality and weather sealing?

Landscape photographers need to be able to shoot in almost any condition and in all but the most extreme weather, should be able to do so without the need of additional rain covers and shower caps. The Fujifilm XT5 has a weather-sealed body and when coupled with a weather-resistant lens such as my XF16-55mm or XF55-140mm, I’m able to shoot in most conditions. In the 6 months I’ve been using this camera, I’ve shot in many a wet and rainy woodland, the wintry mountains of Snowdonia and some stormy weather by the coast and so far, so good.

Fujifilm XT5 | XF16-55mm | 18mm | 2 Seconds | f/8 | ISO125

That’s all well and good but there have been questions raised about the amount of plastic used in the construction of the XT5 compared to previous models making it look and feel a little cheaper. I guess if being particularly pernickety, it probably does a little but in the 6 months since buying the camera, I’ve literally given it zero thought. In all fairness, Fujifilm makes no claims that the camera is fully waterproof and certainly doesn’t provide an IP rating. So, although I would happily shoot during an average rain shower, I would stop short of exposing it to a prolonged torrential downpour.

What about the XT5’s physical dials, dual memory card slots and tilting screen?

Although I already had dual memory cards, physical dials and a 3-way tilting LCD on the XT2, I now consider these a must when picking a camera to use for landscape photography.

Coming from the world of IT, I know too well how technology should not be relied upon, however robust it might seem. The last thing I want is for a whole day of shooting to be lost because my only memory card suffered a failure at the wrong time. This is why I’ve configured the XT5 to write my raw files to both cards simultaneously, creating an instant backup while out in the field.

Fujifilm XT5 | XF16-55mm | 16mm | 1 Second | f/8 | ISO125

Next up, those physical dials. For me, these were a game changer. Apart from the warm fuzzy feeling of nostalgia I get when using them, being able to fine-tune my exposure by feel, without a menu in sight makes life so much easier when out taking photos. This is especially true in the winter when using gloves or when the camera is low down to the ground like it was when photographing the Sussex coast as pictured above, which can make accessing menu buttons trickier.

Talking of having the camera low to the ground. As a landscape photographer, this will often be the case and having a tilting screen means I don’t have to be down there too. Whether I’m shooting in landscape or portrait mode, the 3-way tilting LCD means the screen will tilt in my direction whatever its position.

Fujifilm XT5 | XF16-55mm | 55mm | 1/10th Second | f/11 | ISO125

How good is the battery life on the XT5?

With the larger W235 battery used in the XT5 compared to the smaller X126s I was using in the XT2, for me at least, battery life has improved dramatically. A game changer in fact. This was my main gripe with the XT2 as I was constantly having to change out dead batteries midway through a shoot.

The extra battery life really came into its own during the 48 hours I spent in a wintry Snowdonia. The temperature during the day barely made it above freezing and being so cold will reduce the amount of charge the battery will hold, but irrespective of this, I was still able to shoot from sunrise to sunset on a single charge.

Fujifilm XT5 | XF50-140mm | 69mm | 1/2 Second | f/9 | ISO125

Even if upgrading from the XT4 which also uses the W235, Fujifilm still claims an improved battery over its predecessor due to the reduced power consumption of the X-processor 5. So, I think it safe to say that Fujifilm has made a big step forward in battery performance since introducing the larger W235 into their recent flagship cameras.

Is the XT5’s 40-megapixel sensor worth the upgrade?

Fujifilm announced their 40.2MP sensor a long time before it was released and the prospect of having the extra resolution was exciting, opening new possibilities for cropping in post or bigger prints. I was, however, slightly concerned about how cramming more pixels onto the same size sensor would affect image quality and, if it would result in noisier pictures.

Fujifilm XT5 | XF16-55mm | 55mm | 1.3 Seconds | f/6.4 | ISO125

I’m pleased to report that I’ve not found the pictures I’ve taken so far to have any more noise than I was used to with the XT2. That was a big surprise and a welcome one at that! Don’t get me wrong, Do I still see noise in some of my images? Of course. There will always be situations where the light levels are such that avoiding noise altogether is impossible, but overall and in my own unscientific way of pixel peeping, I don’t see any negative impact of those smaller pixels all bunched up together on this new X-Trans CMOS 5 HR sensor.

One thing that I was hoping for and something Fujifilm appear to have delivered is improved dynamic range performance. Again, not something one expects when increasing pixel density but given this sensor is a few generations newer than what I was using, I was very much hoping for this to be the case. I did a little research on this topic and for sure, many out there say the dynamic range has gone backwards slightly and still not as good as the XH2 which uses the same sensor but from my own real-world usage, the dynamic range has definitely improved for me. Sure, it’s still not up there with the full-frame and medium format systems (pesky laws of physics), but what I can say is that with my woodland photography, where high dynamic range scenes are commonplace, I’ve not had to bracket my images nearly as much as I used to. Saving me time during editing and saving space on my hard drive too!

Talking of hard drive space, with the increased resolution comes increased file sizes so if you’re tight on raw file storage space, consider shooting with the compressed raw enabled on the camera or prepare to invest in bigger hard drives.

Fujifilm XT5 | XF50-140mm | 140mm | 1/50th Second | f/7.1 | ISO125

Is the Pixel-Shift on the XT5 worth all the hype?

Remembering this article is about sharing my experience, I’m going to say no……for now.

Pixel Shift, which can be enabled in the menu, is where the camera will take 20 separate photos, shifting the sensor by half a pixel each time and by using a separate software on your computer, you can merge the photos together to create a huge 160MP image.

Taking landscape photos can often mean a static scene where 20 separate photos won’t capture any movement but add in some waves along the coast or some subtle breaths of wind in the woodland and suddenly things start to get a little trickier. I’ve used this feature a few times to see how well it works and if you have a static scene and need that extra resolution, then having this option available is great, but, given the extra disk space needed and the time it takes to merge them together in post-processing, it’s not something I think I will use very often personally.

Fujifilm XT5 | XF16-55mm | 53mm | 1/40th Second | f/8 | ISO125

What about the Fujifilm XT5’s improved autofocus?

This is where things went a little awry for me. Fujifilm boast that due to the higher pixel count in the XT5, the number of phase detection pixels also increases resulting in an improved AF-S focusing accuracy when taking landscape photos.

With the XT2, I preferred to use back button focus when taking landscape photos. When composing an image and selecting the autofocus area, the XT2 locked in nearly all cases without issue, and I only really needed to switch to manual focus in trickier, low-light situations. I didn’t really give it much thought as it just worked.

Fast forward to getting the XT5 out in the field and after setting the camera up to work in the same way, things were a lot different. When pressing the back-button focus, the XT5 was missing focus almost 50% of the time. It was incredibly frustrating and after a little research it seemed I wasn’t the only one to notice how poor the autofocus was on this camera.

Fujifilm XT5 | XF50-140mm | 66mm | 0.4 Seconds | f/9 | ISO125

With zero trust in the autofocus, I switched to manual focus 100% of the time which, although not the end of the world, did slow down my workflow a little.

This went on for about three or four months and although I’ve not seen anything specifically from Fujifilm on the subject, since applying the firmware updates released since, the issue has improved somewhat. I still refuse to default back to my previous workflow as my trust in the autofocus hasn’t been restored but when using features like focus bracketing, which depends on autofocus, I do have a little more confidence that the results will be sharp.

Again, this was my personal experience and there are built-in tools that can help your focusing workflow such as focus peaking, but for me, a quick zoom-in and out again to check the image sharpness works just as well.

Update: I wrote this post just before firmware v2.0 was released, which included some significant focus improvements for the XT5. Since applying this and subsequent lens updates, the camera has had far fewer issues with autofocus.

Does Adobe Lightroom play nice with the XT5 RAF files?

I’ve used Lightroom (Classic) to edit my raw files for many years, long before I swapped to Fujifilm in 2016 and I think it’s fair to say, Lightroom has not always played nice with Fuji raw files - worms anyone? If you know, you know. These days, life is a lot easier when it comes to editing Fujifilm RAF files in Lightroom, either Adobe has improved the compatibility, or I’ve just learned to avoid the pitfalls as I run through my usual workflow (step away from the sharpening slider). In truth, it’s probably a bit of both.

One approach I use is not to apply any sharpening in Lightroom and instead, when I want to prepare for print or screen, I export to Photoshop and use the High Pass filter on a separate layer (between one and two pixels radius) and the Overlay blending mode, masking in the areas I want to be sharpened. A method I still do today and works best for me.

Fujifilm XT5 | XF50-140mm | 140mm | 1/8th Second | f/9 | ISO125

There are, however, still times I feel Lightroom doesn’t render my raw file with the amount of detail I know the file contains. I’ve heard many times that other editing software is more sympathetic to the Fujifilm raw files, but I really don’t want to learn another software. Instead, for those times I need a little more detail I use a plug-in called DXO Pure Raw. I don’t run every picture I take through the software as I prefer some to be a little softer or painterly but when a bit more detail is called for, it seems to do the job nicely.

Conclusion

I’ve written a lot about the features and benefits of using the XT5 for landscape photography and there are many great features I decided not to talk about such as the 7-stops of IBIS, improved video modes, subject detection and white balance driven by AI (whatever that means) but in truth, my needs are quite basic meaning I probably only use about 10% of the camera’s features for my landscape photography and it would be wrong for me to review those I haven’t used extensively.

So, would I recommend this camera to other landscape photographers? The simple answer is yes. If size and weight is important to you, the XT5, with its fantastic image quality, intuitive ergonomics, weather sealing and much-improved battery life, packs a real punch.

I hope you found that useful and enjoyed some of the photos I shared. If you have anything to add such as any points I missed or questions about the camera, please leave a comment below or contact me directly here.

Until next time

Trevor

My Top 10 Tips for Woodland Photography

I’ve been taking photos of the landscape for a number of years now but more recently, I discovered the joy and subsequent benefits of woodland photography. Woodland photography is a beautiful and relaxing way to connect with nature while still allowing me to practice this creative craft I enjoy so much. It encourages me to explore and learn about the wildlife I see and offers a sense of peace and tranquillity, allowing me to escape life’s more hectic demands, even if it’s just for just a few hours.

During this time, I’ve made plenty of mistakes, learned lots of lessons and picked up new skills that have helped me take better woodland photos. So, this blog post is my attempt to share some of those lessons and provide a little inspiration to those who might not be quite as far along in their own woodland photography journey.

So here are my top 10 tips for woodland photography.

Fujifilm XT2 | XF10-24mm | 11mm | 1.5 Seconds | f/10 | ISO400

#1 Photograph the Seasons

There are so many reasons to pay attention to the way a woodland changes over the course of 12 months and being aware of these can open up so many creative possibilities when it comes to woodland photography. One popular example is to find a particular composition that works in all seasons and take the same picture in spring, summer, autumn and winter, creating a ‘through the seasons’ series. This might sound cliché, but some I’ve seen are simply amazing and it’s a useful little project that encourages you to go back to the same place to observe how it changes. To get the best photos, you might have to wait several years to get a portfolio image of a particular season but chasing that shot is part of the fun. I have a few on the go but haven’t quite made it to all four yet.

Alternatively, knowing how your local woodland changes through the year may also open up new photographic opportunities. There will be places that lack photographic allure in (let’s say) summer but come alive with opportunities at other times of the year. For instance, in my local woodland, there is a lot of fern growth which means parts of the forest are completely cut off in the summer months but from late autumn to late spring, those areas of woodland are easier to explore with the camera.

Another example is the bluebell picture below. Of course, bluebells in spring are beautiful in their own right but in this particular location, the woodland floor is typically messy with fallen branches and patchy plant life, but, for a few weeks each year, the bluebells completely cover the messy floor resulting in a much cleaner photo.

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#2 Photograph the woodland whatever the weather

While perfectly defused golden hour lighting can create beautiful woodland photos, don't be put off by cloudy, or even rainy days with less inspiring light. I for one love to head out into the woodland while the sun is obscured as the softer, diffused light of an overcast day can result in quieter, lower contrast images, helping to create a moody and ethereal feel to your photos.

Even if the sky is blue and there is high contrast, midday light to contend with, don’t let that stop you. Personally, I struggle in such situations but when I do find the light too bright and distracting for my usual style of woodland photography, I will change tact and more often than not, point my camera down towards the ground and seek out small scenes with interesting patterns and details hiding in the shadows and away from those pesky specular highlights. More on that in the next tip!

Fujifilm XT2 | XF55-200mm | 55mm | 1/8th Second | f/9 | ISO250

#3 Point your camera towards the floor

Getting into the habit of taking pictures of the woodland floor is something I’m still getting to grips with. It took a while for me to move away from the traditional “landscape” style photo and start paying attention to the smaller shapes and textures hiding amongst the undergrowth, but once I did, I never looked back. A year or so into my woodland photography experience, I started heading out into the forest just to see what small scenes I can photograph, completely ignoring the wider landscape photos I usually look for.

With so much texture and pattern on offer, once you get the camera up close to these smaller scenes, you will be able to tap into a wealth of photographic opportunities and although getting down that low can often be a little tough on the back, by slowing down and taking your time to compose the image properly, you will undoubtedly capture some beautiful, intimate woodland photos.

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#4 Look out for mist and fog in the woodland

Although it should never be considered the be-all and end-all of woodland photography, I think it’s safe to say that the majority of woodland photographers prefer to shoot in misty/foggy conditions, and for good reason. A scene full of branches and leaves can be a cluttered, messy affair and one of the challenges with woodland photography is simplifying the composition. This is where a foggy woodland comes into its own as not only can a fog add depth and atmosphere to a scene, but it can also help declutter the composition, providing a sense of space and room for the subject to breathe.

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#5 Avoid a distracting sky

Unless you are blessed with the defused light of a foggy woodland, there’s a good chance that by including the sky in your woodland photos, you will be left with some distracting highlights around the top of the frame. With the lower light levels under the trees and the bright sky, the dynamic range will be extreme enough to push the limits of most modern cameras. So, what to do if you come across this situation yourself?

Avoiding the sky completely in your woodland photos can be tricky, but one option to avoid it is to shoot from an elevated position. Keeping the camera pointing slightly downhill can cut some or all of the brighter sky out of the frame. Alternatively, if there is space to do so, try stepping back away from the scene and then use a telephoto lens to zoom back in to better isolate your subject.

Lastly, choose a time of year when there are plenty of leaves on the trees. Like with the picture below, during the warmer months, the woodland will be much fuller and as a result, a lot less sky will be included in your compositions.

Fujifilm XT2 | XF55-200mm | 55mm | 1.4 Seconds | f/13 | ISO200

#6 Pack a circular polariser to give your photos some punch

If like me, you enjoy photographing the woodland early in the morning or in damp conditions, you will almost certainly come across wet, reflective leaves in your scene. Reflective light can be pretty distracting in your woodland photos which is why I recommend packing a circular polariser (CPL) filter in your camera bag. A CPL filter works by blocking the reflective light from entering your lens which means less glare and more punchy colours in your woodland images. This effect is practically impossible to replicate in post, so, to get the very best quality pictures in these conditions, it’s definitely worth mounting a CPL onto the end of your lens.

Just a word of caution. A common mistake many photographers make is to automatically turn the CPL all the way; removing all reflective light from the image. This can result in flat, highly saturated pictures. My advice is to rotate the filter back and forward until there is a good balance between eliminating the distracting reflections and retaining some of the life in the scene.

Fujifilm XT2 | XF18-55mm | 29mm | 2 Seconds | f/10 | ISO200

#7 Remember, the woodland is always changing

These two images below were taken in separate woodlands and are among my favourite woodland photos I’ve taken. I’m so happy I found and photographed them when I did because they now look very different as they were both devastated by stormy weather in early 2022.

So, tip number seven is to not take the apparent static nature of woodland for granted. If you find a location worth photographing and conditions are not quite right at the time, don’t wait too long to return. Through the hand of man, or mother nature herself, it can change literally overnight and like in my case, a couple of locations I planned to return to look completely different now.

Fujifilm XT2 | XF18-55mm | 31mm | 0.6 Seconds | f/9 | ISO200

Fujifilm XT2 | XF18-55mm | 29mm | 1/6th Second | f/8 | ISO200

#8 Get to know your local woodlands

This may seem similar to shooting the seasons or observing the changes in your woodland but getting to know your local woodland goes a lot deeper than that. If you speak to any experienced woodland photographer and they will tell you that knowing a location intimately is by far the best way of getting the best woodland photos.

When heading to new locations or those you can’t visit as often as you like, luck can play a huge part in taking portfolio-worthy pictures as you might not get the best light, or you might not know the best time of day/year to photograph that particular location. Having a local woodland only a short walk or drive from where you live means you remove the need for some of that luck as you can keep returning until the conditions are right. If you live close enough, you can afford to be reactive to the weather conditions and as soon as the fog comes in, you can grab the camera and head out!

Taking it one step further, having the ability to return again and again means the pressure to get a portfolio image on any given trip is removed, meaning you can relax more as you wander the woodland. This will help you slow down and get under the skin of the woodland, helping you fully engage your mind and in turn, spot compositions you might have otherwise walked straight past.

The below four pictures were all taken from the same woodland only 5 minutes’ drive from where I live.

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#9 Try different focal lengths

Depending on the subject you are trying to shoot, experimenting with different focal lengths can transform the look and feel of the photos you take.

A wide-angle lens can help you include more of the scene and capture the grandeur of the woodland you’re in, enabling you to include more compositional elements such as an interesting foreground or more dramatic lead-in lines. As appose to using a wide-angle, the telephoto lends itself to seeking out more intimate details, helping you to eliminate distractions and focus on the shapes, colours and texture the woodland offers. As I mentioned in tip #5, when you have a bright distracting sky, this is where a telephoto focal length can save the day.

Play around with different lenses to see which ones work best for the photos you want to take.

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#10 Leave no trace

The enthusiasm for the natural landscape is on the rise, particularly since the pandemic as so many people have re-discovered the beauty of their local woodlands. But all this footfall is having a big impact on these important natural spaces. That’s why, through effective education and following a few simple principles, these popular places can still be visited and enjoyed, but remain protected for future generations to experience.

I’ve shared the bluebells photo below as this is a good example of how our actions directly impact these natural spaces. The bluebell is actually a protected species in the UK and picking or digging them up is illegal but not many people know just how fragile they really are. Bluebells can take years to recover from the damage caused by people trampling over them just to take a selfie, and if their leaves are crushed they can be weakened (as they can no longer photosynthesis). This can all be avoided if everyone sticks to the woodland pathways.

Nature First is just one of many organisations trying to help us woodland photographers to keep these natural spaces safe and they have a few simple principles to follow. By doing so, we can all do our part to preserve our beautiful woodlands.

• Prioritize the well-being of nature over photography.

• Educate yourself about the places you photograph.

• Reflect on the possible impact of your actions.

• Use discretion if sharing locations.

• Know and follow rules and regulations.

• Always follow Leave No Trace principles and strive to leave places better than you found them.

• Actively promote and educate others about these principles.

Fujifilm XT2 | XF55-200mm | 67mm | 1/13th Second | f/9 | ISO200

There you have it, with a few simple techniques and ideas, you can take your own woodland photography to the next level.

I hope this blog post will help anyone that might be lacking some inspiration and the motivation to get out there and take amazing photos of our beautiful, wooded areas. if you have any more tips you want to share, feel free to leave them in the comments below.

Until next time
Trevor

What's in my Camera Bag for Landscape Photography (2023 Edition)

With my last update now 2 years ago and with so much of my landscape photography gear changing in 2022, I thought it about time I posted an updated “What’s in my camera bag?” blog post. Here you will find a list of the camera equipment I use and a little bit of information about why it’s in my camera bag.

My primary landscape photography gear

Fujifilm Camera and Lenses

• XT5 camera: Having used the excellent XT2 since 2017 and it decided to fail on me while out on a shoot, I held out repairing it or buying a new main camera body as based on the rumours I’d heard, it wasn’t going to be long before Fujifilm released the XT5. Sure enough, a few weeks later they did and the day they announced it, I placed the order.

• XF16-55 F2.8 standard zoom lens: Although I still have the very capable XF18-55mm, in 2022, I decided to upgrade to the XF16-55 F2.8 as I wanted all of my main landscape gear to be weather sealed. The improved optics is a nice bonus, but the extra weight most certainly isn’t.

• XF50-140mm F2.8 telephoto lens: For the same reasons I upgraded my standard zoom, I also traded in my XF55-200mm lens for the weather sealed XF50-140 F2.8. I do miss that extra reach now and again but my plan is to buy the 1.4x teleconverter to get that 200mm (300mm FF) reach for the odd occasion I need it.

DJI Mini 3 Pro drone

Last year, after what seemed like an eternity of indecision, I finally took the plunge and purchased my first drone. For a number of reasons, I opted for the DJI Mini 3 Pro. Having already posted about why I chose this drone and what I think about it 6 months on, there is a dedicated blog post you can read here: DJI Mini 3 Pro | A Landscape Photographer’s Review.

Filters and accessories

• Kase Wolverine magnetic filters: I used to carry larger, square slide-in filters and would spend time fiddling with step-up rings for the different lenses and the holder before being able to slide in the filter I intended to use. That all changed when I got the Kase Wolverine filters. No more fuss! Snap the filter onto the lens and get shooting. I wrote more about my experiences with these filters in a previous blog post here: Kase Magnetic Filters | A Landscape Photographers Review.

• Benro Mach3 TMA37AL tripod: After using my previous tripod for a number of years, I was after something a little sturdier and a little taller without relying on a less stable centre column. After a bit of research and getting a few recommendations, I eventually opted for the Benro Mach3TMA37AL.

• Benro Gd3Wh geared tripod head: For years I’d been happy to use a ball head on my tripod but when I started taking woodland photos, the lack of precision and having to compensate for further movement while making small adjustments with the tripod head began to frustrate me a lot. I invested in this Benro geared head and although it has a bit more bulk, it has solved this problem for me completely.

• Spare batteries: The Fujifilm NP-W235 used in the XT4 and XT5 is so much better than the last generation of batteries and I can shoot for much longer on a single charge. So far, I have one spare battery but I intend to add a couple more soon enough.

• Memory cards: Can’t have too many memory cards. I still prefer to use Sandisk as they have been bulletproof for me so far but I know there are other brands just as good on the market.

• 3 Legged Thing L-bracket: Used to quickly switch from landscape to portrait orientation when using my tripod.

• 3 Legged Thing Toolz: A handy tool to tighten tripod legs, remove L-brackets, etc.

• Headtorch: Not much to say about this one, other than it is bright, light, waterproof and rechargeable. It cost about £15 and lights my path on those dark treks before or after a shoot.

• Power bank: Now that I carry the DJI Drone with me, the spare battery case can also charge my other devices if I start to run low so technically, I could do without this little guy, but being small and light, it doesn’t hurt to keep a bit more juice with me while out and about.

Camera Bag

Although I still have the bags I mentioned in my last “What’s in my camera bag” post, I now use the Vanguard VEO Active 46 as my primary means to carry my landscape photography gear around. Although I was on the lookout for a new bag when I went to the Photography Show back in September 2022, I hadn’t really considered Vanguard until I had a look around their stand and saw the VEO Active range. For the features I wanted, the size, weight and price, it ticked all of the boxes for me.

My lightweight/walk-about camera and lenses

In addition to my main landscape photography kit, the list below includes another Fujifilm camera body and a few smaller lenses I use when I want to travel a little lighter. Typically, I might swap my heavier camera gear with these smaller alternatives when I head out on a photo walk in London or I might pack lighter when taking a city break abroad. Also, on days out with my family, I will often take with me just the single X-T30 camera and prime lens so I can snap a few nice family photos without lugging around lots of gear with me.

Fujifilm Camera and Lenses

• X-T30 camera: Apart from a few “Pro’ features such as weather sealing and dual card slots, etc, this is a very good camera. When my XT2 camera failed, this smaller, but very capable camera became my primary shooter for a few weeks and didn’t miss a beat.

• XF18-55mm standard zoom lens: This is the very first Fujifilm lens I bought back in 2016 as it came in the kit with my since-retired X-T10. Although it looks a little beat up now, nearly 7 years on and it is still going strong and I will often grab it when I want to travel light with the versatility of a zoom lens.

• XF16mm F2.8 prime lens: I love this range of small primes from Fujifilm. They are compact, light, weather sealed and most importantly, excellent quality. I will often head out onto the streets of London with a single camera and prime lens combo. The simplicity and lack of bulk can be quite liberating compared to when carrying a full bag of landscape photography gear.

• XF23mm F2 prime lens: When it comes to primes, this is probably my favourite focal length. Equivalent on a full frame to 35mm, it’s a familiar focal length which is wide enough to include some background but not so wide that it can’t be used for more intimate subjects. It’s incredibly versatile.

Tripod and accessories

• 3 Legged Thing Corey tripod: I wanted a smaller, lighter tripod to use while in the city or when travelling and this was my choice. Nearly three years on and it works as well as the first day I used it.

• Manfrotto Pixi Mini tripod: A pocketable tabletop tripod which can support a surprising amount of weight. I’ll carry this with me when I want to keep my kit as light as possible.

• Peak Design Slide Lite neck strap: A comfortable, strong neck strap which comes with a handy quick-release function for when I want to quickly remove the strap.

• Spare batteries: Can’t have too many of these, especially when these smaller NP-W126S barely last a few hours when the temperature drops!

Something I’ve mentioned previously and worth reiterating is that I don’t get that excited by new camera equipment and if there is no good reason to upgrade, I’ll happily stick with what I have. After all, I used my previous Fujifilm XT2 camera body for around 6 years and had some of my lenses even longer. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy new gadgets like everyone else, but when it comes to my photography gear, it’s different. I actually don’t look forward to using a new camera and I prefer familiarity over novelty. Even when upgrading to the newer version of a camera I already own (like I did last year), there is still a period of adjustment to get to grips with new features or changes to the menu system.

My advice to anyone buying new camera equipment is to invest in the gear you feel most comfortable using. If you can, visit your local camera store and hold it in your hands to get a feel for the size and weight. When you get it home, get to know it well and customise the menu and physical buttons so your most important settings are at your fingertips. This ensures the physical act of taking photos is as seamless as possible, allowing you, the photographer, to “focus” on being creative and working the light or composition in front of you.

Until next time.

Trevor

My Favourite Landscape Photos from 2022

What I like about these yearly retrospective blog posts is how they encourage me to look back at the photos I took in the last 12 months, assessing how successful the year was (photographically) and whether I feel my craft has taken a step forward or not. It gives me a chance to reflect on the many photo outings I made and reminds me of those special moments like the whisper-quiet mornings in the woodland where all you can hear is the sound of your own breath or the explosion of light appearing over London as the sun sets and the controlled panic trying to capture it before it fizzles away.

Along with cityscape and landscape photography, last year (2021) was my first full year taking woodland photos and you might think that’s probably enough but for some reason in 2022 I also started to dabble in both intimate landscapes and drone photography too. I know that specialising in a particular genre may be a better route to take for some, but personally, I just want to photograph whatever appeals to me and have as much fun being as creative as I can along the way. After all, hobbies are supposed to be just that….fun!

If you were expecting the usual top 9-10 photos other photographers tend to share at the end of the year, I’ve got bad news. I just couldn’t whittle down all of the photos I wanted to share to that fewer number. Instead, I’ve organised my photos into 7 groups and selected 4 for each, that’s 28 photos I’ve shared with you from those I took in 2022.

The Wider Landscape

I’m not quite sure why but I have to admit, I struggled more often than not to be inspired to get out and take photos of the wider vistas in 2022. I think it was a combination of spending more time photographing the woodland and feeling the need to step back from some of the default landscapes, which most people (including myself) photograph here in Surrey and Sussex. Nevertheless, I still managed to add a few vistas to my landscape collection. Below is a small selection of those I took in Sussex and the Surrey Hills.

Fujifilm X-T30 | XF50-140mm F2.8 | 140mm | 1/60th Second | f/8 | ISO160

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The Cityscape

For obvious reasons, the last couple of years have been a bit stop-start in terms of getting into London to take photos of its fantastic cityscape, but as I work in the city and started to go back to the office more often, in 2021, I had more opportunities, both at the beginning and end of the day to get out and about with my camera. Along with some cracking sunsets like the one I managed to take below of Tower Bridge and the Shard, I also focused on getting up high and taking photos of the city from above and have included a couple of those I took below. If you want some tips as to where to take photos of London from a high vantage point, check out one of my previous posts here: My Top 5 Free Rooftop Locations to Photograph London

One consistent theme I’ve noticed in my cityscape photos in 2022 has been capturing more drama in the sky. Be it epic light, moody clouds or a rain shower passing in the distance, I’ve managed to add quite a few of these to my portfolio which I’m particularly pleased about.

Fujifilm X-T30 | XF18-55mm | 19mm | 1/100th Second | f/9 | ISO160

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The Woodland

As I mentioned before, to the detriment of spending time taking photos of the wider landscape, I focused a lot of my time in 2022 taking photos of the woodland, particularly in a forest close to where I live. Looking back between the photos I took in 2021 and 2022, it’s my woodland photography where I feel I’ve made the most progress. Seeking compositions in the woodland not only takes practice, it also requires me to be in a particular mindset, open to ideas of what will work compositionally and for me, this requires a clear, focused approach whilst among the trees. I think that’s why I enjoy the process so much, as being in the zone means a clear, distraction-free mind which I find quite relaxing and meditative.

Fujifilm X-T30 | XF16-55mm F2.8 | 35mm | 1.3 Seconds | f/9 | ISO160

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The South Coast

Although I spent a fair amount of time taking photos along the Sussex coast in 2022, I would have loved to have spent more time down there. The large picture below was taken along the modest dunes at Camber Sands, a stunning stretch of sandy coastline in East Sussex but due to the variety of cliffs, lighthouses and undulating landscape, the stretch of coastline between Beachy Head and Cuckmere is where I spend most of my time. That’s where I took the other three photos below. In 2023, I want to spend more of my time down along the coast, not only capturing the wide vistas on offer but also taking more intimate photos, capturing the shapes and patterns created by the movement in the water.

Fujifilm XT2 | XF10-24mm | 10mm | 1/80th Second | f/10 | ISO800

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Photographing Wales

Yes, I’m kind of late to the party but I’ve fallen in love with Wales. After my autumn visit to the Brecon Beacons in 2021, I made two further trips to Wales in 2022. First up, I returned to photograph the falls in the Brecon Beacons, this time to see how it looked in late spring with the fresh vibrant leaves on the trees. Then in June, during a family trip to Snowdonia, I managed to get away with my camera a few times and came away with my own take on this classic view of the mighty Tryfan. I just wish I lived a little closer so I can visit more often.

Fujifilm XT2 | XF10-24mm | 14mm | 1/6th Second | f/9 | ISO200

Drone Photography

In 2022 I finally brought my first drone. I’d wanted to get one for some time but was worried it would see little use but that all changed when DJI released the Mini 3 Pro. Finally, a small drone with a useful camera. It’s a great bit of kit which I carry with me most the time and if you want to know more about what I think about the Mini 3 Pro when it comes to landscape photography, head over to another blog post I wrote on that very subject DJI Mini 3 Pro | A Landscape Photographer’s Review

DJI Mavic Mini 3 | 24mm (effective) | 1/2000th Second | f/1.7 | ISO100

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The Intimate Landscape

In 2022 I also started to take photos of smaller scenes in the landscape such as those I’ve shared below. Although I still find it tricky to find interesting compositions, I really enjoy the process. It’s a great way to continue taking photos when conditions aren’t great as I find flat, uninspiring light is perfect to achieve evenly exposed scenes like this, as I can focus on the shape, colour and composition and not worry about changing light and deep shadows. It’s an area of landscape photography I plan to work on in 2023.

Fujifilm XT2 | XF55-200mm | 78mm | 1/20th Second | f/9 | ISO200

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Hopefully, that wasn’t too many photos to look through but having taken so many photos across the different genres in 2022, I wanted to give you a good taste of the kind of photos I took.

What’s in store for 2023?

As usual, I now need to give some thought to 2023 and what I want to achieve with my photography.

First up, I want to develop in three key areas, woodland, intimate landscapes and drone photography. Although I love shooting the wide vistas and will continue to do so, those three areas are where I feel I have more scope for development. On top of that, spending time in the woodland and seeking out interesting subjects to photograph is good for me. It relaxes me and enables me to take time out for just a short while so, I’ll certainly be doing more of that.

I plan to head back to Wales, hopefully, a couple of times to photograph the epic landscape and beautiful scenery on offer. My first trip is booked for late January so fingers crossed that works out.

I have a couple of personal projects on the go which are all still cooking and although I don’t have much to say on this right now, in time I’ll certainly share more info on these.

Lastly, I want to spend more time experiencing photos in the physical form, which includes printing more of my work or maybe creating my first zine based on the projects I’m working on. At the very least I want to spend less time in front of the screen and more time reading the many photo books I’ve been collecting from fellow photographers and artists. Some of which I’ve shared with you on this blog in my Photo Bookshelf series.

My plans for 2023 are not particularly ambitious but that’s intentional. I have a day job and photography is a hobby and although I like to get out with my camera as much as I can, it’s still something I must balance between my other priorities such as family and work. I also have some exciting (for me at least) updates to my gear which I will share in the usual “what’s in my camera bag” kind of way in the coming weeks so look out for that too.

That’s it from me for 2022, so I wish you a very happy and healthy new year and speak to you again in 2023.

Until then.

Trevor

DJI Mini 3 Pro | A Landscape Photographer’s Review

Those who know me are aware that I’ve been talking about getting a drone for ages! Years in fact. Put off by the many restrictions and rules that went hand in hand with owning and flying a drone, my biggest concern was that I just wouldn’t use it enough. I thought that it would be mostly unused, sitting on a shelf gathering dust, but when DJI announced the Mini 3 Pro, the time was finally right to jump in and place the order. Having now owned the Mini 3 Pro for around 5 or 6 months, I thought I would share my thoughts from the point of view of a landscape photographer owning his very first drone.

Why did I choose the DJI Mini 3 Pro?

To answer that question, I guess I need to answer another question first. What had previously stopped me from buying a drone and why did I believe it wouldn’t get much use?

In short, the drones with the most freedom to fly and the least restrictions were not good enough when it came to photography (in my opinion). If I wanted DJI’s crème de la crème in terms of consumer drone photography, I could have opted for the Mavic Pro, but living here in the Southeast of England, there are so many restrictions and built-up areas, I felt I would be constantly frustrated by the lack of opportunities to fly and would have to travel far and wide to get the most use out of a drone like that.

The DJI Mini line of drones are perfect in terms of form factor as with a sub 250g take-off weight, I could fly almost anywhere as long as I wasn’t in restricted airspace but the original Mini and Mini 2 fell short with regards to the camera. Either because of a lack of RAW format support in the first iteration, or just sensor size and what I had read about the general image quality. If video was my priority, I would have jumped in far earlier, but to get high quality photos that I could edit and print at a reasonable size, the Mini and Mini 2 were not quite good enough.

So, when the Mini 3 and it’s improved, larger image sensor was announced, the time was right to make the jump.

DJI Mavic Mini 3 | 24mm (effective) | 1/500th Second | f/1.7 | ISO100

The image above was taken along the East Sussex coast shortly after the Mini 3 Pro was delivered. It’s not an original composition but allowed me to practice flying and composing photos. Along with traditional landscape and cityscape photos, I also hope to use the drone to build a body of work which features more abstract shapes and textures.

The two photos below were taken above a forest in East Sussex. It’s a place I’ve been photographing for a few years, and it was nice to add some alternative viewpoints to the body of work I’ve been building over that time. By-laws prevent me from taking off from within the forest boundary due to livestock grazing, so I had to take off from the side of a public road and stay high to avoid breaking any rules and scaring the animals in the forest. Thankfully the Mini 3 is much quieter than its predecessors which helps avoid scaring any animals below.

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DJI Mavic Mini 3 | 24mm (effective) | 1/200th Second | f/1.7 | ISO100

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DJI Mavic Mini 3 | 24mm (effective) | 1/30th Second | f/1.7 | ISO100

I just want to confirm at this point that this blog post is in no way a technical review, I won’t be deep diving into the drone specs, nor will I be comparing the drone to any others as being the first and only drone I have ever owned (or even flown), that would be a little difficult. This is just me sharing my opinion and showing some of the photos I’ve taken along the way.

What DJI Mini 3 Pro package did I buy and how much did it cost?

With the plethora of new features added since the Mini 2, DJI added the Pro label to the Mini 3’s name. With Tri-Directional Obstacle Sensing, 4K HDR Video, true vertical shooting, real-time obstacle avoidance and much more, they were probably justified in doing so. However, with the word “Pro” added to the name came an inevitable price hike from £419 for the Mini 2 to £709 for the Mini 3 Pro (without the RC remote). Personally, I feel these extra features more than justifies the bump in cost, but opinions may vary on that point.

With the desire to fly longer than circa 30 minutes (I did say this wouldn’t be a technical review), I opted for the Mini 3 Pro with the DJI RC Remote along with the extra fly more kit giving me some extra batteries, tripling my flight time. Although around £150 more, the DJI RC Remote with its built-in screen appealed to me as it meant I didn’t need to use my phone in order to fly.

Altogether, (Mini 3 Pro with RC remote £859, the Fly more kit £159 and 1 Yr. Care Refresh £75) I spent a total of £1,093. Far from an inexpensive purchase, especially as I had never even used a drone before, but when compared to the other options and features I wanted, I was certain this was the right choice for me.

DJI Mavic Mini 3 | 24mm (effective) | 1/500th Second | f/1.7 | ISO100

These photos were taken on an early morning flight in London. Conditions were perfect for taking some atmospheric photos and although the City of London restrictions prevented me from flying any further west, I still managed to get the drone in the air and take a few photos from the eastern side of Tower Bridge.

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DJI Mavic Mini 3 | 24mm (effective) | 1/2000th Second | f/1.7 | ISO100

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DJI Mavic Mini 3 | 24mm (effective) | 1/1600th Second | f/1.7 | ISO100

Is the DJI Mini 3 Pro easy to fly?

I’m writing this post from the viewpoint of a landscape photographer who has never used a drone, so, I guess that’s also my target audience. Maybe you’re also a photographer, tempted by drone photography and concerned flying a drone might be too difficult to master. Let’s be honest, the drone alone is around £709 new, so even with the DJI Care Refresh, it’s not the sort of thing you want to crash too often.

I have to say, flying the Mini 3 Pro was surprisingly straightforward. There are some great tools onboard to keep things simple such as the fantastic return to home feature, single button take-off and landing and the three-way obstacle sensors. The sensors are on the front, back and underneath and help you keep out of trouble for the most part, although you need to remember that the Mini 3 Pro lacks sensors on the side so care should be taken when flying sideways.

5 tips for anyone buying their first drone

I’ll keep this relatively high level as the specifics will differ country by country, depending on where you intend to fly.

1. Research the local Drone rules applicable for the class of drone you own and complete any registrations and certifications needed.

2. Research any useful apps that provide aviation information such as real time flight restrictions in your area as the DJI Drone app isn’t always up to date. There are also apps that show flight conditions specific to flying a drone and warn you if the wind is too strong or provides such things as the Geomagnetic storm index which apparently is a thing and can be a problem as it can interfere with the signal.

3. Make sure you set your new drone up in advance, applying any firmware updates and fully charging the batteries before you head out. It can be a real pain when you are prompted to update the firmware while out in the field with no internet access.

4. Like the point above, do some research into the best settings before you head out. This might include altitude limits, return to home, camera setup and movement settings. There are so many videos on YouTube and doing a bit of research, really helped me to understand the options and settings before I went for my first flight.

5. Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should. The Mavic Mini 3 gives me the freedom to fly almost anywhere but I still need to be sensible around people and fly safely. I hate the stigma that comes with flying a drone as so many people feel threatened by them, thinking they are being spied on or maybe even worried it might drop on their heads. Personally, I want to keep drone flyers away from being public enemy number one so as much as possible, I try to stay inconspicuous, avoiding people, and if they are around, I fly a lot higher to the point they probably won’t notice I’m there.

DJI Mavic Mini 3 | 24mm (effective) | 1/2000th Second | f/1.7 | ISO100

With such a compact package, there was no way I was going to travel to Ibiza without the new drone. During my 2-week trip, I managed to get a few early morning and sunset flights around the island. I used the 9-shot automatic panoramic picture mode to take the photo of Ibiza Town above. I stitched and edited the photo in Adobe Lightroom and I’m incredibly pleased with the picture quality.

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How good is the DJI Mini 3 Pro camera?

Finally, we can now start talking about taking photos with the Mini 3 Pro, its why I bought it after all. I have to say, I’m not exactly a pixel peeper but I do strive for the best image quality possible, and so far, I have been really impressed with the camera in this drone. In terms of resolution, at 12MP it won’t set the world alight but it’s good enough for most use cases. As I understand it, it’s the same sensor as the 20MP Air 2S model, with the same size pixel size but less of them on a smaller sensor. So, less resolution but equal in terms of image quality.

There is also a 48MP mode where the Quad Bayer Filter tiles the RGB filters to boost the pixel count from 12 to 48 megapixels. I have no idea what that really means, but it can be a great way to boost your resolution. In most situations, the 48MP mode works well, but based on my own experience, in darker scenes, the images can appear noisier in the shadows and completely fall away as the ISO increases. If I’m not too sure what the best option is while out in the field, what I often do is take the image at both 12 and 48MP, just to make sure I have the best version possible.

With the smaller sensor, the dynamic range is going to be limited somewhat and may affect the overall quality in certain situations where you have significantly brighter and darker areas in the frame. I knew this might be a problem before I brought the drone, so, for scenes where I feel the dynamic range is on the high side, I will use the Auto Exposure Bracketing mode which takes 5 separate photos at different exposures. That way I can combine all of them together in Lightroom with the Merge to HDR option and have a DNG file containing all the dynamic range from the 5 bracketed raw files.

Lastly, two other notable features I really like are both the vertical, portrait mode, which rotates the camera 90 degrees and the various panoramic modes to choose from. All are incredibly useful to maximise the photo opportunity or resolution while up in the air taking photos.

DJI Mavic Mini 3 | 24mm (effective) | 1/2500th Second | f/1.7 | ISO100

On a beautifully sunny day back in June, I took a trip down to Brighton in East Sussex to play with the drone and take some photos along the beach. Timing the flight just as the sun was low in the sky, the conditions were perfect, and I managed to take these three photos of both the fairground rides at the end of Palace Pier and a top-down photo of the skeletal remains of the old West Pier.

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DJI Mavic Mini 3 | 24mm (effective) | 1/500th Second | f/1.7 | ISO100

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DJI Mavic Mini 3 | 24mm (effective) | 1/640th Second | f/1.7 | ISO100

What could be improved on the DJI Mini 3 Pro

Even though I’ve already mentioned that I’m happy with this drone and the camera it has, the device is by no means perfect so here are a few examples of what I think could be improved.

Picture edge sharpness

With an aperture of 1.7, it wasn’t a surprise that the image sharpness would fall away around the edges, but it can be a little too much at times. It’s not a huge problem and can be improved a little in post processing, but it would be fantastic if the boffins at DJI could design a camera with a wide aperture that didn’t suffer this issue as much and provided better edge to edge sharpness.

Signal transmission range

I knew from researching DJI drones that it’s rare or even impossible to get the full advertised transmission range when flying the drone, but so far, the distance between drone and controller I’ve been able to achieve has come nowhere near what DJI advertises. According to DJI, in urban areas with high interference, providing I have line of sight, I should expect to get 1000-15000m and much further in areas without interference but so far, that’s not been the case at all. Even when stood on the edge of a cliff in Ibiza, flying the drone out at sea, the actual distances I’ve been able to achieve have come nowhere near what they advertise before I start to lose signal. I know mileage will vary and one must remember that keeping visual line of sight is usually required, but not even being able to achieve the low-end distances is a little disappointing.

Auto exposure bracketing in the panoramic modes

I mentioned above that with the smaller sensor and high dynamic range scenes, I will often bracket my images to get as much data into the final image as I can. But AE bracketing is not an option when shooting panoramic images. Why? I can’t think it would be a difficult feature to add in a firmware update (hopefully it’s on the roadmap) and if made available, would mean higher quality, well-exposed panoramic images can be achieved in high dynamic range situations.

DJI Mavic Mini 3 | 24mm (effective) | 1/2000th Second | f/1.7 | ISO100

Final thoughts on the DJI Mini 3 Pro…

I must admit, when I first considered buying the mini 3 Pro, I did wonder if I would quickly become frustrated by the smaller sensor and lack of resolution compared to the mini’s bigger brothers, but so far, so good. I’m still very happy with the drone I chose. I can still fly almost anywhere, with fewer restrictions compared to the heavier drones and using the panoramic or even the 48MP modes means I can still work around the smaller resolution in most situations.

The DJI Mini 3 Pro’s smaller, lighter form factor means it fits nicely in my camera bag, so I have it with me on all my landscape photography outings. So, not only are my fears of the drone remaining unused, and gathering dust on a shelf at home unfounded, but it also means I always have it to hand for when an opportunity to bag a good drone photo arises.

Would I recommend this drone?

This drone is a fantastic, capable bit of kit and I’m very happy I went with the Mini 3 Pro as it suits my needs to fly in more locations and be subject to fewer restrictions near where I live. If this is the situation you find yourself in and you’re not looking for the best possible image resolution you can get in a drone, then I certainly recommend the Mini 3 Pro. If, however, image quality/resolution is your top priority and you visit places with more open spaces and fewer flight restrictions, then for not a lot more money, you might opt for the DJJ Air 2S, or for a little more still, the newly announced (at time of writing) DJI Mavic 3 Classic.

Personally, this drone is a perfect fit for my current needs.

Kase Magnetic Filters | A Landscape Photographers Review

For decades, both film and digital shooters have used filters to help their image-making while out in the field, be it to balance the exposure with a graduated filter, cut the reflective light with a polariser or slow the shutter speed with a neutral density. To this day, even with the technological strides made by the camera manufacturers, most landscape photographers will still own a set of filters of some sort to help them take photos.

I’ve been using filters for my landscape photography for many years, working my way through a number of different brands. I’ve invested in both circular and square systems, before finally ending up with these Kase Wolverine magnetic filters. Having now used them for over a year and in that time having been asked my opinion about them quite a few times, I’ve decided to share my thoughts on these filters based on my own experiences while out, taking landscape photos.

Before I start, just a couple of housekeeping items. I’m not writing this post to suggest Kase filters are the best filters on the market. Everyone has different needs and in fact, we photographers are spoilt by the options we now have when it comes to choosing filters. This post is my opinion and based on my own experiences with this and other brands I’ve used. Secondly, I’m not affiliated with Kase in any way, I bought my own set of filters and am under no obligation to say good things.

My Kase Wolverine Magnetic Filter Kit

When I switched to the Kase magnetic circular filters, I opted for the 72mm professional kit which consists of an ND8 (3 stop), ND64 (6 stop), ND1000 (10 stop), a polariser, magnetic adaptor, one magnetic lens cap and a leather carry pouch. Being a Fujifilm X mirrorless shooter, I went for the 72mm kit as it fits my largest lens diameter without vignetting and buying anything bigger would have been more expensive and meant more weight in my bag without any benefit. The 72mm kit was just right for me.

Along with the professional kit, I also purchased step-up rings and magnetic lens caps for the other two lenses I regularly use for my landscape photography. All in all, with the professional kit costing £270 and the extra step-up rings and lens caps costing a further £80 (ouch!!), all of the kit you can see in the picture above costs £350.

What do I like about the Kase Magnetic Filters

#1 Minimal colour cast

I remember the days when I would take a long exposure photo and depending on the filter brand, the resulting image would be awash with a blue or magenta colour cast. Yes, it can be corrected in post, but that’s still more work for those who want to spend less time in front of their computer and want to see a more accurate representation of the scene while out there in the field. How do these filters fair in this department? Well, pretty good actually. These filters are incredibly neutral and even with the multi-minute exposures, the colours in the resulting image remain pretty accurate with minimal colour cast.

#2 Quick and simple to use

With the right accessories, this system is a breeze to use. When I bought the Professional kit, I made sure to buy step-up rings and lens caps for all of my usual landscape photography lenses. Although it meant another £80 investment on top, it also meant that while out in the field, I wouldn’t need to mess around screwing or unscrewing adapters to change lenses or put my lens cap back on. I can simply mount whatever lens I need and snap a filter (or two) straight onto the end in a matter of seconds. If the scene changes quickly, in no time at all, I can swap out the filters in a pinch. This has been an absolute game-changer for me.

Lastly, when putting the camera back in the bag, whether I leave the filter on or take it off, the magnetic lens cap will fit regardless and unlike using filter holders for square systems, there is no disassembling to do. I just pop the lens cap on and put the camera away. Zero fuss!

#3 A lightweight filter kit

Without the bigger, thicker square glass and the holder kit, the Kase filter system is compact and lightweight. The 72mm Professional kit weighs just 161g and with the extra step-up rings and lens caps, the weight is still a reasonable 250g in total. The leather pouch alone makes up more than 70 of that 250 grams, so if you need to slim down the weight or size even further, you could look to store the filters stacked together in a smaller, single pocket pouch. For me, the protection the leather pouch offers makes up for this extra weight so it remains in my bag.

#4 Well-made with tough glass

Made from toughened B270 Optical Glass, these hard to scratch filters feel reassuringly robust to use while out in the field. In the last year, my filters have been knocked and dropped here and there without any problems but I have to admit, I haven’t put them through the ultimate test by dropping them from height onto a hard surface. I’ve seen others do so and the filters have come away without a scratch which is quite reassuring for when the inevitable does eventually happen and I have a clumsy moment.

#5 No noticeable loss of image quality

This was never supposed to be a scientific review of the Kase filters but image quality is incredibly important to me, as it is to most other landscape photographers and with the engineering that goes into the expensive lenses we use, what we place in front of them matters. Adding another sheet of glass for the light to pass through will likely affect the image quality to some degree but I’ve zoomed in plenty of times during post-processing, frequently pixel peeping and to my eye, I can’t see any degradation in my photos at all.

#6 Filter magnets are reassuringly strong

I mentioned previously that with over a year of using these filters, I’ve not yet dropped them from height and that might be in part due to luck, but if I’m being honest, its mostly because the magnets are very strong and to this day, I’ve not had a filter drop off the camera a single time. As I wander through the forest taking photos, I will regularly throw my tripod over my shoulder with the camera and CPL filter still attached and as I walk along, with the camera bouncing up and down on my shoulder, not once has the filter dropped off. If I felt for one minute the magnet was not strong enough, I would not be taking that kind of risk.

#7 No vignetting (even when stacked)

One of the issues I had with previous filter brands, especially when using a square format with a filter holder was heavy vignetting around the image, especially when stacking filters in front of my wide-angle lens. Even though I had read positive things about a lack of vignetting, when I was looking at the 72mm Kase filter set, I have to admit, I was a little concerned I might see some at my widest focal length, but I’m pleased to say that even when stacking 2 or 3 filters, the thin profile means they don’t protrude out too much, which helps to avoid the dreaded vignetting.

It’s a problem easily rectified by buying the larger 77mm or even 82mm set, so the filters are slightly oversized, but for me, the small, compact size won out and I’m incredibly pleased with the 72mm set I ended up going with.

The not so good

#1 The CPL is a bit fiddly

Most will know that to add or remove polarisation, you need to turn your circular polariser filter and although there are benefits to having thin, low-profile filters, it does make the CPL a bit difficult to spin. With the strong magnets creating a lot of friction as it turns, you need to get a bit of a grip on the filter but being so thin, it’s sometimes a bit frustrating to lock in the exact amount of polarisation I want. That being said, I prefer to have strong magnets to avoid the filters falling off, so I wonder if, in the future, a better design could be looked into. One that allows for a smoother, less fiddley rotation.

#2 The magnetic lens caps should be stronger

Whereas I mentioned previously that the strength of the magnets on the filters was nice and strong, unfortunately, the same can’t be said about the lens caps. I probably have to mention now that having purchased these lens caps over a year ago, this issue may well have already been addressed but I’ll base this feedback on the versions I received and for my set at least, the magnets are quite weak. I am in constant fear that I’m going to lose one of the lens caps, to the point at which I will only use them when the lens is safely in the bag and even then, they frequently fall off.

#3 Works best after investing in more accessories

I mentioned above that along with the 72mm Professional kit, I also purchased £80 worth of step-up rings and lens caps which I felt I had to buy to get the full “ease of use” benefit from the system. You could avoid buying the magnetic step-up rings and use cheaper (non-magnetic) alternatives but that would mean screwing and unscrewing the single magnetic adapter ring, each time you want to change lenses. That would get very boring, very fast. Also, if I hadn’t invested in the magnetic lens caps, every time I put. the camera away, I would have to unscrew and remove the magnetic adapter ring so I could put the regular cap back on the lens.

The Verdict

With the positives significantly outweighing the negatives, I’m pleased to say that I’m a very happy user of these Kase Wolverine Magnetic filters. I would even go as far as saying that they are the best filters I’ve owned to date. Ever since I stopped using graduated filters in favour of bracketing for my landscape photography, moving back to the circular format was an obvious move and with the solid construction, fantastic image quality and lightweight kit, these super convenient magnetic Kase filters were an obvious choice in the end.

Whether you’re looking to invest in your next filter kit or just curious about the Kase magnetic filters, I do hope you found this post useful. I’d love to hear about other people’s filter experiences and welcome any of you to leave feedback in the comments below.

Until next time.

My Top 10 Landscape Photography YouTube Channels in 2022

YouTube is a fantastic resource when it comes to following the work of your favourite landscape photographer and personally, I draw a huge amount of inspiration from the channels I subscribe to, viewing the world through their eyes and picking up a few tips and tricks along the way.

I’ve cultivated a healthy list of accomplished landscape photographers on YouTube and while some will post the occasional video that piques my interest enough to watch it, there are just a few YouTubers that I look forward to and for one reason or another, will always try to watch the content they release. After releasing my first top 10 list back in 2020, I’ve decided to review my previous article and bring an updated list of my top 10 landscape photography YouTube channels for 2022.

As I also mentioned in my previous article, do remember to balance watching videos about landscape photography with actually going out and practising it yourself. Try to use the videos you watch to inspire and motivate you and not replace your creative outlet entirely.

In no particular order, here are my Top 10 Landscape Photography YouTube Channels in 2022.

#1 Simon Baxter

Simon Baxter has been an inspiration to me since I started to take woodland photography more seriously. I have watched his channel for some time now and he really is the master of seeking out compositions amongst the forests and importantly, talking you through the scene, communicating his thought process as he goes. Since I last posted, Simon has begun to talk more deeply about his connection to the environment he photographs and by understanding the woodland as much as he does, it has propelled him to be regarded as one of the top woodland photographers in the world.

#2 James Bell

Born and bred in the Lake District, once James picked up his first camera it was a no-brainer for him to point his lens at the beautiful landscapes on his doorstep. Fast forward to today, and James is now considered one of the top landscape photographers in and around the lakes. Along with taking some exceptional photos, James is a natural in front of the camera and his approach to talking you through his landscape photography workflow out in the field is excellent.

#3 Fototripper

Fototripper is a channel run by Gavin Hardcastle, a British landscape photographer based in Canada. Gavin is a great landscape photographer, an excellent teacher, and a really funny guy. If you want a great mix of landscape photography and comedy skits, this is the channel for you.

#4 Henry Turner

Henry is a landscape photographer based in the north of England and spends most of his time in and around the Lake District and nearby coastline. He is a natural in front of the camera with an incredibly open, honest and energetic approach to the way he presents and his rapid growth to over 60k YouTube subscribers is a testament to that.

#5 Joe Allam

I’ve been watching Joe’s YouTube channel for a few years now and although not strictly a landscape photographer, his usual travel photography includes plenty of natural and urban landscapes. Not only is Joe a fellow Fujifilm shooter, but his videos are always well polished and have a nice mix of both travel photography and graphic design content.

#6 Simon Booth

Ever since I started to take more woodland and natural landscape photos, Simon’s channel has been a real inspiration for me, especially when photographing intimate and abstract scenes. Along with being an accomplished landscape photographer, Simon’s videos are incredibly informative and he has a refreshingly relaxed approach to presenting.

#7 Mali Davies

Along with taking some great photos up in the north of England, Mali has such a friendly and open demeanour and that really comes across in the videos he creates. One thing I really like about his videos is how he addresses his viewers so naturally as if you are there with him having a two-way conversation. It’s quite absorbing to watch.

#8 Nigel Danson

Nigel is one of the best landscape photography teachers on YouTube. His videos provide a great mix of on-location photography and studio-based talks and tuition. He is particularly good at examining and critiquing his own work so others can learn the same lessons he does.

#9 Thomas Heaton

Thomas should not need any introduction. He’s a bit of a superstar amongst the YouTube landscape photography community and for good reason. He has a huge following, an honest and unpretentious manner, and makes fantastic videos from all over the world. Thomas seems to be able to find a photo out of nothing and even on the rare occasion he doesn’t, he is content to come home empty-handed due to his “good shot or no shot” approach.

#10 Ben Horne

If you are after a pure photography experience, look no further than Ben Horne. He shoots wilderness photography on large format film in Zion and Death Valley National Parks. Ben will regularly head out on a trip and document his journey as he seeks new and different compositions that match his intimate style of landscape photography.

So, there you have it, the updated list of my top 10 landscape photography YouTube channels in 2022. It was interesting to see how my list had changed and although many survived from being cut from the 2020 list, the new additions inform me as to where my photographic interests now lie and how they are evolving over time.

My Favourite Landscape Photos from 2021

It has become customary on my blog for me to share a retrospective post, talking about the previous year I’ve had and sharing stories and some of my favourite photos I took along the way. Deciding not to write a full retrospective this time around but also not wanting to break the tradition of reviewing and sharing my photos from the previous year, I’ve decided to keep this post a little lighter and focus only on the photos. So, here are 10 of my favourite landscape photos I took during 2021.

Photographing the woodland through the seasons

2021 was my first full year of woodland photography and I’ve absolutely fallen for this sub-genre of landscape photography. These days, you will often find me wandering my local woodlands for hours on end as I try to make sense of the natural chaos the trees provide. Woodland photography is hands down one of the most frustrating and equally rewarding subjects to photograph and I’m really enjoying the challenge it provides.

To better tell the story of the year I had photographing woodland, I decided to pick a photo I took from all four seasons.

First up is this photo I took in a hilltop woodland on the Surrey/Kent border. Taken during a rare hoar frost in January, I had the most amazing, albeit cold morning looking for frosty compositions and this winding pathway flanked by silver birch was the perfect setting to create this beautiful wintry woodland scene.

Winter Woodland Triptych

I absolutely love a triptych. Putting three photos together can work incredibly well to tell a more cohesive story and with such a successful morning of photography and having bagged three wintry woodland photos in similar conditions, they had a similar look to them. I feel they are even stronger when presented as a single piece. Hopefully, you feel the same. Click on the photos below to see a bigger version.

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It seemed to take forever for spring to finally get out of first gear in 2021. Whereas I would have normally expected to see this beautiful carpet of bluebells by mid-April, after a further 2 scouting trips, I had to wait another month before they were ready here in this beech woodland down in West Sussex. Although at the time I didn’t think much of the white daisies that accompany the bluebells on the ground, I now think they work well alongside the green and purple colours, adding some further interest to this springtime woodland scene.

The photo below is possibly my favourite taken in the woodland during 2021. Surrounded by these lush green leaves and glorious morning mist, I was in my element as I wandered through the trees on this early summer’s day. After spotting this composition, I perched my camera midway up the bank and used my wide-angle lens so I could include those fantastic trees on the left as they leaned into the frame creating this natural archway, framing the misty forest scene in the background. The finishing touch were those purple rhododendrons down in the bottom right-hand corner of the image. As controversial as they are, I think they add some interest and balance to the overall composition.

Last up in this woodland collection is what some might call nature’s greatest annual show. Like in the spring, when I was waiting for the bluebells to appear, the best colours of autumn is all about timing, so, once again, it took multiple scouting trips and a fair bit of patience before I managed to photograph this scene below. In fact, the colours appeared so late, I had to wait until the last week of November before they were at their best.

It was the plethora of colours in this image that initially caught my eye, so with the forest doing its job, my job was to make sense of the chaos and do it justice by taking an interesting photo out of it. I ended up using the green pine tree on the far left to add visual weight, balancing the composition against the strong lines of the Beech tree as it leaned towards the right-hand side of the frame.

Autumnal Woodland Triptych

I lapped up the conditions as I explored these autumnal woodlands and like during the hoar frost back in January, I was able to take several different photos which look great on their own, but in my opinion, they look even stronger presented together as a triptych. One day I might even write a post about why I like them so much. Click on the photos below to see a bigger version.

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Landscapes photos taken in the Southeast of England

Surrey, Sussex and Kent have some great landscapes to photograph. Granted, they lack the drama of the Jurassic Coast or the mountainous Lake District, but we still have some beautiful, albeit subtle places to take landscape photos here in the Southeast of England. Below are 3 of my favourite landscape photos I took in 2021.

Starting with this stunning view across the South Downs in East Sussex, this photo is all about how the light hits the rolling hills, emphasising the contours in the landscape and creating a natural zigzagging line leading into the distance. Although it was late April, I distinctly remember how cold it was as I stood there waiting for the right moment to take the photo. As the sun rose above the horizon, it soon became clear that timing was going to be everything. I had to wait long enough for the light to hit the right places down in the valley, but not too long so that there was too much light as those all-important shadows and contours would be gone.

You really don’t have to travel far to take landscape photos and the photo I took below is proof of that. As I drove home from a rather unsuccessful woodland shoot back in May, I remember spotting these moody clouds in the sky as I was passing by this bright yellow rapeseed field not far from where I live. Anticipating something special, I stopped the car, grabbed my camera and headed straight to this spot which provides a good view of this lone tree in the middle of the field. As the cloud rolled in with a band of rain behind, and not being dressed for the occasion, I worked fast to get the image before racing back to the car just in time for the heavy downpour.

A popular subject and certainly one of my favourite places to visit with my camera, pictured below is Bodiam Castle in East Sussex. Not coming across any mist or fog on my drive down, I was surprised to see the entire place engulfed as I arrived on location and after waiting a short while for the fog to thin out a little, I managed to take this photo of the beautiful castle below.

I don’t usually like the photos I take when the camera is pointing directly towards the sun but with plenty of mist still hanging around, the brighter, harsh light from the sun was defused just enough for me to take this photo while still retaining plenty of detail in the castle.

The London Cityscape

For obvious reasons, I didn’t make as many trips into London as usual during 2021 and with so much uncertainty that still surrounds us, I’m not expecting that to change too much in 2022. We will have to wait and see. I did however manage to take a few trips into the city in between work from home orders and I’ve shared below three of my favourite London cityscape photos I took in 2021.

First up is this photo looking down Lombard Street in the city. London was still relatively quiet compared to normal and as I wandered down this empty street, I spotted this small puddle by the side of the road. I’ve taken a photo of this view many times before and although I really like the fantastic lead-in lines at the bottom, the traditional buildings that flank the street, and the more contemporary Fenchurch Building at the top of the frame, I always felt it was lacking a little something. Thankfully, this time around, the rain shower brought the finishing touch and I took full advantage by crouching down and using this fantastic reflection of the Fenchurch Building in this conveniently placed puddle as foreground interest.

Next up in this small collection of London photos is this one taken at sunset from St Katherine Docks in June. Normally a busy, somewhat cluttered view of Tower Bridge and The Shard, I decided to use my neutral density filter to cut the light down even further and create a long exposure photo. Removing the ripples and creating this smooth, almost glass-like effect on the water helped simplify the scene, allowing the iconic architecture and their reflections in the river to stand out.

Last up, is this impressive view looking east across London taken from The Shard’s viewing platform. I’d previously tried a few times to take this photograph but for one reason or another, I was never able to take a photo I was truly happy with. Until now that is.

Taken deep into the blue hour, just before nightfall, timing was once again so important when creating this image. I wanted to wait long enough for the city lights to be a feature in the image but not too late so that it was too dark to pick out any details in the landscape. With the camera precariously rested on my camera bag (no tripods allowed), I took the shot you see below. Thankfully, it all came together on this September evening in London.

That’s it! 10 of my favourite landscape photos taken in 2021. There’s plenty more to come in 2022 and I can’t wait to share it with you.

Until next time.
Trevor

What's in my Camera Bag for Landscape Photography (2021 Edition)

It’s that time of year again, where I post this updated "What’s in my camera bag” blog post and give you all a little breakdown about the kit I use for landscape photography and importantly why I use it. I’m not a gear head and won’t invest heavily unless I feel my photography will benefit and would much rather use and get to know my camera gear well, instead of swapping it out regularly. That way, while out in the field, I can focus on taking photos rather than working out how to change the settings on a new camera and missing the moment altogether.

I think it’s worth noting that I do believe that it is the photographer that has the vision, chooses the subject and creates the image. There are many photographers that successfully shoot with a single body and lens, a compact camera or even just their camera phone and still produce quite stunning work so, although it’s nice to get a new toy every now and then, I certainly don’t get fixated on the photography gear and always fixate on the craft of making photos.

That being said, if you are shooting with intent and have a particular style or subject you want to capture, then the right equipment can remove much of the friction and allow the photographer to focus on the creative side of the process, instead of working overly hard to get the shot, possibly taking much of the fun out of the process.

“The single most important component of a camera is the twelve inches behind it.” - Ansel Adams.

Cameras

I am a Fujifilm shooter and have been since 2016 which is when I first brought the X-T10 camera and after falling in love with the traditional feel, tactile controls and most importantly, the pictures it helped me take, I went all-in on mirrorless and sold my Nikon DSLR system.

Fujifilm XT2

Those that have followed me for some time know I am a Fujifilm shooter and this XT2 is still my primary camera. With the recent release of the XT4, there have been 2 updates to this model, but this camera still performs perfectly for me and I have no compelling reason to upgrade it just yet.

Fujifilm X-T30

Back in 2019, I upgraded my X-T10 to the X-T30 which to all intents and purposes is the same camera but with upgraded internals. I wrote a blog post about the switch which you can find here.

Camera Lenses

Zoom Lenses

• Fujifilm XF 10-24mm lens F4 OIS

• Fujifilm XF 18-55mm f2.8-4 R LM OIS

• Fujifilm XF 55-200mm lens f/3.5-4.8 lens OIS

These three zoom lenses are my go-to for landscape photography. Between them, they cover a focal length of 10-200mm which is all I need when out, photographing the landscape.

Prime Lenses

• Fujifilm XF 16mm F2.8 WR

• Fujifilm XF 23mm F2 WR (New for 2021)

• Fujifilm XF 35mm F2 WR

When travelling light or in need of a particular look, I will take these prime lenses with me. They are weather sealed so along with my XT2, I can head out in any conditions and still capture the shot I’m after.

Tripods

MeFoto Roadtrip

This MeFoto tripod has served me well over the years and has been the best compromise between weight and stability. It wasn’t expensive and up until only recently, since photographing woodland, I’ve been thinking about upgrading to a tripod with a little more reach.

3 Legged Thing Punks Corey (New for 2021)

Added to my gear in 2020, I purchased this tripod as I wanted a new lightweight but sturdy option when travelling around the city or further afield.

Filters

Kase Wolverine Magnetic Circular Filters 77mm Professional Kit (New for 2021)

I recently swapped to Kase filters as I love the simplicity of the magnetic system and as I heard so many good reviews, I took the plunge. So far so good. The filters are top quality and the magnetic system has made swapping the filters so much faster and less cumbersome.

My camera bags

Manfrotto Mover-30 Manhattan

I brought this bag in 2019 as I was after a bag that was large and comfortable enough to carry my cityscape gear but since last year, it has become my primary bag for all photo outings.

Manfrotto Pro Light

Relegated to my second landscape photography camera bag, the Pro Light is a little smaller and getting all my gear in is a little tighter so I’ve not used it so much over the last year.

Manfrotto Street

I use this bag when I need to travel light or I need to carry other bits as well as some camera equipment. This easily fits a camera and a couple of lenses leaving enough room in the top compartment for clothes and laptop etc.

So, how do I pack all of this landscape photography gear in my bag?

Although I have a healthy collection of camera gear, I certainly wouldn’t bring it all with me to each shoot. Below are 3 ways I might pack my bag, depending on where I’m heading to and the type of photographs I intend to take.

The collection above is my go-to landscape gear and everything I usually need when photographing landscape vistas or misty woodland scenes. I have my trusty XT2 camera, my tripod and zoom lenses that allow me to shoot between 10 and 200mm. The L-bracket is a must for any landscape photographer and helps me switch between portrait and landscape orientation without adjusting the tripod. Lastly, my Kase filters. I have a 3, 6 and 10 stop ND as well as a CPL stored in this handy carry case.

When I head out and want to travel a little lighter with my prime lenses, I might take this collection of camera gear. The lenses are small, light and super sharp and the 3 Legged Thing tripod is my go-to when heading into the city. If I know I won’t need a tripod, I might just slip the Manfrotto Pixi tabletop tripod into my bag and leave the 3 Legged Thing at home to shave off even more weight.

Travelling even lighter on days out with the family or just a casual photo walk, I tend to take my smaller X-T30, one or more prime lenses and the Peak Design Slide Lite camera strap. For a bit of stabilisation, I might pack the Manfrotto Pixi which can support quite a weight for its compact size.

So, there you have it, all of the gear I take with me in my camera bag to take landscape photos.

My plans for this year are fluid but as I mentioned previously, I may invest in a new tripod to give me a bit more reach while out in the woodland and depending on what Fujifilm release, I will keep my eye out for anything they announce, but however hard it might be, I’ll try to resist the temptation of new and shiny toys and only invest in new equipment if I know it will help my photography.

By all means, leave a comment if you want to ask me anything about my gear as I will always give an honest account of my own experience using it.

Until next time.

Trevor

Photographing a Frozen Landscape

Winter can be one of the best times for landscape photography. Those blankets of snow across the landscape, cold, misty brooks, and frost-covered wildlife, if the weather plays its part, it can be a landscape photographer’s dream. Over the past few weeks, here in the UK, we’ve had some bouts of frosty weather and I’ve spent some time exploring the area close to home to photograph some of these wintry scenes.

Photographing in these conditions is not for the faint-hearted, especially when the temperatures fall well below zero and to get the best light, it can mean dragging yourself out of bed and heading out in the cold, dark hours but with the right “give it a go” attitude, the results can be well worth it.

In this post, I will want to share some of the photos I’ve taken over the last few weeks as well as some useful tips to help you get the most of your own winter landscape photography.

The picture above is a multi-photo stitched panoramic image I took while up on the hills in East Sussex looking across the landscape just as the freezing mist was moving in and if you look closely you can see the frost starting to form on the elevated trees on the hill. Getting up high to capture some of the low-lying freezing mist rolling through can result in some great wide vista winter landscapes.

A Frozen Woodland

If you’re really lucky, you might come across a hoar frost which is where the moisture in the air freezes as it hits the cold surfaces and builds up layers of hair like frost and I was fortunate enough to be out during one of these frosts where I took the two photos below. The white tips of the branches make them stand out and the misty conditions help to add some nice depth and frosty atmosphere in these winter landscape scenes.

When wandering around in sub-zero temperatures, it pays to have plenty of spare batteries with you as the cold weather dramatically shortens the battery life, especially when using mirrorless systems (which I do!). Even better, if you are out for an extended amount of time, try to keep your spares on your person, warmed by your body heat to help them last as long as possible.

After a heavy snowfall, I ventured into the local woods to seek out some wintry scenes. When you are presented with a thick snow cover, it can all look a bit “samey” with very little interest, so the key here is to seek out contrast and try to use it in your composition. In these photos, I used the dark path and trees to add the needed contrast and add some visual weight into the compositions.

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When photographing winter landscapes, using auto white balance can mean the camera tries to compensate for the cool tones and warm the photo up too much. When shooting in RAW, this can be corrected in post but so I can see the image correctly on the back of the camera, I will usually go into my camera settings and manually switch to a cooler white balance so I can see how it will look while in the field.

To take the wide photo of the Scots Pines above, I spent a few minutes rooted to the same spot. It’s a panoramic image made of 6 or 7 photos stitched together so it took some time to set the tripod up, level it and punch in the manual settings to keep all of the images consistent as I swept the camera from left to right. While standing there in the freezing cold, I was thankful for having wrapped up warm before heading out. It seems obvious to say but if the cold starts to take hold, it can ruin your photography trip. Patience will wear thin and changing settings on your camera can be a real challenge when you can’t feel your fingers.

Once finished in the field, and after arriving home from being out in such cold weather, I will leave my camera in the bag to let it warm up gradually to avoid any build-up of condensation on the cold surfaces of the camera, potentially damaging the internal electronics.

A Frozen Intimacy

As I talked about in this post here, the photos below were a bit of a happy accident. After heading out to photograph some frozen landscapes, I realised too late that I didn’t have my tripod with me, so, instead of giving up, I decided to change things up and take some handheld intimate landscape shots of the frosty plant life around me.

The key to getting these photos was using a longer lens and opening the aperture as wide as possible. Opening the aperture gave me a nice amount of bokeh which helped to simplify the background and ensure the subject stood out. It also allowed more light into the camera meaning the shutter speeds remained fast enough to take these photos handheld.

When taking photos in the frost or snow, the camera’s light meter may want to balance the exposure and under-expose the brightest parts but snow is bright white so I will normally bump my exposure to compensate and using my histogram, “expose to the right”. This will ensure the image is nice and bright but be careful not to push it too far as overdoing it can lead to blowing out your highlights.

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9 Tips for Photographing Winter Landscapes

Throughout this post, I’ve shared some tips for photographing winter landscapes and here’s a bit of a recap:

1. Make the effort and get up early to catch some of the best conditions.

2. Wrap up warm as standing there shivering or not being able to adjust the camera settings with frozen fingers will not make photographing wintry landscapes fun at all.

3. Take plenty of batteries with you. Even better, keep them warm so they last longer.

4. Look for contrast in the snow and use it to help your composition.

5. Get up high to photograph the low-lying mist.

6. User a cooler white balance to keep the snow a cool white.

7. Expose to the right to keep the photo nice and bright but don’t blow out those highlights.

8. Seek out the detail and capture the frozen intimate landscape

9. When you get home, leave the camera in the bag so it acclimatises slowly to avoid condensation forming on your equipment.

It’s worth noting that all of the photos here were taken while the UK was in a strict lockdown and although I’m incredibly thankful for having these woodland locations on my doorstep, I feel I have missed out somewhat in being able to travel further afield to capture some of the wide, impressive vistas we have on offer in the south of England, but this is a situation outside of all of our control and essentially “it is what it is”, and no photo is more important than the collective efforts needed to get us all free of these restrictions for good, so I did my part and stayed local and made the most of it and still came away with a healthy crop of winter landscape photos.

Maybe next year, I will create another one of these posts and be able to share a broader range of photos with you.

Until next time.

Trevor

2020 | A Photographic Year in Review

Wow, what a year it’s been! It’s been a tough one for so many people but you won’t find me complaining here as I feel I have got through it all so far relatively unscathed. Yes, I had to stay indoors, cancel some of my travel plans and home-school my children but I count myself lucky compared to many that have suffered devastating loss or our heroes on the front-line fighting back against this invisible disease on behalf of us all. As I said, I can’t complain.

Overall, it’s not been a bad year for me. My family and I still managed to get a holiday to sunny Greece during the summer, I’ve been able to continue working from home while using the time I would have spent commuting to continue focusing on my fitness and just the other day, ran my 1000th mile since the start of 2020.

So, what about photography? I started 2020 as I finished 2019 with some trips into London in January and February before it all changed. My camera went into hibernation during March, April and most of May and only really came out again from June but my photoshoots in London which I love so much have been few and far between ever since. Last year, I managed over 40 trips into London with my camera whereas this year I only just made it to 20 but thankfully I still came away with some photos I really like, three of which I’ve shared in my favourite 9 landscape shots of 2020 below.

Photographing the woodland

I would say the single biggest change I’ve experienced this year was my venture into woodland photography. It’s a photographic genre I’ve flirted with before but never really given it a good go. My photography style has always been about a significant subject in the landscape, be it a skyscraper in London or the piers along England’s south coast, but with the need to keep away from the crowds and remain socially distant, woodland photography was an obvious direction to take, but I have to say, trying to create interesting compositions in an otherwise random and chaotic environment was very new to me and a challenge to say the least.

That being said, I have stuck with it and after a few months of exploring my local forest and regularly coming away without a photo, I do feel I’m getting into a groove and finding my style so I’m very much looking forward to seeing what I can capture during the upcoming winter months.

I have absolutely loved reconnecting with nature and have really enjoyed the peace and tranquillity which has, without doubt helped me personally during the more anxious times this year. So, when life gets back to normal, I’ll certainly be continuing this woodland photography adventure.

Print and backup your photos!

During 2020, I released a couple of longer form articles and shared some useful information about two photography related subjects that I feel are incredibly important. I’ve been printing my photos for a few years now and whether you use a print lab or your print at home, I think there is so much to gain by creating printed versions of your photography.

Next up and although not quite as sexy as printing photos this one is equally as important. To some people, protecting their photos is a bit of a minefield, full of pitfalls, uncertainty and jargon, so I decided to share my own photo backup workflow in order to help others who might be struggling with their own.

9 of my favourite landscape photographs I took in 2020

Given the year we’ve all had, I was still pretty pleased with the crop of photos I took in 2020. I have around 20-25 keepers taken in London and across the South East and as I have done over the last few years, I have shared my 9 of my favourite landscape photos taken over the last 12 months.

For those I’ve already shared on my Weekly Photo page, I have included a link to take you straight to the post where you can read a little more about the picture.

Landscape photography in London

Fujifilm X-T30 | XF35mm F2 | 35mm | 1/20th Second | f/10 | ISO160

Titled “London’s Burning”, this photo was taken early in 2020 during one of the most epic sunrises I have ever seen and a worthy inclusion in my top 9 photos. Find out more about this photo here: London's Burning | Weekly Photo #64.

Fujifilm X-T30 | XF10-24mm | 10mm | 1/9th Second | f/11 | ISO160

Taken around More London, I had to get down low to get the strong lines that lead the eye over towards the recognisable shape of Tower Bridge and with the sunrise providing all of that amazing colour, I knew I had a keeper when I took this photo.

Fujifilm XT2 | XF10-24mm | 10mm | 1/6th Second | f/6.4 | ISO200

As soon as the restrictions were lifted after the summer, I booked myself in for a couple of trips to the Sky Garden to capture London from the rooftops. I took this wide-angle shot of The Shard across the river and just love the way that iconic shape stands alone in the centre of the frame, towering over the surrounding buildings under those moody clouds which shortly after brought some heavy rain which you can see over on the right-hand side of the frame.

South of England landscape photos

Fujifilm XT2 | XF10-24mm | 11mm | 1/20th Second | f/10 | ISO200

After deciding to photograph more around the south of England and less in London during the pandemic, taking a trip to the beautiful Bodium Castle was high on my list of places to photograph and I could not have asked for a better first visit back in May. The light was amazing and there was a light mist over the moat adding a special amount of atmosphere into the photo. Read all about it here: Misty Moat | Weekly Photo #63.

Fujifilm XT2 | XF10-24mm | 18mm | 1/50th Second | f/10 | ISO200

I was after a photo of wild heather for some time and after scouting a few locations, I came across this beautiful scene in East Sussex during a misty late summer morning. Read all about this photo here: Late Summer | Weekly Photo #72.

Fujifilm XT2 | XF18-55mm | 18mm | 1/1250th Second | f/7.1 | ISO200

One I haven’t shared yet but boy what a morning I had over at Halnaker in West Sussex back in the Autumn. I love the way the scene was lit by the sun behind me, those dark stormy clouds adding some epic drama and to top it off, a fantastic double rainbow! I’ll talk more about this morning in an upcoming Weekly Photo post so stay tuned for that.

Woodland Photography

Fujifilm XT2 | XF55-200mm | 55mm | 1/3rd Second | f/9 | ISO200

While on a sunrise shoot during a foggy morning in my local forest, I took this woodland photo of these Scots Pines amongst the ferns. Read all about this particular shoot here: Misty Dawn | Weekly Photo #78

Fujifilm XT2 | XF55-200mm | 86mm | 2 Seconds | f/10 | ISO200

Titled “Zigzag”, I took this photo in a local Forest and was drawn to the strong lines created by this interesting tree to the right. I wrote more about this photo here: Zigzag | Weekly Photo #80

Fujifilm XT2 | XF55-200mm | 55mm | 0.5 Seconds | f/11 | ISO200

I had some great fun photographing my local woodland during a foggy morning in November and really liked the arrangement of the trees on the left and right of the frame. These trees almost look as if they are bystanders watching the performer in its “ta-da” pose in the middle. I love the muted tones, carpet of dull orange ferns and that mist is the icing on the cake. I’ll talk more about this photo in an upcoming Weekly Photo post in 2021.

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At this point, I normally talk about what I have planned for next year but to be honest, I just don’t know. Yes, I’ll continue to photograph London and the South East of England, I’ll continue to write my Weekly Photo posts and I’ll certainly be back photographing the woodland but other than that, with all that’s going on, we will just have to see what the year brings.

Thanks to all of you that have visited my website, supported me on social media and written to me with words of support and encouragement, it all means a lot and it really does motivate me to keep writing these articles.

I wish you all a 2021 that’s full of renewed hope, freedom and above all else, good health.

Until next year,

Trevor

A Christmas Gift Guide for Landscape Photographers

Christmas is just around the corner and if you have a landscape photographer in your life, then this list will help you find the perfect gift. No matter what the subject, there’s no shortage of Christmas gift guides out there and although there are plenty of gift guides for photographers, I have decided to share a list that has some gifts aimed squarely at the landscape photographer. No matter what your budget, this list will you help you from inexpensive stocking fillers to something a lot more substantial. This Christmas gift guide for landscape photographers will provide you some much needed inspiration.

If you have a strict budget in mind, I’ve made it easier by separating this list into 3 price brackets, under£20, under £100 and £100+, so without further ado, lets jump into my Christmas gift guide for landscape photographers.

Stocking filler Gifts under £20 for Landscape Photographers

Easy Off Unisex Skiing and Photography Gloves

Landscape photographers are a funny bunch. We like to be out in the great outdoors when it’s cold, misty and frosty and avoid warm sunny days so what better gift for a landscape photography at Christmas than a pair of Easy Off Gloves. These gloves are a perfect, inexpensive gift for landscape photographers as the index and thumb pull back allowing them to operate the camera without needing to remove the gloves, ensuring their fingers stay nice and toasty.

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Water Resistant JJC SD Card Holder

The photos we take are the single most important thing to us while on a shoot so it’s important we keep them safe so this rugged, waterproof memory card case is a perfect addition to any landscape photographer’s bag. Just check beforehand what cards the photographer you are buying for uses, just to make sure you get the right one!

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Thermos Stainless King Flask, Matt Black, 470 ml

I have one of these and it comes with me for all of my woodland photography adventures. It keeps my coffee hot for hours and doesn’t leak at all. A perfect gift for any landscape photographer to keep them warm on those cold, winter mornings.

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APUNOL 2Packs Head Torch, Rechargeable Waterproof Headlamp LED Headlight

Getting up for those sunrise shoots can mean some dark, treacherous walks across uneven ground to get on location so having a good head torch is a must to enable any landscape photographer to see and equally important to be seen in the dark. These head torches need not be expensive but being rechargeable, lasting many hours and having adjustable strength means this pack of two torches is a fantastic stocking filler gift for any landscape photographer.

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Giottos AA1900 Rocket Air Blower

This Giottos Rocket Air Blower is a must have accessory for any landscape photographer’s bag. It’s always better to remove dust and grit from your lens with a puff of air rather than a cloth to avoid scratching the glass and the one-way filter in the Giottos AA1900 Rocket Air Blaster ensures that dust and debris isn’t blown over your gear.

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Manfrotto PIXI Mini Tripod

If you check out my “Whats in my camera bag post” you will see I have one of these and carry it around in my lightweight kit. The Manfrotto PIXI is small but strong enough to support my Fujifilm XT2 and standard lens and perfect for any landscape photographer to support their camera in situations a full-size tripod can’t be used. From personal experience, I find it particularly useful in London as there are many places full size tripods cannot be used.

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Premium Microfibre Cleaning Cloths

Photographers can always use more microfibre cleaning cloths to clean or dry our gear and this set is a perfect stocking filler gift for your landscape photographer friend.

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Gifts under £100 for Landscape Photographers

Masters of Landscape Photography Book

If it’s inspiration you’re after then look no further as this book is crammed full of it and will make a great gift for any landscape photographer. It is a collection of the world’s best landscape photographers showcasing their work and sharing their “behind the photo” stories and technical information. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and found it incredibly inspiring.

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Hoya 72 mm Pro ND 1000 Filter

This was the first 10-stop neutral density filter I brought and it got me hooked on long exposure photography. If your landscape photographer friend is looking to dip their toe into the creative world of long exposure photography then this is a great option. It’s a high-quality filter without any observable colour cast and at a fraction of the cost of the professional filter kits on the market. Before you buy, check the maximum thread size needed, that way it can be used for all of the lenses with a few cheap step-up rings.

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Instax Link Smartphone Printer

Ok, not strictly for landscape photographers but I just love printing on these Fujifilm Instax printers and have them on display all over the place. These fun, portable little printers allow you to print photos from your phone or tablet using their smartphone app while travelling, out in the field or even create an instant memento of you and your family or friends rather than have the photo stuck on the phone like everyone else.

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SanDisk Extreme PRO 128 GB SDXC Memory Card

Although not particularly sexy, all photographers need memory cards so these make perfect gifts for landscape photographers. Just make sure you check which cards your photographer friend uses so you buy the right ones. I’ve been using SanDisk cards for as long as I can remember and they have never let me down. SanDisk are industry standard so you can’t go wrong if you buy these.

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Peak Design Capture Clip v3

The Peak Design Capture Clip v3 is such a clever little device as it essentially acts as a third hand while out in the field taking photos. By allowing you to swiftly clip your camera to your bag’s strap or your belt, it frees up your hands while keeping the camera close by and ready to grab if a photo opportunity arises using the one-handed quick release. Unlike camera straps, it keeps your camera rigidly stable so it’s not flopping around. It holds over 200lbs. which means it can hold even the heaviest of camera + lens combinations, for any kind of photography.

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A Photobook Gift Certificate

If you read my blog, you will know I am a massive fan of printing photos. It brings them to life from a digital image on a screen to a tangible photograph you can touch and admire so if the landscape photographer in your life has a collection of images that need to be freed from the harddrive they reside on, then why not buy them a photobook gift voucher. Photobooks are a fantastic way to print a collection of photos and when I want to print my photos in the highest possible quality, I use Whitewall. They are not the cheapest out there but I feel they provide the best bang for the buck when it comes to balancing quality with cost. I’m not affiliated with Whitewall in any way, I just love the books I have made using their service.

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3 Legged Thing QR11- LG universal L bracket

The L-Bracket is such a useful gadget for us landscape photographers as it makes it easy to quickly switch between a horizontal or vertical orientation without adjusting the tripod at all. This for many is a bit of a game changer and I for one won’t go on a shoot without it. It may seem a little pricey for what is essentially an L-shaped piece of metal but think of it more in terms of how useful it is, not what it looks like. If the landscape photographer in your life doesn’t have one, this will make an excellent Christmas gift.

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Joby GorillaPod 3K

Sometimes a standard tripod just won’t do. It may be too big, too heavy or just not bendy enough. The Joby GorillaPod 3K is a great tool in a landscape photographer’s arsenal as it allows the camera to be supported on uneven ground or wrap around various objects. It also comes with magnetic feet, an advanced feature which allows you to stick the tripod to metal surfaces. All of this means getting that shot from a different angle or perspective and coming away with some unique photos. The Joby GorillaPod 3K can support the heaviest of mirrorless camera and most DSLR style cameras so you can’t go wrong gifting this to you landscape photographer friend.

£100+ Gifts for Landscape Photographers

Kase Wolverine Magnetic Circular Filters

First up as we move into the £100+ price bracket is the Kase Wolverine Magnetic Circular Filters. These innovative filters are made of both toughened glass and leave no noticeable colour cast but their real party trick is that they are magnetic rather than screw-in so they can be fitted and removed in a pinch and even better, stacked on top of each other. This set of filters includes a circular polariser to cut the glare and give photos a punch of contrast and various strength neutral density filters which can be used for streaky clouds of silky-smooth water. This set may seem pricey but when it comes to filters, quality is everything. As with the 10-stop filter mentioned previously, it’s important to buy the right size so make sure you get the set that is the same or larger than the maximum lens thread size, that way it can be used for all of the lenses with a few cheap step-up rings.

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SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD 1 TB

Upgrading from a standard hard drive to an SSD like this will supercharge any photographers portable photo editing experience. Buying this drive for the landscape photographer in your life will save them so much time as they are lightning quick and all in a package not much bigger than a credit card.

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Canon PIXMA Pro 10S Printer

I mentioned before about how important I think it is for photographers to print their photos so although it’s on the more extravagant end of the budget spectrum, what better gift is there than a high quality A3 professional grade photo printer so their photos can be unleashed from that hard drive and experienced in all of their tactile glory. I have one of these Canon PIXMA Pro 10S printers and it really is an excellent printer so I can personally recommend it!

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Book a Photography Workshop

OK, no link for this one and without doubt this one will take a little research but for any budding landscape photographer, gifting them a spot on a workshop lead by one of their favourite photographers really is a top gift! So, what to do? First off, you need to find out who they follow on the usual social channels like Instagram or Facebook, who they admire and who’s work they have already brought. Then once you know, why not pop by that photographer’s website and see if they offer tuition or workshop sessions. If they don’t have anything bookable on their website, don’t stop there, make contact with them and see what they offer. If you pull this off, it could be quite a special gift.

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Adobe Creative Cloud Photography Plan

Last but not least is an Adobe Creative Cloud photography plan. If your landscape photography friend uses or wants to start using Adobe’s flagship photography editing suit, then this is the perfect gift for them. Whether they have an existing account or not, this 12 month subscription plan means a further 12-months of photo post processing joy!

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I know we landscape photographers can be a difficult bunch to buy for so I do hope this Christmas Gift Guide helps inspire you to find the perfect present for the landscape photographer in your life.

My Top 10 Landscape Photography YouTube Channels

Over the last few years, I’ve drawn so much knowledge from some of the world’s most well-regarded landscape photographers by watching them go about their craft on YouTube. YouTube has become one of the world’s top resources for information about pretty much anything you want to learn. Type in “How do I do this?” or “How do I fix that?” and you can be pretty confident someone has already been there, made the video and posted it on YouTube.

I’ve cultivated a healthy list of great landscape photographers, some will post the occasional video that piques my interest enough to watch it, but there are just a few YouTubers that I subscribe too that I look forward to and for one reason or another, will always try to watch the content they release. I decided to share with you my Top 10 Landscape Photography YouTube Channels.

Before we dive in, do remember to balance watching videos about landscape photography with actually going out and practising it yourself. Try to use the videos you watch to inspire and motivate you and not replace your creative outlet entirely.

In no particular order, here are my Top 10 Landscape Photography YouTube Channels.

#1 Fototripper

Fototripper is a channel run by Gavin Hardcastle, a landscape photographer from the UK, now living in Canada. Gavin is a great landscape photographer, an excellent teacher, and a really funny guy. If you want a great mix of landscape photography and comedy, this is the channel for you.

#2 Henry Turner

Henry is a bit of a rising star in the YouTube/Landscape photography field. Henry is a natural in front of the camera and has an incredibly open and honest approach to the way he goes about making videos and taking photos. Although he doesn’t have the subscriber numbers of some of the big hitters in this list, I’m confident it’s only a matter of time until he does.

#3 Joe Allam

I’ve been watching Joe’s YouTube channel for a few years now and although not strictly a landscape photographer, his usual travel photography includes plenty of natural and urban landscapes. Not only is Joe a fellow Fujifilm shooter, but his videos are always nicely polished and have a nice mix of both travel photography and graphic design content.

#4 Kim Grant

I’m so pleased I was able to include a female landscape photographer in the list as there seems to be a shortage of them out there but make no mistake, Kim makes my list because she is an incredibly talented photographer, an accomplished YouTuber who makes some truly engaging videos covering her photography journey around her native Scotland.

#5 Nigel Danson

Nigel is one of the best landscape photography teachers on YouTube. His videos provide a great mix of on-location photography and studio-based talks and tuition. He is particularly good at examining and critiquing his own work so others can learn the same lessons he does.

#6 Simon Baxter

Simon Baxter has been an inspiration to me since I started to take woodland photography more seriously. I have watched his channel for some time now and he really is the master of seeking out compositions amongst the forests and landscapes and importantly, talking you through the scene, communicating his thought process.

#7 Thomas Heaton

Thomas should not need any introduction. He’s a bit of a superstar amongst the YouTube landscape photography community and for good reason. He has a huge following, an honest and unpretentious manner, and makes fantastic videos from all over the world. Thomas seems to be able to find a photo out of nothing and even when he can’t he is content to come home empty-handed due to his “good shot or not shot” approach.

#8 Andy Mumford

Apart from being a fellow Fujifilm shooter (I know, it’s not all about the gear.. blah blah), Andy is an incredibly talented travel and landscape photographer. Andy frequently visits the Dolomites and his photos and videos created there are both engaging and always polished. Andy doesn’t make videos as regularly as others but when he does, they go straight onto my watch list.

#9 Ben Horne

If you are after a pure photography experience, look no further than Ben Horne. He shoots wilderness photography on large format film at places like Zion and Death Valley National Park. Ben will regularly head out on a trip and document his journey as he seeks new and different compositions and to match his apparent minimalist photography. After the trip, he continues to present some image review photos in his usual chilled out way.

#10 Chris Sale

Last but not least we have Chris Sale. Chris is another up and coming landscape photography YouTuber who predominantly shoots in and around the Lake District. His videos are his own documented journey from amateur to pro landscape photographer and he is very honest about his ups and downs while he navigates his way towards making his business a success.

So that was my list. I’m currently subscribed to 111 photography related YouTube channels and I must admit, I skip many more videos than I watch but having a good selection of channels allows me to watch just the very best shows that peak my interest so you can’t have too many in my opinion. With that in mind, feel free to share your favourite channels in the comments.

My Photo Backup Workflow

Whether you take your photos professionally or for fun, how many of you out there can truly say you’re are happy with your photo backup strategy? If a drive was to fail, will you lose any photos? If you have a house fire or was to be burgled, do you have a copy elsewhere? As a photographer, I want to spend as much time as I can actually taking photos but the more photos I take, the more data I generate and subsequently need to store and protect and I for one would hate to lose any of them because I didn’t have a robust backup workflow.

For those of you that don’t know, I am an IT Professional and with the help of my team, we manage large enterprise-grade storage systems with petabytes of creative data and I have to ensure this data is backed up. I am employed to ensure all of this data is fully secured, redundant and protected from all types of threats and I take this incredibly seriously as I know without data, no company can function. Just as my company’s data is important to them, my photos are important to me so I employ a similar approach to ensure my pictures are protected throughout my own workflow allowing me to sleep easy at night knowing my most treasured data is safe and secure.

I get it. Getting your backup processes in place is a bit boring and not very creative but the more seriously you take your photography, the more you need to have a robust workflow in place. So, in this post, I want to run through my own strategy, explain a bit of the geeky jargon and suggest a few different backup options you could adopt, depending on time and budget.

If you’re already familiar with backup technologies and jargon and want to skip directly to my backup workflow, click here. Otherwise, feel free to read on.

The 321 backup strategy

You can’t research photo backup strategies online without coming across references to the 321 Backup Strategy. Put simply, the 321 backup strategy provides an easy to remember approach to how many copies of your data you should have and where those copies should be stored in order to protect against the most likely threats to your photos such as drive failure and house fire, etc.

Before we get stuck in, it’s worth noting that there is no such thing as a perfect backup system. It is impossible to predict and protect against all possible eventualities but this is a great starting point for anyone be it individuals or small businesses to get a solid workflow in place in order to protect their photos.

3 (copies of your data)

Including your working copy of data, it is recommended having at least 3 separate copies of your photos. Why 3 copies? 3 copies are the minimum number needed to be able to fully adhere to this 321 strategy. You will see why as get to the following points but it’s important to note that having 3 copies is just the minimum, which means you really don’t have to stop there. If you can manage more, and it gives you extra peace of mind then go ahead and create more but just be careful around creating an overly complex system as you’ll read a little later, keeping things simple is the name of the game here.

2 (different media or hard drives)

This point is important to avoid what we in the business call a “single point of failure” which means the last thing you want to do is store all copies of your photos on the same drive, only for that drive to fail and take all your photos with it. So, what you should do is ensure that all three of your copies of data are stored on separate devices so that if one fails, the remaining copies are completely unaffected.

1 (copy of your photos in another location)

So far, you’ve created 3 copies of your data and stored them across separate, individual hard drives but all of that means nothing if they are all sitting on the same shelf when a nasty burglar breaks into your home and takes all of your valuable electronics, including all copies of your photos. It’s for this reason, it is recommended to have at least one copy of your data in another location. This might seem a little difficult to achieve but I run through a few simple options further down in this article.

Let’s break down the jargon

As much as I want to keep this post as simple and jargon-free as possible, there’s no way to fully avoid including some of the technical components involved in creating a good photo backup workflow so to help those less familiar, I have tried to explain some of these in the simplest way I know.

What’s an internal hard drive? (Internal HDD)

When referring to internal storage, this means the hard drive which is installed inside your laptop or desktop computer. When you buy a new computer, you normally choose the size such in either gigabytes or more likely these days it will be Terabytes and when you save files onto your computer’s desktop or “My Documents” folder, that is normally stored on your built-in/internal storage.

What’s an external hard drive? (External HDD)

To expand your computer’s storage capacity, you can buy external drives which plug into your computer’s USB, USB-C or Thunderbolt port. These days, external drives come in in terabytes rather than gigabytes.

HDD (hard drive) vs SSD (solid-state drive)

Although I don’t really talk too much about SSDs in this article, it is worth knowing the difference when deciding which to buy. Here’s a simple comparison.

• HDD: Hard drives are an older technology and with a spinning drive inside, are more prone to physical failure but being an older and more developed technology, they currently have more capacity and cheaper to buy. With the advantage of being able to store more data, HDDs are still the go-to technology for backing up your data.

• SSD: Solid-state drives are the modern equivalent to the HDD. The main advantages are that they read and write much faster and with no moving internal parts, are less prone to failure. The downside is that for now at least, SSDs are considerably more expensive than HDDs. With less capacity, SSDs are not widely used for high capacity backup locations but rather with their superior read/write speed, they are more commonly used as a computer’s main drive where speed is much more important than capacity.

What’s a NAS? (Network Attached Storage)

NAS stands for Network Attached Storage and that’s essentially what it is. Instead of having your files and folders on a locally attached drive that only one computer can access at a time, a NAS can store your files somewhere on your home or office network and providing they have access, anyone on your network can edit and store files on it.

What’s RAID? (Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disks or Drives)

This is where things get a little technical but stay with me here. Most people do not need to know how a RAID works but when you buy a NAS which can hold multiple drives, you have the option to configure the drives in a way which means your data will be protected even if you suffer a failed drive. The two most common options to use are either a RAID5 or RAID6.

• RAID5 - This option protects you against a single drive failing but of the two means you have more usable space on the RAID to store your files.

• RAID6 - With this option, you can lose up to 2 drives and your data will still be safe so it is more resilient but the trade-off is that it will eat into your useable space on the RAID meaning not as much space to store your photos and other data.

So, depending on how much space you need and the size of the drives you can afford, you need to choose the best option that fits your needs from a capacity and protection point of view.

What’s Cloud Storage?

Simply put, cloud storage is a place on the internet where you can store your photos and other data away from your home and as long as you have a good internet connection you can essentially access your files from anywhere. You can get a small amount of space for free with services like Gmail or Outlook but if you take lots of photos and want to store them in the cloud, then you may need to pay for the amount of space you need. Although paid cloud storage services tend to require a monthly subscription, these days it can be pretty inexpensive.

In addition to services that just offer space to store your files, there are also dedicated cloud backup services such as Backblaze and Carbonite etc. These will install software on your computer and automatically upload your files to the cloud for you. Each offers different options so these should be studied carefully to make sure they fit your individual needs.

How I Backup My Photos

Hopefully, you are still with me and I didn’t bore you too much so far but what I want to do now is run though how I backup my photos. I won’t go into too much detail and to avoid too many words, I have created a simple diagram for you but if you need me to expand on anything I talk about here, just pop a question below in the comments.

Although this approach follows the 321 backup workflow, for my own peace of mind, it goes a little further by having 4 copies on 4 devices but as I mentioned previously, the 321 backup system is a great starting point but once in place, there is nothing to stop you going further to make it even more robust. To help read the diagram above, I have summarised each copy in the process below.

Copy 1:

Once I get home after a shoot, the first thing I do is copy my photos to my working drive. This is an external 4 Terabyte Lacie Rugged hard drive (the orange and silver device you can see in the photo above) which I use to store and edit my photos.

Copy 2:

As soon as I have the photos stored on my working drive and in Lightroom, I immediately make a clone of my working drive to an exact replica 4TB Lacie Rugged drive. I clone the drive daily from that point to ensure any new edits and new photos I export are quickly protected just in case my working drive fails.

There are so many tools out there for Mac or Windows to help copy your data and as I edit on MacOS, my tool of choice is Carbon Copy Cloner. It’s inexpensive and easy to configure and importantly, it just works.

Copy 3:

Next up, using Carbon Copy Cloner, I make a daily copy over my network to my NAS storage. I use a 6 bay QNAP device with 6x 6TB (terabyte) drives installed. I have configured this as a RAID5 which means I lose the space of one of the 6TB drives resulting in 24TB of usable space on my NAS.

So, at this stage of my workflow, I now have 3 copies of my photos and only now will I go ahead and format my memory cards that held the original photos.

Copy 4:

Copy 4 is my offsite backup. I don’t pay for a dedicated backup software but instead, utilise the 1TB of space in OneDrive I get with my Microsoft account and unlimited photo storage Amazon offers their Prime members.

Top Tip: Many people subscribe to Amazon Prime and know that they offer unlimited photo storage with the subscription but what you may not know is that they count RAW files as photos too, so I automatically sync terabytes of RAW photo files with no additional costs to my standard Prime subscription.

If you own a NAS drive, take a look at the features it has as many will allow you to set up and schedule copy tasks that will sync your photos to your cloud storage automatically for you. I have a daily task that synchronises a selection of my folders from my NAS up into OneDrive and Amazon Photos. That way, I never have to worry about forgetting to do it. The more automation you can introduce, the more reliable your backups will be.

Alternative 321 Backup Options

That was a quick run-through of my workflow and I accept with the 2x 4TB drives and the 24TB NAS, it’s not a cheap one so I have also come up with a couple of workflows below that don’t require the purchase of the NAS system but will still be robust enough to protect those precious photos following the 321 backup approach.

Alternative option 1 - Backup drive rotation

A fairly simple backup strategy is to make a copy of your photos onto a separate external drive and storing it at a family or friend’s home and every now and then, bringing it back to update with your new photos. This process only needs 2 or 3 backup drives which are relatively inexpensive these days (depending on how large your collection is) but is very manual so you would need to adopt a disciplined approach to ensure new photos are protected.

Alternative Option 2 - Cloud Backup

You can still achieve the 321 backup workflow by having a local copy on a separate external drive and a remote copy synchronised to cloud storage or an inexpensive cloud backup service such as Backblaze. This option is dependent on your internet speed and cloud storage space, especially if you want to send large amounts of data over but is a great option with a small amount of upfront cost.

The reason I suggest Backblaze is that they have an inexpensive unlimited plan which also allows you to back up a connected external drive. Many providers don’t offer this so it’s worth looking about for the best option for your needs.

Backup Workflow Top Tips

To finish up, I wanted to leave you with a few tips that may help you create and maintain a successful backup workflow.

#1 Keep your files organised

The reason this is important is that if your files are all over the place, some of them might not be included in the backup so try to keep your entire photography workflow in just one location so you know all of your precious files are safely protected.

#2 Keep it simple

Keeping your workflow simple and introducing as much automation as possible will help you stay on top of the process. If backups are time-consuming or you need to retrain yourself every time you attempt it, the reality is, it just won’t get done. Trust me, I’ve been there.

#3 Don’t just think about your photos

I have many other files that I need such as templates, fonts, spreadsheets etc, all relating to my craft. Consider all the files you will miss if lost when choosing what data needs to be protected. Everyone’s needs are different so protect the files that are important to you.

#4 Buy enough memory cards

As I mentioned previously, I don’t wipe a memory card until the photos are protected so I need to make sure I have plenty of cards so this can happen. Cards are cheap so make sure you have enough so you’re not forced to format them until you are happy your photos are protected.

#5 Test Test Test!

How do you know your backups will save you if you don’t test them every now and then? Make sure you check the backups are working and on occasion restore some files so you can be confident it will all come together when you really need it.

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There are many different ways to back up your photos, from the basic process of swapping drives to the more involved, technical workflows, full of automation and scripts, but the most important message I can convey is to find the right approach that suits your workflow and skillset so you can be confident that your system works and your most important photos and data are protected.

I hope you found this article useful and I was able to introduce you to a few different backup concepts or maybe it helped you re-affirm your confidence in your existing approach but please do leave a comment below if you have any other tips and tricks to help others with their own backup workflow.