Editor-in-Chief: Chi Lau
Deputy Editor: Abigail Ferguson
Copy Editor: Kathryn Black
Magazine Designer: Annabelle Latter
Illustrations: Tom Rickard
Front Cover: Carl Evans
Inside Cover: Stefano Pellegrini
Words and photos by Daniel Lapeña Gomez
Nature Nerd Q dlgphotographyuk K dlgphotography.co.uk
My parents were young when they had me, so our connection has always been close and open. I guess it allowed me to be sincere and honest, and – for whatever reason – to be able to look into people’s eyes and see their most genuine reactions. There is something so powerful about people’s looks. Pure, honest, and direct. However, unless you are a professional model, this “genuine” look tends to go away when someone is holding a camera in front of you, anywhere, let alone in a studio! But, to me, this is the beauty of portrait photography. However, let me go back a few steps. I have always been curious about photography. The first camera I found was my dad’s Nikon EM 35mm film camera, which was hidden in his drawer. I don’t think he was very happy with me fiddling with it. To this day, I still remember the leather touch of the camera body and how much I loved playing around with it. However, film was a lot of commitment and I gave it up quickly.
A few years later – with the rise of the digital era – photography lured me again and I bought my first DSLR. It was around 2005 and I was around 25 years old and my choice of camera was a Sony A100. The company had just bought a Konica Minolta and this was the first model that came out of that venture.
Unfortunately, back in the day the access to photography courses or training was very limited. After a few attempts on my own, I ended up leaving it aside. My romance with photography was not going the way I expected. Perhaps I dropped the ball because none of my friends were interested in joining me, or perhaps it was because not many people were interested in being photographed. You see, at that time, there was no Instagram and people were not generally interested in taking digital
images of themselves. Portraits around me were mostly limited to special events like engagement parties, weddings, christenings or similar. Moreover, cameras were too big and heavy for my taste. There were no camera phones and if you wanted to practise photography, you needed a proper DSLR camera. Everything changed five years ago when a colleague (and good friend) told me about the new mirrorless camera he had purchased, a Sony A6000. He told me about this the day before I was travelling to Iceland for a holiday. He got my attention but it was too late. I thought
I would be fine using my phone to capture the beauty of Iceland but, boy, was I wrong! Have you seen Iceland in winter? It is one of the most beautiful and breathtaking places that you can ever visit. I was eaten by the regret of not having a proper camera on me and this is when my romance for photography came creeping back on me, so I took the life-changing step and got myself a brand new mirrorless camera.
Third time lucky? Geared with a Sony A6000, I tried to start from scratch, but this time for real. With the digital academy of YouTube, my next step was to understand the triad of light, shutter speed,
f-stop and ISO. Engulfed in all this self-learning, I came across the photography club at the company where I work. A club with a yearly photography budget of £3,000, a huge amount of equipment and a ‘club board’ who had lost interest in photography. I thought to myself: I’m in the right place at the right time. Filled with energy, I jumped into the opportunity of joining this club. I was keen to get it right and learn as fast as I can.
With a photography club up-andrunning and an eager learner ravaging through the equipment, my colleagues from different teams started approaching me for help with their corporate portraits. Things were moving quite fast. I had no idea what a soft box was. I barely had any clue what offcamera flash lighting meant, or how to set up a backdrop. I had to learn fast. It was like baptism with fire but, this time, it was pure love. I couldn’t get enough of
practising, learning, and trying new things. I was so taken by portrait photography and, for the first few years, I nearly lost interest in any other type. Day in and day out, all I could think of was how to capture people’s most ‘real’ faces. How to use light in different angles to bring out the deepest feelings from their eyes. It was like painting with light! It felt – and still feels – very artistic. Discovering this new love allowed me to move from purely corporate portraits to more personal, honest portraits. It felt like the right progression, capturing not only a person but a personality. Not only a look but a story. And the challenges that come with it: framing, lighting, composing, postprocessing and, most importantly, connecting with the person you are photographing. Especially if the person you are taking the photo of is shy or convinced in advance that they will not be able to give a ‘camera ready’ look. It is not about being ‘camera ready’; it is about looking through the camera. It is a massive passion of mine to work with people I photograph and allow them to see the appreciation and recognition that I see in their faces. It is also a big win for me when I see them using these photos as part of their digital image. This is what keeps me going and to seek new challenges: light, shadows, backlit, low key, chiaroscuro. The possibilities are endless. After you master the standard portraits, innovation requires inspiration. From a photographer perspective, my inspiration comes from many different sources. There is what I call the “inspiration-improvisation”; the one that happens on-site when you’re having a chat with the subject. On the flip side, there’s the off-camera inspiration; the one that happens behind the camera when you’re exploring and studying the works of other photographers. There is nothing like learning from the likes of all-time classic father of
candid photography, Henri CartierBresson or Steve McCurry, one of the most iconic photographers of the last 30 years and one of the reasons I fell in love with portrait photography. His use of natural light and colours is stunning.
80 percent of basic edits before taking it to Photoshop. With regards to Photoshop training, there are tons of videos out there for anything you want to achieve but Phlearn taught me how to properly use Photoshop.
There is also the world of Instagram. I would lie if I said there was no inspiration there. I quickly became fascinated by the lights and colours from Brandon Woelfel and learned how to follow a consistent workflow using Dani Diamond’s training course. His final edits are a tad too much for me, but his workflow is a must. My final goal is to achieve a photo that no one could tell was ever edited. I personally avoid heavy editing if I can. ‘Dodge and burn’ is perhaps the only portrait touch up I cannot let any of my photos go without. I use Lightroom for
If I had to choose one thing I love the most about portrait photography, it would be establishing that personal connection with the subject during the session. Making them feel relaxed and confident, or even letting them stay ‘camera shy’. I love making a connection to the point where they forget that a camera is in front of them. Five years into my portrait photography journey, I still consider myself and my style to be evolving. I now have a better idea of what I want to capture and my edits take less time. However, I am conscious that there are always new things to learn and to improve. For example, becoming faster at setting up my home studio or using natural light as much as possible. I am also guilty of being a perfectionist. I do not want to shoot something new until I own all the necessary equipment, such as the backdrop, lights and other accessories.
I currently shoot using a Sony A7R IV. Before this, my first full frame DSLR was a Sony A7R II. I think the eye tracking of my newest Sony camera is spot on, especially if, like me, you like to shoot at the highest aperture (lowest f-stop) possible. Knowing that the camera will get that shot right leaves much more time for inspiration and less to worry about checking each photo to make sure that it is in-focus! For the rest of the equipment, I trust Godox lights and my softboxes or modifiers are MagnetMod.
As part of my continuous progress, I try to set myself goals: how to master off-camera flash, how to better understand natural light, or how to shape and colour with LEDs and gels. This year, I have set a goal to hold creative photoshoots with at least two people per month (on top of the small projects or gigs that come from my Instagram). My ultimate goal would be to make a living out of photography. But if it doesn’t happen, I won’t be disappointed. I love it regardless and, even as a hobby, it has been such an amazing journey. I can’t wait to keep learning and see what comes next! ¶
“ It is a massive passion of mine to work with people I photograph and allow them to see the appreciation and recognition that I see in their faces
Chi Lau
Q chibearphotography
Q streetbearphotography
Interests: Landscapes, nature, street and wildlife.
Camera Collector
The story of how I first “discovered” medium format photography involves lockdown, YouTube and a video about developing film with coffee (yes, you can do it)! The video in question featured a medium format camera, which intrigued me because I have, for the last 15 years – since I seriously got into making photos as a hobby –shot primarily on digital with only a small dabble in 35mm. I had a vague knowledge of bigger, more traditional film cameras but little understanding of how they actually worked in practice and no real concept of what using one would actually mean.
I was the same with the notion of home development, something that I had always wanted to try and do. And with all of the labs being closed my hand would be forced if I wanted to see the shots anytime soon (side note, I actually ended up developing a roll that I’d had for over 7 years at the same time but that’s by the by).
The description of medium format being “frustrating, difficult and long-winded” had a strange appeal that made it all the more enticing. This was also all happening during the first phase of the global Covid pandemic and I didn’t exactly have much else to occupy me at the time. Medium format is in many ways the antithesis of contemporary photography.
And that is what appealed about it.
“ There is tangible benefit to seeing a photo which you composed, set-up, created and developed which is incomparable to anything a modern device will give you”
I’ve always been drawn to the more difficult or complex challenges, the need to learn a new skill and be forced outside of my comfort zone. It’s why I went from never running to signing up to an ultramarathon within 18 months (yes, really and that’s for another time). The barrier to entry on medium format is cost. The cameras themselves are in the mid to high three figures, even more second hand and for each roll of film you’re looking at £8-£10 (or equivalent) when you factor in developing costs. You can offset some of this if you develop at home, but it still requires a degree of “startup capital”.
eBay listings for medium format cameras often say “sold as seen” which, when translated, often means “doesn’t work well, if at all”.
I was fortunate enough to be loaned a Mamiya C330 from a relative and this enabled me to explore this side of the hobby whilst also avoiding the major outlay. This camera has two lenses (one for focusing, the other for the shutter) and a 80mm fixed focal length.
It was a great starting camera as it was compact enough to be a “carry around” whilst not having any automatic aspects, which meant it gave a genuine experience of what it is like to shoot with this style of cameras.
If you do decide to get into medium format one of the first
“ Take note: You may get odd looks from strangers when taking photos like this; I never had anything hostile, but you may be mistaken for a hipster”
things you learn is that different cameras shoot in different aspect ratios and that as a result you will get a varied number of shots out of the same length of film. I shot on Ilford FP4 Plus and I was able to get 12 shots per roll on the Mamiya. The results vary but you’re looking at anywhere from 3-16 shots on the same roll depending upon the camera.
The obvious appeal here is that you are getting a larger negative and subsequently more detail in the image, much like the way that a higher megapixel count on a digital camera will pick up more detail. There is literally more space on the film for the image to be captured and as a result you can see more information.
My choice in film was dictated mostly by the fact that I had the appropriate chemicals to process B&W and at the time film labs were closed. All of the photos included in this piece were shot using this set-up and developed at home by yours truly. This process wasn’t without a casualty and there are 12 photos which will forever be “unseen” due to an overexposure whilst attempting to load it into the development canister. RIP!
The actual process of shooting medium format is much like any other photo, except EVERYTHING is manual. I’d shot film before but this was the first time using a camera that didn’t have an in-built light meter which added another step and was another skill which I needed to master. Shooting in this way forces you as a photographer to pay close attention to what is in frame, and in the case of the Mamiya - you’re looking at it upside down.
It is also a camera which, like many other medium format cameras, is designed to be held at chest height and with a viewfinder that you look down into to frame the shot. Take note: You may get odd looks from strangers when taking photos like
this; I never had anything hostile, but you may be mistaken for a hipster. You check the light level, set the appropriate ISO and shutter speed, focus, press the shutter spring and then release it. Before you can take another you then need to wind the film forwards.
The biggest hurdle I had to overcome when I began my journey with medium format was the shift in mindset about how I would go about composing the shots I was taking. As I’ve mentioned already, the Mamiya I used is a camera where you hold it at waist height and look down into the viewfinder. The camera itself was light enough that I didn’t need to use a tripod, but you definitely need to watch the light levels as camera shake is a big risk. Remember, 12 shots per roll and film costs £5-6 each. Shot for shot it’s almost as expensive as Polaroid. The impact of this is twofold; the expense means there
is a psychological shift in how you decide to take a photo. I can’t say there’s an awful lot of fast moving scenes that I would want to take this too, but it does also give a new appreciation for the smaller details in landscape and architecture. It did also give me reason to reevaluate and remember why I fell in love with this hobby. I’m old enough that my first few cameras were all film and the excitement of sending off the negatives after a holiday (only to discover that I had my finger across the best ones) is something that was a joy to rekindle.
Photography, for me, is a hobby that is about creativity, exploration and perspective. It can be a motivator to get outside and explore new places, and in this case give me a chance to look at familiar places in a new way. It’s why finding a new way to challenge myself remains so appealing and is why I’ll continue
to look for new ways to do (maybe large format next? Only £40 per negative…) What then are my takeaways from taking up medium format photography? And do I think you should try it out?
Firstly, it is not for everyone. Cost is clearly a barrier to entry and I certainly wouldn’t suggest it as a starting point. If you’re interested in taking up manual photography, you’ll do a lot better with a 35mm point and shoot. You can get these for under £100 in the UK and they will still have the same impact and novelty that medium format did for me.
With that said, I don’t want to put you off if I’ve left you intrigued. The effort is worth it. There is a tangible benefit to seeing a photo which you composed, set-up, created and developed which is incomparable to anything a modern device will give you.
I have a particular love for how things get made, and for making things by hand. medium format is, in my view, one of the best ways to get you there as a photographer. Film photography is magical, and 120 even more so. In the same way as a homemade dish or a handbuilt piece of furniture, regardless of the minor imperfections, retains a uniqueness and tangibility that is otherwise unobtainable in a world filled with instant gratification.
Medium format will also push your skills as a photographer and force you to re-approach how you make photos in your day to day. Understanding the effort required to execute something as simple as “taking a photo” has the potential to give you a renewed appreciation for the medium itself. If you put in the effort, then 120 will reward you tenfold. ¶
Back when I was in uni getting a degree in design, I found myself wishing that I could just travel full-time, even though I was totally unsure of how I’d manage that. A couple of years later, after trips through South East Asia and South America, I got it in my head that being a YouTuber would be the most direct way of having a ‘job’ that allowed me to travel.
To make videos though I’d need to know how to use a camera, and I thought it would make sense to learn how to take photos first. I decided to take a short course on how to shoot in manual mode on my dad’s old DSLR and found I really enjoyed it - my original plan of becoming a YouTuber eventually fell by the wayside, and photography became my main passion.
The bulk of my gear that comes everywhere with me is as follows:
Sony a7iii, Sony a6600, Sony 16-35mm f2.8 GM lens, Sony 24-105mm f4 G OSS lens, DJI Mini 3 Pro drone with DJI RC.
I’m going to have to go with the Mini 3 Pro drone, partly because it’s new and shiny but also because of the opportunities it provides while also being so portable - even more so than the Mavic Air 2, which I had previously.
I have a lot of great memories related to photography and travel but one that comes to mind was a morning on Abraham Lake, just outside Banff National Park. In winter, the lake freezes over, trapping thousands of methane bubbles in the foot-thick ice, while the valley creates a wind tunnel that keeps the surface free of any snow. It’s a popular spot for photographers but I arrived at about 3am so I had the place to myself for a few hours. I shot the Milky Way, played around with lighting the ice, and then watched as the clear night sky welcomed a vibrant sunrise. It was the stunning location, perfect conditions, and complete isolation that made it such a memorable experience for me.
The best part of travel for me is just all the new experiences. Just being able to regularly discover new cities, new landscapes, new cultures, and new foods is the most exciting thing for me.
I think the hardest part of long-term travel would be the difficulty to stop and take a meaningful break. After a while you start missing familiar foods from back home, or the ability to sleep in and watch TV all day without feeling guilty that you’re wasting opportunities, even when you’re exhausted after weeks on the move.
The stress of travelling can also put a strain on relationships with the people you’re travelling with and it can be difficult to find time for yourself. My girlfriend (now wife) and I spent seven months in a van travelling the US in 2017. Being together 24/7 and acting as each other’s only support network during the journey certainly put a strain on the relationship at times, but thankfully we came out the other side together.
My favourite thing about photography is where it’s driven me to go over the past eight years. While I certainly would’ve travelled if I’d never picked up a camera, I don’t think I’d have been to as many places or have gotten as much out of them as I have. In the beginning I got into photography because I wanted to travel but now I travel because I want to photograph,
so I’d say it’s given my life more purpose, focus and opportunity.
I think the most important thing to do, once you have an idea or aspiration, is to actually recognise that it’s achievable, and to have the courage to say you’re going to do it. From there it’s only a matter of setting that goal and working backwards. In 2015, my wife and I spent three nights in New York City on the way home from a trip in South America, and from that short visit we were inspired to do a road trip through the whole of the US. The idea came to us on the plane but we didn’t let it remain a pipedream, we said “we’re doing this next” and soon figured out the logistics - what visa, what budget, how to get a van etc. In the end it took us two years to save and plan, but we managed to make the idea a reality.
Banff, Alberta. We lived there for two years - even though the original plan was for only six months - and we loved every minute of it (except for maybe lockdown during the pandemic). The lifestyle that came with living in the mountains was great of course, but the photographic opportunities were even better.
We’re currently in the UK on working holiday visas so that’s it’s own little adventure, but the next big trip will be my first visit to Iceland, coming up in June. Apart from that we have a dozen more destinations around Europe we’d like to see while we’re so close.
1. Antarctica
2. Africa (wildlife safaris)
3. Patagonia, Chile
I know I’ll tick these all off eventually but I’ve listed Antarctica because there are large financial and logistical obstacles to contend with. An African safari and Patagonia are listed because, even though they’re high on my list of places/things to photograph, I’ve currently got no plans to visit either just yet. ■
“ I got into photography because I wanted to travel but now I travel because I want to photograph”
Q viviennebade
K viviennebade.de
Interests: Fashion and portrait.
Snooty Shooter
As a person who was born and raised in Iceland, I have always had astonishing natural beauty around me and almost wherever I go in the country. Very often, the things you experience and see while you are out in nature are hard to describe to people who weren’t there at the same time with you. When I was working as a guide in Greenland, back in 2015, I started thinking how I could show people what I was experiencing. The best way at that time was through taking pictures and posting them on social media platforms - and that is how I started doing photography in a little bit more serious way than before.
But, let’s go back a little! When I was a kid I wasn’t much into photography. In fact, for all my childhood and until I was 19 years old, my dream was to become a professional handball player. However, that dream slowly faded away and travelling and
photography took over. Even though I loved handball and still do, I realised that my passion was not there.
I got my first DSLR camera, a Canon EOS 500D, in 2010 when I was 20 years old. I bought a 70 litre backpack and flight tickets to Australia where I stayed in total for three months. While in Australia I started to take pictures
were
on a regular basis and posted them on social media platforms, mainly Facebook, where I also wrote a blog about my travels. I remember when I came back home, many people told me they really liked my travel blogs and pictures and while that made me happy, I did not continue travelling and started at the university of
Iceland instead (Tourism Studies). I really regret it since I stopped following my dreams and I still feel today that these studies did not do much for me. However, in 2014 I studied to become a licensed Iceland guide. During those studies I really found myself again and after graduation I got an offer to join an expedition vessel that was sailing with passengers around Iceland and to Greenland. During the expedition cruises, I took many of my photographs since I went to beautiful places, which I couldn’t afford to travel to regularly.
My photography improved a lot while working on these expedition vessels and learned new techniques from passengers, who were also photographers. I upgraded my camera in 2017 and bought a Canon EOS 80D, which for me was a big thing. A few years later, in 2020, there was another upgrade where I bought my first drone,
“ It was like walking into a brick wall of fire, when we
two metres away”
DJI Mavic 2 Pro and then in 2021
Canon EOS R - which I am still using today - but 2021 is also the year when the famous volcanic eruption in Fagradalsfjall started!
I remember I saw on TV that an eruption had started near Fagradalsfjall, after experiencing over 40,000 earthquakes in the area a few weeks before. The day after, my friend and I hiked 10km over an old rugged lava field, which was covered by moss, to see the volcanic eruption in Geldingadalir next to Fagradalsfjall.
Eventually, after walking in very difficult terrain and over a mountain, we finally saw the volcanic eruption. That is a sight I will never forget. When we walked down we were wet and cold, so we decided to approach the lava flow. It was like walking into a brick wall of fire, when we were two metres away. The heat was so intense that I remember our wet clothes started to dry immediately, with smoke coming from the clothes.
The area also smelled a bit like fireworks and the sound of sizzling lava could be heard all around. We then went to see the crater, which produced sounds like a real thunderstorm!
After my visit to Fagradalsfjall I went through all my photos and videos and tears began to form. I don’t know why, but I think the reason is that this was such an intense experience that I needed to process. The following weeks I visited the volcanic eruption multiple times but there was one visit, in particular, that I will never forget.
I called my mom in June 2021 and told her, “you need to see the volcanic eruption. I know you are scared but it’s worth the experience”. I remember that as we were about two kilometres away from the crater that suddenly it started to rain small hot stones, slag, over us. It wasn’t much at first but the slag rain just increased as we went on and finally we got to the viewpoint over the volcanic crater. Back then, the crater was erupting in episodes every 10 minutes or so, with lava fountains reaching up to 300 metres!
When standing on the viewpoint, the volcano started one of its episodes followed by hot slag raining all over us. The slag was quite big and some pieces were similar in size as a handball (slightly smaller than a volleyball). As it rained over us, my jacket began to melt from the slag. Luckily, in the end, nothing serious happened and we left with great memories.
After the eruption in Fagradalsfjall, I have been waiting patiently for the next
one and finally it happened in August 2022. However, I was working in Svalbard back then and missed the whole volcanic eruption.
In June 2023, there were tens of thousands of earthquakes. Suddenly the earthquake activity stopped. Shortly after, there was another volcanic eruption in the same region but a little bit further north on the Reykjanes Peninsula. I was so lucky to visit the new volcanic eruption twice already, even though the site has been closed most of the time.
I feel like I hadn’t fully followed my dreams until very recently. It is a very strange feeling since I don’t care about money anymore because I am doing things that I love every day - and that is actually all that matters. ¶
“ As it rained over us, my jacket began to melt from the slag”
“ I don’t care about money anymore because I am doing things that I love every day - and that is actually all that matters”
Words and photos by Abigail Ferguson Ambitious Artist Q abigailiferguson K abbyferguson.com
There are many types of photography books, but all offer the potential to open up worlds of possibilities in terms of inspiration, education, and critical thinking.
It’s no secret that books are powerful tools. There’s a reason book bans exist, after all. On the surface, a book of photographs differs drastically from one that brings attention to something like civil rights issues. However, most aim to do the same thing at their core: make us think and consider a new perspective. So they are equally valuable and important.
Over the course of my photographic career, there have been a handful of books that left a lasting impact on me and my work. They largely cover the full spectrum of photography books, though tend to lean towards theory, history, and artist books. Many of the specific books that I mention below were significant influences on one body of work in particular (my thesis work during graduate school), but they all have remained important to my photography, broadly speaking, since then.
Books on photography theory are perhaps primarily relevant to those who are involved with conceptual photography. However, I do think that having an understanding of the greater context and impact of the medium you are involved in is important. Photography theory books can help you appreciate photography even more and help you put more into your photographs no matter what your preferred subject.
Camera Lucida is a staple in most conceptual photography classrooms. Published in 1980, it is one of the earliest books diving into the theory of photography. In Camera Lucida , Barthes considers the essence and philosophy of photography and how it impacts the viewer. He touches on how you can build meaning into your photographs and how powerful photographs can be for evoking emotion.
On Photography is another incredibly important book in the history of photography and photographic theory. Sontag examines the history of photography and its role in society. She looks very critically at the medium, believing it to result in a voyeuristic relationship with our world. She also considers the ethics of photography, especially documentary photography, and the relationship between photography and politics.
There are, of course, many other theory books that I could mention. But Camera Lucida and On Photography are two of the most infamous and important books regarding photographic theory. Through these books, I learned to pay attention to even the tiniest of details in a scene or image in order to convey meaning and emotion. For example, in my thesis body of work, The Cost of Forgetting , I considered at length the choice of colours I was using in each image, the objects that I photographed, and, finally, every aspect of how the images would be displayed..
Another series of books that touch on theory related to art as a whole, not specifically photography, is the Whitechapel: Documents of Contemporary Art series. Each book covers a different theme and includes a variety of essays from different artists, academics, scientists, and more. The Archive and Memory are two that are especially relevant to my work since I largely consider topics surrounding memory and collections. But there are also books in the series that touch on work, science fiction, boredom, oceans, and so much more. They are inspiring, thought-provoking, and just plain interesting.
“ Through these books, I learned to pay attention to even the tiniest of details in a scene or image in order to convey meaning and emotion”
Artist books are perhaps the simplest way to expand your photographic language and find inspiration. These books contain collections of photographs from a single photographer and are usually dedicated to a single body of work. While theory books are more broadly applicable, artist books are much more personal as to what will be relevant and loved. The House I Once Called Home by Duane Michals was one such artist’s book that impacted me. Michals superimposed new photographs onto older photographs of his childhood home in this body of work in
order to convey the passage of time. The use of handwritten text, along with the black and white photographs, is powerful. It is a deeply personal book, and yet is universal in its sentiments and conveyed emotions. I had always enjoyed double exposures visually, but this book opened up the possibilities in terms of using them to convey meaning and inspired me to use the technique in my own work. Eventually, I began creating exposures consisting of five or six images, all to create a sense of time as well as confusion, referencing the difficulty of recalling a mundane memory over time.
Another book that left a lasting impression is Josef Sudek’s The Advertising Photographs . Sudek is perhaps best known for his photographs of Prague, but his still life work is what drew me to him. The quality of light in his still life photographs, in particular, is simply stunning. He explained that “Everything around us, dead or alive, in the eyes of a crazy photographer mysteriously takes on many variations, so that a seemingly dead object comes to life through light or by its surroundings.” I have an entire Instagram account dedicated to light (@moments.of.light), and it was in part Sudek’s work that inspired me to begin taking such photographs.
Falling somewhere in between artist books and books on theory are books that serve as collections of photographs and essays touching on a particular subject. These books provide visual interest and inspiration while offering thought-provoking concepts to consider.
The Ecstasy Of Things: From Functional Object to Fetish in Twentieth Century Photography is one such book that I discovered in graduate school. It is a thick tome full of 500 advertising images from the course of the twentieth century and writings about the importance of those images. It also considers changes in photography throughout that time. The images included in the book showed me that you can photograph a single object in an incredibly minimalistic way and still create a powerful, moving image.
Of course, I have primarily mentioned books here that are directly relevant to my work and interests specifically. It is, after all, a reflection on my personal experience. But many of these books, particularly the art and photography theory volumes, are broadly applicable. They are worth picking up no matter what your preferred subject matter. Even the subject-specific artist books are ones that I would recommend to just about anyone, as they simply show unique ways of seeing and documenting the world around us. In my book (no pun intended), there’s no such thing as reading (or looking at) too much. And, the more you read, the more you will realise what you enjoy reading and what types of photography books will be the most impactful for you. ¶
“ Eventually, I began creating exposures consisting of five or six images, all to create a sense of time as well as confusion, referencing the difficulty of recalling a mundane memory over time”
Miles Yuen
Q miles.graphy
Interests: Documentary, street, travel and portrait.
Social Storyteller
What got you started or interested in photography? And why large format?
I started working with a camera in college as a way to document rock climbing trips I would take with my friends. From there, I began to love photographic grand scenic landscapes - mostly in panoramic format, which then led me to discover a medium format panoramic camera. That started my love for film, and shortly thereafter I purchased a 4x5 camera.
What is in your bag?
I have a Chamonix Alpinist X (8x10), Schneider 150mm XL, Fujinon 240mm, Fujinon 300mm, Fujinon 450mm, and Fujinon 600mm.
your favourite pigment/country to date?
In 2020, I started a new project called “Of the Earth,” where I capture images in the desert southwest and make full colour prints entirely with natural earth pigments found from soils and minerals. Because of the limited tonal range and gamut these colours can produce, the subject matter is extremely limited. I’ve particularly grown to love a new pigment I’ve been using, which is the 6th colour in my carbon transfer printmaking process - violet hematite. It’s sourced from a spelunker who gathers the pigment deep inside a cave. It has a beautiful subtle purple hue that is beautiful to work with.
At times, it gets to be a bit cumbersome and unwieldy, but it’s absolutely my preference in the field. The depth of field is quite shallow and shutter speeds are incredibly slow, so you have to be very decisive when choosing compositions and subject matter. That being said, the results are outstanding.
I very much enjoy not having immediate feedback on the images I create. In many cases, I don’t see the film until weeks after I return from a trip.
This somewhat leads to a detachment from the images and scenes, and helps reawaken the creativity during the digitising and printmaking process.
Tell us a bit more about alternative
Alternative process printmaking techniques involve hand coating paper with light sensitive chemicals and exposing the prints to light by contact printing with a negative. I specialise in carbon transfer, which involves pigmenting and sensitising a gelatin emulsion and transferring the pigment to a final paper support. I also specialise in platinum palladium
“ Bigger is not always better”
printing and gum bichromate, where I often mix the two processes.
A platinum palladium print is made by brushing a UV sensitive liquid emulsion onto a piece of watercolour paper. When exposed, a chemical reaction occurs that imbeds the metals into the paper fibre, making the process extremely lightfast and stable. Gum bichromate is a pigmented gum arabic solution that is also sensitive to UV light. The emulsion is also brushed onto paper, which I prefer making on top of platinum prints. This can provide a tone to the otherwise monochromatic print.
What advice would you give to someone starting out using medium and large format?
Bigger is not always better. 4x5 is the most usable large format because of its size and ability to work with a scene.
How much work and effort is involved in one single photo?
Generally, quite a bit more than a digital photograph. The camera is roughly 12x12x4” when packed and needs to be unfolded and set up for each composition. I would say when I’m not rushed, it takes me about 5-7 minutes to set up, compose, and expose a single sheet of film.
Where is in your top three bucket list destinations, if money were no object?
I’m not generally a destination photographer these days, so if money were no object, I’d like to have the opportunity to live in a desert environment such as the Atacama desert for a year or two and truly study the environment and have the opportunity to create images of fleeting moments. ■
“ I very much enjoy not having immediate feedback on the images I create. In many cases, I don’t see the film until weeks after I return from a trip”
Interests: Architecture, nature and wildlife.
The Lofoten Islands in Norway are known for its breathtaking landscape, with fjords and steep mountains surrounded by the sea in every direction. After social media got into people’s hands, Lofoten has become more popular than ever before, especially amongst landscape photographers. Many locations are now so well documented, that they’re getting recognised all around the world.
But there is more to the islands than landscape. The islands are located above the Arctic Circle, which offers special phenomena and conditions, like polar night and northern lights during winter, and midnight-sun during summer. If you want to experience all of it, you’ll have to visit several times, or stay here for an entire year… I started off as a photographer when I was a kid. I remember getting my hands on my mother’s camera around the age of nine or ten, back in the late 80s. It was loaded with a film cassette and took square photos. I carried it with me everywhere and took quite a lot of photos. I have always had a special attraction to nature, and an urge to document my experiences; either it was the view from a summit, a beautiful sunset, or an animal. But
it wasn’t until 2013 when I really got into photography. I got hooked from the day I saw the first image of the northern lights, realising that it was possible to capture it with a camera. Shortly after, I bought my first professional camera gear and started to hunt the lights. I got addicted for several years, heading out in the night as soon as there was a predicted weather window somewhere. I literally chased down the Aurora Borealis, and managed to find it on nights where most people didn’t see a thing. I downloaded space-weather apps, cloud prediction apps and planned the exact locations where to be waiting, and very often I got lucky in the end. One thing led to another, and my love for the landscape, the lighting conditions, northern lights and so on, made me want others to have the same experiences as me. So, in 2015 I started to offer northern lights tours, a few landscape tours and workshops. I started my own business, obtained all the permits I needed, and guided tourists around the islands, whether they wanted to photograph or just experience our archipelago.
I soon realised that I had chosen the right direction because the tourists
simply loved my tours and I got to meet people who had been saving for years to be able to come here, and would tear up when Lady Aurora showed up for them. It was really touching sometimes, to see people’s reactions, knowing how much these experiences meant to them. I met photographers, people from every society, and from so many different countries. Some of them have become my friends and I am still staying in touch with many of my guests, and some I have met again several times. I even receive Christmas cards from tourists that I guided years ago.
The pandemic that hit the world changed things for me as well. Suddenly there were no more requests for tours. I began to stay home a lot more, and I loved it. Being with my family the entire evening, more of the weekends and so on, felt good and right. During the pandemic, I went out alone more often, now scouting for wildlife. Lofoten has a lot to offer, way more than most people know, even the locals. Wildlife is one of those things many people do not know much about.
What the experience is all about, whether I am photographing landscape, northern lights or wildlife,
is the planning, the waiting and the tension. Then, when I have the images, and come back home, the editing part begins. Post processing is part of the joy. Going through the shots, flagging the images I want to work on, choosing the best ones, checking if they’re crisp and sharp and so on, is exciting and satisfying.
When photographing landscape in Lofoten, you have to plan for the sunrise and sunset, maybe the tide, the direction of the sunrise and sunset. These things are changing all year around. The tide shifts every day, and high tide is coming approximately one hour later day by day and happens two times a day. The average difference between high and low tide is somewhere between 240 and 300cm. Most of the time you want a landscape with high tide, but not always. The most important thing is the light, and as a landscape photographer, you do love the warm light around sunrise and sunset. Here in the Arctic the warm light comes from opposite directions depending on which time of year you
are visiting. Around January, the warm light only comes from the south, which is the direction where the sun reaches its highest point in the middle of the day. During polar night, lasting from the second week of December until the first week of January, the sun is completely gone, and is only adding light and colour to the sky and clouds. On the other hand, when it’s summer, more exactly from the end of May until the middle of July, the sun never sets, and the warm light is only
for a photographer. Chasing the good light, the weather windows, the roughness of a blizzard, and the never ending days of summer, still fascinates me so much!
coming from the north which is the direction where the sun reaches its lowest point. This happens, of course, in and around the middle of the night. These variations leave you with loads of opportunities to shoot completely different angles of light throughout the entire year. If you ask me, this is part of what’s making Lofoten and Northern Norway very interesting
The northern lights season goes from the end of August until the middle of April, which is the period where the night sky is dark enough for the Aurora Borealis to be visible to the naked eye, and camera. Every end of August, when I have a clear sky, I can’t help myself looking up, scouting for some movement of greenish light. My heart beats faster the moment I see the first Aurora of the season. It’s a big thing for me, and I completely understand why the northern lights are fascinating and spellbinding to people. Later on, when the nights are getting darker, and the winter is sneaking up on the islands with snowy peaks, you can capture some wonderful footage and images, especially when there is a little moonlight lighting up the surroundings. Observing and photographing the dancing queen of the night sky is something I wish everyone would be able to experience
“ My heart beats faster the moment I see the first Aurora of the season”
at least once in their life. You have to be there to really understand it and get the full experience. Even though the northern lights look brighter and more colourful on images, it’s an amazing experience to watch it unfold all over the sky right above your head, while standing in a dark and cold place, filled with fresh and crisp Arctic air.
Lofoten is mostly known for a huge population of eagles, but it also has a lot of moose, foxes and different species of owls, just to mention some of the most interesting animals. For me, wildlife offers the same kind of tension as the northern lights and an enchanting sunset. It’s the waiting, the scouting, listening for sounds of birds and animals, trying to approach slowly, without cracking a branch or making noise. It can be very hard to get close enough, especially when trying to sneak up by foot. Sometimes you can be lucky to find an animal close to the road and are able to photograph it from the car. It’s also exciting to stay in a hide, photographing birds and animals
feeding from the seashore, along a lake, or from a bait you have placed in front of the hide in advance.
It is very satisfying every time you succeed and are able to capture a good close up or a photo of wildlife in its natural habitat and environment. Photographing wildlife takes patience, knowledge of each species, knowing how to interact and how to approach. Wildlife photography has now become my new focus area, and I love it so much. Like everything in nature, it’s unpredictable. You never know what to expect, when you’ll see anything, or if it’s possible to get some good shots. The feeling when I suddenly hear an interesting bird nearby, or recognise a new animal I haven’t seen before, is just amazing. I go into a super focused mode, forgetting about time and place. It’s very addictive, and every time I have bagged a good shot, new plans pop into my head, like I’m never satisfied. I guess the hunt for the perfect shot will keep me going my entire life!
There is so much to photograph in Lofoten. Even if you are not into
nature, there are other things to focus on, like fishing boats, fishermen cabins and architecture, sports like trailrunning, triathlon, and local people. Even local food could be interesting to photograph.
Lofoten is mainly known for its spectacular landscape and nature phenomena, which I hope I managed to give you a brief understanding of. I don’t say much about how to photograph, how to compose, which settings to use and so on, as there are just as many ways to go as there are photographers. I think it’s a good idea to keep an eye on what others do. I have done it a lot myself, to learn, and to get ideas. But in the end, the most important thing is the art that you create by yourself, based on your own ideas, your way of seeing the scenes, planning the frames, and your execution in the field. Presenting your own versions, and getting credibility for those, is what makes you really proud and satisfied. And it pushes you to continue, urging for the next adventures. ¶
Interests: Nature and wildlife.
and photos by Sue
PooleyNature Nerd Q suepooley.wildphotography E suepooleywildphotography
I love wildlife photography; it’s a real passion of mine. And when I’m not working, I’ll be outdoors with my camera at any given opportunity. It does come with its frustrations though (and not just the frustrations of missing a shot!). I’m always at the reserve super early, for two reasons. As most photographers know, early morning is usually the best time to see wildlife. The other reason is that the reserve can get rather busy later on, with various people using the spaces for different activities. The question is, should some of the nature reserves that are open to everyone, really be that easily accessible? After all, the clue is in the name – nature reserve. Part of the reserve I visit is owned and maintained by the RSPB, but it is open to all, from dog-walkers, cyclists and horse-riders to runners and hikers. When I visit, I tend to stick to the heathland area, as it doesn’t get quite as busy as the other parts. But since the pandemic and lockdown, more people have discovered the heathland so, as you can imagine, when I’m out early with my camera, and suddenly hear what sounds like someone calling their dog in the distance, my heart sinks a bit. Don’t get me wrong, I love dogs; I grew up with them. But dogs off the lead, with free-roaming deer and ground-nesting birds aren’t a good mix. It baffles me every time I see someone walking with a dog bounding through the heath. Why have they chosen to walk there, knowing full well there’s wildlife everywhere?
Most dogs I come across at the reserve are off-lead, running out of control off the pathways – I mean, dogs can’t read the sign posts, I get that! But when the owners can, and still ignore the signs that ask politely that dogs are under control, it’s incredibly frustrating to witness. Many of the dogs chase after the deer and when I’ve confronted owners, the excuses I hear every time become repetitive: “he’s never chased deer before” or “I didn’t
realise they had to be on the lead/ I didn’t see the signs”. The passive aggressive ones are even better: “I’ve been coming here for years, it’s never been a problem before”, or “the birds are fine and still breeding!” I suggest they check the RSPB statistics on bird numbers because the number of bird species are declining rapidly in the UK, and the UK Conservation Concern Red List for Birds has more than doubled in the past 27 years, with 70 species now listed, some of which are residents or visitors to my local reserve.
“ I want people to really love the wildlife we have around here but I also want them to understand that we need to protect it and preserve the wildlife’s habitat”
“
why pick somewhere like a nature reserve to ride a bike through? Can you imagine how frightening that is for the wildlife if they suddenly come face to face with them racing along?”
There have also been many road traffic accidents or near-misses on the main road that runs alongside the reserve, when deer have been chased across by someone’s dog. There was an incident I heard about last Autumn, during the deer rut, when a loose dog had chased about 30-40 deer into the road. How there wasn’t a huge accident and someone killed, I’ll never know!
These incidents are becoming more and more common, but less of a concern by people who, sadly, have become completely disconnected with nature, and how important it is to look after it. Instead, I feel as if the reserve is looked upon as more of a dog-walking space. You’ve only got to look online at Google Maps, where people review
a lot of these natural spaces, and most of the comments say “great for dog-walks” or they are complaints from people saying they feel discriminated against when walkers are asked to keep their dogs under control! One review for Hazeley Heath actually alludes to the signage and that the RSPB are suggesting dogs are not welcome. In my view, maybe that’s the right way for them to go if people can’t respect wildlife and their habitat. We don’t have the right to take over every single piece of countryside and we need to remember that. It’s home for the wildlife, not for us. Another problem at this reserve is mountain bikes, something else I come across every time I visit. On several occasions, I’ve even been
expected to move out of the way of oncoming bikes, and when they are going at rapid speed through the woods, you’d be in trouble if you didn’t move! Again, why pick somewhere like a nature reserve to ride a bike through? Can you imagine how frightening that is for the wildlife if they suddenly come face to face with them racing along? Not to mention it being dangerous for the cyclists and people on foot!
It would be great if everyone could enjoy the reserve together but sadly, the majority of the time, some irresponsible dog-walkers and cyclists tend to be the biggest disruptors to the wildlife, and it does beg the question: Should so many people, along with dogs and
bikes, really be allowed onto such important and protected habitat, when we are already one of the most nature depleted countries in the world? A shocking statement every time I hear it.
We are so lucky to have such incredible wildlife here in the UK. Just at this one, relatively small, reserve in Hampshire, there are
those. We’re very lucky around the Hampshire/Berkshire border where we have a large population of red kites, it never gets boring no matter how many times I see one… And it’s the same with seeing the deer –it still gives me such a buzz when I spot them but I try so hard to be still and well hidden, so they aren’t spooked.
because a dog has flushed them out and the birds have abandoned their nests, or that yet another herd of deer has been chased onto the road, or caught in the fencing when trying to jump it to escape a dog (unfortunately, yet another incident I heard about last year!).
If we let every bit of natural space become all about humans, then
fallow and roe deer, foxes, badgers, adders, the dartford warbler, stonechats, red kites, buzzards, sparrowhawk, kestrel, and one very special migrant will stop by on its way through during spring/summer – the cuckoo!
Any birder, twitcher, or wildlife fan/photographer will tell you how exciting it is to see any of
I want people to really love the wildlife we have around here but I also want them to understand that we need to protect it and preserve the wildlife’s habitat. If that means that certain areas of these reserves are a “no-go area” for dogs, and maybe even off limits completely to everyone during nesting season, then so be it. If it means we can help nature thrive more, then surely that should be the main priority?
I’d much rather sacrifice my access to the reserve, than find out that yet more ground-nesting birds have been lost at Hazeley Heath
nature will continue to suffer. We all have a responsibility to take care when we’re outside in wild spaces, whether you’re with your dog, riding a bike or even on foot with your camera. Let’s give nature some breathing space and treat all our flora and fauna with the respect it deserves! ¶
“ We are so lucky to have such incredible wildlife here in the UK”
“ We all have a responsibility to take care when we’re outside in wild spaces”
Daniel Lapeña Gomez
Nature Nerd Portrait
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Paul Harris
Architecture • Film • Nature • Street
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Hermann Helguson
Wayfaring Wanderer
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Abigail Ferguson
Ambitious Artist
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Steven Henriksen
Nature Nerd
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Sue Pooley
Nature Nerd
Nature • Wildlife
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Nature Nerd
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Camera Collector
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