Just a few weeks ago in November/December, I made my second visit to Iceland of 2023. As always I thoroughly enjoyed spending a few days in this amazing country with an almost as amazing group of photographers. But rather than boring you by recounting the whole story of the trip, I thought I’d give you a few statistics and more importantly (as I’m sure the majority of those of you reading are really here for the photos) some images (40 while we’re on the subject of numbers). This trip to Iceland was my 6th visit in 6 years. I was there to run 2 workshops and 10 photographers joined me ..read more

  My look back at 2023 is a selection of images that are either personal favourites or images that help tell the story of the year. And what a year it has been, 2023 has flown by! Looking back through my images from the year to put together this selection, has made me realise just how much I’ve crammed in and just how fortunate I am to be doing what I do… it’s only possible thanks to all of you, so thanks for all of your support in 2023 and I hope to see you again in 2024!     January Vestrahorn in the snow, Iceland   The highlight of my January was without a doubt my ..read more

  A busy schedule of workshops and commissions means I don’t get as much time as I would like for my own photography. Don’t get me wrong, I love my job and enjoy every project I’m involved in but often when I do have free time I find myself being a bit tired/lazy and opting for a lie in rather than a sunrise shoot. Last week a period of high pressure brought hot, calm weather and cool nights to East Anglia… the perfect conditions for misty mornings and as I had a bit of space in the diary, I was determined not to miss that. When I am working on a particular project, whether it be a works ..read more

  I love the Peak District! With a short(ish) drive of just over 3 hours from Suffolk, I can be in a dramatic and totally different landscape to my beloved, local spots at home. I particularly look forward to visiting the Peak in late summer when the heather is in bloom. At this time of year, huge swathes of the hills and moors are carpeted in glorious shades of pink and purple, splashed by the lush greens of bracken and the gold of grasses. There are several places closer to home where I can and do photograph heather, notably the lowland heaths at Dunwich & Westleton on the Suffolk ..read more

The windpump at Sedge Fen   The start of August brought a new experience for me. Three days running a photography workshop for a group of young people at Wicken Fen Nature Reserve in Cambridgeshire. ‘Arty Fen’ was organised by the National Trust and funded by the National Heritage Lottery Fund community engagement project. The aim of this event was to encourage young people to engage with the great outdoors that is on their doorstep through creative pursuits. As well as my photography group there was also a drama & dance group and a videography group (obviously led by other tutors, I ..read more

    I have been using f-Stop bags for several years now and am a big fan of their modular system (more on that in a moment). I have four f-Stop backpacks but the 50litre Tilopa, which sits in the middle of the range of Mountain Series backpacks has long been my favourite. Back in 2020 I wrote a review of the Tilopa (read it here) but since then it has been updated and as I have been using the new and improved DuraDiamond Tilopa for a few months now, I thought it was time to update my review. The f-Stop systemI don’t want to repeat my original review but for those unfamiliar with f-S ..read more

  The Royal Photographic Society offer three levels of distinction; Licentiate (LRPS), Associate (ARPS) & Fellowship (FRPS). Having achieved my LRPS, the first of the three distinctions, some 8 or 9 years ago, I then got sidetracked by other projects and didn’t proceed any further. I have to admit that although I found the LRPS a worthwhile challenge which made me consider my photography much more objectively and although it is the first step I wouldn’t say it was easy by any means but I did wonder at the end whether it was all worth it. I had started the process with the belief that ..read more

Looking back, reviewing and assessing your work is an important part of the learning process but with the previous two years seemingly passing at a snail’s pace, 2022 has swept past in something of a blur so writing my annual look back on the year was more of a re-discovery of shoots and images that I had already forgotten. I had the idea of choosing just one image per month but as will become apparent, I found it impossible to leave some out. It is so difficult to detach yourself from any emotional attachment to your own work… maybe next year I will ask somebody else to pick. JANUARY The end ..read more

 The longest day of the year - June 21st (in the northern hemisphere) - the Summer solstice. A day celebrated for thousands of years by cultures around the world. A day marked by rituals, festivals and even linked to mysterious structures like Stonehenge and the Pyramids of Giza. The day when the sun reaches its highest point in the sky and the hours of daylight are the longest. A day that for me this year, purely by chance turned out to be a very long day indeed. The day started with an unwelcome sunrise trip to Framlingham Castle. Unwelcome only because I had a booking for the evening ..read more

 Poppies are an iconic sight in the British countryside and in full bloom throughout the early summer they are one of the highlights of summer landscape photography, adding a splash or red to fresh green fields. Fields of poppies can be hard to find though, often popping up to cover a field one year and then disappearing the next. The best way to seek one out is to explore your local area or keep an eye on social media early each summer.  Whether you find a field red with flowers or a scattering of poppies along a verge, here are a few tips for photographing them.  ..read more