Welcome back to the next edition of 'In Focus' and this time we get to see into the world of a seasoned landscaper. His photography stands on its own but like all of quality photographers, it has taken time to develop and there is a story or two in there along the way.
So without further ado lets spend some time with Lancashire based landscape, wedding and product photographer Andy Phillips.
AM - Evening Andy, and thank you for sparing some of your time for me. As you may know, your name has cropped up in a previous 'In Focus' interview with your wife Nancy, so it was only fair that I got to hear the other half of the story.
If I recall, we first met a few years back when you came along to Preston Photography Society and made a big influence with a group of photographers there. You shared your insight and knowledge with them, which they've absorbed and which has gone on to help them make a step-change in their approach to photography and processing. So much so, a few have picked up awards at the club and beyond. I'm right in saying that your main subject in photography is landscapes but you also indulge in a few others such as supporting Nancy with her weddings, and then there is your keen eye for the good product/still-life shot. Your landscape work is very established and well honed, with a leaning for mood and drama. It has developed enormously, so much so that you're a seasoned tutor with aspect2i, which we'll go into later. But lets take you back to your early days of picking up a camera and learning the ropes. What was it that got you hooked and how did it all come about?
AP - Hello, Alf. In 2002, I moved 'up north' from the West Midlands. I was a seasoned paramedic and practiced in mainly urban areas. I was transferred to the South Ribble area , Lancashire, and worked there for many years. It was a pleasant change, not dealing with city life and all the crap that comes with that. Lancashire was great for me. I didn’t do photography then but I steeped myself in Bluegrass music and weight training. Not at the same time though!
After 10 years, I was getting a little tired of those hobbies and needed to put my energies into something else. I was soon about to go on holiday to New Zealand so I thought I had better find out how to use a camera and record the trip. I approached 'People in the know’', who know about photography, and they put me in the direction of a local casualty porter by the name of Ian Bamber!
Ian asked how long he had to teach me before I left for the other side of the world. I told him 3 weeks! No pressure there then. I had bought a used bridge camera and a Fuji film for £80, that came complete with strap and cardboard box. Ian told me to shoot in P mode and demonstrated focused shutter release and that was it - I was off. The images I got were pretty awful and I shot video as well.
I joined Ian's camera club on my return. i.e. Blackburn Camera Club. After a short while I bought my 1st DSLR, a Canon Rebel D300. I remembered its predecessor - the 20D which a national magazine billed as, 'The perfect camera'!! Now the D300 was to be for me. I got a couple of cheap lenses - a 15-50 f5.6 and a 70-300 f5.6 and I shot anything that moved and up to 500 pix a day. I didn’t do Photoshop then but used a cheap program to do the job. I can’t remember its name now but it was rubbish.
I was in the beginners section in the club and I got a lot of help there and I learned the basics of being a club competitor. The problem with being at the bottom is that if you are lucky, then advice is thrown at you from all directions and with all due respect you need to sieve and rationalise it. In other words, be careful who you emulate! I saw a few members come and go and I made a few friends there (and they still speak to me), seasoned photographers from the film era, an era i never studied.
I found myself with the photography bug! You know when you have it because:
- You think about it constantly
- You read all the magazines ( I was on a mission)
- I entered every competition going
- I practiced at EVERY opportunity
- Google and You Tube were missing, so I did it the old fashioned way and just pursued it.
I kept my Rebel for a year then bought a Canon 30D and a Canon 300mm f2.8. The gloves were off, serious stuff ! I 'acquired' Photoshop and started climbing that very steep learning curve.
AM - So you were a full time paramedic? I'm sure, as part of that role, you have learnt a few tricks about how to deal with people in difficult circumstances, skills which you can now apply within the wedding and teaching environments. Transferable skills, as they say.
AP - I was a full time para for 40 years until I officially retired last year. (I started when I was 3 years old). I feel sorry for the young ones coming on the job now! Transferable skills to photography? Maybe. Getting a successful grip on photography is more about diligence and perseverance . The single most important thing to do is surround yourself with people who are opinionated, who will tell you the truth and mentor you. Keep grounded and don’t go off on a spur leading nowhere. Thinking about what you say, then maybe the best thing I acquired was that I always worked shifts, which can destroy family life, but which I used to my advantage, meaning you build up to not needing a lot of sleep, which as a landscape photographer is really useful! The bad side was I had the pleasure of working nights and back shifts over weekends, Christmas, bank holidays, etc. More importantly I planned and ensured I could be a full time photographer when I stopped being a para.
AM - But it is also a very stressful job on many levels and thus needs an escape or release from the sights, sounds and smells, be that Bluegrass or weights. But photography - now that can really help one to step out from the day-to-day and observe. Just that simple act of looking and waiting for the right moment to make an image that will hopefully please you for hours on end. Just magic.
I'm guessing that is why you got hooked on it.
AP - Yeah, I did but I don’t know when. It just happened. Interesting .
AM - You mention photographic societies/clubs, and I know they aren't for everyone, but for a lot of people they do provide an outlet and also a lot of guidance to assist them in improving. Just being around other photographers and seeing images on a regular basis can be an eye opener. However, you also point out that there many other sources to learn from: books; magazines, and my favourite, YouTube, from which I have picked up so much over the years. The biggest of all the points you made was to practice. I don't think that can be stressed enough. Practice a lot, fail often and learn. This results in understanding, which leads to improvement. No short cuts, just lots of cuts.
AP - Camera clubs are great. I started in Blackburn Camera Club and now I’m part of Preston Photographic Society. Camera clubs are venues for like minded people to share Information and socialise. Strangely enough most beginners join a camera club to learn the game but they don’t teach it! Practicality prevents this, as a handful of newbies enrolling once a year is not enough to start a class. I addressed this issue recently and suggested a list should be drawn up of mentors/teachers who will take time out to teach on a 1-1 or group training. A similar list of beginners also put their names forward to learn different skills. I put my name down to teach. BASICS + POST PROCESSING + STILL LIFE + LANDSCAPE WORK
AM - Now I'm torn as to where to go next. I have three possible directions. Oh, which to choose?
Lets pick on Ian Bamber, who is a very talented nature photography. It could be said that you had a good teacher to start with and I'm sure his skills have rubbed off. Now onto the next question, over the years since you've been shooting, have there been any other photographers (or people in general outside of photography) out there that you've learned from or been inspired by?
AP - Initially Ian Bamber, and my first club, which got me into competition photography. I loved doing all the competition stuff and I did ok too. In that club, you were elected above beginner grade by the committee who judged you as a more competent person and permitted you then to compete with the experienced photographers! Gulp! There is a school of thought that competition photography can be a double edged sword. On one side you can learn from each other and the experienced judge. On the other other side, is the opinion that camera clubs can be the greatest stiflers of artistic licence. You are constantly encouraged to push the boundaries and explore beyond the remit but if you put that out in a competition, it’s likely to be trod on from a great height by a judgemental mindset of “rules”. Saying that , how else can you do it?
After some years at Blackburn club and competing in all the county/nationals/FIAP comps I came to my photographic mid life crisis! I felt my images were poor and badly needed improving, but how? I needed to move on. I had studied the masters of landscaping and I was nowhere near their standard. I won a lot of trophies at my club but I still felt I had more to learn.
I decided to find an able teacher and have lessons. The truth is I tried quite a few but didn’t get what I needed. I spent a lot of time with pro photographer Adrian Almond in the lakes. Eventually I found what was needed. Paul Gallagher of aspect2i. That was the start of it all.
AM - You made a few interesting points in there, the first being around competition photography, especially club competition and how far along it can take you, on your journey. There is a certain buzz you get when you are awarded your first 'first place' in a competition and for some there is a need to keep getting that buzz and collecting trophies or even certification. There is nothing wrong with that and you do improve in a way. I just wonder if you improve by what's in fashion, rather than what is driving you. Do your images trigger an emotion, tell a story, hold the attention and inspire? Do they reflect you? Or do they fall into a crowd of really good images that have similar look and feel.
Does it actually matter? I think so.
AP - This is multi-featured and has many benefits to choose from. A wise trainee tog will glean best practice from the variety of sources and select what they can utilise, being mindful of who they emulate.
Generally I have found camera clubs to be widely different and constantly evolving, yet they all share the premise of like minded enthusiasts with a common interest and getting together formally.
Competition photography is perfect for beginners as everything is there to learn from, but few clubs actually teach it (for the practical reason that new members tend to join in dribs and drabs, and not all at once like a primary school) . This is why I suggested my local camera club have a voluntary mentor / mentee list so the club can link you together so that learning can be discussed.
Preston photographic society have a great crowd pleaser in their “Photo walks”. These just started as a "padder-outer", when the club closed for its summer break but members still wanted to carry on as a group.
So a lieutenant was press-ganged, and it was arranged that members met on a certain day/time/ location and the group had a great time socialising, laughing and, of course, taking the odd picture. It always ended up in a pub!
This has expanded and it now runs all year round. It is open to non-members too, and, as a result, the club benefits with a good number of new members joining the ranks. The traditional camera club has a weekly get together and usually a show/presentation for 90 minutes or so. There's no stop for a chat, however, and everyone just goes home. This is how photo walks score so heavily.
I wouldn't like to be a photography judge! I think I could give a good account and fair critique in my areas of expertise i.e. landscapes, product, commercial photography and post processing. But in any other genre, I have little knowledge and it would be unfair to comment. However, this is the case we face, but how else do you do it without incurring much more money and time?
I’m on the presentation/lecturing circuit and one of my presentations is called, 'Your Visual Signature' and it's about developing your own style and how to stop falling over tripod holes!
AM - Oh, by the way, before I forget, do you play actually Bluegrass?
AP - Do I play Bluegrass? Yes, I played and taught Bluegrass Banjo at my club in the Midlands. I did many hours of this and travelled around all the music festivals too. Eventually I sold the banjo last year (20 years old now) for twice what I paid for it and its now a pergola in my garden. It's an age thing, mate!
AM - Nice! Now that is a good return on investment. You mentioned earlier about, 'finally finding what it was that you needed'. Can you expand on that? What was it that you found in Paul Gallagher and how did he influence your approach to your landscape photography?
AP - I discovered Paul Gallagher through a mutual friend and he seemed to be what I needed so I thought, "Hang the expense" and booked him for a weeks instruction in Skye to try and break me out of the tunnel I was in .
I learned more in a week than the previous 5 years!
At the end of the week we went for a farewell Indian meal and Paul offered this:
If he taught me post processing and landscape photography 1-1, personally, over the next few years, would I come and work for him as an international workshop leader?
My answer? Well I recall what Elizabeth Taylor , the actress, said when the press hounded her about being the first actress to be paid a million dollars for a film. She replied, “Well, if they're stupid enough to offer it then I'm not stupid enough to refuse it!”
So the journey began. I was now learning from a master. Paul's been in the game thirty three years and has an enviable worldwide reputation in his black and white creations. He's written numerous books and is the darling of the magazines.
He wasn't precious with his knowledge, nor his gear, and would willingly share both without question. He has a business partner, Michael, with whom he started the market leading company aspect2i. Michael and Paul shared similar professional backgrounds - they were both top of their trees when they decided to start up the company.
Aspect2i takes clients around the world and teaches them landscape photography. They also own the Epson Print Academy and teach masterclasses in post processing and printing.
I went back to basics and started building upon a foundation that I could expand on instead of running down a tunnel of someone else's making. I was encouraged to study past masters of landscape work and to try to see what they saw.ie John Sexton and Ansel Adams.
John Sexton penned a book of landscapes called, “Quiet Light”. They are monochrome medium format plates of magnificence. All the images were taken in the last 10 minutes of light on long exposures, including plants! Quiet light.
I learned to see, not look. Observation is critical in this genre and you need to develop the ability to break the scene down in front of you into individually crafted images. But (I was going to put, 'At the end of the day' and decided to avoid it for obvious reasons!) you need to physically get out there and just explore. I recall we had flown into the top end of Sweden not that far from Murmansk in Russia to do business there. After that was concluded we had a few days before flying home so we drove southwest for a few hundred miles to investigate /recce North Lofoten in Norway.
We drove around this amazing archipelago in search of wonderful shooting....we found it! Be prepared to dive down yellow metalled roads from your maps, especially if they are dead ends.
Gradually, I removed myself from iconic shooting and immersed myself in investigating potential landscapes.
If I had to sum up what I gained, then I would choose subtlety. I have learned 'less is more' and to appreciate the beauty in mid-tones. Now I slow right down and use more consideration, and craft my images instead of throwing them together without planning and forethought
I not only got education from Paul, I also assisted with him on recces within the Arctic Circle where I gained experience in not only finding the locations but appraising the infrastructure of that location i.e. setting up and dealing with hotels, eateries and local laws.
Since then I have taught workshops in many places but Scotland will always be that special place to me. I holiday there too. Photography holidays, of course!
The photographic journey in landscaping is 50% photography and 50% post processing. You need to shoot in Raw and set your camera up so you take full control for everything and do not allow the camera to make any decisions. Shoot in maximum capture. I use Adobe Camera Raw and Photoshop.
Set your computer in ACR to Prophoto RGB. This will ensure maximum gamut from your raw files. You are now ready to start! Photoshop is a steep but enjoyable learning curve .
Here are some useful links :
- https://www.yr.no/?lang=en - Norwegian weather forecast for the world
- http://www.mwis.org.uk/ - Mountains weather forecast which includes weather at different altitudes
AM - That was one opportunity you were given there from Paul. He must have seen something in you in that first week to invest that time and effort in you, but I suspect he has been rewarded many times over.
The idea of 're-setting' and going back to basics would put a lot of people off. However it is something that we should all do, no matter the discipline. In doing so, it helps to remove those bad habits that we slip into. And the basics are our foundation, after all.
Before I ask you about your last comments about processing can we talk a little about gear? For your landscape work, what do you consider the key items one would need if you were starting out down the landscape route?
AP - Most people buy or receive a present of a camera with a kit lens and build up slowly but with that considered, if I had to advise anyone what to buy, I would ask them to consider these observations:
Think and google carefully about the system you invest in because you are most likely to be stuck with it unless you win the lottery.
It appears the days of the DSLR are numbered and a lot of togs are going down the mirrorless route. But hang fire, I'm not changing - I can't afford to. But it does mean plenty will be off-loading their gear on eBay at the right price - just saying.
Mirrorless cameras are lighter because they are smaller, which means everything that physically won't fit on the camera now goes into the menus. Will this suit you?
I don't carry all my gear at once. I pre-think my day and carry only what I will need and I'm never more than a mile away, so having lighter gear that's going to cost me £20-£30k for no improvement to my work is a no brainer.
Maybe it would suit you to have light gear. My friend Mike Prince is a retired mountain rescue leader in the Lakes and is now a professional landscape photographer. He really goes for it and will hike/climb all day to get one image - fit as a flea! Now he uses mirrorless - he has to!
If money is a concern I would buy a used DSLR and a Nifty 50 1.8. If, as a raw beginner you are willing to invest then buy :
- camera
- wide angle lens
- telephoto lens
- 0.6 hard grad filters
- wide angle polariser
- solid tripod
But before setting foot out of that door, go study the masters.
AM - To round this topic off. What is now in your camera bag?
AP - An American F-stop 'flight friendly' carbon-framed travel bag which opens face up so when I'm on the beach, I don't get wet sand on my back once finished. You'll also find :
- Nikon D850 which is THE landscaping camera Nikon produce
- D700 Infrared converted
- Lenses- Nikon 24mm f 3.5 PCE 24/70mm f2.8 16/35mm f4 70/200mm f2.8 . 15mm Fisheye 35mm f1.4 85mm f1.4
- Filters LEE 105mm Circular polariser
- Hard/soft grads 0.3 0.6 0.9
- Shutter release cable
- A Huff filter
- Roll up waterproof – Pancho style PVC to cover EVERYTHING
- Chamois leather
- 1/25000 OS landranger map
- More batteries than you can shake a stick at + spare SD cards
- Hoodman Loupe-for viewing your images on bright days in camera
- Mobile phone for stop watch timer
- Heavy duty black bin liner (Andy's seat)
- The most important bit of kit - bog roll!
- Pen knife, coin, specs, wet wipes
AM - That sure sounds like a heavy load, at least to me, as a street photographer, it does. But for the budding landscape photographer you've given some food for thought when it comes to making that leap. Also, should landscape not be their thing, the basic set-up is so transferable into other genres of photography. Along with studying the masters I'd add another thing into the mix, which we've mentioned before and this is - practice, practice, practice. And reflect.
Oh, and get to know your gear before you move on.
On to your own bag, I really like a few things in there such as: the poncho-style PVS; your heavy duty black bin liner, and bog roll. Or in other words, it doesn't matter about the gear you're slinging around if you're not comfortable.
My next question could be a little more intriguing, about post processing. When it comes to landscapes how important do you think post processing is?
AP - My belief is, to craft top drawer Oxo gallery quality landscape prints then you have to :
- shoot in raw
- shoot in max bit
- set all to manual
- set your camera up so YOU make the decisions not the camera
- set your processor to working Prophoto RGB for maximum recognised gamut
- post process to show what you saw on location
So, if you are doing the above, the file on your screen will be lack lustre and below par so there is no other choice but to post process. I understand there are togs out there who don't post process. In wildlife competition, image post processing is restricted. But I do images for me.
I had to smile when I heard my boss reply to a customer who asked if it's ok to use presets. He stated thats fine, if you want some 19 year computer programmer from his bedroom telling you what your photograph should look like, even though he has never seen the scene like you did.
Post processing is vital for me. Camera work is only 50% of the journey so that leaves 50 % to be done on your screen! Don't rely on sliders. Learn to make a battle plan for post processing. The two most common errors I see in my workshops are over saturation and over sharpening. Post processing is not new. Exactly the same was done in film days, we just leave less of a carbon footprint now.
AM - I'm curious, what is it that you are attempting to do to the image with the tools of choice that you use?
AP - Photoshop is my software of choice for landscape photography. A lot of togs use Lightroom. Bear in mind they are both designed by Adobe and have their own uses. Lightroom was designed for wedding photographers utilising the catalogueing system plus block processing under similar lighting conditions. I can spend 15 minutes to a week on one image so do the maths!
Some people are wary of Photoshop because it was produced for graphic designers and can get quite complex. As a landscaper I just use the tools / techniques I need, which are very few. I select small sections of the image and improve them until the whole photograph is maximised. I utilise:
Adobe camera raw (ACR) as my raw converter. I use this for most of my global alterations and constantly re-open the file from Photoshop.
Selection tools – Lasso Polygonal lasso Quick selection Feather
Curves adjustment layers – This tool is the ultimate photoshop weapon of choice for me. Learn to use it properly and you will find it is amazing. I quote from Mr Google:
"The Photoshop Curves command is your most powerful tool for adjustments to brighten, darken, add contrast and shift colours, yet many users choose to avoid it. The problem is, despite being the most effective, it's also one of the most difficult commands to get to grips with."
Blending modes – I use these when applying a curves adjustment layer to a colour image (not monochrome).
Sharpening – There are many ways to sharpen and the choice is image dependent. Sharpening should be done after you have resized your image, and the last thing you do
I don't make big major changes to an image. I don't replace skies. I just make lots of small improvements which brings out the best in a photograph.
AM - You've highlighted a big difference between the two workflows. Lightroom - quick and repeatable processing across multiple images vs Photoshop - slower, more considered and individual to an image. I wonder if we'll get any comments and feedback around that topic.
Reflecting on the answers so far, we've covered who inspired you, your approach, the gear you use and your processing. You've provided many tips for the new photographer and experienced alike. You've talked about the subject of needing to find 'your own style' in photography. Also, not be afraid to explore the old masters (or even modern ones) to learn from them but then bring your own style to what you've learnt.
Doing a little self reflecting here, how would you describe your own style and do you think the images reflect who you are/were at the time of taking them?
AP - Personally, I certainly didn't have a recognisable style for many years as I was on that learning curve of excitement in camera club competitions. I was immersing myself with information to be assimilated at a much later date.
Im not sure I have a style but I have learned to make my own images. It would be wrong to say stop copying other togs because we can all learn from each other. Thats the hard bit isn't it, as you need to select/glean the best ideas to push you that little bit more and add to your repertoire.
These days, I suppose my style, if you can call it that, is that I have very much slowed down and think much more about the image before I shoot it. This takes us nicely into a phrase I use a lot which is, “Stop taking pictures and start making photographs”. I feel an image needs to crafted. I put my experience behind every image and try to tell a story of lines, textures and light. The genre, I feel, is of no consequence, as I will put as much effort into a still life as I do a seascape (in fact, I do more).
Very recently I was given permission to explore a privately owned wood full of beech, birch and oak trees. I was in 7th heaven. I had the place to myself and as often as I liked! So what did I do first? I sat down and listened to the absolute silence for 10 minutes when a young deer ran by. I have quoted John Sexton before, from his book, “Quiet Light”, and I feel I am happiest when making images with a “quiet light”
My images are from the heart and try to show other people what I saw. I don't shoot the wood I shoot the tree.
What I feel about my photography is summed up in this quotation by Dorothea Lange
"Photography takes an instant out of time, altering life by holding it still."
AM - If I may say so, your attention to detail comes across in your images. As you say, each is crafted, from the initial observations of the scene to setting up your composition, to taking the image. However, it doesn't stop there. You then apply a level of processing that goes beyond most, to finally build the layers of light to balance the final result. Each image is filled with emotion and a little of your soul.
Over the last few questions, you gone into a lot of detail and provided even more hints and tips for the beginner and experienced alike. Which means a slightly different question to finish on. Have you, in your head, that image you're striving for? What is it and where would you make it?
AP - The answer is, I don't have an image on my head. But I do have a developed minds eye when I get to a spot I like and weigh up the scene in front of me. I just do my homework, park the car and walk to the area I want.
The hard part is knowing how to see, not look. Obviously each hour of every day has different light falling on it. We are constantly battered about the golden hour - yes, its sometimes a lovely soft light but if you are a photographer then you should be able to produce the goods in all lights and times of day/night.
Just accept that sometimes you will return home with tired legs and nowt else! Have a look at these images which are screenshots of raw files and their completed Tiffs. I will explain what I saw in my minds eye
This is in Wester Ross, Scotland. I knew from my map research it was going to be a bit of a walk to get there. I walked all over, looking for the main subject then leading lines, light , tide level. I decided this was the spot as it had everything in droves. The raw file had a histogram that almost filled the graph so I knew this would be a winner. The last thing was timing.
I plonked myself here for a few reasons. I'm often asked what I look for first - is it the main subject or the sky? The answer is, I don't do anything in any order. I just survey what's there. But sometimes you have to be deft as things can change too quickly. The cloud which makes this image was rolling over the mountain fast, so I looked frantically for a decent foreground and found one in that teardrop hole. Then I utilised the rapid water on a 2-second exposure.
I said I positioned myself there for several reasons. If you turn around 180 degrees on the spot this is what u get!!
I manage workshops in landscape photography and post processing and meet clients both in the UK and overseas. Its usually for a week and I take a chance on the weather! Its my job to educate and draw out the best in each person to increase their skills in order to achieve the objective that by the end of the workshop, they can produce top-drawer prints. We have not failed yet.
The most difficult part I find is explaining what I can see compared with what the client may see see .I utilise several techniques to do this. One is to take all the clients to an area and ask them to leave their kit in the boot of the car and have a mooch round and get a feel of the place and see what's about!
Once this is done, I challenge them to take the best image they can and call me over. Sometimes they do a damn good job which just needs minor tweaking. Sometimes though, I congratulate them and ask If I can move their tripod maybe an inch and perhaps lower it? I show them the resulting picture and they are amazed at what's there in front of them but, at that time, didn't didn't see it.
Mind's eye involves honed compositional skills, light and timing so that the photographer can study a scene and pull out something worthwhile
Challenge yourself and make compositions in your head daily wherever you are!
AM - Thank you, Andy. That is a strong message to finish on and I really look forward to hearing what people think about your advice. Hopefully we'll get some questions which I hope you'll be able to answer.
If you want to see more of Andy's work -
Nancy Lisa Phillips - "A wonderful interview with my lovely hubby. I wish he'd put more of his Commercial & Portraiture work in though. You'll have to do another session Alf, haha! Great stuff!!!" via website comment.
Lynda McIntyre - "Loved your interview with Andy Phillips, a great read, lots of stunning images and plenty of tips to take on board. Thanks for sharing. :-)"
Jonathan Lonsdale - "Really interesting read" via Facebook
Sandra Wiseman - "Interesting read and an extension of Andy's very informative talks at the club 👍" via Facebook
Lucy Allen - "Fantastic interview with Andy Phillips I really enjoyed reading this" via Facebook
Paul Gallagher - "Great interview with one of the best in the business!" via Facebook
Paul Rushton - "Just finished reading this and I thoroughly enjoyed learning more about Andy’s photographic *journey*." Via Facebook
Credits:
Images by Andy Philips and friends