subscribe 0330 333 1113 I http://www.amateurphotographer.co.uk I 9 November 2019 19
6
Mood
Fog,mistandstormyweather
areamongmyfavouriteconditions
toshootin andit’swhyI preferthe
coldermonths,becausethisis when
theseconditionsaremorefrequent.
Suchconditionsoftentranslatereally
welltoblack& white,andthisstyle
of atmosphericshotaremyfavourite
imagestoshoot.I’lloftenlooktothe
coastwhenI knowtherewillbeslightly
rougherseasandjusthavefunplaying
withvariousexposures.5
Noise
I’mgoingthrougha phase
whereI’mshootingmorehandheld
imagesat higherISOin certain
scenes.SometimesI feelyoudon’t
havetopickouteverydetailsothe
grainrenderedbyshootinghighISO
doesnotdetractfromthescene
andcanactuallyhelpcreatean
atmosphere.In thisshotI’veactually
addedgrainandcontrasttocreate
a moreatmosphericimage.7
Ray of light
Woodland is not an easy subject, and it’s especially hard
to pick out compositions that work in black & white. I tend to
look for a natural pathway through a woodland and pockets
of light that help lead the viewer into the image, as this can
work well for monochrome images in a woodland scene,
particularly when there is a lot of chaos.8
Shift ing sands
I’ll often shoot the same areas throughout the year
and it amazes me how the environment can change
throughout the seasons. This image of Westcombe Bay
was taken during the winter months after heavy rain and
rough seas. As a result the sands had shifted and the
rainfall had created a stream running to the ocean.Lenscloth
There’snothing like a
big raindrop running
down the front of
your lens to ruin your
image. A lens cloth
is essential.Umbrella
To keep the water
and snow off your
lens and camera, an
umbrella can come
in handy.Shutter
release
To avoid nudging the
camera during those
long exposure times,
Neil uses a remote
shutter release.▲
INMYKITBAGI ALWAYSHAVE
4
Plan ahead
Nun’s Cross Farm is a place I’ve
shot a few times during the year, but
it’s somewhere I’ve always wanted to
shoot as a winter scene and one I had
planned with a friend for some time.
There are some places that just work
better in the snow and nine times out
of ten they work even better in black
& white.▲ ▲