I
F YOU WANT BREATH-TAKING
landscapes you go to Scotland,
if you want mountains you go to
Wales and if you want stunning
countryside you look out of almost
any window in rural England. The
UK is unquestionably home to a diverse but
densely-compacted range of landscapes;
you're never more than a couple of hours
from the coast nor do you have to travel far to
change your view from majestic mountains
and meandering rivers to deep valleys or
chocolate-box cottages. Add in ancient
woodlands and the grandiose of the historic
buildings and you’ve more landscape
potential than you could shoot in a lifetime.
If asked to recommend the best places to
photograph English landscapes, where
would be on your list? Cornwall, the Jurassic
Coast, perhaps the Lake District – what
about East Anglia? No – that's not surprising
but that’s also what makes it such a gem – a
hub of under-appreciated, unacknowledged
beauty by those who have never been. There
may not be as many wide, sweeping vistas as
in the north or idyllic, rugged coastlines as
in the south but East Anglia boasts some
incredibleandeclecticscenes,provenbythe
Right now I share the
area with very few other,
but great, photographers
- the region is a well-kept
secret and seems to be
attracting quality, rather
than quantity, when it
comestophotographers
July 2019 Digital SLR Photography 87
potential exhibited in native photographer
Justin Minns’ new book – Photographing
East Anglia. And renowned landscape
photographer David Noton agrees as he pens
the foreword for the book.
Whilst speaking to Justin, who has lived
near Suffolk’s Constable Country most of his
life and has dedicated his professional career
to capturing the best of East Anglia, it’s clear
he’s as reluctant to share his secrets as he is
excited about showcasing the area’s
wonders. “I shouldn’t really be telling too
many people about what’s available to
photographers in East Anglia – I love the
solitude of the sunrises and I never have to
scramble for the best viewpoints. Right now
I share the area with very few other, but
great, photographers – the region is a
well-kept secret and seems to be attracting
quality, rather than quantity, when it comes
to photographers,” suggests Justin. “With
the exception of a couple of locations, such
as Flatford and Southwold, there’s none of
this queuing up to take the same photo.
There are few preset images too – you have
Clockwise from top: “A lonely bungalow on the beach at
Shingle Street, one of Suffolk’s many wild and windswept
beaches; Sunrise on a still morning at Cromer pier, Norfolk;
Boats in the creek at low tide at Thornham, Norfolk;
Dramatic winter light on Herringfleet windpump, Suffolk.”