Christmas has taken over. Culture has taken a back seat. Mulled wine is the new art. Ahem, or maybe that's just in Poptart's world. So, in between all the festive get-togethers, I squeezed in a landscape photography talk at the National Theatre.
Now in its third year, thousands of people take pictures around the country in the hope of becoming the Landscape Photographer of the Year . The amazing picture above of sunrise over the Old Man of Storr on the Isle of Skye by Emmanuel Coupe is this year's winning entry. This and other stunning pictures can be seen at Take a View: a free exhibition at the National theatre.
The awards which aim to show the UK in its myriad forms from rural, suburban to urban, were started by top landscape photographer Charlie Waite.*
And it was he who shared his secrets and tips from decades in the job as he talked through a slide-show of his iconic images.
First and foremost to be a good landscape photographer you need to engage with your surroundings, absorb them and become one with them, said Charlie. It's also good to have an idea in your mind of what you want. "I create a rough idea of how I'd like the photo to be. If the variables don't come together then it isn't too disappointing because I've enjoyed experiencing and observing the landscape."
Charlie is a man who thinks nothing of hanging around for an hour or two for a few clouds to pass by. Clearly patience is a key trait for a landscape photographer. He waited (no pun on his surname) for hours for the middle horse in this picture to straighten his right ear so that it matched the other two.
As I'm impatient and also a night owl rather than an early bird (those who are, catch the best light), I think I might not be cut out to make a living from this type of photography. So, back to clouds...
Charlie on clouds: they're very friendly things. If they comply with your wishes you can use them to deliver light or to conceal unwanted elements with their shadow. Clouds can also pull a picture together so that different elements interlock and talk to each other.
Charlie on light: Don't be afraid of juxtaposing dark and light fields as it helps convey a sense of depth.
Charlie on bad weather: If the weather is bad, water will give you twice the light so start working with it. Look for reflections in rivers and lakes. Similarly if it's windy, work with it not against it. Use a long shutter speed to try to capture the movement of long grass.
Charlie on trees: lonely trees often work because when a tree is isolated you see the true nature and nobility of it.
Charlie on infrared: I took a picture of Beech Avenue in Kingston Lacy in Dorset using a compact with infrared which gave a tonal value to the sky and made the trees look more cavernous.
Charlie on looking for relationships: (no not that sort although you never know who you might meet in a muddy field). It's important to look for relationships between elements. The human eye locks onto reference points and shapes first, then roams around after. This all takes one second. And that's when the viewer decides whether it's a good picture or not. In this picture:
the upturned boat in the foreground is shaking hands with the mountains behind.
I liked Charlie's views on how to "make" rather than "take" pictures. He works in the traditional way (he has a forty year old Hasselblad) and never photoshops skies. "Why sit hunched over your computer salvaging a picture when you could be outside using filters?" is his way of thinking.
If you want to hear more tips from Charlie than I can possibly write down, he is giving two more talks in January. More info here.
You can view some of the Take a View exhibition at the Guardian Online. It runs until 24th January.
* All pictures, apart from the winning entry at the top, are copyright of Charlie Waite.
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