iJourneys

John Gough Photography

Cliché Photography

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Cliche Photography: Buttermere / John Gough

Cliché photography is about lack of imagination. Taking the pictures that everyone else takes. That can be location, genre, or processing. It is copying the photographs that others have taken before.

When I was in the Lake District earlier this year, I could not resist taking the lone tree at Buttermere. I had to queue, because there were other photographers in front of me, setting up their tripods. This is a very popular view. Try a search on Google, and you will see that lots of photographers have been there before you. Thousands of photographers each year take that same view. I agree all the images are different, and there are lots of different versions, but essentially they are all the same scene.

So is my version unique? I have changed the sky to one that was not there and added a texture effect to the foreground. So is it still cliche photography?

Cliché Photography: SLPOTY

Well, the Scottish Landscape Photographer of the Year competition (SLPOTY) is so fed up with receiving submissions from just a few places that they have banned images from certain locations from now on.

These are the most popular and most photographed views in Scotland. SLPOTY maintains that 80% of their submissions are just from these 19 locations!

Cliche Photography: SLOPTY

So if you want to enter their competition you will need to find a unique perspective.

Isn’t Photography About Fun

I applaud the SLPOTY in trying to promote diversity but isn’t photography about fun. It is exciting to discover beautiful landscape images, find their locations and attempt to recreate or put your own take on familiar scenes.

I am going to Scotland next month and I look forward to tracking down the nineteen locations that the SLPOTY have banned and putting my stamp on their ‘honeypot’ beauty spots.

It is now so easy to find these locations and explore the views that other photographers have taken, by using books like these. These guides include instructions about how to get there and even where to park.

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If you are a serious photographer and want to become Scottish Landscape Photographer of the Year, then avoid the popular beauty spots, but if like me you want to come back with some cracking shots, buy the books and shoot the clichés

Photographing Dorset

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Old Hary Rocks / John Gough / Canon 6D

Yes, you could take the well worn path to Durdle Door and take the photograph that every other landscape photographer has taken. Or you could look for a different location. If you are photographing Dorset, then a similar scene with a different perspective can be found at Old Harry Rocks.

Photographing Dorset – Studland Bay

Head to Studland Bay, a terrific location for photographing Dorset and park at the South Beach car park. The path is signposted to Old Harry Rocks

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There is then a gorgeous walk out to the headland. This has photo opportunities all along the path until you emerge on the coastline. The vista is just magnificent. These pictures were taken in June this year, and I was so lucky with cloud formations which complemented both the sea and the sky.

Paddling in Dorset / John Gough / Canon 6D

 

Photographing Dorset: Reference

I used this book for my jaunt photographing Dorset, it was very useful giving precise details of how to access many locations. If you don’t know the area and have limited time a book like this is essential. I have used similar books for most of my location visits.

 

Where I Buy

I buy my equipment from Wex. I have genuinely found that they offer great advice and customer service.

This Image was Taken on a Canon

Kathy Brown’s Garden: Photography Location

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Red Flower / John Gough / Canon 6D

Yesterday I attended a flower photography workshop at Kathy Brown’s Garden in north Bedfordshire. The garden is gorgeous especially this time of year, with endless blooms to photograph. We were led by Sue Bishop, author, renowned photographer and founder of Light and Land.

Flower Photography

Sue demonstrated how she would set up a flower shot. What impressed me, was that she usually spent twenty minutes looking for the ideal bloom. She used a 100mm macro lens mounted on a Nikon DSLR on a Gitzo (I think) tripod and triggered the exposure with a remote.

She recommended:

  • Focussing on either the front edge petals or the stamens of the flower.
  • Approaching the flower from the side rather than flat and head on.
  • A big aperture to create a dreamy out of focus background.
  • Watch the background for highlights and colours that would detract from the subject.

It was a windy day and that is my excuse, but thank you to Bruce Deacon for setting up the day.

Where I Buy

I buy my equipment from Wex because I have genuinely found that they offer great advice and customer service.

This Image was Taken on a Canon

Peterborough Cathedral Photographic Location

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Direct Line to God /John Gough / Canon 6D

Thank you to Peterborough Cathedral for allowing a group of us to photograph Peterborough Cathedral.

In the Middle Ages, these magnificent buildings emerged like pyramids, brick by brick out of the pastoral English landscape. We still do not fully understand how they were built.

We were lucky enough to have a full tour of the building, including the triforium and tower. Many thanks to Bruce Deacon and Adrian Stone for setting this up.

It was an awesome experience but on a very hot day. I was pleased to eventually down a pint of Stella. It was an Ice Cold in Alex experience.

Where I Buy

I buy my equipment from Wex because I have genuinely found that they offer great advice and customer service.

This Image was Taken on a Canon

Wex Walkabout in London’s East End

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On High / John Gough / Sony a6300

Wex Walkabout

I went on a Wex Walkabout yesterday with Matt Hart the street photographer’s, street photographer. He led us around the City and London’s East End for a very hot, but enjoyable couple of hours of street photography, finishing up in Brick Lane. The area is so vibrant that there are photographic opportunities everywhere. However, I noticed that Matt was very much more discerning than the twelve of us, who were in more point and shoot mode. He had succeeded in his mission to take away the fear of pointing a camera at people we do not know, which is what street photography is all about.  Matt said before the shoot that a good picture requires light, composition, interesting subject and emotion, and a great picture will have all those elements.

The image above was taken in the City which was also included on the walk.

Wex Walkabouts are amazing value considering Light and Land charge hundreds of pounds for similar workshops. I encourage you to have a go.

Where I Buy

I buy my equipment from Wex because I have genuinely found that they offer great advice and customer service.

This Image was Taken on a Sony

 

Whitby Photography Locations

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Whitby

Reflecting On Whitby / John Gough / Sony a6300

Whitby in North Yorkshire is a cracking location for photography. It is set in the North Yorkshire Moors National Park, ideal for dramatic landscapes. It is on the coast with a harbour with two lighthouses. The estuary to the River Esk is a colourful mixture of fishing boats and pleasure craft. The town is overlooked by the famous gothic ruin of Whitby Abbey. There are also the over photographed one hundred and ninety nine steps down from the abbey into the town. 

 

If you are into street photography then the visitors to the town are an exuberant cross section of mostly northern folk who are out to enjoy themselves. You could immerse yourself in street photography here for days.

My photograph does not capture the landscape, abbey or harbour, sometimes you have to find a different moment.

This Image was Taken on a Sony

 

 

Northumberland Photo Locations

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Northumberland

Tynemouth Outdoor Swimming Pool / John Gough / Sony a6500

I went to the Northumberland coast a couple of weeks ago. I was looking forward to taking dramatic images of troublesome seas, clouds skating across weary skies, and seahorses breaking across windswept beaches. Instead what I got was an insidious sea mist, and continuous low cloud for as far as the eye could see. Don’t, however, let that put you off. There are beautiful locations for photography in Northumberland.

I just had to make do, which meant looking in different directions, which leads me on to the Tynemouth outdoor swimming pool above. I used to swim there as a boy, we thought it was warm when the temperature of the seawater that used to fill it reached, 47 Fahrenheit. The structure has obviously deteriorated since then. However, the seawater is not any warmer.

Research on the Northumberland Coast

To research the Northumberland coast I used this Photographers Guide, Northumberland. The places I visited and would go back to again were:

Not in the book but probably not an omission is Tynemouth Outdoor Swimming Pool opened in 1925 and highlighted above. There are some evocative images to be had as the concrete discolours and degrades.

Northumberland

Time Was / John Gough / Sony a6300

My favourite location, however, was the Rendezvous Cafe on the Promenade at Whitley Bay. No change since the 1950’s?

Northumberland

Ices / John Gough / Sony a6300

The Traditional Northumberland Landscape

For a view of traditional Northumberland landscape, try the locations in this book by veteran landscape photographer  Joe Cornish.

 

The Lake District

See my Lake District locations using this book:

 

Where I Buy

I buy my equipment from Wex because I have found they offer great advice and customer service.

This Image was Taken on a Sony

 
 

Philip Lepper Trophy

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Philip Lepper Trophy

Trees Reflected / John Gough / Canon 6D

Delighted to receive the Philip Lepper Trophy at Bedford Camera Club this week, for my image Trees Reflected.

It was taken a year or so ago at Buttermere. I parked the car in Buttermere village then walked back along the B5289 towards Gatesgarth. I then walked back to Buttermere on the path between the lake and the road. The picture was taken looking back at the trees on the southern shoreline, using a big 100-400mm lens.

All the photography gods were aligned that day.

Lake District Photography Locations

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Lake District Photography Locations

Pooley Bridge Pier / John Gough / Canon 6D

I have been in the Lake District for a few days, and instead of darting from one location to the next, I did what many landscape photographers recommend which is to work the location. Usually, I don’t have the time for this, trying to pack in as much as I can. However, I have accumulated hundreds of pictures of the Lakes over the past few years, so I decided to follow their advice.

Lake District Photography: Wastwater

I started in Wastwater and worked the view looking towards Wasdale Head and Skafell Pike.

The landscape experts tell you to make the most of the weather you have been given. Well, at least it was not that insipid clear blue sky, you see on postcards of Lakeland scenes. The sky instead was overcast, the rain was spitting, and the breeze created a slight swell on the water. All in all, this created quite a moody scene.

Lakedistrict Photography

Wastwater in March / John Gough / Canon 6D

 

 

Lake District Photography: Buttermere

The next day I went in search of a photography icon, the lone tree on the shoreline of Buttermere Lake. Hundreds of photographers have got there before me. Indeed there was one there as I arrived, self consciously moving a tripod around while his wife looked on impatiently. Fortunately, I had neither encumbrance.

Head for the Fish Inn CA13 9XA. There is a public carpark. Walk past the pub and onto the path around the lake. When you reach the banks of the lake turn left and follow the path.

Lake District Photography

The Lone Tree / John Gough / Canon 6D

It is a misnomer the tree is not on its own, there are other trees along the bank. However, none have captured the imagination of artists and photographers quite like this one.

 Lake District Photography: Ullswater


I went to Pooley Bridge on Ullswater to find another iconic location, the Duke of Portland Boathouse. The best vantage point is from the wall just past the junction of the A592 and the B5320. It was, however, overcast, pouring with rain, and the lake was a murky grey. The boathouse is really only worth shooting as the sun comes up and illuminates it from the front.

I walked back to the pier for Ullswater steamers, by now it was raining hard, but as pier pictures seem very much in vogue, I captured the image at the top of the page. I took several but the rest were ruined by rain spots. By now I was cold and wet, so I decided it was time for a bacon butty.

 

 

I have added links to the books I use to find locations. These are affiliate links so I do get a very small payment if you purchase.

 

I used my Canon 6D on this trip with the magic 16-135 lens ideal for landscapes. I buy my gear from Wex because I have experienced their fantastic customer service personally.

 

Photography in the Lake District

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I was in my element over the last few days back in the Lake District.

Wastwater Photography

Wastwater is in my opinion just one of the most beautiful places on earth. It is almost impossible not to get a stunning photograph, which is why I keep going back. The weather is the only major challenge.

This is not a picture from this trip, but just shows how beautiful the lake can be when the weather and lighting are right.

Wastwater John Gough Canon EOS 6D

 

Keswick Photography

I usually stay in Keswick so that I can get up before dawn and photograph near Derwentwater. It is the golden hour, there are only a few people about and the light is magical. There are numerous opportunities for great pictures. The picture below was taken from here.

The ISO is an amazing 25600, f8 at 1/6th on a monopod rather than a tripod.

Lake District

Derwentwater Before Dawn John Gough Canon EOS 6D

 

Another couple of locations close to Keswick are Ashness Bridge and Surprise View. There are car parks at both locations, so that you do not waste valuable photography time walking and climbing fells.

This picture was taken on this trip. Early in the morning on a grey day, but it is still a beautiful scene.

 

Lake District Photography

Ashness Bridge John Gough Canon EOS 6D

 

The next picture was also taken this trip at Surprise View

 

Again early, the cloud is heavy and it is barely light, but Photoshop allowed me to recover some of the shadows.

Lake District Photography

Surprise View Keswick John Gough Canon EOS 6D

Both these books are an  excellent guide to photography in the Lake District, and I carry them with me every trip.