My Favourite Landscape Photos from 2022
What I like about these yearly retrospective blog posts is how they encourage me to look back at the photos I took in the last 12 months, assessing how successful the year was (photographically) and whether I feel my craft has taken a step forward or not. It gives me a chance to reflect on the many photo outings I made and reminds me of those special moments like the whisper-quiet mornings in the woodland where all you can hear is the sound of your own breath or the explosion of light appearing over London as the sun sets and the controlled panic trying to capture it before it fizzles away.
Along with cityscape and landscape photography, last year (2021) was my first full year taking woodland photos and you might think that’s probably enough but for some reason in 2022 I also started to dabble in both intimate landscapes and drone photography too. I know that specialising in a particular genre may be a better route to take for some, but personally, I just want to photograph whatever appeals to me and have as much fun being as creative as I can along the way. After all, hobbies are supposed to be just that….fun!
If you were expecting the usual top 9-10 photos other photographers tend to share at the end of the year, I’ve got bad news. I just couldn’t whittle down all of the photos I wanted to share to that fewer number. Instead, I’ve organised my photos into 7 groups and selected 4 for each, that’s 28 photos I’ve shared with you from those I took in 2022.
The Wider Landscape
I’m not quite sure why but I have to admit, I struggled more often than not to be inspired to get out and take photos of the wider vistas in 2022. I think it was a combination of spending more time photographing the woodland and feeling the need to step back from some of the default landscapes, which most people (including myself) photograph here in Surrey and Sussex. Nevertheless, I still managed to add a few vistas to my landscape collection. Below is a small selection of those I took in Sussex and the Surrey Hills.
Fujifilm X-T30 | XF50-140mm F2.8 | 140mm | 1/60th Second | f/8 | ISO160
The Cityscape
For obvious reasons, the last couple of years have been a bit stop-start in terms of getting into London to take photos of its fantastic cityscape, but as I work in the city and started to go back to the office more often, in 2021, I had more opportunities, both at the beginning and end of the day to get out and about with my camera. Along with some cracking sunsets like the one I managed to take below of Tower Bridge and the Shard, I also focused on getting up high and taking photos of the city from above and have included a couple of those I took below. If you want some tips as to where to take photos of London from a high vantage point, check out one of my previous posts here: My Top 5 Free Rooftop Locations to Photograph London
One consistent theme I’ve noticed in my cityscape photos in 2022 has been capturing more drama in the sky. Be it epic light, moody clouds or a rain shower passing in the distance, I’ve managed to add quite a few of these to my portfolio which I’m particularly pleased about.
Fujifilm X-T30 | XF18-55mm | 19mm | 1/100th Second | f/9 | ISO160
The Woodland
As I mentioned before, to the detriment of spending time taking photos of the wider landscape, I focused a lot of my time in 2022 taking photos of the woodland, particularly in a forest close to where I live. Looking back between the photos I took in 2021 and 2022, it’s my woodland photography where I feel I’ve made the most progress. Seeking compositions in the woodland not only takes practice, it also requires me to be in a particular mindset, open to ideas of what will work compositionally and for me, this requires a clear, focused approach whilst among the trees. I think that’s why I enjoy the process so much, as being in the zone means a clear, distraction-free mind which I find quite relaxing and meditative.
Fujifilm X-T30 | XF16-55mm F2.8 | 35mm | 1.3 Seconds | f/9 | ISO160
The South Coast
Although I spent a fair amount of time taking photos along the Sussex coast in 2022, I would have loved to have spent more time down there. The large picture below was taken along the modest dunes at Camber Sands, a stunning stretch of sandy coastline in East Sussex but due to the variety of cliffs, lighthouses and undulating landscape, the stretch of coastline between Beachy Head and Cuckmere is where I spend most of my time. That’s where I took the other three photos below. In 2023, I want to spend more of my time down along the coast, not only capturing the wide vistas on offer but also taking more intimate photos, capturing the shapes and patterns created by the movement in the water.
Fujifilm XT2 | XF10-24mm | 10mm | 1/80th Second | f/10 | ISO800
Photographing Wales
Yes, I’m kind of late to the party but I’ve fallen in love with Wales. After my autumn visit to the Brecon Beacons in 2021, I made two further trips to Wales in 2022. First up, I returned to photograph the falls in the Brecon Beacons, this time to see how it looked in late spring with the fresh vibrant leaves on the trees. Then in June, during a family trip to Snowdonia, I managed to get away with my camera a few times and came away with my own take on this classic view of the mighty Tryfan. I just wish I lived a little closer so I can visit more often.
Fujifilm XT2 | XF10-24mm | 14mm | 1/6th Second | f/9 | ISO200
Drone Photography
In 2022 I finally brought my first drone. I’d wanted to get one for some time but was worried it would see little use but that all changed when DJI released the Mini 3 Pro. Finally, a small drone with a useful camera. It’s a great bit of kit which I carry with me most the time and if you want to know more about what I think about the Mini 3 Pro when it comes to landscape photography, head over to another blog post I wrote on that very subject DJI Mini 3 Pro | A Landscape Photographer’s Review
DJI Mavic Mini 3 | 24mm (effective) | 1/2000th Second | f/1.7 | ISO100
The Intimate Landscape
In 2022 I also started to take photos of smaller scenes in the landscape such as those I’ve shared below. Although I still find it tricky to find interesting compositions, I really enjoy the process. It’s a great way to continue taking photos when conditions aren’t great as I find flat, uninspiring light is perfect to achieve evenly exposed scenes like this, as I can focus on the shape, colour and composition and not worry about changing light and deep shadows. It’s an area of landscape photography I plan to work on in 2023.
Fujifilm XT2 | XF55-200mm | 78mm | 1/20th Second | f/9 | ISO200
Hopefully, that wasn’t too many photos to look through but having taken so many photos across the different genres in 2022, I wanted to give you a good taste of the kind of photos I took.
What’s in store for 2023?
As usual, I now need to give some thought to 2023 and what I want to achieve with my photography.
First up, I want to develop in three key areas, woodland, intimate landscapes and drone photography. Although I love shooting the wide vistas and will continue to do so, those three areas are where I feel I have more scope for development. On top of that, spending time in the woodland and seeking out interesting subjects to photograph is good for me. It relaxes me and enables me to take time out for just a short while so, I’ll certainly be doing more of that.
I plan to head back to Wales, hopefully, a couple of times to photograph the epic landscape and beautiful scenery on offer. My first trip is booked for late January so fingers crossed that works out.
I have a couple of personal projects on the go which are all still cooking and although I don’t have much to say on this right now, in time I’ll certainly share more info on these.
Lastly, I want to spend more time experiencing photos in the physical form, which includes printing more of my work or maybe creating my first zine based on the projects I’m working on. At the very least I want to spend less time in front of the screen and more time reading the many photo books I’ve been collecting from fellow photographers and artists. Some of which I’ve shared with you on this blog in my Photo Bookshelf series.
My plans for 2023 are not particularly ambitious but that’s intentional. I have a day job and photography is a hobby and although I like to get out with my camera as much as I can, it’s still something I must balance between my other priorities such as family and work. I also have some exciting (for me at least) updates to my gear which I will share in the usual “what’s in my camera bag” kind of way in the coming weeks so look out for that too.
That’s it from me for 2022, so I wish you a very happy and healthy new year and speak to you again in 2023.
Until then.
Trevor