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My Favourite Landscape Photos from 2023
I look back at the landscape photos I took in 2023, choose a few favourites and think about what I want to achieve in 2024.
I probably start these yearly posts the same way each time but the reason for me to write them never changes. I enjoy these annual retrospectives as they give me a reason to look back at the last 12 months, enjoy some of the photos and relive some of the adventures I had with my camera in tow.
Have you ever listened to some music and it transported you back to a time and a place where you first heard it? You could have been on a big night out with friends, at home on the sofa with someone special or even in the car driving to work. However momentous or mundane the setting, there is now a connection in your mind between that song and the time or place you heard it. That’s what photography does for me. I look back at these photos and yeah, it’s great to have something nice to look at, but adding the recollection of that time I was stood in the woodland, first thing in the morning with the surrounding mist deadening all sound but the birdsong above me, or standing at the edge of a frozen lake in Snowdonia with distant mountains in front of me and the sun just rising, illuminating the peaks. That is something else altogether. However much I feel that photography is a way to express myself artistically, they are all connections to a time and place where I felt the moment was special enough to capture and keep forever.
So, to sum up, I get as much, if not more joy from writing these yearly posts than anyone might get from reading them.
The Woodland
I think 2023 was the first year since photographing landscapes that I spent more time capturing the woodland than the grand landscape. I really have put a shift in. I’ve made so many early morning trips into my local forest this year and between all that effort, practice and getting to know the woodland properly, I feel my woodland photography has progressed significantly in 2023.
Fujifilm XT5 | XF16-55mm | 23mm | 0.8 Seconds | f/10 | ISO400
Fujifilm XT5 | XF16-55mm | 26mm | 0.5 Seconds | f/7.1 | ISO125
Fujifilm XT5 | XF16-55mm | 35mm | 1/10th Second | f/7.1 | ISO400
Fujifilm XT5 | XF16-55mm | 34mm | 1/3rd Second | f/8 | ISO125
This year, I started to think about how so many of my photos never see the light of day and decided that I wanted to release more of these photos in the form of on-location blog posts. They’re not supposed to be too overwhelming, but just enough to feature the handful of photos I might take on a successful photography outing. Here are a couple of blog posts I wrote about my trips into the woodland.
London’s Cityscape
I was quite productive when photographing London in 2023, but not in my usual way. Ordinarily, I seek the wider, epic cityscape with dramatic clouds or vivid colours in the sky. This year was a bit different as I’ve not taken as many of what some might call my traditional style of cityscape photo. So, why was it productive if I didn’t take as many of my usual cityscape photos? Check out the section towards the end of this post featuring my Timeless City project.
I still managed, however, to bag a few keepers on my many outings into the Big Smoke and I’ve shared some of my favourites below.
Fujifilm XT5 | XF16-55mm | 16mm | 1/13th Second | f/8 | ISO125
Fujifilm XT5 | XF10-24mm | 10mm | 1/40th Second | f/11 | ISO125
Fujifilm XT5 | XF16-55mm | 16mm | 1/1000th Second | f/6.4 | ISO125
Fujifilm XT5 | XF10-24mm | 10mm | 1/100th Second | f/4 | ISO125
Fujifilm XT5 | XF16-55mm | 16mm | 2.5 Seconds | f/13 | ISO125
The Landscape
I always like to share some of the traditional landscape photos I took during the previous 12 months, but this past year, I struggled a little. With the shift to taking more woodland photos and recently feeling a little uninspired by my local landscape, I didn’t make as many trips and subsequently as many landscape photos as I normally do.
I did take a few worth sharing though, often revisiting some of my regular locations in the area to document how they have changed over time or through the different seasons. It’s something I do more and more these days. When I get to a location I like, I will revisit it time and again to try to improve on the photos I’ve taken before, or like I have been doing with the view of the low-lying woodland below, taking photos throughout the year as a mini seasonal project.
Fujifilm XT5 | XF16-55mm | 16mm | 0.4 Seconds | f/11 | ISO125
Fujifilm XT5 | XF16-55mm | 35mm | 1/10th Second | f/6.4 | ISO400
Fujifilm XT5 | XF50-140mm | 56mm | 1/10th Second | f/9 | ISO125
Fujifilm XT5 | XF50-140mm | 140mm | 1/80th Second | f/8 | ISO125
The Small Scenes
I thoroughly enjoy photographing small scenes like this and in 2023, I managed to take a handful of photos I like, some I’ve shared below.
I do, however, feel I lost my way a little when photographing the small scenes over the last 12 months. I believe that to photograph the details around me, I need to practice seeing them, looking down more often at what’s around my feet and working harder to notice nature’s textures and patterns that surround me every day. I just don’t think I did enough of that. It’s not about the number of photos I took, more that if I’m tuned in better to the details, I will spot them more often instead of just walking by. Something for me to work on in 2024.
Fujifilm XT5 | XF50-140mm | 140mm | 1/8th Second | f/9 | ISO125
Fujifilm XT5 | XF50-140mm | 134mm | 1/15th Second | f/9 | ISO125
Fujifilm XT5 | XF16-55mm | 55mm | 0.6 Seconds | f/8 | ISO125
Fujifilm XT5 | XF50-140mm | 140mm | 1/25th Second | f/2.8 | ISO125
The Drone
I have thoroughly enjoyed taking landscape photos with my done this year, but having only owned one since late 2022, it became apparent quickly that taking landscape photos with a drone was going to take a different approach altogether. There was quite a learning curve involved. With so much time spent photographing woodlands, not many of my dedicated landscape photography outings allowed for drone photography, but when they did, I took the opportunity and ended up with a handful of photos I particularly like.
If there’s one thing I want to take more photos with in 2024, it’s my drone, so I’ll be working hard to achieve that over the next 12 months.
DJI Mini 3 Pro | 24mm (effective) | 1/8000th Second | f/1.7 | ISO100
DJI Mini 3 Pro | 24mm (effective) | 1/30th Second | f/1.7 | ISO100
DJI Mini 3 Pro | 24mm Pano | 0.4 Seconds | f/1.7 | ISO100
Photographing Wales
With some beautiful woodland, rolling hills and chalk-lined coastlines, the Southeast of England has a lot to offer the landscape photographer, but what we don’t have is mountains and waterfalls and those lucky sods in Wales have ample amounts of both. So, over the last few years, I’ve been making multiple photography trips to both the Brecon Beacons and Snowdonia National Parks to get my fix of a more rugged landscape.
Since these were dedicated photography trips, I also wrote a couple of On Location blog posts that include more of the photos I took and some behind-the-lens stories. Select one of the thumbnails below to jump straight to that blog post.
A Landscape Photography Trip to Snowdonia
In January 2023, I spent a couple of days photographing a very wintry-looking Snowdonia. Barely scratching the surface, it was my first dedicated photography trip to this stunning location, learning lots along the way and getting to know the area as best I could in the short time I had. With any hope, the more times I visit, the better my photos will be, but as I just mentioned, this being my first trip dedicated to landscape photography, I’m still pleased with the photos I took.
Fujifilm XT5 | XF16-55mm | 18mm | 2 Seconds | f/8 | ISO125
Fujifilm XT5 | XF16-55mm | 16mm | 1/4th Second | f/5 | ISO125
Fujifilm XT5 | XF50-140mm | 54mm | 1/200th Second | f/9 | ISO200
Fujifilm XT5 | XF16-55mm | 16mm | 13 Seconds | f/8 | ISO200
Photographing Waterfall Country
Along with Snowdonia in January, I also took a trip to the Brecon Beacons National Park in October. Given the time of year, I was hoping for a little more colour on the trees, but the leaves were still predominantly green. Still, I made the best of it, taking some photos I was happy with, and I mentally clocked that to get the best colour, it will have to be an early-mid November trip next time.
Fujifilm XT5 | XF10-24mm | 14mm | 0.5 Seconds | f/9 | ISO125
Fujifilm XT5 | XF10-24mm | 10mm | 1/6th Second | f/8 | ISO125
Fujifilm XT5 | XF10-24mm | 10mm | 1/5th Second | f/7.1 | ISO400
Fujifilm XT5 | XF10-24mm | 15mm | 50 Seconds | f/10 | ISO125
Timeless City
I started the Timeless City project this year and was excited about it from the first photo I processed. I’ve been documenting London with my camera for a few years, making countless trips into the city and I feel I have finally found a way that allows me to share the photography as a cohesive body of work.
I deliberately used the word timeless as it represents so much about the project. The years I’ve been and will continue to photograph this great city, the way the old and new architectural styles sit side by side, and the aesthetic of the final image I create with the square crop and monochrome processing. All of it matters and represents something in the project.
I know the project has a way to go yet, not only in terms of the images I take but what it means and how it might develop. For now, I’m just excited to let it flow and see where it takes me.
Looking forward
As I mentioned at the start of this post, I usually spend a little time looking forward and thinking about what I want to achieve in the coming 12 months. Rightly or wrongly, these aspirations are relatively fluid as time is always limited and priorities can change. However, right here, right now, I’ve listed a few things I would like to achieve or make progress on in 2024.
Be it the woodland, cityscapes or small scenes, continue to be curious and inspired by the landscape.
Take more trips and make more memories to look back on in 12 months.
Be more consistent with both my blog and newsletter.
Publish my first book/zine and with hope, sell one or two.
Develop my Timeless City project further. Write about it, give it a dedicated space on my website, promote it and continue to build the work in preparation for something more in the future.
Print my photos more often.
Take photos with my drone more often.
Complete some of my seasonal woodland/landscape series.
There you go. That’s this year’s retrospective done and dusted. All that’s left to do is thank everyone who has supported me and my work this past year and I wish you all a happy and successful 2024.
Until next year.
Trevor
My Favourite Landscape Photos from 2022
Join me for my usual yearly retrospective where I share some of me favourite photos I took in 2022 and what my plans are for 2023.
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
My Favourite Landscape Photos from 2021
It has become customary on my blog for me to share some of my favourite photos I took in the previous year so here’s my 2021 landscape photography review featuring a collection of woodland, landscape and cityscape photos.
It has become customary on my blog for me to share a retrospective post, talking about the previous year I’ve had and sharing stories and some of my favourite photos I took along the way. Deciding not to write a full retrospective this time around but also not wanting to break the tradition of reviewing and sharing my photos from the previous year, I’ve decided to keep this post a little lighter and focus only on the photos. So, here are 10 of my favourite landscape photos I took during 2021.
Photographing the woodland through the seasons
2021 was my first full year of woodland photography and I’ve absolutely fallen for this sub-genre of landscape photography. These days, you will often find me wandering my local woodlands for hours on end as I try to make sense of the natural chaos the trees provide. Woodland photography is hands down one of the most frustrating and equally rewarding subjects to photograph and I’m really enjoying the challenge it provides.
To better tell the story of the year I had photographing woodland, I decided to pick a photo I took from all four seasons.
First up is this photo I took in a hilltop woodland on the Surrey/Kent border. Taken during a rare hoar frost in January, I had the most amazing, albeit cold morning looking for frosty compositions and this winding pathway flanked by silver birch was the perfect setting to create this beautiful wintry woodland scene.
Winter Woodland Triptych
I absolutely love a triptych. Putting three photos together can work incredibly well to tell a more cohesive story and with such a successful morning of photography and having bagged three wintry woodland photos in similar conditions, they had a similar look to them. I feel they are even stronger when presented as a single piece. Hopefully, you feel the same. Click on the photos below to see a bigger version.
It seemed to take forever for spring to finally get out of first gear in 2021. Whereas I would have normally expected to see this beautiful carpet of bluebells by mid-April, after a further 2 scouting trips, I had to wait another month before they were ready here in this beech woodland down in West Sussex. Although at the time I didn’t think much of the white daisies that accompany the bluebells on the ground, I now think they work well alongside the green and purple colours, adding some further interest to this springtime woodland scene.
The photo below is possibly my favourite taken in the woodland during 2021. Surrounded by these lush green leaves and glorious morning mist, I was in my element as I wandered through the trees on this early summer’s day. After spotting this composition, I perched my camera midway up the bank and used my wide-angle lens so I could include those fantastic trees on the left as they leaned into the frame creating this natural archway, framing the misty forest scene in the background. The finishing touch were those purple rhododendrons down in the bottom right-hand corner of the image. As controversial as they are, I think they add some interest and balance to the overall composition.
Last up in this woodland collection is what some might call nature’s greatest annual show. Like in the spring, when I was waiting for the bluebells to appear, the best colours of autumn is all about timing, so, once again, it took multiple scouting trips and a fair bit of patience before I managed to photograph this scene below. In fact, the colours appeared so late, I had to wait until the last week of November before they were at their best.
It was the plethora of colours in this image that initially caught my eye, so with the forest doing its job, my job was to make sense of the chaos and do it justice by taking an interesting photo out of it. I ended up using the green pine tree on the far left to add visual weight, balancing the composition against the strong lines of the Beech tree as it leaned towards the right-hand side of the frame.
Autumnal Woodland Triptych
I lapped up the conditions as I explored these autumnal woodlands and like during the hoar frost back in January, I was able to take several different photos which look great on their own, but in my opinion, they look even stronger presented together as a triptych. One day I might even write a post about why I like them so much. Click on the photos below to see a bigger version.
Landscapes photos taken in the Southeast of England
Surrey, Sussex and Kent have some great landscapes to photograph. Granted, they lack the drama of the Jurassic Coast or the mountainous Lake District, but we still have some beautiful, albeit subtle places to take landscape photos here in the Southeast of England. Below are 3 of my favourite landscape photos I took in 2021.
Starting with this stunning view across the South Downs in East Sussex, this photo is all about how the light hits the rolling hills, emphasising the contours in the landscape and creating a natural zigzagging line leading into the distance. Although it was late April, I distinctly remember how cold it was as I stood there waiting for the right moment to take the photo. As the sun rose above the horizon, it soon became clear that timing was going to be everything. I had to wait long enough for the light to hit the right places down in the valley, but not too long so that there was too much light as those all-important shadows and contours would be gone.
You really don’t have to travel far to take landscape photos and the photo I took below is proof of that. As I drove home from a rather unsuccessful woodland shoot back in May, I remember spotting these moody clouds in the sky as I was passing by this bright yellow rapeseed field not far from where I live. Anticipating something special, I stopped the car, grabbed my camera and headed straight to this spot which provides a good view of this lone tree in the middle of the field. As the cloud rolled in with a band of rain behind, and not being dressed for the occasion, I worked fast to get the image before racing back to the car just in time for the heavy downpour.
A popular subject and certainly one of my favourite places to visit with my camera, pictured below is Bodiam Castle in East Sussex. Not coming across any mist or fog on my drive down, I was surprised to see the entire place engulfed as I arrived on location and after waiting a short while for the fog to thin out a little, I managed to take this photo of the beautiful castle below.
I don’t usually like the photos I take when the camera is pointing directly towards the sun but with plenty of mist still hanging around, the brighter, harsh light from the sun was defused just enough for me to take this photo while still retaining plenty of detail in the castle.
The London Cityscape
For obvious reasons, I didn’t make as many trips into London as usual during 2021 and with so much uncertainty that still surrounds us, I’m not expecting that to change too much in 2022. We will have to wait and see. I did however manage to take a few trips into the city in between work from home orders and I’ve shared below three of my favourite London cityscape photos I took in 2021.
First up is this photo looking down Lombard Street in the city. London was still relatively quiet compared to normal and as I wandered down this empty street, I spotted this small puddle by the side of the road. I’ve taken a photo of this view many times before and although I really like the fantastic lead-in lines at the bottom, the traditional buildings that flank the street, and the more contemporary Fenchurch Building at the top of the frame, I always felt it was lacking a little something. Thankfully, this time around, the rain shower brought the finishing touch and I took full advantage by crouching down and using this fantastic reflection of the Fenchurch Building in this conveniently placed puddle as foreground interest.
Next up in this small collection of London photos is this one taken at sunset from St Katherine Docks in June. Normally a busy, somewhat cluttered view of Tower Bridge and The Shard, I decided to use my neutral density filter to cut the light down even further and create a long exposure photo. Removing the ripples and creating this smooth, almost glass-like effect on the water helped simplify the scene, allowing the iconic architecture and their reflections in the river to stand out.
Last up, is this impressive view looking east across London taken from The Shard’s viewing platform. I’d previously tried a few times to take this photograph but for one reason or another, I was never able to take a photo I was truly happy with. Until now that is.
Taken deep into the blue hour, just before nightfall, timing was once again so important when creating this image. I wanted to wait long enough for the city lights to be a feature in the image but not too late so that it was too dark to pick out any details in the landscape. With the camera precariously rested on my camera bag (no tripods allowed), I took the shot you see below. Thankfully, it all came together on this September evening in London.
That’s it! 10 of my favourite landscape photos taken in 2021. There’s plenty more to come in 2022 and I can’t wait to share it with you.
Until next time.
Trevor