Subjects can be found anywhere from inside our own homes, gardens and of course, the great outdoors. We share some of the best close-up photographs as inspiration for your next close-up or macro shots:

The Best Close-Up and Macro Photographs

Hemitriachia calyucata by Nathan Benstead

Nathan Benstead. Hemitriachia calyucata. Sony A7R IV, Laowa 100mm f/2.8, 1/200sec at f/8, ISO 200.

Nathan was the Young Close-up Photographer of the Year winner of the CUPOTY 04, 2022 competition.

Last winter, I was walking through my local woodland, inspecting rotten logs and sticks, when I came across a log covered in slime mould fruiting bodies or sporangia. I set up my camera gear and focused on a small cluster among the moss.

@nature.magnified

Little Predator by Viktor Lyagushkin

Little Predator. Photo credit: Viktor Lyagushkin/CUPOTY. Nikon D850, Nikkor 8-15mm f/3.5-4.5 Fisheye, 1/80sec at f/13, ISO 3200.

Viktor was the ‘Underwater’ category winner of the CUPOTY 04 (2022) competition.

This is a Lucernaria quadricornis (Stauromedusae), a stalked jellyfish, photographed beneath the ice of the White Sea in Russia – the only freezing sea in Europe. The green colour of the water is a sign of spring as algae grows. ‘The “leg” of the jellyfish helps it to attach to a stone or seaweed. Its tentacles project up or down, waiting for prey. If its hunt is successful, it catches the prey and collapses its tentacles into a fist. If the hunting site is no good, Lucernaria walks away on its “leg” or sometimes its “hands”.

@viktor_lyagushkin

Batrachospermum Algae by Marek Miś

Batrachospermum red algae. Photo credit: Marek Miś. Pentax K-1, Olympus 4x S-plan Apo objective, 1/5sec, ISO 100.

Marek was the ‘Micro’ category winner of CUPOTY 04 (2022 competition).

I took a sample of Batrachospermum (a kind of red algae) from a small river in Wigry National Park, Poland. Although it has natural beauty, it doesn’t look great using bright-field illumination. However, by combining polarised light and darkfield techniques I managed to get a colourful and interesting picture.

‘It was challenging to show more than one or two “twigs” of algae, because even a 4x microscope objective shows too small a part. To capture it properly, I made a panorama consisting of nine images stitched together during post-processing. To expand the depth of field, which is very shallow using a microscope, each of the nine images consist of several frames combined in one output image in Helicon Focus. The final image is the result of combining more than 100 separate shots. 

@marekmisphotography__

Nature’s Pitfall by Samantha Stephens

Nature’s Pitfall. Photo credit: Samantha Stephenson. Canon EOS 5D Mark III, Laowa 15mm f/4 macro lens,1/100sec, ISO 1250.

Samantha was the Overall and ‘Animals’ category winner of CUPOTY 04 (2022 competition).

Northern pitcher plants (Sarracenia purpurea) are carnivorous, allowing them to survive in nutrient-poor bog environments. Here there is no rich soil, but rather a floating mat of sphagnum moss. Instead of drawing nutrients up through their roots, this plant relies on trapping prey in its specialised bell-shaped leaves, called pitchers.

Typically, these plants feast on invertebrates – such as moths and flies – but recently, researchers at the Algonquin Wildlife Research Station discovered a surprising new item on the plant’s menu: juvenile spotted salamanders (Ambystoma maculatum). This population of northern pitcher plants in Algonquin Provincial Park is the first to be found regularly consuming a vertebrate prey. For a plant that’s used to capturing tiny invertebrates, a juvenile spotted salamander is a hefty feast!

On the day I made this image, I was following researchers on their daily surveys of the plants. Pitchers typically contain just one salamander prey at a time, although occasionally they catch multiple salamanders simultaneously. When I saw a pitcher that had two salamanders, both at the same stage of decay floating at the surface of the pitcher’s fluid, I knew it was a special and fleeting moment. The next day, both salamanders had sunk to the bottom of the pitcher.

@samanthastephens_

Ice Encrusted Comatricha by Barry Webb

Ice Encrusted Comatricha. Photo credit: Barry Webb. Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II, Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 60mm f/2.8 Macro, 1/15sec at f/4, ISO 200.

Barry was the ‘Fungi’ category winner of CUPOTY 04 (2022) competition.

In January last year, following two days of freezing fog and sub-zero temperatures, I found some mature Comatricha growing on an old fence post lying on a pile of discarded, rotting timber. I was attracted to the way the ice had encased the slime mould, creating strange, windswept, leaf-like shapes. The tallest one was only 3mm high, including the ice. The final image is the result of 55 focus-bracketed images combined in Zerene Stacker.

@barrywebbimages

Mayan Derriere by Jamie Hall

Mayan Derriere. Photo credit: Jamie Hall. Canon EOS 5D Mark IV, Sigma 105mm f/2.8 lens, 1/100sec at f/10, ISO 320.

Jamie was the ‘Invertebrate Portrait’ category winner of CUPOTY 04 (2022 competition).

This triangular spider species (Arkys curtulus) is an ambush predator, not a web-based hunter like most. To hunt its prey, it sits compact and curled up on a leaf, mimicking bird poo or other bio-debris. Balanced abdomen-side down, eyes up, it looks to the sky and watches for an unsuspecting fly or other insect to wander onto the leaf.

The abdomen on this species has some very pronounced and interesting markings, which reminded me of the Mayan carvings on rocks and stone. This individual was photographed in a conservation park in Brisbane, Australia.

@jamie_hall_definitive_imaging

Veiled by Wim Voojs

Veiled. Photo credit: Wim Voojs. Sony A7III, Laowa 100mm f/2.8 2x Ultra-Macro, 1/500sec at f/2.8, ISO 500.

Wim was the ‘Butterflies & Dragonflies’ category winner of CUPOTY 04 (2022 competition).

I found this dew-covered male banded demoiselle on a reed stem among the streams near my hometown, Ede in the Netherlands. Banded demoiselles are easy to approach as they rest and dry in the early morning. I tried to find an angle that would produce bokeh bubbles in the warm light, creating the atmosphere that I desired in the picture.

I like to emphasise the beauty of these insects by showing their strength and vulnerability. I’m not after a record shot, more an emotional portrait – maybe this is due to my background as a portrait photographer.

@wimvooijs

Macro photography: how to shoot insects

Oil & Water 44 by Matt Vacca

Oil & Water 44. Photo credit: Matt Vacca. Nikon D850, Nikon AF-S Micro-Nikkor 60mm f/2.8 lens, 1/160sec at f/5, ISO 200.

Matt was the ‘Manmade’ category winner of CUPOTY 04 (2022 competition).

This picture was captured as two drops of oil were merging. I’m intrigued by polarity and experimenting with oil and water has become a rich source of abstract expression. The symbiotic relationship that evolves from naturally opposing elements has become metaphoric for me. I am constantly learning and finding new inspiration, as I watch and continue to be fascinated by the dance that plays out through a macro lens.

@mattvacca_

Everyday objects as alternative macro subjects

Next to my Tree by Sébastien Blomme

Next to my tree. Photo credit: Sébastien Blomme. Pentax K-1, Pentax DA 300mm, 1/250sec at f/4, ISO 800.

Sébastien was the ‘Plants’ category winner of CUPOTY 04 (2022 competition).

Snake’s-head fritillary is one of my favourite flowers. This one was taken in the city of Toulouse, France. It usually grows on wet meadows but can also be found in forests. In this image, I wanted to introduce some context, but keep the flower as the centre of interest. I managed to get a tree in the background and decided to keep it out of focus so that its shape is only suggested.

@sebastien_blomme

Top macro flower photography tips

Intruder by Anirban Dutta

Intruder. Photo credit: Anirban Dutta. Nikon D500, Nikkor 200-500mm f/5.6 lens, 1/5sec at f/32, ISO 800.

Anirban was the ‘Insects’ category winner of CUPOTY 04 (2022 competition).

Before the start of the monsoon every year, some species of termite swarm in the late afternoon and early evening – this behaviour is known as nuptial flight. One day, I witnessed this event near a petrol pump in the town of Cooch Behar, India.

There were thousands of termites drawn to the powerful street light, and one black drongo. This bird spent almost 20 minutes swooping through the termites, snatching and eating them as it went. ‘I shot multiple exposures to capture this event, which I had never seen before. Three frames were recorded and combined in-camera. The first one with a high shutter speed and in Kelvin white balance, the second with a high shutter speed isolating the drongo and the third with a slow shutter speed in Tungsten white balance.

@duttaanirban50

Frequency by Mike Curry

Frequency. Photo credit: Mike Curry. Sony DSC-RX100 VI, 24-200mm (fixed), 1/250sec at f/4.5, ISO 125.

Mike was the ‘Intimate Landscape’ category winner of CUPOTY 04 (2022 competition).

This is a reflection of a building at Canary Wharf in London taken in November. The water was moving in a very fluid way and I was there to try out my new Sony DSC-RX100M6 – I was particularly keen to test the camera’s fast burst and slow motion video modes. I was struggling to get it to focus on the water’s surface, but after about two hours of failed attempts it suddenly worked, and the results were amazing!

@mikecurryphotography

Porcelain Fungus by Guy Edwardes

Guy Edwardes. Porcelain Fungus (Oudemansiella mucida), New Forest National Park, Hampshire, England. Canon EOS 5DS R, 100mm, 1/6sec at f/11, ISO 100

‘These porcelain fungus were in nice condition, but I came across them late in the day. I used my 100mm macro lens to shoot them from beneath against the distant treetops, so their gills were clearly visible. I exposed to keep the sky dark and then used my two LED light panels to backlight them from above.’

See more fantastic examples from Guy here: How to take fantastic photos of fungi

@guyedwardes

Anemone by Sue Bishop

Sue Bishop

Sue Bishop’s macro photograph of a Anemone flower draws us to the intricate details at the centre of the flower, capturing a richness of colour and each individual element with spot on focussing surrounded by the softness of petals.

Sue Bishop specialises in flower and landscape photography, is an author and has exhibited her work many times and sold her images worldwide. You can see more of her top macro flower photography tips here.

@suebishopphotos

From the series Plant Scars by Tracy Calder

This mark in the leaf made me think of a butterfly balancing on a tightrope 2.3 sec at f/16, ISO 200. Tracy Calder

Tracy Calder co-founded Close-up Photographer of the Year – a competition celebrating close-up, macro and micro photography – with her husband in 2018. She has written numerous photography books and her work has appeared on the walls of The Photographers’ Gallery and The National Portrait Gallery in London.

She recently was awarded a RHS Gold Medal at RHS Botanical Art and Photography Show with her portfolio Plant Scars.

‘In June 2021, when the first coronavirus lockdown ended in the UK, I paid a visit to Ventnor Botanic Garden on the Isle of Wight. This location has provided solace for me many times – I swear there is some sort of magic in the ferns, palms and herbs there. Walking through the Arid Garden (home to desert-loving plants like agaves and aloes), I spotted the leaf of an agave drooping over the path.

There was a gash in the leaf, lined with tooth-like notches. Just above it was a patch of circular damage that looked like some sort of all-seeing-eye. At that moment, the seed of a photographic project started growing in my mind. As I stood in the shadow of this beautiful, but damaged, plant I wondered if it had its own language, and whether there was anything I could learn from it.’

See Calder’s advice for creating a successful photography portfolio here.

@tracy_calder_photo

True Love by Alex Pansier

Alex Pansier. Sony A9, Sony 400mm f/2.8, 1/500sec at f/3.5, ISO 400. Tripod

Alex Pansier won the 2021 CUPOTY Two of A Kind challenge!

‘European ground squirrels are classified as vulnerable, mainly due to habitat loss. These two were busy eating a faded poppy on a lawn in Vienna. I really enjoyed watching them working together, like father and son. For me, observing and photographing nature is a great way to unwind and share the beauty that’s all around us. I prefer compositions that are simple and pared back, and I usually shoot on dark and moody days, although this image has a lighter feel.’

@alexpansier

Close-up tips from Two of a Kind CUPOTY Challenge winners

Mature Comatricha by Barry Webb

Barry Webb. Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II, Olympus 60mm f/2.8 Macro (with extension tubes and Raynox 250), 1/5sec at f/4, ISO 200. Gitzo Explorer tripod and cable release

Barry Webb came second place in the 2021 CUPOTY Two of a Kind challenge with this duo of slime moulds.

‘These tiny (2mm tall) slime moulds were found on a dead apple branch, from a log pile in my back garden in Buckinghamshire. The spores have dispersed, leaving the delicate, thread-like capillitium. I carefully lifted the branch onto a garden bench and arranged some moss behind it to create a pleasing, natural background. The picture was taken in natural light and is the result of a 56-shot focus stack.’

@barrywebbimages

Close-up tips from Two of a Kind CUPOTY Challenge winners

The Kiss by Angi Wallace

Angi Wallace. Nikon Z6, Sigma 105mm f/2, 1/200sec at f/4, ISO 50. Mini tripod and fill flash

Angi Wallace was a finalist in the CUPOTY Two of a Kind challenge.

‘The details and pretty textures on the buds, leaves and unfurling flowers of the cyclamen in my garden really appealed to me. In this instance, the little nodding heads were forming a wonderful heart shape. I decided to isolate the blooms while keeping the surroundings soft and dreamy.’

@angiwallacephotography

Insect Diversity by Pål Hermansen

Pål Hermansen. Hasselblad H3D 39, Hasselblad 120mm f/4 macro, 8secs at f/ 25, ISO 50

Norwegian photographer Pål Hermansen won CUPOTY 03 (2021 competition) with this insect flat lay.

‘In the autumn of 2020, I discovered that one of the lamps on the side of my house in Norway had a defect and had acted as a light trap for insects. I emptied the lamp and spread the contents onto a large light-table I had left over from my days shooting slides. I used a weak flashlight to light the details from above.

I wanted to express the chaos and diversity of this discovery, but also to find some kind of composition. To me, it’s a visual reminder of the important and extreme diversity of animals around us that we take for granted.’

Technical Editor, Andy Westlake, selected Hermansen’s photograph as his favourite of 2021. Talking about the photograph he said, on the surface this photo is ‘a perfectly constructed still-life flat lay, that invites us to consider the readily overlooked beauty and variety of some of the smaller animals with which we share the planet. The artist has worked wonders in extracting order from chaos, with the carefully constructed composition complemented by a subtle colour palette of yellows and ochres.

But a deeper level of meaning is added by the revelation that all of these insects were trapped in a lamp at his home. It’s a timely reminder for us all to take a step back and contemplate the impacts our lives and habits might have on the natural world, inadvertent as well as deliberate, and to consider what we might do better in future.’

@hermansenpal

Behind the scenes of Close-up Photographer of the Year 03 Images

Urban Beach Day by Jennifer McKinnon

Urban Beach Day – 6.30am. Olympus OM-D E-M5 II, 60mm Macro, 1/160sec at f/7.10, ISO 640

Jennifer McKinnon spends much of the year searching the streets of Atlanta for dumpsters, the subject of her macro photographs. At first, she was attracted to them due to their unusual (and aesthetically pleasing) markings – a result of natural and unnatural weathering – but over time she came to realise that her images could be used to highlight the impact that waste and consumption has on the natural world.

Her early ‘dumpster abstracts’ such as this have instant graphic appeal: bands of colour sweep across the frame giving them the air of contemporary paintings. You certainly wouldn’t expect this to be a close-up photo of a dumpster!

www.jennifermckinnon.com

Everyday objects as alternative macro subjects

Circular Octopus by Alessandro Grasso

Alessandro Grasso. Canon EOS 5D Mark IV, Sigma 15mm f/2.8 EX DG Diagonal Fisheye, 1/13sec at f/22, ISO 160

Alessandro Gasso was the Underwater category winner of CUPOTY 03 (2021 competition) with his Circular Octopus photograph.

‘In the past three years, the bacterium mycobacterium sherrisii has caused the mass death of pinna nobilis (noble pen shell) throughout the Mediterranean Sea. Most of the empty shells of the large bivalve have been colonised by other marine species.

In this case, an octopus has taken advantage of the large shell to create its den and protect itself from predators. I used a slow shutter speed and circular panning motion to give dynamism to the image and emphasise the subject.’

At a quick glance the photograph could also be mistaken for an eye, before looking closer to see the octopus looking right back at us.

@alessandro.grasso73

Behind the scenes of Close-up Photographer of the Year 03 Images

Eel Larva by Galice Hoarau

Galice Hoarau. Olympus E-M1 Mk II, Olympus 30mm Macro, ISO 400, f/16
1/320sec. Accessories: Nauticam underwater housing, 2x Inon Z-330 strobes, 2x Sola lights

Hoarau was the overall winner and took first place in the animals category of CUPOTY 02 (2020 competition)

‘I spotted this eel larva off the island of Lembeh (Indonesia) during a blackwater dive. Blackwater diving is essentially diving at night in the open ocean, usually over deep or very deep water. Divers are surrounded by darkness, with only a lit downline as a visual reference.

Peering through the darkness with your torch can be stressful the first time you do it, but it gets fascinating quickly’ explains Hoarau, a professor in marine molecular ecology. ‘After sunset, small pelagic animals (like this larva) rise close to the surface to feed where the sunlight has allowed planktonic algae to grow. At sunrise, they dive into the depths and stay there during the day to escape predators.’

@galice_hoarau

Close-up Photography of the Year winners revealed

Little Ball by Tamas Koncz Bisztricz

Tamas Koncz-Bisztricz. Canon EOS 7D Mk II, Canon MP-E 65mm Macro, ISO 800, f/4.5, 1/250 sec. LED torches

The Young Close-up Photographer of the Year in 2020 attracted some strong entries with Tamás Koncz-Bisztricz winning the overall title for a shot of a springtail in a meadow close to his home in Hungary. ‘One frosty winter’s morning I headed out to take some extreme macro shots at the surface of some frozen water that had pooled in the tracks left by a tractor, he explains. ‘Crouching down, I spotted some yellow globular springtails which were feeding in the sunrays reflected from the ice. I used LED torches to illuminate one of them, and came away with a picture that celebrates this tiny creature.’

@kbtamas

Close-up Photography of the Year winners revealed

Namib’s Gaze by Emanuele Biggi

Credit: Emanuele Biggi. Nikon D810, Nikon AF-S 60mm f/2.8 Macro, ISO 100, 1/250sec at f/16. Accessories: Flashes with custom-made diffusers, flash bracket.

Emanuele Biggi was the first-ever Close-up Photographer of the Year overall winner, and came first place in the Animals category. This photograph looks like a beautiful array of crystals and glitter until you clock two well camouflaged eyes looking back at you.

‘Finding a Peringuey’s adder (Bitis peringueyi) in the Namib Desert isn’t easy. I followed its tracks during the early morning, and eventually found one under a shrub with its eyes poking out. This adder is small – the diameter of each eye is about 2-3mm, so even though I knew it was there, it was still hard to spot! This species relies on camouflage to hunt and uses a sit-and-wait technique, leaving its nostrils and eyes above ground for breathing and scanning around. When prey comes near, the snake strikes and delivers a venomous bite.’

@emanuele_biggi

Expert tips for award-winning macro shots

Winter Oakmoss by Jane Simmonds

Jane Simmonds. iPhone 7 Plus, 1/17 sec at f/1.8, ISO 100

‘I enjoy using my phone to make abstract images of the things I collect on my daily walks in the Forest of Dean. Back in January, on a dreary winter’s day, I was drawn to the delicate, branched shapes and silvery colour of the oakmoss lichen I saw on the twigs and branches. I picked up a few pieces that had been blown to the ground and took them home.

I normally use a light pad to photograph the things I collect, but this approach didn’t work with the lichen so I placed it on a piece of slate tile (which produced a nice textured background) instead. I made a series of images using my iPhone and then experimented with blending them “in-camera” using the PhotoSplit app, which has a multiple exposure mode. I tried various blending modes before achieving this look.’

An impressive and creative capture on a smartphone, proving the best camera you have is the one you have on you!

@janesimmonds31

Expert tips for award-winning macro shots

Stormy Skies by Rachel McNulty

Stormy Skies. Olympus E-M1 Mk II, 60mm f/2.8, 1/15sec at f/2.8, ISO 400

Rachel McNulty embarked on a home-based project to create abstract ‘seascapes’ using colourful glass bottles, a macro lens and daylight. The dining room table became her studio and the sunlight entering the room enhanced the colours and created incredible reflections inside the bottles.

‘When I looked through the viewfinder, I suddenly saw waves crashing on a beach, storm clouds out at sea and dramatic sunsets,’ she told us. ‘No two images will ever be the same: the light changes, the position of the bottle moves and the reflections shift, just like a real seascape constantly alters.’

This photograph shows details in a glass bottle but gives the impression of a dramatic sky above a calm blue sea.

In 2021 her image ‘Waves Crashing’ (featuring a section of a blue gin bottle) won the Manmade category of Close-up Photographer of the Year, which was also selected by Technique Editor, Hollie Latham Hucker for our best photographs of 2021 list.

@rachelmcnultyabstract

Everyday objects as alternative macro subjects

Clouded Beauties by Henrik Spranz

Henrik Spranz. Canon EOS 5D Mark IV, Sigma 180mm f/2.8, 1/250 sec at f/3.2, ISO 400

Henrik Spranz won our Close-Up round of APOY 2021. About the image, guest judge Tracy Calder said: ‘This image ticks all the right boxes for me: excellent fieldcraft skills, beautifully balanced composition, superb technical ability and wonderful storytelling. The butterfly in the foreground is staggeringly sharp, which works brilliantly against the soft, dreamy bokeh.

The background butterfly has enough detail for us to know that it’s a second clouded yellow and the inclusion of the plant stems stops the insects from looking as if they are floating in mid-air. The gap between the two butterflies is perfect and the way that they are facing each other seems to imply there is a silent exchange going on.

The picture feels like a true celebration of this particular species – there are some beautiful shapes and highlights in the frame, which make it feel as though the butterflies are stars on a grand, natural stage. It’s an absolutely beautiful image that makes me extremely jealous it’s not mine!’

@henrik_spranz

Nigella Flower in Evening Light by Molly Hollman

Molly Hollman. Sony RX10 III, 8.8-220.0 mm f/2.4-4.0, 1/160 sec at f/5, ISO 320

Molly Hollman was awarded sixth place in our APOY 2021 Close-Up round.

Some flowers simply demand to be studied in close-up, and nigella – or love-in-a-mist – is one of them. Molly has done an outstanding job of drawing our attention to the tutu-like shape of the petals and stamen, and has chosen just the right angle to frame it with the delicate green bracts.

By chance, the background was provided by her son, whose T-shirt provided the perfect complement to the flower. Molly spotted its potential as her son walked past, which demonstrates a well-tuned and responsive photographer’s eye.

@mollyhollmanphotography

Peek-A-Boo by Gustav Parenmark

Gustav Parenmark

Gustav Parenmark was our Young APOY 2021 Close-up round winner.

Positioning the lacewing in the bottom right of the composition works wonderfully here, as does the striking colour combination. The damage to the insect’s antenna makes no difference to the impact of the picture – in fact, it signifies this is a living breathing creature, with all its flaws and scars. Beautifully observed and expertly captured.

@macrogp

All things texture at the beach by Billy Hughes

Billy Hughes

This golden sand photograph was shared with us by Billy Hughes on Instagram. The colours and contrasts are beautifully captured whilst composed perfectly as an intimate landscape which could also looking like larger sand dunes across a larger landscape.

The footprint in the sand is a subtle detail, as we leave our mark.

@billy_hughes_photo

Portrait of a ruby-tailed wasp by Matt Doogue

Matt Doogue. Canon EOS 6D, MP-E65mm, 1/160sec at f/9, ISO 320

A macro lens allows you access to a hidden world the human eye never sees, a world full of detail, colour and design. Focus stacking particularly enables you to see intricate details of tiny subjects. Matt Doogue’s image is a great example of the details you can achieve.

Find out how you can get started here with Focus stacking: How to achieve pin sharp macro shots.

Bonnie’s Eye by Nick Pollard

Nick Pollard. Sony A6400, Sony 70-350mm lens at 207mm with NiSi Macro Filter, 1/200 sec at f/14, ISO 3200

Nick Pollard’s photograph was included in our Good to Share section of the magazine in our 15th January 2022 issue.

‘Photography and I have had a love/hate relationship. I love it, it hates me… until recently, when after an impulse buy on an Sony A6400 I finally made sense of the whole exposure triangle (thanks YouTube) and started getting some reasonable shots. My partner and I ‘collect’ cats and we have 8 living with us which gives me a constant stream of opportunities to take photographs. Armed with a recent purchase of a NISI Macro Filter I ascended on Bonnie who was pleasantly sitting by the window in our Kitchen and I started taking shots. After managing to get the focus and DOF just right luck was on my side and photography finally loved me back’

@harmony_house_cats

Get more inspiration & tips

Feeling inspired? View our Top close-up photography tips, and learn how to light your subject so you can get shooting some spectacular shots!

If you are new to macro photography, check out our beginners guide to Macro Photography.

Related Reading:

• The top 20 best landscape photographs
• See the top 20 best travel photographs!
• Using your smartphone for macro photography

Follow AP on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

The post Top 31 best close-up and macro photographs appeared first on Amateur Photographer.

Shirley Baker (1932-2014) was an accomplished social documentary/street photographer, and although she deserves a much higher profile, her work is right up there with the best. Shirley focussed on working class inner-city areas in her native Manchester and also in London from 1960 until 1981, leaving behind a valuable record of post-war British culture.

Shirley Baker. Image credit: Estate of Shirley Baker

One of the few women in post-war Britain to receive formal photographic training in Manchester and London, she first worked at Courtaulds the fabric manufacturers, as an in-house factory photographer, before branching out as a successful freelancer.

Her work was published in a wide variety of newspapers and magazines, including Amateur Photographer, but her gritty street images didn’t become more widely known until she had her first exhibition, Here Yesterday, and Gone Today, at Salford Art Gallery in 1986. In 2015, her first London exhibition, Women and Children; and Loitering Men, took place posthumously at The Photographer’s Gallery.

The director of Life Through a Lens, Jason Figgis, is an award-winning IFTA nominated film and TV director who’s already made a memorable documentary about the acclaimed infrared photographer and ghost hunter, Simon Marsden. Jason explains more about the Shirley Baker documentary below, which premieres at the Centre for British Photography in London on May 18th.

Don’t forget to check out our full guides to street photography and the best cameras for street photography, as well as street photography law and how to take great street shots in black and white.

Manchester, England, 1968. Picture credit: Estate of Shirley Baker

Jason, how did you get the idea to make the movie about Shirley Baker?
I’d seen the famous documentary about Vivian Maier and I thought, you know what, I’d have loved to make a film about a woman street photographer, too. I felt Shirley Baker wasn’t getting the credit she deserved – indeed, her pictures weren’t even credited in some articles I saw – so I decided I wanted to find out more. I have always had a romantic notion of the North of England, where Shirley was from, mainly because Lowry is my favourite painter.

The film includes dozens of her colour and black and white images, and we have the actress Samantha Beckinsale – sister of Kate – as narrator. Hopefully, Life Through a Lens will bring Shirley’s work to a much wider audience, both in the photographic community and beyond.

Salford, England, 1964. Image credit: Estate of Shirley Baker

Did Shirley’s family get behind the project from the beginning?
I contacted her daughter, Nan Levy, who runs the Shirley Baker estate, and had several phone conversations with her. The family were curious to know what would the angle of the documentary would be. As I explained, my only angle was to tell Shirley’s story and celebrate her work.

The photographs are beautiful, people look right into Shirley’s lens, and there is no artifice. I wanted the movie to explore who Shirley was, where she came from, and what made her want to go out and document all the social upheavals going on in Salford and Manchester during the 60s and 70s, before moving on to photograph in London and France. She once said in relation to the Manchester slum clearances, ‘my sympathies lay with the people who were forced to exist miserably, often for months on end, sometimes years, whilst demolition went on all around them.’

Shirley was also a keen early exponent of colour film. Hulme, Manchester, 1965. Image credit: Estate of Shirley Baker

What do you hope to achieve with the film – and what can modern photographers learn from Shirley Baker’s work?
I hope it will raise the profile of her fantastic street and documentary photography, and get her the platform she deserves. Shirley was mainly working in the pre-digital age, and obviously in some ways things are a lot easier for street photographers these days. She had no instant digital replay and had to really understand the type, and the speed, of the film she was using – as well as all aspects of exposure.

I think it’s easier for street photographers to shoot from a distance now, while Shirley had to get right up close to her subjects and earn their trust. I think a lot of modern photographers can learn from developing this kind of intimacy, learning those social skills, getting that trust and relationship going with their subjects.

I am really glad that the film will be shown in recognised centres of photography, in both London and Manchester – James Hyman, the Director of the Centre for British Photography, is a big fan of her work.

Shirley also found London a regular source of inspiration. Camden, London, 1986. Image credit: Estate of Shirley Baker

Shirley Baker: Life Through a Lens gets its London premiere at the Centre for British Photography on May 18th. Tickets costs £6 and a limited number are available. The screening will be followed by a conversation with Shirley Baker’s daughter, Nan Levy, and James Hyman, the director of the centre. There will also be a second showing on May 24th, and the northern premiere take places at Manchester Art Gallery on May 23rd. Life Through a Lens will also be available on DVD and Video on Demand later in the year.

Further reading
Street photography guide
The law around street photography
The best cameras for street photography
The best lenses for street photography
Smartphones for street photography
Black and white street photography
Top international women photographers to follow

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The post New film celebrates pioneering street photographer, Shirley Baker appeared first on Amateur Photographer.

And now he has officially become a legend himself, being named ‘Legend of the Year’ at the inaugural So.Co Music Photographer of the Year awards last month.

Mick Jagger and Amy Winehouse on stage at the Isle of Wight Festival 2007 (Credit: Dave Hogan / Getty Images)

Hogie appreciates that being there is half of the battle – ‘99% of my job is access,’ he admits. ‘You can be the world’s greatest photographer, but if you’re not in the room it doesn’t matter. And trust me, there are a lot of much better photographers than me who are not in the room. I’ve just been doing it a long time. And there are a lot of people who just never trust anybody else to go and photograph their artists.’

It’s well known that at most gigs the ‘three songs no flash’ rule applies, where photographers only get to shoot the first three songs, but if it’s an act that Hogie has a good relationship with, like The Rolling Stones, he is allowed to shoot the whole show. ‘The deal is that the first three numbers I can do what I want with, and then everything after that is by approval. But often the best pictures happen in the first three numbers anyway, because they’re not sweaty.

Madonna performs onstage at the first London concert of her “Confessions” World Tour at Wembley Arena 2006 (Photo by Dave Hogan/Getty Images)

‘I look at gigs in a purely visual way. People will ask, “How was the gig?” and I’ll say, “It was brilliant.” Then they’ll ask me what numbers they played, and I’m like, “I’ve no idea, mate.” I’m just viewing it through the camera, thinking about light and shapes and compositions. That’s how my brain works.

‘There’s nothing worse than going along to a gig and there’s no light. But the great thing about modern digital cameras is that you can take pictures in almost total darkness, which has changed from a lot of the early days where you’d be pushing black & white film two stops and hoping you’ve got it.

Prince performing on stage at Wembley Stadium, London, August 13th 1986. (Photo by Dave Hogan/Getty Images)

A classic example is the Brit Awards.

‘A classic example is the Brit Awards. It’s very low light and with someone like Harry Styles, he doesn’t stand still. So you’ve got to be on at least 1/500sec or faster to get him sharp. So I’ll be shooting at ISO 5000. ‘I got a picture of Harry at the Brits that got used really well. I checked on the back to be sure I’d got it then I said to my assistant who was with me in the pit: ‘That’s the picture, go and move that now.”

Bear in mind there are 50 other photographers in that pit, good photographers, shooting the same thing. So it’s all about speed. Harry Styles was the first act that was on, and we got probably five national newspapers the next day with that picture. Because I got the shot, and then got it out there first.’

Harry Styles performs on stage during The BRIT Awards 2023 at The O2 Arena (Photo by Dave J Hogan)

‘We have come a long way from having a dispatch rider sitting waiting outside for you to give him a bag of films. When I first started I’d go off to New York on a shoot and fly home with the films. I used to love shooting Kodachrome 64 and would send it to Paris to get processed. Imagine that! There was no real sense of urgency.’

“I take the picture and 30 seconds later it has gone around the world.”

‘Now nobody waits for anything, it has to be available immediately because we’ve got Twitter and so forth. I have a 5G box connected to my Nikon D6. I take the picture and 30 seconds later it has gone around the world. It really is that quick. I have an assistant to remotely edit, and we’ll pre-write the captions.’

The Clash in New York (Credit: Dave Hogan / Getty Images)

David Bowie backstage at Glastonbury, 2000

While live gigs form the bedrock of his work, Hogie takes every opportunity to get maximum coverage from an event. ‘I’ll shoot the concert but I’ll usually set up a little studio and try to get some pictures beforehand,’ he says. ‘One of my classic pictures was David Bowie backstage at Glastonbury, 2000. He wanted some pictures in his Alexander McQueen coat, and we were in a field in Glastonbury. So I took the bedsheet off my bed, and put it on a clothes line backstage (because in those days it wasn’t the big corporate thing it is now) to use as a background. You have to think on your feet and make something happen.’

Hogie also enjoys shooting backstage dressing room shots. ‘There’s an intimacy with those, and you know that you’ve created an image that nobody has and is going to last. It’s part of history.’

David Bowie poses backstage at the Glastonbury festival, June 2000, in a coat designed by Alexander McQueen, (Photo by Dave Hogan/Getty Images)

‘If they say “You’ve got five minutes”, then you normally know you have two minutes.’

Even pre-arranged portrait shoots are usually shot under time pressure. ‘With a band like The Rolling Stones, if they say “You’ve got five minutes”, then you normally know you have two minutes. But that doesn’t stop you getting there two hours beforehand, setting up and testing with a couple of people so that when they walk in the room you know you’re going to get something decent straight away. On digital, you can shoot really quite quickly, check the back of your camera to make sure you’ve got something, and then maybe suggest a different pose or move to another background, but you’ve got what I would call your banker.

The Rolling Stones (Credit Dave Hogan /Getty Images)

Working for Hello magazine

‘I love working for Hello magazine. Because you’ll be given a few hours to take pictures which is just a dream. You can take lots of kit, everything you’ve got. You can put up a backdrop and use different lighting set-ups. You can take more breaks where you get hair and make-up to come in and check everything. And you come away with an incredible set of pictures.’

The Rolling Stones: Dave Hogan

Digital vs film

Despite the sense of urgency that the job demands nowadays, in other ways working with digital is much less stressful. ‘In the old days with film, it was a lot more pressure. Because in the back of my mind I’d be thinking, “Oh my god, they’ve flown me to Japan to get this shot, don’t mess up.” So I’d always have two or three cameras. One would be a safety camera, and I’d shoot maybe ten frames just to cover myself, just in case there’s that “what if” moment.

Even now, with digital, a camera could go down or a card could be corrupted (it has happened) so I’ll always shoot something on a back-up camera, just to make sure. Because the people employing you don’t want to hear you had a technical problem, they don’t want excuses, you have to deliver.’

Tina Turner poses with James Bond’s gun during publicity shoots for the film Goldeneye, for which she sung the main theme. (Credit Dave Hogan / Getty Images)

Starting out ‘I went to art college’

Hogie didn’t start out with ambitions to become a photographer. ‘I went to art college and did a ceramics degree – so I could make a nice ashtray,’ he jokes. But I did some photography blocks and Jill Furmanovsky was my photographic tutor for one of them. And it was that block with Jill that made me decide I don’t think I want to do ceramics any more.’

Hogie decided to take a year out from college and went travelling around America with his Nikkormat, and a bag of Kodachrome 64. By the time he returned he knew where his future lay.

‘My first job as a photographer was at the Butlin’s Holiday Camp at Barry Island in South Wales, which was a great way to learn your trade because you were photographing Miss Lovely Legs and Glamorous Granny, and you had to sell these pictures. Then I came to London, saw an advert for a job as a photographer at Stringfellows and thought, “I could do that.” This was during the ’80s, before it was a strip club, when it was the nightclub to be seen in. I was, like, 20 at the time.

Diana Ross dances at the Embassy Club in London circa 1983 (Photo by Dave Hogan / Getty Images)

‘Peter Stringfellow would basically give a free bottle of champagne to any star that came to his club.’

‘Peter Stringfellow would basically give a free bottle of champagne to any star that came to his club. So if you’re on a promotional tour, it was always good to end up there, get given a carousel for you and your mates. The only thing they had to do in return was have their picture taken with Peter. It was a sort of you scratch my back I’ll scratch yours thing. You had all the pop stars and page three girls and showbiz personalities, and they could go there and not be hassled. Nobody had personal security back then.

Elton John (Dave Hogan / Getty Images)

‘I had a pager, and I’d get a message from the front desk. “Oh, George Michael’s in, or Elton John is here.” There were no mobile phones, obviously. I’d go down and take a few pictures of them on the dance floor, or whatever, and do the whole social thing. Then at about 3 or 4 o’clock in the morning I’d drop a bag of films off at The Sun’s office in Bouverie Street, then go home and sleep. Then I’d wake up a few hours later, call the picture desk and it would be “great pictures, we’re using so and so”.

U2 performing at Live Aid, 1985 at Wembley Stadium (Credit Dave Hogan / Getty Images)

‘It was an amazing job but at the time it wasn’t seen that way. All the other photographers wanted to be the next Don McCullin and be a news or war photographer. Why would you want to be a music photographer if you had to work late at night?’

Dave’s visits to The Sun led to him being asked to cover other events for them, and this eventually led to him moving to The Sun full time as their youngest photographer, doing showbiz pictures for their ‘Bizarre’ column. Then through that he developed relationships with the record company execs, managers and the artists themselves.

Hogie backstage at Live Aid, Wembley Stadium, 1985 (Credit Dave Hogan / Getty Images)

‘In those days, if Michael Jackson or Madonna or whoever were on tour they would call The Sun because there was no social media, and if they got a page three picture or a spread in the paper that helped them go up the charts. It was a very different time. Nowadays they don’t need newspapers any more, they just tweet it or do an Instagram post.’

Amy Winehouse rehearses on stage prior to the BRIT Awards 2007 at Earls Court (Photo by Dave Hogan/Getty Images)

Record companies paid.

To anyone who loves music and travel Dave had an enviable lifestyle. ‘I went around the world five or six times, filled my passport five or six times. Record companies paid. Somebody else picked up the bill up and I just went along. It was: “Do you wanna go to Japan tomorrow?” Or “Do you want to go to America?” And I just said yes. I mean, it wasn’t always the best thing for your relationships, but I did what needed to be done. If they’d called up and I said no, or “I’m just going to check with the family” they’d have gone to the next person, and they don’t come back. You have to be their first choice. The moment they have to start going through their Rolodex you’ve lost them.’

Michael Jackson backstage, 2006 (Credit Dave Hogan / Getty Images)

Throughout this period Hogie was a freelancer, on a retainer, so he owned his pictures. When the world went digital he sold his company to Getty Images so then, instead of his work just going to The Sun it went everywhere, thanks to the subscription agreements Getty had with all the newspapers.

Hogie’s Kit ‘I love my Nikons’

Hogie has used Nikon cameras pretty much exclusively throughout his entire 40 year career. ‘I love my Nikons,’ he says. ‘In the 1980s I used the FE. Now I use Nikon D6s for most of my work. The file size is great, and the electronic sending with my 5G is really good, but I also have their mirrorless camera, the Nikon Z6, which is a lot smaller, and I love that too. I need to know when I pick up my camera that it’s gonna work a certain way, and I don’t have to think about it.’

The famous Madonna and Britney Spears kiss (Credit: Dave Hogan / Getty Images)

In the early days of digital, cameras like the Nikon D1 and Nikon D100 were still very much a work in progress, and this fact became all too apparent during a now-iconic moment at a Madonna gig in 2003. ‘I forget which camera we were all using at the time but if you kept your finger on the shutter it would keep taking pictures, but then you’d hit like the 10th frame and it would just stop and you’d have to wait for the memory card to catch up.

The technology wasn’t quite there yet.

So anyway, Madonna came out with Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera on either side of her and they started walking down this runway. When they got to the end of the stage they stopped and Madonna turned to kiss Britney. Everyone’s cameras went mad – bom bom bom bom – to capture that split-second moment when their lips connected. Then Madonna turned the other way and kissed Christina, but everyone’s cameras were buffering all the Britney pictures, and nobody got that shot. But you know it was the same with film. You’d have your 36 exposures and the amount of times something would happen while you were changing your film.’

Stormzy performs on stage at The BRIT Awards 2018 at The O2 Arena (Photo by Dave J Hogan/Dave J Hogan/Getty Images)

Lens choices

When it comes to lenses Hogie’s go-to optic is Nikon’s 24-70mm zoom, but if he has a bit more time he might switch to a 50mm prime. If he’s shooting a gig he prefers to be at the back with the 600mm f/4, or the 400mm f/2.8.

‘The pictures just look more natural, and you get a nice clean background rather than being in the pit looking up their noses. But I’ll shoot from the pit too, which is good for dramatic wideangle shots with all the lights.’

For studio lighting Dave has always used Elinchrom although more recently he has switched to Profoto Bs. ‘I’ve still got my big 2m square “Annie Leibovitz” softbox, which I’ve had for about 20 years.’

Beyonce and Bono of U2 visit a children’s home in South Africa, 2003, on behalf of the Nelson Mandela Foundation. The AIDS epidemic hit South Africa hard, leaving thousands of children orphaned and homeless. (Credit: Dave Hogan / Getty Images)

‘I love Annie Leibovitz, …but my favourite photographers are people like Anton Corbijn’

This brings us round to the subject of which other photographers he most admires. ‘I love Annie Leibovitz,’ he says. I love Bailey’s stuff too. And Rankin’s. But my favourite photographers are people like Anton Corbijn, who did all the old U2 stuff. U2 are my favourite group.

I was in South Africa with Bono, for the Nelson Mandela Foundation. And Anton Corbijn was there too, as a friend, doing his own stuff. At one point there was just me, Anton and Bono, and I said to Bono, “I’ve got to tell you, I may be here to photograph you, but he’s my hero.” And Bono laughed and said, “He’s my hero too.” Anton’s pictures pretty much defined U2. I’m actually going to the Joshua Tree National Park in August with my girlfriend. We’ve hired a Winnebago for a week and I want to go and find where that cover was taken.’

Rita Ora at Heaven nightclub, London in 2022

What about favourite artists?

Surely some are more enjoyable to photograph than others? ‘I get on well with Mick Jagger, obviously. I’ve photographed him a lot,’ Hogie confesses. ‘Tina Turner is one of the best subjects I’ve ever worked with. So professional, and a really lovely lady too. Of the younger artists, Taylor Swift, Rita Ora and Pink are great. Harry Styles is amazing. He’s cool but he’s also a really nice person. I’ve worked with him a lot, been in helicopters with him. Some people can really go off the rails when they get that level of fame, but Harry is just really nice.

I photographed Rita Ora last month at Heaven nightclub. With gigs like that you know that she’s not going to go on stage till 1am, so I’ll take a kip for a few hours in the afternoon. Because you’ve got to be on the ball – you can’t be the old fart in the corner, half asleep. I got the shots and it was used in all the newspapers and magazines because of what she was wearing.’

Florence Welch of Florence and the Machine performs at The Brit Awards 2012 (Photo by Dave Hogan/Getty Images)

Hogie has no plans to retire any time soon

Music photography may seem like a young person’s game and there are plenty of youngsters snapping at his heels but Hogie has no plans to retire any time soon. ‘I’ve been lucky enough to earn good money from this job, but I don’t do this job for the money,’ insists Hogie.

‘You have to love going out and shooting concerts and award shows or whatever, because it’s really quite antisocial. When everybody else is finishing work, that’s when my work starts. And there are times when you really just want to sit down of an evening and watch TV but you’ve got a gig to shoot. But I never wake up and think, “Oh, my God, I’ve got to go to work today.”’ And I know that very few people can say that.

Bono and Bob Geldof (Credit: Dave Hogan / Getty Images)

Get in touch with Dave Hogan on Dave Hogan’s website, and on Instagram: @hogieaaa__

Related reading:

• Portrait photography guide
• Guide to music and event photography
• So.Co Music Photographer of the Year awards
• Best Nikon mirrorless cameras

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The post Dave Hogan reflects on a lifetime shooting icons of music appeared first on Amateur Photographer.

Around 17 years ago, documentary photographer Peter Caton made a life commitment to reporting on humanitarian causes and amplifying the voices of disadvantaged people. For the last ten he has focused on Africa’s climate-related crisis. The decision to live out of a suitcase means he has sacrificed marriage, having children and building a community of friends to bring him up when he’s feeling isolated and low. On a rare visit home to see his parents in his home town of Scarborough on the UK’s North Sea coast, Caton was at an impasse where to go next? ‘I’m not a God-fearing man or anything but I went to church before Covid, I never do but my dad was going.

He hadn’t been for 25 years, my mum goes every week. I decided I’d pop along as well. At church I prayed and said to God, where would you like me to serve you? Where shall I go next because I have this crazy nomadic life. The prayer finished and then it was hymn time and I opened up this book and there was this tiny flag and I was like Woah! What is that about? I didn’t even recognise the flag. I turned it over and it said South Sudan,’ reveals Caton.

For the past three years, homes and schools across South Sudan have been destroyed by devastating floods. Particularly hard hit were the remote towns of Old Fangak and Paguir, cut off as the rising water, debris and dense vegetation left them hard to reach. According to a UN report, 426,000 people have been affected. The number is expected to increase by more than 50%. In areas like Fangak the number of people affected by the floods is expected to jump from 75% to 100%. The country as a whole has surpassed the mark of 8 million people in dire need.

Bol Kek, 45, from Paguir, collects water lily bulbs to be ground up and made into an edible paste. Without fishing nets, it is the only source of food available. Image credit: Peter Caton

Less than a year after his prayer, working with Action Against Hunger USA (AAH) and accompanied by resilient writer Susan Martinez, Caton arrived in the remote Fangak County in Jonglei state in South Sudan. ‘It was far away from anywhere. A small five-seater aeroplane is the only thing that can touch down there on a kind of cow field that’s been previously inundated with water so it’s really uneven. You have to scare any cows away so you do a swoop and come back up and try your best to land. It’s a bit hairy. As soon as I walked into the first classroom where there were, say, 30 families living in absolute squalor with chickens and dogs, at that moment I thought wow, if that was a message from God this is it, this is the reason,’ he says.

If getting there was difficult, photographing in deep flood water was equally challenging. Caton didn’t shy away, in fact he made it harder. ‘For the last decade I’ve been using an H5D-50c digital Hasselblad which brings its own technique. It’s not fast and it’s clunky. You almost need to be intuitive to get the shot sometimes.’ Because of security concerns, Caton was often restricted to photographing in the relative safety of the middle of the day when the light was at its most blistering.

To compensate and deal with the dark complexions of the South Sudanese, Caton uses Elinchrom flash heads. ‘It’s a real logistical challenge. You’ve got a team with you, two guys with you holding flashes on boom arms. One carrying a big battery pack which the Elinchrom needs. In many ways you’re bringing a studio into the field, the Hasselblad lends itself very well to portraiture and that studio feel – you have to work to the strength of your equipment.’

Nyalong Wal, 36, carries her daughter, Nyamal Tuoch, 2, to dry land. Image credit: Peter Caton

Caton and his team had to be very mindful walking in water; standing still for a few seconds meant sinking into the mud and potentially losing your balance. If the camera got broken, he’d have to switch to his back-up Canon EOS R5 and risk losing continuity of style. To lessen the chance of submerging the Hasselblad, he would walk in the water without any equipment. Once deciding where the shot would be, his tall assistants with knowledge and experience of walking through floods, would bring his camera to him.

Caton could have focused his camera on the squalor and horror of the situation with a more photojournalistic approach but decided on a particular style. ‘I really want these people to be dignified. I had a strong sense from the beginning that people didn’t want to run away, they didn’t want to leave this land. It was their home. It was a bit of a rebel stronghold during the civil war [the South Sudanese Civil War 2013-2020 was a multi-sided civil war between forces of the government and opposition forces] so they’re very much connected, they’ve fought and died for this land. They’re not wanting to leave in a hurry. I was very much wanting to convey that.’

The images have a cinematic quality: 36-year-old Nyalong Wal carries her child to safety in a bucket. 70-year-old Nyakeak uses her stick for balance as night falls. Mother and daughter Nyagout Lok, 46, and Nyakoang Major, 28, set up a bed in the water so the mother can sleep outside as her daughter is pregnant and there is no room to sleep inside.

Mother and daughter Nyagout Lok, 46, and Nyakoang Majok, 28, set up a bed in the water so the mother can sleep outside. Image credit: Peter Caton

In the three years Caton has been photographing in South Sudan, relationships have developed and collaborations formed. It’s this sense of community and teamwork that has helped him get the job done. ‘When I work on the droughts in Somalia then I’ll need security. I don’t need security in South Sudan. A lot of that is down to the relationships AAH has built up with the community over years. In South Sudan I feel quite protected. I’m working with locals who are respected, they’re translating, carrying my lights. As soon as I arrive I have a meeting with the local authority who give us their blessing so you’re protected in that respect. South Sudan is a bit unique like that.’

According to a leading relief agency, at least 11 aid workers were killed in South Sudan in 2022 making it the world’s deadliest place to be one. Caton is undeterred. ‘I know there’ve been incidents with aid workers but by and large, it’s a relatively safe place for foreigners as long as you’re respectful. We were there to help. There are bullet holes in a lot of places from extremely heavy fighting. Everyone carries an AK-47 [assault rifle]. I think it’s almost a rite of passage as soon as they become 18. Some 75% of the people that I walk past who are men had AK-47s. There are a lot of revenge killings that still happen.’

At the end of an intense day’s shoot, Caton withdrew to a small compound the organisation had with a generator to charge his batteries and back up his files. It wasn’t unusual for the generator to fail so in the middle of the night he would have to get a boat across the White Nile River to the Médecins Sans Frontières compound to charge them before returning at dawn. Wherever Caton spent the night he was rarely alone. ‘We were basically staying in a mud hut.

A family migrate to higher lands with their livestock. Image credit: Peter Caton

There were lots of snakes and the mosquito situation was absolutely horrific, the worst I’ve ever known working in the tropics for over 23 years. They would be biting your face, your eyelids. As you’re shooting they’re all over your hands. People would slap my face and their hands would be covered in blood from the mosquitos they’re taking off my face. I would charge my gear and jump behind the mosquito net. You’d have your dinner under the mosquito net. You were very much under siege by these aggressive mosquitos.’

The situation got so bad Caton had a tailor make a few suits out of mosquito nets. ‘On the second year there were five of us that came in because the local NGO wanted to bring in some communication people to help us. Within four, five days they were all getting airlifted out due to malaria. There was only Martinez and I left, we thought, who’s next!? We just had to take it one day at a time and if we get sick we get sick, let’s just get as much done as we can. It was quite scary in that way – for some reason or another I’ve never had malaria.’

Nyadiang Gak, 50, from Lakabang Village, stands beside her destroyed maize crops after losing – for two years in a row – her much-needed harvest. Image credit: Peter Caton

Caton’s approach may seem ill-advised but in the context of his profession it makes sense. Ten to 20 years ago he may have been flown in by a client but the preference now is to use someone that’s already there. He carefully chooses regions of the world in which to situate himself that will provide the work he wants to do and it’s working, he receives around 25-30 assignments and commissions a year. ‘I want to be in the field working, that’s my happy place.

To do the jobs I want to do without any compromise, to be there in the field as a humanitarian photographer. That is the only way of doing it so you can work full time; unless you’re affiliated with a top magazine or built a reputation up that you can survive off, that is the only way. I weigh it up, what makes me happiest? Is it having a community around you, having friends, family or is it photographing?

Nyaruot Gatluak, 24, plants rice at the Action Against Hunger rice paddy in Paguir. Image credit: Peter Caton

From 8-19 February 2023, gallery@oxo in the Oxo Tower, London, hosted an exhibition of Caton’s images from South Sudan. Almost 4,500 visitors made the pilgrimage to see Unyielding Floods: Restoring Hope. Using a Hasselblad had borne dividends – the large-scale images of his subjects pinged with critical detail, bringing them face to face with an international audience. ‘I thoroughly enjoyed going to the Oxo Gallery.

It opened my eyes to this idea that I need to be out there a little bit more, physically I need to put it on display, I need to be there networking. It’s difficult to get that balance right. I do believe to a degree that photographs actually help the communities you’re working with; that helps me sleep at night, rather than think I’m taking advantage. It’s consensual – the money my images help to raise can go directly back to those communities,’ he explains.

Growing up, Caton and his two sisters lived in a children’s home run by his parents where they had around 40 other children to look after. Their involvement in social work gave a strong moral underpinning to his early life. His parents are now in their 80s, and his bond with them remains strong. ‘I had nine years living in India where I cut my teeth as a photographer. In those years there were no mobile phones so in those early years my mum was a bit more anxious about me. Nowadays, if she hasn’t heard from me for a few days she just gives me a ring.’ If she can’t get through, she knows God is listening.

Yoak Chatin, 80, rows in his hand-made canoe in Wangkotha Village in Old Fangak. Image credit: Peter Caton

Peter’s website is at www.petercaton.co.uk, and see more about the charity he works with at www.actionagainsthunger.org.

Featured image: An entire family works into the night trying to scoop out flood water that gushed into their land. Image credit: Peter Canton

Further reading:

Documenting the consequences of climate change

Environmental Photographer of the Year 2022 winners announced!

Graeme Chesters – documenting climate change in one of the fastest-warming places on the planet

Portrait of Longyearbyen – Graeme Chesters

Here comes the sun – documenting change in the world’s most northerly town

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The post Peter Caton: Documenting South Sudan floods appeared first on Amateur Photographer.

Inspiration for wildlife photography can come from your local area, the garden, urban locations as well as the countryside and coast. You might choose to fill the frame with the head of a majestic lion, capture the abstract shapes of a starling murmuration, or show an urban fox in an inner-city context.

Research, patience, timing, as well as technical excellence, will be the deciding factor between an average shot and an outstanding one. But remember, the priority for wildlife photography is the animal and safety.

Below is a selection of photographs that demonstrate the very best of wildlife photography…

The best wildlife and animal photos

Cities gone wild by Corey Arnold

City Howl. Photo credit: © Corey Arnold, United States, 1st Place Winner, Professional competition, Wildlife & Nature, Sony World Photography Awards 2023.

‘A coyote yips aggressively at an off-leash dog park in San Francisco, California. This park is surrounded by densely placed residential buildings on all sides and is the unlikely territory for a pack of urban coyotes. Coyotes have become a greater presence in San Francisco, but conflicts with dogs and cats, who occasionally become prey are also increasing.

Cities Gone Wild is an exploration of three savvy animals — black bears, coyotes and raccoons — that have uniquely equipped to survive and even thrive in the human-built landscape while other animals are disappearing. I tracked these animals in cities across America to reveal a more intimate view of how wildlife is adapting to increased urbanisation.’

Arnold won 1st place in the Professional competition, Wildlife and Nature, Sony World Photography Awards 2023.

Crested Caracaras by Dinorah Graue Obscura

© Dinorah Graue Obscura / Open Photographer of the Year,

‘While I was shooting Crested Caracaras in flight in South Texas, I noticed these two, which were perched in a very similar way. They were staring in the same direction and not moving, almost as if they were posing for me. I was amazed by their powerful personalities.’

Dinorah Graue Obscura emerged as the 2023 Open Photographer of the Year at the recent Sony World Photography Awards.

The Big Buzz by Karine Aigner

The Big Buzz by Karine Aigner, USA. Winner, Behaviour: Invertebrates and Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2022. Sony A7R III, Laowa 24mm f/14 2x macro probe lens, 1/1000sec, ISO 6400; Profoto strobe and wireless trigger.

Karine Aigner captured this flurry of activity as a ball of cactus bees spun over the hot sand of a Texas ranch. After a few minutes, the pair at the centre of the ball – a male clinging to the only female bee in the scrum – flew away to mate. The world’s bees are impacted by habitat loss, pesticides and climate change. 70% of bee species nest underground, so it’s increasingly important that natural soil is left undisturbed. The photo took the grand prize of Wildlife Photographer of the Year at an annual competition developed and produced by the Natural History Museum.

Heavenly Flamingos by Junji Takasago

Heavenly Flamingos by Junji Takasago, Nikon Z 7, 80-400mm f/4-5.6 at 400mm, 1/3200sec at f/10, ISO 800

This ethereal and stunning image won the ‘Natural Artistry’ category of Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2022, and it’s not hard to see why.

The flamingos seen here are sitting on the world’s largest salt pan in southwest Bolivia. It’s sometimes known as the ‘mirror in the sky’, with the reflection shown in the shot part of its minimalist appeal. But, the salt pan is also home to one of Bolivia’s lithium mines – the very thing inside many of our devices, including smartphones and cameras. The mining of this resource is threatening the future of the area’s flamingos. Reuse and recycling of electronics are vital to preserving natural resources and habitats for many animals and birds such as flamingos.

The photographer, Junji, had to battle through altitude sickness to get the shot – a testament to how far we’ll go for our art.

Sleeping with Dandelions by Lewis Newman

Sleeping with Dandelions. Nikon D500 with Nikon 300mm f/2.8 lens. 300mm; 1/800th second; f/4; ISO 640. Credit: BWPA/Lewis Newman

‘After spending a lot of time with this particular vixen, she began to learn I was not a threat. This gave me some great photographic opportunities. I got to know her routine, and as the wildflowers began to grow, I would find her curled up amongst them. As the dandelions began to open there were a couple of days when she would wake up covered in them. Although she got used to my presence, if I were to move too fast or drop anything she would immediately leave. Later on in spring, I was blessed with her bringing her cubs to me and have watched them grow ever since.’

This was the winning image of the British Wildlife Photography Awards 2023 in the category of Animal Portraits.

Hitching a Lift by Jamie Ravie

Hitching a Ride by Jamie Rodie. Nikon D850 with Nikon 500mm f/5.6 lens. 500mm; 1/1,600th second; f/11; ISO 2,200. Credit: BWPA/James Rodie

‘The common toad migration to their spawning grounds can be a spectacular event to watch. As the large females make their way to the water, the smaller males approach them to try and ‘hitch a lift’. It can result in some amusing behaviour, as multiple males will often try to mount the same female. This image was captured just as one of the males tried to push away another. It can be quite a difficult thing to photograph, as this is one situation when toads move surprisingly quickly.’

Jamie Rodie’s photo took the prize for the Animal Behaviour category at the British Wildlife Photography Awards 2023.

The Beauty of Baleen byKatanyou Wuttichaitanakorn

The Beauty of Baleen by Katanyou Wuttichaitanakorn, Thailand. Winner, 15-17 Years and Young Wildlife Photographer of the Year. Canon EOS 90D, Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 lens, 1/6400sec at f/6.3 (-1e/v), ISO 640

Intrigued by the contrasting colours and textures of a Bryde’s whale, which is surfacing close by, Katanyou captured this fascinating abstract taken at the Upper Gulf of Thailand, Phetchaburi, Thailand.

The tour boat Katanyou was travelling on turned off its engine as the whale appeared close by. This required a steady hand to capture this close-up composition as the boat rocked in the swell. This type of whale has up to 370 pairs of grey-coloured plates of baleen growing inside its upper jaws. The plates, which are made of keratin – the same protein which also forms human hair and nails – are used to filter small prey from the ocean.

Katanyou won the Young Wildlife Photographer of the Year in 2022.

Gonzo by Laszlo Potozky

GONZO Little Owl Athene noctua. Harghita county, Transylvania, Romania. Laszlo Potozky, Romania. Category: Urban Birds. SILVER AWARD WINNER.

‘This image was taken in Transylvania in Romania, not far from one of my favourite Natura 2000 sites. Only rarely are there days when this highly respected protected area fails to deliver from a bird photography point of view. However, on such days I know I have a fall-back option, namely an abandoned building where Little Owls have nested for more than a decade. Last year, on one of these Plan B days, I arrived at the building following heavy rain and discovered that the Little Owl family had grown: three chicks had hatched a few weeks previously. To my relief, I was ‘welcomed’ by the whole family, and while four of them were drying their feathers on the roof, one of the chicks was under it, posing in an odd way and with what looked like an air of resignation. To my eyes, I could see a resemblance to Gonzo, the famous character from The Muppet Show.’

Potozky received a Silver Award in the category of Urban Birds at the 2022 Bird Photography of the Year awards.

Great White Split by Matty Smith

This image, titled ‘Great White split’, won the British Underwater Photographer of the Year category of UPY 2022. Image: © Matty Smith/UPY2022

Matty Smith was crowned the British Underwater Photographer of the Year 2022 with an impressive image of a Great White shark that he shot at the North Neptune Islands off Australia. The picture was shot in natural lighting with a Nikon Z 6 II (in Aquatica housing) with a Nikkor 14-24mm F2.8 S Series lens. The exposure was 1/1000sec at f/8, ISo 2800.

Smith revealed, ‘I had wanted to shoot a charismatic over/under [water] portrait of a great white shark for a couple of years. Some techniques I had previously tried failed terribly, so this time I designed and constructed my own carbon pole and remote trigger. This enabled me to safely lower my camera and housing into the water with my own 12” split shot dome port attached. Surprisingly the sharks were instantly attracted to the camera with no extra bait needed, in fact it was a battle to stop them biting the dome port! We had wonderfully calm seas and nice evening side lighting for this naturally lit image.’

@mattysmithphoto

Revealed! The world’s best underwater photographs

Dancing with the Giants of the Night by Rafael Fernandez Caballero

The winning image, of five feeding whale sharks off the Maldives, in the Underwater Photographer of the Year 2022 competition. Image: © Rafael Fernandez Caballero/UPY2022

Rafael Fernandez Caballero’s photograph of five whale sharks feeding together at night, in the waters off the Maldives, won the Underwater Photographer of the Year (UPY) 2022 title.

The winning photograph captures a unique ocean event, taken in demanding photographic conditions, and it also won the Wide-Angle category of UPY 2022. It features five whale sharks, the biggest fish in the world, feeding together on nocturnal plankton that have been concentrated in the lights of a boat.

Fernandez explained, ‘It was already incredible when one whale shark came to our boat. But more and more kept arriving. In the ocean magic can always happen. But when magic happens all together, you only can think you’re dreaming. This was the case of that night in Maldives.
At the beginning of the night one whale shark came to the light of our boat BlueForce One, we jumped in the water and then another whale shark came. We were so happy when, a couple of hours later, out of the blue, madness happened and whale sharks started to come in big numbers. I was together with Gador Muntaner, a shark researcher, who couldn’t believe what we were seeing. We counted, at the same time, 11 whale sharks surrounding us. It was a unique moment that no one there had thought it could even be possible. Magic happens in the ocean every day, but if we don’t protect the oceans and sharks, these moments will soon be a thing of the past.’

The image was shot in the Ari Atoll off the Maldives with a Nikon Z 7 II and an 8-15mm f/3.5-4.5E ED Fisheye Nikkor AF-S lens. The exposure was 1/80sec at f/4.2, ISO 5000. Lighting was with a One OrcaTorch D950V and the equipment was in Isotta Z7II/Z6II housing.

@rafafdezjr

After the Storm by Jayne Bond

© Jayne Bond, winner of Natural World round of APOY 2021

Jayne Bond won our Natural World round of Amateur Photographer of the Year in 2021.

Guest judge Ross Hoddinott said: ‘This is such a beautifully captured image. The soft, warm light spotlighting the seal pup is gorgeous, while the low viewpoint is intimate and inviting. The subject simply ‘pops’ from its surroundings thanks to the shallow zone of focus, and the seal’s whiskers are so sharp that it seems you could reach out and touch them.

I love the way this image highlights the harsh conditions these young animals have to contend with so early in their lives. The strong wind has partially covered this resting pup with sand and when you look at this shot, you can practically hear the wind whistling past and feel the sand and sea spray on your face.’

Jayne Bond shares how she took her award-winning wildlife shot here.

@studiomlino

Reflection by Majed Ali

© Majed Ali, Reflection, Kuwait. Winner, Animal Portraits. Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2021

Majed Ali trekked for four hours to meet Kibande, an almost 40 year-old mountain gorilla. ‘The more we climbed, the hotter and more humid it got,’ Ali recalls. As cooling rain began to fall, Kibande remained in the open, seeming to enjoy the shower. Ali won the Animal Portraits category of Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2021.

The Embrace by Sergey Gorshkov

© Sergey Gorshkov, The Embrace, Russia. Winner, Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2020

Sergey Gorshkov was the overall winner of Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2020 with this impressive photograph of a Siberian tiger. The winning shot was not just hours in the making, but the best part of a year. Determined to capture a picture of the totem symbol of his Siberian homeland, the Siberian tiger (now regarded as the same subspecies as the Bengal tiger), Gorshkov decided to lay a camera trap.

In order to know where to place it, he scoured the forest for signs, focusing on trees along regular routes where tigers might have left ‘messages’ – scent, hairs, urine or scratch marks. The first camera trap was installed in January 2019, but it wasn’t until November that this image of a magnificent tigress was taken.

@sergey_gorshkov_photographer

Interlocking Horns by Jacob Rheams

© Jacob Rheams, fifth place Natural World round of Young APOY 2021

Jacob Rheams’ photograph of two rhinos interlocking horns in South Africa came fifth place in our Natural World round of Young APOY 2021. There are multiple narratives that can be interpreted within this photograph which are emphasised further by the black-and-white conversion, lending to its success. The first is a sense of intimacy as the rhinos seemingly embrace, and another is of power and intimidation as the two size up.

@jjrheams.photography

Anger Management by Scott Wilson

© Scott Wilson, Anger Management, Winner, Open competition, Natural World & Wildlife, Sony World Photography Awards 2022

Scott Wilson’s Anger Management is a dramatic black-and-white photograph of a wild Mustang stallion. Bowing its head as it kicks up a dust storm in northwest Colorado, USA. This a fantastic example of capturing mood and aggression within animal behaviour.

@wilsonaxpe

Featured Image:

Puff perfect by José Juan Hernández Martinez, Spain.

Animal Portraits Winner. Nikon D3S + Sigma 150–600mm f5–6.3 lens at 600mm; 1/1000 sec at f6.3; ISO 800; Manfrotto tripod + Benro head

© José Juan Hernández Martinez/Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2022

Need some guidance on how to take better wildlife and animal photos? 

Check out our complete guide to wildlife photography as well as our tips on creating black-and-white wildlife photos and how to capture great bird shots in your own garden.

See more inspiration here.

Get hands-on and improve your wildlife photography skills by joining us on one of our wildlife photography holidays!

Want to know what the best equipment for wildlife photography is? See the best cameras and lenses for wildlife photography.

Submit your best wildlife photos to a Wildlife photography competition!

The 2023 Amateur Photographer of the Year competition is now open! Look out for the wildlife category which runs from 22 August to 18 September 2023.

See more competitions here.

Follow AP on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

The post Check out the top 15 best wildlife photos! appeared first on Amateur Photographer.

Thinking about what you include in your image can take your landscape photography from average to being spectacular.

Below, in no particular order, we have rounded up some of the best landscape photographs we’ve seen as inspiration for your next landscape shoot. The beauty of landscape photography is that it can be enjoyed all year round.

If these images have inspired you, check out our get-started guide to landscape photography and fine-art landscape photography

The Best Landscape Photographs

Brecon in Winter by William Davies

Brecon in Winter – William Davies, winning image from the 2022 Landscape Photographer of the Year competition

William Davies won the Landscape Photographer of the Year 2022 competition with this Winter shot taken from the Pen-y-Crug hillfort.

He said, ‘On this December morning, I arrived in the gloom before dawn but was lucky to find the sunlight soon breaking through a clearing in the snowstorm, adding a burst of warmth and colour to the scene.’

@willdaviesphotography

See here for tips on entering the current 2023 round of Landscape Photographer of the Year

Morning at Countryside by Mara Leite

Morning at Countryside – Mara Leite’s winning image from the 2021 Landscape Photographer of the Year competition

Mara Leite won the grand prize of Landscape Photographer of the Year 2021 with this beautiful photograph taken in Halnaker, West Sussex.

Mara told us, ‘Mill Lane is a famous footpath in Halnaker, West Sussex. I was looking for a different composition when I decided to turn the other way and saw this beautiful sight. I love the gate in the background and how the morning light is hitting the leaves and softly entering the tunnel.’

She shared her top tips for landscape photography here: Top tips for award-winning landscapes from LPOTY 2021 winners

@maralphoto

Woolland Woods by Chris Frost

Chris Frost won Landscape Photographer of the Year 2020 with his early-morning shot of Woolland Woods in Dorset, with mist rolling over wild garlic.

‘Taken in spring of 2018 in a wooded area close to Milborne St. Andrew in Dorset, this was the third visit to the area in a matter of days,’ he explains. ‘On the previous days, both devoid of morning mists, the light had been harsh and unappealing but the third day delivered stunning conditions with mist swirling through the trees. The low shooting position allowed more emphasis to be placed on the wild garlic and pathway.’

@chris_frost_photography

Breaking the Time by Aytek Çetin

Aytek Cetin – Breaking The Time, Cappadocia, Turkey; part of a portfolio that won him the International Landscape Photographer of the Year 2021 title. Image: Aytek Cetin, The 8th International Landscape Photographer of the Year competition

Aytek Çetin won the overall International Landscape Photographer of the Year 2021 title with his portfolio containing this image Breaking The Time, Cappadocia, Turkey.

Aytek Çetin explained, ‘The 60-million-year-old story of fairy chimneys and the fact they have been home to different civilisations for tens of thousands of years, makes Cappadocia extremely mysterious for me. If you are lucky, you can visit there during hazy, atmospheric conditions with a soft light pushing through at sunrise or sunset.’

These soft light conditions were present when Çetin shot this cleverly framed study of the three fairy chimneys at sunrise on a winter morning. ‘The reason I chose this location is because I love the excitement inside me when the sun first hits the fairy chimneys and how it makes me feel like I’m living in the bronze age.’

Çetin was born and raised in Ankara, Turkey, and revealed, ‘I graduated from the department of sales management at university and, for many years, I worked as a store manager for luxury Italian clothing brands. I used to go to the sea for my limited holidays, but after repeating the same kind of trips for years, it was starting to lose its meaning for me. Then I decided to do something different, to dive deeply into nature. I started to explore remote, mountainous regions and experiencing the energy of the mightiest entities of nature, left me deeply impressed and awakened a love for nature within. An interest in photography followed as a result and has now turned into a passion!’

@aytekcetinphotography

Comet NeoWise Setting by Tanmay Sapkal

Tanmay Sapkal – Comet NeoWise Setting, won the Photograph of the Year in the International Landscape Photographer of the Year 2021 competition. Image: Tanmay Sapkal/The 8th International Landscape Photographer of the Year competition

Tanmay’s Sapkal’s image Comet NeoWise Setting won the 8th International Landscape Photograph of the Year, which is awarded for a single image at the International Landscape Photographer of the Year competition.

Sapkal is an amateur photographer from the USA, and his winning photograph was taken on Mt. Tamalpais, in Marin County, just north of San Francisco, USA.

Sapkal revealed to us how he shot the image, ‘It is quite a special place for photographers as it stands above the local landscape, which is engulfed in low coastal fog almost every summer evening. After shooting there tens of times over the last four years, I realised that I really liked the way fog looks when it is lit from underneath. I also realised that the comet would become visible in the north west sky, so I started planning this shot.’

He added, ‘It wasn’t possible to line up the comet exactly above the foreground I wanted, so I decided to take two separate exposures. It took a couple of visits to get just the right amount of fog on the hills to create the dreamy setting and then I waited patiently for some cars to drive by and create a blanket of light under the fog. After shooting for more than a few hours that night, my friend and I hurried back down to the car. Little did we know that parking on the mountain after sunset meant getting a parking ticket! But now, in my opinion, it’s the best $80 I have ever spent on parking! Ha ha!’

@theurbanvoyager

Alone in the heart of Java by Marco Tagliarino

Marco won Round Four of Amateur Photographer of the Year 2022 with this moody landscape.

Marco won our Landscapes round of Amateur Photographer of the Year 2022 with this shot.

Guest judge Verity Milligan said, ‘Some images are all about atmosphere, and this is a great example. Landscape photography is about illustrating an emotion, and forging a connection between the photographer, the subject matter and the viewer. To achieve this, I like to think there is a trifecta of conditions, composition and content which pulls together to create something captivating.

This image does this well, using the atmospheric conditions manifesting towards the back of the composition to create a silhouette of the foreground. The line of the sloping ridge descends, leading the eye into the heart of the image, where a figure is standing taking it all in. This provides a much-needed sense of scale and demonstrates how awe-inspiring the setting really is. The low-key editing enhances the rising mist and the figure, making a compelling landscape photograph.’

@mrc_tagliarino

Morning Mist Filling the Forest by Jamie Spensley

Image: Jamie Spensley

Jamie won the Landscapes round of Young Amateur Photographer of the Year 2022 with this golden image.

Guest judge Verity Milligan said, ‘This is an excellent image that demonstrates a real understanding of how to work with (and manage) light. The uniformity of the trees contrasts with the light streaming through from the left, providing separation from the trees in the foreground to the trees behind. It has a really lovely atmosphere to it and the processing is perfect: not overdone, but just enough to bring out the mood. These are the conditions that most landscape photographers hope for, especially at sunrise, and Jamie has made the most of them with this shot.’

@jamie_spensley_

Event Horizon by Kacper Kowalski

One of Kacper’s images which won him the Landscape category in the Sony World Photography Awards 2023. Fujifilm GFX 100, 110mm lens, f/3.6, 1/4000th sec, ISO 1000. Image: Kacper Kowalski, Sony World Photography Awards

This photograph was part of a series that won the Landscape category of the Sony World Photography Awards 2023. The photographs in this portfolio were taken from a gyroocopter or a motorised paraglider, flying over frozen bodies of water.

He explained, ‘I made 76 solo flights in a gyrocopter or a motorised paraglider, covering around 10,000 kilometres (6,200 miles) and spending 200 hours in the air. My photographs were taken from a height of approximately 50-150 metres (165-495 feet) above bodies of water near Tricity in northern Poland.’

@kacperkowalskiphotography

Blue Tajinaste by Tony North

Tony took this image in La Palma, Canary Islands, Spain, with a Nikon D500 and Tokina 11-16mm lens: f/3.2, 211 sec, ISO 1250. Tony North/International Garden Photographer of the Year

Tony North was named overall winner of the International Garden Photographer of the Year competition 2023 with his image Blue Tajinaste, taken in La Palma, Canary Islands, Spain.

He revealed, ‘’It took an enormous amount of effort to be in that place at the right time – on top of the caldera in La Palma in the middle of the night last May – and yet more to capture and process the shots.’

@tnorth67

It’s a Long Road by Daniel Newton

Daniel won Round 4, Landscape, with this minimalist shot

Daniel Newton won our Landscapes round of the Amateur Photographer of the Year 2021 competition. This was a unanimously recognised and well-received image, achieving placings and commendations from nine of the ten judges. A classic, bucolic landscape scene it most certainly is not, but that’s what makes it stand out. There’s an odd balance of bleakness and anticipation here.

Bleak, of course, thanks to the desolate sand dunes that flank the empty road, while the anticipation comes from the sense that the viewer is heading somewhere. We can’t help but be curious as to what might exist beyond the horizon.

The interesting processing adds to the overall effect. By desaturating and toning the image in the way he has, Daniel has enhanced the sense of other-worldliness.

Daniel also came second in the overall APOY competition and he shared his inspirations and tips here: APOY 2021 winners share their inspiration and tips ahead of 2022 competition

@dan.newtons

Gliding above the Gold by Dave Smith

Dave Smith came third in our Landscapes round of the Amateur Photographer of the Year 2021 competition with his image captured above Lake Annecy in the south of France… and what a shot! This photograph transports the viewer right into the scene, making us feel as if we are on top of a mountain looking down upon the intrepid paragliders as they float over a mist-covered Lake Annecy.

Dave did well to compose so that the paragliders stand out against the softness of the lower part of the frame. Any higher, and they would have been lost against the shadows. He’s also adhered to the rule of thirds nicely, which works well here. Overall, an atmospheric and evocative capture.

@davewsphotography

Highway to the Stars by Jack Giam

Jack Giam from Australia won our Landscapes round of Young Amateur Photographer of the Year 2021.

The contrast between the bright orange of the traffic trails and the navy of the sky and water is what immediately catches the eye here. Jack has composed his shot very nicely, with the line of the road starting in the bottom right corner, then curving round and out of sight, leaving the viewer wondering where it leads.

In the right kind of daylight, this would have been a pleasing enough image, but taking the initiative to shoot it at night is what elevates it, and makes it a worthy winner.

@jackgiam

Bare Land by Lorenzo Poli

Bare Land. An uninhabitable volcanic desert in the Icelandic Highlands. The climatic conditions here are so harsh that, for the majority of the year, life doesn’t thrive. © Lorenzo Poli, Italy, Finalist, Professional, Landscape, 2022 Sony World Photography Awards

The ‘Life on Earth’ series by Lorenzo Poli, which won the Professional, Landscape category at 2022 Sony World Photography Awards, delves into the ethereal magic of nature and the mysterious beauty of an untamed world, depicted through a diverse set of landscapes. This photograph was taken at an uninhabitable volcanic desert in the Icelandic Highlands. The climatic conditions here are so harsh that, for the majority of the year, life doesn’t thrive.

Lorenzo Poli said, ‘Science and religions may all fall short in explaining the incredible miracle of life which, through millennials of evolution, has transformed barren land into a living planet. There is an untamed world between sacred and magic, where the essence of life is safeguarded by silence, where the outer and the inner world coincide. This is what I am seeking to photograph.’

@lorenzopoli.photography

Landscape with Trees by Federico Testi

Landscape with trees, San Quirico d’orcia, Tuscany, Italy. © Federico Testi/World Nature Photography Awards 2021

Testi’s minimalist photograph Landscape with Trees won a Gold award in the Nature Art category of World Nature Photography Awards 2021.

Federico Testi explained, ‘The natural creativity of San Quirico d’orcia, in Tuscany, Italy. Waves, shapes and tone created by light, in harmony with the universe.’

South Island Landscape, New Zealand by Sam Wilson

Landscape, South Island, New Zealand. © Sam Wilson/World Nature Photography Awards 2021

Sam Wilson won a Gold award in the Planet Earth’s Landscapes and Environments category of the World Nature Photography Awards 2021.

She revealed, ‘Travelling down random dirt roads can be so rewarding when you are greeted with scenes like this. Taken on South Island, New Zealand.’

@samwilson_photo

Solar Graphic by Andrius Repšys

© Andrius Repšys, Lithuania, Finalist, Professional, Landscape, 2022 Sony World Photography Awards

Taken during a winter of unseasonably heavy snowfall caused by climate change, ‘Solar Graphic’ by Andrius Repšys (Lithuania) captures sustainable energy sources such as dams, wind turbines and solar batteries from above, reducing them to graphic abstractions.

In 2021, Lithuania once again experienced a winter of heavy snowfalls – a result of the climate crisis and global warming. Depicted in these photographs are sustainable energy sources such as dams, wind turbines and solar batteries – the very things we need in order to slow down the occurrences of climate disasters. Two of the three main elements of Solar Graphics – seasonality and sustainable energy – organically and purposefully complement each other.

Winter’s monochromatic palette helps reveal the graphic elements found in the white snow. As the land is disrupted by dark lines new images appear – a mouth full of dazzling white teeth or a robot with a surprised look on its face. The high vantage point reduces the landscape to abstraction allowing the viewer to find new meanings and interpretations in the photograph.

Repšys’ was a finalist in the professional category of Sony World Photography Awards 2022.

@andrius.repsys

Orchid by Zhu Jianxin

Orchid, taken on a DJI Mavic 2 Pro in Xinjiang, China. 1/240sec at f/6, ISO 100. Image: Zhu Jianxin/Skypixel

The Grand Prize winner in the Photo Category of the Skypixel 7th Anniversary Aerial Photo & Video Contest, was shot by Zhu Jianxin on a DJI Mavic 2 Pro.

The image, Orchid, shows an otherworldly sight of a frozen lake after a heavy snow fell in the Taklamakan Desert, China. With a simple change in perspective, several cracks on a frozen lake magically came together to form something akin to a portrait of an elegant orchid.

Jianxin explained, ‘Photography as an art form always comes from life. It is born from nature. I am amazed by how a drone changes my perspective and helps me capture the beauty of our world.’

Perfect Chaos by Sara Zanini

Perfect Chaos, shot on a DJI Mavic 2 Pro. Image: Sara Zanini/Skypixel

Sara Zanini’s photograph taken over the town of Gangi in Sicily was shot on a DJI Mavic 2 Pro and received a First prize in the Skypixel Aerial Photo Contest. This photograph shows a fantastic juxtaposition between the traditional urban town against the natural mountainous landscape.

@sarazaniniiiii

Room 504 by Charlotte Gibb

View of Yosemite Falls from a hotel room. Taken with a very long focal length of 560mm
Canon EOS R, 100-400mm + 1.4x III extender, 1/80sec at f/16, ISO 400

Charlotte’s stamping ground is California. It’s home to a wide variety of landscapes, from rugged coastlines to ancient Redwood trees and deserts. This photograph was taken opposite Yosemite Falls from a hotel room window. Firstly, what an incredible view to have from your room! Everything within this photograph, from the light and the falls to the focus drawn into the single tree is dreamy.

Speaking of intimate landscapes she said, ‘Intimate landscapes are compositions that have been derived from the larger scene. It could be a photograph of a small section of beach, or a group of trees, or it could be a photograph of a section of an entire mountain… My heart-of-hearts is with the Sierra Nevada mountains and Yosemite National Park, though… There is tremendous diversity, and as much as I go back again and again, I always come away with a new composition. My most meaningful work has come from these places.’

She shares her tips for capturing your own intimate landscapes here.

@charlottegibb

Knowlton, Dorset by Jeremy Walker

This moody, monochrome scene by award winning professional landscape photographer and regular AP contributor Jeremy Walker brings a lot of drama and atmosphere with the dark intense sky looming over Knowlton church in Dorset.

When speaking about creating mono landscapes, Jeremy said choosing a ‘subject matter where the mood and drama help tell a story – ancient stone circles, Neolithic earthworks, and abandoned buildings like old churches can all look amazing with stormy skies and fleeting patches of light.’

This photograph is a perfect example!

Jeremy shares his tips for capturing moody monochrome landscapes like this here: How to capture moody monochrome landscapes

@jeremywalkerphotography

Jeremy will also be leading some of our upcoming Photography Holidays, in partnership with Zoom Photo Tours, see all information of our trips here.

Isle of Skye, 16-19 February 2023

Stepping Stones #2 by Lee Frost

Derwentwater, Lake District. Mist and fog are ideal for minimalist mono images. Canon EOS 5D Mk II, 24-70mm, 1/250sec @ f/8, ISO 400

Black and white images can be simpler, more dramatic, more evocative and more atmospheric than colour. The minimal black and white shot by Lee Frost feels a lot calmer than Walker’s suspenseful landscape above. Taken on a foggy morning by Grasmere, Lake District, this image however doesn’t lack in atmosphere.

Whether you feel calm and at peace, or a sense of eeriness, Frost’s image is successful compositionally, with the stepping stones leading us into the lake.

See his tips for black and white photography.

@leefrostphotography

The Far Hills by Rachael Talibart

The Far Hills, 2017. Canon EOS 5DS R, 24-70mm, 0.8sec at f/16, ISO 100

For someone who describes themselves as ‘a poor swimmer and a poorly sailor’ it seems incredible that award-winning coastal and seascape photographer Rachael Talibart chose the sea as her muse.

Her captivating coastal photography has been recognised with awards such as Black+White Photographer of the Year in 2018 and winning the Sunday Times Magazine’s Landscape Photographer of the Year in 2016.

Talibart has had three monographs of her work published – including Sirens and Tides and Tempests – and she runs her f11 photography workshops as well as leading photography tours for Ocean Capture.

Talibart was also featured as one of our 12 top UK woman photographers you must follow

How to take great coastal shots and seascapes this winter

@rachaeltalibart

The Sacred Garden by Gray Eaton

Image: Gray Eaton

Gray Eaton won the Coast category of Landscape Photographer of the Year 2022. He said, ‘This tiny chapel – St Cwyfan – has been photographed many times. Inaccessible at high tide, Gray wanted to capture something that was a little different. In a single frame he wanted to show both the chapel and the aquatic world surrounding it, along with the submerged garden of algae.‘

 Sutton Park by Verity Milligan

Canon 5D Mk IV + 100-400mm

Taken in Sutton Park, Birmingham, Verity Milligan’s photograph was taken on a cold morning in late autumn/early winter.

When speaking of this photograph on Instagram, she said, ‘This is one of those examples of why I love using a telephoto for landscape imagery. The sky would have added little to this composition and distracted from the main event — that frozen little island.’

Milligan’s images have featured in several exhibitions and have been highly commended in major photography awards such as Outdoor Photographer of the Year, British Life Photographer of the Year and Scottish Landscape Photographer of the Year.

Image featured in: Pro tips for great landscape photography

Milligan was also featured as one of our 12 top UK woman photographers you must follow

@veritymilligan

Get more inspiration & tips

Feeling inspired by our selection of best landscape photographs? View our landscape photography tips and get shooting some spectacular shots!

If you are new to landscapes, check out our beginners guide to Landscape Photography.

Amateur Photographer of the Year 2023

Submit your best landscape photographs to Amateur Photographer of the Year 2023. The 2023 competition launched on Wednesday 8th February.

More information here: APOY

See more competitions to enter here.

Get your best landscape photographs on a photography holiday with AP

Experience the best landscapes of the UK and the rest of the world on our landscape photography holidays, in association with Zoom Photo Tours

Further reading
How to shoot intimate spring landscapes
Square format landscape photography
The best camera for landscape photography
Best lenses for landscape photography – wide-angle zooms
How to shoot moody monochrome landscapes

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The post The top 24 best landscape photographs appeared first on Amateur Photographer.

What is a hoax photograph?

What are photo hoaxes for, why are they done and what is the point of them? Can there be a legitimate place in photography for hoax pictures? Is a hoax photograph harmless, when does it become cheating and can it be a criminal act? I have questions. Writing for this magazine I’ve come across various photo hoaxes. Who can forget Jonas Bendiksen’s extraordinary, The Book of Veles, that hoodwinked the industry into thinking his documentary photographs of people from the eponymous town were legitimate?

Researching for an article on ethics in wildlife photography, I came across photographs of a frog riding a beetle, a snail riding a frog riding a turtle and five frogs riding a crocodile. These seemingly cute and funny hoax images were often cruel or deadly with subjects being glued, clamped, taped, wired, refrigerated, shaken or killed before being positioned for a photo. In 2010, The Natural History Museum, Wildlife Photographer of the Year winner, José Luis Rodriguez, was stripped of his £10,000 prize after judges found he was likely to have hired a tame Iberian wolf to stage the image. In 2016, a winning entry by Marcio Cabral was disqualified for featuring a stuffed anteater after it was decided it was ‘highly likely’ a taxidermy specimen. Aren’t these just high-level hoaxes? If they were NFTs I’d gamble they’d prove collectable.

Shadow of the Valley of Death, 1855. Roger Fenton

Writing about the ‘Golden Age’ of photojournalism and iconic British weekly magazine, Picture Post, rumours persist that the darling of the magazine, Bill Brandt, was often liberal with the truth, using his family in some of his photographs dressed as east end gangsters. The controversy surrounding Robert Capa’s photograph of a falling soldier rumbles on. With one determined academic, José Manuel Susperregui, saying he has definitive proof that his legendary Spanish Civil War photograph was a fake. One of the first recognised documentarians of war, Roger Fenton, probably staged his image, Shadow of the Valley of Death. Moving cannonballs from the ditch onto the road in order to create a more dramatic image. Are these photo hoaxes or just using your nous to illustrate a story on deadline?

Photo hoax history

The definition of hoax is: something intended to deceive, hoodwink or defraud. Type ‘hoax’ into Thesaurus and you get: bamboozle, bluff, con, deceive, delude, dupe, fleece and fool among others. Type in ‘fake’ and hoax isn’t an option. Hoaxes in photography are as old as photography. According to the Guinness World Records, the first hoax photograph was: Self-Portrait as a Drowned Man (1840) by Frenchman, Hippolyte Bayard. The image shows Bayard slumped to one side in an act of protest for never receiving what he believed was his rightful credit for inventing photography. The process was instead attributed to competitors Louis-Jacques-Mandé Daguerre and William Henry Fox Talbot.

Hippolyte Bayard, Self Portrait as a Drowned Man 1840

77 years later, a series of photographs had the world believing there were fairies at the bottom of the garden when cousins Elsie Wright (16) and Frances Griffiths (9) made paper cutouts to create a series of images in the garden of a Cottingley village home. Photographic ‘experts’ examined the pictures and declared them genuine. Mediums claimed them as proof of the existence of the supernatural. Despite criticism by sceptics, the photos became among the most widely recognised in the world. Decades later, the girls finally admitted that their photos were fakes. Elsie drew the fairies on paper which were fixed to hat pins, stuck in the ground and photographed. They then got rid of the evidence as all good hoaxers should, drowning their Cottingley fairies in a brook.

Alice and the Fairies, July 1917. (Photo by SSPL/Getty Images)

Spoiler alert

A good hoax photo treads the line of believability. Trying to find out how it was done before it’s explained is part of the lure. The BigFoot film still at Bluff Creek in 1967 was a man named Bob in a costume. The 1934 photo published in the The Daily Mail of The Loch Ness Monster allegedly taken by British surgeon Colonel Robert Wilson, is a Woolworth’s toy submarine attached to a sculpted wooden head. George Edwards, a cruise boat operator on the loch, claimed his 2011 photo of Nessie’s hump had been verified by a team of US military monster experts when it was a fake fibreglass model created for a National Geographic documentary about the aquatic behemoth. George Adamski’s 1952 photo of a foreign spacecraft flying over his California home was cobbled together using a lamp, light bulbs and other bits and bobs.

For a 2022 Amateur Photographer magazine halloween special I took a full-spectrum ghost hunting camera into the bowels of London’s historic east end alleyways, desperately wanting to snap the deceased. I didn’t get as lucky as photographers Captain Provand and Indre Shira who captured on film, The Brown Lady of Raynham Hall, while on assignment for Country Life magazine in 1935. The chilling photograph has never been conclusively disproved. Sewage farmer and keen photographer Tony O’Rahilly took to his grave the technique behind his 1995 photograph of the Wem Ghost, a girl engulfed in flames as a building burned. Dr. Vernon Harrison, former president of the Royal Photographic Society analysed both the photo and negative and reported that he was satisfied that the picture had not been doctored.

Alleged Photo of Bigfoot. Photo shows what former rodeo rider Roger Patterson said is the American version of the Abominable Snowman. He said pictures of the creature, estimated at 7 1/2 feet tall, were taken northeast of Eureka, California. (Getty Images)

Propaganda

Hoax photography can be a powerful tool for political and military gain with despots and dictators leading the way. Supreme Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of the Soviet Union, Joseph Stalin, understood the historical value of photographs and was prolific in removing traces of his enemies from them. When secret Police Official, Nikolai Yezhov fell out of Stalin’s favour, he wasn’t just executed but erased from photo-record by Stalin’s team of photo retouchers. Inspired by the photograph of American troops raising the flag at Iwo Jima, Yevgeny Khaldei’s iconic 1945 photo of soldiers raising the Soviet flag over Berlin’s Reichstag building was staged and then doctored.

Flying The Flag. Russian soldiers flying the Red Flag, made from table cloths, over the ruins of the Reichstag in Berlin. (Photo by Yevgeny Khaldei/Getty Images)

Covering up wasn’t the preserve of Communists. Adolf Hitler’s propaganda minister, Joseph Goebbels, was ironically removed from a photo of him and director Leni Riefenstahl in 1937. Benito Mussolini circulated a famous photograph of himself riding victorious on a horse after cropping out the handler holding the horse. Kim Jong-Un apparently applies Photoshop to make his ears look smaller. Further back in time, the iconic portrait of the U.S. President Abraham Lincoln is a composite of Lincoln’s head and the body of southern politician John Calhoun.

Photo hoaxes today

With the proliferation of affordable cameras, omnipresent phone cameras, the internet, social media and advances in AI, today is a hoaxers paradise and pranksters have not held back. I’ve lost days down the double-headed rabbit-hole of hoax online photographs. A noticeable difference is the online hoax doesn’t always carry on unexplained for decades, the revelation is part of the hoax: The photo of a lion strapped onto a machine to make the iconic MGM intro of a lion roaring is actually a photo of a lion being diagnosed at the vet’s office. The photograph of a magical destination is a combination of a photo of a rock in Thailand and a castle in Germany.

The head of Abraham Lincoln is superimposed on the figure and background of an earlier print by A.H. Ritchie showing John C. Calhoun, 1852.

Photographs of cyclists or photographers are dropped in front of stock images of grizzly bears in full attack mode. The moon and sun are plotted across skies appearing in perfect juxtapositions. Cloud formations and bird murmurations are manipulated into amusing shapes and endless cats sit in impossible positions. There are web pages dedicated to showcasing hoax images and others dedicated to disproving them. You’re probably not as good at spotting a hoax photograph as you may think. I consider myself a connoisseur of fakery and guessed 17 out of 25 correctly in Adobe’s Real or Photoshop test of observation and a respectable 5 out of 6 in the BBC’s Bitesize Fact or Fake.

Even before 2012 Hurricane Sandy hit US soil, doctored photos were circulating online. The misinformation was so acute to people who were vulnerable to danger that @GuardianUS urged people to use the hashtag #FakeSandy along with the photo link. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (Darpa), which develops technology for the U.S. military, is attempting to create a tool that will automatically detect the manipulation of images and videos and assess their integrity. Hany Farid, an American university professor who specialises in the analysis of digital images and the detection of manipulated images such as deepfakes is working as a researcher with DARPA. He is also co-founder along with Kevin Conner of image analysis firm Fourandsix, according to the BBC, they have licensed their tool izitru (is-it-true), to Darpa, which looks at how a file is packaged and helps determine if an image came directly from the camera.

Russia / Soviet Union: Josef Stalin walking with Vyacheslav Molotov (left) and Nikolai Yezhov (right), Moscow, 1937. (Photo by: Pictures From History/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

How to spot a hoax

The path to spotting photo hoaxes can be long and winding: trust your instinct, if it’s too good to be true it probably is. Analyse the light, shadow and reflections in an image to see if they align with the laws of physics. Question if you’ve seen the image before. What are people doing, wearing and how are they behaving. If there’s a shark swimming in a flooded suburb, it’s probably a hoax. If the Daily Mail has published it, perhaps check with a reverse search search on tineye.com or check Snopes (formerly Urban Legends Reference Pages) a fact-checking website for sorting out myths and rumours on the Internet.

Arguably most of us enjoy a good photographic hoax. It should be in the spirit of a Sideshow Illusion Show: Olga the Headless Girl, Spidora (the head of an actual woman with the body of a giant spider) and the Girl in The Goldfish Bowl (no cats allowed) were unbelievable with just a chink of credibility that had crowds wondering what if, just maybe. They tickled the senses, raised the heart rate and a smile. Bayard’s hoax was a broadside at the establishment for no evident financial gain. George Edwards appropriation of Nessie’s hump was to boost business but forgivable. Francis and Elsie’s intentions were invigorating, the photos eventually making more than £20,00 at auction in 2018.

Mussolini Receiving The Islam Sword At Tripoli In Lybia On March 1937. (Photo by Keystone-France/Gamma-Keystone via Getty Images)

The gall of George Adamski’s UFO is to be applauded. Today artist and photographer Alison Jackson continues to titillate with her spoof documentary photographs of celebrities doing things we’d like to think they do. Perhaps when you next have a spare half day, rummage in the recycle bin. Find some thread, tape, grab your camera and see if you can make it into the great photo-hoax history book.

Featured image:  A view of the Loch Ness Monster, near Inverness, Scotland, April 19, 1934. (Photo by Keystone/Getty Images)

Further reading:

Man on the Moon photo named most famous of all time

Fright night: ghost camera takes spooky London photowalk

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Jodi was one of the leading exhibitors at the Xposure photo expo in the UAE, where she met up with deputy editor Geoff Harris.

Jodi Cobb at the Xposure photo expo

You were the first woman to be hired by National Geographic as a staff photographer in 1975. What was it like being the only female photographer on the books?
Well, it was very challenging! All the editors were male, and I had to prove myself all the time – show that I could do all things that guys could do. It was like ‘we can’t send a woman, she’s going to get dirty and it’ll be too hard!

I had to do a bit of everything – sports, adventure, landscapes – and I wasn’t able to specialise for a long time. I had to fight every day just to be recognised.

Do you think the situation for women documentary photographers is better now?
I don’t know what the situation is like now on the magazine but I am sure it’s much better, as there’s a big push for diversity in the media generally. There are no staff photographers on National Geographic any more, however, everyone is freelance.

There are now women than men in photography schools, which is obviously a positive thing. Several organisations are helping women documentary photographers get started too, which is great. If media outlets want to use more women documentary photographers, they need to go out and find them, as they are out there.

Child labourers on a carpet loom, Varanasi, India. Credit: Jodi Cobb

You’ve worked on a lot of important projects, but which ones are you the most proud of?
It is 21st Century Slaves, my project on the tragedy of human trafficking, which I did in 2003. I was still on the staff at National Geographic at the time, and it was my idea. When they accepted the pitch, I panicked, as I had no idea how or if I could do it.

I began by going to Nepal and India, and the editors loved the pictures I brought back. In the end, I went to 12 countries, from Thailand to Israel to Guatemala, to Mexico, countries in Africa… The project covered child labour, including agriculture, organ selling, illegal adoptions, and, of course, sex trafficking.

The project took over a year and it was very well received, as it was an under-reported story at the time. It got a more positive response from readers than any other story published by National Geographic to date.

Child labourers on a silk loom, India. Credit: Jody Cobb

So you still think documentary images can have an impact, even in our image-saturated age?
Of course I do. We still have the capacity to be shocked by things that are happening, just look at the war in Ukraine. It’s a few years old now, but the picture of the detainee standing on a box at the Abu Ghraib prison brought about a lot of change.

The Secretary of Defense at the time said that it changed US policy. The difference now is that more media outlets are reluctant to publish ‘difficult’ photos for fear of offending readers. But readers should be more offended by the actual events that are happening, not the images of them.

I also worry that with the popularity of smartphones, people are losing faith in the idea that images are real and true. That is why who publishes the image is important – we need trusted media outlets to curate the photography, rather than the wild west of social media. And who knows what will happen when AI comes along, it could change everything.

The human trafficking project must have taken a personal toll…
Yes, it was a year of unrelenting effort and involved a lot of research. I went out seeking evil every day and finding it, so you lose your faith in humanity. I must have been pretty naïve to start off with, and had no idea about the things I would see, but the effort was worth it

Geisha at the Festival of the Ages, Kyoto, Japan. Credit: Jodi Cobb

You’re also celebrated for your project on Japanese geisha, which sounds like it was another challenge, though not as emotionally demanding?
It was essentially impossible! (laughs). I did some geisha images for a book called A Day in Life in Japan in 1985/6, and one of my images ended up on the cover.

The then head of Kodak saw the work and he gave me a grant, which enabled me to spend six months shooting the geisha over a three-year period. National Geographic originally weren’t interested, hence the need for the Kodak grant, but they ended up buying the serial rights. It was a painstaking process to win the trust of the geisha and I had to start with just one and then get more contacts, but again it was very rewarding.

Geisha smoking, Kyoto, Japan. Credit: Jody Cobb

What cameras and lenses are you currently using?
I’ve been using Nikons every since my father gave me one on my college graduation. The company has been very good to me. I am currently using the Nikon Z7 and Z7 II, with the 24-70mm and 200-400mm lenses, which I find I can use anywhere.

What advice for you have for documentary photographers keen to follow in your footsteps?
It’s a whole different world from when I started out. First, learn how to run a business, there are no (or very few) staff jobs in photojournalism. So, you are going to be doing it yourself, or you need to find the people who will do it for you.

Then find a creative community and build links with people who will be interested in your work. Also, find a mentor – somebody who will help you and take a personal interest in your work. Lastly, be nice. People will hire you if you make life easier for them or solve a problem.

What projects are you currently working on?
I am working on a retrospective book, featuring 40 years of work, and it’s taking a long time. I don’t think photographers should allowed to write! The Geisha book was fun, but when it came down to writing the truth about myself, that is much more challenging!

Best women photographers: an alternative history of photography
Opinion: we need great photojournalism more than ever

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His work has appeared in some of the most famous magazines and newspapers in the world, including Esquire, GQ, Life, Vogue, Newsweek, Rolling Stone, Time, Vanity Fair, and the Sunday Times.

Greg Gorman at the Xposure Photo Expo

Greg now spends much of his time teaching and running workshops and was more than happy to share some of his lighting secrets with deputy editor, Geoff Harris, at the Xposure Photo Expo in the UAE.

What was it that attracted you to portrait photography?
I always found myself attracted to making pictures of people – I liked the communication aspect of it, and the challenge of getting inside somebody’s head, to get that connected portrait.

Who were your biggest influences?
Certainly Richard Avedon and in a different style, later Helmut Newton, as well as the Hollywood photographer, George Hurrell. I also liked a lot of photographers you don’t immediately associate with portraiture, such as Henri Cartier Bresson and Brassai.

Barbara Streisand, Los Angeles, 1981. Credit: Greg Gorman

How did you get your big break shooting celebrities?
I was lucky early on in my career that I got to shoot Maxwell Caulfield for Interview magazine. I was very lucky, as I got to do a lot of covers for that publication back in the 80s and 90s.

Working with Barbara Streisand and Bowie in the early days helped too, along with working on movies like Tootsie, Big Chill and Scarface. This all helped to establish my credibility as an artist.

Did you ever get starstruck or nervous at the beginning?
Of course when Barbara Streisand phones you up and asks how you do you plan to photograph her, it gets you thinking a little bit!

I was nervous photographing David Bowie the first time as I admired him a lot, but then I realised he was just a good guy, and fine to work with. Obviously you tend to be a bit more insecure about your early work… until you get more experience and bolster your confidence, it takes a while.

David Bowie, New York City, 1984. Credit: Greg Gorman

You also changed your lighting style to develop a ‘signature’ approach. Can you tell us more about this?
When I first started taking pictures, the light was right over the camera, with more of a broad lighting spectrum. When I put all my pictures up on the wall it kind of looked like interchangeable postage stamps!

Then I got an assignment with Tom Waits and for three days we went out and made pictures. My assistant, David Jacobson, who was a highly skilled photographer in his own right, showed me the importance of putting the light off the central focal point of the camera and creating a strong dynamic range between the highlights and shadows.

So David was very influential in helping me find my style and my voice. I realised I liked this style very much, not answering all the questions in the picture and putting more of the image in shadow, and sometimes more in highlight.

Robert Wagner, Los Angeles, 2020. Credit: Greg Gorman

In my earlier picture everything was lit, it didn’t leave much to the imagination. When you create a stronger dynamic range between the highlights and shadows, leaving more to the imagination and making the viewer wanting to know more, I think that’s a more successful photograph than one that answers all the questions.

You’ve photographed some true giants of the entertainment industry. How do you put them at their ease and get the best results from a shoot, when time can be limited?
Drugs and alcohol! No just kidding. I always shared my vision with them. If I was using a polaroid in the early days, I’d show them what I was shooting, if that is what it took to build their confidence.

To make a connected portrait, the ‘talent’ needs to understand you are playing for their team and not some silly art director who has a bug up his ass about what he wants. It’s about making them understand that you are looking for a successful portrait that everyone is happy with.

Robert De Niro, New York, 1991. Credit: Greg Gorman

You’ve sometimes had to go extremes to get the best results, right?
Yes, Keanu Reeves was a good example. We’d just started shooting in a loft in downtown LA and I could see Keanu was not very comfortable.

I asked him what he’d like to be doing, and he replied, ‘I’d like to be riding my motorcycle in the Malibu canyons’ so I said, ok, let’s pack it up and go there.

It turned out to be one of my successful photo shoots. That is a pretty extreme example, and most of the time I follow my intuition and it works. Sometimes, the ‘talent’ just isn’t comfortable and we call it off, but that’s very rare.

Have any of your celebrity subjects been really difficult?
Yes, some, but I don’t talk about them too much. I do have a funny story though.

One time I was shooting Steven Seagal for a GQ magazine cover, taking my early polaroids and showing them to him and he’d take them to show this other guy. When I asked Steven who it was, he said, ‘oh he’s my lighting consultant.’

I replied, ‘far out, here’s my camera, why don’t you let him take the picture!’ I’m not saying Steve was difficult, and we’re friends now. Most people coming in to my studio are on their best behaviour.

Bryan Ferry, Los Angeles 1987. Credit: Greg Gorman

You like to keep your lighting set-up simple, right?
My lighting set up has always really simple. I don’t light in a complex way. I use a single point light source, like the sun, or a big LED or strobe, coming from one direction. I then fill it with a silver/white reflector, or take the light away, using a black reflector.

So my light is pretty directional when I shoot. I look at a person’s face and decide what I want to play up in the shadows and the highlights.

Joni Mitchell, Los Angeles, 2004. Credit: Greg Gorman

You now teach a lot, what is the biggest lighting mistake you see your students make?
Not looking where the light is coming from. I always tell people to walk 360 degrees around their subject to see where the light looks best, rather than just thinking ‘oh this spot looks nice’ and starting shooting. You should check the angle, check the light is focussed on the subject.

Orson Wells, 1970. Credit: Greg Gorman

You’ve recently published a career retrospective, ‘It’s Not About Me,’ covering 40 years of work. Was that hard to put together?
It was a challenge. I started out with 160 boxes of transparencies and negatives plus all my digital files. We edited 10,000 images down to 1,000 and then to about 400 with my creative director.

What projects have you been working on recently?
An interesting project came out of Covid. I realised I couldn’t have people in my studio so I gave myself an assignment, something I said I would never do – photographing a subject that would never talk back!

So I set about shooting my collection of voodoo and fetish dolls and African masks. I felt it needed more, however, so I suggested adding them to artwork of street art and graffiti and decaying items that my creative director Gary Johns was putting together.

He was sceptical but the collaboration turned out really well, and led to my latest exhibition. Homage to African Tribal Arts. It’s basically about how African art has been a key influencer in European and American culture.

Get to grips with lighting for stunning portraits
DIY home lighting solutions

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In 1939, Anita Conti (the first female French oceanographer) set sail on the cod-fishing boat Viking for a three-month voyage that would see her tossed around the North Atlantic. While trying to take notes and photographs of life in and on the ocean. Dressed in a sailor’s smock and white gloves, she clambered among the masts and ropes, recording the hardships of life at sea. From the loneliness to the physical challenges presented by storms and fierce winds.

During World War II, Conti headed out with the minesweepers, producing images that were eventually published in L’lIlustration, a weekly French newspaper. Before heading towards Africa, studying fauna and fishing techniques along the way. The challenges of shooting at sea were manifold. ‘Some films were developed in muddy and brackish waters; others dried too slowly in the damp shade of mosquito-filled huts,’ she recalls. ‘And I haven’t counted the number of shipwrecks with the cameras and their load of film.’

Conti was a remarkable woman. For more than 50 years she reported on the negative effects of industrial fishing, while still empathising with the very people contributing to the issue. And yet, shamefully, until I was handed a copy of A World History of Women Photographers – I had never heard of her.

Anna Atkins, Alaria esculenta, from Photographs of British Algae: Cyanotype
Impressions, 1849-50. © The New York Public Library

Alternative history

Setting out to produce an alternative world history of photography is always going to be challenging. As soon as you are holding the finished article in your hand, the naysayers will pipe up and complain about who you have omitted or included. It’s all par for the course. However, it’s clear that historians Luce Lebart and Marie Robert – the powerhouses behind this project – have gone to extraordinary lengths to ensure this ‘re-reading’ is as comprehensive as possible. ‘This “world tour” enables us to re-evaluate some women who were celebrated and acknowledged in their time. To remember others now unjustly forgotten, and to discover others whose work was never exhibited or discussed during their lifetime,’ they say.

To help them make their final selection (comprising 300 women photographers), they called upon a network of experts and enthusiasts. Many of whom introduced them to artists in countries or continents where a lack of research, publications or exhibitions ultimately prevented them from showcasing or sharing their work. Continuing in this vein, the book features text from more than 160 female historians, critics, archivists, curators, photographers and writers. Thankfully, it is edited in such a way that there remains a central, sympathetic voice.

Nil Yalter, Turkish Immigrants, 10th Paris Biennial, 1977. © Courtesy the artist and Galerist, Istanbul

Being overlooked

Most people won’t read the book from beginning to end, as I did. But doing so allowed me to spot recurring themes and navigate my own path through this weighty tome. One of the key things that struck me was just how many excellent female photographers have been reduced to supporting acts or ignored entirely in favour of their spouses over the years. When Amélie Guillot-Saguez displayed her calotypes at a major exhibition in 1849, for example, the spokesman for the jury – who awarded the work a bronze medal – actually confused her with her husband!

Likewise, Constance Talbot (the wife of William Henry Fox) is known to have assisted her husband with many of his experiments in the negative/positive process. Yet is barely mentioned in the history books. ‘Many of these women remained throughout their lives in the shadow of a “master”, at the cost of seeing their own contribution erased from memory,’ echoes Robert.

Sandra Eleta, Putulungo and Alma, Portobelo couple, 1977. © Sandra Eleta. Courtesy Galerie Rouge, Paris

It would be nice to believe this behaviour belongs in the past, but German photographer Hilla Becher was experiencing the pain of being overlooked as recently as the 1960s. In fact, the first exhibition of Hilla and Bernd Becher’s photographs (held at the Ruth Nohl Gallery in Siegen) was titled Bernhard Becher: Fotos. To add insult to injury, in 1976, the Kunstakademie in Düsseldorf offered Bernd a professorship. Hilla led sessions for the students both at home and in the lab, without ever being offered an official role at the art school.

Celebrating rulebreakers

It would be easy to fixate on the instances where women have been sidelined or assigned to the roles of muse, model or domestic support. But A World History of Women Photographers is so full of fabulous trailblazers, entrepreneurs and rulebreakers that there’s always something to prevent you from feeling dispirited. Alexandrine Tinne, for example, was a gutsy Dutch aristocrat whose passion for travel led her to take huge risks. ‘In Egypt, several boats had to be chartered to carry the clothes, bedlinen, supplies, items for barter, dinner services, weapons, and even a cast-iron bed,’ reveals curator Mattie Boom.

Nair Benedicto, Kissing at a Mario Zan concert, São Paulo, 1978. © Nair Benedicto/N Imagens

Photography played a secondary role in Tinne’s life (she was mainly devoted to botany and ethnography). In the decade before she was murdered in the Libyan desert at the age of just 33, she produced 20 or so large-format views of The Hague. As well as a number of interior and portrait pictures that show what might have been.

Then there’s Dickey Chapelle. The American photojournalist described by art critic and editor Diana C Stoll as, ‘A wiry woman in cat-eye glasses, often sporting military fatigues, an Australian bush hat and pearl earrings, with a Leica in her hand and a wry smile on her lips.’ Chapelle wasn’t afraid to put herself in the centre of the action. She fearlessly reported from the battle zones of World War II. As well as on the ground in Vietnam, where she was eventually killed by a booby-trap explosive in 1965.

Zanele Muholi, Bona III, ISGM, Boston, from the series ‘Somnyama Ngonyama’, 2019. © Zanele Muholi. Courtesy Stevenson, Cape Town/Johannesburg and Yancey Richardson, New York

Paving the way

Of course, there are also the pioneers. Women who played significant roles in developing new photographic techniques, styles and genres. I particularly enjoyed the entry on French photographer Lady Frances Jocelyn. In 1841, Jocelyn was appointed Lady of the Bedchamber to Queen Victoria.

The monarch was a keen collector and patron of photography. With a special passion for cartes-de-visite images, which she arranged in albums with her husband, Albert. It’s no surprise, then, to find Jocelyn using commercially produced cartes-de-visite cards in her work. But what makes it really stand out is the fact she combines them with her own watercolour paintings. In one piece, an image of Jocelyn’s face is positioned at the centre of an archery target. Her photocollages feel modern, despite the fact they were created more than a century ago.

Fast forward a few decades and British photographer Hannah Maynard was being equally playful with composites. At one point she managed to bring together 22,000 faces on the same sheet! (In later years her skills were recognised by the Victorian police department who employed her to produce mugshots.) Naturally, A World History of Women Photographers also features artists who have influenced the generations that followed them. Diane Arbus, for example, revolutionised the way we think about portraiture. While Claude Cahun’s exploration of appearance and identity impacted the work of Cindy Sherman and ORLAN.

Isabel Muñoz, Untitled, from the series ‘Bam’, 2005. © Isabel Muñoz

Courting controversy

No comprehensive guide to the history of photography can ignore the fact that some key figures courted controversy. German photographer Leni Riefenstahl, for example, produced some of the most effective examples of Nazi propaganda in existence. Something she continued to be proud of until the end. ‘Leni Riefenstahl embodies the anti-heroine par excellence. The incarnation of the artist ready to embrace all forms of transgression in order to achieve recognition,’ suggests lecturer Anaïs Feyeux.

Meanwhile, Danish photographer Mary Willumsen made a good living out of illegally selling erotic photographs of women in the form of postcards between 1914 and 1921. ‘She started producing staged nude portraits in the women’s section of the “Helgoland” outdoor public bathhouse outside Copenhagen,’ explains professor of photography Mette Sandbye. ‘The photographs were mass-printed by various postcard publishers, and sometimes sold as illustrations to magazines such as Vore Damer (Our Ladies).’

Pamela Singh, Tantric Self-Portrait in Jaipur #18, c. 2000–1. © Pamela Singh. Courtesy the artist and sepiaEYE, New York

The story of Bunny Yeager (who is sometimes credited as being the inventor of the bikini) is also worth mentioning. Yeager started her career as a pin-up girl and beauty queen. But went on to learn the craft of photography and create her own staged self-portraits. ‘In an era when women appeared as objects of desire crafted by and for men, Yeager’s work in this arena is a notable anomaly,’ says educator and art curator Sara Knelman. Yeager produced a series of successful ‘how-to’ photography books, most notably How I Photograph Myself (published in 1964).

The overriding message of A World History of Women Photographers seems to be that women were here all along. Inventing, experimenting, innovating and actively participating in the development of the medium. They were not just wives, objects of the male gaze, mothers or models. From sailors to war correspondents and adventurers, these women have battled to record and share their passions and stories.

Victoria Ivleva, Dosimetrist Yuri Kobsar climbs radioactive debris inside the fourth reactor at Chernobyl nuclear power plant, 1991. © Victoria Ivleva

‘These women were everywhere and recorded everything,’ agrees Robert. And yet, until recently, many of them were invisible – as far as historical accounts were concerned. Thanks to the team behind this epic book. A World History of Women Photographers is sure to play a significant role in creating a richer, more accurate and balanced narrative.

A World History of Women Photographers, edited by Luce Lebart and Marie Robert (ISBN 978-0-500-02541-3), is published by Thames & Hudson, price £60

Also available here.

Further reading

The best photographs of 2022

Best photography books of 2022

The best contemporary British photographers

12 top UK woman photographers you must follow

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