Photography Blog | A Nottingham Photographer

Saltwick Beach with Royal Photographic Society

A Day at the Seaside

I recently took my camera further afield than normal and attended a Royal Photographic Society workshop at Saltwick on the North Yorkshire coast. It was a nice change of environment - living in Nottingham I rarely get the chance to get to the coast. Saltwick beach was a fascinating place to explore - cliffs, shipwrecks and stunning coastal views. I particularly enjoyed capturing images of the kelp which were quite mesmerising.

Being so close to Whitby I stayed overnight and got up in the small hours to capture the dawn at Larpool Viaduct and then made my way home via Bempton Cliffs. I have to say, I felt like my telephoto was woefully inadequate compared to the dedicated wildlife photographers I saw there! I managed to get a few shots that I was happy with.

Woodland Abstraction with the Fujifilm X100VI

Messing with Multiple Exposure Modes

I'm a big fan of Fujifilm cameras, mostly due to their lovely big physical controls which appeal to me and remind me of my first photographic experiences with a Pratktica MTL5B in the 1980s. I've always found PASM modes to be really annoying and non-intuitive so when I discovered Fujifilm's retro styled cameras I was sold.

My first Fujifilm camera was the X100S - pretty long in the tooth now but still beautiful to look and still takes a decent picture. When I moved on to the X-T2 I was seduced by the multiple exposure mode which allows two exposures to be combined in camera. I've used this a lot over the years but of course there is always the lure of something even better and nowadays modern Fujifilm cameras allow up to nine different exposures to be combined in camera in a variety of different ways.

Pondering an upgrade of my X100S I recently had a couple of days with the super trendy and hard to find X100VI. The images below were all taken on a grey morning at the Arboretum in Nottingham. Looking at the vivid Autumn colours it is hard to believe it was overcast and the light was pretty flat. I haven't fully got my head around the new modes yet but I was pleased with these shots (so much so that I've made two of them available as prints in my shop.)

My trial of the X100VI is over now and sadly it has gone back to Fuji. For me there were a few practical things which would stop me splashing out on the significant investment needed to upgrade to it, but I have to say, I did love the updated multiple exposure mode and I am now considering trying a Fujifilm X-S20 which I think may suit my needs better. Watch this space!

North Uist, Outer Hebrides

In July I was lucky enough to visit the dramatic landscape of North Uist in the Outer Hebrides. Photographic conditions were not ideal - over a three day visit the sun was stubbornly hidden behind heavy cloud and rain. I wasn't really expecting to be wearing full Winter gear in the middle of July but I guess in the Hebrides you have to be prepared for any conditions. Despite this I did what I could with the conditions and got at least some photos I was happy with. Thankfully on the last night the sunset on the beach at West Berneray proved to be magical and I really enjoyed capturing the incredible light as the sun sank below the horizon.

Shifting Light, Shifting Seasons: Bestwood Through a Local Lens

Expanding on my 2025 exhibition, this book features seventy photos that capture the changing beauty of Nottingham's Bestwood Country Park throughout the seasons. Photographed between 2022-25, this collection aims to demonstrate that we don't need to travel far from our own front door to find stunning scenery and moments of magic.

Sunrise Photography on the River Trent

Alongside my usual woodland explorations and hikes in the Peaks I have recently been enjoying getting up far too early and watching the sun come up over the River Trent. It may be a total cliché but the changes in light as the blue hour progresses through the golden hour into the day are absolutely magical.

Beautiful Wales: Landscape Photography in North Wales

I was lucky enough to spend a couple of days shooting dawn 'til dusk in North Wales a few months ago. Trying to cover as many locations as I could cram into the available time was a logistical challenge. The weather wasn't really in my favour - lots of cloud, lots of heavy rain - but when it cleared the beautiful Welsh countryside was revealed in all its glory. Llyn Ogwen and Penman Point were two particular highlights.

City Photography in Liverpool

A short break in Liverpool earlier this year gave me the chance to capture some cityscapes for a change. These were captured with my fixed lens Fujifilm X100S - definitely a refreshing change from lugging about my usual bag of lenses and accessories!

Shifting Light: Bestwood Through a Local Lens Exhibition

Between 10th February and 10th March 2025 I exhibited some of my woodland photography at the Central Library in Nottingham. The exhibition 'Shifting Light: Bestwood Through a Local Lens' was part of the Light Night programming.

Bestwood was part of the medieval Sherwood Forest and contained a royal hunting lodge from as far back as the early 1100s in the reign of Henry I. The estate remained in royal hands until the 17th Century after which it was divided into tenant farms before coal was mined on the site between 1871 to 1967. Since the closure of the colliery the park has become a council-owned public open space and today remains a popular destination for walkers, cyclists, nature lovers and people interested in its industrial heritage.

The images in the exhibition sought to celebrate the changing landscape of Bestwood throughout the seasons.

Some prints from the exhibition and a companion book to the exhibition are available to purchase.