News

When did you discover photography?

I have been taking photographs for more than 40 years, and still have my old Fuji and Nikon F6 bodies. I even have my old Durst enlarger in some far corner of the attic. But the advent of digital cameras really did move things along. No longer do I need to wait for the post to deliver slides, only to find that I had forgotten to change the ISO!. Digital has allowed more flexible experimentation, with immediate analysis of the results and as I am not too good with Photoshop, this really helps, as I try to get to get the image ‘right’ in-camera.

Which camera do you use?

I use Nikon cameras including the D850, D810, D5 and have been loyal to the brand for many years, except for a short ‘affair’ with a Canon A1 a long time ago. Similar to many photographers, I have a significant investment in lenses which tends to discourage you from being ‘unfaithful’. I am not too delicate with my cameras, so the robustness of the Nikons suits me. I accidentally, kicked my tripod over and completely submerged a Nikon D3s once. I immediately removed the battery and memory, put the camera in a bag of rice and left it for two weeks..it still works!

Where’s your favourite place to photograph?

I live very close to North Wales and with The Peak District only an hour and a half away, so I am spoilt for choice, the rugged moody Peak or the diversity of landscape that North Wales has to offer. I am a Geologist by profession, so I understand why a particular landscape looks the way it does, so I guess that I find rugged rocky images more interesting. Having said that, my windfarm image is very different to that. Overseas, it would be South Africa.

Tell us about the day you photographed your winning image

I was up in the hills around Halkyn in North Wales, looking for rock texture images in the limestone quarries. To be honest I was frustrated with the fog blanket that covered the Dee estuary. But then I noticed the Dee bridge and the distant Liverpool Anglican cathedral standing proud through the fog. I took a few shots of these and drove further , trying to get a better view of the cranes at Liverpool dock, that were also poking through the fog, when I noticed the gap opening up that revealed the windfarm. It was pure luck that I was there and even luckier that the migrating birds flew into the frame. Classic ‘right place right time’.

Where is next on your list of places to visit to photograph?

I am working on a very exciting new Portfolio, ‘Elements’ that looks at a series of ‘Living’ environmental portraits of a lady within the landscape. I have used long shutter speeds to create movement, to help tell the story of each image. The work is displayed on my website - https://www.grayeatonimages.co.uk/private/elements.php . I have a few other on-going projects, which I will keep secret for now.