Well, January flew by. Another year, and we’re still under lockdown here in the UK. I think everyone’s beginning to feel the strain now.
Read More13 Things I Learnt From My First Climbing Accident
“I glanced around the sides of the pass hoping to spot Dinas Cromlech and the infamous Cenotaph corner. The site of our climb that day. A flash of movement caught my eye and I saw a cartwheeling figure tumble down the lower face to disappear from sight.”
Read MoreWinter Climbing in the Slovakian Tatras
You usually don’t have a lot of time to figure out what happened when you’re falling, but luckily this was a short one.
Read MoreAustrian Alpine Club Best Portrait/People Image 2019
Well then, I am extremely stoked to hear I’ve just won the Austrian Alpine Club Best Portrait/ People Image of 2019 and also come runner-up in their First Time Entrant category for my image of Tom and Bobby ascending the South West ridge of the Weissmies in Switzerland at dawn.
Read MorePhoto Stories #7: Night-time on the Stockhorn
In alpine climbing, the emphasis is to move, move, move.⠀
Time is against you, you've got to beat the midday sun and get down that glacier before everything starts to melt.⠀
Your mind and focus narrow down to singular actions; sling that flake, keep the rope tight, don't drop your ice axe!⠀
There aren't many chances to stop, sit down and drink in the incredible surroundings you're climbing in.⠀
When nighttime comes, she tells a different story. The pace slackens and the noise fades.⠀
That's probably why, on my final climb in Switzerland this Summer, sat above the Stockhorn biwak hut under a clear night sky and smoking a cigarette with my friend Kyle, I didn't really feel like going to bed.⠀
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Valais Alps. Switzerland 🇨🇭
Read MoreFirst International Publication With Renovate Architecture Magazine
Pretty sweet to find out that my first architectural shoot with OAO Architects has been published in New Zealand architecture magazine Renovate.
Read MoreFirst National Publication With Wanderlust Travel Magazine!
Piggybacking on my recent trip to Costa Rica, I’ve just landed my first national publication with a five-page spread in this month’s Wanderlust Travel Magazine.
Read MoreArchitectural Photography Shoot With OAO Design
I recently finished my first commercial gig with OAO Design on their extension project in West Ealing, London.
Man, what a day. I hadn’t realised how tiring an all-day shoot could be.
We arrived early in the morning to prepare for the shoot and make the most of the available light.
The specifics of the shoot had been left to myself, but there were certain key features my client wanted to highlight in the design. Preparation was key, and I found it immensely helpful having picked OAO’s brains prior to the shoot to understand how the design had come to be and to align my own ideas with their vision.
They told me:
“The client loves cooking, so the main requirement was for a garden kitchen. A space which integrated the garden into the home and allowed the growth of produce to be harvested for cooking.
For this, we imagined a Victorian style orangery, where the architectural form came from a modern contemporary take on the same principle. A light and bright top lit space which could allow for small trees and plants to grown within.
We always had this relationship with nature in mind which is very evident in the framed views and materiality. From the moment you enter, the sky and the garden can be seen and that interaction begins.”
As I shot around the extension I learnt how to best make of use the light as it danced and twisted around the room. I had hoped to shoot the majority of the interior during the day to avoid the harsh midday sun, but as a skylight runs the length of the extension this proved difficult forcing me to shoot between the clouds scudding the sky.
With this being a living space I wanted to show interaction with the environment; be it the cats playing or a family member pausing to get a drink These extraneous elements really add flavour to an otherwise stationary scene.
There were several shots I had to re-take having caught myself or the client in a reflection. These could have been removed later in Photoshop, but I’m a big proponent of trying to capture an image as I want it in camera with only minimal editing required.
One joy I’ve found in this type of photography is I could really take my time with composition, making the best use of leading lines, symmetry and angles. A real change from adventure travel!
Overall, this was a steep learning curve for myself and OAO, but a thoroughly enjoyable day.
If you’ve got any thoughts or ideas let me know in the comments below. Until then.
Stay classy,
Alex
Want more? You know you do. Click here to see the rest of the shoot.
You can see more of OAO’s beautiful and minimalist designs on instagram.
Return From Costa Rica
I finally made it back from Costa Rica. Wow, what a country! There was wildlife everywhere.
During in a brief pause between heavy showers I finally managed to snap this little guy in mid take off as he paused whizzing between flowers. Even at rest I saw his little chest heaving up and down. It’s no wonder he was tired, hummingbirds can beat their wings up to 3000 times a minute as they visit up to 1000 flowers in a day on loops.
I'll be posting more Costa Rica shots in the next few weeks so stay tuned!
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Shot on OM-D E-M5 II + 40-150 7-14mm f/2.8 PRO
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La Fortuna de San Carlos Waterfall, Costa Rica
Wanderlust Active Travel Photographer of the Year 2017
Well, turns out my photos aren’t so bad. If you hadn’t heard, I’m pretty excited to say last month I won the Active Category in the Wanderlust Travel Photo of the Year 2017 awards at the Destinations Holiday and Travel Show with my shot of two mountaineers caught in a blizzard in the Cairngorms, Scotland.
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