18.05.10
Lee Pengelly: Giving your photographs the exposure they deserve
Lee Pengelly is a landscape photographer based in Devon, UK. His work is published in the UK and overseas in books, magazines, travel guides and on calendars and cards. He supplies stock images to five main agencies including Corbis, Alamy and Britain On View, and also runs his own stock collection. He has had six books published and has just finished a seventh. www.silverscenephoto.co.uk
In my work, I love wide views and getting down close to the foreground and the elements within the shot. I like to create motion in my landscapes, moving water, trees, plants and even people. I shoot completely digitally now but still like to achieve the same colour palette as Fuji Velvia. I used this film for many years before going digital and have its colour palette ingrained in my memory. I use it as a benchmark when processing my work.I favour coastlines overcountryside. It is the edge of the landscape and wilderness that attracts me the most; that, and the unpredictability of the ocean.
While I understand misty, blurred water is becoming a little passé, I still love it. By researching the location using Ordnance Survey maps, sunset and sunrise times and tide tables, I can react to the moment knowing I have covered all the variables. Through planning, I can increase my chances of getting a good image. I always go out with a rough idea in my mind of what I want to achieve, but this can change when I get to the location.
LIGHTING
Ultimately this is what will make or break a landscape image. The low light of dawn and dusk will give the shot an edge. Get up early and stay out late for the best light. I arrive at my location well before dawn, in near darkness so I can be set up and ready to go when the sun starts to rise. For sunsets, I arrive around two hours before to find the right position to shoot from to capture the dusk light.
COMPOSITION
I try to compose a landscape that is interesting for the person viewing it. This requires a good foreground subject, middle distance subject and a focal point with a leading line through the image to draw the eye on a journey through the image. Walls, rivers, a line of stones or the trail of water patterns all work. The focal point can give the viewer a final destination to lock on to.
LENS
I love wide-angle lenses and more often than not will opt for the wide view with landscapes. A wide lens will make the viewer want to step into the image; by tilting the camera down, this effect is exaggerated. Care needs to be taken with extreme wide angles; it’s all too easy to end up with empty foregrounds. Telephotos can be useful to pick out details in the landscape; they also compress perspective, drawing distant subjects closer together.
FILTRATION
As digital techniques and software progress, the need for physical filters is becoming less. However, I think it is essential to have at least a set of neutral density grey graduates, a polariser and an overall neutral density filter. The majority of my landscape work is shot in low light where the land and sky exposures differ greatly. I bridge this exposure gap with graduate filters. This exposure difference can be overcome by shooting multiple shots and merging in Photoshop or HDR software. I do employ this technique occasionally, but to be honest, I prefer to get the shot right while I’m there. A polariser is also a must to beef up saturation, improve contrast and remove unwanted reflections. I also use a 0.9ND filter to increase exposure time for coastal and river images. The key to good filter use is to not see any obvious use in the final image, to control rather than colour the light.
PATIENCE
When I first started shooting landscapes, I had zero patience. I would leave too early, get up too late and miss great opportunities as a result. I cannot stress how important it is be patient. These days, I wait for hours, even days to get the right shot. The light in the landscape is always different and no two shots will ever be the same. So I will return to a location to try to improve on an image or to try different compositions.
Showing your work
Books
I love working on book titles. I enjoy the whole process immensely and think every photographer is capable of creating a book. It does take time. From the initial idea, to the planning stage, to taking the shots, and finally the editing and captioning can take around a year. There are no instant returns, but I have had at least one title produced each year for the past six years, which all generate good royalties. Some believe having so many titles in print means you’re a millionaire. This is simply not true. Getting published is a competitive market, but if you are determined and dedicated, it can become a good income source and a great marketing tool. Why not try www.halsgrove.com.
Stock
I shoot stock for five main agencies. My work includes landscape, architecture and wildlife as well as food, people and still life. In the past five years the stock photography market has become saturated and now many agencies only offer poor returns. This makes it more difficult to make a living just from this, which is why my approach is utterly professional. The more images I have out there, the more I can sell. I always put my best work with agencies and try to fill the gaps in their files. I sell a good number of landscape images with each one taken in good light and offering a mix of recognisable and generic locations. The days of making a living as a photographer from just one source are long gone, but by supplying these agencies alongside other markets, I make a reasonable return. Why not try www.alamy.com.
Cards and Calendars
Cards and calendars are a great market for landscape images. Beautiful scenics, misty fields, beaches and sunsets all shot in atmospheric conditions can do very well. I supply companies every year with new work taken throughout the UK. I also have work published overseas on calendars. Self publishing is another route, selling your products at craft fairs, markets and online, however the initial outlay can be quite high. By supplying established companies I cut out the overheads and marketing costs involved in self publishing. Why not try www.clintoncards.co.uk.
Exhibits
Out of all the markets I supply, I get the most satisfaction from selling prints to the public and businesses. Knowing someone has bought your work to hang in their house or office is extremely rewarding. Most of my print sales are generic images that have a definite colour or pattern to them, and are purchased to fit in a room with a specific colour or theme. I do sell prints of famous and popular locations, but only when they mean something to the purchaser.
What’s in your kit bag?
I use a Canon 1DS MkII with 28-70mm F2.8 L, 17-40mm F4 L, 70-200mm F4 L and a 24mm prime lenses. I also use Lee filters including neutral density grads and a Heliopan polariser. One gadget I couldn’t be without is my little bubble level which fits on my hotshoe. It is great for getting horizons and buildings straight.
This feature is from the April 2010 issue
Back issues can be ordered by calling 01858 438840 or by sending an email to photographymonthly@subscription.co.uk
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