My entries for Landscape Photographer of the Year

LPOTY ???

"But you are not a landscape photographer,..... are you??? I mean, you photograph people, right??? And doorknobs???  That's not like photographing trees and stuff is it?? " I hear this all the time.

Some people will think I'm only entering because my boyfriend got in the book last year. And that I've never shot a landscape until I went to Scotland with him this year. So. Very. Wrong!

I'm a full time photographer. I've been a photographer forever it seems. My passion is Travel photography, which surprisingly incorporates different kinds of landscapes. Yes I'm known for my people, music, fashion, documentary and product photography but surprise surprise, a lot of my past/present commercial work is actually ..... wait for it...... LANDSCAPE!

My clients were and still are Town Planning Consultants, Quarries and Landfill Sites, The Environment Agency, Travel companies and many more.

Yes I've walked for miles, waiting for the right light, I've even used a tripod and I have a huge box of filters. But I like to break the rules now and again... (who imposes these rules anyway?) I shoot landscapes without a tripod, I'll use a car bonnet or rock if I have to! Or dare I say it..... shoot handheld!

Yes I've photographed more landscapes in the past year than I have in previous years. It's a great way of having down time and still staying in love with photography when the rest of the time is crazy busy constantly shooting/editing.  It's also so nice when you finally meet someone who shares the same passions as you and doesn't mind the hours of non-communication which often comes from being at opposite ends of the beach!

I take all and none of my photography seriously. Yes that's right. I don't stress that the shot is not obvious and ready for me to press the shutter, I will go looking for it and make it happen. And I will ALWAYS come back with something good which I am happy with.

So I have entered this competition with photos which bring me enjoyment, some have been a stolen moment after an event, or while wandering around the city and others from our amazing trip to Scotland.

I have entered images which still come under the genre of landscape, maybe a little more abstract than traditional but nonetheless, still a landscape image.

I hope you like some of them, I hope some challenge your ideas about landscape, I don't mind if you really dislike some of them. It would be nice to be shortlisted, even better to be commended and be in the book/exhibition. Of course it would be awesome to win a category. I'm being realistic, I've never entered before. I know my vision is different to everyone else's so I'm taking a risk entering not as a landscape photographer but as a photographer who takes landscapes too!

These are some of my ideas about the genre of Landscape - the more traditional selection....

1. Loch Lomond through the trees

Taken on way back from Scotland, this image made Flickr explore I particularly like the abstraction but incorporating all the classic elements of landscape; trees, water, mist, rocks and land.

Entered into Classic View and Your View categories

Loch Lomond through the trees

2. First Morning

My first morning waking up in Terry's camper van on Mellon Udrigle beach. My first proper sunrise of the trip. This was my idea of heaven!
Classic View

First Morning

3. High Waters

Taken a short time after the above image, at Loch Lomond. Another play on boundaries, where the Loch and the land become one! 

Classic view/Your View

High Waters

4. Immersion

The Black Mount of Glencoe. I wanted to concentrate on the surface immersed in cloud and show where the relationship between two become one.

Classic view.

Immersion

5. Roadtrip

Aptly named - my first real stop to take in the beauty around us. This is what I imagined it would be like. It certainly didn't disappoint! 

Classic view

Roadtrip

6.Standing Proud 

The standing stones at Calanais. Each stone was beautiful, I wanted to show the raw beauty of this stone in context with her sisters. This image also made Flickr Explore.

Classic view

Standing Proud

7. Storm-o-way

An incredible sight as we drove from the ferry at Stornoway on our way to Harris. 

Classic view

Storm-o-way

8. Tree House

A very familiar sight on the Isle of Harris, Derelict buildings everywhere, taken back by their land. Classic view/Your view

Tree House

9. The Awakening

Sunrise on Mellon Udrigle beach. I had never seen the light dance like hard rain on the sand.

Classic view

The Awakening

10. Sticks and Stones

I could identify with the chaos of this beach. A pile of sticks. In no particular order. Some look for the lonely rock but to me this was perfection. 

Classic view

Sticks & Stones

11. Before the Fire

Taken from Canary Wharf with a Canon G12. My first experience of seeing rain like this. The sky turned to fire but I prefer these more subdued colours against the stark grey of the city!

Urban view

Before the Fire

12. Points of View

Another moment after an event up high. So many unexpected colours in the city. So many spires. So many cranes. The moment the sun turned everything to gold.

Urban view

Points of View

See my next blog post coming soon with the my images entered for Your View and Living the View

Tracy

The Black Mount of Glencoe

Black Mount copyright Tracy Howl

This is another of my favourites from the journey home through Glencoe. The Black Mount is famous for it's triangular shape. I wanted to concentrate on the surface immersed in cloud and show where the relationship between the two become one. 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/pixelvixenuk/12444279995/

Some Thoughts on Explore

Today I achieved my goal to get one of my photos on Flickr Explore.

That's no big deal some may say, some who reach the top 500 a few times a week or month! Well it is a big deal to me. Because this is my first. And I'm sure when the regular achievers had their first, they were pretty excited too!

It reminds me of my first front page working for newspapers. It is special. Everyone wants front page. Flickr Explore is the front page! Yes I admit that once you continue to be published, it becomes an everyday thing. It is still nice though! Seeing your work in print!

I remember when Paul Clarke, my work colleague, made it on to Explore with his photo of Rain over London. We had photographed an event at Level 39 Canary Wharf during the day. While packing up, we were amazed at the view of the storm over London. We both photographed it. In different ways. Paul uploaded his pix to Flickr on the train. It went viral, reaching Reddit and Explore. The next day we were photographing a wedding together. At quiet times we would check the Flickr views. They crept up through the hundreds, then thousands, by the end of the wedding reception, views were over 100k! The power of the internet and people's curiosity! All in the 24 hours after capture and upload!

So back to me... I doubt very much my image will be as popular as Paul's. I don't particularly want it to be. By this image reaching Explore, it has done everything I wanted an image of mine to do. I didn't plan for this particular image to be so popular. In fact I am surprised although I like the image a lot, which is why when I saw the view from the window, I asked Terry to stop the campervan so I could capture it.

This is the image, taken at the side of Loch Lomond on the way home. Taking advantage of the last light of the day. The cloud was very low, hovering just above the surface of the water. The Loch barely visible through the veil of trees. This image is very personal to me. Each time I look at it, I feel the emotion, the energy and our connection to the landscape. The passing of Loch Lomond denotes the last dusk we would experience in Scotland and the close of our wonderful trip. A transition back to reality.

Loch Lomond through the trees - copyright Tracy Howl 2014

I am glad that other people like this image too. It makes me so very happy that my art can bring a smile, a sense of wonder and joy. This is why I take photographs. For a living and for pleasure. 

At the time of publishing this, at 1am, there were 5279 views and 75 people had favorited it. I'm looking forward to seeing results in the morning. :)

This is the link to the Flickr page here..

Love is the Ocean

Love is the ocean. 

Small waves, ripples teasing, coming closer, running away. 

Faster, coming closer, maybe a little nearer each time. 

Running away faster.

One day a tidal wave consumes you, covers you, drowns you. 

You can't breathe, you can't survive it. 

Takes you away to an unknown place. 

That's love. 

Words & image copyright Tracy Howl

An excerpt from 5 Women About Love, a film I co-wrote in 2012

Image - Sunrise at Traigh Mor beach in Lewis, Scotland taken 9th Jan 2014

To Assist or Not To Assist

This is a question I hear all the time. Should I become an assistant or should I go straight out there as a photographer? I truly believe every photographer should assist another photographer at some point in their career. We are all learning, with every job, so why not learn how someone else does it. You may pick up some invaluable pointers!

Some people think they won't be taken seriously as a photographer if they spend all their time helping someone else further their career and reputation. The fact is, if you are assisting someone, it's because they have got to a certain point in their career which warrants the use of a 2nd person and wouldn't you want to be in that position yourself sometime soon? So you see it makes a lot of sense!

Of course you have pressures, you cannot stuff up, but it's not your head on the line if you do. You are assisting, you are not in charge! You need to develop confidence as a photographer to deliver briefs. It takes time to understand what clients want and expect and every one is different.

While assisting you may feel like a general dogsbody, carrying kit, usually lots of it, running around with props, setting up and testing lights, loading backs, chasing models and make up artists to get a move on, racing to Metro and waiting for proofs. It can be hard, but someone has to do it! Get over the victim mentality, it's a job in photography and lots of people would give their right arm for it!

Ok so it's busy, you're always on the go... USE THE OPPORTUNITY to take everything in. What kit does the photographer use, what flash set-up does he/she use? You have the advantage of seeing everything from concept to completion and you can use this knowledge in your own work.

When you assist, you are working with someone else's creativity, it doesn't have to stop your own! Some photographers I know let their assistants use their studio and equipment for their own projects. Don't you think this is a good idea? It saves on hire fees and you can always bounce your ideas around with someone who has more experience and may be able to help YOU!

Lots of photographers rush 'out there' and then fall flat on their face! You need to learn business acumen as well as how to take photos, so why not learn from a professional so you know what you're doing when it's your turn!

A little history

Ok here goes with a little background info on me.

I grew up in the Midlands, moved to London in 1992. Originally I came down for dance auditions (yes I'm a trained dancer too!) then got caught up with the whole 'London life' thing and didn't go back. Sometimes I wonder what if; but then I wouldn't have become the person I am today.

In between temping, I was doing lots of promotional work (as resting dancers do) and started doing Model portfolio headshots for the people I met along the way. I had already been to college to do City & Guilds, GCSE & A Level Photography so I had an inkling back then of what I wanted to do.

My daughter was born in 1995, I went back to college to do more photography and media courses and was hooked. I decided this was what I wanted to do professionally. I went freelance before going to University to study Contemporary Media Practice.

Next post... how I got into photojournalism....