Hailing from Alabama, USA, landscape photographer Anne Strickland combines her love of landscape photography with her zest for travel. Having discovered a passion for photographing South West England, she now runs photo tours and workshops in the area, colloquially known as the West Country. This article first featured in Issue 39 of Light & Landscape Magazine.
A Traveling Landscape Photographer
Traveling landscape photographers tend to have different styles. Some like the “bucket list” approach. They aim to tick off iconic locations such as Tuscany, Banff, the Lofoten Islands, Iceland and so on. While there is nothing wrong with this, I prefer to seek greater intimacy with my landscapes. This means that I rarely make a single visit to a location and check it off as “done.”
A big part of the fun for me is to study the area before I ever hop on the plane. I try to learn as much as I can about my location including the culture, history and geography. My goal is to capture the essence of a location with the same intimacy as a local photographer.
The West Country (South West England)
A few years ago, I visited the South West of England, home to the picturesque counties of Cornwall, Devon and Dorset.
On this particular occasion, I took a solo trip. Without the restrictions of a group schedule, I was able to immerse myself in the local area. I rented a cottage in a small village which allowed me to live more like a local than staying in an impersonal hotel.
The South West is home to some of the UK’s most outstanding and cherished landscapes.
The UNESCO World Heritage Sites of Dorset’s Jurassic Coast and Mining Landscapes of Cornwall & West Devon top the bill. Dartmoor National Park, straddling both Dorset & Cornwall, affords endless photo opportunities.
And the International Dark Sky Reserve of Somerset & Devon’s Exmoor National Park offers fantastic Milky Way opportunities to night photography lovers.
The remaining area is dotted with designated AONBs (Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty). One can see why the region would delight and appeal to a landscape photographer, such as myself.
The entire coast is chock full of soaring limestone cliffs, sweeping rocky beaches and charming fishing villages. Inland, one finds moorlands, ancient tin mines and flowering fields. A landscape photographer could spend a lifetime shooting this wonderful area.
South West England Photography Tours
Since my first trip, I have returned many times. With such an affinity for the region, the natural progression for me was obvious. I now offer my own landscape photography tours in South West England!
Earth Focus Photo Tours is a collaboration with British photographer Ian Perkins, a lifetime resident of the area. Together, we have scouted the region for the finest landscapes that it has to offer.
With our extensive local knowledge of the tide, sunrise and sunsets, we ensure that our guests are on location at the best time.
We offer our guests as little or as much tutoring in the field as they feel they need. Our only aim is to ensure they capture a memorable collection of images to take home at the end of the tour.
Our guests stay together in a large local house, convenient for the coast. The perfect setting to enjoy local living in a convivial atmosphere.
After a long day, we often gather at the large dining table with our laptops and a glass of wine or cup of coffee. The conversation is almost always about the day’s shoot or photography in general.
You’ll also get to experience the local cuisine. Look forward to a Cornish Pasty from a seaside bakery or a gourmet dinner at one of the area’s many Michelin Star restaurants.
Passionate about photographing South West England, we strive to give our guests a full and satisfying photography experience. And of course, we include time to sample the local towns, culture and history.
Capture & Convey Emotions
I have been taking pictures with a camera since I was 8 years old. I am not quite sure from when I officially became a photographer but I have been more actively shooting for the last ten years. I have always shot a variety of subjects but find myself always returning to landscapes.
Avid landscape shooters know that the actual land subject may be the least important component about shooting landscapes. There is the fun part of dragging yourself out of bed at 3 am and driving, parking or walking in the dark, of course. But when you arrive at your spot and see that first hint of light on the horizon, you remember why you came and the real fun begins.
Among many other things, landscape photography is about managing light, wrestling with climatic conditions, and finding unique compositions in an era of photography when so many other photographers have shot the same location before. We are always seeking to put our own personal photographic signature on any location, whether it be undiscovered or iconic.
Above all, I think that we landscape photographers want our images to capture and convey our emotions as we stood on that place at the moment that we tripped the shutter. We want our viewers to be as astonished as we were when we witnessed that magical, dramatic moment on location.
Elusive Magical Moments
I know that what drives me as a landscape shooter is finding those elusive magical moments on location. I am grateful that I have had the opportunity to return again and again and have more than one chance at photographing South West England and other such locations. The magic doesn’t always happen. I truly love how the same location can be “something different” on any given day and I am so gratified when the magic happens for me.
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