FEELING THE SEASONS
James Ratchford
I love the seasonality of the UK and the different moods that come with it, the floral fields and ancient woodlands and the occasional storm battering the wonderful coastland. It is forever changing, which provides constant variety for landscape photography. There is so much on offer in Sussex to capture and I am continually grateful for how diverse and dramatic the environment around me is. A challenge I am currently testing myself with is to capture my feelings within the photograph. I might exaggerate this by using intentional camera movement and multiple exposures within the camera. Like many others, my mood is affected by whether it's a bright sunny day or wet and what some might call miserable. I hope part of this comes across in this series of photographs.
I try not to restrict myself to going out in only the best weather and often find my most memorable outings were those I got soaked through and held out for a glimmer of light. That said, I will generally head out at sunrise as it's quieter, there's the possibility of a display of colour and it's the perfect way to start the day. In terms of approach, I usually use my 70-200mm lens for landscape photos and switch to the 15-35mm for occasional skies, cityscapes and reflections. Some of my favourite locations for photography in Sussex include the chalky South Downs because of their rolling hills and breathtaking views. The dramatic coastline around the Seven Sisters Cliffs is another favourite spot of mine, where I hold regular landscape photography workshops. Additionally, Firle - the place where I live - is also a wonderful location to capture some great shots, and is often overlooked by other photographers.
This article first appeared in PRISMA, Issue 14.