Focus of the Month: Lanes, Ginnels & Alleyways Whether it’s a winding passage linking independent shops and historic pubs in York, or an overgrown cut-through that doubles as a wildlife highway, ginnels are a gift for photographers. Their strong leading lines pull the viewer’s eye straight into the frame. Making brilliant backdrops for portraits, street scenes, or even an impromptu wildlife shoot.
Needless to say, only explore the passageways you feel safe and confident in. It might be a ginnel, a driveway, or even just the gap between two houses — anywhere that offers a frame within a frame and a story to tell.
Creature of the Month: Dragonflies The ultimate hunter, dragonfly larvae can spend up to 5 years terrorising creatures below the surface of your local pond. Their comparatively short life in the air is no less dramatic and September is prime time for dragonflies. They’re fast, mesmerising, and sometimes frustrating to photograph, but when you nail the shot it's extremely satisfying! Tip of the Month: Backlighting As September rolls in, the sun sits lower in the sky, making it a great time to experiment with back lighting. People, wildlife or objects, position your subject between you and the sun, and you’ll create glowing outlines, soft halos, and dreamy atmosphere.
Try this with portraits, leaves, or even cobwebs glistening with dew and experiment
with the exposure (brighter or darker) for different effects.
Inspiration of the Month: Lee Miller A fearless photographer who moved effortlessly from high fashion to the front lines of World War II. Miller’s work is bold, brave, and uncompromising, yet full of humanity. Miller had an eye for the unexpected, and September is the perfect month to channel some of that curiosity.
In addition to delving through the fascinating Lee Miller
Archives, two recent films 'Lee' and the fictional film 'Civil War' both pay homage to Miller albeit in different ways, style and tone but equally compelling.
Review of the Month: "I bought my first camera and was a little bit reluctant to book on because I thought youtube and books could teach you everything. I'm eager to learn, though, so I booked onto a 1:1 and I can honestly say I'm so glad I did. There's things that nothing a youtube video or book can teach you over actual experience. It had only been a
week but I knew a bit but Rich adapted the lesson to suit. I was given feedback on photos in the lesson and what I'd already taken. Techniques I wasn't aware of were shown to me. I came out of the lesson feeling more confident and felt more ready to explore the world of photography. Highly recommend the 1:1 lesson." - S M READ THE FULL BLOG POST WITH MORE TIPS, PHOTOS (+ Settings) & DETAIL HERE
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