Reach for the sky
Guy Edwardes reveals how he shot this unusual and atmospheric forest scene
I photographed these beech trees in a forest at Compton Down in Dorset. It was a misty, murky morning and I decided to use my 8-15mm fisheye lens at the 15mm end. I mostly shoot with daylight white balance and when you’re shooting in low light you always get that blue-ish colour cast which adds to the mood and the coldness.
It’s not obvious, but this image is a multiple-exposure made in-camera with four separate shots. It’s a technique I came across when experimenting one day and can be used to make a boring shot more interesting. In this case I selected a four-shot exposure, then between each press of the shutter I twisted the camera. It gives a twirling pattern, with every tree, but with a degree of separation between them.
Did you take a formal course in photography?
I did a degree in photography at Salisbury College, now Wiltshire College.
It was very biased towards portrait and commercial photography, which I wasn’t interested in that at all. But it was quite easy to skew the projects so I could shoot landscapes and nature. It was useful to learn a lot of different techniques, and even the studio work wasn’t a waste of time. For me, it was mainly about having the facilities and the equipment to use and getting help when I needed it.
It was nearly all coursework and very little classroom work – it was ideal for what I needed at the time.
How did you start shooting nature professionally?
While I was still doing my degree, I began shooting stock photography for picture libraries. I got taken on by the Telegraph Colour Library, which gradually got amalgamated into Getty Images. Being taken on by that library really helped me get established. By the time I finished my degree, I was already earning a living, so I went straight into it without having to do apprenticeships or anything like that. For the first ten years I was shooting almost exclusively for stock, but I also did
some for magazine articles. I also wrote
two books: 100 Ways to Take Better Landscape Photographs, in 2005, and
100 Ways to Take Better Nature & Wildlife Photographs, in 2009.
Which camera bodies do you currently use for landscapes?
At the moment I’m using a Canon EOS 5DS R, for my landscape work, and occasionally for wildlife portraits and macro. I mainly use it for its high 50Mp resolution. I also use an EOS 5D Mark III for coastal work. If I’m working close to the water I use an older camera in case it gets hit by big waves, which can happen. I don’t like being put off from being close to the water if that’s where I need to be to make sure I get the shot.
And which body do you use for natural history?
For that work I use a Canon EOS-1D X, mainly for the speed and accuracy of its autofocus. It also has a high frame rate and the ability to shoot at high ISOS, plus a big buffer for taking multiple shots. I also use the 1D X for landscapes if I
I went straight into it without having to do apprenticeships or anything like that