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Photography Article

The Lucky Landscape Photographer

30 June 2025

The Lucky Landscape Photographer -So let’s have a look into this image, and see how lucky I got?

I had worked out an area I wanted to photograph when I was in the UK recently. And of course you can read all about planning a trip right here right now.

Now, let me share with you, dear reader, how I got the cover shot. I had a quick Google of ‘Top Landscapes in the South East’. That being the UK. I was staying with my dear sister who lives nearby. Close but not too close. She had never heard of Hartland Quay. It’s a hour or so away (quite a long way in the UK – they don’t drive like Aussies have to) however, that one hour takes you down some five-foot wide bendy roads with ten-foot high hedges of each side.

And so, it came to pass we took ‘a walk’ when we got there, and passed upon the spot where all the locals grab the ‘picture perfect’ image. Are you with me so far?

 

The Elements of the Photograph

Let us take a look at this photo. Pretty, eh? Nice blue skies (albeit washed out due to angle). Calm blue, inviting, tranquil waters. Beautiful striated ricks running into the sea. And those small flowers popping a splash of purple into the foreground.

So – how lucky was I?

  1. Not a Cloud in the Sky – wow! can you just get them on demand in England? I think not.
  2. That Smooth Water – Oh my goodness it looks like the Mediterranean it is so blue. And beautiful azure hints where it is shallow
  3. Those Rocks – the lovely leading lines into the sea – yep that’s what called me there
  4. The purple flowers – just the perfect addition to the textbook foreground ?
  5. Technical – sharp, well exposed

So. let’s think about these in more detail.

  1. Skies – you can’t actually order Blue Skies. (Well you can if you are shooting in the Sahara, but… ) And… sometimes blue skies can be A Bad Thing. However, seascapes, and ‘picture postcard’ images benefit from them.
  2. The Look of the Water – Seascapes… hmm. at the mercy of, among other things, tide height, swell, rough/choppy/windy. In fact there are soooo many factors when water is involved, before we even get to safety. And yes I am banging on about water and rock safety when I am standing way high on a cliff. The water is wonderfully calm. To offset the sharp rocks
  3. Those Rocks – Der…. I got low tide, and – OMG you CANNOT see the striations at high tide… far out, let’s try to persuade everyone to hang around for 4-5 hours until the tide changes? High tide is completely different.
  4. The purple flowers – I couldn’t stop laughing afterward – they are only out a couple of weeks each year.
  5. Technical – sharp, well exposed, in focus, strong composition. Yep, am I bragging? Maybe, but, if you do get lucky, with all those elements above. and you don’t focus? hmmmm

 

The Lucky Landscape Photographer

I have been lucky with photos many times. But I doubt I have ever been this lucky on a one-visit overseas shoot. Particularly when with a group of family members of friends. Who still want to stay family and or friends afterwards!!!

 

Now, let’s illustrate just how really lucky I was. This was, within a few days, almost exactly a year later.

 

Oh, right!!! –

So the keen eye (are you paying attention?) will now note the differences between the photos. For the second photo???

  • It’s cloudy. Yep, bugger all we can do about in the UK.
  • Where have the lovely leading lines gone? DANG, it appears as though there is more water… ah yes! (Consults the ‘Martian’s Guide to Planet Earth’) we have tides!!! And it was nice and low on image 1
  • The purple flowers? Hang on, aren’t flowers always supposed to be there, making us Landscape Photographer’s job nice and easy? Oh hang on, they appear to be an odd species that blooms only a short period each year. How unlucky can you be?
  • Waves – yep – in the second image where some nicely breaking waves could add some nice repeated shapes? Nope – just dumpers…

So there you go, I just 100% nailed the perfect combination of factors on the first image. And then…

 

And now let us look at these photos. A couple of alternate compositions. When the conditions are this good, go for it!

 

 

And finally?

This won’t help you with your photography. Sorry. BUT, I hope it has made you treasure the treasures you do capture.