Image above: Nantgwynant Valley Spring Dawn © Ron Evans
You might recognise Ron’s work from our Viewpoints section in the magazine, or seen his inspiring images pop up on our Twitter when we ‘retweet’ them. A photographer whose style aligns well with OP, we decided to put him under the spotlight for our latest Short exposure…
Outdoor Photography: Hello! First of all please introduce yourself: tell us the type of pictures you like to take and how you first got into photography.
Ron Evans: Hello! The reason I first bought an SLR camera was to aid me with my oil paintings. I used the photographs as a reference to the places and landscapes I wanted to paint – many of the paintings I exhibited. I really enjoyed walking in the landscape with my camera and after a while, to my delight, I sold a set of transparencies of a Staffordshire garden to National Homes and Gardens magazine.
Image above: Cannock Chase Dawn Late Summer © Ron Evans
OP: How often are you able to get out there and photograph, and is there a particular location you normally go to?
RE: I am a full time professional photographer and I have spent the last five years taking photographs of Cannock Chase, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). Also I frequently travel throughout the seasons to many UK National Parks, including Snowdonia, the Lake District and a lot on the welsh coastline.
OP: What are you working on at the moment?
RE: The Moat House (a Premier Inn in Staffordshire) have commissioned me to provide images for them to hang as framed wall art in their hotel. I have also just finished the series 18 Photographs of Landscapes of Cannock Chase and Staffordshire and my next project will be to self-publish my first book on Cannock Chase (AONB) to coincide with an exhibition.
OP: Where do you find your inspiration?
RE: My inspiration is drawn from nature – the colour palette of varying hues and tones are sublime. The shapes, patterns, textures, light and shade bring together a veritable visual feast. The spiritual feeling from within is all the inspiration I need.
Image above: Llyn Mymbyr Spring © Ron Evans
OP: What’s your dream photography project?
RE: It would be to photograph trees around the world, from leaf to roots, where a stunning variety of colour, shapes, textures and patterns can be seen.
OP: Is there one thing in particular you think would help you improve your photography?
RE: Yes, less time sat in front of my computer screen and more time in the great outdoors. Also gaining experience, honing my skills and taking fewer images to have a more considered approach.
OP: What do you think is hot right now in the photography world?
RE: The amazing technology of the huge sensors in cameras that are coming onto the market. With these high quality sensors, cropping now can be used as a creative tool – when cropping just a portion of a picture you can still end up with a stunning quality A2 image.
Image above: Llyn Dinas Late Spring © Ron Evans
OP: Where do you see your photography in five years time?
RE: If you mean professional photography then that’s a difficult one. I’ve been a stock photographer for 25 years and sales in general have been on the decline, particularly in the last few years – that maybe something to do with the internet being awash with trillions of photographs taken on iPhones (and all sorts of devices) where the image quality can be really good! The rate at which digital photography is changing is really mind-boggling; however there will always be a market for professional quality, inspirational images.
See more of Ron’s work here.
The competition is now closed