Image above: Winter Sunlight © Tamsin Bailey
UK landscape photographer Tamsin Bailey has shifted her creative focus in recent years and now concentrates on nature closer to home, noticing how that changes throughout the seasons. She talks to OP about her work.
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.
Tamsin Bailey: Hi, I live near Leeds and I would describe myself as a keen amateur photographer. I love taking photos outdoors and tend to focus on large landscapes, small landscapes and details within the landscape. Like many people I always enjoyed taking photos on holiday but the big change came when I got my first digital camera and started taking photos more frequently. Then after joining my local camera club I started to take my photography more seriously.
OP: How often are you able to get out there and photograph, and is there a particular location you normally go to?
TB: Owing to some ongoing health problems I’m not able to get out and take photos as often as I would like, so most of my photography is done within a few miles of where I live with the occasional trip further afield.
Image above: Conifer woodland at sunset © Tamsin Bailey
OP: What are you working on at the moment?
TB: I’m trying to get out on a more regular basis so I can look at my local area as it changes through the seasons. I’m also trying to find more creative ways to record those changes and not worrying about missing the big landscapes.
OP: Where do you find your inspiration?
TB: My main inspiration comes from being outside and trying to be aware of what’s happening around me, but I also like to see what other photographers are doing. My main source of information is Outdoor Photography and from there I follow up the photographers I like online.
OP: What’s your dream photography project?
TB: To travel to anywhere with lots of snow! In Britain we have a tendency to equate winter with snow but the reality is we don’t actually get that much. But then again, maybe the best thing about snow is not travelling to somewhere new but seeing a familiar landscape transformed on the odd occasion when snow does actually fall.
Image above: Beech sapling © Tamsin Bailey
OP: Is there one thing in particular you think would improve your photography?
TB: There are probably two things: first would be spending more time outside taking photos, but not necessarily taking more photos! While processing photos is important I sometimes think I’ve got the balance wrong between being outside and sitting in front of a computer screen. The second is to have more of a focus. It would be good to work on a project that has an endpoint – maybe a set of prints or a book of photos on one subject.
OP: What do you think is hot right now in the photography world?
TB: Although I love seeing images of big landscapes in fabulous light, I also really like the shots of smaller landscapes and those details within it. I particularly enjoy some of the more creative photography I’ve seen in recent years, which often use multiple exposures and intentional camera movement.
OP: Where do you see your photography in five years time?
TB: The short answer would be hopefully taking better photos and maybe I’ll actually start (and finish) some small projects!
Image above: Misty morning, Coniston Water © Tamsin Bailey
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