All my recent and Old Articles
Welcome to my travel photography blog — a space where stories, journeys, and images come together. Here, I share my experiences from the road, whether it’s a van trip along the South Coast of England, exploring hidden coves and rolling dunes, or adventures further afield.
Photography is at the heart of every journey. Each post blends visual storytelling with practical insights — from capturing the perfect sunset over the sea, to documenting the charm of coastal towns and winding country roads. Alongside the images, you’ll find reflections, tips, and personal notes that bring each place to life.
This blog isn’t just about the destinations — it’s about the moments in between: early mornings on quiet beaches, roadside discoveries, and the joy of seeing familiar places in a new light. Whether you’re a fellow photographer, a traveler looking for inspiration, or simply someone who enjoys a good story, I hope these posts spark ideas for your own adventures.
Don’t forget to get in touch if you have any questions or suggestions!!
- From Snapshot to Stunning – Improve your holiday photography
Welcome to this week’s Episode of Stories Through the Shutter the podcast all about Travel and Photography. From Snapshot to Stunning – Improve your holiday photography. In this episode of the podcast, I delve into practical tips for taking great holiday photos. I explore how to transform average snapshots into unforgettable captures that genuinely reflect… Read more: From Snapshot to Stunning – Improve your holiday photography - Is the Fuji X100VI a Perfect Travel Camera?…Why I Love it (And why I don’t!)Is the Fuji X100VI the perfect travel camera? This much-acclaimed compact camera has been generating buzz since its release in March 2024. Two years later, there are still waiting lists at major camera retailers. Although it has a fixed lens that doesn’t zoom, a single card slot, and battery life that leaves much to be… Read more: Is the Fuji X100VI a Perfect Travel Camera?…Why I Love it (And why I don’t!)
- Fuji X100VI – My favourite, and not so favourite things – PodcastWelcome to this week’s Episode of Stories Through the Shutter the podcast all about Travel and Photography. In this week’s episode, I talk about the Fuji X100VI. Does it make a good travel camera, and what I like (and don’t) about it. Listen to the Episode – Episode 04 (25th May 2026) This article accompanies… Read more: Fuji X100VI – My favourite, and not so favourite things – Podcast
- Finding Colour on a Grey Day – From Doubt to SuccessWelcome to this week’s Episode of Stories Through the Shutter the podcast all about Travel and Photography. In this week’s episode, I am wandering around Keyhaven Marina. My mission was simple, ‘Finding Colour on a Grey Day’: To find bursts of colour amidst the muted tones of the gloomiest skies. This trip reminded me of… Read more: Finding Colour on a Grey Day – From Doubt to Success
- Hiking With a Knee Injury in the Rocky MountainsWelcome to this week’s Episode of Stories Through the Shutter the podcast all about Travel and Photography. In this week’s episode, I talk about a challenge I faced on a 2024 trip: hiking with a knee injury. I wrote a thoughtful article about my challenges, and you can see this by clicking here. Listen to… Read more: Hiking With a Knee Injury in the Rocky Mountains
- Travel Photography Style: Finding Your Style by Slowing DownTravel photography often comes with an unspoken pressure. When you visit somewhere new, especially somewhere you might never return to, it can feel like you need to make the most of every moment. You want to see everything, photograph everything, and leave with images that justify the effort it took to get there. But sometimes… Read more: Travel Photography Style: Finding Your Style by Slowing Down
- Stories Through The Shutter – A Travel & Photography Podcast Reborn
Here we go again. Another restart, another rebirth of the podcast. Here we go again. Another restart, another rebirth of the podcast. This is the beginning of a travel photography podcast called Stories Through The Shutter. If you’ve followed along before, you might reasonably wonder whether this attempt will be any different from the previous ones. The… Read more: Stories Through The Shutter – A Travel & Photography Podcast Reborn - Summer is Chaos. Winter is Calm: Why I Love the Beach in WinterI hate the beach in the summer. Loath it. Sand. People. (Not Sandpeople, that’s a Star Wars thing.) Heat. Sun cream. Seaweed. Crowds. Noise. Music. The list goes on. The dislike starts way before I even get to the beach. Sometimes the day before. Shall we leave early? What do we need to pack? Shall… Read more: Summer is Chaos. Winter is Calm: Why I Love the Beach in Winter
- Bournemouth Beach in Winter: Finding Solitude by the SeaIt starts as a few drops. A gentle pitter-patter on the roof with little need to engage the wipers as we sit parked. Our spot doesn’t allow direct views, but we know less than 100 yards ahead of us the English Channel is violently crashing onto the beach. The rain intensifies, and it is at… Read more: Bournemouth Beach in Winter: Finding Solitude by the Sea
- Beaulieu to Buckler’s Hard Walk: A Beautiful Photography EscapeHere I am again, venturing out on a photo walk, in the harsh mid-morning sun, with the full expectation of getting some good photos. Will I ever learn! I have no idea why this walk from Beaulieu to Buckler’s Hard is different from any previous hikes. My Knightwood Oak hike and my Lyndhurst adventure all present ‘contrasting’ challenges. And… Read more: Beaulieu to Buckler’s Hard Walk: A Beautiful Photography Escape
- Lyndhurst Photography: Camera and Coffee Adventures in the New Forest
It seems silly to ignore the car park that sits just a few yards away from the plethora of coffee shops and cafes that line Lyndhurst high street. It is 9:30 on a weekday and I am in Lyndhurst for a spot of Photography. While there are people around, there is a quiet peacefulness in… Read more: Lyndhurst Photography: Camera and Coffee Adventures in the New Forest - Knightwood Oak New Forest – Relaxing Hike and PhotographyI pull in, the only car currently in the car park. My tires crunch over the impacted gravel as I take my pick of any one of the 10 or 12 available spaces. Here in Hampshire, the New Forest trees loom over, but I am still a few hundred yards from the main reason for… Read more: Knightwood Oak New Forest – Relaxing Hike and Photography
- Challenging Coastal Landscape Photography Adventures on the Dorset CoastSometimes the best photography trips aren’t about perfect weather or dramatic landscapes, they’re about experimentation, learning, and enjoying the journey. A while back, I decided to test whether I enjoy short overnight trips in my camper van while photographing the English coastline. My destination? Freshwater Beach, near West Bay on the Jurassic Coast in Dorset,… Read more: Challenging Coastal Landscape Photography Adventures on the Dorset Coast
- Hurst Castle Hampshire – Stunning morning of beautiful photographyI wanted a morning of photography. Not a really early morning, just a morning. Hurst Castle in Hampshire was my chosen destination. I’m not sure why, but I thought I would have plenty of opportunity. From the car park to the castle, the walk is around 2 miles. There is, however, room to park at… Read more: Hurst Castle Hampshire – Stunning morning of beautiful photography
- Ultimate Photography Travel Gear: What I Pack for my Holiday
Planning a holiday is exciting, but if you’re a photographer, knowing what to pack can be a challenge. The right photography travel gear makes all the difference between missing a shot and capturing memories that last a lifetime. In this guide, I’ll share the essential equipment I take, and must-have accessories to help you travel lighter, shoot… Read more: Ultimate Photography Travel Gear: What I Pack for my Holiday - Sometimes Magic Happens: My Best Photo in Ages, Totally UnplannedI’ve done it again. Dragged myself out of bed, a morning of photography with no plan. Well, not entirely true. At around 11pm last night I decided where I was heading today. Nothing like meticulous preparation, seven hours in advance. The day started with promise, skirted with disaster, and then clawed its way back to… Read more: Sometimes Magic Happens: My Best Photo in Ages, Totally Unplanned
- Wandering the New Forest – Slow Photography in Soft LightToday, I decided to head out into the forest, just for a wander, with my camera in hand, purely for fun. No plans, no pressure, just seeing what kind of photos I could find along the way. This kind of slow, aimless exploring is my favourite way to shoot. A small hiccup nearly delayed the… Read more: Wandering the New Forest – Slow Photography in Soft Light
- The Art of the Journey: Writing and Photographing Yellowstone
“It’s not about the destination; it’s the journey.” The utter cliché of that sentence makes me cringe as I write it. Overused, worn out, and I promise it’s the last time you’ll hear it from me. There should be no destination. There should be no journey. It should be an adventure. An adventure in driving,… Read more: The Art of the Journey: Writing and Photographing Yellowstone - Backing Up Your Photos Part 1 – Simple In Camera SolutionBacking up your photos in your camera is where your backup process should start. This means that as soon as you press that shutter button, you have two copies being saved onto two different memory cards. This solution only works if you have a camera with two memory card slots. If you do not, then… Read more: Backing Up Your Photos Part 1 – Simple In Camera Solution
- Chasing Mist for Landscape Photography – All I found was disappointmentThe forecast was perfect. Fog through to 7am, then mist through to 9am. It looked like the perfect day for me to head out, and try (at last) to experience landscape photography in the mist. I had been out for many mornings and had never been fortunate enough to enjoy a morning of mist. I… Read more: Chasing Mist for Landscape Photography – All I found was disappointment
- Adobe Portfolio – The Best Solution for Lightroom Users?Most people using Lightroom want to display and promote their photos to the world and Adobe Portfolio is a great solution for Lightroom users. Perhaps you do not want to set up a whole website with WordPress. Or pay another £120 a year to host a website elsewhere. After all, you are already paying that… Read more: Adobe Portfolio – The Best Solution for Lightroom Users?
- How to take good holiday photos. Tips and examplesAre you looking for some top tips on how to take good holiday photos? You have just booked that dream holiday, and you want to ensure you get a slew of photos you will look back on with pride. Maybe you want to impress your friends and family with all the amazing things you have… Read more: How to take good holiday photos. Tips and examples
- How to save edited RAW photos as JPG in Lightroom ClassicIn this blog post, I will show you how to save your edited RAW files straight back into your catalogue as edited JPGs without leaving Lightroom Classic! Below there is the option of following along in this article, or if you prefer, why not watch the video? The Video Here is the video explaining it… Read more: How to save edited RAW photos as JPG in Lightroom Classic
- Easily Export Photos from Lightroom Classic and Create Export PresetsDo you often need to Export your photos from Lightroom Classic? Perhaps you need to repeatedly Export different photos but for the same reason. Maybe to add to a blog, for social media, or maybe to deliver images to a client. Or all three? Changing the Export Settings can be time-consuming but there are ways… Read more: Easily Export Photos from Lightroom Classic and Create Export Presets
- On Location – Lepe Beach Photography, The New ForestThis week’s photography trip was an evening outing to Lepe Beach, a beach not a million miles away from where I live. My endeavour to learn outdoor and landscape photography has been focused on the forest so far, so I thought something a bit different may be worthwhile. Lepe Country Park and Beach is not… Read more: On Location – Lepe Beach Photography, The New Forest
- On Location – Mogshade Pond Photography, The New ForestThis week’s photography trip was a short excursion to Mogshade Pond, as I continue my adventure into learning outdoor and landscape photography. It is a popular photography location and has been well-visited by photographers over the years. As a result, I thought I should add it to my list of visited places in the New… Read more: On Location – Mogshade Pond Photography, The New Forest
- Back up photos with no computer – My Ultimate Travel SolutionIn my last article, I talked about 4 different ways to Back Up Photos while Travelling. In it, I mentioned which was my favourite that also enabled you to Back-Up photos with no computer. It is this process I am going to go through in a lot more detail that will hopefully help those looking for… Read more: Back up photos with no computer – My Ultimate Travel Solution
- Canon RF 100mm Macro is Amazing for Stunning Portraits!!The Canon RF 100mm Macro is not just great for Macro, but it is also amazing for Portraits! I admit, I initially bought this for Macro when I am out doing any Outdoor Photography, but, the focal length and Aperture mean it would be great for portraits. Thoughts on the Canon RF 100mm Macro This… Read more: Canon RF 100mm Macro is Amazing for Stunning Portraits!!
- Lightroom Adaptive Presets – How to Power Up Your Portraits!
Lightroom Adaptive Presets were made available in the October 2022 release of Lightroom Classic. It simply gives you the ability to select certain parts of your photograph and edit that part only. This can be particularly useful for Portraits. As you may know, Lightroom Classic does have its own Presets for certain facial features, but… Read more: Lightroom Adaptive Presets – How to Power Up Your Portraits! - Lightroom classic not syncing? The fix is really simple!Have you ever fired it up and wondered why Lightroom Classic not syncing with Adobe Cloud? There is a really simple solution that I have found works, and while it may not work for you, it is worth a try as it takes a couple of seconds! Here is how. What’s the problem? When you… Read more: Lightroom classic not syncing? The fix is really simple!
- How To Update Canon Firmware Easily – Using An R6
Every so often, things need an update. Firmware for your Canon Camera is no different. I am using my Canon R6 to update this Firmware, but this works for many different Canon cameras. In this blog post, I will be showing you how to update your firmware, using a Canon R6 as an example. There… Read more: How To Update Canon Firmware Easily – Using An R6 - How to add Phone Photographs to Lightroom Classic
Welcome to today’s blog post, where I am going to show you how easy it it is to add your mobile phone photographs to Lightroom Classic on your desktop. Let’s assume for this tutorial, you have an iPhone, and you also use the Lightroom Classic desktop version. You take a photo on your phones native… Read more: How to add Phone Photographs to Lightroom Classic - How to get your Background White in Lightroom – 6 ClicksIf you want your Background to be White in Lightroom, then there is a super easy way to do it, and it only takes 6 CLICKS!! First of all, you should strive to get this spot on in camera, so you don’t have to do what I am about to show you. But, if you… Read more: How to get your Background White in Lightroom – 6 Clicks
- Canon RF 85mm F2 Review: Perfect Portraits With A Budget Lens?Welcome to my latest Gear Review, this is a review of the Canon RF 85mm F2. Hire-a-camera does a great deal at Christmas, where they offer gear out to rent for just a couple of days, as they shut down and let you keep it for 12 days, so I took advantage with a cheap… Read more: Canon RF 85mm F2 Review: Perfect Portraits With A Budget Lens?
- Exposure in Photography – Auto ISO – How to use itAuto ISO is an auto setting that is a great tool if you want to get the correct exposure in photography. It changes the ISO automatically to get you the correct exposure. Sometimes, particularly in changing lighting conditions, you may need a little more help. Auto ISO is a great tool to use if you… Read more: Exposure in Photography – Auto ISO – How to use it
- Canon R6 Custom Shooting Modes for VideoThere has been a lot of chatter online about the Canon R6 Custom Shooting Modes for Video. Or rather the lack of them. I thought this blog post may be useful as there is a way you can program the C1, C2 and C3 dials for different video settings, but you do lose some of… Read more: Canon R6 Custom Shooting Modes for Video
- GeoTag Photos – How To Add A Location To A Photo
I don’t know about you, but every time I take a trip or a holiday, I like to Geotag my photos. So, I thought I would share exactly how GeoTag a Photo. I have been on some great trips in the past. Sometimes it’s nice to look back and see exactly where you took a… Read more: GeoTag Photos – How To Add A Location To A Photo - Shutter Speed Aperture and ISO – Camera BasicsToday’s post is all about Shutter Speed Aperture and ISO, which are the three main elements and the camera basics in getting the correct exposure. We are getting out of Auto mode and taking control of your camera. If you have an even exposure, but you adjust one, then to keep that exposure you have… Read more: Shutter Speed Aperture and ISO – Camera Basics
- Lightroom’s Radial Filter – My Favourite FeatureIt has many amazing features, but Lightroom’s Radial Filter is probably one of my favourites. On this website, I love talking about editing and photography, so it is great to do a post on one of my favourite editing tools. It has such an impact on the photo, and it is so simple to use.… Read more: Lightroom’s Radial Filter – My Favourite Feature
- Lens Compression and How it affects your BackgroundDid you know that a simple change to your focal length can dramatically change your photo? This post is all about Lens Compression and how it affects your Background. I love putting out posts like this and is one of the reasons I started to document my journey into Shooting, Learning, and Sharing. I have… Read more: Lens Compression and How it affects your Background
- iPhone snaps to the Photos app via LightroomDid you know there is a way of getting you iPhone snaps to the Photos app via Lightroom? Some time ago I did a video. All about how to get your edited photos from Lightroom, into the Apple Photos app easily. After this, I was inundated with a question. This was if you can take… Read more: iPhone snaps to the Photos app via Lightroom
- Organising and Managing your Photos in Lightroom ClassicLightroom has become an essential part of many photographers workflow, including mine. Therefore, organising and managing your photos in Lightroom is key. Making sure you can easily catalogue, search (and find!) the photos you ant, when you want them is important. Up until recently, my Lightroom organisation was a little, shall we say, haphazard. I… Read more: Organising and Managing your Photos in Lightroom Classic
- Calculating Shutter Speed for Long ExposuresI wanted to share a great trick I recently learnt, that is perfect for Calculating Shutter Speed for Long Exposures. Nailing exposure can be tough, especially if it’s likely to be a longer exposure. Today, I am going to show you a super simple calculation you can use to make your life a whole lot… Read more: Calculating Shutter Speed for Long Exposures
- Shutter Speed in Photography ExplainedLast time out, I did a post all about Aperture. So today, it is the turn of taking a look at Shutter Speed in Photography. As with most of my Blog posts, there is an accompanying video, so, if you would prefer to watch that, then here it is! If, however, you prefer to have… Read more: Shutter Speed in Photography Explained
- What is Aperture in Photography – Depth of Field explainedWhen you first take up photography, one of the mysteries would be, What is Aperture in Photography? Good morning, Richard here and welcome to today’s post. Today, I wanted to have a little chat about Aperture, and Depth of Field. Setting the correct Aperture is key in photography. Particularly if you want to make your… Read more: What is Aperture in Photography – Depth of Field explained
- Getting presets from Lightroom Classic to MobileHere is a quick tutorial all about getting presets from Lightroom Classic to your Mobile device without too much trouble. This method also avoids having to use or download Lightroom Creative Cloud. As always there is a video tutorial too, so if you would prefer, feel free to watch this. There is of course, lots… Read more: Getting presets from Lightroom Classic to Mobile
- Lightroom Tethering – How to Set Up
Lightroom Tethering is one of the great features of Adobe’s go to editing software. I recently did a video on taking self-portrait type photos and came across an issue. Being able to compose the photo, and also get the focusing point in the exact spot I wanted to was a challenge. That prompted me to… Read more: Lightroom Tethering – How to Set Up - How to Find Your Lens Sweet SpotDid you know your lens has an Aperture point that is the sharpest? This quick tutorial shows you easily How to Find Your Lens Sweet Spot. Below is a video I put together, showing how I went about finding my lens sweet spot. So don’t forget to check that out. This can be found over… Read more: How to Find Your Lens Sweet Spot
- How to use Lightrooms new colour grading toolLightroom is the go-to editing tool for most of today’s professional photographers, so I thought I would do a quick tutorial on how to use Lightrooms new colour grading tool. You may find the following video useful if you would like to follow along with the whole editing process. Useful if you’re using the Colour… Read more: How to use Lightrooms new colour grading tool
- How to use Lightroom with the Apple Photos appIf you are a Lightroom user, like me. And an Apple user, like me, then perhaps you are looking for a solution to how to use Lightroom with the Apple Photos app? No? Oh, well. In that case, why not go and check out these Lightroom tips. One all about Rating Your Photos or this… Read more: How to use Lightroom with the Apple Photos app
- How to shoot Macro without a Macro lensHave you ever wondered how to shoot macro without a macro lens? Here on my website, I am always trying different aspects of Photography. Shooting. Learning. And Sharing. If you search #MacroPhotography on Instagram, you will find some absolutely stunning images of insects gazing back at you. A hairy spider staring you down, or the… Read more: How to shoot Macro without a Macro lens
- Flagging and Rating Photos in LightroomWelcome to this weeks post, and it is all about Flagging and Rating Photos in Lightroom. This video is going to help you out loads if you are looking to speed up your workflow. Therefore, make sure all those favourite images are earmarked. They’re flagged and rated for future use!! Ensuring all your photos are… Read more: Flagging and Rating Photos in Lightroom
- How to Focus Stack in Lightroom and PhotoshopWelcome to the latest tutorial, where I am going to quickly tell you How to Focus Stack in Lightroom and Photoshop. Firstly, I am sorry to disappoint but you cannot Focus Stack using multiple images in Lightroom alone. It just does not have the capability. However, if you have a Lightroom and Photoshop subscription with… Read more: How to Focus Stack in Lightroom and Photoshop
- Lights Out in Lightroom OptionThe Lights Out in Lightroom option is a great way to isolate your photo. Use it to just sit back, and see what an amazing job you have done editing it. As with all my tips and tricks on this site, there is a YouTube version too. If you’d prefer to follow along to that,… Read more: Lights Out in Lightroom Option
- How to Change Names of photos in Lightroom – FAST & EASYHave you ever wondered how to change names of photos in Lightroom, easily and quickly? Well, wonder no more, as here is a simple tutorial on how to do just that. As with all my tips and tricks on this site, there is a YouTube version too. If you’d prefer to follow along to that,… Read more: How to Change Names of photos in Lightroom – FAST & EASY
- Bolderwood Deer Sanctuary – In the FieldIt was time for another early start, and this time, I was heading off to Bolderwood Deer Sanctuary, to try and photograph deer. Regular visitors to the website will know I love my photography as much as travel! I decided to head over there early to try to make the best use of there being… Read more: Bolderwood Deer Sanctuary – In the Field
- Understanding Canon Focus pointsExbury Gardens is a 200-acre woodland garden located in the heart of the New Forest in Hampshire, and this was a great opportunity to get a better understanding of Canon Focus points on my Canon Camera. Just a short drive from our house, and noticing they had a Falconry display on, it seemed a good… Read more: Understanding Canon Focus points
- Custom Shooting Settings in a Canon DSLRThe Custom Shooting Settings in Canon a DSLR are a great way to make your life just that little bit easier on your shoots. And we are all for that! Here is another quick instruction post about how to set this up. If you would prefer to follow along to the video, go ahead, but… Read more: Custom Shooting Settings in a Canon DSLR
- Fixing Highlights and Shadows in LightroomLightroom is an amazing friend for Photographers. In this tutorial, I am going to quickly explain a quick way of Fixing Highlights and Shadows in Lightroom. Fancy a video walk through, and seeing me play a guitar….badly? Check out the video. If you’d rather follow with good old fashioned word and pictures…then here you go.… Read more: Fixing Highlights and Shadows in Lightroom
- Canon 5D Mark IV Extra Menu OptionsSo I have been using the Canon 5D MkIII for several years, and over Christmas I had the chance to use the MkIV for a couple of weeks. I was really keen to see if it was worth the upgrade. At a price in excess of £2k, would have to be well worth it. That… Read more: Canon 5D Mark IV Extra Menu Options
- Matching Exposure for Multiple images in LightroomAre you looking for a way of Matching Exposure for Multiple images in Lightroom? Perhaps you were out on a shoot, and that big ball of fire in the sky decided to pop out from behind the cloud it has been hiding behind. All of a sudden your perfectly exposed photos are too bright. If… Read more: Matching Exposure for Multiple images in Lightroom
- Creating Custom Presets on Lightroom MobileFor an age I wondered about Creating Custom Presets in Lightroom Mobile. In one of the more recent releases, Adobe thankfully gave us this function. Hooray!! As we move more towards mobile, Lightroom Mobile is a great tool for editing your images on the go. The Custom Preset Option is the perfect addition for speeding… Read more: Creating Custom Presets on Lightroom Mobile
- Using the Favourites Menu on the CanonThe Favourites Menu on the Canon, in particular the 5D Mark 3, which is my main camera, is a great function. Worthy of one of my Two Minute Tips video tutorials. If following along to a video is easier, then see below, otherwise, read on. There are 20 pages of Menu options on the Canon… Read more: Using the Favourites Menu on the Canon
- Focus Stacking using Photoshop – With Photos and Video!This post and short tutorial is going to talk a bit about Focus Stacking in Photoshop. How to ‘merge’ together a set of images, with different focal points to create an image that is in focus and sharp from front to back. Check out the video if you are a ‘watching’ rather than ‘reading’ type of person!… Read more: Focus Stacking using Photoshop – With Photos and Video!
