Nomadic Vision

Posts Tagged ‘John Reid’

Iceland - Seljalandsfoss

Iceland. Just that word brings up imagery usually only seen in a Peter Jackson movie. Giant glaciers, active volcanoes and steep mountains all bathed in arctic light and all of it very dramatic. Iceland is a Mecca for nature photographers, offering sites found nowhere else in the world.

I started planning my trip to Iceland over 6 years ago. As a budding landscape photographer, the Luminous Landscape was a constant source of inspiration and information. Sometime 6 years ago, the website author, Michael Reichmann made his first trip to Iceland. He returned to post an article that had tantalized and tormented me every day I wasn’t able to see Iceland myself.

A few weeks ago all that changed. Armed with a bit more skill and better equipment then I had 6 years ago, Tina and I left sunny London for a trip around Iceland. What follows is a part travel, part photography report of what must be one of the most photogenic countries in the world.

Read the rest of this entry »

We recently did a “documentary” travel photography shoot of the Kew Bridge Eco village.

Basically, the Eco village is a group of 25 people that have illegally inhabited a vacant plot of land under the guise of creating an Eco village. This has prevented any development from taking place on the land.

Quite interestingly, the local residents have mixed feelings about the Eco village. Some say the inhabitants are illegal squatters and should be arrested whilst others are quite happy to have the Eco village there instead of another block of upmarket flats.

Read the rest of this entry »

I often tell people that great travel photos can be captured in their own backyard. Following my own advice, I became a member at Kew Gardens in Richmond, United Kingdom.

This season is the first time I have ever witnessed autumn colours. I had been desperate to try and capture the colours Read the rest of this entry »

London is full of great spots to visit, but if you only have a day in London and want to get a “feel” for the city, spend some time at the South Bank.

Immediately recognisable by the London Eye, the South Bank stretches for about one kilometre along the river Thames. The South Bank is full of cafes, resturants and tourist attractions but perhaps the most interesting attraction is the people.

The South Bank is a hub of artists, musicians and performers many who are sublimely talented and others who seem to be facing up to a dare.

The character in the photo was actually acting for what appeared to be a student movie project. He spent the best part of an hour walking up and down the South Bank through the massive crowds, tailed by an indie film maker. Such things are common place at the South Bank. Grab a cup of coffee and enjoy the show.

I’ve been quite taken back at how much moving location has influenced what I photograph. I grew up in East London, a South African city  between Cape Town and Durban. Whilst living there, my primary focus was capturing the beauty of the coastline. East London has one of the most un-spoilt, beautiful coastlines in South Africa. In the 10 years that I lived there, never once did a venture into the slums, which were literally within 5 kilometers of my home.

When surrounded by poverty, I had the mind frame that it was completely normal, why would anyone want to see it in a photo. Moving to London has completely changed my point of view. I would love to photograph the slum in East London, not to document the poverty to cause sympathy, but rather to capture the beauty and joy found there.

Steve McCurry has recently become my favorite photographer. I’ve always been taken back by his Afghan Girl portrait, but browsing through his work, I see beauty and sense feeling of joy and contentment that inspires me even more.

Most of us are of the opinion that people who live in slums are desperately unhappy and cannot wait to get out, but from what I’ve seen, most are completely content. If contentment and joy can be had in the slums, why not in affluent cities? Most city dwellers I observe always seems to be striving to improve their lives, never content with what they have.

In December we are visiting East London, South Africa for a few weeks and I can’t wait to get into the slums.

We spent last Saturday at the London Tattoo Convention. Proof that sometimes the best travel photo opportunities happen on your doorstep.

Instead of covering the event like a journalist, we concentrated on shooting portraits. Asking strangers to pose for photos is always difficult but the crowd who attended the convention were so down to earth and friendly, they actually made it easy.

For photographers interested in travel portraits of people, it is one of the best opportunities to take place in London. Hope to see you at next year’s event.

Of all the French resorts along the Mediterranean coast, Collioure stood out as our favorite. It seems to have a bit of everything, perfect swimming beaches for relaxing, tanning and show boating (if thats your thing), fascinating old architecture and a colourful, vibrant maze of streets.

Collioure is quite close to the Spanish border, which means that Collioure has a good mix of French and Spanish cultures. These seem to blend perfectly to make a colourful, arty and relaxing village.

We found Collioure by chance. Whilst visiting a far less interesting resort, we saw a picture of Collioure on a postcard. I wrote the name down because it looked interesting, punched it into our GPS and one hour later, we were walking through Collioure streets.

If you are ever planning a trip to that side of France, be sure to check it out.

This image was taken on the main beach in Plettenberg Bay  as the sun should have been rising. The dramatic clouds evident in the picture blocked the sunrise, but ended up creating the perfect conditions for a dramatic seascape picture. The building in the picture is the Beacon Isle Hotel, surrounded on three sides by the ocean.

The main beach in Plettenberg Bay is well worth a visit. Situated in the heart of South Africa’s Garden Route, it offers a tranquil setting for a relaxing week away or a world class surf spot for the more energetic.

Some highlights in the area include the Birds of Eden Park, the wild Robberg Nature Reserve, an un-spoilt beach at Nature’s Valley and the intriguing Monkeyland.