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Kent is where London goes for fresh air and to get its feet wet. It's where England grows much of it's fruit & veg, hops for it's ale and grapes for it's wine. Turner painted many revered landscapes here. Tracy Emin was forged here.
I came here from London in 2023. I knew nobody and spent a year just walking on the beaches taking photos. I made enough shots on those walks for my first photography exhibition at East Kent Open Studios 2024.
Photography wise, Kent is a different country to London. It has fewer people and they move more slowly. It has a geographical horizon where the UK slides into the English channel with France looking back from the other side. It has more space and no smog so the air is more fresh. All sweetness and light apart from the stale whiff of right-wing politicians promising miracle cures and occasional turds bobbing in the sea-water.
Street photography isn't so easy, but there are shots to be had. Especially in the holidays when London descends to Margate, Ramsgate, Broadstairs, Folkestone, Faversham, Sandwich, Whitstable, Dover and my home town of Deal.
Better to follow Turner's lead and the light for landscapes and seascapes. Golden hour is often glorious and there are nights when the sky is speckled with stars and a fat moon bathes the coastline in silvery light.
On Landscape days I go to deserted places in golden hour and pray for good light.
I find scenes that make good compositions - background, foreground, lines converging on a subject, etc. Background is the sky - don't go out for flat grey clouds or no clouds. Subjects can be trees, boats (on seascapes), solitary buildings or random objects you chance upon. Usually no people but one or two wandering in adds seasoning.
Whereas street shots are over in the blink of an eye, landscapes take some time to set up. Move around a subject until the composition clicks and adjust settings until exposure is right (watch the histogram).
Wide angles are best with tripodS for low light settings. Tripods allow slow shutters without losing the sharpness needed for good prints.
Settings are adjusted for light. For handheld I open up the aperture to f/4 and slow the shutter to 1/30 second. With a tripod I slow the shutter and close the aperture to f/11 or smaller for a sharper image. ISO on auto with a range up to 1600. Shoot RAW.
If you like any of the images in this gallery, send a message here. Limited edition fine art prints are available in sizes from A5 to A0.