Mark Stinchon

Mark Stinchon

Mark Stinchon Photography

I have a passion for adventure and travel, exploring new places and experiencing different customs and cultures.  I love nothing more than getting up early and setting off to catch a sunrise or if you are lucky a cloud inversion.  My miniature Poodle, Micky often comes along with me on these expeditions and he has also been known to knock my tripod during a long exposure much to my frustration. 

I travel a lot to the Seychelles which is where my wife is from and we have a lot of family over there.  I have also travelled a lot through America, but mainly on the Northwest Oregon Coast and Mount Hood. 

What inspires me?

As a young boy, I was always inspired by dramatic weather systems and loved it when it snowed.  I liked to watch storm chases on TV and always wondered what it would be like to be there.  These days I like to capture this through photography and try and get the feelings of how it felt on that day when I was taking the image. 

Heading out into the Lake District onto the top of a fell or mountain is very inspiring, and you can see all the different weather systems moving through from the Irish Sea.  As the weather is so changeable, you can never predict what you will get.   

In the UK we are very lucky to have such varied landscapes with mountains and fells like nowhere else in the world.  We also have over 7,000 miles of coastline and some amazing ancient woodlands.  The lockdown has made me realise you do not need to travel a long way and has opened my eyes to what is right on my doorstep. 

What I look for...

At the top of a mountain, it is tempting to put a wide-angle lens on and capture the huge vista.  However, doing this can include too much in the frame so I look at isolating certain elements in the landscape and making this the subject of the image.  Light is also a big factor in determining what the subject is and how it is positioned in the frame.  Isolating elements and taking away any unnecessary distractions enhances the overall image, give it purpose and meaning.  Looking for good leading lines through the frame helps to highlight the subject and using light to create depth. 

How do I want the image to look?  For example, if I am taking an image of a lake or a waterfall, maybe want to smooth out the water with a longer exposure or if it is a seascape and I want to freeze the crashing waves having a fast shutter might be more appropriate.  Do I want everything in focus, or do I just want the subject in focus and the background to be soft?  All these techniques are used to create depth and highlight the subject. 

Landscape photography is not just about taking nice images, but also about the journey to get there.  When I look at my photos, I remember not only what I felt when taking the image but also the 4 am alarm and the hike up the mountain in the dark.  They say a picture paints a thousand words which it does, but for the photographer, it means so much more…. 

Mark Stinchon

Landscape Photographer

• Date joined: 06/03/2019