Landscape Photography, Finding Inspiration in bad weather
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 6 ก.พ. 2025
- Landscape Photography, Finding Inspiration in bad weather. I demonstrate how to capture decent images when the weather is bad!
Last week I travelled north to photograph the Seaham Wheels. Seaham is located on the east coast of England. The wheels are on my list of places to photograph and vlog.
The conditions according to my weather apps were perfect. 95% cloud cover but no rain. This to me spelt out dramatic skies and plenty of opportunities to shoot black and white. The only doubt or unsurety was the tide position relative to where the wheels where sat in the water. Anyway, it all paled into insignificance due to the thick fog and terrible sea fret! DAMN or words to that effect!
This was the second time in a week I attempted to photograph the wheels, both times unbelievably had the same outcome. Not to be outdone I fired up Google and scouted for other areas close by that might offer decent pictures.
St. Mary's Lighthouse popped up. It was just 20 miles away so I thought it was worth a punt! I'm so glad my perseverance paid off. I know the light and conditions didn't change that much but I fell in love with the place. It's an outstanding location. It has everything a Landscape Photographer could ever wish for.
In this video, I demonstrate how sometimes landscape photography can look great even under less than perfect conditions, way less!
I hope you like the video. All comments are welcome
Please support my channel by Liking and Subscribing
THANK YOU
Cheers
Gary
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
WORKSHOP INFO: tinyurl.com/ya...
PERSONAL WEBSITE: tinyurl.com/k7...
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
LIKE MY CONTENT?
consider a LIKE and SUBSCRIBE. Thank you
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MORE ABOUT ME:
FACEBOOK: tinyurl.com/yb...
TH-cam CHANNEL: tinyurl.com/nue...
INSTAGRAM: tinyurl.com/yc...
PERSONAL WEBSITE: tinyurl.com/k7v...
PHOTOGRAPHY TRAINING: tinyurl.com/nhz...
Comments are always welcome btw
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FOLLOW me on INSTAGRAM: tinyurl.com/yb...
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
My Gear:
Vlogging Gear
Camera Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark II - amzn.to/2vT2s0a
Joby GorillaPod Original Tripod - amzn.to/2wYp40g
Joby Gorillapod Ball Head for SLR Camera - amzn.to/2wXUjc1
Camera Gear
Canon 1DX MKII - amzn.to/2tHdhjH
Canon 5D MK IV - amzn.to/2uJimx6
Canon EF 70-200 mm f/2.8 L IS II USM Lens - amzn.to/2f3yaEv
Canon 100 - 400mm lens - amzn.to/2tqihy1
Canon 24-105mm "L" Lens MK I - amzn.to/2wYCbyT
Canon 24-105mm "L" Lens MK II - amzn.to/2xYeS7A
Lee Filters Big Stopper (10 stop) ND Filter - amzn.to/2wYDz4l
Lee Filters Soft ND Graduated Filter 0.9 - ND -
amzn.to/2w6n5Kf
Canon Camera Remote Control Cable TC-80N3 - amzn.to/2f3HsAH
WEEKLY VLOGGING... Since I've committed to weekly vlogging, you get the best and the worst. Besides, it's probably good to know that we don't always have successful days!
I make at least one video a week, and I've got some amazing locations penned. Please make it worth my while and support the channel.
PLEASE LIKE AND SUBSCRIBE
SHARE: • HOW TO SHOOT STREET PH...
Credits:
Presented By: Gary Gough
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MUSIC:
Morning Drive 2 - Peter Sandberg
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Nice video Gary and a lovely selection of shots. The weather looked absolutely terrible so I think you did really well. The seagulls really don’t like the drone!!
First Man Photography - lol Cheers Adam, I thought it was going to wipe it out :) BTW you’re the first to mention the bird. I thought it was quite funny :)
Superb shots Gary
Drew Brown - cheers Darren
Very inspiring Gary, to get out there and shoot. Make the most of a bad thing. You nailed it. 👍🏻👌
David Pinder - cheers David 👍🏻
"There's no such thing as bad weather. Just the wrong coat." - Billy Connolly (me thinks).
Shots turned out marvellous in spite of lighting conditions and a load of learning to do. Best lesson was the zigzagy rocks. Shows that you shouldn't give up on a location just because the light isn't happening (as you would have wanted). Wander around a bit and see what may turn up ... :)
Thanks a bunch !
Hälsingebilder / I think it was Billy :)
Cheers 👍🏻👍🏻
I still love those shots, esp the first one. I like bleary days because they can evoke a feeling of coldness, loneliness and moodiness that a bright sunny days can't. I feel like cloudy days don't get the love they deserve from photographers.
Great vlog once again Gary and even in poor light you got some cracking shots.
It’s a great place to take photos and another great video
Well the light wasn’t bad. Rather it wasn’t the light you wanted for your scene you visualized. That being said in these conditions you just have to make the best of the conditions which is exactly what you’ve done and IMHO done perfectly. Thanks for sharing Gary. It’s been a pleasure to watch.
KreygScott - very kind of ultimate to say 😆
Gary Gough 🤗
Great vlog and shots, despite the grey day. Face plant certainly not damaged your good looks 😊😊😊😊.
Many thanks
John
lol cheers John
You undersell yourself Gary..............pics and attitude are spot on, total inspiration bud
Steve Smith - cheers Steve 👍🏻
Another great vlog gary, a superb example of how to get the best of a bad situation. Inspiring.
Peter Osborne - cheers Peter 👍🏻
Love the colour tones on these images, it's so easy to just opt for black and white on days like that.
Nick Reid - cheers Nick, I did think about B&W :)
I sometimes struggle to get inspiration in decent weather let alone in inclement weather. glad that you came away with some great images an thank you for sharing them.
Douglas Clayden - thank you Douglas 👍🏻
Great vlog Gary, this morning was fantastic but that's the luck of the drawer! 😂 Loving the vlogs 🤗
Micheal Scott - cheers Michael 👍🏻
Fantastic vlog Gary, the Seaham wheels are so easy to get to......NOT. They are well worth photographing though, and as you well know, perseverance is a necessity. I find your blogs truly inspirational, so PLEASE, keep on doing what you are doing. Cheers
Alan Lockey - very kind Alan, thank you 👍🏻
Hello Gary, congratulations! For such an unpleasant day you achieved some marvelous images. Loved that mercurial/silvery colour of the water and lighthouse. You did a great job ...
Allan Davies - cheers Allan 👍🏻
I don’t believe it that I was the first person to like your video for the first time ever in any video! I don’t have to wait any more to watch the video first and then like it, because you never fail to impress us with your stunning work every time!
Muhammad Mustafa thank you Muhammad 👍🏻
You can't keep a good.man down when the weather & locations, don't play ball. 👏👏👍😉
A great video for such terrible conditions, the shots of the lighthouse are very good.
Tony Hansom cheers Tony 👍🏻
Have to say even though the light and sky wasn’t the best you have captured some stunning images. Looking forward to seeing the Wheel you mentioned 👍
Shane Tierney - cheers Shane 👍🏻
Love seeing vlogs of my neck of the woods. On a really high tide (5.2mtres) there's only about 2ft of them posts visible above water. Also, if you do go back to Seaham, 1.8mtres is the perfect height tide for them wheels, just to be partially submerged
Stu Patterson - that’s brilliant advice, thank you 👍🏻
It's a honor to be the first who give you a thumb up for this video Gary! Love all your stuff, so keep up and thanks for sharing the video with us!
Olaf Lindner - Thank you Olaf 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
Fabulous striking shots, well worth the effort Gary and thanks for braving it for the vlog.
Dave Vowles cheers DAVE 👍🏻
Love your enthusiasm no matter what the day brings. Very typical Gary Gough vlog loved it images turned out very well too. 💪
JustDuff oh thanks for saying, cheers 👍🏻
Great images Gary, and some good tips for us lesser mortals. Can't wait for the three of you getting together, almost like the holy trinity...lol Thanks
Great shots Gary, this is one of my local haunts
I'd of given up and gone home, just shows you what perseverance can do. Some great shots here Gary.
Hi Gary, nise shoot, great compositions, thanks for sharing.
All the best........Peter.
Peter Robinson - thank you Peter 👍🏻
Great video Gary, Thanks for the inspiration. Great pictures and great advice as always. Have a good day!
Excellent video Gary, enjoyed it and the Images. Thanks for sharing!
Chris Griffin - cheers Chris 👍🏻
Great video Gary, with some great tips, you still got some great images considering you were up against the weather. 👍🏼
Great Gary, you got really good photo’s from a day like that impressive. I don’t particularly like movement in the sky either but love the smooth water look. Cheers again ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
brilliant gary, awesome images on such a dreary day, thanks for showing us your focus stacking techniques
Jim Cooke - cheers Jim 👍🏻
Great video in horrible conditions. It will be nice when summer comes.
You got some cracking shots there Gary considering how bad the weather was you did really well.
Thank you Jeff 👍🏻
Nice to see you at my neck of the woods Gary, it is a beautiful and well photographed lighthouse
it's stunning. Cheers 👍🏻
Great video Gary and cracking images. You can always return to this location during a "Spring" tide which occur 2 times a month based on the phases of the moon.
Jim Hamilton - in guessing its higher tide then?
Thats right. Higher high tide and lower low tide.
As always Gary, really enjoyed the vlog... Got some really nice shots in not so nice conditions.
Bill Farr...:-)
William Farr - cheers Bill 👍🏻
outstanding as always Gary,
Absolutely stunning!
A great informative vlog Gary.Some great shots too
Philip Smith - cheers Philip 👍🏻
Great stuff Gary, and an object lesson in getting out whatever the conditions! 👍
D Griff Gallery - Thank you 👍🏻
Cracking video, great photos even in those poor conditions. Well done Gary!
Inspirational. Made that my first subject with 10 stop filter in bright sunlight. 25 seconds shutter speed...what a difference. Keep up the great work!
I'm learning a lot from Gary, this is brilliant, I like the camera settings in the video that's really helpful
Excellent Gary great tips too
Great shots, considering the weather. love the tip on focus stacking I look forward to trying it myself.
Justin Mortimer - cheers Justin 👍🏻
Some great shots Gary from my neck of the woods. I’ve visited here so many times and the conditions are nearly always challenging to say the least which is frustrating because as you said there’s so many compositions.
ANDYD655 - I’ll be back, cheers Andy 👍🏻
Despite the weather the images were still great and the plain sky still worked for me as it brought your eye back into the colours in the foreground and the made the lighthouse more pronounced. As for the main tune in the vlog, one of my favourites and rounded off a very entertaining episode Gary
Great shots Gary under very trying conditions! I seem to mutter "if only" every time I shoot.
darrell williams - we’ve both got the “if only” syndrome :) cheers 👍🏻
Great vlog mate shame you wernt here thismorning as it was an awesome sunrise,we get some great shots from around that area all year around mate,hope you make it back up here soon.
Tough conditions and you made the very best of it! Superb shots Gary and your drone footage, spectacular!
Mali Photography - cheers Mali 👍🏻👍🏻
Some nice images there Gary. I've photographed it at low water but never high yet and its right on my door too
stephen burnett - Cheers Stephen 👍🏻
Great images under very challenging conditions, and super post processing. Hats off Gary 2.50am my son is just coming in then lol.
Ian Brown - lol I’m sure we can remember when that was us :)
Awesome video buddy . The tip on focus stacking focus is a great one and one I do . Your nose looks better for the face plant and worth it to get the shots 😃👍
Paul G Johnson - looks better for bashing my nose and making it smaller, none taken Paul :) lol cheers buddy. Looking forward to Our venture, mums the word 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
Fantastic.
Great video, great details and tips, awesome captures and fantastic British weather!!… LOL
PS, was anyone around to see your face plant??…I would of been looking around to see if anyone saw me!…LOL
I hope it wasn’t too painful 😉😊
Love the video. The images are awesome. I liked the second one with the weathered poles. Thank you for the focus tip. In the old days of film and manual lenses they all had distance scales. Unfortunately not all lenses these days have the scale on them which means you have to faf about with auto focus and then reset the lens to manual so it doesn't change focus. Thanks for sharing.
Great video Gary.
Malcolm Grant thank you Malcolm 👍🏻
Hello mate. I was here yesterday. Been watching your videos/blogs past few days having just discovered you. Love them. So intuitive and full FULL of information to a old but budding new landscape photographer. (Do aviation predominantly). Just need to invest in a few filters I fear. Hoping to do one of your workshops seen I reside in the NE. Plethora of photo opportunities to consider. Keep up the great work/vlogs please. Your an inspiration. Thank you. Billy.
Very kind of you to say Billy, Thank you
Another great video Gary. Love the attitude and some beautiful shots!
Ian Smissen Photography - Thank you Alan 👍🏻
Just got to man up, awesome attitude 😎
so true, cheers Steve
Been looking forward to seeing this vlog since I got the notification, not disappointed great vlog, fantastic images & the focus stacking tip is one I'll give a try. I'm lucky enough to live 1/2 hour away from St Mary's so it's one of my regular shoots, I can confirm it is spectacular with a high tide & colourful sunrise.
David Burn - thanks for rubbing it in David :)
Excellent video and stunning pictures as well... 👌
Thank you 👍🏻
Good stuff Gary and some very nice images considering the weather.
Renegade Scot - thank you. Yeah it was pretty a tough day. 👍🏻
Great video as always....
Sid Bonkers - cheers Sid 👍🏻
Another great Vlog Gary, with some cracking images
Graeme Cave - cheers Graham
Great vlog Gary and that location is stunning I was down last year for a shoot. I think I will be down again very soon for some special sunrise light
Yet another great vlog. Perfect title, and great location, ironically we visited back in Easter and the weather was so bad we left Seaham and visited St Mary’s, both were a wash out, horizontal rain and blowing a gale, I tried but gave up. You’ve provided a bit of inspiration to make a return visit. Thanks
gary beaumont - days like that are horrible. I can’t wait until I return 👍🏻
Nice video Gary. The conditions maybe not that great but your selection of photos are absolutely are amazing
Thank you Marcel 👍🏻
Great video Gary as always. Some nice images as well. Just goes to prove you can take decent images in poor weather. That was all the inspiration I needed to get my sorry arse out of the armchair and take some images, especially as it hasn't stopped raining here in New Zealand for about a month now!!😠😠
British weather down under, now there's a surprise! :) Cheers Tim 👍🏻 👍🏻 👍🏻
Great video Gary plus thanks for the focus tip, I hadn’t seen that technique before. I am in the same camp as you in not always liking streaking skies on long exposure in colour photos, I think that they mostly look ok in Black and White.
John Edwards - great minds think alike 👍🏻🤣🤣
Another great vlog Gary. I particularly like the first shot taken with the zig zag rocks--really nice composition. I like your focus stacking technique and I will try it soon.
Thank you Jeff 👍🏻
Nice gary, just to get one picture on a bad day, worth its weight in gold, British Weather as it is,glad it was you and not I. regards Phil
Cheers again Phil 👍🏻 👍🏻
Well you did it again Gary somehow you managed to capture some really great images despite the weather coditions!!! I always love to watch your Vlogs keep them coming and thanks for posting this one :D Teddy
Gary I live about 5 minutes away from the Seaham wheels. You really have to be careful on the way down to them as it can be quite dangerous. You also have to time it to perfection to get the wheels at their best as a high tide covers them completely and too low you won't have much water around them all for a nice long exposure. Coinciding the tide times with sunrise/sunset is a task in of itself!
deltafit - would you recommend arriving at low tide and photograph them as the tide comes in?
I would yes. But tide going out will be fine too. I have some images of the wheels on my Flickr should you want to have a look 'Tony Emery fotos'. Like I said, the trick is to time the tide exactly in time with sunrise/sunset so obviously a little planning is needed - and luck!
Nice video, Gary! Looks like a good location, the long exposures worked well, you got some great photos there!
Adam Kappa - thank you Adam 👍🏻
Great vlog Gary, you captured some nice moody images in the poor weather. Well done.
Wayne Robertson Photography - cheers Wayne 👍🏻
Fantastic video, One of these years on a visit back to Blighty, I’m going to make it to the Northeast and also the Lake District. I’ve long wanted to try and photograph that lighthouse. As for higher tides, I’m not sure when you were there, but the best time for the highest tides, without assistance from the wind, is at new moon and full moon and a day or two either side. That will give you spring tides, when the tides come in further and the low tides also go out further. You may want to look up a tide table for that location, if you haven’t already done so. We’ve just come off spring tides now and are into neep tides, so if you can make it back around the time of the next full moon, you might get a higher tide than the one you saw and a lower tide too.
Photo McPhotoface Poole - great advice, cheers 👍🏻👍🏻
Hi Gary. I've got to admire your persistence ! I'd have packed up and gone to the pub but you've got some absolutely cracking images there!! Thanks for the very useful focus stacking tip using the lens window - I'll be putting that to good use from now on. Good timing doing a bad weather video because the forecast for the next week looks a bit pants here in South Wales. No complaints though because it's been a brilliant Spring. Really enjoyed the video Gary. Many thanks for sharing.
Tim Scanlan Thanks Tim 👍🏻 good luck for next week 👍🏻
Thanks for the filter Info below. Sometimes I'm unsure? - love the shots as always Gary
ELTIN JONES cheers 👍🏻
Fantastic video Gary, 5 mins from where I live, always guaranteed a cracking shot from the lighthouse and surrounding area's, if you decide to return to the northumberland coast, have a try at Seaton sluice beach, some beautiful mossy rocks there, once again, brilliant video mate
Hi Ian, Thank you kindly. I'll make a note of it, thank you for the suggestion. Tide in or out? 👍🏻
Tide out for sure mate, some beautiful rocks there, excellent composition, especially near the south end of the beach :-)
Unlucky with the light. St Mary's is a fantastic venue but like you I have never had much luck with the light. You must be part Mountain goat to manage over those rocks onto Chemical Beach at Seaham. I had a half hearted attempt but thought better off it as it was cold and there was very few people about if I had fallen. Is there an easier way to the beach that than over the giant boulders. Some nice images in the video with my favourites being the images with the flat rocks as foreground. Nice to see you pushing out some content again, you have been missed.
simon wootton - cheers Simon. To my knowledge it’s the only route down. I actually slipped on the last rock and fell onto the beach, doh!
Gary Gough I never got that far. Wellies and a huge bag of kit and tripod never helped
Really enjoyed that Gary. Shame because you didn't get the wheels in my hometown. Ill have to get down to photograph them as they are only 15 minutes away. Hopefully next time you will get them.
Blapi Darious - third time lucky 👍🏻
it may of been a poor day for weather.. no decent skies BUT..... the images you gotta were great... .lovely part of the world
You are right insofar as you picked a "neap tide" if you look at the tide mark behind you at 8.10 you will see the spring tide line, it's a lot higher. Cracking pictures, I really like the shot with the posts, Well done as usual, a great job. Is your drone insured against hitting a sea gull>>>LOL
Steve Pettit cheers Steve. Lol I thought it was quite amusing. Only one other person mentioned it :)
Hi Gary, just caught up with youtube, great video, shame the weather was less than ideal but you still got some high quality shots I particularly like the "tortoiseshell plate" views, very slick piece to camera to finish well done, see you again soon Del.
Derek Willson - cheers Del, very kind as always 👍🏻
I will definitely give the focus stacking technique a try. You had some great results and a great vlog.
Cheers Mark 👍🏻
Nice video Gary. Looks like a great place to visit and definitely one to go back to when conditions are more favorable. Is it just me or is that lighthouse not quite plumb?
Fantastic drone work - enjoyed the video
Alastair Mann - thank you Alastair 👍🏻
Very nice images Gary,the lighthouse looks very surreal,with that milky soft water 💦 .Have you made the images a bit cooler or is that the effect from the nd filter?👍
Gary Poole - it’s just the slight colour cast from the filters. The Lee stopper tends to make the images blue (ish) so I just fix it in PS. Cheers Gary
Great video
Inspirational.
hey man, your videos are really great!! keep up the good work
enjoy Gary and have a good end day, see you later
Another great vlog Gary. Can you tell us how you made the lighthouse look so clear considering all that "mist" in the air from the sea etc? Was a simple matter of dehire or ?????
Cheers aye!
Richard W in London - hi Rich, cheers. Just push the clarity slider up. 👍🏻
It's winter down here and the weather similar :-) today we had 10 C and rain in Melbourne...
Sven Proescher - that’s never good :)
If you want to see the wheels on chemical beach gotta get there on a low tide. I keep missing them As well 😀
I just started watching your videos, Gary. Really good stuff - I'll be a regular visitor. If you don't mind me asking - is that a Cardiff (Kairdiff) accent I'm detecting?! I'm from Cardiff...
Thnx for sharring Gary. I was wondering, and i see it a lot, why with that kind of wind you don’t spread the tripod more wider? I think it stands more solid, don’t it?
Thank you. I do sometimes spread the legs it just depends on the strength of the wind