Born and bred in the West Midlands, I have always had a keen eye for detail and composition. At a young age I was always drawing and sketching. I won a colouring competition at a young age and always enjoyed art.

Although I owned cameras at a young age it was not until I was 16 that my fascination with photography really began. Ready to purchase a high-end film compact camera I was guided by the shop assistant towards a low-end film SLR instead. It was to be a fateful piece of persuasion! I joined a local Photography club and was often out and about learning the craft. Important examinations curtailed the learning process and when I started full time employment, with a lot of travelling thrown in, it put a temporary end to my focus on Photography.

The advent of Digital cameras rekindled my interest in Photography. I waited for some time before dipping his toe into the digital revolution. One of the main reasons was for a quick and easy way of recording images of my newborn son, Lewis. However, the interest was well and truly re-kindled and I started back on the Landscape vision. It did not take long before I became frustrated with the lack of control the Olympus Mju camera offered. Then by fate, a relative dropped by with the latest Nikon Digital SLR (DSLR). A quick sale to Nikon followed!

This heralded the passion for Landscape Photography that I have today. Four years later, with a second Semi-Pro Nikon DSLR in the armoury, I am always looking for that elusive photograph.

I have spent thousands of pounds on equipment, including professional Nikon lenses, Manfrotto professional tripod, Lee filter system etc. However, it is not the equipment that makes a stunning image, but the time, dedication and ability of the photographer.

Often, after driving for hours from a very early start, I will stand on location, equipment set up on the tripod, waiting hours for that decisive moment. There is no ‘snapping’ here. I rely on the drama and quality of natural light to frame my images.

Mark on location in the Lake District looking out onto some particularly unpromising weather!

Professional Landscape Photographers often refer to ‘painting with light’ and this is the aim of successful Landscape Photography. A quite simple and unremarkable scene can be transformed into something extraordinary by light. I always aim to be in the right place at the right time. Due to the digital revolution people often question the drama and even the reality of an image. All I can say is that I aim to replicate the view before me as honestly as I can. There is no trickery involved. The reality is often rather dull. A very early start, a detailed scout for composition, patient set up and then wait…and wait for that decisive moment. My main inspiration, British Landscape Photographer Joe Cornish is often accused of being ‘lucky’ to capture the moments he does. His reply…..”the more time I spend, the more hours I practise my profession, the luckier I seem to get!

Mark Hughes Jan'08