Please meet our next judge in this year’s Wilderness Photographer of the Year, presented by Mountain Designs, Janyne Fletcher.
Janyne has judged this comp before and knows what she’s looking for in a wining photo. Here she takes five with Great Walks.
What are you looking for in an award-winning photo?
For me, an award-winning image has to make people pause for closer inspection or thought. It goes beyond technical capability - it carries an emotional pull, perhaps a sense of story, or a perspective that makes the viewer feel something. I’m always looking for work that balances strong composition and technical craft with originality and authenticity
What’s your favourite time of the day to shoot and why?
I am not necessarily a golden hour shooter but I simply look for times of day that work with the stillness, mood or emotion that I want to convey.
What’s your best advice for getting a sunrise photo?
We often have epic sunrises where I live so there are plenty of opportunities but a little preparation can definitely help. I always think getting familiar with the location beforehand helps so you know where the light will fall. Arrive earlier than you think you need to - having that bit of extra time can make the experience much more enjoyable. And don’t forget to keep shooting as the light changes as sometimes the best image comes after that first burst of colour.
How do you get the best photos in dense bush where light and shadows are a challenge?
I live in an area where we have wide open plains and not much bush. There is a little bit of forest which is a nice contrast and I like to work creatively with the light you have rather than fight it. Low light levels mean that it can be an interesting time to experiment with different long exposure techniques like ICM. For more conventional photography a tripod is a must for longer exposures when it’s darker under the canopy.
If you could take just one camera and one lens on an outdoor shoot, what would they be and why?
I have recently taken the plunge into medium format photography so I would pair this camera with a versatile zoom lens — something like a 45-100mm. It’s a solid all-rounder that lets me go wide to capture a landscape or zoom in for more intimate details. However, I would have a hard time leaving my 100 - 200 zoom behind though as I love to compress the foreground and background in my landscapes as well as searching for difficult to reach details.