INTERVIEW

 

Z for Zoe and P for Phil Norton

 

Z: Hi Phil! Thanks for being with us here! Firstly, could you share us a bit about yourself?

P: My first love is landscape photography and I travel all over the UK to explore the landscapes of this beautiful country. I am self-taught and started 30 years ago with Olympus and Minolta manual film cameras shooting and developing mainly black and white myself because I was a poor student.

I turned professional 5 years ago and love my work, and I am lucky to have some of the best views and locations as my office. I use Olympus m4/3 cameras and Nikon Mirrorless cameras as my creative tools of choice. I run workshops and, with a creative background, try to help people see that photography is, apart from being quite technical, also an art form allowing creativity and expression.

 

Wastwater

Taken in Lake District, England

With NiSi V6 holder, ND (6 Stops), Medium GND (2 Stops), Landscape CPL

 

Z: What draws you into landscape photography? At what point did you realize you wanted to do this job full time?

P: I started with a career in Commercial Interior Design drawing on my artistic nature (I used to draw and paint a lot) and soon worked for myself with some big clients. Being my own boss was rewarding and stressful too, but I knew my future was always working for myself. I wanted to work in photography full time so I worked hard and eventually managed to do it. It was a natural progression allowing me to create something and be expressive too.

Landscapes was a natural progression too, being outdoors and capturing some of the amazing locations we have is so rewarding. I’m a social person but also love being on my own, and being in a location alone gives peace and quiet away from the distractions of life. It is almost like meditation and food for the soul.

 

South Stack Lighthouse

Taken in Anglesey, Wales

With NiSi V5 Pro holder, ND (10 Stops), Reverse GND (3 Stops)

 

Z: Do you have a preference for locations while shooting?

P: I enjoy landscapes and seascapes, and planning for them I keep quite simple. These days we have so many tools for seeing places with the internet and social media, it was quite different before. When I have a location in mind I will use online maps to explore it, check the position of the sun so I can judge the best angles for the light and then check the weather. Golden Hour does give the best light but I am by no means a ‘Golden Hour Shooter’, I will go in any weather and any light, an image captured in poor weather or during a day time storm can be just as rewarding. It’s always about the mood and how it makes the viewer feel.

 

Duntulm Castle

Taken in Isle of Skye, Scotland

With NiSi V6 holder, ND (10 Stops), Medium GND (2 Stops)

 

Z: Do you have a story about a shot you took?

P: The image of the Fairy Pools on the Isle of Skye was a recent one from a trip with photography friends in March, I try to go on trips with friends as often as I can because it’s fun. It just so happens to be a personal favorite from recent and also demonstrates a point about light. We were there te week before Storm Ciara hit the UK, with torrential rain and winds of 80mph, so it was rough, but there was also some great light.

This image was a complete gamble, rain was heavy and winds high, and it is a long walk to get there. But there is always a chance the weather will break and if not, maybe a chance of a shot with a different mood. We ended up trying to shelter under the river bank, jumping out when the rain stopped. The result was an image with lots of atmospheres, with mood and emotion, and I am very happy with it. It was one that had to be worked hard for, and of course there are the memories too.

 

Fairy Pools

Taken in Isle of Skye, Scotland

With NiSi V6 holder, Medium GND (3 Stops), Landscape CPL

 

Z: Now that you’ve been in the business for a good period of time, what are the biggest challenges you face, or anticipate facing in the future?

P: With social media and the internet everyone with a camera is a photographer, and it takes a lot of work, dedication and passion to stand out. Having said that, new technology has made photography so much more accessible to people and it’s great to see it evolving and inspiring so many more to take it up. I do believe for every well known photographer out there, there are probably 20 who are unknown and probably better.

 

Godafoss

Taken in Iceland

With NiSi V5 Pro holder, ND (3 Stops), Medium GND (3 Stops), Landscape CPL

 

For the future, blogging, writing more articles, and maybe even vlogging is something I need to do and something I am planning. But I hate being in front of the camera and when I do start it, it will be about photography, not me. I care about photography, not ego.

And building workshops up more, that is the next big step, along with growing more awareness of NiSi in the UK.

 

The Quiraing

Taken in Isle of Skye, Scotland

With NiSi V6 holder, Soft GND (3 Stops), Landscape CPL

 

Z: When did you start using NiSi filters and why?

P: I started using NiSi in 2014. NiSi was not very well known in the UK then and I was looking for a good Reverse Graduated ND and 10 Stop ND. I was so impressed with the quality and the neutral tones I soon moved over. Within 6 months I was lucky enough to be appointed a Global Ambassador for NiSi.

 

Glencoe

Taken in Scotland

With NiSi V6 holder, ND (3 Stops), Medium GND (2 Stops), Landscape CPL

 

Z: Which NiSi products do you usually use in your work?

P: I use the V6 Holder and Landscape Polariser and my ‘go-to’ filters are the Medium Graduated NDs. I use the 2 stop and 3 stop the most and find they are so good at balancing exposure. I don’t enjoy being stuck in front of a computer processing RAW images so the less I have to do the better for me. I use a polarizer a lot, especially with waterfalls and foliage, and really like how I can leave the polarizer on all my lenses easily.

 

Lumsdale Falls

Taken in Peak District, England

With NiSi Landscape CPL

 

Z: Among all the photos you took with NiSi filters, which one is your favorite? What went into creating it?

P: It’s really hard to pick a favorite, usually the ones that mean the most to me may not be the most impressive image because it is very personal. A recent image was this from Sligachan on the Isle of Skye which means a great deal to me. The weather had been shocking and it took a few visits, but finally it all came together. Other times it has been great light and no water, or vice versa, so this day really delivered with plenty of water and dramatic light.

I have found over the years I shoot more and more in portrait orientation. I like the way I can use a foreground to lead the eye into the shot to create drama and movement through the image, and this was my choice for this image. I knew the light would be great because it was changing so fast, so I explored the composition I wanted, tested the shutter speed I wanted to soften the water but retain detail, and then waited for the right moment.

 

Sligachan

Taken in Isle of Skye, Scotland

With NiSi V6 holder, Medium GND (3 Stops), Landscape CPL

 

Z: Could you describe you style of photography and how you created it?

P: That is a really good question and a tough one too. I do often have people say they recognized a shot as one of mine. I do like to convey mood so maybe that is what people recognise, but an actual style is not something that can be created unless it is a very specific genre. Style comes naturally over time and evolves.

 

Brothers Point

Taken in Isle of Skye, Scotland

With NiSi V6 holder, ND (10 Stops), Medium GND (3 Stops), Landscape CPL

 

Z: In which direction do you believe landscape photography is heading? Any advice for new photographers?

P: Landscape photography will always be with us, although it is changing, as we need to be aware of the environment and how we interact to protect it. The technology is changing also. As technology improves it will help us all to get great images with less effort, far different to when I first started with a manual film camera and handheld light meter. What separates photographers will be composition, and passion.

 

Ullswater

Taken in Lake District, England

With NiSi V6 holder, Medium GND (2 Stops), Landscape CPL

 

For new photographers, use NiSi obviously. But seriously, practice, understand your camera so it does not become a barrier to your creativity, it is just a tool, and get out there. We are all constantly learning, and the more you try the more you learn. Don’t be afraid to get out there in poor weather, it just might deliver something unexpected.

Understand light and how it changes, and during golden hours look behind you, the light is often better. We photographers are like moths and we go towards the light. Often the light illuminating the subject from behind you or the side is better than the sun in the shot.

 

Penmont Point

Taken in Anglesey, Wales

With NiSi V6 holder, ND (10 Stops), Medium GND (3 Stops), Landscape CPL

 

Z: What’s your plan for the future, photographically?

P: I do a lot of workshops, which have tended to be mainly 1to1, so for the future I am going to expand these to group workshops and tours. I’m told I am very patient and a good tutor so this seems to be a logical and natural progression. Hopefully they will be all over the UK and also overseas too. I already do workshops in Portugal so these will be expanded, and I will be running them in Norway too with a photography friend.

And personally, to carry on my journey exploring light and landscapes, and improving my own photography. It is a journey that never ends.

 

Bamford Edge

Taken in Peak District, England

With NiSi V6 holder, Medium GND (3 Stops), Landscape CPL