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Editing, Stock Photography & Photo Competitions

For the last few months I have been in lockdown in Mexico City due to the Covid-19 pandemic so have tried to be productive with my time! Fortunately I had travelled there with a couple of old hard drives, so I was able to catch up on editing from the last couple of years. Editing photos whilst travelling is always something I have been a bit slack with. The last thing you want to do while discovering a new place is to be sitting behind your computer screen editing photos for hours. During my six month trip around India last year I was constantly on the move and therefore had thousands of photos that still required editing.

In addition, I am now making more of an effort to sell photos via Getty Images. It is therefore even more important that I keep on top of the workflow with regards to editing, uploading and key wording to the Getty site. In the last few months alone I have increased my Getty portfolio by several thousand images, whether or not that will equate to anything substantial income wise is yet to be seen in these crazy times. At the least it allowed me to focus on something during the quiet times, improve my editing skills on Lightroom, manage my travel images in a better way, and enter some more photo competitions. Last year I was lucky enough to go on an all expense paid trip to Hong Kong and Macau after winning a travel photography competition in the Wanderlust Travel Magazine.

Photo Competitions

The majority of photo competitions that I have entered in the past tend to be travel related, although on occasion they have also been of street photography or portraiture. I recently entered another travel related photography competition for the cover of SUITCASE magazine. The theme of the competition was ‘Freedom’ and SUITCASE were allowing a great amount of creative freedom in how the photographer interpreted that notion. There was a nice cash prize to be had along with having your image used on the cover of the next issue as well as a double page feature inside the magazine. I spent several hours going through my old travel images reminiscing, and looking for any which meant ‘freedom’ to me. I then asked the opinion of friends and family to narrow down my shortlist to the following selection of freedom related travel images:

'Freedom' Travel Photo Selection

The photo I decided to enter was the first in the slide show, taken last year at 'Suicide Rock' in Hong Kong.  It was the most recent photo taken on my shortlist and the one that resonated with me the most. Here is the story behind the picture:

Last year whilst visiting Hong Kong I met up with Anthony, an outdoor enthusiast, born in Hong Kong and brought up in the United Kingdom.  Anthony managed to persuade me and a friend to hike the notorious 'Suicide Cliff'.  

 Located at 600 meters the viewpoint offers spectacular views over Hong Kong.  While keeping a safe distance from the edge and experiencing some vertigo I took this photo of Anthony strolling around the large rock without a care in the World. 

 I wanted to capture the essence of travel and freedom found in the great outdoors.  I also wanted to portray the contrast between nature and development evident in Hong Kong: Peace & solitude in a concrete jungle.   Hopefully people can look at the image and escape the mundane realities of life even if only for a few fleeting moments.  With hope, imagination, and a little effort we can all experience true freedom.  

For the competition the photo entries had to be in vertical/portrait orientation.  Currently I tend to take the majority of my photos in landscape format especially ones in which I want to show the sheer scale of the surroundings such as in the 'Suicide Cliff' image.  I will bear this in mind in the future when I am out taking photos to cater for different end uses for my photography.  The photo also had to be in colour, understandable for a magazine cover, especially for travel.  I have since edited the original image into black and white which I think adds to the overall scale of the place and precariousness of the hike.

‘Suicide Cliff’, one of the many hiking trails in Hong Kong.

‘Suicide Cliff’, one of the many hiking trails in Hong Kong.

More of my travel photography can be found on my website, Instagram, Facebook Page and my Flickr account. If you are interested in writing a guest travel or photography blog for my website please send me an email to discuss. Likewise if you are interested in purchasing any of my travel or abstract images, please send me an email: geraintrowlandphotography@gmail.com.  

Enmarcar un Marco: Una útil técnica de composición en fotografía

¿Qué es un 'Enmarcar un Marco'? 

En fotografía 'Enmarcar un Marco' o un 'Marco dentro de un Marco' es cuando el fotógrafo utiliza algún objeto dentro de la misma escena que está presenciando para enmarcar a su sujeto principal. De esta forma, un segundo marco es creado dentro de la imagen: un Marco dentro de un Marco. Esta técnica de composición puede mejorar tu imagen de varias maneras: Primero, lleva la atención hacia el sujeto ayudando a aislarlo de distracciones dentro de la imagen. Segundo, añade profundidad o capas a una imagen que de otra forma podría resultar plana y aburrida. Finalmente, un Marco dentro de un Marco puede crear misterio o intriga llevando al espectador a detenerse a explorar la imagen con más detenimiento. 

Puedes hacer clic en la siguiente presentación para ver algunas de mis fotografías de viaje usando el método de composición 'Enmarcar un Marco':

¿Por qué deberías Enmarcar un Marco? 

La composición es uno de los aspectos más importantes en fotografía. Una correcta composición puede transformar una escena ordinaria en una gran imagen. A diferencia de ciertos elementos fotográficos como la iluminación, no se requiere ningún conocimiento técnico para lograr una composición exitosa. Al final, cualquiera puede crear imágenes usando esta técnica. No importa el precio, marca o modelo, cualquiera con una cámara o un teléfono móvil puede salir e intentarlo hoy mismo. 

Oportunidades para Enmarcar 

Las oportunidades de usar marcos son infinitas, pero muy a menudo pasan desapercibidas. Por ejemplo, la naturaleza nos provee un vasto número de marcos naturales, tales como arboles, nubes o flores. Adicionalmente existen muchos objetos creados por el hombre que también pueden ser utilizados. Entre estos podemos incluir: ventanas, arcos, puentes, edificios, etcétera. Entre más fotografías de este tipo tomes, más potencial descubrirás en las situaciones cotidianas.

En la presentación de arriba se incluyen como ejemplos de Enmarcado: arte moderno en Habana, enmarcado natural en Lima, enmarcado frontal del Taj Mahal en India, la icónica Sagrada Familia vista desde los arbustos, la vista de Budapest y el arco de un palacio en Madrid. 

Los fotógrafos de bodas, viajes o fotografía callejera regularmente utilizan el método de composición Enmarcar un Marco. 

Puedes encontrar más de mis fotografías de viaje en mi página web, Instagram, Página de Facebook, y mi cuenta de Flickr. Si estás interesado en comprar alguna de mis fotos impresas o en alguna colaboración, envía un email a: geraintrowlandphotography@gmail.com.

Silhouettes in Kerala, India (Photo Essay for Dezine Magazine)

I have recently finished a six month voyage through India. It is a great country for photography offering a variety of landscapes, amazing architecture and a variety of interesting cultures to capture. Wherever you go in India there is always something to document photographically. Whilst I was in the South of India in the state of Kerala I spent a few days in Fort Kochi. This small coastal city is a great place for both street and architectural photography with a huge mix of different influences from throughout the ages. The area is famous for it's Portuguese, Dutch and British architecture, as well as the elaborate Chinese fishing nets which were introduced by Chinese explorers in the 14th century.

I'm sure that in the right conditions the Chinese fishing nets can be photographed beautifully, but during my time there the sky was dull and the vibrant sunsets lacking! Instead I decided to experiment with some silhouette style images along the coastline. I enjoy taking silhouette photographs, I feel that their simplicity adds to their overall beauty and the addition of people can add a lot of emotion.

When taking silhouetted images, as with much of photography, the most important element is light. The subject that you want to be silhouetted should be directly in front of the light source. In addition, the background needs to be lighter than the foreground to create the silhouette. In these images the late afternoon sun was directly behind the people making it perfect for the high contrast silhouetted results. Choose subjects that are easily recognisable as your silhouettes and keep it simple. Try to avoid distracting elements within the frame and make use of the surrounding negative space. The subjects I took here were on a coastal walkway and I was slightly lower down on the beach shooting up. This angled technique ensured I had no distracting noise in the background of the frame. These images were taken using a Canon 5D4 and a Sigma 135mm 1.8 art lens. The extra range on the lens allowed me to stand a little further back and photograph away comfortably. However, any type of lens can be used successfully for silhouettes, practice until you create the perfect shot and have fun doing so.

I have written several previous travel photo essays for Dezine which can be found on their website. More of my travel photography can be found on my website, my Instagram, my Facebook and my Flickr account. If you are interested in purchasing any prints, using an image online or collaborating in any way please email: geraintrowlandphotography@gmail.com.

Natural Light Portraits in Senegal

Some natural light portraits I took of a friend in Dakar, Senegal. The portraits were all taken with a Canon 5D2 and a 50mm 1.4 lens in and around Dakar. The model, Fatima is a photographer and model from Dakar, she is available for photos shoots and collaborations. Click through the slideshow for some of the natural light portraits of Fatima taken in Dakar:

All of the portraits of Fatima were taken in Dakar, either on the Northern coast of the peninsula or on the island of Ngor. The colourful braids seemed to be the fashion trend in West Africa at the time of my visit with Fatima’s pink ones only available from Ghana.

I have written several other photography blogs about my trip to Senegal including:

More of my travel photography from Senegal can be found on my website, my Instagram, and my Flickr account.  Fatima, the Senegalese model in the portrait images can be found via her instagram at @fatou.gueye.bello. If you are interested in purchasing any prints, using an image online or would like further information please send me an email at: geraintrowlandphotography@gmail.com. 

Photojournal - Streets of Havana (Photo Essay for the Sixth Issue of Dezine Magazine)

I recently spent a week photographing the streets of Havana, the Capital of Cuba.  It is an amazing city for photography: full of colourful vintage cars, beautiful people who are full of character, and interesting ramshackle architecture.  This blog was published as a photojournal for the online magazine Dezine.  Click through the slideshow below to view my Cuban travel images from the capital:

Cuba is a country located in the Caribbean, south of the US state of Florida, west of Haiti and north of Jamaica.  Cuba is the largest island in the Caribbean, and has over 11 million inhabitants.  Havana is the capital city and leading commercial centre of Cuba.  Below is a description of the photos in the slideshow above in the order they are seen with links to the individual images on my Flickr account:

1.  Havana is full of colourful old classic cars.  Here one causes a splash after a rainfall in front of an Orthodox Russian Church along the seafront.  

2.  The city of Havana attracts over a million tourists annually, subsequently the entrepreneurial locals have figured out ways to cash in such as posing for photographs with the local cigars.

3.  The streets of Havana are full of energy and life.  Here a taxi driver stops to buy some fresh fruit, while a man on his bicycle sells freshly cut flowers.

4.  You hear music everywhere in Havana, here some street musicians play the classic Cuban song, 'Guantanamera'.

5.  Along with classic cars you will find many other forms of transport in Havana including the Horse & Cart which is used an an alternative form of taxi for the locals.

6.  Evidence of Cuban's communist past still exist throughout Havana.  Here a local poses as Che Guevara for the benefit of the tourists.  

7.  Havana is full of beautiful, colourful, old colonial buildings, many of which have fallen into ruin including these along the seafront.

I have written two previous photography blog posts from my trip to Cuba, the first being, 'Street Portraits in Havana, Cuba', and the second, 'Cuba and Cigars'.  More of my travel photography from Havana can be found on my website, my Facebook and my Flickr account.  This photo journal, 'Streets of Havana' can be viewed in full here in the sixth issue of Dezine magazine.  If you are interested in purchasing any prints, using an image online or would like further information please send me an email at: geraintrowlandphotography@gmail.com. 

The Q’eswachaka Bridge Building Festival near Cusco, Peru.

In June 2016 I was lucky enough to attend the first day of the annual Q'eswachaka Bridge building festival.  The Q'eswachaka Bridge is located over 100 kms from Cusco and crosses the Apurimac Canyon.  It is the last remaining hand woven Inca bridge in Peru, made entirely of long blades of grass and traditional materials.  Click through the slideshow below to view some of the photographs I took on the day.

The Q'eswachaka Bridge Building Festival lasts for four days each June when the neighbouring communities join together to celebrate and honour their Inca ancestors.  I took these photos in a candid manner of the people involved on that first day.  The day involved preparing the ropes for the new bridge with the women weaving the smaller sections and the men tying together the large knots.  It was a fascinating day and the local people were extremely friendly and very colourful.  I would love to return sometime in the future to witness the entire four days of the festival.   

More of my travel photography can be found on my website, Instagram, Facebook Page and my Flickr account.  If you are interested in collaborating on future projects, or would like to purchase a print, please send me an email: geraintrowlandphotography@gmail.com.

Down by the Sea, Senegal

I recently spent a couple of months in Senegal, a country in West Africa.  I spent the majority of that time in the capital Dakar, mainly at the beach town of Yoff.  The town is built along the broad beach at Yoff Bay which faces the Atlantic Ocean, directly north of the city centre of Dakar.  In West Africa the beach is much more than a place to relax and soak up the sun.  Click through the slideshow below for some of my travel photos taken at Yoff Beach in Dakar:

The beach at Yoff is used as a means of transportation with Horse & Cart transporting people and produce along the beach.  In the afternoons the beach becomes a huge gym with hundreds of Sengalese coming to exercise in groups or alone.  Several football games take place along the stretch of sand and men practice the Sengalese form of wrestling by the shore.  Yoff is also a place to pray with one of the biggest Mosques in Dakar situated overlooking the beach.  

The most important function of the beach however is access to the ocean for it's fish.  At the far end of the beach lies the fishing centre where many colourful fishing boats line the sand.  On the shore women wash and prepare the fish, old fridges lie around storing the catch of the day and locals visit to make a purchase.  Everyone here seems to be involved in some way with fishing, be it transporting, cleaning, cooking, catching or selling the daily catch.  A very lively and colourful place it was great for photography.  The beach also has regular and consistent surf, another good reason to visit and spend a few days there...

More of my travel photography from Senegal can be found on my website, my Instagram, and my Flickr account.  If you are interested in purchasing any prints, using an image online or would like further information please send me an email at: geraintrowlandphotography@gmail.com.

Photographing the Coastline of Great Britain

In the summer of 2015 a small group of cyclists set off from Anglesey in North Wales for a 64 day journey, circumnavigating the coastline of Great Britain.  At the start of July the cyclists began their epic journey cycling the entire coastline of Wales, Scotland and England before finally arriving back at their starting point seven weeks later.  I was employed as photographer & social media manager, and in addition to capturing daily images of the riders I also documented the coastline and countryside as we travelled around.  Over the course of the 6,700 kilometre journey I took over 20,000 photographs.  Click through the first slideshow below for a look at some of the sights we saw along the way:

In addition to the cycling element the Countrywide Great Tour was also a celebration of the beautiful and varied coastline of England, Scotland and Wales.  With the cyclists always riding in sight, sound and smell of the sea we got to witness the beauty of Great Britain during the summertime.  

I wrote a previous blog on the Countrywide Great Tour of 2015 with a selection of cycling photos which can be viewed here.  In addition I posted a photo everyday to my Flickr account, which can be viewed here: CGT2015 Flickr Album.  Here are some more images from our trip around the coastline of Great Britain, click through the second slideshow below:    

The Countrywide Great Tour was an amazing experience and I recommend anyone to get involved in 2018 when the Great Tour is returning.  More of my images from the Countrywide Great Tour can be viewed on my website, my Facebook and my Flickr account.  If you are interested in purchasing any prints, using an image online or would like further information please send me an email at: geraintrowlandphotography@gmail.com.  

Black and White Portraits in The Gambia

I recently spent two months in Senegal, during that time I travelled south to the Cassamance area staying in Ziguinchor.  From Ziguinchor I travelled north to spend a couple of weeks in The Gambia.  I spent a couple of weeks living in the Serekunda area some 11 km's west of Banjul, the capital of The Gambia.  This set of black and white photographs were taken outside a traditional Gambian home.  Click through the slideshow below for some black and white portraits I took of the local Gambian children there:

All of the above photos were taken with a Canon 5D2 and a 50mm 1.4 prime lens.  Some of the images were taken candidly whilst others were obviously posed.  I converted the images to black and white using Lightroom as I preferred the overall mood of the resulting series.  

The Gambia, officially the Republic of The Gambia, is a country in West Africa that is completely surrounded by Senegal except for it's coastline on the Atlantic Ocean.  Despite a third of Gambians living under the poverty line, the people there are extremely friendly and welcoming.  In fact The Gambia is often referred to as the 'Smiling Coast of West Africa'.  I hope to return soon to explore more of the country and take more photos.

More of my travel photography from West Africa can be found on my website, my Facebook and my Flickr account.  If you are interested in purchasing any prints, using an image online or would like further information please send me an email at: geraintrowlandphotography@gmail.com.  

Black and White Photography at Belen Village, Iquitos Peru

These photos were taken in the village of Belen in Iquitos, Peru.  Some of the photos formed part of an earlier blog and photo essay for Dezine Magazine.  Belen Village is part of Iquitos, the largest metropolis in the Peruvian amazon.  The entire village is flooded for several months each year by the nearby Amazon river.  The only way to get around is by boat so even the children learn to navigate and paddle in small canoes from an early age.  Click through the slideshow below for a selection of the Belen Village photos:

Belen Village in Iquitos is full of amazing photo opportunities: The local people use the river to work, travel and play.  Children sit overlooking the river selling food and produce to passing boats, Men offer taxi boat services or fish, and Women wash the family clothes in the river.  Some 65,000 people live in the Village of Belen on either moored floating houses or houses on stilts.  It is a very poor neighbourhood with many of the people living in impoverished conditions.  

More of my travel photography can be found on my website, my Instagram, and my Facebook page.  If you are interested in purchasing any prints, using an image online or would like further information please send me an email at: geraintrowlandphotography@gmail.com.