Yorkshire Landscape Photography – A Perfect Place To Practice Your Art!

Yorkshire is a paradise for landscape photographers. It’s accessible, stunning, and full of variety, offering endless opportunities to capture the natural beauty of the North. Whether you’re a seasoned photographer or just starting out, Yorkshire landscape photography is a rewarding subject to explore.

Why Yorkshire Landscape Photography?

For me, landscape photography began as a way to escape the everyday – it was a chance to explore new places and see the world through a lens. Yorkshire is particularly special for this, with its vast dales, rugged moors, and dramatic coastlines. From the serene beauty of the Yorkshire Dales to the rugged charm of the Yorkshire coast, there’s something for everyone here.

The Accessibility of Yorkshire’s Landscapes

One of the many benefits of being based in Leeds is that you’re never far from a picturesque scene. A couple of hours in any direction and you could be in the Peak District, North York Moors, or even over in Teesdale. This makes it ideal for weekend trips, where you can easily discover new places without much planning.

For years, my weekends were spent exploring these beautiful places, shooting in all conditions – from bright sunshine to moody overcast skies and even the odd snowstorm. Yorkshire’s unpredictability is what makes it so interesting.

The Learning Curve of Landscape Photography

Landscape photography is always about pushing yourself. It’s not just about capturing beautiful scenery; it’s about improving with every shoot. When I first started out, I was eager to see how I could do better each time I returned to the same location. There was always a new challenge – whether it was experimenting with ND filters or getting to grips with a new wide-angle lens.

At one point, I even compiled a book of Yorkshire landscapes, a collection of images that I had taken across the years. This project was the culmination of a lot of hard work, but also a realisation – as much as I loved landscape photography, there was always more to learn and explore.

Embracing the Challenge

The challenge of Yorkshire landscape photography is ongoing, and that’s what keeps it exciting…

I practice what I call “peripatetic photography” – essentially, driving and pulling over whenever something catches my eye. Traditional landscape photographers plan their trips with military precision – researching locations, where the sun will rise, and setting off at the crack of dawn to capture the perfect light. I, on the other hand, picked up my mate Richard at 11:15 AM, had a coffee, and arrived at Airton around 12:30 PM – not exactly conforming to stereotype!

From there, we headed to capture the sunset at the now infamous tree on Malham Rakes. It was also the first time I used “Live View” on the Canon 5D Mark 2, which was a real eye-opener. Being able to zoom in 10x and manually focus