Landscape Photography

Burbage Parish Council Artwork Commission

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The story behind the commission from Burbage Parish Council.

Burbage Parish Council contacted me to ask if I could supply them with canvasses of my photographs from the project Hinckley, Burbage & Bosworth Photographed.

They wanted to brighten up Millennium Hall in the village, a public space used by the community for get togethers, parties and all kinds of meetings. In Meeting Room 1, during the recent renovation, the builders forgot to put the sound proofing tiles in the ceiling, which has caused an auditory echo, making it uncomfortable for people using it.
This commission was for canvasses featuring my artwork around Burbage and big enough to fit sound proofing tiles behind and will help contribute to reducing the echo in the room.

I’ve also made a short film about the commission, touching briefly on how the artwork has been made.

Enjoy…

This commission has inspired me to look more deeply at my archives and I’ll be curating all images that would work as wall art for a new artwork sales and rental part to my business.
I plan to provide unique local photographic artwork of the Leicestershire landscape to all residents and businesses, where you can choose to rent for a low monthly subscription and having the ability to swap the artwork around at 6 and 12 monthly intervals and also with the options to purchase.

This idea will suit any offices and workspaces, cafe’s, bars, pubs and public buildings and also in your own homes. Currently this idea is in it’s infancy, where I’m curating the work that is suitable and designing a route to market. This will launch in 2023.

If this is something you would be interested in, then please by all means subscribe to my emails, which I only do a few times each month but always with new information about services and big things that are happening, like this amazing commission from burbage Parish Council.

Hinckley Burbage and Bosworth Photographed Calendar 2023

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Hinckley, Burbage & Bosworth Photographed Calendar 2023

Is now available to buy in my online shop.

Front Cover - Ducks Corner, Stoke Golding, Ashby Canal

On the run up to deciding which photographs would make the final production for next years calendar, I spoke to my audience and asked what they would most like to see and it was an overwhelming voice telling me they prefer more rural images that offer the beauty of our area.

So I’ve mostly followed that idea with the exception of a few more urban photographs but only those that really hold special locations within the Hinckley, Burbage and Bosworth district. I also put the shortlist out to the voters for them to pick their favourites.

This is the final selection and now the calendar is ready…

I’m very excited about this calendar and feel that it’s one of, if not the best one I’ve ever produced. The photographs work so well for each month. I do only have a limited amount of copies available though and currently only have about 40 left. So if you would like to buy one, you can collect directly from me at my studio in Burbage, have it delivered anywhere in the world via the postal system or if local to the area, I will deliver them personally. Please choose the best option for you at the checkout.

If you need to consider gifts for the photographers in your lives, then please browse my online shop or have a look through some of these links at the bottom of the page for suppliers that I”m affiliated with.

I always use Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom for the post production part of my process and couldn’t make the photographs I make without them. Click on the photograph to be taken to their subscription page where you can learn more about joining up.

My favourite shop for all photographic equipment and only in Birmingham!
Click on the photograph to visit their website.

Immerse yourself in Photography

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Drowning out the external noise of a chaotic world!

I’ve learned that I can drown out the noise of our chaotic world and global affairs by simply immersing myself in to my artform and I do this in so many different ways.

Read on to learn how I manage this…

Snowdonia National Park and Mountain Range

Snowdonia National Park, North Wales

I recently took my daughter for a weeks holiday to Shell Island in North Wales, which is on the coast and at the foot of the Snowdonia National Park. As you could probably imagine, the landscape is absolutely incredible. One day we walked up the side of the mountain range, past stunning lakes and through amazing enchanted woodlands that quite easily removed from my mind anything that is going on in the chaotic world today.

Enchanted Woodlands, Snowdonia National Park

Climbing Snowdonia to the Roman Steps

No One escapes from here

It was such a magical place that even my five year old daughter managed the steep and long climb up the side of the mountain. The walk down was just as incredible because you get views of the rolling clouds stroking the mountain tops.

Rolling clouds stroking the top of Snowdonia

Grazing mountain sheep in Snowdonia

If you wanted some ideas for immersing yourself in photography, you could start by looking at and reading around the subject more. I often read photography magazines like Amateur Photographer and not because I’m an amateur at all but more because they have some fantastic articles and I know some of the experienced photographers that write for the magazine and they always show very creative artists and their work.
I definitely recommend investing in a subscription. You can literally get a whole years worth of magazines for just £1 per issue…

Use this link to get to their website and get started… https://tidd.ly/3CdcbmD

You could also get yourself that new camera, new lens or even a tripod or something that you fancy and get yourself outdoors, making some more beautiful photography. I always shop with Wex Photographic because their range of products is massive and so extensive but also they have a shop in Birmingham and it’s fairly easily accessible for me. I can drive there and even skip around the outskirts of the city centre, avoiding the congestion charge. If you want to check out what Wex have to offer, then please use this link… https://tidd.ly/3Sqrw8t of click on the photograph above.

Snowdonia National Park North Wales Mountain Range

Snowdonia National Park, North Wales

Once you’ve created all that wonderful photography, you could collate it all together in to a cohesive project and get them all in to a nice travel photobook. I’ve got loads of these and love the creative process. For me this gives me an outlet for my photographs as well as sharing on social media. Lets face it, once you’ve made the work and shared it for others to see, what else could you do with it. Collect it together in one place to keep forever. Use this link to create a travel book with Photobook UK… https://tidd.ly/3Sv8yO6

Llanberis, Snowdonia National Park Mountain Range

Ultimately the best way for me to drown out the excess noise is to simply throw myself in to my artwork and get my thrills from being as creative with the landscape and the environment as I possibly can. If I can’t get away to these more exotic locations, then I will seek out more local rural areas or do a bit of street photography. Nothing is off the cards when it comes to distracting myself from the awful state of global affairs right now.

By the way, I’m looking at designing some more workshops in the near future, so please get commenting on any ideas you can offer to me. I’m always open to hear what others think.

Locked Down Again!

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What Do I Do With Myself?

Since the British Government have decided to lock us down again, I’ve found myself becoming at another loose end.

In March 2020, as you know, the British Government announced our first ever lockdown, to hide from the Coronavirus and it went on for months. I lost all of my commissioned work but managed to innovate and learned some pretty cool things about myself. I didn’t sit back and watch what was going on, I took a good long hard look at myself and worked out what I had, what I can do and figured out a way around this mess.

The first thing I did was react visually with my camera because I didn’t really know what to do if the truth be told. So I went out and made some photographs and then put them all together in to a film with some cool voice overs and music to suit.

This film attracted a lot of attention but it wasn’t the ending for me. I’d got an idea in the back of my mind to document this harrowing time as a once in a lifetime opportunity. I wasn’t going to waste a minute more of my creative life.

I asked the question to my audience on Hinckley & Burbage Photographed, ‘Would anybody be interested in taking part in a project where I make photographs of you through your front windows (maintaining social distancing) and then interview you with a view to creating a book?’
Immediately I had a few responses from people who were genuinely interested. I didn’t realise the gravity of the task or the situation as I asked, but I went through with it and I was almost led by the project and not by me, like I was just the vehicle for other peoples stories.
Before I could say Global Coronavirus Pandemic, I’d built a big and growing body of work, which you can view it all here.

Here’s 9 photographs that feature in the book ‘Locked Down’.

The book has been amazing for me and everyone involved. I’m still selling copies of the book, which you can find in my shop or via this link…

Sales of my book began to drop off as people began to emerge from isolation and went back to work. During the whole time I had also turned some of the photographs from my archives in to Jigsaw Puzzles, which have been amazingly popular. I’ve even brought out a colouring book, featuring 20 photographs from my collection. As my online sales stopped going so crazy, I realised that I needed to continue to do something so I can earn a living because I’ve got a little girl at home that needs a good life, she deserves it, so I had to get a grip and earn a wage. With no commissioned work, I only had my catalogue of photographs to use but luckily, I’d grown that catalogue to over ten thousand pictures of local places and events.

So I designed everything I would need to run a market stall on the local market in Hinckley and even managed to gain a sponsor who supported me through starting up. Jamie from Brookfield Signs & Graphics.

Leicestershire photographed

However, the Government announced a new lockdown for the whole of November, so I was back on the sofa, thinking of what to do. I didn’t want to repeat myself and do the same project again because that wouldn’t be creative in my eyes.
I decided to embark on a massive journey to document the entire county of Leicestershire in the same way I’ve done with Hinckley & Burbage Photographed. Leicestershire Photographed has been born.
I plan to do with this what I’ve learned after 9 years of the other project. Except this time I’m starting with the idea of making tangible products along the way and have already created my first 1,000 piece jigsaw puzzle, The Old House, Cadeby.

The Old House, Cadeby - 1,000 Piece Jigsaw Puzzle

I’m quite excited about my artwork now because all along, I’d been doing commissioned photography and filmmaking to earn a living, which was fantastic but I really only wanted to make my artwork and now the dream is becoming a reality for me on a full time basis. So developing my skills to cover the whole county of Leicestershire is a massive task but one I’m enjoying so much. It would be great if you could follow the project on social media. Use this link to the Facebook page and hit follow.

I’ve now got loads of products available for sale using my artwork now and if you haven’t seen them yet, please go and have a look at my online shop.
I’ve got 1,000 Piece Jigsaw Puzzles, Adults Colouring Books, , 2021 Calendars, Christmas Cards and Framed Prints.
I’m hoping that Boris Johnson will be kind and actually open up the country again on December the 2nd, then I can get back to work and rnu my market stall. I’ve even got a van lined up to buy ready to help me move my stock around because it’s been a right royal pain in the arse folding down the car seats and loading everything I can squeeze in to the car. I feel like I’ve got a valid business for once and it’s all from my biggest passion, photography.

Is It Worth Entering The Landscape Photographer Of The Year Competition?

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Warning! These Landscape Photographs Will Make You Feel Like You’re A Terrible Photographer!

I used to enter photographic competitions until I realised my money was better spent on learning more.

When you look at the incredible quality of the photographs made by these international photographers, it almost dumbs you down and puts you in your place. It’s actually difficult to become inspired by them because they’re just so damned good and I think to myself that the places these guys and girls are making photographs are pretty much not accessible to me or the average human being without lots of available time, lots of money for travel and the ability to support yourself while out there making photographs about pretty places on Earth.

So these are my initial thoughts and then when I look at the pictures again, wow, they’re simply amazing. Shall we look at them now?

Ok,

Here are the winners from the 2019 competition…

Bonaire, Dutch Carribean by Sander Grefte (Netherlands), Second Place

Badain Jaran Desert, China by Yang Guang (China), Second Place.

Bláfellsá, Iceland by Oleg Ershov (Russian Federation), Winner

Gruissan, France by Magali Chesnel (France), Winner

Grizzly Lake, Yukon, Canada by Blake Randall (Canada), Third Place.

Fleswick Bay, England by Oleg Ershov (Russian Federation), Winner,.

Kimberley, Western Australia by Mat Beetson (Australia), Top 100,.

Eastern Sierra, California, USA by Carlos Cuervo (United States), Top 100.

Lençóis Maranhenses, Brazil by Ignacio Palacios (Australia).

Lençóis Maranhenses, Brazil by Ignacio Palacios (Australia), The Abstract Aerial Award 2019..

Page, Arizona, USA by Craig Bill (United States), Top 100,.

Bronte Beach, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia by Gergo Rugli (Australia), Top 100.

Madeira, Portugal by Anke Butawitsch (Germany), The Lone Tree Award 2019.

SpaceX rocket exhaust plume, Sierra Nevada, California, USA by Brandon Yoshizawa (United States), The Heavenly Cloud Award 2019..

Ramshead Tor, Kosciuszko, New South Wales, Australia by Blake Randall (Canada), Third Place.

Ramshead Tor, Kosciuszko, New South Wales, Australia by Blake Randall (Canada), Third Place.

Sharqiya Sands Desert, Oman by Peter Adam Hoszang (Hungary), Third Place,.

Central Balkan, Bulgaria by Veselin Atanasov (Bulgaria), The Snow and Ice Award 2019..

West Mongolia by Ricardo Da Cunha (Australia), The Wildlife in Landscape Award 2019.

See what I mean!!!

They’re quite amazing aren’t they?

Now do you feel inspired to go outside and make some landscape photographs?
My own personal style of landscape photography has been born out of isolation. I have never had the money to travel to these heroic and trophy like locations, so have always had to make do with my local environment.
I have rural farmland surrounding me and I’m in the middle of the urban sprawl of a small market town in the middle of England.

I try to make the best of my surroundings, regardless of where that is and still encourage you to do so as well.
Once you understand photography and all the rules and all of the different ways of breaking the rules, making photographs wherever you are becomes much simpler.

You learn to see the beauty of life and not just in the pretty parts of the planet.

So it’s a choice on whether you wish to enter your work in to the LOPTY competition but remember how stiff the competition is and look at the level your work has to rise to, even for consideration to be shortlisted amongst about 3,400 pictures. You also have to pay for the privilege of entering, as you do many photography competitions these days but that’s a whole different story that I have strong thoughts about.

Maybe another time!

By Paul Hands.

Inspired by an article written by Jessica Stewart (18,2,2020), https://mymodernmet.com/international-landscape-photographer-contest-2019/?fbclid=IwAR3xoaagEHpDR6A_8wNKzo6W42RjOWYdHs-xLn8ZIcdMvWB3v0ZPpOUstMo

Business Calendars 2020

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Give your customers a calendar for 2020.

They’ll see how much you care about your customers, be reminded of your company every time they look at, use or turn the page.

They’ll also feel how much you care about your local community.

Click the photograph to go to my online shop and buy a calendar.

Click the photograph to go to my online shop and buy a calendar.

The calendar comes with 12 high quality professional landscape photographs of rural and urban places around Hinckley, Leicestershire.

Hinckley Photographed is a project that I created in 2012 and have built an archive, which I’ve curated some of my favourite pictures from the past 8 years to be used in the first ever calendar for Hinckley.

Printed on 250gsm paper, these calendars have an artistic quality about them that feels expensive.

The days are spaced nicely apart so there’s enough space to write comfortably.

A true work of art.

Click the photograph to go to the online shop and buy a calendar.

Click the photograph to go to the online shop and buy a calendar.

What’s the deal?

I will produce a specific photograph to go on the cover and one that relates to your business. Perhaps one of your business or in your premises and there’s also the possibility of another stunning local landscape but with your business name and logo on the front.

On each page, there’ll be your logo and company details so that each month, your customer is reminded of your company.

Calendars are £10 each with a minimum order of 25.

Orders take up to 3 weeks to design, proof and print.

So let’s get talking about this now!

Click the photograph to go to the online shop and buy a calendar.

Click the photograph to go to the online shop and buy a calendar.

The calendar is available to buy in the current Hinckley Photographed form online in smaller quantities but not personalised to your business. Click on any of the photographs in this blog to go to the online shop.

We’ll need to discuss the artwork for your calendar so contact me asap.

Get in touch with enquiries about producing a personalised calendar for your business.




Dreaming of Summer

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Combe Martin Landscape Photographs

By Paul Hands

I set out to make artwork from the landscape, while on a family holiday earlier this year in North Devon.

The golden hour falls perfectly in the summer evenings where the sun sets right in the middle of the vista. So I had a play with the light and the environment.

As it’s colder today than what we’ve been experiencing recently, I wanted to push our memories back towards those beautiful summer months we had in 2018.

This is a curated series of photographs and are available as prints or canvas, please click here for more info.

All Rights Reserved ©

Hinterland, A Journey of Discovery

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Hinterland, A Journey of Discovery…

is a photo essay curated from a series of landscape photographs that lead the viewer on a journey through a compositional and bendy narrative with twists.

Join me on an exploration through the Hinterland in the depths of the East Midlands.

Follow the twisted path of yonder and discover the adventure that awaits any man or woman brave enough to wander alone.

You’re welcome to begin but you can’t stop once you start.

There’s an edge to this journey, you must run for your life for there are packs of creatures that have not been seen, yet traces of their existence and the loss of many brave souls lives and the limbs,, enough. Well, they’re real and they’re out there.

So you must fucking run ok!

No walking or your fucking dead, they won’t miss you if you walk.

Trust me.

It’s good for the waste line too!

So…

When you clear the clearing and reach the woods, breathe, you can relax there because it’s just magical in the woods. It’s pretty and you’ll see, it’s a furry tail!

Don’t fret if you’re spotted by the creatures after the woods, they’ll be on foreign ground and this is your time Bumble Bum, it’s a bumpy road but there’s a way out.

Now fucking run!

If you wanna keep up with my work, please sign up below, it’s easy, I’ll do the rest.

The Combe Martin Landscape, North Devon.

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Tourism Photography 

Showing off the landscape for travellers and tourists.

During a trip to Combe Martin in North Devon for our holiday and exploration of the area, I was overwhelmed by the naturla beauty that surrounds the resort and reacted by making photographs that I felt showed off the place in a promotional way.

This is a skill that I apply to my commercial photography.  I look for the shape of the land and work with how the light falls up on it, shaping the form and romanticising the landscape.  

I'm not strictly a sublimne romantic photographer and this genre is one that I usually leave for the photography enthusiasts but when I was faced with these beautiful scenes in Combe Martin, I couldn't refuse the exposures.

This is a small selection of the pictures that I made during this trip, I hope you enjoy them?

This kind of Landscape Photography can be used to help promote holiday parks, resorts and campsites as well as support the tourism board in promoting destinations.  If you'd like to make an enquiry about commissioning me for an assignment, please hit this button gently...

Home to Home

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Night Landscape Photographer England

Home To Home

This series of pictures are part of the experimental stage of what could potentially become a new project.

"I leave home and return, that's the single most repetitive thing I do".

The other night I left home to go and make a series of night landscapes around my local area between Hinckley and Coalville.  My search was for the unusual quirkiness surrounding our towns and villages.  Some man made and some natural with street signs, giant posters in the middle of nowhere and concrete bollards in-between such beauty in the landscape.

February News

New Clients:

I'm pleased to welcome new clients Hinckley BID, BJL Group, Morris Homes, ARO PR and Marketing and JJ Churchill on board.  

Also this month I'll be working on new assignments for two existing clients; Mode Transport Planning and the SFB Group.

More work will also be going in to the application to Grants for the Arts through the Arts Council for a major Environmental Portrait project I'm hoping to work on this year.

If you'd like to keep up with my news or get my blogs and pictures delivered to you via email, subscribe here.  Facebook are messing around with the algorithms for pages and a lot of Creatives are not able to share their art.  So this is one way for artists to stay in touch with the community.