About Josh
I’ve been taking photographs for most of my life, but until 2011 the majority of my photos could best be described as ‘snaps’: of holidays, friends and family and Christmas and birthdays.
So what happened in 2011? My wife, Rhian, and I moved from our family home of more than 20 years in South Warwickshire, to the beautiful coastal village of Aberdyfi, which is on the southern edge of the Snowdonia National Park. It was the perfect location in which to fully immerse myself in landscape photography and what had previously been an interest turned into a passion.
My journey as a photographer has been anything but straightforward. I’ve experienced many ups and downs and moments of self-doubt (as I’m sure most photographers have) but, at the end of the day, I’ve always found photography to be an immensely rewarding pastime. Yes, I’ve come home from plenty of shoots with nothing to show for my efforts and I’ve even returned from a shoot with a broken camera and dented pride! But if photography was easy, where would the satisfaction be in that?
I’ve had the privilege of being taught by some of the world’s leading landscape photographers and I have no doubt that the learning process will continue right up until the day I’m no longer capable of picking up a camera!
Although I classify myself as a landscape photographer, I don’t restrict myself to simply taking photos of the local countryside. I am also a keen sailor and during the summer months, when the light is often too harsh and too hazy for landscape work, I enjoy photographing local sailors, kitesurfer and windsurfers.
My most memorable photographic moment to date was photographing the landscapes and wildlife of the Falkland Islands, South Georgia and Antarctica.
And my worst moment…..dropping a brand new camera from shoulder height onto solid rock!
Competition Results
I have enjoyed success in a number of international photographic competitions, including:
2013 Virgin Balloons ‘Love our Landscape’ finalist
2014 RNLI ‘My Coast’ photographic competition finalist
2014 Winner of the Portfolio Prize in the f11 ‘Your Vision’ photographic competition
2015 Shortlisted Landscape Photographer of the Year
2015 & 16 Shortlisted Outdoor Photographer of the Year
2016 RYA ‘I Love Sailing’ calendar finalist (2 x photos in calendar)
2014, 16 & 17 Photographs displayed in Pen’rallt Gallery open photography exhibitions
2017 Highly Commended in the f11 ‘Your Vision’ photographic competition
2017 Shortlisted Outdoor Photographer of the Year
2017 Commended and Judges’ Choice (Helen Brocklehurst, Head of Publishing at the AA) Landscape Photographer of the Year
2018 Commended, Landscape Photographer of the Year
2018 Winner of the Portfolio Prize in the f11 ‘Your Vision’ photographic competition
2018 Shortlisted Outdoor Photographer of the Year
2020 Commended, World Landscape Photographer
2020 Highly Commended, Landscape Photographer of the Year
2020 Photo selected for the Alabare photographic exhibition and calendar
2021 Commended, Landscape Photographer of the Year
2022 Commended, Landscape Photographer of the Year
2024 Two photos selected as finalists in the Sienna Drone Photo Awards
The kit I use:
Cameras: Nikon Z7 mark 2, fitted with Fugasun L bracket. I use 64GB and 32GB Sony XQD cards. I also have a Nikon Z50 as a back-up camera body, with Sony SDXC 64GB and 32GB cards.
Lenses: Nikon 14-30mm f4
Nikon 24-120mm f4
Nikon 100-400 mm f4.5-5.6
Nikon 24-200mm f4-6.3
Tripods: Gitzo Ocean Systematic Tripod with Benro J-2 ball head and Benro LBA2 levelling base
Benro C2682T Travel Tripod with Benro B1 ball head
Filters: Kase filter kit including a polariser, 3 stop, 6 stop and 10 stop neutral density filters. I also use UV filters occasionally to protect my lenses against sea spray and wind blown sand
Camera Bags: Lowepro Whistler 350 AW backpack and a Manfrotto 30L Offroad backpack
Other kit in my camera bags: Petzl headtorch, camera rain cover, microfibre lens cloths, Zeiss lens wipes, spare batteries and lens caps, filter wrench and Allen keys, bungee cord, pen and paper, compass, maps, mobile phone, Ocean Signal personal locator beacon, whistle
Food and refreshments: 0.35 litre thermos flask (enough for 4 small cups of hot drink, but not too large and heavy to carry), water bottle, energy bars
Clothing: Berghaus waterproof jacket and trousers, Vallerret photography gloves and Berghaus touch sensitive gloves, thermal beanie hat and a peaked cap, walking boots, gaiters, various makes of base, mid and thermal layers, Leki walking poles