Colin gives us his thoughts on the industry ahead of The Photography Show this weekend
(Image credit: Colin Prior)
After the years of the pandemic – where photographers were often forced to exist and shoot inside, and taken away from many of their natural projects and assignments – it feels freeing to finally be exploring those again. No more so were the effects of isolation felt than with landscape photographers.
Colin Prior is a professional landscape photographer who is inspired by the natural world. “As a landscape photographer, you have to follow the seasons. That’s why the subject is so satisfying – you’re tapping into the environment and adapting to the seasons, in the same way, our ancestors did. Essentially, we’re applying the same logic in hunting and gathering images!”
Colin will be appearing at The Photography Show tomorrow, and it's an opportunity to hear in person from one of landscape photography's most dedicated and passionate advocates, as he describes his adventures, experiences, inspirations, and photography philosophy.
Colin Prior is an acclaimed landscape photographer with almost four decades of experience. His previous books include Living Tribes (2003), The World’s Wild Places (2006), Scotland’s Finest Landscapes (2014) and he has just completed a six year project in Pakistan’s Karakoram Mountains. He has been the subject of three BBC documentaries entitled Mountain Man. Colin is appearing at The Photography Show 2022 with his talk A state of imagination.
What’s the most interesting shoot you’ve been on?
In the mid 90’s I worked on four calendars for British Airways and travelled at the front end of aircrafts with a great budget to 50 countries.
What’s your dream-come-true project?
The above, but today with the appropriate budget, I’d like to explore coastal forests, internationally.
(Image credit: Colin Prior)
What is your challenge as a pro?
To make enough money to allow me to develop my personal projects.
What, outside of photography inspires you?
The natural world.
What will photography be to the pro in 10 years?
Good question, unrecognisable, I should think.
(Image credit: Colin Prior)
What do you wish cameras could do that they can't now?
To be simplified – if the brands ripped out 85% of what is in digital cameras, people would be able to take better photographs. There is a simple reason why Smartphones have killed off the compact camera and that is because they have one button. What we have in all digital cameras is utter insanity – why does a pro, like myself, with 40 years of experience need to spend three days listening to a YouTuber telling me how to configure a camera before I can use it. Sort out the user interface and drop the endless choices – just make the camera work.
Lauren is a writer, reviewer, and photographer with ten years of experience in the camera industry. She's the former Managing Editor of Digital Camera World, and previously served as Editor of Digital Photographer magazine, Technique editor for PhotoPlus: The Canon Magazine, and Deputy Editor of our sister publication, Digital Camera Magazine. An experienced journalist and freelance photographer, Lauren also has bylines at Tech Radar, Space.com, Canon Europe, PCGamesN, T3, Stuff, and British Airways' in-flight magazine (among others). When she's not testing gear for DCW, she's probably in the kitchen testing yet another new curry recipe or walking in the Cotswolds with her Flat-coated Retriever.
