How to Make Meaningful Seascape Photographs

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In these troubling times, it now seems like an absurd luxury to get away to the coast and spend time with a camera in our hands. But, this video was recorded before all the travel restrictions took place, so we have edited it together as we originally intended. I have a long-standing relationship with Seascape Photography, and I am in my element by the sea.
In this video I discuss composition, isolation and timing.
Any questions, please as in the comments section and I will answer every single one.
Anything else you want me to make videos about, suggestions also in the comments.
Music: Alister Benn
Video Edit: Ann Kristin Lindaas
Thanks for watching
Alister Benn - Expressive Photography
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[@nickshepherd8377]

Thoroughly enjoyed this...your thoughts both about the landscape and the photography resonated with me.

[@Alister_Benn]

Thanks Nick, That means a lot to me. It's all we ever hoped for when we started the channel.

[@1964ilovebears]

The one with the clouds behind the sun [16:47] is really really beautiful. The realm of the whole scene is delicious Cheers

[@Alister_Benn]

Many thanks for that. One day we will go back.

[@ItsFritzDaCat]

I'm sure you know the many photographers who have a passion for music as well. With all the chaos happening, I'm not sure if this news made it "across the pond", but the world lost another great photographer on 03/20/2020. Kenny Rogers has captured some incredible photos over his lifetime, he is best known for his music, but his real passion was in photography. R.I.P. Kenny Rogers

[@Alister_Benn]

Wow, I hadn’t heard. Thanks for that, it is very easy in these times to focus only on our immediate needs without always looking out. Thank you

[@brucehyman]

I greatly admire your "eye"!

[@Alister_Benn]

Thanks for that :-)

[@andrewCraven1]

Great video great images thanks Alister

[@Alister_Benn]

Thanks a lot, that’s really appreciated

[@joelwolski]

This channel is at the TOP of my list, because I just found it (thanks to Adam Gibbs) and I have a lot of catching up to do. Doesn't hurt that this is one of the best photography channels on KZbin.

[@Alister_Benn]

Thank you so much - Thankfully the audience is growing every day, so it's easier to get the content out there.

[@SilverDragonCloud64]

Great video Alister!

[@lukebrouwersphotography]

I have always been a strong believer in the saying "It is in the eye of the beholder" and that is is the way I approach my landscape photography. Thank you once again for an interesting and informative video.

[@Alister_Benn]

Thanks for that. Absolutely, and this is something I promote with totoal passion. Who am I to tell you what's right or wrong. If you love it, go with it. Thanks for your kind feedback.

[@Sir_Grumpalot]

Harris is somewhere I have always wanted to visit with my camera. Maybe one day once the current situation is behind us. In the meantime I've just downloaded the book which is something I've been meaning to do since you introduced us/me to the history brush dodge/burn method. As for the images. Beautiful. The last one, interestingly and unusually for me, I'm drawn to the colour version. I think it's those colours I see so often in images made on Harris. Looking forward to the Sean Bagshaw chat.

[@Alister_Benn]

Thanks Martin, really appreciated. It's funny that last image is an good example of letting my intention get in the way of being creative. I absolutely agree that when we see it in colour, that joy diminishes as it fades too BW. I too love the colour version :-)

[@alanclark9691]

Another very interesting and informative video Alllister that I really enjoyed. A photo club colleague recommended watching your material, and I've been watching a lot of your videos during my present self-isolation. I rarely take very much from photographic videos and find the presenters are largely selling themselves rather than seeking to pass on knowledge and experience. This is where I'm finding your material different and engaging - you are quite clearly keen to educate the viewer and that is priceless. On a perhaps rather trivial matter, but one you may care to consider, I am finding that the audio levels can be inconsistent between sections of your videos, and I often need to change the level 2 or 3 times within each video. This is not a complaint just feeding back something that could perhaps be easily addressed. Keep those videos coming.

[@Alister_Benn]

Sincere thanks and I am very pleased to hear your feedback. Noted in the volumes, will endeavour to normalise those. You are certainly right though, I have a passion for education and hope to be able to provide an alternative to the one size fits all vanilla approach. More coming every week as we too self isolate.

[@dennisheckman5916]

Another inspirational video with breathtaking images, which is telling me to hurry up and finish my home office remodel and get back out to the wild places! Chasing the light can be so frustrating. It sometimes causes a lot of anxiety and stress. But I can sit and watch the clouds go by and be 100% satisfied with that even though the light may remain bleak and uncooperative. I tend to focus on smaller compositions when the grand image is not going to happen. Thanks again for your advice on letting the landscape do the talking. Listening is a good thing. I will also go ahead with purchasing your Lum & Contrast ebook. Looking forward to your talks with Sean and Mark and Adam. Stay safe.

[@Alister_Benn]

Thank you for your kind words. I truly believe at this time more people will reflect on past actions and realise how close we came to creative meltdown in the tsunami of external validation. Locked down here for the next few months, plenty of time to create more content and write for the new gig over @fstoppers

[@RamazanKamari]

Very influential video with gorgeous photos. Take care, beautiful days will come.

[@Alister_Benn]

Thanks a lot, that’s really great to hear

[@josephcole3187]

Loved it Alister so sorry to hear about the burdens of this disaster i hope you can recover quickly and get back to teaching and educating on your tours

[@Alister_Benn]

Thanks mate, it is what it is, and we are so much better off than so many people. We're lucky that we can work from home and carry on producing more online content.

[@renagoodfriend-leve9443]

Just sublime !The sunsets have an emotional depth that I often do not see.Although I am enthralled to see your magical interpretation of this deep beauty,I find myself now longing for what was in store for me ,had I been there now,but I have hope that this will wait for me and I with great hope I wait to be there when things settle down and I will soak each wave and particle of light with deep gratitude.

[@Alister_Benn]

Thanks Rena. For sure the landscape isn’t going anywhere, and it’s still going to be who we are when we go into the landscape that determines the outcome. Bring your best self

[@paulklenck2983]

I must say I watched the images of Harris with a bit of heartache not being there, sharing the place and learning from you. (My Lewis chessman reproduction piece is staring back at me seeming to share my feeling!) Thanks for a wonderful post (and terrific editing AK!!) My favorite of the images was the peaceful horizontal boulder with wonderful, static geometry. And I thoroughly enjoyed your enthusiasm at the moment of capture to later discover that what you thought you'd captured was as elusive as Nessie, but replaced with different magical creature.

[@Alister_Benn]

Cheers Paul. Yes, very unfortunate how it all played out, but somehow also relieved that we’re all home and safe. That landscape will be waiting for us on our return. Best wishes from us both.

[@deedariussams1381]

Your beautiful water images gave me a peaceful feeling which I needed in this chaotic time. Wayne and I also have our fingers crossed that our November time with all of you will be possible.

[@Alister_Benn]

Thanks for that: yes, it’s a very challenging time, but I can embrace that too. Really looking forward to meeting you both in November.

[@blivieriphoto]

Thanks Alister, loved the video. I bought your book too! I seem to be spending lots of money lately. LOL All on deserving photographers (and a new Wacom tablet!). Good luck to you and yours. Hope you all stay well and ride out this storm. :)

[@Alister_Benn]

Sincere thanks, that’s really kind of you. Enjoy the Wacom, I love mine, although it is getting worn! 😃

[@marksage664]

Really enjoyed this interesting insight into the art & craft of seascape photography, fittingly with a glass of Harris Gin! Also, great to see some of your images from our terrific workshop - would love to see some of the others too.

[@Alister_Benn]

Thanks mate and so great to be with you and the guys out there. Memorable. Loads more images to process and will incorporate into future videos

[@janeqol438]

Beautiful images Alister, makes me want to be back in Harris and Lewis.

[@Alister_Benn]

One day!! Thanks Jane, I just mentioned you in my first article for Fstoppers going live this week. 😀

[@janeqol438]

Expressive Photography Intriguing......I think!! 😂😂 Take care and stay safe both of you.

[@Alister_Benn]

@@janeqol438 Oh, it's certainly intriguing :-)

[@janeqol438]

Expressive Photography 😱😱

[@jmlr2011]

Just beautiful images and I had a really emotional response to them. Made me miss the California coast more than I already was. Now living in Colorado (also beautiful here) seeing your photographs just got to me. Your last image, and I liked them both as well, but gravitated to the black and white version. Having photographed many coastal images I converted at least half to black and white because it just worked better to my eyes. Great vlog and subject and so glad I found your channel. Cheers from the other side of the pond! Joe

[@Alister_Benn]

That is really kind of you to say, and I massively appreciated such great feedback. I feel the way the world has turned out now that we look back and realise how much we took our freedom for granted. It will be interesting to see how these events shape our future lives. Thanks again and best wishes.

[@cliffhughes3740]

New to your channel via Mr Gibbs, but I'm kinda digging your photography philosophy.

[@Alister_Benn]

That's great to hear, thank you so much

[@justkerry173]

Beautiful images, I love the way you present and explain your methods. I did think it was funny that I've seen that arch on two KZbin clips today, another photographer named Henry Turner was there too. Stunning place.

[@Alister_Benn]

ha, that is funny. Thanks for that. It is quite a famous place, although on the dozens of times I've been there, I've still only ever met one small group before.

[@juliangreaves4727]

Hi Alister. Another inspiring and enjoyable video thank you. I’ve taken the plunge and purchased your e-book, which I’m really looking forward to reading. I’m going to get the TK panel and SB’s accompanying videos too and will spend the coming weeks developing my processing skills as time allows. Thanks once again for all the great content and advice. Best wishes, Julian.

[@Alister_Benn]

Thanks so much, I really appreciate that. You may look forward to Sean Bagshaw and chatting on a new Vision & Light episode coming very soon.

[@runninblue9415]

"a palette of opportunities" great way of putting it. Nice images obv but quality listening. Rich in detail thank you 👍

[@Alister_Benn]

Many thanks, I really appreciate the feedback. I come up with these little expressions randomly! They just arrive in my head! I think I'm grateful :-)

[@runninblue9415]

@@Alister_Benn lol maybe keep that to yourself, we give tablets to people who say things like that 😉

[@Alister_Benn]

@@runninblue9415 LOL, I'll take one now :-) :-)

[@veteranphotoandfilm]

Great work really great content- Stay safe and Well

[@Alister_Benn]

Appreciate that very much, and thanks for the kind words.

[@MaciejMarkiewicz]

"what version of ourselves do we bring to the equation" .... Very often for the photo trips I am in places where I have to play with the conditions of the moment. I cannot spend days and often even hours waiting for the light. I have to do my best with what the matter nature gives me at the moment in the place ... I have to try to hear her voice. Not always easy but I try :) Thanks for your thoughts and videos, Alister. By the way, I have been once with my family to Lewis and Harris ...We loved it despite not always easy conditions. Thanks to your video I will post-process in the next days a few of the images from that trip waiting on my HDD. The location at 19:40 on Lewis... we've been staying close to that spot and I really do hope that they abandoned that totally crazy idea of constructing the tourists visit centre there! When I was looking at the plans it was terrifying! A fellow photographer Francesco Gola has some nice images from that spot too :)

[@Alister_Benn]

The who we are when we are there is a huge part in what unfolds. Creativity relies upon a connection with the place from the eyes we look through on that day at that time.

[@GuyRaymond_GR]

Hope we will be able to exercise our November workshop, take care and thanks for sharing content!

[@Alister_Benn]

Yes, I am very hopeful of that. Fingers crossed Nd if everyone is sensible hopeful the spread will be contained. Thanks for watching and your comment

[@GuyRaymond_GR]

@@Alister_Benn Beautiful lineup of moody pictures, thanks for the learning and inspiration!

[@mauriziocolloca4356]

Hi Alister, beautiful video, I love this kind of natural scenery. Looking at the video, it looks like a naturalistic documentary with applied photography. Wonderful details and colors in your photos, I love the D850 and I hope to soon upgrade to this body camera. I was intrigued by your tripod and its ball head, what models are they? If it is possible to know? Many Compliments

[@Alister_Benn]

Thanks for your lovely comment and I appreciate them. I use a Sirui Tripod, which is a Chinese brand. I tend to go through a lot of tripod legs, and these have a good ratio of quality to cost. The bullhead is Really Right Stuff BH40 I think! RRS make superb ball heads and I have used them for a long long time.

[@sejalgpatelphoto]

Hi Alister, thank you for the wonderful videos. I discovered your channel from Sean Bagshaw and Tony Kuyper. I really like how your content is really about the philosophy. artistic, and non tangle aspects of photography. I do have a question, in one of your history brush videos you mentioned switching to a PC for editing and in this video you are back using a Mac. If you don’t mind sharing I was just wondering what happened.

[@Alister_Benn]

Thank you v very much for your very kind words. I got the PC and the fans were not adequate enough to deal with the heat being generated. I got it back yesterday with new fans and it's now running like a charm. It will be in the next video again :-)

[@robertappleyard2776]

Robert Appleyard. Glad you managed to get to Harris, nice images. Pleasure to have bumped into you at Café Sia. Unfortunately didn't stay on Skye due to to the situation, cut short our visit so only a few images to process. Will keep watching your content & best wishes through this difficult time & stay safe.

[@Alister_Benn]

Ah, thanks for that. This was the week before we met you. The day after the cafe we snorted the trip and had to head home. Perfect opportunity to make lots of videos. Nice meeting you and thanks for coming over to say hello.

[@robertappleyard2776]

@@Alister_Benn A pleasure, will now get into the Luminosity & Contrast eBook.

[@Alister_Benn]

Robert Appleyard thank you so much for your purchase

[@davekarp7590]

Great video, I watched your videos about the history brush, liked where your going with that. I reached out to Sean whom I’ve been following for years and asked about his take on that subject. When you get with Sean, could you go over that topic. Would like to see what he thinks and his take for incorporating into his non destructive workflow.

[@Alister_Benn]

Thanks for that. Yes, I’ll be talking to Sean tomorrow and will certainly cover it. We have an agenda.

[@IanSmithFotografi]

Always nice to see your videos Alister.. you mentioned a loss of interest in sunsets... can you explain?

[@Alister_Benn]

Thanks mate. It’s easy to get bowled over by great light and for us to get sloppy with composition. I’ve seen too many sunset shots where if you take away the colour the photograph is quite boring. Also, as Adam and I said, we’re getting old, sunrise is time for a coffee and listening to Robin’s singing!! 😂

[@IanSmithFotografi]

Expressive Photography I agree.. I look through a lot of my old images and they rely on colour too much. Same goes for countless others..

[@Alister_Benn]

Ian Smith Fotografi it’s a tough thing to admit. I urge people to shoot sunsets in black and white on their camera preview. That shows dodgy compositions quickly enough 😂😂😂

[@micwarmington1]

do you have a 'luminosity and contrast' resource or equivalent that is lightroom only ? even in these isolationist times i'm nneither ready or willing to start down the photoshop rabbit hole...oh, and thanks for your wonderful and insightful content...

[@Alister_Benn]

Firstly, thanks for the great feedback. Most of the luminosity and contrast ebook is Lightroom only. But I do cover more advanced techniques as well. If you search back through the KZbin videos I’ve posted so far, except for the ones covering the History Brush, most of what I do is in Lightroom. At the end of the day it’s all about concepts, understanding what can be done to an image. Lots more LR vids to come.

[@mitymous1]

Well, if there's any upside to the pandemic, more content here would be it. Beautiful images, excellent explanations - looking forward to the expanded content!

[@Alister_Benn]

Thank you. Aye, for sure, loads of videos coming!! Not much else to do! 😀

[@joseoliva9188]

Wonderful images that reveal exquisite sensitivity. But there is something else, music that gives goosebumps. That guitar hypnotizes me. If you can, what music or what album is it? Without obligation. Thank you.

[@Alister_Benn]

Thank you Jose that’s amazingly kind. Actually I recorded the music myself to accompany the images.

[@joseoliva9188]

Are you the guitarist? You have composed this wonderful music? Is incredible!! You have hypnotized me with your photos and with your music and especially with your interpretation. Now I understand a little more the beauty of your images. CONGRATULATIONS!!@@Alister_Benn

[@joseoliva9188]

Sorry, Have you ...?

[@ejpeiker]

And if I didn't already have a major case of FOMO, you had to go and produce this video... ;)

[@Alister_Benn]

To be fair it was the week before your cancelled trip!! But yes, we would have been there together!!

[@Alister_Benn]

To be fair it was the week before your cancelled trip!! But yes, we would have been there together!!

[@ejpeiker]

@@Alister_Benn Yeah I know that but watching this while I should have been there is a gut punch...

[@Alister_Benn]

@@ejpeiker Sorry mate, If it's any consolation, I didn't take any of the good shots, I left them for you when you next visit !!!

[@Hirsutechin]

I enjoy your work and am learning from the Photoshop videos, but man, you need to speak into the mic. You have a soft voice and tend to speak too quietly for videos. So speak up there at the back... Cheers!

[@Alister_Benn]

LOL, will do! I should have guessed from your avatar 😀😂

[@RussWeymouthPhotography]

Just discovered you from the Facebook photography group, very informative video and great atmospheric photos, a good antidote to the world events, subscribed for more👍 You're welcome to take a look at my channel, early days but I did get out to visit a local forest and ancient oak woodland in my last vlog before the restrictions came in

[@Alister_Benn]

Thanks for that, much appreciated. Yeah, crazy times!

[@rodscherich9973]

Again ...thanks for you video! It is inspirational with the times we face. I spent the entire day grading my students at the university and corresponding with them online. All my live lectures had to be converted to virtual classes this week. Socio101.com Rodscherichphotos.com

[@Alister_Benn]

Thank you very much for the lovely feedback. I know, the world as we knew it just a few weeks ago seems so far away now.

[@robertolson6742]

I greatly appreciate your KZbin lessons but you speak so softly except when you are at the sea shore I can barely hear you. I have volume all the way up but I only hear mumbilng. I don't notice this with any other KZbin photographers. Maybe put your microphone closer when speaking. I know how good of a photographer you are so I value your Vlogs. I don't believe it is just me.

[@Alister_Benn]

I’m really sorry to hear of your experiences with the audio, we will do our utmost to ensure higher levels in the upcoming videos.

[@Alister_Benn]

Quick question: if you’re watching on a web browser, is the volume on the lower left all the way up? We check out output/input levels meticulously and hear everything very clearly when the video is exported.

[@robertolson6742]

@@Alister_Benn yes to the maximum unfortunately... Am I the only one?

[@Alister_Benn]

Second comment on the volume ever I think. We’ll see what we can do.

[@robertolson6742]

@@Alister_Benn greatly appreciate your trying thx