David Southern speaks on Close to Home

On Tuesday 1st December David Southern spoke to us on the subject of "close to home". David is a highly awarded photographer, mainly in landscapes, but also covering other genres as well. Originally from Surrey, David extensively photographed the Surrey Hills and Godalming areas, before deciding to hugely increase his quality of life by moving to the North East. Having been living here for two years it was refreshing to see what a relative newcomer could show us about the area we all think we know very well.

David started off with some lovely, evocative shots of the Surrey area, particularly showcasing the misty mornings which can be prevalent there. Having said that he liked his landscapes to be impactful, it was amazing to see how images which were mist shrouded, and usually involving almost pastel shades, could also be high impact. There were some lovely shots of river side views and birds, with ethereal trees or structures just visible in the mist.  

The second part involved travelling down the Northumberland coast, from the Bamburgh area to south of Warkworth. Every member must have taken images in this area but David's endeavoured to bring a fresh view to these scenes. Although the usual subjects featured, they were taken from different viewpoints than normal and so had a fresh look. David is obviously not bothered by getting his feet wet, and supplemented his landscape images with some lovely natural world shots as well.

Showcasing his creative side, David also showed how images of kelp, sand blasted rocks, and sand trees are all available if we look with different eyes. In providing tips, it was salutary how David echoed Arjun only the previous week, in the importance of framing, watching the edges of the shot, and how square compositions can break the usual rules of central subjects and horizons. The members all appreciated the time taken by David and engaged him in a lengthy talk afterwards. Yet another thoroughly enjoyable evening from an exceptional photographer.