Landscape photography has become something I live and breath. To me it is only partly about the final image.

Much more it is the combination of a moment in time, a lens and a sheet of photographic film. I don't want complicated functions and clever gizmos. They distract me from the purpose of being there.

Environment changes fast and a scene can be completely different from one moment to the next. These changes work in different ways from one location to another.

Getting a feel for these patterns takes time.

I now travel the UK / world on a near permanent basis spending 5-6 weeks in one beautiful location before moving on to the next. Luckily multimedia development is portable.

In keeping with this philosophy, the equipment I use is very simple. I shoot panoramas on a Fuji G617 and use an Ebony SV45U 5x4 view camera (calf skin bellows and all that). Filters are only used to make the film behave itself. I have recently aquired a Leica M8 which I use as a more portable alternative. Although digital, this operates as a completely manual rangefinder, thus keeping all the feel of the other cameras but offering the flexibility of digital format.

Watching the weather develop as I do my normal day job is a wonderful thing.

More than anything else, it relaxes me.

All images on this website are copyright to Doug Lapsley 2007.