Nature photography is more than just capturing beautiful landscapes; it’s about connecting with the environment, telling stories through images, and, often, preserving moments that might otherwise be lost.
“I specifically enjoy photos that include both nature and a human element. I feel that kind of photo tells a better story of how we interact with the environment around us.” – says Jacob Allen.
So, whether you’re a seasoned photographer or just curious about how stunning nature shots are made, join reading this interview as we uncover the secrets behind the lens.
Jacob Allen is a Welsh landscape professional photographer.
His image was a finalist in the national contest of Wales and took 5th place in the landscapes category in the international part of the Wiki Loves Earth photo contest in 2023.
Author of the photo: Jacob Allen, CC BY-SA 4.0
How long is your journey as a photographer? Do you remember your first steps in professional photography and what inspired you to get started?
“I only started my photography journey in 2020, although I had an interest and experience with cameras for a long time before this due to completing a Media Studies A Level in college. In 2020, I was looking for something I could do around my local area due to COVID restrictions and thought photography would be something fun to try.”
What type of photography do you specialize in? What is your photographic style?
“I like to attempt all ‘genres’ of photography from landscape to aviation and even virtual photography within VR. I would say my main focus is definitely landscape, as this is the type of photography I enjoy most, as it allows me to get out and explore nature. I specifically enjoy photos that include both nature and a human element, an example of which would be a dam that has completely changed an area by flooding. I feel that kind of photo tells a better story of how we interact with the environment around us. An example of this can be seen in the photo below.”
Author of the photo: Jacob Allen, used with the author’s permission
What kind of equipment do you use? Can you explain your choice of camera, lenses, and other gear?
“I want to preface this answer by stating that having more expensive gear does not matter, I started using only my phone’s camera. It is more important to learn skills such as composition and balance, which can be done on any gear.
My current camera is the Sony a6000, which I like due to its relatively small size and wide lens selection. It is also very affordable, at least when compared to some other cameras. For my lenses, I only really use a small selection, a wide lens (Samyang AF 12mm f/2). The “kit” lens that came with my camera (Sony E PZ 16-50mm F3.5-5.6 OSS), and finally, a telephoto (Tamron 70-300mm f/4.5-6.3 Di III RXD). These three lenses cover the vast majority of focal lengths meaning I have the freedom to shoot most things at most distances.
I also have a drone, which was used to get my photo for WLE 2023. I picked up the drone simply because I thought it would be fun to fly while also providing a unique angle for photos, which I wouldn’t be able to achieve without it.”
What software do you use for post-processing and editing? Can you describe your editing workflow?
“I use Lightroom. My goal for an edit is to enhance the image while maintaining realism. To do this, I make sure not to go overboard with the sliders. Often, subtle adjustments provide the best results. I am able to get the most out of my edits thanks to shooting in RAW which preserves more data to edit later than a compressed format like JPEG does.”
How do you usually choose the locations? What was your favorite one?
“I bring my camera with me almost everywhere so I am normally always able to get a photo if there is something I find interesting. How I discover a location can vary wildly, but it’s usually a result of either pure coincidence, lots of research on Google Earth, or trying to get a unique take on a well-known location.
My favorite location is a tough choice. I have lots I am always happy to revisit, However if I had to pick one I would have to say the Mach Loop. The Mach Loop is an area of the Eyri (Snowdonia) National Park which is used by militaries as a low flight training area, so there are lots of interesting jets and other aircraft flying through beautiful mountainous terrain.”
What was your experience in picturing the protected areas? Is this term somehow changing the photography conditions? What do you advise starting from when picturing the protected areas?
“I have not really run into any challenges shooting in such locations as long as the rules are followed and the environment is respected, people should have no difficulty in doing so. I will say having these designated areas is probably a very good thing for photography in the grand scheme of things. It means that these areas should be there in the future, and photography is almost certainly a great tool to see how they’ve changed over long periods of time.”
Author of the photo: Jacob Allen, CC BY-SA 4.0
How do you prepare for a photography session or project in general?
“A lot of my trips are spur of the moment, but if possible, I do like to plan; I often look at an area in Google Earth beforehand and get to know what I want to visit. It’s also important to know what you can and can’t do in an area; for example, drone usage is often heavily restricted and requires a few checks to ensure it is legal to fly in an area.”
How do you handle challenging situations or unexpected issues during a shoot if such happen?
“It depends on the issue, but being prepared for what you plan to do is usually the best way to ensure things go as smoothly as possible. Bring the gear you need for the situation you are going to be in. For things like SD cards, I like to have multiple on me as they can often have issues.”
How do you continue to develop and refine your skills as a photographer?
“As with anything, practice and review. The more you do and analyze your work, the more you will improve.”
How did you first get involved in the Wiki Loves Earth International photo contest devoted to picturing natural heritage?
“I just stumbled across the banner ad on Wikipedia when I was browsing something completely unrelated and thought, why not give it a try.”
The previous year, in 2023, your image took a winning place in the main nomination in the local Welsh and the International Wiki Loves Earth competition. Did you aim to win, and what was your reaction?
“I did not necessarily aim to win but did think it would be cool if I did; when I initially saw that my image had won the local contest, I was quite happy and surprised, and then on top of that, when I saw it in the international competition, I was honored to be included amongst all of the other breathtaking images.”
This beautiful image was taken from a drone. What was the hardest while photographing this place and do you have any interesting story behind this?
“The hardest part was getting to a location where I could do the flight legally, thanks to the UK’s line of sight rules [the requirement to keep a drone within the operator’s visual line of sight while flying]. I had to walk quite far down the coast path to find a location I could fly from. As for the story, the drone actually briefly lost connection during the flight, which is always nerve-racking. Luckily, it is programmed to continue flying and just return in such a case, but this was over water, which made it an even worse feeling. Thankfully, the signal loss only lasted a few seconds.”
Author of the photo: Jacob Allen, CC BY-SA 4.0
Do you plan to take part in the contest again?
“I would definitely enter again in the future. I did not enter into the 2024 competition as I have been tied up in other things and haven’t been able to do much photography or traveling this year, but I would definitely consider returning in a future contest.”
What would you advise someone who doesn’t have professional photography equipment? How can you take a good picture even on a mobile phone?
“I briefly mentioned this in a previous question, but I will restate that gear doesn’t matter. Learning basic skills such as composition can be done on any device with a camera. Lots of mobile phone camera apps have settings to enable a pro mode; if your device does have this, enable it, and it will allow you to control things such as your phone camera shutter speed, iso, and white balance.”
What advice would you give to someone aspiring to become a professional photographer?
“Just start. Don’t worry about gear, just get out there taking photos. Also there is plenty of content on YouTube from people like James Popsys (James Popsys – YouTube) and Nigel Danson (Nigel Danson – YouTube) + many others that I would highly recommend watching.”
What influences or inspires your work?
“I follow a lot of different photographers on Instagram and other apps, which I often use as inspiration. I will say though being inspired is great but you also have to have your own unique take, don’t go to a location and try to copy the exact same shot; try to make it interesting in your own way.”
What’s the most rewarding part of being a professional photographer for you?
Not only creating memories but also having evidence of those memories. It is very nice to look back on previous photos and remember the experience I had when they were taken.
Can you share some of your favorite projects that you are proud of or photographs you’ve taken? What makes them special to you?
Author of the photos: Jacob Allen, used with the author’s permission
“These two are some of my favorite photos that I have taken. They are of the Prince of Wales Bridge, the photos are the culmination of multiple attempts and trying to get weather and sunrise times to line up exactly how I wanted to achieve this result. It’s also another perfect example of the nature/human elements colliding. I love seeing how the bridge disappears as if it’s almost being swallowed by the fog.”
Author of the photo: Jacob Allen, CC BY-SA 4.0
“I also really like this photo taken at the Cregennan Lakes as, again, it shows human influence over nature, and I really enjoyed the time I spent exploring in such a beautiful location.”
Author of the photos: Jacob Allen, used with the author’s permission
“I also really enjoyed experimenting with virtual photography inside VR as it allows for shots that would be tricky or even impossible to pull off in the real world. VR photography has also helped me still enjoy photography during a time when it has been hard for me to get out to take photos as often as I used to. Some examples are above.”
Instagram:
@jacobjohnallen