Beautiful Photos of British Landscapes by Anthony Young

Anthony Young has two passions: photography and hiking (or ‘hill walking’ in the UK). Although photography was his first love, the two have become almost inseparable. He began hill walking simply to get great landscape photos, but it soon became something he enjoyed as much as photography. He now has a blog documenting his walks and showing photos he took along the way.

Since Anthony lives in northeast England, many of his photos are of places in that region. He does travel around the country, though, so his portfolio showcases beautiful landscapes all around Britain. Browse through his pictures and you might find yourself booking a trip to England soon.

Wastwater

We’ve asked Anthony a few questions about his work and experience with photography/hill walking. Here are his answers:

How did you get into photography?

I had for many years just been a happy snapper getting out of the car on journeys to take typical tourist snaps with no thought of RAW files, DSLRs, Photoshop etc. People had said I had a good eye for photography so eventually around 2008 I got a Canon 400D in an attempt to take things more seriously.

It really was a slow progression but a key moment was in November 2012 during the recession, when my company had to drop down to a four-day week in order to survive. I took this opportunity to get out and take pictures of the County Durham coastline, where I live.

I was pleased with my initial efforts but when compared with some local photographers on Flickr they just didn’t stand up at all. From that moment I’ve tried to set my standards high, and I’ve taken images I never thought I’d be capable of, but I’m still learning all the time.

Langdale Evening

Let there be light!

Seven times Sun, Seven times Rain

What do you enjoy most about (landscape) photography?

For me the biggest thing is most definitely being in the landscape, on that mountain summit, on that beach at sunrise. The photography is, if anything, a by-product

Which photos from your walks are you the most happy about, and why?

I find it hard to pin down individual images, but in general my favourites are those where I’ve captured the drama that mountain light can create or even the atmosphere of a special place. I’m not overly keen on including people in my shots, but at times they can provide a useful sense of scale.

Cauldron

A Cathedral of Mountains

Wintersmith

What are your favourite spots to take photos? What is the best time/season to visit these locations?

I love the coastline where I live; there is something special about really knowing a place inside out. I’ve had so many memorable days spent here. Familiarity has bred love, not contempt.

Also the Lake district of Cumbria is a very important place to me. I’ve visited most of the upland areas of the UK with the Scottish Islands off the West Coast really standing out.

For me Britain’s mountain areas are best seen outside of summer. From October to around April is the best time, as a photographer the lower light and colour palette of the hills in these months is far better than the vibrant greens and high sun of summer. Not to mention the lack of midges and other biting insects.

Reflections

Parting of the Mist

Northern Fells

What has been your best hill walking/photography experience so far?

An obvious candidate was September last year when me, my wife, thirteen-year-old daughter and West Highland Terrier completed the Wainwright fells. It had taken us around seven years to climb all 214 with so many wonderful days spent together.

As for photography in general, it was probably a morning at Bamburgh a few years back when everything came together perfectly. Sunrise, clouds, and surf all combined to make a moment I felt very privileged to capture.

Bamburgh