When I first started taking photos, I was convinced that the best outdoor photography was all about capturing the grand panorama shots, but over time my style and personal preference has evolved big-time. Now I find myself often shooting at 200mm or reaching for my macro lens to really hone in on the details in nature. Personally, I find these shots to have much more impact- we see hundreds of photos of the same views, but macro and close-up photography allow much more creative freedom and result in really unique shots, showcasing wonderful colour, texture and shape.

One of my favourite photographers- Colin Prior- recently wrote a post on instagram highlighting that many photographers consider these kind of shots a soft and easy option. In reality they require strong composition skills, to avoid the result looking jumbled and cluttered. Taking the time to shoot intimate nature photos can be immensely rewarding. - see his post here- https://www.instagram.com/p/BpPSoSZDA4f/?taken-by=colinprior. Colin is the kind of photographer who has made his name through taking big, dramatic, wide-angle landscape shots so it was great to hear him recognise the power of focused, close-up photography.

I hope you find some time to get out with your phone or camera, and snap some of the last Autumn colour this week!