Category: Photography
Home / Photography /
Dec
31

Adventure photography: 2018’s top 5 moments

2018 has been quite a year for photography: it’s taken me through the bogs and fells of the Pennine Way, to the peak of Ben Nevis, across Great Gable and to the summit of a Japanese volcano. A year-in-review article is tricky at the best of times. Narrowing 2018 down to my top five adventure photography moments has been especially challenging, so I’ve abandoned any pretence at rating my favourites: instead, they are presented here in chronological order. Here goes…

April: Cauldron Snout and High Cup Nick, England

Travel photography of Cauldron Snout waterfall (adventure photography by Andy Wasley)

Cauldron Snout, a waterfall on the River Tees alongside the Pennine Way.

The Pennine Way is so many things: gruelling, occasionally beastly, often magnificent. Certainly perfect for adventure photography – as long as the rain holds off. My walk from Middleton-in-Teesdale to Dufton was all of these things (see my route on OS Maps). Principally I remember the roughness of the ground: bare rocks litter a long path by the River Tees, practically inviting toes to be stubbed, ankles twisted and spirits broken. The traipse is worthwhile, though, because this route passes two of the Pennine Way’s most spectacular sights: hearty rewards for the weary wayfarer.Read More

Dec
18

Sumo photography at Japan’s national stadium

Sumo photography by Andy Wasley: Sumo wrestlers at the 2018 Sumo Championship, Ryogoku Kokugikan national stadium, Tokyo, Japan.
Sumo wrestlers at the 2018 Sumo Championship, Ryogoku Kokugikan national stadium, Tokyo, Japan.

A couple of weeks ago I wrote about one of my favourite parts of Japanese culture (onsen, those relaxing hot volcanic baths that offer sanctuary to salarymen and travel writers alike). While I visited Tokyo I took time to enjoy something yet more iconic: a boisterous and engrossing sumo tournament in the Ryogoku Kokugikan, Japan’s national sumo wrestling stadium. It brought me my first – maybe only – chance to shoot some sumo photography. Not my usual subject!

My visit coincided with the September Championships, and I was lucky enough to have a ticket. (They sell out incredibly quickly: within a couple of minutes of accessing the sales site, the ‘best seats’ had gone, leaving me with seats rather higher and further from the action than I’d hoped. This, it turned out, wasn’t necessarily a bad thing, as wrestler after wrestler hurtled through the front rows like a bowling ball knocking down pins.)

Read More
Dec
04

Iya Valley: Japan’s secluded sanctuary

Travel photography by Andy Wasley: a bather uses a private onsen in Hotel Iyaonsen, Iya Valley, Japan

An open-air onsen (hot spring bath) at Hotel Iyaonsen.

No visit to Japan could be complete without spending time relaxing in onsen. These hot volcanic baths play a huge role in Japanese culture. The only other place I’ve visited that is so attached to hot baths is Iceland, and there the baths tend to be slightly rowdier than Japan’s respectfully quiet onsen: these are places to relax in contented silence. And I found nowhere better to do that than the Iya Valley – a hidden gem, fairly well off the beaten track. Perfect for a complete disconnection from the world, and a spot of hilltop photography.

I visited the Iya Valley while writing an article and shooting travel photography for Pride Life magazine, needing somewhere to take a break from endlessly writing notes and making photographs (note taking is a bit of an obsession for me). Unfortunately, my stay at the amazing Hotel Iyaonsen actually led to more note-taking, and more pictures, because it’s one of the best hotels I’ve ever visited.Read More

Nov
27

Kyoto: temples and travel photography

Travel photography by Andy Wasley of Ponto-chō, a major Hanamachi district (home to geiko / geisha and maiko) and commercial centre in Kyoto, Japan.

Night view of Ponto-chō, Kyoto, Japan.

Back in September I visited Japan with my husband – a long overdue honeymoon, which coincided with a commission from Pride Life magazine for a travel article and travel photography. (I’ve written here before about my work for Pride Life, covering trips to Rioja and Nepal.) Safe to say, fitting three weeks into 2,000 words is a challenge – but also a great opportunity to reflect on a truly amazing country.

One of my favourite places in Japan was Kyoto, a city whose ancient temples should be on any traveller’s wish list. Not that you’d ever be able to visit all 1,500-odd of them: indeed, you might not wish to, since many of them are regrettably overcrowded. I’m not a fan of selfie sticks at the best of times, but in some places the clamour for tourists to tick off another Facebook selfie checklist really does become too much. My trip to Kyoto had to involve time away from the crowds – to make travel photography uninterrupted by the stick-wielders. (Seriously: they should be sold with a guide to basic manners!)Read More

Nov
20

Wildlife photography from Japan

Wildlife photography by Andy Wasley: A swallowtail butterfly rests on a leaf in Yakushima, Japan.

A swallowtail butterfly rests on a leaf in Yakushima, Japan.

Wildlife photography is a valuable tool in any travel photographer’s skillset; although we aren’t necessarily up to the standards of full-time wildlife photographers, it’s important to be able to show readers and viewers some of the natural attractions we spot on our travels. So during a recent visit to Japan I had to make the most of the chance to capture some of the country’s wild residents.

I travelled with my Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mk II, a superb and lightweight camera – robust enough to deal with whatever conditions the weather can throw at it, from Caribbean hurricanes to Scottish storms. Being lightweight, the camera enables me to pack more kit than if I were shooting with a larger body – including a good selection of lenses. During my travels, the excellent Olympus 40-150mm F2.8 PRO lens came in to its own: it’s simply perfect for wildlife photography, enabling me to get up close to skittish butterflies, haughty herons and world-weary macaques.Read More

All photographs and other content © Andy Wasley unless specifically stated otherwise. All rights reserved.
Terms and conditions of business. Privacy and cookies policy.
Privacy Settings
We use cookies to enhance your experience while using our website. If you are using our Services via a browser you can restrict, block or remove cookies through your web browser settings. We also use content and scripts from third parties that may use tracking technologies. You can selectively provide your consent below to allow such third party embeds. For complete information about the cookies we use, data we collect and how we process them, please check our Privacy Policy
Youtube
Consent to display content from Youtube
Vimeo
Consent to display content from Vimeo
Google Maps
Consent to display content from Google
Save
We use cookies to enhance your experience while using our website. To learn more about the cookies we use and the data we collect, please check our Privacy Settings.
I Accept