ABOUT

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I am a Devon based Contemporary and Landscape photographer specialising in images of Dartmoor and Devon.

A POTTED HISTORY

I grew up in Wiltshire in a small village and soon learnt to appreciate the beauty of the landscape around me especially from horse back as I was fortunate to be able to ride in my early teens.
Since moving to Devon in 1987 I have grown to love the area and believe it offers some of the best and varied of landscapes.
My interest in photographing the beautiful and diverse scenery around me came from regular walks across Dartmoor in the mid to late nineties with a 35mm SLR film camera. My memories of visiting Dartmoor as a child encouraged me to explore and this developed into a passion with the camera especially when I progressed to digital as the cameras became more affordable.

I have great dedication to my art form as I do believe photography has great artistic elements.
I can regularly be found around Devon and on Dartmoor at silly o'clock with camera primed for that fleeting moment when the light is 'just right'
(Silly o'clock is is just before sunrise in mid Summer) and galloping across the moor to reach the car before the black cloud reaches me.

Over the last four years the photography has become a thriving business with companies such as The National Trust and the National Park Authority exhibiting and selling my work.
I have been widely published and many of my images have found happy homes on walls throughout the world including New Zealand, Australia and the USA.

In May 2008 I was thrilled to have a book published called 'Perfect Dartmoor' in hardback by Halsgrove . 2009 brought 'Dartmoor A Winters Tale' and 'Panoramic Dartmoor' in Oct 2010 and now a fourth, 'A Portrait of the English Riviera' in 2011. Titles five and six are following in Spring 2012.

I consider myself fortunate in that I can continue to fulfill my desire to spend time around Devon and on Dartmoor continually searching for more striking and satisfying images that others can enjoy.

I feel that through people from all over the world visiting my site, I am making a small contribution towards promoting one of the most wonderful areas of the British Isles.

MY CURRENT EQUIPMENT LIST

My current line up is as follows....

Nikon D700. (Nikon D800? will be added when they pull their fingers out)

Nikon 24-70 f/2.8. Widely considered to be one of Nikons finest lenses.

Nikon 70-200 f/2.8 VR. Widely considered to be another one of Nikons finest lenses.

Nikon 16-35 f/4 VRII. Ultra sharp wide angle and can be used with filters. (Unlike the 14-24)

Sigma 105mm f/2.8 macro. Stunningly sharp and also very good for Portraits.

Nikon TC-17E II Teleconverter for more reach.

And a little jewel of a lens. The Nikon AF NIKKOR 50mm f1.8.
This is the one of sharpest lenses I have yet used. Great for portraits.


I currently use a Manfrotto 055 CXPRO3 Carbon Fibre tripod with 488RCO ball head. Very sturdy, light and rigid.

Manfrotto 055XPROB for dunking in the sea.

Manfrotto 190XPROB for travel.

Filters:

I am in both camps by balancing exposures using grads when possible as I think this gives more realistic images and exposure blending in CS4 when I need to.

I use UV and Polarising filters that also help to protect the lens elements.
I use the Lee foundation system with 0.3, 0.6 and 0.9 soft and hard grads.
I also use a 3 stop 'reverse' grad for sunrises/sunsets over the sea.

I also have useful ND filters. One is a 3 stop ND8 and the other a 10 stop B+W which is simply superb for long exposures when used with a .6 or .9 grad.

Good Tamrac and Lowepro waterproof camera bags

Nikon SB700 and SB600 flash guns


Thanks for reading.

Adrian Oakes 2012