By Michaela Simpson
Sigma Creator
Some photographers seem to be allergic to shooting in the middle of the day, especially if there are gin-clear blue skies of summer. And this particular allergy seems to afflict landscape and seascape shooters in particular.
My attitude has always been to turn up at the location, and then make the best work I can. Too much pre-planning seems to kill my creative energy and flow. And that was exactly my thinking when I headed to the lovely seaside town of Saltburn-by-the-Sea recently. I let out a gasp of pure joy driving down the twisting Saltburn Road towards the Lower Prom, a high tide and white capped waves made the vista out to sea incredibly beautiful.
Granted, harsh directional light and featureless skies do present problems, especially when shooting landscapes or seascapes. But these challenges can be overcome.
First, the modern digital photographer has some pretty powerful weapons, enormously competent cameras backed up by some truly spectacular lenses – like the Sigma 24-70mm DG DN II | Art that I used for these pictures.
We also have some really excellent filter options, and for these images I used a mixture of Lee circular polariser, solid ND and graduated filters.
As a result I was able to make work both when the sun was at its highest, and again – following a photographer’s siesta – in the evening, as the shadows lengthened.
The high contrast suited my favoured black and white editing and although the colour images pop I prefer my monos shown here.
Image creators like us have never been better served by our equipment, so why not get out with that camera, no matter how tricky the lighting conditions?
ABOUT
MICHAELA SIMPSON
Sigma Creator
Michaela Simpson, a Scottish photographer based in northeast England, finds something magical in creating images with Sigma lenses. With over a decade of experience, she transitioned from Canon to Sony mirrorless, now favouring the SIGMA 28-45mm F1.8 DG DN | Art for its prime-like quality. A member of the Royal Photographic Society and a SheClicks judge, her work has been exhibited globally and licensed by Getty Images. Notable achievements include winning BIPP Press & PR Photographer of the Year in 2015, a Sigma Art Photographer of the Year shortlist in 2024, and showcasing botanical images at FotoNostrum in Barcelona. Beyond accolades, Michaela is driven by collaboration, mentorship, and the inspiration she gains from working with talented creatives in stunning locations.
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