4×4 Portfolio

John Barton

John is a retired Teacher who spends his time creating images from a wide variety of subjects, but with particular concentration on Landscape and Architecture as the main themes. He is as comfortable in the urban jungle as the great outdoors where no buildings exist!

johndbarton.blogspot.co.uk

Michael Cummins

Very keen, amateur landscaper always trying to improve. Holiday website publisher when I can fit that in too. Husband, father, grandad, golfer. Season ticket holder at the Mighty Spireites (Chesterfield FC).

michaelcummins.co.uk

Mike Curry

Mike has been a commercial photographer for over three decades. In the last 10 years he has been concentrating on his landscape and illustrative work.

mikecurryphotography.com

Paul Gotts

Paul Gotts is an amateur photographer based on Merseyside. He has helped pull together three collaborative photo books showcasing the work of 18 different photographers. He also makes handmade books whether for himself or others, often for charitable causes.

instagram.com

Our 4x4 feature is a set of four mini portfolios from our subscribers, each consisting of four images related in some way. If you would like to submit your own 4x4 portfolio please visit this page for submission information.

John Barton

Close to The Landscape

Haigh Hall Plantations, public grounds on the outskirts of Wigan, Lancashire, have for many years been the wooded area of choice for the people of the surrounding area to come for recreation and relaxation.

In recent years, the massive overgrowth of huge Rhododendron bushes have hidden the different array of other, more native, bushes and trees.
Now that a clearance programme has been completed, visitors can see the wood for the trees!

Instead of the standard landscape, wide lens, include as much as possible theme, I have decided to use only my 55-200mm lens in order to capture more close-up detail and be able to (literally) focus on creating a 'less is more' theme.

These four images concentrate on branches, leaves, colours, shapes, light and shadows to make the images convey the greater feeling of the whole area.

Michael Cummins

Miles of Stiles

to see them and impossible to resist their lure. As each new morning dawns and the first walkers of a new day approach, I imagine they sigh with quiet contentment. Big shout for the landowners, national parks, associations and farmers who maintain and upgrade them on our behalf too. Great as photographic focal points! Read Michael's latest article: Journey of Photographic Discovery.

Mike Curry

Urban Patina

Trying to replicate the feeling locally that I wanted to create in my out of town work proved impossible, I just wasn’t connecting with the images. I decided that carrying heavy, bulky gear around was limiting me so I streamlined down to a Fuji X-E2 with 60mm macro lens and my Manfrotto BeFree tripod. I instantly felt less visible and less inhibited from taking photos as I was completely ignored, something that didn’t happen with the Nikon.

I walked for miles it seems on my first trip out looking for details and patterns and eventually found some old garage doors that had been untouched for decades and was immediately fascinated. The swirls of wood and the patina of aging in an urban environment made for surprisingly colourful images, some due to rust and some to paint I presume.

The area on each photo is only a few centimeters long and would have been easily missed had a not been prepared to scrutinize the surface so thoroughly. I got a lot of funny looks from commuters who I presumably just thought I was a bit mad. Maybe I am but I found it a rewarding and enjoyable way to spend a few hours!

Paul Gotts

Over the course of a week’s holiday in June we rented a family apartment overlooking the Dyfi Estuary in west Wales.  Over breakfasts and teas we looked at the rise and fall of the tide, safe on our little balcony.  These photographs were taken over a two day period.

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