2024 was a huge year for me not only in terms of leaving the UK, but also in the relation to the development and progression of my photography. In this blog I will be sharing some of the highlights of my photography journey from last year, and also some background information and thought process behind each photo too.

Shanklin, UK - 27/04/2024

The first photo was taken in the seaside town of Shanklin on the Isle of Wight, UK. Each year me and my family take the short journey over to the island in order to spend a nice relaxing weekend away, on the rare occasion we all get time off work together.

Along the seafront is a number of classic beach huts where you can sit down and relax, or alternatively hide from the weather. On this occasion the weather was foggy and dire, creating a moody morning effect. As a result of this, windows as such in this example were condensed, and therefore provided a unique prospect and added texture. Through creating a sense of mystery, the hut also provided the perfect rule of thirds composition, then all that was needed was a subject, one of which walked straight through the middle of the frame.

*Sony A7 IV | 70-200mm f2.8 | f5.6 | 1/400 | ISO 100*

Hong Kong - 16/07/2024

The second of my favourite images from over the course of 2024 came from the beautiful region of Hong Kong. In July 2024 I left the UK to start a 5 month period of travel through Asia, and this was my first stop.

In east Kowloon there is a neighbourhood known as the Choi Hung Estate, with Choi Hung translated from Cantonese to English meaning ‘Rainbow’. This area is well recognised for its array of colours and the unique backdrop it provides. The combination of the colourful facade and Basketball court in the foreground combine to create a beautiful colour contrast and an image that is catching on the eye.

Waiting for a subject who was one, shooting hoops alone, and two at that end of the court against the adjacent estate took time and I had to be patient. However, luck was finally on my side and low and behold, the perfect composition fell into place.

*Sony A7 IV | 24-70mm f2.8 | f6.3 | 1/400 | ISO 100*

Seoul, South Korea - 11/08/2024

The next destination on my journey through Asia was a 5 week adventure through South Korea. Naturally, the first stop on my visit here was to the incredible city of Seoul.

This shot taken at the Gyeongbokgung Palace to me symbolises the history and heritage of this proud nation. Braving the hot summer afternoon Sun, the three ladies depicted in the photo acted as the ideal subjects in the foreground set against the historic backdrop. Dressed in traditional clothing, you can sense the culture and rich history radiating from the image. The different colours of all three dresses helped to create colour contrast between the subjects and subsequent architecture, and in addition to this, the natural light helps to further enhance the contrasts and the shadows.

*Sony A7 IV | 24-70mm f2.8 | f7.1 | 1/400 | ISO 100*

Gyeongju, South Korea - 20/08/2024

The second of my images from South Korea comes from the historic city of Gyeongju. Located in the south east of the country, the city is famous for its UNESCO World Heritage status and the wide array of cultural sites that call this city home.

With this image, it was one of those I didn’t realise how good it was until I got round to sorting through and editing the photos from my time here. Through the use of leading lines, the composition of the shot helps to draw the viewers attention to the centre of the photograph, thus placing the focus on the subject within the frame. The traditional Korean architecture really helps to portray a sense of life and purpose, with the colours and contrasts matching up in an ideal manner. Furthermore, the literal light at the end of the tunnel creates an instant light source.

*Sony A7 IV | 24-70mm f2.8 | f2.8 | 1/400 | ISO 100*

Busan, South Korea - 24/08/2024

Moving even further south, this photo is the first of my two favourite images from Busan, one of my new favourite cities not just in Asia, but maybe the world. This is image was captured from the Haeundae Sky Capsule, a journey in which you take a capsule train along the coastline with beautiful views stretching out towards the ocean and the city in the distance.

The back and front windows of the capsule create a perfect opportunity to capture a unique perspective through the use of framing. A strong composition technique, framing can be used to create a sense of depth and emphasis, helping and drawing the viewer to the subjects in focus. Essentially, by using a frame within the picture frame, you’re highlighting and showing the viewer what you really want to matter in the shot. In addition to this, the window naturally acts as a natural light source, further enhancing the focus towards the centre of the image. As far as the subjects are concerned, the bright and colourful exterior of the capsules make for some compelling contrasts and imagery.

Busan, South Korea - 26/08/2024

Carrying on with the coastal and seaside theme, the next image once again comes from Busan. This particular image was taken on a beautiful day on Gwangalli Beach.

With this image I remember it being the compelling and contrasting colours of the inflatables that caught my attention. The colours of yellow, red and pink blend beautifully here to create a blending contrast and a photographers delight. In order to maximise the effect of the image, filling the frame uses the technique of composing an image to the point of using all of if not most of the frame when taking a photo. This technique uses positive space as its main focal point, and by shooting and using the full frame of the image available, you’re immediately drawing the viewers attention to the subject in question.

It’s minimal, it’s telling, and it’s straight to the point.

*Sony A7 IV | 24-70mm f2.8 | f10 | 1/400 | ISO 100*

Hiroshima, Japan - 30/09/2024

Last year I also spent 3 months back in Japan, one of my favourite destinations of all time. The first of many photos from here to make this list is from the wonderful city of Hiroshima.

In all honesty, Hiroshima is somewhere in which photography isn’t the main importance, and it’s more about paying your respects. However, this strong and resilient city does have its photo opportunities, but you have to get creative.

In this image, I was simply playing around with compositions and figuring out how to best portray the Atomic Bomb Dome from its side of the river. As a number of individuals went past, I changed things up slightly and aimed for a lower perspective. One of the main factors of street photography is luck, and this image had plenty of it. Completely blind to me a woman made her way across the frame, however she turned out to be the perfect sister subject. With good timing, I was able to snap both subject A of the Atomic Bomb Dome and subject B of the woman in perfect unison, therefore creating a special blend using both the background and foreground.

*Sony A7 IV | 35mm f1.4 | f8 | 1/500 | ISO 100*

Miyajima Island, Japan - 01/10/2024

About 40 minutes travel time by train and boat from Hiroshima is the wonderful island of Itsukushima, more widely known as Miyajima. In my opinion, the island is one of the best places to visit in the whole of Japan. The standout feature is one you've probably seen before when researching Japan, as a little offshore a giant orange Tori Gate stands alone partially submerged in water looking both bold and brave. It is a beautiful sight to witness, both from on the water and on land, a true iconic Japanese location.

The challenge for myself was to find a unique perspective in order to capture the subject in a slightly different manner to the norm, one that would help the Tori Gate stand out. After making my way round to the opposite side of where the ferry ports, I came across a treeline facing out towards the subject. Through numerous attempts and ideas, I eventually found the perfect spot. Once again using the composition technique of framing, the trees help to draw the viewers attention to the centre of the image.

On this day it wasn’t fully clear, however the weather was still beautiful enough to help with the contrasts of the image, and also the reflections on the water surface. Furthermore, the bright orange colour of the Tori Gate helps to make it pop and stand out in any image.

*Sony A7 IV | 35mm f1.4 | f7.1 | 1/400 | ISO 100*

Miyajima Island, Japan - 01/10/2024

Staying on the island, it is also known for its ancient temples and forest landscapes, and with all being said it certainly contains much more than meets the eye. I highly suggest wandering the backstreets and vibrant town located here, the island is full of stunning locations and hidden treasures at every turn, you never know what you will find. Furthermore, similar to Nara the island is full of Deer… lots of Deer.

Whilst taking the time to wander the sweeping nature of the town, the sight of the Pagoda came into view. This tight street helped to narrow the field of vision by being flanked by buildings on either side, therefore naturally emphasising the focus on the Pagoda. After a few moments of thought, I found that the composition worked well from a lower perspective, therefore creating an illusion that all the surrounding architecture was of the same height and on an even playing field.

It took a little while, but I waited for a subject in the foreground to further help to enhance the image, and sooner rather than later a local postman on his bike made his way towards me. The colours from his bike and uniform were ideal, creating a nice contrast of colours in the image, and the fact he was entering the light from the shadows made it even better.

*Sony A7 IV | 35mm f1.4 | f4 | 1/400 | ISO 100*

Onomichi, Japan - 03/10/2024

Our search for my best and favourite images of 2024 sends us a few hours east along the coast to the beautiful seaside port town of Onomichi.

Still within the Hiroshima Prefecture, Onomichi is a quiet yet lovely town to visit either as a day trip from Hiroshima or as I did on the way through to Osaka. In this image, it was the striking colours of the overhanging cover of the old shop front that first drew my attention, creating a colour contrast against the old facing building.

Noticeably, there is a poster of one of the famous landmarks and viewpoints looking across the town displayed on the front of the store, therefore creating a visual effect of a double image and meaning. In situations like this, I usually like to photograph a subject coming across the building to have some sort of movement effect, and in this instance the schoolboy on the Bike played his role perfectly.

Furthermore by facing away from the camera, he also creates a sense of mystery within the image… who is this person, and where are they heading?

*Sony A7 IV | 35mm f1.4 | f2.5 | 1/400 | ISO 100*

Nara, Japan - 11/10/2024

Now I’m not normally a wildlife or animal photographer, but being in Nara I simply couldn’t refuse to try and get a few shots of the Deer. Getting to Nara is easy, ideal as a day trip from either Kyoto or Osaka, it takes less than an hour to reach by Train from both of the cities.

It won’t take long, and out of nowhere, you’ll soon be surrounded and in the presence of hundreds and hundreds of Deer. Often the main reason why so many visitors take the time to explore Nara each year, the Deer here are the most beautiful and peaceful animals you could wish to greet. From the full grown parents, to the little baby fawns, whole families of Deer roam freely within the park.

Kyoto, Japan - 18/10/2024

If you’ve even been to Kyoto, you will know it is an explorers paradise and someone where you can go temple running for days on end. The most famous of them all comes in the form of Fushimi Inari Taisha, recognisable by its huge collection of distinct orange Tori Gates winding their way up the mountain-side.

Truth the be told, depending on the time of day and when you visit this location it can become rather busy, therefore especially if you are looking to spend time doing photography here, you need to patient and wait for breaks in the crowds. The key with images here I feel is how can you gain those unique perspectives and photographs that is different to everyone else. At first, and for a while it was cloudy and therefore the lighting was okay but not ideal. However, all of a sudden the Sun broke through, therefore creating and showing the greatest aspects of light and shadows across the gates.

The contrasts the natural light helped to display adds a nice layer of texture and growth within the image, literally helping to shine light on this iconic shrine.

Tokyo, Japan - 29/10/2024

A city that never sleeps, the world renowned capital of Japan that is Tokyo is truly one of the most incredible places on earth. This image was taken on a rainy night in the district of Shinjuku, there really is something incredibly special about Tokyo in the rain. The saying “When it Rains, it Pours” always comes to mind here, however if you are prepared to get wet and deal with the conditions, the amount of terrific photo opportunities are endless.

This specific image was taken outside the famous Yodobashi Camera store, and with the rain lashing down creating puddles galore, a large amount of reflections to utilise soon became clear. To create an image of even balance, I wanted to make use of both the failing rain and the luminous red store sign in the refection of the water. Therefore here the camera settings I used were key to providing the best outcome, making adjustments along the way.

I feel the mix of colours and light displayed in this image create a contrasting blend, therefore enabling a great visual on the eye, and while portraying the scene of energy in the rain.

*Sony A7 IV | 85mm f1.4 | f1.4 | 1/400 | ISO 800*

Kamakura, Japan - 22/11/2024

Only an hour south of Tokyo, Kamakura is a beautiful seaside spot full of character and charm. If you’re a fan of taking photos and all things photography, then here you’ll be in your element. From quiet side-streets to surfers, temples to still-life, Kamakura provides you with a whole host of variations and exciting subjects and possibilities to shoot and discover.

This photo was taken outside the Enoden Line train station of Inamuragasaki, set slightly in from the coastline amongst one of the smaller towns. This is an image in which took several attempts and days to plan out, waiting for good weather, and finding the most suitable time in which the sun shines its light between the buildings.

In the days before, I had noticed bikes regularly make their way through the passage between the station and the adjacent shops. Similar to the previous image from Miyajima on this list, I wanted to utilise the use of a bike exiting the shadows and entering the light. Light plays a huge role in the contrast and overall feel of any image, and this one is no different, the added blend of numerous colours aided in helping to create that small town Japan type feel.

Enoshima, Japan - 22/11/2024

If you do happen to ever visit Kamakura, I suggest starting there in the morning, and then walking along the coast to Enoshima in time for sunset. From Enoshima and the nearby beach, if you’re lucky and it’s a clear day, you will be able to see Mt. Fuji in the distance in all its glory.

Honestly, I wasn’t holding much hope for the view on this occasion, the mountain had been shy and clouded over all day up until this point, however right at the perfect moment at Sunset if by magic Fujisan decided to show its face. I had never seen anything like it, the most incredible sunset, with an iconic piece of Japanese heritage in view. This photo still doesn’t do it justice, nowhere near, but you get the idea. To add to the image, at this point there were still a few Surfers riding the waves as the light was fading. It took a few tries, but I managed to line one up perfectly centre with Mt. Fuji, helping to create a composition which shows a sense of compression and the true scale of the famous mountain.

All in all, this was one of those once in a blue moon type of photos, where everything came together perfectly with ideal timing.

*Sony A7 IV | 70-200mm f2.8 | f3.5 | 1/400 | ISO 100*

Tokyo, Japan - 25/11/2024

The final spot on this list of my best and favourite images of 2024 belongs to a photo which epitomises everything about the modern day Tokyo. Taken in the eccentric neighbourhood of Akihabara, the area is known for its gaming and electronic scene, as well as an ever present anime culture.

It was the bright coloured shop face which initially caught my eye, something which I felt was a classic Japanese theme. After an initial thought of how I could incorporate the shop into a photo, I soon came to realise and began to observe the free flowing traffic driving in front of the store. After a quick setup of composition, and after a few test tries with other vehicles coming through, by luck it wasn’t long at all until the yellow Taxi made its way through, the perfect subject.

Not only was it a colour match between the foreground and background, the yellow also helped to make the Taxi pop and stand out, while furthermore creating the idea colour contrast. The adjacent slither of light across the shop face created by the overhead bridge and adjacent buildings was the icing on the cake.

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