Hello! Welcome to my website. I’m Rick. I photograph buildings, nice places and buildings in nice places. And I write about photography on my blog.
I am a professionally qualified photographer based in Dorset. I specialise in architectural, commercial, landscape and travel photography. And that is all!
I am an all round nice chap. Please get in touch so we can create some great photos.
Rick McEvoy Photography - Landscape Photographer
This has been in my Squarespace Blog draft folder for two years now, so it is time to release it into the world!!
I am clearing out this draft folder once and for all, so please forgive the apparent lack of cohesion to my blog posts this week.
Normal service will be resumed next week. Honest.
Jetty. Lake Windermere. Lake District.
Time for a change. This is a lovely sunset long exposure photo taken on Lake Windermere in the wonderful Lake District.
One from my photography blog draft folder that is perfect for an Easter Sunday morning.
The woods at The Vyne, the wonderful National Trust site in Hampshire
This is what I posted 12 months ago today. I remember this post.
"I was contacted by the National Trust recently, and asked if they could use the image above in their social media feeds.
I said yes of course. The National Trust. What an absolute privilege.
This is the link to the Tweet - feel free to all head on over there and re-tweet this post! I have!
The picture was taken on my Canon 6D with my Canon 24-105mm lens at in the woods at The Vyne.
I wanted to capture the sun shining through the trees, and love this slightly overexposed image, which has a lovely, light natural feel to it.
I will be returning to The Vyne, and lots of other National Trust sites, to take more pictures. The National Trust sites are great locations to photograph any time of the year.
Rick McEvoy Photography
Thursday 23rd February 2017."
Quite a bit. Technical stuff has improved such as
I do remember this post, as well as the National Trust making contact with me - the big question is - what impact did this have on my photography business?
Not a lot to be completely honest. And that is one of the problems with social media - we are all so obssessed with posting, likes, shares, thumbs up etc etc.
For what?
That is the thing I am not sure about. And the thing I think I am going to write about in an upcoming article on Improve Photography.
Rick McEvoy Photography - landscape photographer in Cornwall
This is the edit using Snapseed by Google of the original image edited in Lightroom Mobile.
Rick McEvoy Photography - landscape photographer in Cornwall
Rick McEvoy Photography - landscape photographer in Cornwall
This is another picture of Watergate Bay beach in Cornwall. I will post two alternative edits.
This is the first edit produced using Lightroom Mobile
Rick McEvoy Photography - landscape photographer in Cornwall
Picture of Watergate Bay beach by Rick McEvoy landsacpe photographer in Cornwall
OK. This is the edit in Lightroom. I went with quite muted subtle colours for this picture taken on the beach at Watergate Bay in Cornwall. Check back to my photography blog in a bit to view the Snapseed version of this picture.
Rick McEvoy - Photographer in Cornwall
Misty path at The Vyne by Rick McEvoy landscape photographer in Hampshire
It's been hot here this week. Not complaining but it makes things a tad more tiring. So today just two pictures of a misty path in the woods at The Vyne. The black and white version first for a change.
Misty path by Rick McEvoy landscape photographer in Hampshire
Today a couple of pictures that I like.
It is a Saturday in June. It is going to be a hot day.
So let’s just look at some nice pictures today. Nothing too heavy.
As well as the colour version you can see in this post I will also post the black and white version of this picture later.
The image was captured using my Canon 6D and Canon 17-40mm lens, mounted on my Manfrotto tripod.
This is quite a stark, contrasty image. This was deliberate processing as I wanted this look for this image.
And for completeness I guess I should tell you where I took this image.
The Vyne. The National Trust site in Hampshire.
The Vyne is one of my favourite places with fascinating woods which I am hoping to return to this summer when everything is in full bloom.
I find landscape photography very relaxing, and also a very productive time for me. I have changed my approach to landscape photography these days, and take much fewer images than I used to. I enjoy walking in the English landscape, looking and enjoying being out and about. Only when I have found something of interest do I get my camera out of my bag, which for landscape photography (as well as any photography on construction sites) is my Peak Design Everyday Backpack.
As well as getting my camera out I also remove my Manfrotto tripod from the external pocket and place it where the scene is I want to photograph.
Landscape photography for me is something to be enjoyed, not rushed.
Sunshine at The Vyne by Rick McEvoy landscape photographer in Hampshire
A new landscape image as it's Friday. It's been a long week, so why not?
This is another picture taken at The Vyne, the National Trust site with the most amazing woods.
Taken handheld on my Canon 6D looking straight into the sun (something which you need to be really careful doing by the way) with an aperture of F22 to get that starburst effect.
A lovely bright natural vibrant image for a Friday.
Landscape Photographer in Hampshire
The plans for my photography business work have had a rethink. Well I have had a rethink.
I have to sort the business side out before I can get on to the fun stuff, even though this fun stuff will end up having a significant commercial value (hopefully). When I say fun stuff I mean producing a set of high quality (hopefully) images from a trip.
This is what I will be working on next after the completion of my construction product photography series of posts, interspersed with some pictures of the winter sunlight in the trees at The Vyne in both colour and black and white.
And the odd other image thrown in as and when.
I have had an amount of time with my iPad Pro where I have been able to edit images in Lightroom Mobile only which I have found quite enjoyable. That is where these other images came from.
And now to make things worse the other day I got a sunrise shoot In at a fantastic location - more on this later.
So this is where I am going next.
Firstly, I am going to write about my interior photography page. I have already selected a set of 12 images for this particular page on my website, and started working on the text.
After that I am going to rewrite all my commercial photography pages, with a new set of 12 images on each page. You can find these web pages under the “Work” category on my website.
When I look at the images on this page I cringe. I need to decide on the range of images I am going to include on this page though.
Not much more to be done to this page, which is not too bad to be honest. Oh yes it needs some text.
Another page needing some much better images and some more relevant and up to date text.
This is my anything I want page. I love this page, and am looking forward to coming up with a great mix of personal work. I have no idea what I am going to include on this page at all. I might go with a theme. Like trees. Sun on water. The colour orange.
That kind of thing.
Industrial photographer (industrial photographers will be consigned to the archive folder leaving me with a brand new page to produce).
Again I have some great new stuff to add to this page which will massively improve the content, appeal and my marketability.
This will be tricky. 12 landscape images. Hmmmmmm.
No problem with this page – it is all about the selection of images and the words to go with this.
A couple of pages are going to go into the archive (so I don’t lose any links)
Aerial photographer
Building photographers
Corporate photographer
Google Maps Business View photographer
Interior design photographer
Panoramic photography
Property photography – replaced by property photographer
And not forgetting of course these three which all fit nicely together
(See later in this post for more about these three)
And having just secured a new commission I really need to start a product photography web page.
The reason for this is basically that I need to focus on the images for these pages, some of which are much too old, and I need text on each page for SEO purposes. I just need to get this done, starting with the first page and just carrying on until I am done. Once this is done it takes time for the SEO value of the work to be realised, so I need to do this now before getting on with something much more interesting and enjoyable.
The next thing is to have a refresh of the images on my home page. It is just nice to do this, and the work done on the other pages will feed into this nicely.
That leaves another major piece of work which is my places web pages.
I have completed the following pages
So I still need to do
After that I want to add to my commissions page one image from each commercial shoot I have done.
But that is for later.
Then I am going to get on with the thing I have been looking forward to since I went to this place in April of this year. I am going to spend as long as I want on the images from this trip, which will naturally supply my picture stock submissions and a new page on my website, possible under places, possibly a new category called countries. I think counties will work well, and give me a good focus for the work I am planning this winter, leading into 2018.
I am going to start using luminosity masks too, once I have sorted the images I am going to process. I am going to start by sorting the images, selecting some to edit, then edit each one three ways (Masterchef speak sorry) which will be
Single image edit in Lightroom/ Photoshop
HDR edit in Lightroom/ Photoshop
And then
And then a black and white image – I need to source some black and white software for this before I start.
So I will have three differently edited colour images. I cant wait to see what the three will look like side by side – this is very exciting to me.
So this little lot will take me well into the summer I have no doubt, so I will see where I am up to
August 2017 and post an update. There will be daily posts of course along the way, along with the odd additional post here and there.
Thanks for reading this post, and please get in touch with any photography queries either by my contact page, phone or email.
Picture of mysterious woods in Poole by Rick McEvoy
My image of the week for this week has to be this picture of the woods in Poole I took just before the New Year. Interestingly enough I posted the black and white version but the colour version never made it so here it is!
Rick McEvoy Photography
Landscape photographer in Dorset
Image of the Week
Durdle Door at sunset
Another addition to my black and white landscape photography in Dorset collection is this picture of Durdle Door.
I like this version, even though a black and white picture of a sunset sounds a bit wrong!
Rick McEvoy Photography
A field near Bere Regis by Rick McEvoy landscape photographer in Dorset
I am not sure if this image is good or bad. The more I think about it the less I like it.
I do this.
I think too much. Which is not a bad thing if you are a commercial client of mine. I worry about my work!
I might pull this image. How am I going to decide?
Yes like a TV gameshow!
500PX and Instagram.I know what is a good reaction to an image, and what is not a good reaction to an image, so will decide after 24 hours of feedback.
Just enough time to post the black and white version and gauge the reaction of that as well.
I drove past this field the other day but it didn’t have much colour. I am going to pop back there in a few weeks and see what crops are going.
This is why I find spring so exciting.
I want to find a big yellow field with some bluebells in the corner under a dreamy sky.
Which reminds me of a picture I might just sneak into my Dorset Photographer page after all.
So until the results of the public vote are in….
Wednesday 29th March 2017
A picture of Dorset by Rick McEvoy landscape photographer
Another definite favourite picture of Dorset is this view looking towards Kimmeridge and the Dorset coast from somewhere on the road between East Lulworth and Steeple. A great view with nice clouds and good light. From the Purbecks you get great views towards the coast looking south, as well as great views to the north, east and west – it is such a special place.
If you look in the sea you can see some standing waves. This is Dancing Ledge, a really interesting spot if you like to dive off the Dorset Coast. There is a sudden drop here on the sea bed which needs to be known about before diving in this area. And the standing waves that you can often see there on the surface.
Another thing I like about this image is the herd of sheep in the middle ground, adding some agricultural charm to the overall scene.
Not everyone has the chance to stop and take in the view, which is one of the jobs us photographers are here for!
The edit of this image I have just done has made a dramatic difference to this image which I captured and processed some time ago. This image now has had the full 2017 Lightroom processing – my style that is..
What have I done differently in Lightroom?
Firstly, the crop was sound.
Something I like to do to images can be found in the last panel in the Develop Module in Lightroom, called Camera Calibration. I set the profile to Landscape, which gives richer colours. I just like the effect of this profile, which is now something I apply to images on import into Lightroom.
Apart from that I have updated the edit with things that I prefer that give a cleaner, crisper image. I have also finished off the image in Photoshop, cleaning up some minor annoyances.
Image number 2 done – now time to head over to Nik for a black and white edit which will appear tomorrow on my blog at 11am.
Rick McEvoy
Tuesday 21st March 2017
Leaves by Rick McEvoy landscape photographer
The woods at The Vyne, the wonderful National Trust site in Hampshire
I was contacted by the National Trust recently, and asked if they could use the image above in their social media feeds.
I said yes of course. The National Trust. What an absolute privilege.
This is the link to the Tweet - feel free to all head on over there and re-tweet this post! I have!
https://twitter.com/nationaltrust/status/829963331540692992
The picture was taken on my Canon 6D with my Canon 24-105mm lens at in the woods at The Vyne.
I wanted to capture the sun shining through the trees, and love this slightly overexposed image, which has a lovely, light natural feel to it.
I will be returning to The Vyne, and lots of other National Trust sites, to take more pictures. The National Trust sites are great locations to photograph any time of the year.
Rick McEvoy Photography
Thursday 23rd February 2017.
Picture of the mysterious moody Delph Woods by Rick McEvoy black and white landscape photographer
And as you also may have gathered – I love this shot.
So much so I am going to do a re-edit which I will post tomorrow. A re-edit or a re-crop. I have an idea.
I know – another one.
Back to what we are looking at today, firstly this is the work I did in Nik Silver Efex Pro to produce this black and white landscape photography image.
These adjustments were a pleasure to work on, so much do I like the colour version of this scene. And I like the black and white version a lot as well – lots going on in this image.
The black and white processing was all to emphasise the depth and mood in the picture, as well as to extract out all the fantastic natural details and textures in the scene.
The black and white version of this picture has a different feel to the colour version I posted yesterday. I have lost that warm glow of the sunshine in the background section of the woods.
Having lost all the colour from the scene the picture is all about the light and the shade, the textures, details and contrast.
I really like this picture and hope you do too – let me know if you refer the colour version or the black and white version.
I have a new web page called Black and White Landscape Photography in Dorset which contains a selection of my new black and white landscape pictures taken in Dorset. I will add new pages for my landscape photography work in Hampshire and further afield in future months.
Rick McEvoy Photography
Monday 13th February 2016
Golden winter light by Rick McEvoy landscape photographer in Dorset
This was my alternative title for this image
Ah that's better. I like this image. A tighter composition and a tighter crop make this about the three components that tell the story
That is the story.
And now I need to digress. Trust me – it will all make sense.
I have mentioned on many an occasion that I bracket everything I take on my Canon 6D. I take three pictures, one the correct exposure, one two stops under exposed and the third two stops over exposed. Three pictures at the same time with one press of the shutter button.
There is another benefit.
I can see, immediately, what the under and over exposed versions look like straight away, which tells me a lot about where I might go processing an image in Lightroom.
I am going through a phase of liking my landscape photography work to be bright, light, airy and mysterious.
I will come back to this point in March, once I have completed my work on the Delph Woods images and also the work I am doing in the background at the same time on my Dorset Photographer web page.
The next thing for me to work on. Which I am excited about.
Back to the image in the post.
Every now and again though I like to do the opposite of what I should do. Play around a bit. And for this image it was the over exposed image which told me that this image that you can see now was possible.
But one word of caution.
Buy a large hard drive. Or be brutal with your catalogue management.
I bought a very large hard drive
And soon will have to buy an even bigger one.
I love this shot. I like the tight composition and the impact of the image. I also like the warm tones and the bright burst of light. And the fact it is so bright and light.
So all in all a success. What will the black and white version look like? Call back to my photography blog tomorrow and you will see.
Friday 10th February 2017
Vibrant winter colours in this picture of a tree in Poole by Rick McEvoy landscape photographer
I hve done a bit more editing to this one. It needed a bit more doing and I wasn't happy with it. The image at the top is the re-edit, the image below the original edit of the crop of the image I posted two days ago that is. As its the wekeend I will shut up and leave to to let me know which version you prefer?
The original edit of the crop of the picture of the tree
I know the difference is quite subtle, but I prefer the top picture.
Rick McEvoy LBIPP, MCIOB - Original Photography in Dorset
Sunday 29th January 2017
The Vyne, Hampshire by landscape photographer Rick McEvoy
A brand new landscape photography image taken this week at The Vyne, the National Trust site with these spectacular grounds and a Tudor Mansion I am yet to discover!
Rick McEvoy LBIPP, MCIOB
Friday 27th January 2017