Discover landscape photography as you have never seen before! Ian Plant and his breathtaking Dreamscapes. If you want to learn more about him visit his website https://www.ianplant.com/index and follow him on the socials.

Name: Ian Plant
Job: Full time professional nature and travel photographer
Favorite place: Anywhere and everywhere! Every place has its own unique charm and beauty.
The best day of your life: Any day I make a good photograph.
Best journey you had: I’ve had so many amazing journeys, it is hard to pick just one!
Most complicated journey you had: I recently visited the island of Borneo in Malaysia. I spent several days there exploring the rain forest. I discovered that I really hate leeches, especially when I have to peel dozens of them off of my skin after a hike! Even though I was there for only a short period of time, I still shudder when I think of all of the leeches crawling all over me.
Your motto: Practice, practice, practice!

I have read in your bio that you started out as a lawyer. When did you realize it was the right time to make a career change and how did you manage the transition from being a full time employee to a self employed? 

I left my legal career to become a photographer about 12 years ago. I bought my first camera when I was in law school, and was instantly addicted to photography. I knew from the very beginning that it is what I wanted to do with my life, but I needed to work as a lawyer for eight years to pay off the cost of my legal education. I keep working until I couldn’t take it anymore, then just decided to quit one day. I didn’t make a gradual transition, I just dove right in to the deep end of the pool. I never second-guessed my decision, and 12 years later, I’ve never looked back!

How your approach to photography has changed during the course of your career?

I am always striving to become a better photographer. And, the most I make photos, the more I have immersed myself in the process, and diversified my subject matter. The biggest change for me is that I started off only shooting landscapes, and now I shoot a variety of nature, wildlife, and travel subjects – and even people!

Why did you choose to focus your attention on landscape and wild life photography?

My early focus was on these things because I have always enjoyed nature and the outdoors. That’s why I got a camera in the first place, to document the amazing scenery I was seeing when I went trekking in the wilderness.

In order to make a real good landscape picture it’s not enough to point at the horizon and shoot, how do you compose your images? 

This, unfortunately, is a very complicated question. I wrote a book on photographic composition called “Visual Flow” that is 300 pages long. So, if you want the answer, I suggest you read my book! The short answer is that I am looking for ways to take the familiar, and show it in an unfamiliar way. I want to show people something they haven’t seen before.

What elements an image must have to be considered a good one? 

This is also a very complicated question, and there are no easy answers, in large part because everyone has their own personal standard regarding what makes a good photo. For me, I strive to bring together interesting light and a strong composition, but more than that, I’m looking to capture a moment that tells a story to the viewer and connects with them in a profound and emotional way.

What is your favourite lens and why? 

I’m a wide-angle junkie. My most used lens is my Canon 11-24mm. I use it for probably 80% of my work.

Photographers often debate about the newest models of lenses and camera bodies. How important is for you to have the best equiment in order to make good pictures? 

On the one hand, having good equipment is important, as equipment should never stand in the way of you expressing your personal artistic vision. On the other hand, it is just plastic, metal, and glass. Good equipment won’t help you make better photos – that comes from you. If you can’t make a good photograph with bad equipment, then you need to think more about what you are doing wrong – it is not the fault of the equipment. At best, good equipment can help you realize your full potential as a photographer, but having a fancy new lens won’t mean much if you don’t know how to use it. So I always tell people, worry less about the equipment and worry more about becoming a better photographer.

Can you tell us a memory from a work or journey which is important to you (if you have one)?

I’ve had so many incredible moments in my 12 years as a professional photographer, it is hard to pick just one. The best moments almost always seem to be when I am alone somewhere in the wilderness, with amazing conditions for photography, and I have the whole thing to myself. These are moments that are increasingly rare, so I savor them when they happen!

Is there a place you haven’t been yet that you want to visit? Why? 

I keep a huge list of places I want to visit, and the list always seems to get bigger, no matter how much I travel! I recently visited Ethiopia, which has been at the top of my list for a long time. It was amazing. For 2018, I feel like the world is wide open for me. I’ll just go wherever the wind takes me!

The world of photography is constantly growing. It’s more and more difficult to find a personal style; you did it in a great way. What do you think about the future of photography, and what suggestions would you like to give to young photographers? 

I don’t know what the future of photography looks like, but I can tell people this: don’t pay too much attention to what other photographers are doing. We already see too many copycat photographers. Instead, focus on what you are doing. Work hard to develop your own personal approach, and never be afraid to try something different. If everyone did that, I think the future of photography will be very bright indeed.

for the photos in this article © Ian Plant