Today, I have the honor of presenting an interview that comes from Derbyshire in the UK. Scott Lyons’ body of work is quite expansive and he is always up for the challenge of capturing new things that inspire his passion. Scott has developed his very own distinctive approach and style, providing his viewers with stunning photographs.
Scott, thank you for sharing your thoughtful answers with us and for allowing us to get to know a bit about you. You are a brilliant photographer and someone who’s work is definitely worth following.
If you’d like to learn more about Scott, please visit his website. You can also follow him on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.
Can you please tell the readers a bit about yourself?
I’m a hobbyist photographer who started sharing the images that I take in 2013. I mostly try to go out on weekends to take new photographs and my main focus at the moment is landscapes and wildlife, although I do change subjects a bit to keep things interesting.
Where is home?
Home is in Derbyshire, just on the border of the Peak District for about three years now
After browsing through your website, I see that you’ve built up an extensive collection of wonderful photography. What is it that led you toward this field and how long have you been working in it?
I received my first DSLR in 2013 as a birthday present. I had cameras before this but never anything as technical. At the same time I was trying to find reasons to get out more, and photography seemed like a great excuse.
What type of session do you look forward to the most vs what type of session you most often do?
I would say I do the sessions I look forward to the most often, which is picking a place to visit for the day and going for a walk, taking photographs along the way. I don’t usually set out with a focus of what I will be photographing on that day (with the exception of sometimes I might have a preference to try and capture wildlife so I’ll change my lens).
When shooting subjects, what do you find most challenging?
Capturing what made me want to look at the thing I’m shooting. Basically conveying in a single photograph what makes that moment something that I want to share.
In regard to marketing, how much of your time do you dedicate to social media? Do you use any special programs or services?
Starting at the tail end of last year I try to post a new photograph to the main social media outlets once a day. I use Hootsuite to schedule posts and a couple of other applications to keep bots at bay.
What do you do to keep your photography fresh and how do you stay motivated to keep on learning?
Luckily I live in a beautiful part of England so there’s plenty of new places to explore, and I’ve only just scratched the surface. As for staying motivated to keep on learning I enjoy the challenge of capturing new things. If I find I’ve taken a lot of wildlife shots recently I’ll try to change around to landscapes for a weekend to stop things getting stale.
What has been the biggest source of inspiration in your work?
Easily my Wife. She’s always doing a great job at scouting out places for us to visit where there will be some good photo opportunities.
Do you visit any photography related websites or blogs on a regular basis, and if so, which ones?
The one I keep mostly up to date with is PetaPixel. There’s a few subreddits I keep an eye on too for photography news.
What advice can you offer to someone who wants to learn about photography?
Don’t take criticism too harshly. If you think your image is good, then that’s all you need. There’s too many people in the field who are willing to tell you what is technically wrong with an image and forget that photography is an art form that is all about eliciting an emotional response.
Share with us your favorite image and why.
My favourite image is this one of a house sparrow because it’s my reminder that you don’t always need the best kit to take a great photo. It was taken on my old Nikon D3100 with the 18-55mm kit lens.
What type of camera(s) do you shoot with? What is your favorite lens?
I currently shoot with a Nikon D7200 and favourite lens is my Nikon AF 50mm f/1.8D.
What is in your camera bag?
There’s my Nikon 70-300mm in there for when I want to do wildlife, a Neewer off camera flash and various filters. Also a monopod stuck on the back.
What is your favorite photography accessory?
My off camera flash. Portrait photography is only something I’ve started playing around with recently, but having the flash opens up a whole new world of interesting photography to play with.
What piece of equipment would you most like to get but don’t have yet?
I keep reading great things about the Nikon 200-500mm lens which I would love as my next bit of kit
How important is Photoshop or other image editing software in your final images?
Very important. I don’t put a single photo online without it at least going through Lightroom.
Can you tell me about one of your favorite or most memorable photo sessions? What made it so great and why did you like it so much?
My most favourite session in recent memory was a trip to Ladybower Reservoir last year. The weather was great and standing at the top of Bamford Edge overlooking the reservoir was breathtaking.
Are there any areas of photography that you have yet to pick up on that you’d like to learn?
As previously mentioned I’ve started playing with portrait photography, but it’s something I would really like to get into more for the different challenges that it holds.
What do you think the future holds for you? Where do you see yourself in the next few years?
Mostly doing more of the same, although I’m hoping that I’ll have a lot more great images to share.
Leave a Reply