There is only one week left until the Societies’ Convention begins. It’s one of the biggest conventions and trade shows on the photography calendar, with dozens of influential photographers hosting their own masterclasses.
The Convention is the perfect opportunity to gain some new skills for 2020, no matter what genre you specialise in. As well as the convention, there’s the trade show where you can browse the stands of dozens of photography-related businesses. That’s where you will find us on stand 41-45. Be sure to swing by our stand to have a chat with Team Loxley and take advantage of our exclusive show discounts and offers.
We chatted with photographer Marko Dutka, who is hosting a session based on his latest landscape photography project, to find out what delegates will learn from him at the Convention and how he started this project.
A Lost Landscape – Photographing the End of the World
Marko’s latest project is photographing the various landscapes surrounding the Severn river, showing how the landscape changes around it. His project was shot exclusively in black and white, creating a sombre journey down this amazing body of water.
He first started this project back in October of 2018. Marko has documented this river over time and it is clear he admires this varied stretch of land:
“It is a fascinating landscape that has been written on again and again by humans, animals, the weather and time. It has great beauty, great mystery and at times a really foreboding quality to it. The incoming tide can move at a foot a minute, the mud flats are treacherous underfoot and the currents are unpredictable and dangerous.”
During this project, Marko noted how dramatically the area changes due to weather. He treated this project as a way of documenting the landscape before it changes permanently due to severe weather or climate change:
“This estuary is also a microcosm of what is happening the world over with climate change and global warming. The rising sea levels may potentially flood all of the areas that I am photographing. The wildfowl habitats, the houses, the industry, the towns, the nuclear power stations may all be underwater 50 years from now!”
What to expect from Marko’s masterclass
Marko hopes to inspire photographers to get out there and capture landscape shots in different ways. He chose to photograph in black and white for this project because it is hope he first started out in photography and he felt it would suit the subject matter:
“I started out 20 odd years ago using large format cameras with black and white sheet film. I have come full circle! Black and white has a clarity, strength and purpose. Its discipline lends itself to this subject matter perfectly.”
He wants delegates to realise that landscape photography doesn’t always have to be about striking beauty spots. He hopes with this masterclass he can teach about both photography skills and appreciating your environment:
“Primarily, I hope that they learn about the great beauty of this environment and its immense fragility. I hope that they will also learn that landscape photography is not just about the spectacular or the beautiful. I hope that they will re-interpret landscape photography in a broader, deeper sense, realising that interpretations of landscape are as much about us as they are about the landscape.”
Marko will go into detail to explain the precise methods and techniques he used throughout this project to capture these unique shots. This masterclass is perfect if you are a photographer looking to expand into landscape photography.
Balancing teaching and photography
Marko has been a photographer for over 20 years, but he dedicates a lot of time to passing his skills onto fellow photographers. His passion for both teaching and photography is clear to see, but he still considers himself to be a photographer first:
“I love photography and I love teaching. I am a photographer primarily so there is nothing that matches the excitement of capturing an image that I feel has a profound truth. Having said that, I have lectured extensively throughout the world and I think I am considered passionate and informative. I hope that the combination of my passion and an amazing subject will excite my delegates and enrich their lives, inspiring their photography.”
Marko is still looking to expand his own photography knowledge and add to his years of experience. That’s why he’s taking the fantastic opportunity the Convention gives him to learn from fellow photographers:
“I always attend as many of the masterclasses that I can. There is so much to learn. I haven’t made my mind up yet as to which ones to attend – so much to choose from! I am also one of the International Print Judges and it is one of the perks of the job that I can attend these classes when not judging!”
What’s next for Marko?
Marko’s projects take years to complete, so he’s still working on his Severn landscape photography. He loves doing it this way because he can watch his original ideas grow and change into something completely different:
“I feel projects have to be worked on for long periods of time in order to fully investigate their depth. The process of photography itself is so revealing and you can end up with a completely different mindset from when you began.”
Marko’s ‘A Lost Landscape – Photographing the End of the World’ masterclass takes place at 5pm on Thursday 23rd of January. Find out more about this fascinating masterclass and make sure you don’t miss it!