Sussex Calendar 2022

To celebrate the launch of our New Sussex Calendar 2022 we are looking behind the scenes at the life of landscape photographer David Freeman. Looking at the process involved in the creation of the Sussex calendar and the stories behind the photographs.

Angela: "David welcome. "

David: "Thank you, delighted to be here. "

Angela: “Tell me, how did you narrow down and decide which pictures to include in this year’s Sussex calendar?”

David: “As a starting point it goes on seasonality, matching the pictures taken at the right time of year, but beyond that as a photographer over time you get a good understanding of what appeals to the public and the emotions and reactions attributed to the images. For example, lightning storm shots often get a ‘whoah’ and  landscapes often get ‘isn’t that lovely.”

Angela: “So your selection aims to appeal to a range of different emotions and reactions?”

David: “Absolutely, whether that’s something the public has never seen before, or something really impressive or beautiful, I hope the images chosen will evoke a positive response as people enjoy and connect with the photography.”

Angela: “Do you have an idea in your mind when you head out for a shot?”

David: “Yes, always. You always go out with an idea but, to be honest, I would say the majority of the time, your ideas have to change. If you have something in your head, at least two-thirds of the time you have to change your idea because the conditions aren’t quite what you expected. Often the view you are looking at in the daylight, in normal lighting conditions, changes quite dramatically depending on the time of year and where the sun comes up and the weather. So it’s important to always be flexible and adapt to the conditions present on the shoot.”

Angela: “A bit like in Januarys photograph when you went out with a mindset to take star photography and ended up taking that beautiful serene seascape? “

David: “Yes, in this instance I had got up in the early hours but in truth not early enough to get the images that I really wanted and instead noticed from my vantage point, that the currents on the water were very flat, which reflected the moonlight beautifully. Highlighting the texture and contrasts, which is what I think gives the picture a lot of depth. My willingness to adapt the shoot to new opportunities and lighting conditions allowed me to capture such a stunning picture.”

Angela: “Do you feel early rising is key?”

David: “It's more than key it is essential. You can also get great photographs late evening when the sun is low, personally, I think the best time for landscapes is early morning and late evening.”

Angela: “What sort of time are we talking about here? For example, in the lovely morning mist pictured in March of the Sussex calendar, what time did you get up here?”

David: “Around 5 am, you have to remember it is not just about getting there, it’s about getting there and setting up before the sun rises and watching the mood change as the sunrise occurs. Throughout the different times of year, the time will change, but it is always about the light.”

Angela: “It makes you realise how beautiful it is first thing in the morning. I love April’s picture not only because it draws me in, I feel like I want to walk through that photograph, but also because I realise I could come across that scene down a country road if I was up early enough. It’s actually very inspiring, it makes me want to get up earlier, I feel as though I’m missing out!” 

David: “It’s amazing what beauty is found when most people are tucked up in bed.”

Angela: “How much walking is involved in your landscape photography?”

David: “Miles! Generally speaking, the best photographs have always involved a lot of walking. For example, looking at Februarys panorama if you look at the mists across Firle Beacon, seen on the bottom image, it’s quite a high mist, normally mist caused by heat convection forms at lower levels. In this case, you would not necessarily know this mist existed as you walked through it unless you climbed up the hill away from the ground. I tested out my suspicion and climbed that hill until I could see over the top of it; which was a good few miles. But you have to remember there is also a lot of walking before the shoot, I often go out scouting landscape locations.”

Angela: “Tell me more...”

David “In a typical week, I might walk over 35 miles looking at locations, then head back to my favourite spots later. To be unique and original it important to go on exploring what’s around. For all my pictures, I never go to a place unprepared, the footwork and key groundwork has always been done before. I go out hiking, taking a flask and lunch. I find the location based on where the sun will rise at that time of year, whether that’s southeast, east or north northeast. It’s important to know where the sun is going to come up and set before you head out to take photographs. It’s important to beware the sunrise and setting points change throughout the year, dramatically changing the photograph, it shadows and highlights. Using this information will allow you to predict the best light for the time of year for your location, helping to plan your shoot. “

Angela: “Really useful advice for budding landscape photographers.

What do you think about the importance and uniqueness/creativity in photography?”

David: “Nowadays I see photographers sharing their work on social media, but it had led to the rise of photographers not doing the groundwork as described earlier. Asking other photographers where the locations are, or matching the same angle up so they can take a similar photograph doesn’t lend towards developing the individuals creativity or skills. Personally, I feel there is nothing more rewarding than discovering something new or creatively capturing something from a different perspective or seasonal changes. Yes naturally there will be some overlapping structures and landscape to provide a framework, but natures seasonality and the creativity of the individual is what makes the photographs different. What to include or exclude, the light, temperature, the perspectives, the shadows, abstract or full-frame? Colour or black and white? There is so much you can do with a photograph.”

Angela: “In fact, that is why I have enjoyed the content of your previous calendars because the content has always been different, I like that I never know what to expect each year.

So tell me do you have a favourite among all your photographs within the Sussex calendar 2022?”

David: “I am torn between two but for different reasons, I'm very partial to the hoarfrost captured in December because it's such a rare occurrence, I was so pleased to have the chance to photograph it.”

Angela: “It’s like Christmas encapsulated!!”

David: “It’s a rare occurrence to get a hoar frost, you need a high moisture content in the atmosphere and sub-zero temperatures, and preferably a bit of a breeze to blow the moisture and the mist, which freezes on the tress. One of the most beautiful things that nature produces is a hoar frost. It covers everything. Everything it touches turns white, like snow.“

Angela: “I remember that last year, we had two full days of that I believe. I do love how the sun is streaming through the tree branches,  it’s a beautiful picture.”

David: ”Yet for creativity I love September,  this was shot on really high grain, at high speed in black & white.” This is a paragraph. Click edit and enter your own text. You can make changes like making the text bold, underline or italic. This is a great place for you to tell your clients more about your story and to describe the type of photographer you are. You can come back at any time to make more changes.

Angela: “I think people would normally think of colour for summer but somehow the black and white really picks up all the different sand trails. It’s interesting how that picture really gives off a feeling of the summer heat.”

David: “I was out looking for a photograph and I really enjoyed taking this particular picture. I really enjoyed the creative process of framing and making that photograph taking what someone may not have noticed, capturing something special with it.”

Angela: “My favourite has to be the photograph of the viaduct. I love architecture especially when placed within a beautiful landscape, but wow the star trails.”

David: “I had come back to take that picture on the clearest night I could find and using a 40-minute exposure I managed to capture the star trails caused by the movement of the planet. The line across the middle of the viaduct itself, actually shows multiple different trains crossing the viaduct during this long exposure, creating a continuous trail of light.”

Angela: “My dad loves trains, he would love that."

Keep in Touch

To follow David on Instagram visit david.freeman.productions where you can keep up to date with some of his newest work or Facebook at @DavidFreemanProductions