David Wagstaff-Myers Photography

  Some places simply overwhelm the senses the moment you arrive. Bempton Cliffs, on the spectacular Yorkshire coast, is one of them. Long before you see the birds, you hear them. Tens of thousands of seabirds fill the air with an almost constant chorus of calls while the unmistakable scent of a busy breeding colony drifts up from the cliffs below. Looking out across the North Sea, white specks quickly become recognisable as Northern Gannets, Kittiwakes, Guillemots, Razorbills and, if you're lucky, Puffins. The sky is never empty. As a photographer, it's one of those places where every direction offers another opportunity. Choosing the Right Equipment For this trip, I travelled relatively light, carrying my  OM System OM-1 Mark II  paired with the  M.Zuiko Digital ED 100-400mm f/5.0-6.3 IS  lens. For wildlife photography, particularly at coastal colonies, this combination is difficult to beat. The OM-1 Mark II is designed around speed. Birds rarely wait for photo...

One of the joys of photography is discovering stories that quietly challenge our assumptions. Spend a day at a clay shooting ground, and you quickly realise this isn't about stereotypes. It isn't about men in tweed discussing cartridges over a bacon sandwich. It's about people who love a sport that demands concentration, discipline, patience and respect. On this particular day, what really caught my attention wasn't the shooting itself—it was the women. Hence the slightly tongue-in-cheek title... Girls and Their Toys. Before anyone reaches for the comments section, no, these aren't toys. They're beautifully engineered sporting firearms, treated with enormous respect by the people who own and use them. The title simply reflects the enthusiasm we all have for our hobbies. Photographers become obsessed with cameras and lenses. Cyclists with bikes. Anglers with rods. Clay shooters? They appreciate a beautifully balanced shotgun just as much. And that's perfectly...

  It's very easy to photograph a steam rally. It's much harder to photograph  what a steam rally is really about. Anyone can come home with hundreds of pictures of immaculate traction engines lined up in neat rows. They're impressive machines and deserve to be photographed, but after a while every engine begins to look rather like the last one. When I visited the Dene Valley Traction Engine Rally, I tried to slow down and ask myself a different question. What is the story? For me, the answer wasn't simply steam. It was people, craftsmanship, heritage and the quiet moments that exist between the noise of whistles and the clouds of smoke. Many of these photographs were deliberately converted to black and white. I wasn't interested in the bright paintwork or colourful fairground atmosphere. Removing colour lets texture, light and expression become the subject, and somehow feels entirely appropriate for machinery that belongs to another age. The Forgotten Workhorse The ...

"It's not just about capturing what something looks like. It’s about capturing what it *feels* like.” An Inspiring Day with Patrick Legard of Legard Furniture Today, I had the privilege of joining Patrick Legard, the artisan behind Legard Furniture, for an inspiring photoshoot to showcase his stunning handmade wooden furniture. Patrick isn’t just a furniture maker; he’s a storyteller. Each piece he creates tells a tale of patience, precision, and passion.   As a photographer, capturing that story is just as important as photographing the piece itself. This blog offers a behind-the-scenes look at the day’s journey, from setting up the perfect shot to capturing the soul of Patrick’s creations. The Setup: Welcome to the Workshop Every photoshoot has energy, but walking into Patrick’s workshop was special. The space hummed with quiet creativity. The air was tinged with the fresh scent of sawdust and varnish, and large windows framed streams of natural light that danced across t...

6 Simple Habits That Instantly Make Your Photography Look More Professional You don’t need new gear. You don’t need a fancy studio. What you do need are a few smart habits that quietly elevate every image you take. These are the small changes that separate “nice photo” from “that looks professional.” Let’s get into it. 1. Control Your Depth of Field (Tell the Viewer Where to Look)                                                                                           Depth of field is one of the fastest ways to make your work feel intentional. A soft, blurred background pulls attention straight to your subject. A wide, sharp scene gives scale and storytelling. Learn when to use each — and choose it deliberately rather than letting the camera decide. Quick win...

  If you’ve ever stared at what you *think* is a competition-worthy image and wondered, “Is this actually any good, or am I just emotionally attached and slightly delusional?”, then this blog is for you. In this post, I’m lifting the lid on what really goes on in a judge’s head when your prints hit the panel: the mindset you need, the mistakes we see over and over again, and the tiny details that can quietly kill an otherwise beautiful image. We’ll talk blown highlights, grubby greys, over-sharpening, dodgy mounts, vignettes turned up to eleven, and why blindly following the latest photo trend might actually sink your chances. We’ll also get into mentors, titles, paper choice, time pressure (my personal kryptonite), and why the only real failure in competitions is simply not entering at all. If you’re thinking about qualifications, print competitions, or you just want to finish your images to a higher standard, grab a drink, have a read, and then go and do something brave with ...