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Speaking with Photographer, Guy Lambrechts - The Landscape Photo Guy
Thursday, December 5, 2019 2:37:50 PM Europe/London
Guy Lambrechts is one of the amazing new artists Azutura has just started working with. He landscape, nature and architecture photographer from Belgium who captures striking shots on his adventures.
We had the chance to chat with Guy and find out about his creative process, inspirations and much more in our latest interview blog post.
Keep reading to find out more about Guy and see some of his incredible work.
Hi Guy - Can you start by telling us a little bit about yourself?
Hello, I am Guy Lambrechts, a Belgian landscape, architecture and nature photographer. I like to call myself “The Landscape Photo Guy”.
Combining my desire to travel and love for photography, I’m inspired by the quiet beauty of landscapes. I feel happy when camping out or hiking with my camera at hand. I feel one with the great outdoors.
Steadily, I simplified and transformed my work more into fine art photography, both in colour and in black and white. Through my photographs, I like to convey serenity, elegance, mood, calmness and beauty.
As a frequent business traveller, I also feel at home in cities, spotting lines, shapes and light in modern architecture. I love observing people and capture those decisive moments and scenes in the streets of cities all over the world.
So what does an average day in the life of Guy Lambrecht look like?
Besides my job in European agricultural policy, there’s not a single day that passes by without thinking or breathing photography. Be it taking pictures, post-processing, reading and learning about photography, writing a blog for my website or preparing the next trip or destination.
Have you always been interested in photography?
As a student (bio-engineer), I owned an analogue camera but, because of the restricted budget, I was limited in possibilities. Later when my kids grew up, I started focussing on photography again.
First, with a compact camera and when the first digital cameras emerged, it really took off. Very soon I felt the urge to improve and understand how to get the best out of my camera. I started to take evening classes and after seven years, graduated as a professional photographer.
What kind of kit do you use?
At the moment, I am using a full-frame Nikon D810, replacing my D610 when this was killed by a gust of wind in the Scottish Highlands. I have a wide range of Nikon lenses from wide-angle to super-telephoto. Most frequently, I use a very versatile 35-300 mm lens attached to my camera, especially when I travel and light hike.
On my wish lists for the near future is a mirrorless Nikon Z7. Every single day I have a Fujifilm T20 in my backpack ready for that ultimate street photo.
Besides the photo gear, I also use several apps about the weather, tides, information about the sun, ordonnance maps etc.
During my hikes I use my smartphone for 3 reasons: 1st, to record my trail to remember where I took the photos, 2nd, as GPS in order not to get lost when turning around and around and 3rd, to calculate exposure times when using filters.
How do you find a place to shoot?
Every time I see an interesting location in books, magazines, TV, online through sites like 500px, or social media like Instagram or Pinterest, I take note of it in an app on my tablet called Inroute. The app allows me to turn those locations into waypoints. It creates a route on a map together with any notes I added.
Later, when I decide to go to a destination, I have all the information at hand to turn every trip into a photo trip. Before every journey, I spend hours and hours searching for potential photo locations and map out a course.
Where do you find inspiration?
When enjoying a hike in a vast landscape or in enclosed nature, I am looking for light, lines and shapes and that brings me the necessary inspiration.
In cities, I am inspired by shapes and light rather than the buildings themselves.
Where’s your favourite place you’ve photographed?
I like to discover new destinations all the time, but New Zealand, Scotland, and Ireland have a special place in my heart. And of course, closer to home in Belgium or the Netherlands there are still plenty of photographic beauties to be discovered.
Is there a place you’d love to capture that you haven’t had the chance to?
My secret wish list or bucket list is long - Some of the favourites are Iceland, Canada, and Namibia.
Who has influenced your work the most?
For black and white photography, I admire the work of Michael Kenna, Jay Vulture, Joel Tjintjelaar, and Wilco Dragt.
For landscapes, I enjoy watching the work of Thomas Heaton, Joe Cornish, Marcel van Oosten, Bart Heirweg, Krzysztof Browko, Peter Zajfrid and many more
What advice would you give to an aspiring photographer?
First of all, of course, you have to master some of the technical aspects of photography and camera settings. When you are out in the field, technics should not be too much of a worry anymore.
Secondly, when you start in photography, do not limit yourself to your favourite subject. Dare to reach out of your comfort zone and do not avoid subjects you don’t like at first sight. For example, making portraits of people, studio photography, street photography etc. You will be challenged and you’ll learn a lot about different techniques in different situations.
Thirdly, keep looking at professional pictures be it online, in exhibitions, books or magazines. This shouldn’t be to copy them but for inspiration. Make the mental exercise “What makes this a good picture?”, or “What don’t I like in that picture?” It’s also fun to discuss with fellow photographers about how we perceive pictures.
The above three hints it will help to look for photogenic situations as well as how to use the scene and the light to your advantage.
Finally, try to develop your own style or interpretation.
Do you have any big project you’re working on or coming up in the future?
Besides a trip to Cornwall next spring, I am also preparing some exhibitions in the coming months. The biggest project of all is that I am seriously considering turning this hobby into a profession within a year or so.
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