About 'The Hiking Photographer', or rather Stuart Hodgson - the fella behind all this

Thanks for taking an interest in my outdoor adventures and blog! I share my stuff simply to try and help others get out into the great outdoors, discover some amazing places and reap the many physical & mental health benefits of being in nature.

I'm happy to say the blog regularly get's over 30,000 visitors a month and I love the fact people have visited new places because of what I've shared - someone even once got in touch to say they had proposed to their wife at a Lake District viewpoint I had blogged about - class!

About The Hiking Photographer blog

This blog gives me a platform to share two big passions of mine; hiking & photography, hence the name which seemed rather too obvious not to use – The Hiking Photographer! Maybe I should have been more original haha but at least people know what the blog is about! Although it does now cover many more related outdoor activities such as the likes of wild camping and wild swimming.

The blog by no means tries to give extensive list of all walks in a given area (there are better sites for that) - so I try and focus on my absolute favourite places where you'll see some truly stunning landscapes which also make for impressive views & photos. I also try and promote a range of walks no matter what your ability, experience and fitness levels so as many people as possible can find it useful.

This blog is a hobby, so to win the Go Outdoors Best Independent Blog in 2015 made me chuffed to bits. It really did motivate me to continue to share more of my adventures. 

What's so good about hiking & the great outdoors anyway?

I guess the reason I enjoy hiking so much is that it combines a load of positive benefits for me, which are unlike no other hobby, such as:

• I get such a buzz by witnessing truly awe-some natural scenery;
• It's great exercise - so keeps me fit :-)
• I often go walking with others - so it's a great way of socialising and catching up with people
• Often there are no phone signals in the wilds - so it's a good chance to unplug from the digital world, have a break and recharge 
• I usually do a new walk every time - so it's exciting to discover lots of new & interesting places 
• And finally the fresh air, natural surroundings, sweeping vistas, and awesome views are a great tonic for the mind - I always feel better, refreshed, recharged and uplifted after being in the outdoors

These are my own benefits - and if your interested in learning more about the proven scientific benefits of walking and nature - then check out my blog post on 5 powerful reasons why walking & nature are good for us

There is something really special about being amongst natures great landscapes - all I can say is it just lights up something inside of me and always makes me feel good to be alive. I hope my photos get across in someway this special feeling of being amongst nature's awe-some beauty :-)

What places I blog about:

I live in the North-East of England, so most of my blog posts cover areas close to me in Northern England, such as North-Yorkshire, The Lake District & Northumberland. But there will be the odd post from further afield. On most blog posts I have tried to document my walks quite extensively, with map routes to provide information and help others walk a similar route, and my posts include quite a few photos to give you an idea of what to expect.  As I'm an outdoor enthusiast - I will also blog now and again about other my outdoor adventures, like wild camping or wild swimming! And as hiking and camping involves the use of quite a bit of kit - I'll also post the odd gear review of stuff I recommend or find useful.

Wild camping takes the outdoors to a whole new level and is an experience I'd recommend to anyone. When everyone else has gone home you have the place to yourself - and the chance to see spectacular sunsets, sunrises, mist filled valleys and the most amazing dark and stary night skies you'll ever see.

Photographic style & equipment

I'm not a pro-photographer and photography is just a hobby I've had for many years. I've learned by myself through trial and error, and to all those fellow photography enthusiasts out there - I'd still say most the photos I take are still duffs, with a few gems in amongst them I just take loads of pics and usually end up with some keepers - which is my advice to anyone - be snap happy and don't get too disheartened when a lot don't work out. 

My photography equipment is quite basic, and to be honest for the purposes of blogging and travelling light, I'm increasingly drawn to use good compact cameras and my iPhone that I can just whip out and take pics with quite quickly. People sometimes ask - "what camera do you use? It must be an expensive one?" thinking it's the equipment that makes something look good, when I'd say the most important thing is being able to recognise a good view when you see it and the true photography skill is having a good eye for composition ie. how you compose the scene in your lens - that's the key skill for any photographer to learn I feel (how do you learn that - well just assess the photos you love and be analytical and try and work out what's good about them from a composition and subject point of view)

In terms of my style, well I'd say I don't really have one! It's just important for me to have my photos looking quite naturalistic and true to what the eye see's - I'm more concerned with showing a landscape in all it's glory - rather than showing off a particular personal style. I'm no fan of over processed, filtered or digitally manipulated images that look like they belong more on a computer game rather than being a reflection of reality and the actual experience, and that's important for me, because increasingly my trips into the outdoors are more about the experience and enjoying the outdoors. Some people like to go into the outdoors to get a photo of a particular view, get all set-up for a dramatic sunrise/sunset - and if the money shot doesn't happen - it's mission failed and disappointment. That used to be sometimes, now it's all about just having a good time in the outdoors, being snap happy, accepting whatever happens and if I can grab a few good photos for the memories and to share with others - then bonus!

Collaborate with me, suggest ideas or get in touch 

The blog has grown in popularity as I've put more time into it and I love that people find it useful. It's a hobby I do in my spare time but  plan to expand the blog with many more walking routes and documented outdoor adventures, and I also aim to devote more time to review gear of use to hikers, campers, photographers & travellers. 

It's always good to connect with like-minded people and if you would like to get in touch about anything or have any potential collaboration ideas  - just give me an email at hello@stuart-hodgson.com

Anyway - thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy the blog!

Blog by Stuart Hodgson 

'The Hiking Photographer'

Subscribe to my monthly email newsletter to stay up to date with all my outdoor adventures, including my latest photos & walking blog posts, as well as a whole host of tips & interesting stuff for outdoor enthusiasts, just click the link below to subscribe.

FOLLOW ME

Not all my adventures & photos end up on this blog -

Give me a follow to see what else I've been up to! 

 

MY OTHER STUFF:

Here are some other things I'm involved in - please support if you can :-)

If you need any design help - give me a shout! Visit www.stuart-designer.co.uk to find out more

High quality leaflet design & print is a niche market for me - click here to learn more

The GraphicSound webstore is where I design & sell unique music posters - visit the shop here 

Here you will find inspirational quotes about life, health & happiness - click here to get inspired!

If you enjoy reading my blog (it's just a hobby I do in my spare time) and want to show some appreciation then you can buy me a beer to enjoy after a hike by clicking here