Alister Benn, a professional landscape photographer from Scotland, has always loved nature since he was a kid. He’s really good at taking pictures, and he even won awards in big photo competitions.
He writes articles for magazines about landscape photography, too. People know him for being great with cameras and also for thinking a lot about his pictures.
In the year 2000, he met his wife, Juanli Sun, and now they teach workshops together and have their own website for sharing pictures.
We interviewed Alister to learn more about his artistic landscape photography and why he loves it so much. Let’s dive in to learn more about him!
Q.1 Growing up in Scotland, how did the natural landscapes and surroundings influence your early interest in photography, and how has that influence evolved over the years?
Ans. Firstly, thanks for the opportunity, and it’s a real pleasure to answer these questions as openly and honestly as I can.
I was born in the city of Glasgow, far removed from what one might expect as a landscape photographer’s paradise, but we lived in a quiet suburb surrounded by some pretty large parks, and they were our playground.
I was the youngest of three boys and was introduced to the outdoors by them; bird-watching and rock-climbing were both passions from a young age, and being in nature seemed to be where I felt most myself. My father was a passionate outdoorsman and had a fierce pride in Scotland and its landscapes.
When I was 12, we moved up to live in the Highlands of Scotland, and that was heaven for me. Rivers and lochs to swim and fish in, trees and rocks to climb, and lots of birdlife.
Check out: 3 eBooks Bundle On Landscape Photography
I was given my first SLR camera when I was 13 and ran around my local woods and hills, pointing it at everything I was interested in. Even then, I had an eye for abstraction and can remember lots of images of reflections in puddles and such. Always a dreamer and a misfit, I lost myself in worlds of my own imagination.
Then, by about the age of 16, books, music, rock climbing, and birding really took up all my time. I set aside the camera, picked up a guitar, a chalk bag, and binoculars, and that kept me pretty busy for the next 20 years. That and, of course, going off to university, getting a job, having my son Alex, and climbing the corporate ladder. There is not much time left for making beautiful landscape photos.
As I write this, over 40 years after my first camera, I can honestly say that my passion and enthusiasm for nature are very much the same. I know more and have gained a certain amount of skill in my craft. But I still point my camera at stuff that fascinates me and still have an eye for abstraction.
Perhaps the key is that the little boy is still very much alive and well. I feel responsible to honor the dreams he had and always gauge my actions to see whether they are aligned with that moral and innocent compass.
Q.2 Can you share a specific moment or experience from childhood when you realized photography was a passion worth pursuing?
Ans. There wasn’t a specific moment that made me think about fine art landscape photography in that way. But when my dad died when I was 19, I was shaken that life could end so abruptly. I remember quite clearly thinking that if life could be that short, then I was going to make sure I was going to live it to the fullest.
So while I didn’t think that 30 years later I’d be a professional landscape photographer, I did start living life with a very strong sense of purpose and intent.
I never took the easy way and always tried to make it challenging, exciting, and often terrifying! I was an extreme rock climber, coming close to falling to my death on a couple of occasions, and I very much lived on the edge. And I travelled the world and visited so many exciting and exotic places. From the rainforests of Borneo to the high Himalaya.
The world is a huge and fascinating place. And I knew that I wanted to experience as much of it as I could. It was only after 2001 that I started to articulate what I saw and felt with a camera in my hand.
Check out: Crucial Tips That Will Improve Your Landscape Photography
Q.3 As a full-time landscape photographer and educator, what aspects of the countryside continue to fascinate you?
Ans. The simple answer is everything. I’m still a birder, and although my rock-climbing days are all in the rearview mirror. I still love the geology and flow of landscapes. I’m fascinated by light, abstraction, wildlife, and water.
As I said above, the kid in me is still alive and well. I thank my lucky stars that I can make a living sharing this passion with others.
I have developed a method called the 5 triggers, which allows people to understand what it is in the landscape that catches attention. There are five key ingredients that influence us, both aesthetically and emotionally.
This is the heart of my teaching these days. And I experience these 5 triggers on a daily basis and have developed a very close relationship between myself and the world around me.
Q.4 Can you describe your creative process when photographing landscapes? Do you plan extensively or embrace spontaneity in your approach?
Ans. In the past 20 years, I have had a wild and varied relationship with photography. When I got back into it in 2001, it was very fluid, relaxed, and spontaneous. As I got more serious, I believed that planning was the key, and I became quite meticulous.
When you’re running workshops, getting your clients into the right place at the right time is pretty much a given, so we need to understand the tides, ephemeris, etc. But the flip side of that coin is that when you’re out with clients and the weather is not perfect, you can’t just say, “Let’s go back to the hotel.”
I learned to be really adaptable and flexible. That allows me to be very accepting and to manage my expectations. If it’s grey and raining, we’ll make the images that work with those conditions rather than being upset that the sky hasn’t lit up.
The landscape doesn’t care about our expectations or our goals. It just sits there and waits to see how we react. I’d say in the past 10 years I’ve made far more dramatic landscape photos I love on days when the weather was wild, flat, or wet than when it was a full-on golden hour photo party!
Check out: Best Online Courses To Learn Landscape Photography
Q.5 Living in a small village on the west coast of Scotland, how does the sense of place and community impact your work, if at all?
Ans. This is a curious one. My wife and I are fortunate to live in quite a remote place, walking out the door into the forests and mountains. We live very much in nature and love that intimacy with our surroundings.
The pandemic restricted our world quite a lot, and as I was no longer able to run face-to-face workshops. A lot of my business migrated online. I run a subscription forum with hundreds of really exciting creative photographers on it. And of course the YouTube channel and selling eBooks. In that sense, my photographic community is rather global, as I don’t exhibit any work locally.
I do run workshops on the west coast of Scotland, and this really is my first love. The color palette, weather, and dynamics of the place really excite me. And I don’t really see that changing as it feels like a part of me.
Q.6 Can you share a memorable or challenging experience you’ve encountered while photographing landscapes? How did it shape your perspective or skills?
Ans. When you’ve been making images for decades, it can be easy for ebbs and flows of motivation, inspiration or complacency to set in. By the end of 2016, I had been running my company for quite a few years and was successful with insightful photography eBooks and workshops. I had developed a “style” and could make great landscape photos in most situations. We can always fall back on technique and produce something good.
I had struggled with my mental health a lot throughout my life, starting in my early 20’s. It was getting worse even as I was celebrating my 50th birthday. So I took a long trip into western China to explore the Gobi desert, thinking if I ran far enough from home on the Isle of Skye, I could escape from myself! Well, that didn’t work, and I found myself in the middle of this huge empty expanse of sand, camping out in a tent while temperatures were in the mid-20’s centigrade! It was pretty scary at times.
I wrote about this whole period of my life in my first printed book, Out of Darkness. But in short, I discovered that if I stopped trying to make creative images and instead just pointed them at what I thought looked cool or spoke to me in some way, then I was happier with the outcomes.
That (plus six subsequent visits to the Gobi) allowed me to completely reevaluate my life, my art, my creativity, and my mental health. Now, 7 years later, I am a completely different person. No longer plagued by mental health issues and have found peace and happiness.
It was a long journey, often hard, but so worth it. I guess you’d call it art therapy, and this is now the backbone of my work. Helping others in their quest to be better, happier, and more creative.
Q.7 How do you approach the challenge of finding unique perspectives in well-photographed landscapes, and do you have any tips for photographers looking to capture distinctive images?
Ans. I’ve been fortunate enough to travel to all kinds of iconic locations, including the Canadian Rockies, China, Iceland, and, of course, my own backyard, the Highlands of Scotland. I used to pride myself on finding interesting perspectives that I hadn’t seen shots from. But more and more these days, I just avoid those locations entirely.
It’s natural for any photographer to want to visit the most spectacular and well-known areas. Especially if they only have one opportunity to do so. Unfortunately, that puts us under extreme pressure, as most people struggle to manage their own expectations.
Dramatic landscapes usually require spectacular light. And when that doesn’t materialize and it rains or the fog is right down, it can be really disappointing. I always say the hardest thing to do as a workshop leader is to manage people’s unrealistic expectations.
That said, if we do find ourselves in a popular, famous spot, it will be hard to create something “new,” but what we can do is limit the number of images we’ve seen from that location. Instead of researching too much and looking at hundreds of images of an icon, just go!
At least then, your first impressions will be your own. And you have a far greater chance of having a good experience than a frustrating one.
Check out : Portrait Photography Vs. Landscape Photography: Which Is More Captivating?
Q.8 As a landscape photographer living and working in Scotland, are there specific locations or landscapes that hold a special place in your heart, and why?
Ans. Sure, I have hundreds, but I don’t tend to talk about them that much. I run workshops and take people to my favorite spots. The trouble is that we have all fallen foul of the internet and the ease of sharing knowledge.
I have too many friends who have found beautiful exotic locations with delicate vegetation or fragile rocks. They share them with one person, sworn to secrecy, and the next thing we know, those places are destroyed. The fragile plants trampled to death, or the beautiful rocks cracked and broken.
As landscape photographers, we should have one duty that comes first: to conserve and preserve the natural landscape for future generations. If we destroy something just to get a shot to harvest a few likes on social media, then I think we need to very harshly judge our own actions and rethink our whole lives.
Scotland is overflowing with beauty, from its long, rocky coast to its forests, lochs, and mountains. Come with an open heart and an open mind and walk away from the tourist hot spots, and you’ll find beauty at every turn.
Q.9 What do you like to do other than photography?
Ans. There are lots and lots of things. Creativity is a lifestyle choice. Even without a camera in my hand, I like to look at the world with an expressive eye. I run and cycle around our home, and during those hours, I engage really deeply with the landscape.
I do a lot of thinking about our business and how to share my ideas with our audience. And I am always thinking, but always mindful too, and I also meditate on a regular basis.
I started playing guitar when I was 13 and still do so on a daily basis when I am home. In fact, as I sit in my office writing this, there is an electric guitar propped up next to my desk, and it is always calling!
I listen to lots of music and also read a couple of books every week. I love to read non-fiction, especially climbing books or other adventure novels. Life is short, and I try to fill it with either gaining more knowledge, growing as a person, or sharing that with my clients.
Check out: The Ultimate Photography Composition Course
Q.10 What are your plans for the next six months?
Ans. Next week I take off to the north coast of Spain to run a workshop with my good buddy Adam Gibbs. We work together for a month or so every year, as we are great friends and really get along. In February, I am off to Iceland with a small group of clients and then back to Scotland for another workshop.
In March, I will be at a photography trade show supporting my key sponsor, KASE Filters. And then, in April, I will head over to Vancouver to run some more workshops with Adam.
As I write all that, I think to myself that it sounds like a pretty busy time. Especially as I have new content to make for YouTube every month and the day-to-day running of the Expressive Photography Forum as well.
I am hoping to write another eBook over the summer. As it’s been a few years since my last and my brain is full of new things!
Q.11 What advice would you give aspiring landscape photographers just starting their journey or looking to refine their skills?
Ans. Follow my YouTube channel! LOL…But seriously, knowledge is great, and amazing landscape photography is the marriage of both art and craft. Learn your gear, know what it can do, and know its weaknesses. Don’t obsess over technique, and don’t listen to anyone who says, Do this.
I see too many people who just get caught in an endless browsing of YouTube for answers instead of just getting out there and making their own mistakes.
Trust your own gut. We all have favorite music that we listen to. Nobody tells you what to like. We know it when we hear it. The same is true of landscape photography art; you’ll know what you like when you see it.
It’s not up to me to tell you what to shoot or why; that’s your job. That’s where the joy comes from: surprise, discovery, achievement, and working it out for yourself. And remember to have fun; isn’t that why we all do it anyway? When it’s not fun, then you’re probably doing it wrong.
Check out: Tips To Transform Your Workspace With Mountain Photography
Conclusion
As we wrap up this captivating journey into the world of Alister Benn, the best landscape photographer, it’s evident that his passion for outdoor photography is truly inspiring.
Through his lens, he paints breathtaking scenes that leave us in awe of the beauty around us. Alister’s unique perspective and skill make him stand out as the best landscape photographer.
Let’s continue to appreciate and celebrate the artistry of this remarkable individual, reminding ourselves to see the world through the lens of creativity and wonder, just like the best landscape photographer himself.
Liked this post? Check out more interviews here.
