Industrial Landscapes: Where and How

Industrial Britain - Six of the best locations for industrial photography in the UK…

Grangemouth
The biggest oil refinery/petrochemical plant in the UK with a public road running through it and around it, also a range of hills nearby. Obviously an area of high security concern so be careful but the potential for great images is huge.

Middlesbrough
Chemical plants, refineries and heavy industry galore combine to offer the potential for some great long lens shots.

River Trent
The River Trent is dotted with power stations, making it a great location for early morning mist or fog shots, particularly good in the winter. You can also can get fairly close to some of the power stations, affording the possibility for some wideangle shots.

Newtown
Home to one of the biggest wind farms in the UK, and well served by public footpaths. Wind farms have been springing up all over the UK from Cornwall to Scotland, so there should be one not too far away from you.

Milford Haven
Several oil refineries and some good viewpoints for watching the shipping. The coast’s not too bad either.

The M25
Loads of locations for shooting transport and motoring themes and, of course, the odd traffic jam.

Your easy-to-follow guide to shooting fantastic industrial landscapes:

1: Plan Ahead
Research your subject and spend time looking at the relevant Ordnance Survey map. Your desired location may be easy to spot from the road but take time to get to know the local public rights of way and look for other geographic features such as rivers, which may give a clue as to the sort of conditions you may get at dawn or dusk.

2: Get Your Bearings
When you first arrive at a location check that everything is as it should be, locate the public footpath/bridleway you wish to shoot from, or at least make sure you are in the correct field you have permission to be in. Also, make sure you have parked your car so that it’s not causing any obstruction to gateways or access points.

3: Scout The Location
Scout out the location by having a good walk around. Keep your eyes open for interesting angles and views, and if you really need to stray a few metres either side of the right of way so be it; I’ve not yet had a problem. Use your compass to work out the trajectory of the sun, so that you can work out where the sun is going to be and how it will affect your planned shot.

4: Compose Your Image
Set up the camera and compose the image. Now is a good time to check your camera battery levels, and your filters to make sure they haven’t become damaged or dirty, and also to make sure you have enough space on your memory card. While hanging around waiting for the light it’s a good time to do a quick check of the tripod legs which every now and then tend to loosen up – nothing two minutes with the right tool won’t fix.

5: Stay Alert While Shooting
Shoot the image, keeping a close eye on the changing conditions so that you can react to them if needed. Don’t be afraid to shoot plenty of material – after all it’s digital and can be deleted later on at no extra cost. The light could last minutes or could disappear quickly behind cloud in seconds, so be ready to work quickly and methodically.