All images by Charlotte Baker. Used with permission.
Nature is a gift we never had to create. Photographers travel far and wide to capture the earth’s beauty, from the Nordic nations to the Americas, Asia and the Middle East. Yet there is a small island often overlooked in this global search, and the talented photographer Charlotte Baker is determined to change that.
“The UK is gray and miserable, right?”. I have lost count of how many times I have heard this on my travels. There is some truth to it. But when the conditions align, the United Kingdom offers scenes so beautiful they rival the world’s most celebrated locations.
Baker is creating the photographic evidence of my claim. From the stunning Lake District to the tranquil coast of South Devon, she captures breathtaking images that do these landscapes the justice they deserve. She is even putting Essex on the map for its natural charm.
Being from England myself, I feel a sense of pride when I come across photographers like Baker. It made me want to learn more about her journey and give her the space to share it with all of you.
Them Frames: Hey Charlotte! You describe yourself as having an “unhealthy addiction” with photographing nature. Ha! How did this begin and why did you decide not to go to rehab?
Charlotte Baker: My photography journey started with my iPhone 11, and that’s going way back. I´ll be honest, it didn’t have the best camera. I enjoyed capturing the moment, and when I met my husband who has been a photographer for a long time, he would take me places I didn’t know existed in our home county, and the iPhone camera just didn’t cut it.
This led me to purchase my first camera, from then on it became a thrill and an escape. Being out in nature, capturing beautiful parts of the UK, became my therapy, away from work, away from responsibilities, my mind solely focused on being creative.
Them Frames: What would you like to show the world about the UK through your nature photography?
Charlotte Baker: I always think to myself, what would I think of the UK if I was planning to visit for the first time? Perhaps Big Ben, Castles in Edinburgh, or the landmarks such as Stone Henge. But for such a small island, there is so much more that the UK has to offer.
And through my images, it’s my way of speaking to those from different countries, or a different part of this country, to say ‘Look at what nature has given us in the UK’.
From the vast golden beaches, the snow capped mountains, the ever changing colors of our cliffs that have evidence of going back to the Jurassic world. You can go from one county to the next, and your experience of nature will be different in each one.
Them Frames: What impact has photographing your home country had on your relationship with it?
Charlotte Baker: I had always told myself I wanted to travel to experience different landscapes, but in reality I had completely ignored what was right in front of me.
Learning of some of the more fragile landscapes we have in this country has made me more appreciative of the natural world we have in the UK. To do my part, to look after our ecosystems and wildlife, I follow the principles of ‘leave no trace’ , something that I never knew about before I started venturing out to locations for photography.
Preserving natural areas, by especially being conscious of my presence and my behaviors at photo spots, to ensure that the area can be enjoyed by others in its natural state, for generations to come.
Them Frames: What type of prep do you tend to do before going on a trip to help ensure you get the best shots possible?
Charlotte Baker: Typical prep for getting the best shots involves choosing a location that works best for the time of year, usually using Google Maps for the locations of interest.
In winter this is mostly the coast, and all other seasons I venture inland. The sun position for sunrise and sunset is a massive factor, as light is everything when getting that perfect shot. So, next would be using apps to judge where the sun would be in these locations.
After this, it’s monitoring cloud coverage, wind speeds for any drone shots, and if there are chances of rain. As this could completely change what you can shoot, and change the location completely.
Them Frames: What tends to be in your camera bag on your adventures?
Charlotte Baker: The less I can carry in my camera bag the better, as I am a no faff type of photographer. I have my mirrorless camera with 24-120mm lens, lens cloth, polarizer, 10-stop filter for long exposures with filter holder, and with gritted teeth I carry my tripod with me.
Admittedly I am more of a point and shoot person, but when it comes to woodland and long exposures, the tripod is a necessity. So I do carry light, with only the must haves. My husband has the DJI Mavic 3 pro, for drone shots, which I have convinced him to keep in his camera bag, and I steal the controller off him when I see an opportunity.
Them Frames: Moving away from the UK is there a dream destination you’d like to visit to create photographs?
Charlotte Baker: A dream destination of mine would be Canada. It would be a playground of photography opportunities, especially for the scale of landscapes from mountains to national parks. A year in Canada, and that would be a bucket list moment ticked off.
Them Frames: We like music here. If you had to pick a song or album to perfectly compliment your portfolio, which would it be and why?
Charlotte Baker: This is not a difficult choice, it would definitely be Aurora. Especially Runaway. Her connection with the outdoors seems to be a theme in her music, which is something I feel matches my photography.
Them Frames: Finally, please visit this sentence. I need photography in my life because…
Charlotte Baker: the world’s landscapes are changing. Photography allows me to document the present, which will become the future’s history. From photographing cliffs before rock falls, rivers before flash floods, and landscapes before storms or fires, they will never look the same after that photograph.
You can enjoy more work by Charlotte Baker by visiting her Instagram.
More reading: Photographers Make Bugs Look Adorable and the Internet Loves It
Want your work featured on Them Frames? Pitch us.
