Author:bill
Hi all… we are properly excited to announce The ICM Experience Far West Cornwall Retreat for 23rd – 26th November 2023, led by myself and Stephanie Johnson. Registration is currently open to the ICM Experience mailing list only (see details below on how to join) – it will open to the general public on Monday 12th June. In this all-inclusive, 3-night retreat, in one of the most spectacular, wild, and rugged landscape locations in all of the United Kingdom, Stephanie and Bill […]
I’m delighted and honoured to be the Spotlight Photographer in the current issue of the ICM Photography Magazine. As many of you will know, I’ve been a part of the magazine since its inception, and have contributed articles and photographs to almost every edition since launch. Delighted to have made it onto the cover of yet another packed edition, full of glorious ICM work from some fine creative photographers, as well as some fab and very thoughtful articles on education and mentoring. Thanks […]
Hi all… am delighted to be appearing at The Wales and West Photography Show at The International Convention Centre at Celtic Manor Resort in June! The whole event runs June 15th-17th 2023. I’ll be on the Pentax stand on Thursday 15th June, and closing the show that day with a talk on “Shooting Water”, discussing the ins and outs of photographing the wet stuff, on the main stage at 4pm. Do come and see us! For full details, and free […]
Hi all… am delighted to be announcing a brand new series of photography workshops in conjunction with Light and Land, the UK’s leading photography tour and workshop provider! I’ll be leading workshops and tours to the following:* Spurn Point in Yorkshire July 4th 2023* Northumberland (with Verity Milligan) 12th-15th December 2023* Creative Photography workshops in: Bristol 19th December 2023 Bath 21st December 2023 (with Astrid McGechan),* Wales Waterfall Country Jan 10th 2024 Do drop by my page at Light and Land for […]
Am absolutely delighted to be on the Judging panel again for UK Landscape Photographer of the Year 2023. Fabulous panel of judges for this year’s competition, including Paul Sanders, Doug Chinnery, Valda Bailey, Tracy Calder and Rachael Talibart. The competition remains open for entries until 1pm May 31st 2023, so plenty of time to get those entries in! Full details at https://www.lpoty.co.uk/
Delighted to be back home in Newcastle a couple of weekends ago running a series of sold out Creative Photography workshops and talks for the Royal Photographic Society, for their Visual Art Group weekend in and around Newcastle. Great fun. Thanks so much for having me RPS! Here are some of my own creations from the weekend…
Channel 4 As we all know, there’s a surprising amount of nonsense on t’internet, so I thought it might be worth clarifying what I’ve been up to on both the acting and photography fronts since the start of the pandemic: ACTING Bill has been fortunate to have worked continually as an actor since the start of the pandemic: Bill was part of a major UK tour of The Glee Club, a beautiful piece by the acclaimed theatre company Out of […]
Am very chuffed indeed to have had another pic Highly Commended at this year’s Scottish Landscape Photographer of the Year. This from a gorgeous few days midwinter wild camping in Sandwood Bay, in the far north west of Scotland, a couple of years ago. Wild, and unforgettable. Big congrats too to Isabella Hillhouse, the competition winner, with a beautiful portfolio of photographs.
I was delighted to be part of this year’s Edinburgh Science Festival which ran in Edinburgh, Scotland in the Spring. The Festival was the first, and remains one of the largest, science and technology festivals in Europe, and has a mission to inspire, encourage and challenge people of all ages and backgrounds to explore and understand the world around them. Full exhibition programme and brochure here. My photograph, Incoming Storm at Luskentyre, was part of an outdoor photography strand to […]
Kings Theatre, Edinburgh I’m delighted to announce that I’ve started working with the UK’s leading Theatrical Photographic Library, ArenaPAL. ArenaPAL specialise in Theatre Photography, and have an archive that goes back decades, featuring Theatres/Opera Houses/Venues from all over the UK. Huge thanks to the brilliant photographer Michael Wharley for putting us both in touch… I take photographs of every theatre I visit with my work, and have done over the last 10 years or so. All my theatre photographs, including […]
Hi all… am delighted to be on the judging panel for this year’s UK Landscape Photographer of the Year. As the togs amongst you will know, LPOTY is the premier landscape photography competition in the UK, and it’s one I’ve been lucky enough to have done pretty well in over the years… looking forward to getting the specs out and having a good look at all this year’s fab entries. The competition is open until May 5th 2022. Do drop by […]
Am delighted to be a part of the Creative Light Photography Festival later this year. The event is being designed, organised and curated by the brilliant creative photographer Margaret Soraya, and has all sorts of fab talks, masterclasses and hands on workshops over the course of a long weekend: Thursday 27th – Sunday 30th October. I’m currently slated for a talk on the Sunday afternoon – can’t wait! It’s taking place in Drumnadrochit in the Highlands of Scotland, down the road […]
I was delighted to make the shortlist of Close Up Photographer of the Year in 2021. CUPOTY is the premier worldwide Close Up Photography competition, with a nose-bleedingly high standard, and showcases pretty much the finest close up photography that the planet has to offer. This was my first time entering, and I was delighted to make it onto the shortlist with a couple of pics: the above shot, Flow, from the Grimersta River in Lewis in the Outer Hebrides, […]
I was delighted to have made the shortlist again at 2021 UK Landscape Photographer of the Year. It’s a competition I’ve always had a huge amount of respect for, and have been lucky enough to do pretty well in over the years: Adobe Prize winner and Highly Commended 2015, Commended 2013 and 2020, Shortlisted 2015, 2017 and again in 2021. This photograph also made it to the final stages of the inaugural Natural Landscape Photography Awards. It was taken on […]
Am delighted to have another article in the December issue of the worldwide ICM Photography Magazine. A bittersweet celebration of the glory of the dying of the light, it discusses Percy Bysshe Shelley, Hallowmas and Jerry Lee Lewis, amongst other things… Do drop by ICM Photography Magazine for the full article…
Hi all… as I’ve mentioned previously, I’m very excited to be running a series of photography workshops for Light and Land, the UK’s leading Photographic Workshop and Tour provider, over the Xmas period. All the workshops originally sold out within two days, but we have a couple of last minute places available due to cancellation. We have one place available on the Wales Waterfalls Workshop this coming Thursday 9th December, and one on the Bath Impressions workshop (co-led by Astrid McGechan) this […]
I’m delighted to have teamed up with Light and Land as a Photography Tutor and Tour Leader. Light and Land are, and have been for some time, the premier landscape photography workshop/tour providers in the UK. Led by the world renowned landscape photographer Charlie Waite, and with a roster of brilliant and hugely influential photographers, it’s an absolute privilege to be working with them. I’ll initially be concentrating on my 2 specialist subjects: Shooting Water, and Creative Photography. I’m running […]
In Praise of Mud The Landscape Photographer of the Year Competition here in the UK recently asked me to write an article for their website on “Mud”. Since moving to Bristol a few years ago now, I’ve become a bit of an expert on the subject: the Bristol Channel is literally full of it. You can read the full article here! It’s photographic potential to my mind is hugely underrated. Do drop by and have a look when you have […]
Delighted to report I had another decent outing at this year’s Scottish Landscape Photographer of the Year. The above image, “Storm Light”, was awarded the Runner’s Up spot in the “Your Vision” category at the 2021 SLPOTY. The “Your Vision” category is essentially the “Creative Photography” section of the competition: mine is an ICM image of a big midwinter storm rolling in at Luskentyre on the West Coast of Harris in the Outer Hebrides, all made in camera with my […]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SwGAZVYMDP4 It’s almost a year to the day (March 16th 2020) that the theatres here in the UK went dark. To mark the occasion, a good friend of mine, the actor/writer/presenter Jon Monie, has recently launched this rather beautiful video. He’s rewritten Andrew Lloyd Weber’s classic “Memory” (from the musical Cats), using his own lyrics, specially recorded vocals from the extraordinary Kerry Ellis (West End/Broadway), and also using my photographs from the #TheatresInDanger project. It’s now been viewed more than […]
Delighted to be the featured photographer on the new episode of photography podcasts by @richsibley, Photo Mentors. Rich has had a long and varied photographic career, and was recently Deputy Editor at Amateur Photographer Magazine. The latest edition went live last night: Rich has a series of 10 questions which he asks every photographer who comes on, and Seascapes/ICM/Multiple Exposures, as well as the #TheatresInDanger project, get a good mention. Also cakey bakey bars and scarves. Do click the link […]
Another great feature on the #TheatresInDanger project, this time in the leading UK Photography weekly magazine, Amateur Photographer. Huge thanks to Matty Graham, Nigel Atherton and all of his team at AP. A good moment to announce that we have completely sold out the first print run of the #TheatresInDanger book! Am absolutely delighted. We’re currently reprinting another batch, and will be sending them out as soon as we have them w/c March 1st… All proceeds from both book and […]
Great feature on the #TheatresInDanger project in the January 2021 Issue of Professional Photo magazine. 6 pages of photographs and detailed background and discussion on the project, and what we’ve set out to achieve with it. Do drop by and have a look if you have a mo…
The December 2020 issue of ICM Photo Mag is out. All sorts of fascinating and explanatory content in there, including an interview with the legendary “in the round” multiple exposure specialist Pep Ventosa, mentoring from Leeming and Paterson, and also an article by yours truly on an ICM project I’ve been doing over the last few years on Clifton Suspension Bridge. Do drop by and have a look if you have a moment: ICM Photo Mag, or have a look […]
Incoming Storm, Luskentyre Delighted to announce I had a decent outing at UK Landscape Photographer of the Year this year. I had one photograph Commended in the Classic View category (Incoming Storm at Luskentyre – above), and another two shortlisted: Misty Morning over Jesmond Dene in the Urban Life category, and Shotton Paper Mill in the Changing Landscapes category. Huge congrats to the overall winner Chris Frost and his gorgeous photo of wild garlic in woodland mist (an absolute beauty), […]
Right. Exciting news alert. #TheatresInDanger is my first book. It’s a 40 page collection of photographs that I’ve taken of so many of the theatres I’ve had the pleasure of working in over the last 10 years. Published on Wednesday December 16th (special launch price £15.95), I’ve written it specifically to support UK Theatres during this extraordinarily difficult time for the industry: all proceeds will go directly to the Theatres Trust, who do such amazing work helping our theatres to survive, […]
Now then. Delighted to say I’m one of the featured photographers in the 2nd Issue of ICM Photography Magazine (@icmphotomag), which is (as the title suggests) the brand new web-based ICM Photography Magagazine, launched in June of this year by @stephjohnphoto. ICM stands for Intentional Camera Movement, and is the process of wobbling your camera around whilst taking a photograph, something I’ve been doing intentionally for the best part of ten years or so now (and unintentionally since I first […]
The Historic England “Lockdown Collection” was launched yesterday, and I was lucky enough to have a photograph included in it. The collection is a conscious attempt to create a snapshot of life in England during Corona Virus lockdown, and has been very heavily featured in all of the main news media (along with my pic). See the following links: My photo was entitled “First Day of the Holidays” (see above), and was also chosen by the artist Malaika […]
Delighted to say I’ve just been awarded an Honourable Mention in the 2020 IPA One Shot Movement competition, for the above image “Flow”, which I shot on the Grimersta River on Lewis (Outer Hebrides) when I was up that way earlier this year. The standard of the competition is ludicrously high – entries come in from all over the world, and they’re pretty tasty frankly. If you’d like to have a look at the winning images, do drop by the […]
Greetings all, and welcome to my brand new website. It’s been a lot of painstaking and detailed work over the last few months, and am delighted to finally lift the curtain, and welcome you all in. A huge thank you to Andrew at Codeable, who has done a fantastic job with the design. I thought I’d celebrate with a bonus launch offer: 25% off all prints on the site till the end of May. Just stick the code Launch25 into […]
Scottish Landscape Photographer of the Year 2019 April 1, 2020 Now then. I’m not generally one for blowing my own bugle, but I found out yesterday that I’d won the Seascape Category at this year’s Scottish Landscape Photographer of the Year Awards… fair to say I’m pretty chuffed. I also found out I had 3 other photographs placed in the finals, one Highly Commended, and two Commended. It’s not why I take photographs, I do that for me, but it’s […]
Scottish Landscape Photographer of the Year 2018 March 7, 2019 Hi all. Chuffed to say that I’ve just found out I had 2 photographs Commended, and had another two Shortlisted, at this year’s Scottish Landscape Photographer of the Year Awards. The standard is extremely high at these awards, so fair to say am pretty delighted. My two Commended shots were “Traigh Eais, Barra, Sunrise” (above), and “Regent Bridge, Edinburgh, Dusk” (see my Facebook page). All the winning entries get published […]
Pentax Ambassador Film February 11, 2019 Hi all. Above is a short film I helped make for Pentax, who I’m a Brand Ambassador for, a few weeks ago up in Northumberland. It’s essentially about the photographs I take, and why I take them. It was shot over a day on location at Stag Rocks, Bamburgh and Budle Bay, and was directed and edited by Matty Graham Photography, who I think’s done a totally fab job, and who I had a […]
Outdoor Photographer of the Year 2017 January 31, 2018 Am delighted to say that one of my images, Small Worlds (above), has made the book at Outdoor Photograher of the Year 2017. The competition is truly global and pretty tough: 18,000 entries from over 60 countries. I’ve had a number of shots shortlisted at this competition over the last few years (18 or so at the last count, not that I’m counting, oh alright then I am, 4 of them […]
Just a quick one to say I’ve written an article for the recently published issue 148 of “On Landscape” magazine (the rather excellent online Landscape Photography magazine). They asked me to write an “Endframe” piece for them a couple of months back, and it’s just surfaced. The actual page of the piece is HERE, so do drop by and have a look if you have a spare moment (you should be able to read it with a free subscription)… I […]
International Photographer of the Year 2016 Am very pleased to be able to say that I had a couple of shots shortlisted for Take a View Landscape Photographer of the Year this year. The competition is the gold standard for Landscape Photography here in the UK and is legendarily fierce (20,000 plus entries per year). They also tend to be pretty strict about what you’re allowed to say, and when you’re allowed to say it (which is fair enough I […]
Very pleased to say that four of my pieces of work have received Nominations at the 2016-17 Fine Art Photography Awards. The Awards are a showcase for the best of international fine art photography, and receive thousands of submissions from all over the world. My work was nominated as follows: Distant Peaks (a series of photographs I shot at the Chalke Valley History Festival) in the Open Category, Together We Are Beautiful (a series of photographs I shot on the […]
Just a quick post to say I was delighted to receive a couple of Honourable Mentions recently at the 2016 International Photographer of the Year Awards. The awards attract thousands of entries from all over the world, and the standard is pretty impressive, so delighted to have had some of my work recognised. I had two series of photographs which made the cut: my photographic essay on the incoming tide at Holkham Bay, Norfolk called “Softly She Creeps” was awarded […]
Am delighted to say that one of my photographs, Emmanuel Head I, has recently been included in the brand new book “The Photographer’s Guide to Northumberland” by Ellen Bowness. The book features all sorts of excellent photographic tips on locations, how to get there, sunrise/sunset times etc, and is a great homage to (sorry, can’t help it, I’m biased) one of the most beautiful counties in England.
Pentax, who’s cameras I use (and who I rather enjoy being an Ambassador for), asked me to write an article on “Shooting Water” (a specialist subject of mine) in response to some questions from Ephotozine over the Xmas break. The article came from a presentation I gave at WEX in Norwich in November 2016 on the same subject, as part of WEX’s excellent ongoing presentation/workshop programme. You can catch the full article on Ephotozine as part of their “Technique” section. […]
Judy Darley, who is both a journalist and author, runs a rather excellent blog called SkyLightRain, for writers, artists and creatives. She came across my work at an exhibition last year, and very kindly interviewed me about it a couple of weeks ago. If you’d like to read the interview in full, then do by all means have a look here. She updates her blog pretty much on a daily basis, and it’s full of artistic inspiration, writing prompts etc, […]
Am delighted to say that my photograph “Rainbow Falls” will be on display in the Art and Photography zone at Countryfile Live at Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire from 4th – 7th August 2016. The photograph, which won the Adobe Prize at last year’s Take a View Landscape Photographer of the Year Awards, has been chosen as one of only 12 photographs from the last 9 years of the competition to go on display. Do drop by and have a look!
I’m delighted to say that Lauren Scott has just written a lovely article on my photograph “Rainbow Falls” in the current issue (170) of Digital Photographer Magazine. It appears in their “Story Behind the Still” feature, and gives a bit of background on how the photograph came about, the idea behind the composition and how I physically went about taking it. Do drop by and have a look if you have a moment…
Just a quick post to say that the rather excellent online landscape photography magazine, On Landscape, are currently showing a mini portfolio of four of my photographs in their “4×4” feature. The photographs were taken on a trip to North Norfolk earlier this year. Do pay a visit to On Landscape if you’d like to have a look…
Just a quick heads up to let you know that I have a new exhibition opening at Number Ten Gallery in Rochdale. The exhibition is called “In Search Of…”, and is the companion exhibition to the talk I gave as part of the Rochdale Literature and Ideas Festival on Sunday 25th October. The exhibition covers some of the photographs I’ve taken during my time working as an actor in the north of England, and includes photographs of Manchester, Leeds, Yorkshire […]
Am delighted to say that one of my photographs, “Rainbow Falls”, has just been awarded the Adobe Prize at the 2015 Take a View Landscape Photographer of the Year Awards. The photograph was taken at Kisdon Force near Muker in the Yorkshire Dales in late spring of this year. This is the first year that Adobe have awarded a prize at this competition, and is their pick of the photographs shortlisted in the “Your View” section of the competition… needless […]
Just a quick post to say that I’m delighted to be appearing at The Rochdale Literature and Ideas festival, which takes place in Rochdale between Friday 23rd and Sunday 25th October. I’ll be in conversation with the excellent people at All Across the Arts on Sunday 25th October, at 4pm, at the Church of St Edmund in Rochdale. The conversation will cover my approach to both my photography and acting work, how one feeds the other, and I’ll also be […]
Just to say that a brand new exhibition of my photographs is currently on the walls of The Victoria Park pub in Victoria Park, Windmill Hill, Bristol. The exhibition contains around 40 or so of my photographs of Bristol and the surrounding area, and contains a number of brand new images, using a variety of different techniques that I’ve been investigating recently, including Intentional Camera Movement (ICM – the process of deliberately moving the camera whilst taking a photograph), Multiple […]
Just a quick post to announce the launch of my new exhibition, Northern Impressions, which goes on display at the Visitor Centre at Hollingworth Lake, Littleborough, nr Rochdale on Tuesday 31st March 2015. It concentrates on the time I’ve spent working as an actor in the North of England, particularly across the Pennines, and contains a number of brand new images of Hollingworth Lake itself, and the surrounding area. Many thanks to Karen and everyone at Hollingworth Lake who’ve helped […]
Just a quick post to say that I’m delighted that Pentax have chosen to show four of my images on their stand at the forthcoming Photography Show at Birmingham NEC, March 21st-24th 2015… The Photography Show is held annually, and is the UK’s premiere Photographic show… Do drop by and have a look if you have a moment…
Hello and welcome to my brand spanking new website. I’ve felt for a while that I needed something a bit brighter, cleaner and clearer to display my work, so hope you enjoy it. Welcome also to my brand spanking new web address www.billwardphotography.co.uk… Thought it was about time that me and my pictures were called the same thing… my old web address of www.thingsthatihaveseen.com will still work, but this is where it will take you… Massive thanks to Matt and […]
