Travel photographer David Noton captures unique and inspiring photographs of the many destinations he has travelled to worldwide. His judgment of colour, light, and composition produce exquisite images, and his collection offers a diverse selection from across the globe, ranging from mountain terrains to bustling towns.
DAVID NOTON
With 40 years of experience and many more to come, David Noton’s professional photography career was awakened when he attended the University of Gloucester, studying editorial and advertising photography as a mature student in 1982.
Just months after graduating, he received multiple BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year awards in 1985, 1989, and 1990.
By the early 90s, Noton spent most of his time travelling and shooting for the burgeoning stock photography market and, after exceeding monthly sales of 100 images, he launched his first website in 1998.
Further into Noton’s career, he started writing a monthly column about his photographic travels for the UK monthly magazine Practical Photography, which lead him to publish three books.
His first book, Waiting for the Light, was published in 2008 and inspired the production of his 90-minute film, Chasing the Light.
In 2010, his second book, Full Frame, was published, revealing the secrets of stunning landscape photography in breathtaking locations.
The Vision, Noton’s third book, was published in 2013 and explains how photographers can translate an idea into reality by using vision, understanding, and imagination.
Alongside his books, Noton published 97 monthly editions of f11 Photography Magazine, exclusively for the subscribing members, up until February 2020.
Having worked closely with leading photography brand Canon over the later course of his career, Noton was proud to be a Canon Ambassador from 2012 to 2020.
In a notable project, he used the Canon EOS R to create multi-image landscapes combining 20 individual photographs, giving tonal range and perfect resolution.
Noton also maintains a passion for public speaking, which was highlighted over many years with his traveling ‘Chasing the Light’ Roadshow.
Today, Noton continues to travel and produce exquisite photography, features, and videos.
Q&A WITH DAVID NOTON
Firstly, what drew you to work in travel photography?
David Noton (DN): I’ve always travelled; I grew up on two sides of the Atlantic then joined the Merchant Navy straight from school, so when I discovered the joy of photography in my early 20s it was only natural that I was drawn to travel work.
My subsequent 40-year career as a travel photographer has taken me round the globe many times; it’s been quite the ride!
What do you find most exciting about this kind of work?
DN: To see the world’s most tantalising locations, the well-known and the undiscovered, looking their very best in the first or last light of day – often without another soul about – is a very special experience.
Then there are people I meet, often in the most unexpected and sometimes bizarre situations.
For example, cycling through the karst landscape of Guilin in Southern China, my wife Wendy and I came across a farmer with a wonderfully welcoming smile working a field by hand.
Despite the absence of teeth and a common language, we had the chirpiest chat. These are the memories that make me a wealthy soul.
On the flip side, what are the biggest challenges?
DN: There are times when Mother Nature is just against you. Don’t believe the adage that there’s no such thing as bad weather – it’s nonsense!
Days, weeks, even months of leaden skies can drive photographers to morose introspection. For example, 10 days into a trip, when I was in New Zealand all the way on the other side of the world, the meter was ticking and I had still not shot a frame due to relentlessly uninspiring light.
Then, there were our three grey weeks in Norway; it was raining when we disembarked in Bergen, it was raining when we left, and it rained incessantly in between. I returned without a single image of worth.
Patience is a virtue that all travel photographers need in abundance, but all that is forgotten when Mother Nature smiles; she’s my biggest ally, and adversary.
Of course, mastering the art of photography never ends; I’m still learning. Technically, I’ve faced huge changes since photography took over my life one dawn on the banks of Loch Rannoch, Scotland, in May 1980.
Some of the images reproduced here were captured using that stuff called film – remember that?
The internet and digital evolution have ushered in significant challenges and opportunities, with solutions to low-light photography being just one.
However, the essentials of what make compelling photographs – light, composition, and capturing the decisive moment – remain the same.
How would you describe your style of photography?
DN: All I can say is I concentrate relentlessly on positivity; beautiful places, friendly people, stunning architecture, convivial markets, fascinating culture, bucolic villages, world-heritage cityscapes, tranquil rural scenes – I must admit it’s not exactly a balanced view of this crowded, tormented, and conflicted world, but there’s enough bad news about, isn’t there?
When I was a student, I went back to college to study photography after my time at sea and saw myself as a budding Henri Cartier-Bresson or Don McCullin – but I soon realised wallowing in others’ misfortune wasn’t for me!
What has been your favourite destination to capture?
DN: The formative years of my youth were spent in Canada, so you could say I’ve always had some maple syrup in my blood!
I just love the sheer scale of that vast country’s natural beauty, from the beguiling maritime provinces to the endless lakes and forests of the Canadian Shield, the soaring mountains and glaciers of the Canadian Rockies, and the dripping islands of the Pacific Rim.
Then there’s the far north – Yukon, Nunavut – I could go on. Oh, Canada!
Have you been involved in any interesting assignments or projects recently?
DN: A challenge I set myself six years ago was to learn French. It was shocking that after all my travels I hadn’t acquired another language. This meant most of our recent travels have been to France, where I can revel in speaking the language.
That has been a real joy, and in fact, the photography and language learning go hand in hand. Besides, it’s a country with such a wealth of attractions.
Finally, what’s next for the future? Are there any new destinations you’d like to cross off your bucket list?
DN: Now well into my seventh decade, and at the tail-end of my career, my approach to travel has evolved.
The COVID-19 pandemic, overtourism, and environmental concerns prompted a re-evaluation; we didn’t get on a plane for over five years. I am no longer interested in overcrowded, well-known tourist hot spots. Does the world really need yet another picture of Machu Picchu?
Consequently, roving European road trips have become the norm. The joy of travel was never about how far we’d explored – it’s always the experiences that matter most.
Finding our own niches and spending quality time to really get under the skin of a place is the way ahead. Travel less, see more.
Having said that, we’re off to Québec next month!
HOW I GOT THIS PHOTO
The art of travel photography is all about being in the right place at the right time, which sounds a lot easier than it really is. I seem to have spent half my life loitering by the tripod, waiting for the light and the decisive moment to unfold.
I arrived at the Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon, Myanmar in the darkness before dawn, set up and composed the picture, then waited.
For what?
I didn’t know – some foreground interest I suppose. As I saw this nun approaching, I thanked my stars then hit the shutter as she walked into my frame. I got lucky that morning, but didn’t realise just how lucky until I reviewed the sequence on the camera monitor and saw the bird in the top corner.
Of course, luck plays a big part in travel photography, but lady luck does favour the persistent. The sad thing is many will suspect the bird was added in post-production, which would diminish the impact.
I can assure you this is a genuine capture of a decisive moment.
