KARL HOLTBY

For more than a decade I have found myself constantly travelling, seeking new locations to explore with a camera. I feel as if my feet have barely touched the ground. And whilst these journeys have enriched my soul, I now find myself in a transitional period, feeling the need to stay home for a while. It's an opportunity to recalibrate and take stock of where I'm at on this creative quest. I live on the Yorkshire Wolds. It is a tranquil, undulating landscape; a peaceful place

There is a profound difference between visiting a location and inhabiting it. This month, I am incredibly proud to see my latest body of work - focused on the remote, windswept beauty of Unst in the Shetland Isles - featured in Black + White Photography issue 311. I hope you enjoy the feature. I relish the challenge of attempting to evoke my feelings about a location through the written word. However, photography is obviously my medium. Through these images, I hope the view

Where Ravens Soar 'Nature creates such sublime sculptural details in this landscape... our appreciation of the visual feast before us becomes an act of respect.' For years, I chased the 'killer shot' - the perfect, pristine landscape that fits neatly into a portfolio. But as I struggled with the weight of chronic illness, including tinnitus and Hashimoto’s disease, those 'pretty' images began to feel like a lie. I was seeking a new direction. Where Ravens Soar is the result o

Suilven [Inverpolly National Nature Reserve, North West Scotland] Sometimes it can be difficult to know when to end a project. We may ask ourselves ‘is there anymore I can say about this subject?’ - I think it is best to be honest, to trust our inner voice. Deep down, we know when something has exhausted itself. We may not feel the same enthusiasm and excitement which caught our imagination at the beginning. This is completely normal. Occasionally, we simply need a break from

We are taught to hunt for the "masterpiece" - that single, loud frame that stops a scroll. But for those looking for a deeper meaning, perhaps wanting to become a serious artist, the masterpiece is often a dead end. It tells a story that begins and ends in a 125th of a second. If you find yourself with a hard drive full of beautiful yet disconnected images; you are simply standing at the threshold of a much deeper practice: The Narrative Lens. The Art of Tuning In My process

It's that tree again from my previous blog, viewed from the opposite side, which is just a short walk from our home on the Yorkshire Wolds (Hockney country if you like). It seems an appropriate scene from which to send you all best wishes for the festive season. On a personal level, the past three years have mainly involved planning my trips and lectures in Japan. For 2026, I'm already planning a few new destinations and collaborations that I'm particularly excited about. I'm

It's probably safe to say that the vast majority of photographers become particularly excited when we receive the annual, and these days, short-lived covering of snow. I am no exception. Snow has the obvious ability to create a wonderful veil of negative space across the land, allowing us to compose photographs which simply wouldn't work, or would lack impact, under normal circumstances. I feel very fortunate to live on the Yorkshire Wolds. What it may lack in drama compared

Good afternoon from a very dark and rainy day in Yorkshire. Not only that but we are currently experiencing a planned power outage, meaning that I am making cups of tea with my primus stove by candle light. However, due to the wonders of modern technology I do have a phone signal which means I can work for as long as my Macbook battery holds out! Aah, the joys of living rurally... I wanted to say hello and welcome to any new subsribers. It geuninely means a lot to me when fol

When one views photographs from Hokkaido prior to actually visiting, it seems quite wondrous to think that a landscape could look so painterly. And when we arrive in this land, it is astounding to realise that even in the flesh, it does indeed seem as if someone has painted the scenes before us. I think Hokkaido and many other wild parts of Japan are quite unique in this respect. As I discussed in my first RPS talk recently, it can often take months or, as in this case, years

Greetings from Yorkshire! I've just got back from a wild walk along the cliffs near me at Flamborough. The corvids are becoming very vocal, the leaves are falling and nature is clearly moving deeply into autumn. For landscape photographers this is one of the most exciting times of the year. As I strolled along these cliffs, it occurred to me that I haven't run a workshop at North Landing, Flamborough for many years. It was always a very popular destination and I have many hap

Rothiemurchus, Cairngorms National Park. Greetings from Yorkshire! If you've been reading my blog for a while you'll probably know that I...

I'm delighted to share that I will be presenting a series of talk for the Royal Photographic Society. This is a huge honour and I'm...

For some time now I have wanted make my work available for photography enthusiasts to be able to enjoy in the best possible way. Of...

Fuji-san Greetings from Yorkshire! I was having a discussion with a photography friend earlier this week about the fact that when it...

I've now been in the Cairngorms for two weeks and today is the last day of this particular trip. It's been cold, as expected, but no...

Yesterday's gravel ride from Drumguish took me through wild and wonderful Glen Tromie. I know this area particularly well from my time...

With no real plan I walked out along the path heading south from the roadside at Loch Morlich. This ancient forest breathes new life into...

Photography has always been controversial in terms of whether it can be considered an art form such as painting. Nowadays we can safely...

After an eventful 2024 I now have some quiet time to rest and recover after not long returning from Japan. My 2024 visit to Musashino Art...

Hello all, long time no speak! This is a quick update to share that I am delighted to be partnering with ALPA cameras for my upcoming...