Artists' Quarter

The natural beauty of North Yorkshire never ceases to amaze me, and I always consider myself to be extremely fortunate to live amongst so many of the county’s beauty spots. Being Knaresborough based allows me countless opportunities to try and capture this beauty locally and further afield.

John Minary.

My camera is a Nikon D200 digital SLR, and I have a number of different lens which I enjoy using, however my favourite is a 80-200 f2.8 telephoto, which allows me to take shots in quite low light conditions.

I try and use my camera to get beyond the obvious, to capture different light in unusual ways, often introducing blur and movement into the shot in camera, to add mood and interest to scenes.

My other passion is for hill walking and whether I’m in the Dales, the Lakes or up a Scottish mountain, my camera is always with me. I love the challenging conditions that come with landscape photography, the constantly changing light, the tonal differences in land, sky and water, and hopefully I see these elements in ways that produce stunning images.

Detail from Geese.

There is no doubt that the digital revolution in photography has opened the door for many to use technology to produce fine images, and I firmly believe that whilst we must embrace this opportunity, we also must not lose the skills to see the shot, and let the camera, not the computer capture the image.

I am more than happy to take on commission work, be it for individuals or publications. I enjoy the challenges presented by working to a given brief.

I currently have an exhibition entitled ‘Winter Light in Knaresborough’ on show at Verralls Café, in Knaresborough.

We never stop learning. I never stop seeing everyday scenes and objects in new ways. Photography certainly allows me to see the familiar in different ways and I hope this comes across to others through my images.

John Minary