Photographer Profile

Julian Elliott - Profile

I am an award-winning professional freelance landscape and travel photographer as well as an occasional writer based both in the Loire Valley, France and also in Wiltshire, England. I travel across Europe as well as into Asia capturing landscapes and cityscapes along with the various cultures that inhabit them.

Awards

In October 2015, one of my images was chosen as the winner of the Countryside is GREAT section of the Landscape Photographer of the Year in conjunction with Visit Britain. In October 2017 my image of Big Ben and the Shard entitled “A Shard of Ben” was commended in the Urban View category of the Landscape Photographer of the Year. I have also had commended and highly commended images in the International Garden Photographer of the Year.

My work

My photography and stock footage have been sold across the world in nearly 40 countries through agencies such as Getty Images. They have been used as magazine spreads right through to commercial and product sales. The footage has been used in things such as corporate websites or as part of a TV broadcast.

Travel and landscape photographer Julian Elliott

My approach to photography is simple, get it right in camera first and don't spend needless time in front of a PC.

My Story

Salisbury cathedral at dawn in Salisbury, Wiltshire. The cathedral is one of the best examples of Early English architecture. Due to the short period of time that it was in, the cathedral has a consistent style that can be described as Early English Gothic. It was built in the 13th century and has the tallest spire in the United Kingdom.

Where it all started

Back in April 2005 when I purchased my first camera I decided that being in the office was not something that I wanted to do for the rest of my life. I would rather spend my time on the side of a freezing cold hill getting superb light at dawn or seeing the setting sun produce an endless display of colour over a beautiful seascape, mirrored on a beach full of shimmering sands than in the comfort of a cosy office. But it would take until November 2010 before I could fully realize the dream of breaking the daily grind of the office and finally going solo as a full-time professional landscape and travel photographer.

My approach to photography

My approach to photography is simple, get it right in camera first and don’t spend needless time in front of a PC. The vast majority of my work is edited in Lightroom where images are lightly edited as the patience I’ve had in waiting for the light has usually added a lot of the colour. I use Adobe Photoshop to blend images where necessary as well as to adjust the curves to correct the colour balance and finally add sharpness to the final image.  Digital cameras have a different tonal range than that of film emulsion. The curves adjustment will put more depth into the image in the form of blacks or, occasionally, some highlight information. Used correctly, the curves adjustment can help balance the colours and remove colour casts.

The view from Piazzale Michelangelo over to the historic city of Florence at dusk. The historic centre is protected by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. The dome of Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore otherwise known as the Duomo can be seen.
Incense village in Vietnam - Vietnam photo tours

Using filters

In order to get some of the colourful images that you see on my portfolio, I use, at times, filtration in the form of Kase Filters polarizers and ND filters. I am often asked if what you see is real and not a product of Photoshop. The answer, simply, is yes it is real. The colours that you see are real and are a reaction of the colour temperature of light to the particular time of day or the weather conditions accompanying them.

Equipment I use

Currently, I use a Canon 5D Mark IV and Canon 6D with several Canon L Series lenses including three tilt/ shift to capture the images you see in the galleries.

The time-lapse footage that I produce is facilitated by a Promote Control with post-production ramping occurring in LR Timelapse.

If you purchase anything through this link I will get a small commission, but at no extra cost to you.

What is a travel photographer
Morning breakfast, Bukhara, Uzbekistan.

Stock Photography

My stock photography and footage work can be found with the following image libraries: Getty; Robert Harding; AGE Fotostock and Alamy. I also have my own stock image library where you can purchase some exclusive images directly from me.

Commercial work

Outside of the world of stock, I have done various commissions for some of the UK’s leading photography magazines such as Digital SLR User magazine, Digital Camera Mag and Photo Plus. Visit Britain – The British Tourist Authority commissioned me in 2016 to ensure that some of the major cities in the UK looked beautiful in a series of time-lapse sequences. The Mairie de Tours in France has also commissioned my work for use in their publicity material as well as a number of other tourism boards in Europe who trust that the work they are going to receive is of a high standard.

Currently, I am an ambassador for Benro Tripods, Vallerret Photography Gloves and Kase Filters.

Authon-du-Perche, France. 13th October, 2013. Riders at the start of the 2013 Paris Tours cycle race, Authon-du-Perche, France.