Andy Mumford
Andy Mumford is a Lisbon based landscape, travel and fine art photographer. Andy also teaches photography through one-to-one workshops and is the author of Photographing Burma. In addition to this he shoots a handful of weddings each year, and has worked with clients from all over the world.
Andy grew up in the UK loving nature and travel, but a love of photography developed much later when he realized he wanted to take better pictures of the places he saw rather than just snapshot records. He bought his first digital camera in 2006 and was immediately fascinated both by the art and the technique of making images. Now, whenever he travels he hopes to capture the feel and spirit of the places and the people who inhabit them. Andy is inspired by visiting new countries and cultures, from the people to the food, the landscapes to the buzz of the cities, and when he’s not out traveling or taking pictures, he can be found at home with his wife planning the “next trip”.
Autumn is the ideal time to explore landscape photography – but whatever the season, you’re sure to benefit from this professional insight. Andy Mumford covers his love of the wild, image-making and editing tips, and his Fujifilm tools of choice
“There’s a magic in the changing colour of the trees,” landscape photographer Andy Mumford muses, verbalising the poetry of nature. “I’m often in the Dolomites in late September, when the leaves start to transform. Autumn gives a texture and tone to the landscape that’s incredibly rich. There’s something deeply appealing about reds, ochres and golds.”
Landscape photography is a generous genre. There are delights to be had year-round, and endless scenes for those who seek them out. Still, autumn is a special time, beloved by enthusiasts and professionals alike. There’s no more inspiring season to take interest in scenic imagery.
To set you on a path of success, Andy Mumford is here to share his expert opinion. He’s devoted his photographic life to documenting the world’s natural beauty – and sharing it with others on worldwide workshops.
“The other thing I like about autumn is that you tend to get more interesting weather. As a landscape photographer, quite often at least a third of your frame is going to be sky. If there’s not a cloud in sight, or no interesting colours, that whole section of your image is empty.
“After it’s rained, there’s a purity about the atmosphere,” Andy continues. “The rain takes all the dust particles out of the air, so there’s a clarity that’s really photogenic. There’s no haze, the colours are saturated, so it’s a great time to view a landscape.”
Outside of seasonal interest, Andy’s dedication to landscape photography comes from a love of nature engrained in his youth.
“I loved being outside as a teen,” he recalls. “I loved being in places where things just go on for a long time, where you don’t see people. You can dive quite deep into the psychology of it. I think in terms of human beings fundamentally, for most of our existence as a species, we’ve lived close to nature. There’s an innate part of us that feels at home in these spaces.
“I never connected that sense with photography until my thirties. I came across, really by accident, the work of the classic landscape photographers. A light bulb went on, and I realised there are people trying to document that feeling that I’m getting.”
Photo 2023 © Andy Mumford | FUJIFILM X-T2 and FUJINON XF10-24mmF4 R OIS, 1/6 sec at F11, ISO 200
How to Find Better Landscape Compositions
The emotion never left Andy. “I believe the image is always driven by the experience. You’re always trying to capture what you feel more than what you see,” he expresses. “For me, creating purely aesthetic photos isn’t appealing, unless they speak to something greater.
“I’m now much more aware of trying to refine that. My photography has gotten much cleaner. When I started, every frame was ultra-wide and had a lot going on through their complex compositions. I’ve now shifted towards telephoto almost exclusively, cutting surroundings out and trying to focus on the part of the landscape that really defines everything around it.”
Though better for the image, being more selective is not a process that can be easily explained. For a large part, it comes down to intuition – but Andy provides an important reminder to follow those instincts.
“We have this mental image of what natural features, like a mountain, should look like. It’s not necessarily fixed in reality,” the photographer explains. “And I think that our brains seem to respond to certain shapes and their arrangements more than others. So, I believe the heart of a landscape scene will speak to you immediately. The complex part is determining what supports and what overcomplicates it. I prefer a closer composition.”
Photo 2023 © Andy Mumford | FUJIFILM X-T3 and FUJINON XF55-200mmF3.5-4.8 R LM OIS, 1/125 sec at F6.4, ISO 160
The Best Cameras and Lenses for Landscape Photography
Naturally, a closer view requires a longer lens. There are plenty to choose from across X Series and GFX System, but Andy has settled on a few resolute favourites.
“My most-used optics are FUJINON XF55-200mmF3.5-4.8 R LM OIS and GF100-200mmF5.6 R LM OIS WR,” he reveals. “The former isn’t considered as often as other telephoto XF lenses, but I’ve been working with it for eight years now and I love it. It’s super lightweight and, at the apertures I use it most, from F5.6 to F7.1, it’s very sharp. The GF lens is simply brilliant, and incredibly flexible across scenes.”
Andy chooses to pair his long lenses with camera bodies that meet his variety of needs – not least image quality. FUJIFILM X-T5 and GFX100S offer 40 megapixels and 102 megapixels respectively. However, in this photographer’s eyes, pleasing rendition comes down to more than just resolution.
“How we define image quality is really complex,” Andy explains. “Resolution matters most either for cropping or printing. Being able to crop significantly is a freedom I love in both cameras. If you’re ever limited on focal length, you can still get a very nice file from a smaller section of the sensors.
“But, in the GFX System especially, there’s something about the feel of the files. It’s not just resolution. Fundamentally, the GFX System sensor is just four X Series sensors combined, but it doesn’t feel like that, and I can’t logically explain why. Maybe it’s the bit depth and the way colours roll out, but they’re just so nice. There’s an incredible richness to them.
“GFX100S is such an astonishing tool. And there’s something about using the GFX System that makes you work slower, which I like. It makes the process a little bit more meditative.”
Photo 2023 © Andy Mumford | FUJIFILM X-T30 and FUJINON XF55-200mmF3.5-4.8 R LM OIS, 1/500 sec at F5.6, ISO 160
Working with Light in Landscape Photography
Away from considered compositions, light is the second secret to Andy’s exceptional work. In the world of landscape photography, it’s beyond a creator’s control, but that doesn’t mean steps can’t be taken to achieve the best results possible.
“In terms of light, the big thing is being there. That requires planning. There are apps for photographers that tell you where and when sunrise will be, then I’ll also look at maps to see if any environmental features will interfere with that. So, learn everything you can about your location, then get up early to be there.
“The vast majority of the time, though, any photographer’s portfolio is 1% of everything they see and do,” Andy reminds us. “For every lovely image that I’ve got with lovely light, I’ve probably been there ten or 15 times, and it’s not come to anything. You need a sense of perseverance.
“When the moment does come, for me, it’s about trying to slow down. If I rush, I tend to miss things. It’s important to take a step back and look at what the light’s doing – not looking through the viewfinder, but at the scene. What parts of the landscape are lit up, what’s going to light up, where are the shadows falling? Then I’m trying to make the decision about how best to compose it, starting with focal length. Take a breath, slow down. Landscape photography is forgiving in that respect.”
Photo 2023 © Andy Mumford | FUJIFILM X-T3 and FUJINON XF55-200mmF3.5-4.8 R LM OIS, 1/2000 sec at F4.5, ISO 320
Editing Landscape Images
Post-production is a necessary step in the workflow of professionals across all genres, and landscape photography is no exception. For Andy, like many, the creation of an image, from end to end, is a cohesive process.
“The most important thing for me in the field is making sure I’ve got all the data I need. I work in RAW, but a camera will only ever show you an embedded JPEG. In the case of Fujifilm, it’s based on whichever Film Simulation you’ve set. So, I use something like Eterna, because it’s very flat,” Andy reveals.
“I’m never worried about having the preview I see through the viewfinder look like my final image – beyond the composition. I only want to know I’ve got all the shadows, highlights and colours collected. If you know what your skills are in terms of post-processing, when you’re framing up, you’ve got an idea of what the final image will look like anyway. It all comes back to intentionality.
“In the edit itself, I’m working to get the images to fit with what I loved in the scene. Personally, I have limits to that. Most of what I do is based almost entirely on changes in contrast, because images need to have depth. I always look to contrast tools like curves, then adjust individual blacks, whites, shadows and highlights, refining those locally on a radial or gradient mask,” Andy continues. “Your eye will naturally move to towards the bright spots in an image, so you’re trying to shape someone’s journey through an image with contrast.”
Photo 2023 © Andy Mumford | FUJIFILM X-T4 and FUJINON XF16-55mmF2.8 R LM WR, 1/17 sec at F11, ISO 160
Andy’s parting advice doesn’t relate to photography. Rather, the joy of experience that led him to take his camera out into the wild to begin with. His moving sentiment speaks to the heart of all image making: art as a means to cherish a moment. First, it must be lived.
“One thing I always remind photographers in my workshops is not to let the image define the experience. You go to these places because they’re amazing, and it’s very easy to get there and have all your thoughts consumed by making the photo. So much so that when you get back, your only memories of that place are measuring exposure and choosing the right lens. I think that’s a shame.
“I believe it’s crucial to take a few minutes to breathe a place in, because again, it’s that experience that fuels the images. Walk around. Spend some time being there without your camera in hand. That will still shape your photographic point of view,” he concludes. “And even if the image isn’t what you wanted, you’ve still walked up the side of a mountain, you’ve still been to an incredible place, and that’s what matters most.”