If you were thinking of choosing a place for a photographic holiday and didn’t mind enduring some fairly severe climate conditions, then the Lofoten Islands of Norway would probably be ideal especially if you were hoping to return with some breath-taking images of snowy landscapes and a night sky full of the magical lights of the aroura borealis. It was shots like these that photographer David Morton presented to the club on his most recent visit.

Taking pictures in sub-zero conditions not only requires plenty of fortitude and stamina but it also requires a very good understanding of how to use and safeguard your camera. David’s experience of several trips to this part of the world showed that he had things like this well covered and so the images we saw of dramatic landscapes and tiny shacks with the sun breaking through unforgiving skies created vividly the Arctic conditions of that part of the world.

The second part of his talk was very different. This was a record of his photographic year and included both studio work and shots from the many workshops that he organises around the UK.

David is always keen to offer useful tips and techniques in his talks and in this part of his presentation he showed how planned double exposures could be used to startling good effect. There was also a sequence of shots on how to photograph dogs either in the studio or outside with some great images of his own dog galloping along a beach with all feet in the air. Mixed in this chronicle of the year were some unusual images of a model in a wood with drifting smoke created from smoke grenades – a technique not probably practised by many members of the club! But now we know how to do it if we are daring enough.