Esther Parkinson
Name: Esther Parkinson
Camera: Canon EOS R6, Olympus TG6 and Samsung S25
Favourite type of photography: People and events
Location: St t Annes on Sea (near Blackpool), UK
Instagram: @estherparkinson
How did you get into photography?
I've always had an appreciation for it but never done anything about it. I had a couple of pocket cameras which I used infrequently. Family and friends used to say I had a good eye for photography. This always encouraged me, but due to funds, I could never buy myself a big camera.
In January 2020, I took the plunge and finally saved up to get myself my first proper camera (a Canon EOS 250D). Having bought it, I wasn’t sure what to do or how to learn about photography. I looked around for courses and then found an online one called A Year With My Camera. This came in handy, since as we all know, 2020 was the year of lockdown. So a year of learning about photography at home was perfect. The rest, they say, is history.
Do you have any photographic qualifications or accolades?
Not at the moment. But it's something I may look into at some point.
What's the first photograph you remember seeing or shooting?
Having bought my first proper camera and learnt how to use it, I went out for a walk during lockdown (for my permitted exercise) and there was a shot I always wanted to take but couldn't because there were people in the way.
It sounds very boring, but the shot I wanted was to shoot through some handles of a line of benches. I could never get a clear view through, due to people sitting on them! But lockdown meant that the benches were empty, and I got that infinity shot I wanted.
What do you love about photography?
I love how you can get lost in the moment. I also love that there is no right or wrong way (unless you're a stickler for rules!). Photography gives you the chance to experiment and from that you can often get happy accidents. There is always so much to learn about it, and every day is definitely a school day. I also love getting inspiration from other photographers.
What do you wish you'd learned about photography earlier?
As embarrassing as this is, it took me ages to figure out one of the most fundamental things, and that was understanding the light meter a-nd what it was telling me. Once the penny dropped on how I could get a correct exposure, it was a real lightbulb moment for me.
Where is your favourite place for photography?
I mostly shoot outdoors. I don't travel very far – I stay mostly local. There is a stately home nearby (Lytham Hall) which always provides good photo opportunities. However, I've recently been to Liverpool - that is a brilliant place to get some photo opportunities. There are so many places I would love to go – but life gets in the way at times!
Do you have a favourite photographic technique?
Not yet. I dabble with ICM and multiple exposures, but both are tricky to master.
Can you briefly outline your approach to image processing?
I develop the raw file first and then from there, add various adjustment layers, depending on what is needed. Other tweaks might include exposure adjustment, noise reduction, cleaning up the image and removing unwanted distractions, contrast enhancement, image resizing. I like to use textures, so these feature quite a lot in my images. My approach really does depend on what the image is and what I want to do with it. It's difficult to provide a definitive answer. But all the above are just some of the techniques I use.
What's your favourite lens?
I have a 70-200 F4 lens. I love this lens, as it's a good all rounder and good for event and portrait photography.
Do you have a favourite accessory?
Not yet. I have recently bought the Lensbaby OMNI creative Filter System, but I’ve not yet used it. I've seen some great effects from them and can't wait to give it a try. I suspect this might be my favourite accessory.
Have you found the perfect camera bag yet?
The million-dollar question – is there ever a perfect camera bag? I have an increasing collection of camera bags. But I recently received one for my birthday, which I like a lot. It is a Peak Design Everyday Tote bag.
Which photographers have influenced or inspired you, and how or why?
Although these aren't female photographers, these two are current-day photographers. I follow Mark Fearnley on Instagram and I find his street photographs sublime. Street is something I actively shy away from, but when I see his images, it encourages me to give it a go. The other photographer is Gavin Hoey. He's fabulous at studio portraits and great at explaining what he does and why. His use of creative flash knows no bounds and makes it look so easy. The use of flash terrifies me, but I am inspired to one day give it a go whenever I watch his videos.
Other photographers are Janey Lazenby – her use of textures and making brushes etc had me fascinated from the moment I came across her. She has definitely influenced the way I work and as mentioned earlier, I love to use textures in my images as a result.
Cherry Larcombe is another one that fascinates me. She does a lot of still life images and her simple and yet clever approach to putting the images together are just amazing. I am keen to try out some of her techniques.
Lynne Blount is another – I watched one of her talks and she explained how she made her textures with a gellipad. Well – that blew my mind and I just had to go out and get one. I have been obsessed with gellipad stuff ever since.
Celia Henderson is another – she is such a brilliant educator (as all the ones I have mentioned are). Her use of flower photography is just so beautiful too.
Lynda Haney is another, for many reasons. She does a lot of creative stuff with composites and her images are so appealing. One of her recent talks was on macro wildlife. Again, something that blew my mind.
Finally – Stan Farrow. In one of his talks, he showed how to make an alcove. This idea felt like it went viral and so many of us set out to make alcoves, including myself. It was so much fun to do and I used an alcove for one of my camera club images, which got top marks.
Please recommend 2 or 3 female photographers to follow on Instagram
Jane Lazenby @ejlazenbyphotography, Celia Henderson @celia.henderson, Lynne Blount @lynneblount
Is there a camera, lens or accessory that you don't have yet but you'd like to buy at some point?
Not yet decided. I have got my eye on a 35mm macro lens. I'm debating with myself if I actually need it or just want it!
Is there a genre of photography that you love but that you haven't tried yet?
I've seen some brilliant ICM images by lots of amazing fellow photographers (seen lots of fabulous images in SheClicks too). I always aspire to be able to create a stunning ICM image. As I mentioned earlier, I dabble with it, but that's as far as I've got! Astro photography is a genre I've not tried. That is a whole new ball game!
What's your proudest photographic moment?
Last year, I was asked to take some photos of a local Christmas lights switch-on. Following that, my images were published in the local paper. Some were published on the front page and most had a double-page spread further in the paper. I also have another proud moment (if I'm allowed to mention more than one). I had an image published in Amateur Photographer magazine a couple of years ago too. It totally took me by surprise but I was very proud of that too.
If you could have one superpower that could help you with photography, what would it be?
To get the image correct in-camera first!
Your favourite baked goods are?
Can't beat a slice of lemon drizzle cake! I'm a bit partial to some chocolate cake and meringue too! As you can tell, I have a sweet tooth!
Please tell us a little about yourself
I am 51 years old and was born in Switzerland. I didn't grow up there and moved to England shortly after I was born. So although I understand some of the language, I don't speak it very well! I have a German mother (just to connect the dots in a fashion) and occasionally she will try to teach me a few German and Swiss words and phrases, but I don't always remember them!
I have lived on the Fylde Coast for pretty much all of my life and love where I live. I go running each week (nothing serious – just a small 5k each week to keep me fit). However, once a year, I take part in the Manchester Great Run 10k and have done this for the past 10 years. It's one of my favourite events to do and last year I was interviewed on Granada Reports TV (a North West of England news channel) to talk about my experience of it.
I also do Pilates each week. I am actually a qualified Pilates instructor and qualified in 2018. But I haven't really taught since then. I prefer to take part in classes rather than teach. I'm a bit rusty anyway – so don't ask me to hold a class!
I am passionate about fundraising too. Those who know me will know I fundraise for a place in Manchester called The Christie. It is a specialist cancer hospital where I am a patient and being treated for secondary breast cancer. It's incurable but treatable. But this doesn't stop me from doing the things I love, such as photography.
I am part of Lytham St Annes Photographic Society and have been a member for around 3 to 4 years. I am the Membership Secretary of the club.
