Laura Vickery
Name: Laura Vickery
Camera: Nikon Z7 II, DJI Mini 3 Pro
Favourite type of photography: Landscape, travel, wildlife and portraiture
Location: Calne, Wiltshire, UK
Website: www.lauraannephotography.com
Instagram: @photographybylauraanne
How did you get into photography?
I've enjoyed taking photos since I was a child and often used to take photos of family and friends. As I started to travel and when I lived abroad, my camera was a way for me to capture memories of the people I met and the places I've been. My first experience of a DSLR was when my late grandfather bought a Nikon D5000 when in his 80s, and he used to let me borrow it. I then inherited it from him and my love for photography continued to grow.
Read about Creative Photography, What it is and How to Get Started
Do you have any photographic qualifications or accolades?
I came 8th in the Landscapes round of Amateur Photographer of the Year 2023 with my drone shot of Biss Wood, Wiltshire.
I have won a number of awards, including a Silver award from the Guild of Photographers Image of the Month competition for my shot of the Red Arrows at the Weston Air Show.
I have the RPS Certificate in Photography.
What's the first photograph you remember seeing or shooting?
It would have to be family photographs. We always had lots of photographs around as a family. I was born very prematurely (at 26 weeks) and was very ill as a baby, so some of my most cherished photographs are those with my late Mum and my Dad whilst I was in my incubator. One of my first film camera memories was spending 2 weeks backpacking around Europe with friends - I took 12 rolls of film and unfortunately not many of the photographs came out well! Thank goodness for digital!
What do you love about photography?
I love how moments in time are captured forever. I love to be able to share my photographs to make other people smile, and the thought that people have given my photographs as gifts to others is an inspiration for me to keep shooting. Going out with my camera has done wonders for my mental health and allows me to have time to myself with nature, but photography has also meant I have made many new friends and met some amazing people. It's amazing how people can interpret a view in a different way and photography allows that individuality.
What do you wish you'd learned about photography earlier?
I wish that I'd started taking it seriously and learning more about it earlier. It's something I really enjoy but didn't really realise how much until I was in my late 30s.
Where is your favourite place for photography?
I love shooting outdoors and one of my favourite places is Brownsea Island, but as I've spent more time recently in a studio, this is something that I really enjoy. I would love to have my own studio one day.
Do you have a favourite photographic technique?
As I'm still learning about studio lighting, I love low-key work and practising how to work with shadows as well as with light.
Can you briefly outline your approach to image processing?
I try to get things as right as I can in camera (which sometimes puts me under pressure) and don't do that much editing. I feel I have a lot to learn and I appreciate the time that editing takes, which I don't always have, being a secondary school teacher!
What's your favourite lens?
For travel and daily use, I love my Tamron 18-400 for the reach it gives. I love my Sigma Art 24-70mm and my Nikon Z 70-200mm for portraits. My Nikon PF 500mm is perfect for wildlife.
Do you have a favourite accessory?
My camera backpack is with me a lot of the time, but I also use my iPhone 15 Pro Max a lot. My favourite accessory would have to be my F mount adapter for my Z7 II, which allows me to use F mount lenses on my mirrorless Nikon camera. Can I also say my husband? He is often there to hold or carry something, and I have rested my camera on him to take a shot when I've not had my tripod a few times!
Read: Which Peak Design Tripod Should I Buy?
Have you found the perfect camera bag yet?
I have a backpack for my main lenses and camera and a wheelie case for the rest of my lenses so that they are all kept safe.
Which photographers have influenced or inspired you, and how or why?
Drew Buckley - for his puffin and landscape images.
Gary Hill - for his portraits.
Paul Wilkinson - for his portraits.
Ann Aveyard - for her safari images.
Nick Bull - for his drone shots.
Jack Lodge - for his landscape shots.
Molly Holman - for her beautiful flower shots.
Alastair Currill - for his landscape and portrait images, and for his workshops and group shoots!
Please recommend 2 or 3 female photographers to follow on Instagram.
Molly Holman @mollyhollmanphotography, Ann Aveyard @annaveyardwildlifephotography
Is there a camera, lens or accessory that you don't have yet but you'd like to buy at some point?
I like the look of the Nikon Z 600mm F/6.3 lens, but unfortunately, it's a bit out of my price range!
Is there a genre of photography that you love but that you haven't tried yet?
I'd like to try newborn photography, but it's something I know I would need to be trained in. It would be an honour and a privilege to take a newborn's first professional photographs.
Read: Monopod vs Tripod: When and Why Photographers Should Use a Monopod
What's your proudest photographic moment?
In 2023, I came 8th in the landscapes round of Amateur Photographer of the Year with my drone shot of Biss Wood, Wiltshire, in the autumn. I subsequently came 34th in the overall competition. It was an honour to be amongst the top 50 of such talented photographers. I have produced a local calendar of photographs for the town where I live over the last 4 years, and I donate some of the proceeds to the local food bank. I have raised nearly £500 so far and look forward to supporting them again this year with the 2026 calendar.
If you could have one superpower that could help you with photography, what would it be?
Teleportation so that I could get to locations faster!
Your favourite baked goods are?
Welsh cakes
Tell us a little about yourself.
I'm from Swansea originally but moved to Wiltshire in 2019. I found that my love of landscapes helped me to get to know my new surroundings and has given me a reason to explore the beautiful countryside of Wiltshire. It has also helped me to learn more about the history of photography as I now live about 15 minutes away from Lacock Abbey, which is where William Henry Fox Talbot developed the first negative in the early 19th century!
My ‘day job’ is as a secondary school languages teacher (I teach French, German and Spanish) and during the school holidays, my husband (who is also a languages teacher) and I often travel to Europe. I am hoping to start teaching photography from September and can't wait to share my passion for photography with my pupils. I can often be found at local markets selling my prints, cards and gifts of my photographs, and every year I produce a calendar of local scenes that I've photographed through the year. I support the Calne Food Bank through this and have raised almost £500 over the last few years.
Initially, when I started taking photography 'seriously', I photographed local landscapes and places I'd visited on holiday - often I'd take more photos of the places and landmarks I visited than the usual holiday snaps of the people I was with. My passion for wildlife photography started a bit later as I realised how difficult it can be to get a good shot of wildlife! I've visited quite a few wildlife parks and hides and love to go to Brownsea Island to see the red squirrels. A few years ago, I visited Lunga in Scotland where I got to see puffins for the first time - it was amazing.
I've done natural light portraiture for a while but in the last year I have made a conscious effort to improve my studio lighting skills. I've been on a number of group shoots and workshops run by Alastair Currill, who is based in the Cotswolds, and have learnt so much from him.
