Lake Windermere was voted the UK’s favourite scenic spot [Photo credit: © Jeremy Walker]
Windermere in the Lake District was the place favoured by most photographers (38%), according to the Nikon poll of more than 2,000 photography enthusiasts.
This was closely followed by the Yorkshire Dales (34%) and the Peak District (33%).
Meanwhile, the top landscape in the south was Stonehenge in Wiltshire (26%).
Most photographers (86%) said an iconic red post box should be included in a quintessentially British photograph, followed by a pub (82%), cricket green (79%) and countryside village (76%).
Overcast skies rather than sunshine made for a more characteristically British scene, according to 70% of respondents.
Northerners were deemed to be the most adventurous, with 84% in the North East and nearly two-thirds (65%) in the North West ‘preferring to discover beauty spots which no one else has been to before to get the perfect shot’.
Only around a third of respondents (34%) said they were happy with their first shot of a scenic view.
Landscape photographer and Nikon ambassador Jeremy Walker said: ‘For me, variety is what makes our countryside so brilliantly British.
‘From the Yorkshire Dales with its brooding, bleak moorland, gentle rolling hills and dry stone walls, to the drama of Snowdonia National Park, which is unlike anywhere else you would find in the UK, there’s so much on offer for the photographer.’
He added: ‘Of course, the red phone and letter boxes are icons of the British landscape, but there’s nothing quite like the British village.
‘Whether you’re in Devon with its thatched cottages and whitewashed walls, or the Cotswolds with its honey-coloured stone, a village provides a great focal point to any landscape photograph.’
The top 7 well-known scenic spots, according to the Nikon survey:
1. Windermere, Lake District (38%)
2. Yorkshire Dales (34%)
3. Peak District (33%)
4. Snowdonia National Park (32%)
5. Loch Ness, Scottish Highlands (30%)
6. Stonehenge, Wiltshire (26%)
7. White Cliffs of Dover, Kent (26%)
The top 7 lesser-known scenic spots:
1. Isle of Skye, Inner Hebrides (45%)
2. Lizard Peninsula, Cornwall (32%)
3. Pistyll Rhaeadr Waterfalls, Powys (32%)
4. Cheddar Gorge, Somerset (31%)
5. Seilebost Beach, Isle of Harris, Outer Hebrides (28%)
6. Durdle Door, Dorset (26%)
7. Malham Cove, Yorkshire Dales (23%)
The Yorkshire Dales came a close second
Jeremy Walker’s landscape photography tips:
1. Get the best light. The best light is usually at the beginning and end of the day, around sunrise and sunset. Avoid shooting in the middle of the day when the sun is too high and the light will be flat.
2. Use a tripod. It will slow you down and help you concentrate on composition. Be sure to use a cable release or remote shutter release to avoid getting camera shake on slower exposures.
3. Be patient. Great light and conditions don’t just happen the instant you turn up. Give yourself enough time and never give up and leave a location too early, all it takes is one beam of light through the clouds for that award-winning shot.
4. Experiment. There are no specific lenses for shooting landscapes but a good mid-range zoom like the Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 is a versatile lens. You can shoot very wide for the big view or zoom in to concentrate on just a section of the landscape. Be careful to avoid shooting every single landscape with a wideangle lens though as you will exaggerate the foreground and anything in the distance will become small and insignificant. Experimenting with short and long focal lengths is the key to getting good results with landscape photography.
5. Do not carry too much kit. Some locations may require effort to get to the best viewpoint. Think about what you need and pack accordingly. Carrying unnecessary kit will start to take the fun out of landscape photography.
