Leica Q3 | alan frost photography

Where have I been…..…???

There are three answers to this one question. All three have relevance and I’ll start with the most obvious response, which relates directly to the images in this entry.

Many of you may recognise the subject of the above image. Yes, I have been to Corfe Castle in Dorset. I have to say that I normally try and steer clear of a honeypot location such as this. The very mention of this iconic place and the mind immediately conjures up a picture of the castle ruins rising out of early morning mist, bathed in warm dawn light. It’s a beautiful sight but it’s something of a cliche in the photographic world. Metaphorically speaking, tripod holes are all too evident!

If at all possible I prefer to approach a well known subject with a different eye and avoid making similar images to those that have ventured there before me.

***Looking east from West Hill back towards Corfe Castle***

With any form of landscape photography the weather, light and conditions play a huge part and I struck lucky when I went to Corfe Castle on the Isle of Purbeck. My principal intention was to enjoy a good walk from the village, get some fresh air, climb the hill to the west and take in the views, not just of the castle ruins but also the surrounding countryside. Of course I had my camera with me and it wasn’t long before some beautiful cloud formations coupled with glorious autumnal light presented me with a few opportunities to press the shutter. Why hadn’t I been here before?

Time to move on and give you the second answer to the question – ‘Where have I been?’

Unbelievably six months have passed since my last post and in this time my camera gear has barely seen the light of day. Many of you will be aware that England experienced a very hot summer with little or no rain resulting in a drought for many parts of the country. Certainly not the conditions for walking very far or indeed for my style of photography which relies heavily on mood and atmosphere.

There was also another reason for the camera staying in its bag.

This time last year we said goodbye to our dear cocker spaniel of nearly 12 years. My wife and I were heartbroken, but at the beginning of the year we took the decision to find another puppy and eventually we found a breeder and our new four legged companion joined us at the end May. It’s been pretty full on since then so it’s hardly surprising that photography took a back seat. He’s now six months old, another delightful and merry cocker, but hard work all the same.

Call it a photographic sabatical if you wish but I am very conscious of the fact that for various reasons I have been away from my camera.

***The Castle Ruins seemingly omnipresent – here it is overlooking the village cemetery***

And now to the third answer.

Although the camera stayed in the bag over the summer I took the opportunity to go back over the images I had made in the 15 years of being a serious hobbyist. Thousands of landscape images all with the intention of making three books. One on England, another on Scotland, Wales and Ireland and a third on my home county of Dorset. In total I selected nearly 350 photographs. It’s no easy task curating this number but I am very happy with my final selection. I have no intention of publishing these books, they will simply be albums for me, my family and friends to enjoy. Images left on a hard drive are rarely seen and there is only limited amount of wall space to frame and hang a selection of photographs. I have been meaning to carry out this task for sometime now, so I’m pleased it’s nearly complete.

As I collated my favourite images from different parts of the UK it reminded me of how fortunate I have been to visit all these wonderful places and to capture their beauty and spirit in monochrome. From the Outer Hebrides to the Isle of Mull and many other parts of Scotland. Northumberland, The Lake District, Pembrokeshire and Snowdonia in Wales. Norfolk and Suffolk on the East coast and much of the South coast from Kent through to Sussex, Dorset, Devon and Cornwall. For a small country the UK can boast some truly breathtaking and varied landscapes.

This most pleasurable exercise brought back some vivid memories, but it also raised the question of ‘where haven’t I been?’ Time on earth for all of us is limited and so while I have enjoyed looking back, more importantly I am thinking about the future and looking forward to visiting new locations which I can add to my list of ‘Where have I been?’

I can now include Corfe Castle to this list – and yes it was great to be out with my camera once again. Circumstances have changed and autumn is with us. My enthusiasm for photography and desire to make new images has returned.

***One of the first images I made as I headed out to explore the area.***

One question – three answers – it’s good to be back.

Photography without limits…..welcome to 2026

At the start of a new year our thoughts inevitably turn to what we might like to achieve in the coming 12 months. Resolutions are often made but soon broken…or they are if you are anything like me. Sometimes we set ourselves targets or specific goals. All too often these are unrealistic and consequently never realised. This leads to a feeling of disappointment which is why I don’t set any for myself in the first place.

Whilst this is not a resolution I do wish to continue to document my local surroundings. I am fortunate to live in a rural part of the lovely county of Dorset. There are many honeypot locations nearby which most photographers will have visited at one time or another. Durdle Door, Corfe Castle and Kimmeridge Bay to name a few. They may be seeking ‘likes’ of course, even though the subject has been seen and captured thousands, if not millions of times before. But should that be the motivation? I think not. For me the images I wish to make are far from the atypical landscape shot from a location of this nature.

From my perspective no subject should be off limits. The composition or scene may be neither obviously beautiful or instantly recognisable but that shouldn’t deter me or any photographer from making an image. If the picture has something to say or forms part of a wider narrative then the camera should be turned on, lens selected and focused, settings chosen and shutter pressed.

The image shown in this post neatly sums up what I am trying to say. In fact it inspired me to make this entry. The subject is a de-restricted road sign, which at some time or another has been knocked over and left in a roadside verge diminishing its effectiveness and meaning. The out of focus old farm building in the background offers some context about its surroundings. But the principal subject is the road sign.

Strictly speaking the Highway Code states that this sign denotes that the National Speed Limit applies, although why anyone would want to drive at up to 60mph along a twisty narrow country lane I do not know.

The point of this entry is simply to encourage all photographers to make images of subjects that appeal to the individual behind the camera, and not be swayed by what they think is likely to appeal to an unknown audience.

My view is that we all need to de-restrict our minds and try not to define what does or doesn’t make a good image. It’s all about being honest and true to yourself. Making images which work and appeal to you. In the process these images will serve to define who you are as a photographer. In other words photography can and should be without limits.

And finally may I wish anyone who has read this far a very happy and healthy 2026.

Photographer and subject drawn to the light ….. The story behind the picture recalls a quote by Henri Cartier-Bresson.

I have said this before, but much can be learned by studying the images of famous photographers whose work you admire. Similarly their writings can also encourage and inspire. I particularly enjoy reading quotations by some of my favourite photographers – Ansel Adams, Minor White and Henri Cartier-Bresson to name just three. I wholeheartedly recommend having a shelf full of photography books to revisit from time to time, browse at leisure and enjoy.

I took this image in Wells Cathedral in Somerset on Boxing Day, just a few days ago. Its capture reminded me of a quote by Cartier-Bresson that I recalled reading in the past. I couldn’t remember the exact words, only the sentiment. It didn’t take me long to find the quote and this is what he wrote:-

“Sometimes it happens that you stall, delay, wait for something to happen. Sometimes you have the feeling that here are all the makings of a picture – except for just one thing that seems to be missing. But what one thing? Perhaps someone suddenly walks into your range of view. You follow his progress through the viewfinder. You wait and wait, and then finally you press the button – and you depart with the feeling (though you don’t know why) that you’ve really got something.”

Let me now explain the story that lies behind this image. I hope you will find it interesting. I should begin by saying that Wells Cathedral is not only a place I have visited and photographed previously, but one which never ceases to inspire me to make images. I always find that I am drawn to how the light behaves; it’s almost as if it’s playing a magical tune.

As I wandered around I noticed how a low narrow shaft of light illuminated the stone floor and the base of a large pillar at the end a row of seats. The light was coming and going but I crouched down and adjusted my position to compose the image. I peered into the screen on the back of my camera and I didn’t have to wait very long before the brightest light returned to the scene.

Just as I was about to press the shutter, a lady walked into my field of view and sat down in the chair next to the pillar. A little frustrated I stood up, but then I guess intuition took over. I crouched down again, quickly recomposed and took the shot. Just the one release as I didn’t want to attract her attention and appear to be invading her privacy. It was only later that I could see that she had her head back and eyes closed!

I looked at the screen to review what I had captured. The camera’s exposure was set to protect the highlights, so much of the image was very dark and underexposed. I would have to wait until the image was downloaded to see whether or not I had a ‘keeper’. Something inside me made me feel rather excited to find out.

There is no question that initially I had been drawn to the scene by the light. Arguably the picture lacked a true focal point and I was aware that the modern chairs were rather out of keeping with the architecture. Nevertheless I felt it was a scene worth capturing. In truth though there was something missing, and that something walked into the viewfinder at precisely the right moment. I believe that she too had been drawn to the light. It was the Christmas season so quite possibly a light of a more spiritual nature.

Perhaps you can now understand why I recalled the quote by Cartier-Bresson…… it was almost an exact match for the image I made and my experience in doing so.

For previous posts on Wells Cathedral please click on the links below:

A quote by St. Francis of Assisi reminded me of Wells Cathedral.

A Monochrome Masterclass and a visit to Wells

Revisiting the majestic Wells Cathedral ….. to capture some details

The Chapter House – making amends for a missed opportunity

An early Christmas present from Leica – a firmware update (4.0.0) for Q3 and SL3, plus playing with Film Styles and Leica Looks

I don’t know about you, but most emails that arrive in my inbox are rubbish. Without opening them I hit the delete key. Occasionally one will jump out at me and my curiosity is awakened. This was most certainly the case when a couple of days ago I received an email from Leica announcing a major firmware upgrade for their Q3 and SL3 series of cameras. Many updates usually offer minor changes or bug fixes but firmware 4.0.0 was indeed a major upgrade particularly for the Q3.

Leica indicated the update would enhance performance and responsiveness, combined with faster and better autofocus capabilities. But the big change for me was the introduction of the interface and menu system from the SL3. I couldn’t wait to download the update and experience for myself the changes. Providing there are no bugs, these are very worthwhile improvements and will further enhance my enjoyment of the Leica Q3. Most definitely an unexpected and much appreciated Christmas present. Thank you Leica!

I always enjoy ‘playing’ and having reconnected the Q3 to the Leica Photos App, I thought it might be fun to download some of the ‘Leica Look’ JPEG only styles. I rarely if ever shoot JPEG, my default is always RAW so that I have the maximum possible control over image processing. However I thought I would compare the various JPEG options. Would any appeal to me?

Film Styles are already built into the camera menu, and the Leica Looks are downloadable from the Leica Photos App. There are a number to choose from but there are only six available slots in the camera.

I decided to visit a nearby church and took a series of external and interior images having selected each Film Style or Leica Look in turn – 11 baked in styles for JPEGs only. If I shot RAW as well this would not be affected. In all cases I used exactly the same settings and all the results can be viewed below.

Given my love for black and white I was particularly interested in the monochrome styles and I have to say of all of them I really like the ‘Greg Williams Leica Look’. It isn’t too contrasty, and the fairly subtle warm tone appeals to me. In the past I have used the Monochrome High Contrast film style to preview the look I am after but still shot RAW. I doubt I will ever use Selenium and the Sepia look is for me a little overdone but you can reduce the intensity of the style in camera prior to shooting so this may work.

Although I don’t normally work in colour I was interested to see how the various styles compared. Over to the colour workers reading this post to come to their own conclusions. Personal choice as always and some of the styles will work well for certain types of subject and lighting conditions and not for others.

And now for a set of interior shots using the same 11 film styles and looks.

Once again the ‘Greg Williams’ look works for me and this particular subject matter.

And here are the colour versions.

I think it’s fair to say that I have enjoyed this exercise. Whether or not I will start shooting RAW plus JPEG, coupled with one of the styles, I don’t know. At least I now have useful reference which will serve as a reminder of the looks available.

For anyone who is fortunate to own a Leica Q3 (28, 43 or Monochrom) or SL3 or SL3S, I can highly recommend the latest 4.0.0 firmware update. But before taking my word for it I would strongly suggest you check out the support section of the Leica website. I would also recommend viewing a couple of videos on YouTube on the Leica channel which will give you much more information.

I doubt I will post anything more before the 25th December so wherever you in the world and whatever your beliefs, may I wish you a very happy Festive Season and peaceful New Year.

(A quick aside – given the size of the images I would suggest viewing this post on a tablet or better still a desktop as opposed to a mobile device)

The Isles of Mull and Iona – Part two ….. Capturing the spirit of place

***White Strand of the Monks, Isle of Iona***

There are so many facets to these isles, to the point that trying to capture the spirit of the place with just a handful of images can’t possibly do it justice.

My wife and I have visited the Scottish Isles and in particular the Isle of Mull for over thirty years. However living on the South coast of England and travelling by car, means a minimum of two days on motorways, other stretches of tarmac and ferry crossings to reach our final destination. We take pleasure in the journey but we would probably visit more often if it wasn’t so far away. However being the distance it is does make it that much more special.

Admittedly accessibility is arguably the same for many people which does help to keep the number of visitors down. As a consequence places like Mull and Iona remain wild, beautiful and peaceful in equal measure.

In Part One of this short series I featured Iona Abbey. In this entry I will share a series of images captured during our week long stay back in the Spring. Apart from location they have little else in common but I hope they help to convey why and how much we love coming to this part of the world.