Ross Hoddinott, NiSi UK Ambassador

Ross Hoddinott is an award-winning landscape and wildlife photographer, best known for his evocative images of Devon and Cornwall, alongside his acclaimed macro and close-up photography of insects and plant life. His work has been widely published and commissioned internationally, appearing in books, magazines, and major campaigns.

He is a well-established photography author, with several books published by Ammonite Press and regular contributions to the UK photographic press. An experienced judge, tutor, and workshop leader, Ross is co-founder of Dawn 2 Dusk Photography (with Mark Bauer), one of the UK’s leading landscape photography workshop companies.

Ross’s Gear Bag

Ross’s Gear Bag

Every photographer refines their kit over time, selecting tools that best support their creative approach. Take a look inside Ross’s bag to see the equipment he trusts to transform ideas into images and bring his photographic vision to life.

Are you looking to embark on an extraordinary journey into the world of landscape and nature photography?

Ross Hoddinott interview

NiSi: What got you into photography?

Ross:
My parents are totally to blame! They bought me a little film compact camera for Christmas when I was 9 or 10 years old – I had asked for a Millennium Falcon, so I’m not sure why they bought me a camera!? I already loved nature and the outdoors and intuitively started taking photos of the Cornish coast near where we live and local wildlife. A year later I won BBC Countryfile’s inaugural photography competition and a top of the range SLR camera to boot. I was totally hooked and the rest is history as they say.   

NiSi: Talk us through your favourite shot with NiSi filters

Ross: I’ve been a keen and active filter user for decades, but I’m still relatively new to the NiSi JetMag Pro System. I love the compact size, convenience, and ease of use of the system. To date, probably my favourite image is one I took during a cool, still and misty morning on Loch Awe in Scotland. Kilchurn Castle is a popular location among landscape photographers and understandably so. Living in Cornwall (a 10hrs or 560mile drive away) I don’t get many opportunities to photograph this romantic ruin, but I was fortunate with the conditions on one of my very first outings with the JetMag system last autumn. Watching the castle gradually appear through the mist while shooting from the shoreline was a magical experience – the conditions were beautifully calm and tranquil, and the NiSi True Color CPL helped me regulate reflections and mood.

NiSi: What is your dream location to photograph?

Ross: Photography has already taken me to some very special places – for example, Iceland, Slovakia, the Galapagos islands and the Outer Hebrides. There are so many places I would love to visit with my camera – New Zealand, Canada, Patagonia and Scandinavia are all my bucket list. However, I love shooting close to home and building an intimate knowledge of an area. I’ve lived in Cornwall most of my life and – while it might sound strange – it remains one of my favourite places to explore and shoot. There are so many parts of the UK that I have yet to experience – particularly the Scottish Islands – that I don’t always feel a great need to travel long distances to generate those magical photo opportunities.

NiSi: Every photographer has that one day when everything went wrong – tell us about yours

Ross: Oh yes, I’ve had a few – most being weather related and involving getting soaked! I’m not sure that any particular experience stands out, though. So often the bad days are closely intertwined with misjudging forecasts and being in the wrong place at the wrong time. But without the errors, misjudgements and frustration you wouldn’t experience and appreciate the highs and successes of when things all come together. Landscape photography relies on so many variables outside of our control that when things go wrong – as they inevitably do – we just have to take a deep breath and carry on! 

Ross’s photo selection