Gary Gough, NiSi UK Ambassador

Gary has been a Professional Photographer for nearly 20 years. He is a photography Teacher and Youtube Influencer. His photography genres include Landscapes, Commercial, Portraiture, Wedding and Photography Training.

Gary’s first step into photography was joining a camera club in 1979. He joined the RAF as a spritely 18-year-old and thought he would try something new! A decision he’s glad he made to this day!

His camera history is pretty straightforward; first camera was a Practika MTL5 35mm film camera. He soon outgrew this and moved on to his very much loved Canon A1. Had various other film cameras until the world of digital photography took hold in 2005. He bought the original Canon 5D, two to be precise, both of which he still have today. 

He still possess all of the aforementioned and he still own all the cameras he purchased since. He’s not sure why, but he just can’t bring himself around to selling old cameras!

From the beginning of 2024, he’s sponsored by Nikon and shoots with a Nikon Z8.

Youtube Influencer with Nikon sponsorship– It seems a very strange concept to call yourself an influencer, especially at my age. What does that even mean? It seems to be a title that is bestowed upon you when your Youtube and Instagram channels grow. It’s certainly not a title I would give myself at all. I still treat YT as a form of escapism. In fact, until I started the channel I only ever had a camera in my hands for self-gratification for a couple of days each year! 

Starting YT was just one of those silly lightbulb moments. Each year, my photography friend and I made a point of going away for a few days. Whether the subject was street, woodland or landscape photography it was always just for us! We are both busy studio-based photographers and whilst on an annual trip away, we had a conversation about the lack of time we held cameras for ourselves. Sure, we both used cameras daily but it was always for clients! 

I came home from our trip and suggested to Paula (Wife) that I wanted to take a day off each week and take pictures for me. She supported my idea and my YT channel was born!

The daft thing is, I’m now busier than ever. It’s a constant juggle between my studio work, my wedding photography and Youtube.

I wouldn’t change it for the world though!

I have won various awards with the MPA (Master Photographers Association) for my Wedding and Landscape work. I was awarded my licentiate for a panel of portraiture and wedding pictures I submitted in 2015.

Gary’s Gear Bag

Filters: NiSi V7 True Color CPL, NiSi V6 Landscape Enhanced ND64 1.8 6 stops,ND1000 3.0 10 stops

ND32000 4.5 15 stops, NiSi GND8 0.9 3 stops Soft.

Camera: Nikon Z8

Lenses: Z 14-30 mm f/4 S | Z 24-120mm f/4 S | Z 70-200mm | Z 100-400mm f4.5-5.6 S

Bag: Compagnon Element Camera Backpack

Tripod:  Ifootage Gazelle TC7

NiSi UK: What got you into photography?

Gary: When I was 10 or 12, my late uncle introduced me to his photography darkroom, where he processed his black and white portraits. Better still, he used to colourise his images too. The pictures looked fantastic and very different from the norm. 

In 1979 when I joined my first camera club, I experienced the darkroom for myself. I have never looked back!

Talk me through your favourite shot with NiSi filters

Gary: A group of my workshop attendees and I spent one of those rare days cooped up in a van praying for the horizontal rain to subside. It was relentless. Thankfully, just minutes before sunset, the rain stopped for a very brief period. It was long enough for everyone to grab an image of this famous location. I had just one chance to capture an image before the rain started again. 

I have photographed here several times prior. This time around, I opted for an extremely long exposure of eight minutes. I thought the resulting fine-art feel to the image was excellent and very different!

NiSi UK: What is your dream location to photograph?

Gary: A difficult question to answer; I’m torn between the Scottish Highlands, the Lake District and North Wales! It’s a pants answer, I know, but it’s so difficult to choose. Furthermore, I’m heading to the Faroe Islands in February, so that could very well be a future preference!

Every photographer has that one day when it all went wrong – tell us about yours. 

Gary: Walking for hours up to a mountain top, only to find I didn’t have a camera tripod mount for (at the time) a heavy tripod. Setting off in a rush to photograph a storm and realising I had left my camera bag at home. Leaving my camera bag at a location and not realising it for hours. Thankfully, it was still there when I went back. Twiddling my thumbs for 8 minutes only to find I hadn’t inserted my 15-stop filter! 

I have lost two quite expensive drones. One, I dumped in the sea and second, I pressed the command to return home, two years later, I’m still waiting!

I think I might need a check-up from the neck-up as Steve Wright used to say

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