SheFeatures: Linda Wride
Name: Linda Wride
Camera: Nikon Z7 II & iPhone 14 Pro
Favourite type of photography: Shapes and patterns
Website: 1x.com/lindaw
Instagram: @lindawride
Location: Oxford, UK
How did you get into photography?
I can remember taking photos with my mum's ancient Box Brownie as a small child and have enjoyed photography ever since. I learned the basics (and wonder) of developing and printing black-and-white images when taking a photography option as a student. However, it was the advent of digital photography and the opportunity to process images myself on a home computer that got the creative juices going!
Do you have any photographic qualifications or accolades?
I have no formal training, but distinctions from the Royal Photographic Society (ARPS); the Photographic Alliance of Great Britain (DPAGB) and the International Federation of Photographic Art (AFIAP).
What's the first photograph you remember seeing or shooting?
I'm afraid that's lost in the mists of time! However, the photo that stands out in my memory was an abstract inspired by a small sponge ball, floating in a pool at a holiday house in Greece - yellow ball, blue water, light patterns from surface ripples overlaid on the distorted shapes of mosaic tiles on the floor of the pool. It was the first image I processed on the computer unaided, the first image I entered into a competition, and the first image to win a prize.
What do you love about photography?
For me, it's primarily a creative process, which goes hand in hand with another passion, travelling. I love finding artistic ways to interpret the three dimensional world in two dimensional media, be it print or digital image. At times, photography has also been a creative lifeline and welcome distraction when life has gone through tough periods. Last but not least, photography has introduced me to wonderful people in the UK and all over the world, many of whom have become very good friends.
I enjoy finding shapes, pattern and form in any context. It's usually in the built environment (e.g. architectural photography) but also in the natural environment (e.g. abstract images inspired by sand dunes and rock formations). Plus, I'm beginning to overcome a fear of photographing strangers, so enjoying more street photography and environmental portraits.
What do you wish you'd learned about photography earlier?
Don't be afraid to do it your way. Don't be embarrassed to ask for advice. You can ignore the ‘rule of thirds’ and such like, and still take a pleasing photograph. Expensive gear does not automatically make you a better photographer.
Where is your favourite place for photography?
My favourite places for photography tend to be those I discover unexpectedly on my travels, plus iconic photography locations if you can find an unusual viewpoint, light, or activity taking place which can elevate images out of the usual picture postcard category. From trips in recent years, the Edifice Muralla Roja in Spain is a photography paradise for someone like me who loves to make colourful, rather graphic images.
Do you have a favourite photographic technique?
The short answer is no.
Can you briefly outline your approach to image processing?
I shoot in raw and jpeg format. Jpegs for ease/speed of review pre-processing. My raw files were initially adjusted in Adobe Camera Raw to achieve the basic ‘look’ I'm after. I've found De-noise useful and often use De-haze as it can add a richness and depth if done sensitively. I then make fine-tuning adjustments in Photoshop (usually levels and curves), plus correcting verticals and horizontals. Cropping and transforming if necessary for the overall composition. Images are saved in Photoshop, then uploaded as high-res jpegs to my 1x portfolio, and copied as a low-res image suitable for sharing on social media.
What's your favourite lens?
I travel light due to back problems and only have one lens (Nikon Nikkor Z 24-120mm f/4 S) so that's my favourite!
Read our Guide to Camera Lenses, all those terms explained
Do you have a favourite accessory?
My kit is minimal due to back problems. My favourite ‘accessory’ is my iPhone, which I use like an artists sketchbook but for photographs.
Have you found the perfect camera bag yet?
No. I'm small with a short back and need to keep weight to a minimum due to back problems. My camera with lens attached sits in a padded pouch inside a cheap day pack from Decathlon, which has separate pockets for spare batteries, memory cards, lens cloths and non-photographic essentials.
Which photographers have influenced or inspired you, and how or why?
A wide range of photographers have inspired me (both famous and people I've met that you will never have heard of!) No doubt, subconsciously, their work has impacted on my own. However, I try to plough my own photographic furrow rather than be influenced by other photographers. My favourite images are probably more influenced by artists and graphic designers than photographers.
Listen to a SheClicks Women in Photography Podcast
Please recommend 2 or 3 female photographers to follow on Instagram.
Shirlaine Forrest (@shirlaine_forrest) for gig photography, Katharina (@kathaphine) for architecture and Tuğba Kırallı (@tugbakiralli) particularly for her ballet dancers
Is there a camera, lens or accessory that you don't have yet but you'd like to buy at some point?
It hasn't been invented yet - a full frame mirrorless Nikon with a wide-angle zoom lens that's half the weight of my current minimal kit!
Is there a genre of photography that you love but you haven't tried yet?
Drone photography.
What's your proudest photographic moment?
Being part of the SheClicks gang at the AP Gala Awards evening when we were awarded Community of the Year, for the second year running!
If you could have one superpower that could help you with photography, what would it be?
Only one? Levitation!
Your favourite baked goods are?
Anything with chocolate chips in.
Please tell us a little about yourself.
I was born in London and moved to Oxford as a student. I’m still here! I’m self-taught with no formal training (other than being shown how to develop film and make monochrome prints in the college darkroom). I found my way around Photoshop by trial and error. It’s been a similar approach with cameras I’ve used since playing with my mum’s Box Brownie as a child. Changing recently from a DSLR to a mirrorless camera has been a learning curve, but I’m getting there.
Along the way, I’ve gained photography distinctions, been published in photography books and magazines, enjoyed success in competitions and exhibited in solo and group shows. But I still suffer from Imposter Syndrome occasionally.
I’m not a ‘technical’ photographer. For me, the camera, lens and settings are secondary to the final image. Many of my photographs have a graphic quality, influenced by an interest in art and design. I often combine photography with my other passion - travelling. Although best known for architectural imagery, I’m actually fascinated by shape, form and pattern, and I seek these out wherever I am on my travels, in both the natural and built environment.
