Books, publications & awards
A selection of Gary Holpin Photography's books, published work and award winning photography
The South West Coast Path, and Climate Change are two causes that are very close to my heart, so I was delighted to find out that my photo of a flooded Porlock Marsh in the blue hour was the winner of the 2023 South West Coast Path Photographer of the Year in the climate change category. Until very recently, Porlock Marsh was reclaimed farm land, however rising sea levels due to climate change had meant increasing breaches of the protective banks. Eventually it was decided that the fight against the rising waters was lost, and the sea allowed to once again cover the marsh at high tide. The skeletal trees, killed by the salt water are a stark reminder of the increasing impact of rising sea levels on our coastline. Image below from this BBC article.
As a well known Devon photographer, I frequently contribute to Devon Life Magazine. As well as one of my photos being used as the hero shot for the 'Outdoor Life' section every month, I also provide other content on an occasional basis, such as cover photos and photo features. A few of these are highlighted below.
Devon Life, bluebell photo feature, April 2023
Devon Life, waterfalls photo feature, Mar 2023
Devon Life, Outdoor Life cover April 2023
Devon Life cover May 2020
Devon Life, sunset photo feature Sept 2023
Also available online at The Great British Life.
Devon Life cover Nov 2023
Devon Life cover March 2024
Since 2022 I have been the in-house photographer for South West 660, a website promoting the iconic road trip which follows the coastline of South West England. As well as being part of the delivery team for this exciting new concept, I have also supplied most of the photography for their website, as well as my images appearing in SW660 articles in a number of high profile publications.
Waitrose Weekend Magazine, April 2023
Detour roadtrips #145, March 2022
Johansens.com, April 2022
Discover Britain Magazine, March 2023
Publications:
Other
I have had my work published in many other publications over the last few years, both online and in print. A few of the more recent & notable publications are shown below.
As I am also well known as a Dartmoor photographer, I was pleased to be asked by Dartmoor Magazine to be their featured photographer for spring 2022. As well as one of my photos gracing the cover of the magazine, I also had a full page feature about me and my photography.
Interview with Dpture photography magazine, Aug 2023
A journalist writes about attending one of my weekend photography workshops, West Country Life, May 2023
Podcast interview with the Camera Cafe Show, May 2023
Books
Even more of a buzz than seeing my work on websites and in magazines is walking into my local bookshop and seeing one of my Devon books on display. Although it's hard to make any kind of living out of being an author (typically as an author you get less than £1 per sale, unless you're JK Rowling!) I find that having a book project helps to give a focus to my photography; it provides an incentive to find new locations, and an extra incentive to get out of bed for sunrise when the alarm goes off at 4am! My first three books about Devon have been a mixture of photography with a little Devon local history thrown in. My next book (coming late 2023) will be my first 'coffee table' photo book, where the emphasis will be solely on the photography, and a celebration of the beauty of the Devon landscape.
'Exmouth to Plymouth, Britain's Heritage Coast' (Amberley publishing 2014)
Exmouth to Plymouth, Deven's Heritage Coast was my first book, published in 2014. The book takes readers on a photographic journey along the entire length of the South Devon coast, from Exmouth to Plymouth, providing snippets of history and folklore of some of places along the way. The book receives a 4.6 out of 5 star rating on Amazon, and it's the first time to my knowledge that I've been quoted as a Wikipedia source! You can pick up a signed copy of this book, in my online shop.
'Honiton Through Time' (Amberley publishing 2016)
Honiton Through Time was my second book title, and followed the format of the 'Through Time' series; Amberly Publishing's number one selling series of books. The book is a series of before and after photos of Honiton, showing how the place has changes over the last century or so. As well as historic photos, and equivalent shots taken at the same spot today, there are snippets of history of the place that I call home. You can pick up a signed copy of this book, in my online shop.
'50 Gems of South Devon' (Amberley publishing 2020)
In '50 Gems of South Devon' I explore some of my favourite places to visit across an area that covers the Devon Coast from Plymouth to Seaton, three Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and the Dartmoor National Park. We visit moorland wilderness, rolling hills, river valleys, picturesque villages and historic harbour towns, exploring what makes them so special. The book is illustrated throughout with my photography, and has written sections which give interesting background to each of the locations..
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The book receives a 5 star rating on Amazon, and you can pick up a signed copy in my online shop.
Award winning photography
Being an introvert, putting my photography out there to be scrutinised in competitions has never really been my kind of thing! However, I relented a little over the last year or so with entering a number of my favourite pictures of Devon into a monthly competition run by the National Photographic Society (NPS), of which I am a member. The standard is extremely high, so I was delighted to have won silver (highly commended) prizes for a number of my images
My specialisms
Property photography | Website photography | Event photography | Drone photography | Photography training | Business photography Devon landscapes | Real estate photographs | Property interiors | Property exteriors | Corporate headshots | Portrait photography
