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The Thorn Valley Studios Journal
Welcome to the Journal, a visual diary dedicated to the art of authentic storytelling.
As photographers and preservationists, Thorn Valley Studios is driven by a deep love for the craft and the rugged beauty of the landscapes we call home.
From the untamed light of Dartmoor to the quiet, emotional thresholds of a wedding day, we live to capture the moments that matter.
This space is a collection of our work and our wisdom.
Explore behind-the-scenes features of our latest creative pursuits, discover practical photography guides to elevate your own skills, and find the inspiration to document your own history.
We’re glad you’re here. Grab a coffee, dive in, and explore our latest stories.
AI vs. Manual Photo Restoration: Why Automated Tools Ruin Antique Faces
We’ve all seen the ads promising miraculous results: “Restore old family photos in one click using AI!” It sounds like magic. You upload a scratched, faded, 1920s portrait of your great-grandfather, wait three seconds, and a crisp, brightly coloured image pops out.
However, as you look closer, a strange feeling sets in. The skin looks plasticky. The teeth look a bit too perfect, almost cartoonish. Worst of all, the eyes look cold, like a stranger staring back at you.
Why ‘Award-Winning Photographer’ Might Not Mean What You Think
We’ve all seen it plastered across websites, Instagram bios, and email signatures: “Multi-Award-Winning Photographer.”
It sounds prestigious, doesn't it? It conjures up images of a tortured genius snapping a once-in-a-lifetime shot, being handed a trophy by a panel of elite judges, and instantly becoming the Michelangelo of the lens.
Between 2013 and 2019, I was that photographer. I collected those badges like Pokémon cards, proudly displaying them on my homepage.
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Why "A La Carte" is the Best Way to Buy Your Wedding Memories
When you’re hunting for a wedding photographer, you’ll see the word "package" thrown around a lot.
Package A includes 8 hours and an album.
Package B includes 10 hours, two parent albums, and an engagement session.
It sounds convenient, right?
But at Thorn Valley Studios, we do things a little differently.
We don't bundle our prints or albums into standard wedding packages. Instead, we keep our coverage and your tangible heirlooms completely separate.
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Learn with Us
These posts are designed to learn the basics of photography. They are free to use and share with some ideal graphics for you to keep.
If you wish to learn more or book a 1 on 1 workshop, please contact us.
The Ultimate Guide to Advanced Composition: Mastering the Golden Ratio & Golden Spiral
Ever wonder why some photographs instantly pull you in, while others feel flat?
It isn’t random luck, and it isn’t just "having a good eye." It is maths disguised as art.
At Thorn Valley Studios, we believe that moving from a hobbyist to a master creator requires understanding the hidden frameworks of visual storytelling.
While the Rule of Thirds is a fantastic starting point, it can eventually start to feel rigid and predictable.
4 min read
Essential Tips for Photographers Entering the Festival and Concert Scene
Capturing the energy and excitement of festivals and concerts is a thrilling challenge for photographers. These events offer unique opportunities to create dynamic images that tell stories through music, light, and crowd interaction. However, working in these fast-paced environments requires specific skills and preparation. If you are new to festival and concert photography, this guide will help you navigate the scene with confidence and produce compelling photos.
3 min read
Master the Basics: A Beginners Guide to Photo Editing
Photo editing can seem like a daunting task for beginners, but mastering the basics is essential for creating visually appealing images.
7 min read
Photographing on Dartmoor: Tips from a local Pro Photographer
As one of the most captivating areas in the UK, Dartmoor offers a wide range of photographic opportunities for both amateur and seasoned pho
6 min read
Maximising the Lifespan of Your Prints: A Practical Guide for Displaying Your Photographs.
Ensuring the longevity of your photographs is vital when displaying them.
5 min read
Learning to Photograph the Heavens: A Basic Guide to Shooting the Milky Way
Are you fascinated by the vastness and beauty of the night sky?
Do you find yourself gazing up at the stars in awe and wonder?
8 min read
Rainy day photography ideas to inspire your inner artist
Rainy days are the perfect opportunity to curl up with a cup of tea and get lost in a good book. But if you’re the type of person who prefers to make the most of every opportunity, then a rainy day can also be the perfect time to get out your camera and explore some creative photography ideas. N.B. Before you set out or set-up, make sure you've got the right equipment to protect yourself and your equipment from the elements. From photographing raindrops on leaves to experimen
16 min read
Flash Photography for Beginners: How to Use In Camera Flash and Off Camera Flash
If you’re new to photography, you’ve probably heard of “flash” but might not be entirely sure what it is or how to use it. Flash is simply a burst of light that can be used to illuminate a subject in low light situations or to add a bit of extra light to a scene. 1. Introduction There are two main types of flash In-camera flash and off camera flash. In camera flash is built into your camera and is the more convenience option. Off-camera flash requires an extra piece of equipm
4 min read
Monopod Vs. Tripod: A beginner's guide
Monopod Vs Tripod: What Every Photographer Needs To Know Tripod or Monopod? It may seem simple enough to some, but it's one of the most common things we get asked about. 1. Introduction Before we delve into the world of monopods vs tripods, let’s take a look at what each one is and what they are used for: A monopod is a single pole that is used to support a camera, camcorder, or other optical equipment. A tripod, on the other hand, is a three-legged support system that is use
6 min read
What the Bokeh? It's all in the Aperture...
What Does Bokeh Mean? Bokeh comes from the Japanese word boke (ボケ), which means "blur" or "haze", or boke-aji, the "blur quality." Bokeh is pronounced BOH-Kə or BOH-kay. Visit any photography website or forum and you’ll find plenty of folks debating the pleasing bokeh that their favourite fast lenses allow. Adjectives that describe bokeh include: smooth, incredible, superb, good, beautiful, sweet, silky, and excellent… but what exactly is it? What is Bokeh? Bokeh is defined a
3 min read
Light
The Importance of Light Light is so basic and important to photography that the word itself - “photography” - comes from the Greek word for light, which is “phos.” Light is essential to most types of life on earth, and does many other things for us such as enabling us to see colours and shapes – and without it, photography couldn’t exist! Colour Temperature The term colour temperature is a way to describe the colour of a light source, by relating it to a reference source heat
6 min read
The Three Scapes
Introduction of the Three “Scapes” A few popular locations, or “scapes” you may wish to shoot when you encounter them are: Landscape Seascape Cloudscape Setting the Scene How much of the scene is needed to convey your vision? What key elements should you include? What is distracting from your vision? What colours add to the story you're telling and which detract from it? Conveying Emotion and Intimacy Through Pictures Your focus needs to be on what's most important in the sce
13 min read
Avoiding Common Mistakes
Now that we've covered the basics, it’s a good time to look at some of the more common mistakes and pitfalls that are made in the field of photography. Once a new photographer knows what these are, they can much more easily determine how to correct or avoid them. At this point, you might have already become aware of some of these problem areas, in which case this lesson will give you the chance to refresh your memory. By observing and considering the causes and results of eac
9 min read
Understanding ISO in photography, a beginners guide...
ISO is one of the three legs of the exposure triangle used to make sense of what goes into determining an exposure. The other two legs are aperture and shutter speed. To understand the origins of ISO, we have to take a short journey back through the mists of time to the days of film photography and go from there... ISO - The International Organization for Standardisation The acronym ISO itself is a reference to the International Organisation for Standardisation. In relation t
6 min read
Understanding Shutter Speed - A beginner's guide...
Before we get into the details on shutter speed, first let's have a quick look at Exposure. Exposure is the amount of light that is needed to reach the camera's sensor in order for it to record a well-lit image that displays the details of the subject, as well as providing a full range of contrast and tone. In a properly exposed photograph there are no areas left in deep shadow that obscures details (underexposure) and no areas receiving so much light that details are washed
5 min read
Is there a difference between Monochrome and Black & White Photography? A beginners guide...
The simplest way I can explain this is: All Black and White images are Monochrome. However, not all Monochrome images are Black and White. What is Monochrome Photography? The dictionary lists Monochrome as follows: monochrome /ˈmɒnə(ʊ)krəʊm,ˌmɒnə(ʊ)ˈkrəʊm/ noun a photograph or picture developed or executed in black and white or in varying tones of only one colour. With this in mind, Monochrome photography is photography in which the entire image is recorded and represented by
2 min read
Understanding Basic Composition
Composition is the one thing that I can't teach. You can either see it, or you can't. With that in mind, understanding the basic structure of an image can help you along the way. We've broken down some of the basic "rules" of composition. However; rules, like art, are subjective. We've broken this down into sections if you want to skip through any parts: Understanding Composition > Rule of Thirds > Horizontal Split Thirds > Off Centre Subjects > Points of Intersection > Balan
7 min read
What the f/stop? An introduction to Aperture and Depth of Field (DoF)...
Let's start at the beginning. Everyone in the photography world talks about the "Exposure Triangle". But what is aperture and how does it effect an image? A camera’s aperture setting controls the size of the opening in the lens, which then regulates the amount of light reaching the film or digital sensor. It works like the pupil in your eye - when the light level is low, it can expand to let in more light, and when there is a lot of light it can close up tight to prevent too
4 min read
A beginner's guide to the equipment and language of photography...
Welcome to our basic guide to the equipment photographers carry and the language we speak. In order to help as many people as possible, we'll start at the very beginning and break down camera types, equipment, terminology and some do's and don'ts. There is a lot of information contained here, so if you want to skip bits, you can jump straight to the following sections: Camera Types > Lenses > Tripods & Monopods > Camera Cleaning & Care > Basic Photography Terminology > Witho
12 min read
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