Hi there,I’m Grey O’Dwyer, a photographer based in the English Lake District.
At base my photography is human-centric, seeking to document and capture the life and lives of those who enjoy this mountainous region. For the most part this means hikers, fell runners, and rock climbers, along with the occasional sheep that’s kind enough to strike a pose in decent light. In this sense my primary focus is essentially a blend of adventure, landscape and street photography. My life gallery is home to these images. My secondary photographic interests lie in more traditional landscape images of the Lake District, alongside shots of the European Alps and street photography, primarily in the UK, Austria, Slovenia and Mexico.
Photographic Approach
Coming from a fell running and rock climbing background I largely blend this with my approach to photography. This means that for the majority of my shots I head out for a few hours when the light is being mildly cooperative, carry one camera, one zoom lens or two small primes, a small fell running pack, and few snacks. Although not moving as quickly as I might without a camera, this allows me to go from valley to summit at a fast pace, with things such as image stabilisation letting me shoot handheld at, quite frankly, silly shutter speeds. Of course, I sometimes opt for longer days out, where I’ll adopt a more of a formal landscape or hiking set up, carrying two cameras and multiple lenses, but I much prefer my fast and light approach to photography.
Camera Gear
In terms of specific gear I shoot with, I switch between different set-ups depending on the type of photography I’m focusing on on. For days when image quality is paramount, I carry a full frame Nikon Z6 or Z7. For more technical terrain such as the rock faces, gullies, and ridges of the Lake District I switch over to an OM System OM-5 or an Fujifilm X-T3 and while small, the hilariously sharp lenses for these cameras are impressive. When I have to move fast, and over long distances I will often carry a tiny Fujifilm XF10 that somehow squeezes an APS-C sensor inside (witchcraft I assume), with a 28mm prime lens. This tiny thing isn’t much bigger than a mobile photo and therefore I can carry this in my hand while running.
Current Projects
Alongside the images that find their way into my portfolios there are three broad projects that I’m currently working on.
One: the shooting of 120 fells across the Lake District for a new edition of Great Mountain Days. Mark Richards is the original author of this highly popular guide book, but in my capacity as a photographer, I am presently working with Mark and Cicerone Press as part of a major update to the work, and as co-author of this second edition.
Second: a longer term project is a collection of images of all 214 Wainwright fells which I’m shooting over the course of 2023-2026. I aim to publish this collection soon afterwards.
Third: a set of images that offer an extensive photographic tour of the Bob Graham Round, a classic Lake District fell running challenge of 66 miles, taking in 42 summits across the National Park, that has a time limit of 24 hours.
Collaboration and Prints
Despite being Lake District-based I don’t tend to sell too many prints through my website. Rather I tend to work with local artists, guide book writers, and publishers who use my images for these purposes. Do get in touch or message me on Instagram. if you are interested in using my photography for these purposes.
I’m always open to discussing this sort of thing and would be most happy to hear from you. That said, if you would like to buy a print, of any image, do get in touch as I’m happy to sell these on low volume basis. I have sold plenty of prints in the past, but the administration involved in this tends to keep me at the desk, ploughing through emails and placing orders with local printers, rather than on the crags and fells of the Lake District. I know which I’d rather be doing with my time - see you on the fells!
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