Daryl Walker shares his ever-evolving journey as a professional travel photographer
As part of our partnership with Huawei and its global smartphone photography competition Next-Image awards 2020, we caught up with professional photographer Daryl Walker as he took part in the competition in the ‘Near Far’ category using the Huawei P40 Pro to capture the Positive Power of Creativity. The landscape photographer told us about his approach to photography and how he captures his own gems in nature.
Walker’s photography represents a mixture of his love for nature, his emotive approach to storytelling and the many adventures he goes through in life; a full-blown celebration of planet Earth. “I’m an adventure and travel photographer. I’m always striving to capture the small details and the grand vistas.” He told Screen Shot.
Near Far, experimenting with capturing a new setting with Daryl Scott Walker
For his participation in the Huawei Next-Image awards 2020, Walker chose to submit his pictures in the ‘Near Far’ category with a series of captivating images depicting his trip to Minsteracres in Consett where sequoia trees have grown to impressive proportions to create magnificent avenues of giant trees. By using the Pro mode on his Huawei smartphone, Walker’s photography offers a different perspective of nature’s hidden gems. “Using the Huawei P40 Pro has allowed me to capture some incredible perspectives. To capture the sequoias, which are very large, I’ve also used the RAW feature built into the camera and the wide-angle lens, which gave me some extra room in nailing my final idea.”
Walker decided to do what he does best: to explore and capture nature in a way that we’ve never seen before. Capturing these settings on a smartphone allows Walker to always be ready to contain a fleeting moment; never missing a beat and making sure that the environment, from all its angles and beauties, is stored with him.
“My work primarily focuses on animals, landscapes, and aerial imagery—all with a sense of adventure. My ultimate goal in photography is to inspire others to get outside and find their own hidden gems, whether this is locally or further afield. This ultimately makes me want to continue exploring, finding new places, photographing them and showing them to others.”
Even developing his career, Walker had always had a fascination with our planet’s natural beauty, which naturally evolved into his main inspiration. “I find inspiration through films and other media outlets but when you have places like this on your doorstep, my own adventures then become my inspiration.”
It is this same passion for adventure and his love of nature that give Walker the ability to capture striking and powerful moments. Born and raised in the North East of England, Walker always takes advantage of his easy access to Northumberland’s finest beaches and countryside. His love for exploring and being outside both drive him to constantly experiment with new settings.
Take your time
Walker started by simply wanting to capture special moments and places on his smartphone, which led him to chase sunrises and explore mountains. From there, he couldn’t imagine a life without photography, making sure he always took his time to enjoy the journey along the way, both in terms of his skills as a photographer and the physical journeys to the remote and wild places he chooses to capture. “The beauty of photography is that you never stop learning, there is always a new skill to master.”
Use your own perspective
Through his photography career, Walker uses pictures to celebrate our planet and the many hidden beauties it contains. But, as he explained, you can find inspiration from anything and use it to capture your own hidden gems. Most of Walker’s activities involve nature in one way or another, which is strongly mirrored in his photography. Find your own passion to share your unique perspective of the world. And in the words of Walker: “As always, adventure is out there. Let’s go and find it.”
Find more of Daryl’s work here.
