Regardless of the fact that I have a national photographic award for landscape photography, I do not, by any stretch of the imagination, consider myself to be a landscape photographer.

My shortcomings in this area became apparent yesterday evening when I spent four hours in the company of Peter Cox, one of Ireland’s leading landscape shooters – a man who very rightly has won national and international accolades for his landscape work.

I’ve known Peter for a couple of years through the Irish Professional Photographers Association (IPPA). We met one evening up in Dublin at the IPPA’s HQ during a picture judging, and chatted when we saw each other at other at subsequent IPPA events. Peter moved to Co Cork not so long ago, and we’ve been saying for months that we’d go on a shoot together – just two buddies, some 5Ds and whatever the weather and Cork landscape brought us.

It took a while, but yesterday it finally happened. We met at a petrol station just outside of Skibbereen. Peter has a bag full of ordnance survey maps and over the boot of his car picked a spot he thought would be a promising location for an evening shoot – a place called Sandy Cove.

Landscape photography is a business for Peter. For me, it’s a balm for the soul – a pursuit that soothes the pains that come with the life of a busy commercial photographer. A tonic. Consequently, I don’t mind not being very good at it. I was just happy to be out in the open, shooting nice pictures and passing the time with a friend.

I also enjoyed talking to Peter about his camera – a Canon 5D Mark II. Now, I use the same camera for my work, but such are the differences between how I earn a living and how Peter earns his, you would have thought from our conversations about the camera that we were talking about two different pieces of equipment. Seriously, you’d think he was shooting the camera equivalent of ebony, while I was over on the ivory side. He showed me things that I didn’t even know my camera could do – and I’ve READ the instruction manual.

So what sets a professional landscape photographer apart from the enthusiast (apart from having all the proper Lee filters)?

Here’s what I shot.

(c) Roger Overall 2009 - www.rogeroverall.net

(c) Roger Overall 2009 - www.rogeroverall.net

(c) Roger Overall 2009 - www.rogeroverall.net

They’re not utterly horrible, sure – but I don’t see any of you rushing to get a framed 20×16 of any of them off me. (I’ll take any orders, though).

Here’s what Peter shot.

(c) Peter Cox 2009 - www.petercox.ie

WTF?!

I was standing NEXT to him when he took this and I’m not even sure we were even on the same continent when I see this picture. Stunning! Just breathtaking.

That’s why he’s a professional landscaper, and I’m not.

Mind you, he can’t take a portrait to save his life.

Me weaving the Jedi mind trick - (c) Peter Cox 2009 - www.petercox.ie

I, on the other hand, take fantastic environmental portraits full of drama, suspense and foam.

Peter Cox about to interface with mother nature - (c) Roger Overall 2009 - www.rogeroverall.net

I can’t tell you how much fun I had with Peter out on the rocks. With a bit of luck, we’ll be out again this summer.

And if his photograph doesn’t pick up at least a diamond at the next IPPA judging, I may have to have words personally with the judges.