Light & Land
Astrid McGechan
Astrid is a freelance photographer and book author based in Surrey. She started to seriously engage in photography a few years ago, when struggling to juggle the demands of family life, motherhood and a stressful job. Spending time outdoors and photographing became her way of balancing life.
Initially, Astrid photographed almost exclusively landscapes, drawing her inspiration from scenes in the natural world that evoke a sense of tranquillity and harmony. Often, she’d be drawn towards the less obvious details in the landscape - such as shapes, patterns or a particular colour – making them the primary subject of her images. More recently, Astrid has become fascinated by urban life and architecture and has spent some time photographing in cities in the UK and abroad.
Astrid uses a variety of techniques to capture her response to a scene and recreate it for the viewer through her photographs, such as long exposure, camera movement and deliberate defocusing. She loves exploring new cultures and feels equally compelled to capture the beautiful evening light by a lakeside, the strong graphic lines and reflections of city architecture or the essence of life and countryside of new locations abroad.
In 2014, Astrid published her first book The Elmbridge Hundred – A Visual Journey, which was a companion piece to a community project about the history and heritage of her local Borough of Elmbridge. Astrid has curated several art exhibitions and judged photographic competitions. She also teaches and lectures on photography and works on commissions for individuals and organisations. Her images have been published and widely exhibited in the UK and Europe, including the Mall Galleries and OXO Gallery in London, and the Horizons Photo Festival in Zingst, Germany.
Tutoring On ...
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Cosmopolitan Liverpool Photography Workshop
16th Jun 2021 -
Stockholm Photography Tour
23rd - 26th Sep 2021 -
The Silk Road Photography Tour
11th - 21st Oct 2021 -
Docklands to Dusk London Photography Workshop
31st Oct 2021 -
York - England’s Eternal City, Photography Workshop
03rd Nov 2021 -
Reflections of Bruges Photography Tour
28th Nov - 01st Dec 2021 -
‘When Night Falls’ - a London Photography Workshop
08th Dec 2021 -
Winter Sun in Lisbon Photography Tour
11th - 14th Feb 2022 -
Valencia - A City of Contrast, Photography Tour
03rd - 06th Mar 2022