Capturing Earth’s Beauty with Jeremy Bishop

Our planet is a breathtaking place filled with hidden treasures that we often miss — even though they're right in front of us. The art of capturing this beauty is not easy and needs a special skill and a keen eye to even do it justice.

Come along with us as we uncover a captivating journey through our conversation with Jeremey Bishop, an experienced, and long-time contributor and photographer on Unsplash. With a seasoned eye for earth's splendor, Jeremey shares his insights into the world of adventure and the way he captures our planet's beauty through his camera lens.

Who are you & where are you based?

My name is Jeremy Bishop and I’m based out of the Central Coast of California

Why did you first get started in photography?

I first got started in photography shooting with the Gopro. This was back when they released the Gopro hero 2. I would swim out in the lineup and capture video and photos of my buddies surfing. During this time I would post my surf and water photography from my Gopro to Unsplash, and they received a lot of views and downloads. I soon realized that people really liked my work and that I was good at it. This led me to pursue photography and upgrade my gear to keep shooting what I love.

Tell us about your favorite photoshoot you’ve taken on Unsplash.

My favorite photo shoot on Unsplash that I’ve taken was the project with NEOM in Saudi Arabia. Unsplash hired me and a few other creators to capture the nature, beauty, and essence of Neom in Saudi. This involved capturing adventure, lifestyle, and landscape photography. You can see our work on Unsplash at: https://unsplash.com/@neom

"Every landscape and location has a time of day it shows off, where the light hits the feature perfectly. It is your job to find when that light hits your subject just right."

What is your biggest piece of advice when capturing photos of nature?

I have two things that come to mind right away. One, lighting is everything. And second, planning is crucial. Let me expand further. Every landscape and location has a time of day it shows off, where the light hits the feature perfectly. It is your job to find when that light hits your subject just right. Secondly, nothing good happens without planning. When it comes to capturing nature, you will need to put as much planning as you can because it is ever-evolving. A few things I am always keeping an eye on are weather (Do I want blue skies or do I want some texture with clouds), which season do I want to capture this landscape in, time of day I will set up to shoot it (When does the sun hit the feature), and how much time will it take for me to find a unique angle.

"I am looking for that unique angle that no one has shot before, or that makes us look at the landscape in a different way. This, my friends, is up to you to find."

How do you approach composition when photographing landscapes to truly showcase the Earth's beauty and wonder?

When I approach composition for landscape photography I am first looking for the one impressive thing I want to showcase to the viewer. An example of this would be shooting with a wide-angle lens inside of an ice cave to show as much ice and texture as I possibly can… Secondly, I am looking for that unique angle that no one has shot before, or that makes us look at the landscape in a different way. This, my friends, is up to you to find.

How has photography changed your life?

I got into photography because it allowed me to travel to so many unique places, countries, national parks, you name it. I wouldn’t be able to enjoy so many countries, cultures, and landscapes without photography.

What is your favorite thing in nature to photograph?

I would have to say the ocean. I first fell in love with photography capturing my friends surfing. My first camera was the GoPro, and I started out shooting videos of my friends surfing from the water. I loved the intersection of athleticism/sports and photography. Since then, the ocean has been my favorite canvas.

What was advice you received early in your photography career that was helpful?

When I interned for Chris Burkard in 2017, he would ask us what we were most interested in shooting. Through his experience in shooting such a niche sport of surfing in the Arctic, he soon came to explain a few things to us. He broke it down in three ways. 1) Build the portfolio in the exact industry you want to work in. So if you want to shoot surf photography, start shooting nothing but surf, even if you have to invest your own money to capture it. 2) No client is going to seek you out for work that is not in your portfolio or style. Once again, start investing in the industry or subjects you want to be hired for. 3) Get out and shoot all the time. Don’t wait for things to come to you, they most likely won’t.

"...this has been one of the hardest things I’ve had to do. Did I still love it, yes I did. Would I do it again, I totally would."

Capturing the Earth's beauty often involves dealing with diverse environments and challenging conditions. What is the most challenging shoot you've faced and how did you overcome it?

Recently I traveled to Miami for a project and we swam with lemon sharks. When it comes to being completely out of control with your surroundings and yet still having to capture great content, this has been one of the hardest things I’ve had to do. Did I still love it, yes I did. Would I do it again, I totally would.

What would you like to photograph that you haven’t been able to yet?

I have been trying to plan out a trip to dive with Humpback whales. This has been the number one thing on my list to photograph recently. I also want to capture wildlife in the Sahara.