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fototripper

fototripper

@fototripper

Gavin Hardcastle, known professionally as a phototripper, is a British landscape photographer and educator based in British Columbia, Canada. His YouTube channel is distinguished by combining high-quality photography with an irreverent and self-deprecating sense of humor, moving away from conventional tutorials to offer "photographic adventures" that document his travels around the world. Gavin seeks to inspire other creators through the exploration of natural environments, focusing on capturing striking images while sharing the often comical and challenging realities of the life of a landscape photographer.

Their educational work extends beyond entertainment, offering detailed guides on complex techniques such as focus stacking, composition, and the use of filters. He is the author of photography books such as Chasing Awe and Stories within Stories, and manages his own platform, fototripper.com, where he teaches in-person workshops and deep editing courses. Her focus is on helping photographers find their own artistic vision and master the tools necessary to transform a natural scene into a work of art, always maintaining an honest and relatable narrative about the creative process.

Latest video

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Can a $500 Fujifilm Compete With an $8,000 Hasselblad

Published: Oct 18, 2026 · Duration: 13 min 41 sec · 37K views

A test of whether a 13-year-old, $500 Fujifilm X-M1 can produce great landscape photographs next to a medium format Hasselblad X2DII, shot among the live oaks of a garden in overcast and harsh sunlight. The video asks how much camera you really need for landscape photography.

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Previous videos

19

I Spent 3 Weeks Chasing This One Photo in Iceland - Landscape Photography Heaven

Published: Oct 11, 2026 · Duration: 23 min 8 sec · 55K views

What could possibly be better than a bit of landscape photography at a spectacular canyon in Iceland? How about THREE canyons? With this landscape photography adventure I'm totally spoiling you with the locations and I ask the question "what's the true cost of landscape photography?".

Fine Art Landscape Photography With This Antique Mirror

Published: Oct 4, 2026 · Duration: 34 min 22 sec · 49K views

I get my hands on this antique mirror that might just make the perfect photo frame with a bit of DIY and crafting. Amanda is concerned that it might be haunted but I'm convinced that's just a load of old claptrap. I start by taking the mirror frame apart to find out how old it is and the clues are rather fascinating.

I Asked My Landscape Photography Students For Feedback… Big Mistake

Published: Sep 13, 2026 · Duration: 22 min 24 sec · 60K views

While enjoying a landscape photography adventure in Iceland I make the mistake of asking my students for honest feedback. They don't hold back on their honest assessment of my teaching abilities. In spite of the insults, there were a few genuine compliments as well as some delightful gifts.

This Lens Modification Will Be Copied By All Landscape Photographers

Published: Sep 6, 2026 · Duration: 32 min 40 sec · 92K views

I'll be a guaranteed 'trend setter' with this ingenious landscape photography lens modification from my Hasselblad 20-35mm lens. You can do this with any lens. Forget the 'wave of hatred' and make way for the 'Vortex Of Doom'.

I Tried Street Photography In Charleston After Cocktails... Things Got Messy

Published: Aug 23, 2026 · Duration: 16 min 42 sec · 38K views

Luminar Neo - USE FOTOTRIPPER10 for 10% EXTRA at checkout It's fair to say we kind of fell in love with Charelston, not because of the many photo opportunities but also the vibe and the FOOD. Even though I'm a landscape photographer at heart, a city as beautiful as Charleston really brings out the 'Street Photographer' in me, especially at night when the city comes to life. Charming architecture, cafes on every…

Please...Talk Me Out Of This...

Published: Aug 16, 2026 · Duration: 18 min 49 sec · 48K views

As usual we get scuppered after a long drive through torrential rain followed by a hike in the forest only to come away with NOTHING! I've also had an idea but I kind of want you to talk me out of it... You've heard the old adage "If You Build It, They Will Come"?

Cheap Camera Challenge - "Try My Old Lumix Camera" He Said...

Published: Aug 9, 2026 · Duration: 15 min 19 sec · 45K views

Roy insists that I try using his prehistoric Lumix DMC FZ50 'bridge camera' to see if I can tease a good image out of it. I try to rebuff the offer but he's come well prepared and I'm pretty much forced to accept his challenge. So we head off into the Scottish wilderness to search for waterfalls.

ALMOST UNWATCHABLE: Old Man Critiques Thomas Heaton's Landscape Photography

Published: Aug 2, 2026 · Duration: 26 min 25 sec · 78K views

Thomas Heaton gets a critique from Roy that he never asked for. Things start to spiral when Roy declares "It's pretty bland". Threats of legal action ensue and then Roy drops a challenge.

This Is Worse Than Canada - Intolerable Landscape Photography Conditions In Glencoe Scotland

Published: Jul 26, 2026 · Duration: 21 min 23 sec · 73K views

Given that I live in one of the most bug infested provinces of Canada, you'd think I'd be able to handle some Scottish midges. Perhaps a few I could tolerate, but an entire cloud of them while photographing a stunning loch sunrise was intolerable. Landscape photography ought to be a tranquil moment of Zen, self reflection and oneness with mother nature.

Landscape Photography's Worst Enemy Isn't The Weather

Published: Jul 16, 2026 · Duration: 28 min 16 sec · 48K views

If you go into the woods today to enjoy some landscape photography you'd better be prepared. After Hasselblad approached me to help them launch their new Phocus Mobile app I struggled to find a use for it until I had a genius idea. This app saved me from the horrors of the forest.

I Found Scotland's Most INSANE Hidden Gem... But the Midges Tried to Eat Us Alive!

Published: Jul 5, 2026 · Duration: 14 min 18 sec · 44K views

This landscape photography adventure begins with a delightful discovery. A hidden gem in the Scottish Highlands reveals not just a mountain scene but a Fotogasmic forest reflection that look like something out of a Tolkien novel. Miraculously, Blake and I aren't pestered by midges even though we're deep in a bog.

Disaster On The Isle Of Skye - Scotland Landscape Photography Goes Wrong

Published: Jun 28, 2026 · Duration: 19 min 45 sec · 48K views

This landscape photography adventure starts out great with a hike up to the Old Man Of Storr. Things take a downward turn when we pay a visit to Elgol where some of my camera equipment goes to die. What's better than sideways rain on The Quiraing?

Arrested For Drone Usage At Scotland’s Most Beautiful Castle

Published: Jun 21, 2026 · Duration: 16 min 20 sec · 60K views

This landscape photography adventure begins on the Isle of Skye and ends at Eilean Donan Castle with potentially disastrous consequences for me. Like all Fototripper episodes we begin this one right with some proper British snacks that Blake desecrates with his atrocious desire for more sugar - he's like a humming bird! Next, he tried to steal my composition by penetrating my sacred cavity in the worst possible way.

How To Get More Bokeh In Landscape Photography

Published: Jun 14, 2026 · Duration: 17 min 15 sec · 40K views

Luminar Neo USE FOTOTRIPPER10 for 10% EXTRA at checkout How much bokeh can do you really need in landscape photography? Well, sometimes you need a lot more than f/4 can deliver, even with a medium format Hasselblad X2DII. We go gator hunting in South Carolina but I'm blown away by the beauty of the live oaks and I manage to capture a couple of bangers.

The WORST National Park In America For Landscape Photography?

Published: May 17, 2026 · Duration: 14 min 12 sec · 46K views

Focus Stacking For Landscapes Congaree National Park is known as the worst one in the USA but can it really be that bad? I set myself the challenge of capturing a beautiful shot in the worst National Park in America but have I set my standards too high? To make the challenge even harder I've brought along my cheapo Fujifilm X-M1 with the $60 TT Artisans 25mm prime lens.

Never Do Street Photography With A Drunk Model

Published: May 10, 2026 · Duration: 17 min 54 sec · 53K views

How many Margherita's can a photographer consume and still be competent during a challenging street photography session in Charleston? Join us on this South Carolina adventure where the day begins at a spectacular tree tunnel at Boone Hall Plantation. The morning sun is glorious and the trees look too beautiful to be real.

The Most Spectacular Tree In The World You Can't Photograph

Published: May 3, 2026 · Duration: 17 min 9 sec · 62K views

They say you should never meet your heroes, it's the same for landscape photography locations too. After years of planning, I finally visit the Angel Oak in Charleston but from a landscape photographers perspective it's a crushing disappointment. Nursing some pretty sour hangovers, Amanda and I start the day in Savannah on the hunt for a proper coffee.

The Most Beautiful Forest In The World That Nobody Talks About

Published: Apr 26, 2026 · Duration: 19 min 34 sec · 48K views

Luminar Neo USE FOTOTRIPPER10 for 10% EXTRA at checkout This landscape photography adventure takes us to the lovely warm state of Georgia where we take a ferry to beautiful Cumberland Island. We're just in time to catch the fog rolling through the most beautiful forest I've ever seen. These mist-wreathed live oaks look like something out of a Tolkien novel and I can't believe it's possible to camp right under their…

I Risked My Life For This Shot? (THIS WAS DUMB)

Published: Apr 19, 2026 · Duration: 21 min 57 sec · 49K views

Sometimes you've just got to shoot the classics while visiting Iceland. I tried to be snobby about shooting Skógafoss I really did, but it was just too beautiful to pass up. At least I tried something a little bit different with the 55m prime and then the telephoto.

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