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Carla Regler
@carlaregler
Photographer based in Scotland
My photography passion started when I lived in Cornwall, I moved there to open a restaurant with my partner Chris who is a chef. We had been running a pub before and wanted to get to a coastal location… We fell in love with Porthleven in Cornwall. We’ve always had dogs and while going on daily walks with them, the stunning backdrops of Cornwall’s coastline, its changing weather and dramatic oceans really inspired me into taking a camera with me. Everywhere.
It soon meant that taking the dogs for a walk was just a good excuse to take pictures. Running a busy restaurant is stressful and spending some time outdoors was an escape that allowed my mind to ‘breathe’ – and to me photography was exactly that, breathing space. I could switch off and enjoy the moment.
I worked hard teaching myself, learning, improving my skills, figuring out the rights and wrongs and after a few years I’d been able to capture images I was proud of. The restaurant allowed me to sell some prints on the walls to customers. This encouraged me to keep going, keep improving and in addition taught me new skills, not just with the camera but also with processing the images, printing and selling.
If you’d asked me 10-15 years ago what would I be doing – I probably would never have said photography. However, every moment behind the camera I fell deeper in love and several moments encouraged me and proved to me that photography was my path to pursue.
"Being asked to work for a leading photography tour company to lead tours in the UK and worldwide with other highly regarded tour leaders was definitely one of them."
Stepping away from the restaurant to pursue photography and tours full time would never have been possible without my amazing team of staff and the support of Chris, who pushed me forward at every opportunity. You need support like this; it’s not always easy, there are tough times when you think about giving up, but he pushes me to keep going or takes me out with the camera somewhere different to help ‘encourage’ creativity and I’m extremely grateful for that.
While Chris was tied to the restaurant, I’d be running tours most winters and I would be helping at the restaurant in summer. But when the photography tours really took off, being away so much meant the pressure would be higher – so it was time for a change.
Once we had sold the restaurant in Cornwall we had planned to take a year out and travel; I wanted to explore new locations for potential tours for the following year. Whilst visiting Scotland and the Islands we looked at a few businesses; we wanted somewhere close to an airport and where I could host clients for future tours, and we also wondered what you could get for your money compared to Cornwall.
The moment we drove off the ferry onto the Hebrides it felt right, the big wide open spaces, the incredible skies, miles and miles of white sandy beaches, friendly locals… Something just clicked and it felt magical.
It cannot be compared to Cornwall, they are both incredibly beautiful places, but I guess after years running the restaurant and being caught up in busy environments and jetting off running tours all winter coming back to busier and busier summers escaping to the Islands felt like a dream; with less people and more big wide open spaces it just pulled me in… Some may think we’ve gone from the sublime to the ridiculous but it was a life move to be mortgage free, a quieter life and a life that was less stressful. Plus the airport was only 25 minutes away instead of my usual 5 hours each way!
It was due to open in March 2020 as a guesthouse, but Covid happened and we adjusted the property to welcome guests as self catering instead. Tours will come back once all settles again and I am happy I got to enjoy the wildlife and the locals (by that I mean the hundreds of sheep and the wonderful Eriskay Ponies, Eagles and otters) all on my doorstep – maybe lockdown hasn’t been quite so bad afterall!
"Hebrides was a completely new place for me despite the fact that, as a photography tour leader, I've been incredibly lucky to explore some fantastic places over the past 10 years."
My knowledge of the locations and my constant drive for success have enabled me to build up a wonderful client community that enjoys exploring the locations with me. I am constantly learning, teaching myself so I can pass on knowledge and tips to those learning from me. Afterall, we are on a journey together. I don’t believe photography should be one sided – you can learn from everyone if you are open and willing. My biggest learning has come from other highly regarded photographer tour leaders over time, it’s a privilege to understand the journey that got them to where they are now and how they see a final image. Understanding what you want to capture is often the greatest challenge. I don’t think photography is easy, it has many challenges and often fails, but keenness to succeed and motivation within yourself eventually leads to success.
You cannot predict fully what nature will present to you but you can do your best to capture what it shows you, and how you choose to create that scene comes from your feelings on that day, where you were standing and the environment surrounding you. Because of that, photography pushes me to think about what I see. It’s easy to enjoy the wide-open vistas but to capture them through the camera was a learning curve. For me photography was about being outside, in all weathers, to actually become involved with nature, to add it into life.
I’d probably say I love the seascapes more than the landscapes but more often than not landscapes are involved with the sea, and by capturing landscapes it allows me to see seascapes in a more creative way. I love playing with slower shutter speeds in the camera with waves, this can be one wave or a series of waves. Textures, colours and detail within the slower shutter speeds creates a more art-like image which works really well as wall art and looks great in print, I feel. But however captured, the images are moments of life captured forever. I always ‘name’ an image, it creates a connection, a part of a story, it engages the viewer and completes the finished picture. Ultimately, photography is a personal captivation of a moment you see and feel.
By doing the workshops, I learned a lot myself too. First of all, stepping into the world of full-time photography meant less time out with the camera and more time on emails, social media, etc. This was something I was not ready for or had considered when I ventured into the world of a full time photographer! My storm images of Porthleven really captivated an audience and it accelerated my business. People got to know my brand and who I was.
"In that sense, showcasing your work, either online or in local galleries, magazines, newspapers, is really useful."
Clients like to know you and your work, what a finished edited image looks like. I only post images I consider that are in my style, and promote what I capture or what is possible to capture on workshops and tours. This is simply being transparent and realistic and this also helps to build trust in your clients. In my communication, on social media, my website, on calls, or face to face, I wanted to come across informative and inspiring to those just starting out but above all, give the feeling that they could ask me anything.
"When running tours, having patience and being understanding, remembering how you felt when you were learning, is key."
You have become a knowledge giver thanks to the learning process you’ve been through yourself and staying humble is important and brings you closer to your clients. Everyone starts somewhere and even from beginners or more advanced photographers who join my workshops, I can learn as well. I try to inspire others to enjoy being outside with their cameras without feeling any pressure of performance. Joy comes first, style and confidence will come later – with practice.
I regularly host editing and printing sessions for clients in small groups to stimulate the process. Personally, I like keeping the image true and not editing it too much. If I have to spend hours adjusting or removing/replacing any part of it, then to me it is not worthy, it loses its feeling and depth. The image has to still have the same feeling when I captured it, it’s a way to relive that time spent outdoors, standing in howling winds, wiping sea spray off the lens. It moves it from just an image on the memory card to a piece of art for the wall, something you are proud to put your name on.
"Over the years my photography has been published in various magazines and newspapers and won several awards, but the achievement I am most proud of is “Porthleven Washout”, captured during the big storms of 2014."
I was out photographing around Porthleven most days, and would always have a chat with the locals, often hearing the stories about the ‘big waves’. I have seen plenty of pictures but until 2014 I had never seen the sea like that day. I always wished for big stormy seas, hoping that the storms each year would happen when I was home. Quite often it would be during winter, late January to early March, just when I was away in Iceland or Norway with clients and I’ve missed a few big storms…. But on the morning of the gigantic waves in February 2014 that caused havoc across the UK coastline, I was home. I’ll never forget this day, the sea turned into something unworldly and powerful. Big waves were engulfing the coastline and I was just gazing at how nature really can be devastating to its surroundings. I spent all morning out with the camera and ‘Porthleven Washout’ was captured! (Plus a few thousand other images!) It then went on to win various awards and soon my images of the storms in Porthleven started to create a new inspiration to those photographers who also loved to capture the waves. Porthleven is a prime photo spot during storms now.
"For those who dream of having their photos published too, I can only say, never give up!"
It’s a tough world in photography, everyone has a camera, whether it’s a phone, camera, or drone, but look for the unique, put your own style on your images. Search for new compositions and be patient with the light. It’s easy to go to prime locations but then you have to make the difference. Publishers like to promote popular locations but with extraordinary styles – so take your time in creating a style that’s unique to you, this gives magazines, newspapers new material to use. And of course, make sure you get credited! With social media today people are more interested in finding out who you are, and what other images you’ve created so it’s important you have your name linked to your images.
In the beginning I would often work with local magazines (those that are Cornwall inspired), not necessarily photo magazines, and give them access to some images. In return they would do editorials about my photography and how to find me, which would benefit print sales. Thus, I would only recommend getting in touch with a local news/stock agency, they love anything relevant that’s happening and if you’ve newsworthy images then they will pay for these, plus it gets your name out there!
"But again, enjoying yourself is a gamechanger in getting to your goals. As a photographer and as a workshop leader I enjoy aurora chasing the most."
I’m lucky to see it from my front garden where I live now, but capturing it in Iceland or Norway where it can light up the whole sky and bounce above your head is something else. Though, what makes me love it so much is seeing people’s faces when they see the northern lights for the first time! And to be able to help clients capture the aurora on their own camera. The moment the aurora becomes visible, people come alive. They can be freezing cold, almost moaning or grumpling, but the moment the aurora shows on the backs of camera screens everything changes. Those moments are truly special.
"Realising you can achieve anything if you push for it is so powerful, but you have to do it first to feel the effect."
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