A self taught photographer, Adam Burton is one of UK’s leading landscape photographers. His informal training in photography has helped him develop a unique style which has caught the eye of prestigious organizations like National Geographic and The Times. He has photographed five of the seven continents but is especially fond of shooting the stunning landscapes of Southwest England. He has authored three books so far and plans to publish two more in the next couple of years.

How did you teach yourself photography?
When I purchased my first SLR I initially took pictures on full auto mode, feeling apprehensive to experiment. But after reading photography books and magazines I started to practice with manual, recording the details of every exposure in a little notepad I carried around with me. Apart from reading magazines, and looking at other pictures on internet sites like Ephotozine.com I spent a great deal of time on location taking pictures, and then reviewing the results once the films were developed. For me this really was the best way to learn, as I was photographing the subject matter that inspired me the most and really enjoying myself in the outdoors at the same time. To this day, I pretty much solely photograph landscapes; being outdoors at dawn or dusk is a tremendously enriching experience that for me beats all others.

Read more: I have little interest in other genres of photography

Hot Shot Media has announced Waqas Mustafeez, a student from Stanford University, as the winner of its Snapshot Scholar Photo Contest.

Winner: A walk to the edge of the world © Waqas Mustafeez

The Snapshot Scholar Photo Contest allowed students and alumni from Stanford University and the University of the California-Berkeley to submit photos and vote on other contestants' photos. Each week, the photos with the most votes advanced to the next round. At the end of the fifth round, the top twenty photos were presented to a five-member judging panel that decided on a winner.

Read more: Snapshot Scholar Photo Contest: Winning Entries

This week we bring you nine inspirational portraits taken by Fotoflock members, each one more captivating than the other.

Photo by Ronnie.S | Fotosocial


Photo by Subir Basak | Fotosocial


Photo by Cyrus Dastur | Fotosocial


Photo by Paromita Deb Areng | Fotosocial


Photo by Tuhin Subhra Dey | Fotosocial


Photo by Rupesh | Fotosocial


Photo by Romesh Dhamija | Fotosocial


Photo by Mayur Polepalli | Fotosocial


Photo by Anbu Jawahar | Fotosocial

Renowned for his aerial photography, landscape photographer Hans Strand came within 600 meters of the Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallajökull in a Cessna 172, recording the eruption that kept European air traffic grounded for weeks at close range with his H4D-40. It took Hans Strand seven attempts to fly to Iceland due to the vast ash cloud of the Eyjafjallajökull volcano. Yet his persistence paid off, as he was one of the few photographers to capture images of the massive eruption.

Read more: Explosive Photos of the Eyjafjallajökull Eruption