Stanley, the capital of the Falkland Islands, is a quintessential British village that's a very long way from Britain.

A pretty place with a population of around 2,100 Stanley houses around two-thirds of the 3,398 Falklands population.

As you can see from this photo housing in Stanley, for the most part, is solid and simple. The houses are neat and tidy and the surrounding landscape, I suspect, could be described as varying from picturesque to bleak, depending upon the weather.

My short visit was on a cool, overcast day, though the sun broke through the clouds several times and seemed to wake the village out of a slumber.

The economy of the Falklands is largely based around sheep, fishing and ecotourism. A large military presence at the RAF Mount Pleasant British Air Force base also brings substantial benefits to the economy.

If you’d like to known more check out this link for more information on the demographics of the Falkland Islands.

Where On Earth Are the Falkland Islands? 

The Falkland Islands are a rugged, windswept and remote group of islands located in the South Atlantic Ocean.

The Falklands are 483 km (400 miles) from the South American mainland and 1,365 km (850 miles) above the Antarctic Circle.

There are two main islands, East and West Falkland, and another 776 much smaller islands in this remote archipelago.

With a total land area of 12,000 km2 (4,700 square miles) the Falklands coastline is estimated at 1,300 km (800 miles).

Sheep in the Falkland Islands

Did you know that the ratio of sheep to people in the Falkland Islands is higher than anywhere else in the world?

The population of sheep in the Falklands is said to be around 490,000. Barbara jokes aside, that’s about 150 sheep for every person.

What’s known as Falkland wool is grown on the islands from Merino and Polwarth breeds. The wool exhibits a neutral white color and is considered to be of high quality.

I spent a few days in and around the Falkland Islands while co-running a photography tour which included South Georgia Island and the Antarctic Peninsula.

We disembarked in Stanley after a reasonably rough voyage from Ushuaia, the remote city at the very bottom of Argentina.

A walk on solid ground was exactly what I needed and while the photo walk in Stanley was short I really enjoyed my time there.

I made this photo not long after disembarking. I had just turned around after a brisk walk away from the centre of the village and was now ready to start making photos.

It’s a simple image making use of the oblique shape of the road and the harmony created by the yellow flowers and orange rooftops on either side of the road.

I'm very much attracted to wild, remote locations that are within reach of comfortable digs and good, simple food.

While I’m not complaining so many of my travels involve significant travel just to get to the places I want to photograph and explore.

Of course the Brits are pretty special people and it would be great fun to spend a month exploring the landscape and photographing the wildlife in this quiet, windswept and remote group of islands.

Setting The Scene In Your Photo Essay

I began by photographing Stanley, from a distance, as the ship sailed into port. These initial images can be referred to as opening or establishing images, as they help place the viewer in a particular place and time.

In a photo essay opening images serve to introduce the viewer to the person, location or event in question. They provide an overview and a context from which a more intimate, detailed exploration can begin.

While not a close up image this black and white photo of a shipwreck in Stanley Harbour could be classified as a detail image in a photo essay due to the abundant textures it displays.

If you’re interested in being able to tell a story in a series of photos I’ve written an extremely comprehensive guide titled The Photo Essay - A Recipe For Success.

If you’re interested in expanding your photography by telling a story in pictures then I’m sure you’ll find it interesting and worthwhile reading.

The Quiet Elegance Of Stanley

Government House in Stanley is an elegant and serene building. An online search shows lovely, formal rooms and this photo indicates there’s quite a substantial conservatory at the back of the building.

The garden looks simple, but fresh and I understand there are more lawn areas at the front of the building.

Given that I was there to help other folks make photos I didn’t have much time available for my own photography.

But as most members of the tour had headed straight for the pub I figured I’d take the scenic route and meet them there for a quick amber refreshment prior to heading back to our ship.

Once I'd disembarked the ship I was keen to stretch my legs. I headed along the road adjacent to the harbor and then up the hillside to explore some of Stanley’s local streets.

A number of images of quaint cottages and gardens followed as well as a few general street scenes.

I would love to have made some photos of local Stanley inhabitants, but I only sighted three of them during my time in town.

Experiment and Make Interesting Photos

The further I walked the more interesting my photos became.

This photo featuring the Royal Falkland Islands Police headquarters is a study in composition. Isn’t it great how the black and white rendering emphasizes the lines, shapes, textures and contrast in the building?

The further I walked the more I began to experiment with composition, the result of which being some fairly non-conventional images that, I'm sure, were unlike anyone else's on our tour.

Moving away from straight documentation provides lots of opportunities for interesting images, which is better for photographer and viewer alike.

I’II share some of those photos in another post later in the week and, down the road aways, I’II create another post about photographing birds, particularly penguins, in the Falkland Islands.

How to Improve Composition In Your Photos

As a way of enhancing mood I was careful to narrow my approach to what I felt would photograph well in either color or black and white.

You'll notice, for example, how the black and white images exhibit strong texture, tone and shape.

In the case of the color photographs you'll notice that I'm really responding to what I saw as blocks of color in the environment.

Whether working towards a color or black and white photo I wasn't really thinking about the buildings, gardens or miscellaneous structures around which I based my compositions.

The subject of these photos is composition itself. It's the composition, not the objects themselves, that I’m photographing.

If you concentrate on one or more elements of composition, when making your own photos, you'll find your photography will improve in leaps and bounds.

Saying Farewell to the Falkland Islands

After a while I navigated myself back to the centre of town to photograph the Globe Tavern.

I was keen to try a local brew and was pleased to find some members of the tour, guides and customers alike, well ahead of me in that regard.

I wanted so much to stay and explore the culture of this remote British overseas territory.

But with the clock ticking and the wonders of South Georgia Island and Antarctica ahead it was time to move on.

I made this photo of our ship, the Polar Pioneer, not long before boarding and continuing on with our journey.

I left Stanley grateful for the opportunity to have visited.

Glenn Guy, Travel Photography Guru