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Why Did I Take This Photograph?
I have come to believe that a way to help improve my photography is to ask myself the question, why did I take this photograph? Sometimes, the answer to this question is easy to see. It might be the way the light is falling on the subject... It might be that the subject itself is interesting... It might be weather conditions that we don't see often... Or it might be that the scene tells a story... Sometimes, I am simply drawn to the aesthetics of the scene or subject and want
WildWillowWays
2 min read
Creating Images with Depth and Meaning
Photography is probably more popular today than ever before. It is said that approximately 5 billion photos are taken worldwide every day, and 90% of these are taken with smartphones. For most people, these photos will be mainly snapshots of family and friends, places they visit and photos of special occasions. Of those that are more traditional photography images, many will be of beautiful vistas in epic locations, often taken during golden hour. Most ‘casual’ photographers
WildWillowWays
4 min read
Would You Still Take Photographs if Nobody Saw Them?
This question was posed recently on a YouTube video. I thought it was an interesting one to consider. As a question, it is linked to the answer to, Why did you start taking photographs in the first place? or even, How would you feel if you couldn’t take photographs for a month? The question is asking about the essence of photography; what it means to each of us and how we would be if it wasn’t in our lives. My answer to the question, Would you still take photographs if no-o
WildWillowWays
2 min read
Will You Take the Five Photo Challenge?
Photo walks are often a good opportunity to capture some images but they can also prove disappointing when we come home with nothing special. I used to believe that just going out with my camera should result in decent images every time. All I needed was to have my camera at the ready and the photographic opportunities would present themselves. But that is not the case, especially when my photo walk takes me to places with which I am very familiar and it can be difficult to k
WildWillowWays
2 min read
The Importance of Emotional Connection in Photography
Recently, the weather here in Ireland has not been very conducive to photography. Each day has had heavy rain, wind, cold and very little light. But not getting out to do photography has given me the opportunity to consume some photography content from books, podcasts and YouTube videos. As well as visiting the channels of photographers I know and whose content I enjoy, I have also had time to discover new channels. One such channel is that of Simon Burn, photographer and sta
WildWillowWays
6 min read
5 Video Recommendations to Enhance Your Photography Skills...and a Bonus!
When I started this website and blog my intention was to share my journey as a beginner photography and to pass on what I learned to anyone else who might be starting a similar journey. I wanted to share my passion and enthusiasm for photography and hopefully encourage others to commence or continue their own photography journey. My blog posts have taken the form of sharing personal experiences, passing on discoveries I make, discussing how I view the link between photography
WildWillowWays
2 min read
Capturing the Essence of Winter: A Video Gallery of Memories
To celebrate the ending of January the coming of slightly longer days and the gradual beginning of spring, I have created a short video of winter memories. I hope you like it.
WildWillowWays
1 min read
Capturing the Winter Landscape in 20 Pictures
In this post I want to share some of the images I made during this winter season, where I experienced all kinds of weather, some types more conducive to photography than others. There was rain, fog, frost and some beautiful sunsets, all part of the winter photography experience. I hope you like them.
WildWillowWays
1 min read
Capturing the Magic of the Irish Countryside in 20 Photos
This morning's walk was a slightly different one for me. I was visiting family in a rural part of Ireland during the autumn and I took a stroll around a small village and its surrounding area to see what I might capture with my camera. The weather was not the most conducive for photography. The sky was grey and the light was gloomy as I set out, although the sun did make a brief appearance and I managed to take advantage of some good light. Otherwise, all I could do was to cr
WildWillowWays
1 min read
Why Photography is Good For Your Wellbeing
During times of difficulty and turmoil it can be hard to keep doing the things that are good for our health and easy to allow ourselves to slip into bad habits. The constant bombardment of negativity that currently seems to be all around us can leave us feeling disheartened and wondering what is the point of it all? This is the time when we need to be more vigilant about our mental health and take steps, even small steps, to keep ourselves physically, mentally and emotionally
WildWillowWays
7 min read
7 Key Insights From 7 Years of Photography
I have been doing photography now for just over 7 years. I started off with an entry level DSLR and kit lens and a vision of doing landscape photography. Below are two of my first images, taken in auto mode. There are some aspects of the images that I like. For example, I like that the swans are swimming into the frame in the second image. There are a lot of things about them that I don’t like and wouldn’t do today, such as capturing a scene without a proper subject, as in
WildWillowWays
5 min read
Discovering the Value of Everyday Photography
During the past year I discovered an interest in photographing what I call the ‘everyday landscape’. For me, this involves getting out with my camera as often as possible and looking for potential subjects wherever I happen to be. There is no particular theme to this photography, I just stop at something that catches my eye and take a picture. Sometimes I will plan on taking a certain route close to my home to see what subjects reveal themselves to me, at other times I will g
WildWillowWays
2 min read
WildWillowWays is a personal blog to track my journey into photography and to explore how we can use photography to enhance our wellbeing. Over the last number of years I have been involved in promoting health and wellbeing and have undertaken mindfulness training. I see a strong connection between photography and wellbeing and intend to explore this further by delving more deeply into the many and varied aspects of photography. I realise that this is the hobby that will help me to slow down a little, to become more observant, more attuned to what is going on around me, more attentive in life. Through my exploration of photography and wellbeing I would like to help others to discover how we can use photography to improve our physical and mental wellbeing. Feel free to contact me with any comments or suggestions. I hope you enjoy the blog. Mary ©
Follow me on Instagram @wildwillowways.
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