Recently, I have noticed a change in emphasis among many YouTube photographers. Instead of bringing us, via their video channels, to exotic locations with dramatic landscapes and breath-taking subjects, there has been more focus on photographing close to home, and even a focus on how to produce good images in what are called 'mundane' settings.

There may be many reasons for this change of emphasis.

It could be a response to the reality for many who watch these videos – many people just don’t have the means or opportunity to travel to iconic locations to do photography. Sure, people like to see these places through the eyes of a good photographer, but most people want ideas on how to improve their own photography, what to shoot and how to compose a good image for

themselves, and they need to do this in places that are accessible. For many people this will be their own local town, village or suburb, or somewhere within easy travelling distance. Many videos are now being tailored to meet those changing needs.

Another reason for the change of emphasis may be a throw back to the Covid pandemic when many photographers realised that travelling for photography could not be taken for granted and they found themselves having to re-structure their business plan.

Or, indeed, it might just be that these types of videos do well in terms of the YouTube algorithm so they are becoming more popular.

I have watched a few such videos and tried to extract information that is relevant to me, in my current situation.

For at least two years now I have been working on making images that I like in my own so-called mundane location, and I have identified 5 suggestions that have helped me to do that.

I believe that these are actionable steps so I hope they will be useful to someone in a similar position.

Dig Deeper

It is easy to believe that our local area has very little photographic potential compared to the more epic locations we could visit, with their dramatic landscapes, iconic landmarks and interesting choice of subjects. That’s why we have to look a little more deeply at our own location. We might be so familiar with our everyday surroundings that we initially think that there’s nothing worthwhile to photograph, so we must look beyond the familiar and see our location with new eyes. This will mean being more observant, more open-minded to new opportunities, more experimental with our photography. It will mean seeing the familiar in a new way, seeing potential where previously you saw none, taking the risk of doing something differently.

I live in a suburban location which is also close to small villages, farms and rural settings. Initially, I didn’t believe there was much to photograph in many of the rural areas I might pass through, but recently I have begun to look more deeply, stop my car and take a walk, view these areas as areas of potential rather than as places with nothing to offer photographically. I have been pleased with many of the images I have taken and I know that there are many more yet to be revealed.

These are not images that will have universal appeal but they are unique to me, I have enjoyed taking them, and they have presented me with photographic opportunities that I would miss if I persisted in having a closed mind.

Follow The Light

Light is at the heart of photography.

I recall times when I was travelling and visiting new locations, hoping for great photographic opportunities only to discover that I had a short window in the early morning or late evening when I got good photography light, and an otherwise day of harsh sun and no light variation.

In your own location you can observe all the different types of light, see how the light plays with your subject and experiment with all the available forms of light at various times of day and through the different seasons. The accessibility of your local area is an advantage in this regard and it can allow you to photograph a subject under all conditions.

I created these images recently when I was out for an early morning walk. My attention was drawn to the way in which the  sun was casting shadows on a wall, so I took out my phone to see what I could create.

In the images below, the light is the star of the show in the photograph. The location in each is an ordinary lakeside stopping point but the light changes a normally flat, boring landscape into something special.

Get Creative

Although we might consider familiarity with a location to be a disadvantage when it comes to photography, it can also be an advantage.

Familiarity means that you know your location well; you have a connection with it’s natural and human-made features. When you have intimate knowledge of your location it allows you the opportunity to become more creative and inventive with your photography. You can zone in on small details that others miss, shoot from unique perspectives, try some abstract photography or ICM, discover subjects that you might not normally consider as image-worthy or focus on subjects that draw your attention even though they may not have universal appeal or be ‘Instagram-able’.  

These approaches will help you to have an individual slant on your photography, which can give you a connection to your images and ensure that they are meaningful to you.

When your focus is not on capturing grand vistas and epic subjects, you are freed to concentrate on intimate details and unique moments that often translate into captivating images.

Go Macro

Macro photography is not for everyone but it is a genre that works well in any local area. Macro subjects are everywhere and you can often spend enjoyable hours focusing on the tiny world that exists all around us.

Macro does not have to be difficult. Most phone cameras have good macro capability and it is easy to find macro subjects. What is required is an open mind, a bit of creative thinking and a willingness to get out of your comfort zone and see what opportunities open up for you.

Even if you are not interested in real macro, there is a lot of photographic interest in the intimate landscape that is all around us.

Challenge Yourself

When all else fails – take on a challenge.

I wrote this post a few years ago, but the challenge posed by Thomas Heaton is still relevant. A challenge helps us to push our creative boundaries, it helps us to change a fixed mindset, such as thinking that there’s nothing to photograph, and it requires us to make choices and decisions that help to improve our overall skills as a photographer.

A challenge could be as simple as shooting a certain colour

or it could be something more complicated such as challenging yourself to come home with 10/20/30 images that you would not normally capture.

I have taken challenges around my local area and they always help me to see my area differently; to see potential, opportunity, and possibility, rather than to focus on what’s lacking.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Most of us who enjoy photography also want to gain experience and improve our skills. To do this we need to go out regularly with our camera and take pictures. We will take most of our pictures in places that are convenient to get to, and this means that most of the time we will shoot in our local area.

Familiarity might lead us to believe that there is nothing to photograph where we live, that our locality is boring and monotonous. However, if we take some simple steps, like those outlined above, we can change this mindset and begin to discover photographic potential all around us, wherever we live.

I hope you will find these steps useful. If any of them particularly resonate with you why not share your experience below.