Embracing Reality – The Key to Enjoying Your Photography Journey

When I started out in photography I thought I would become a landscape photographer. It seemed to be the most obvious route to take and for the first few years I concentrated on photographing local landscapes as well as travelling further afield whenever possible.

However, I was never quite satisfied with my results, and I was frustrated with my lack of success.

In my early photography days I didn't know how to arrange elements to make a pleasing landscape image. I tended to 'spray and pray' and ended up with snapshots.

I used to be a little obsessed with leading lines!

While I accept that I don’t have the type of camera and lenses to do justice to landscape photography, the problem is not just a gear problem. I realised that I would need to constantly travel to new locations to develop my landscape photography skills, and travel was often not possible. I also knew that I would not get the best images if I didn’t photograph at either of the golden hours. In addition, I discovered that wide landscapes, beautiful as they are, are difficult to translate into good photographs.

I enjoyed getting pretty pictures but I lacked the composition and editing skills required to do justice to beautiful landscapes.

As I accepted and embraced the reality that I would not succeed solely as a landscape photographer, I began to branch out and try other genres of photography to ensure that I remained motivated and kept on enjoying my photography.

As I live close to a beautiful old estate and woodland I started to concentrate on woodland landscapes and on more close-up images, as well as general nature photography, which I still love to do. I also continued to enjoy doing traditional landscape photography whenever the opportunity arose, and I dabbled in some coastal photography, but I knew that my primary source of inspiration had to be close to home and easy to access.

This, in turn, led me to taking a 'shoot what you see' approach and photographing everyday landscapes, focusing on the things that caught my attention.

Everyday landscapes are those landscapes that are around me all the time. They include ordinary subjects with potential to make extraordinary images given the right composition and light. They are full of potential images that can be taken of anything, anytime, anywhere. They provide great opportunities for capturing a range of subjects in convenient locations and they are possible regardless of time of day, season or weather conditions.

Light may play a big part in landscape photography but in this case the lack of light, and the water on the road, added to the gloom of a mid-January day.

The vibrant blue sky here gives a sense of time and season. The old, dilapidated building is excluded from the light, adding to the sense of abandonment.

The everyday photography approach encourages me to just take a photo of anything that catches my eye. Something drew me to this subject at the time, and I still like the image even if it is not technically correct. I can almost feel the heat in these two images! Everyday photography challenges you to take risks, and some of these might pay off.

Images like this one, of an ordinary early morning scene, prompt us to ask questions. Who was there? Where have they gone? Is the cat a stray or waiting for someone to return? These images also show human interactions with the environment, for better or worse, and what has been called, 'human presence in human absence'. This type of documentary photography appeals to me.

This was taken one early January morning when the reflection in the water was still visible, which added to my attraction to the scene. The man's body language suggests relaxation and enjoying a carefree moment. Everyday photography can be as much about capturing moments as capturing subjects. That's one of the things that makes it so enjoyable.

This 'shoot what you see' approach has brought enjoyment back to my photography, it takes away the pressure to capture certain types of image and gives me the freedom to do my photography my way. I can follow my own intuition and see the world in a different way. It helps me to notice the little things in my environment that often go unnoticed.

When I began to take this new approach to my photography I found inspiration among some of the photographers whose work I admire and follow on YouTube.

James Popsys is a great exponent of capturing everyday images. He has recently published a book entitles, Human Nature, which he says is , 'a study of people and our surroundings, our structures and the landscapes we build them in.'

Rural landscapes with ‘ordinary’ subjects are at the heart of Chris Harvey’s work. He believes in telling stories of ordinary places and ordinary lives through his photography and has recently been pursuing a personal project called 'Borderlands', which photographically documents the rural and agricultural landscape of North Wales where he lives.

Rick Bebbington has numerous recent videos explaining why he has changed his photography approach and no longer relies on travel and finding 'honeypot' locations for photography, and how this change of approach has renewed his enjoyment of photography. This video called The Art of Noticing gives a taste of his approach.

I recently came across the channel of a Swedish photographer called Jimmy West, who explains this concept in a very clear and concise manner. The video resonated with me immediately as it seems to mirror the path I have taken. Entitled, I Stopped Chasing the Perfect Photo - And it Changed Everything, this video is about the shift from 'chasing the perfect photo to appreciating the beauty in everyday photography.'

"Sometimes, capturing the perfect shot isn't about what's in front of you, but how you see it." Jimmy West

You can download the video here.

If you feel that the everyday photography is for you, you might also be interested in reading my previous post on this topic

6 Benefits of Doing Everyday Landscape Photography