I recently read a comment in response to a YouTube video in which the viewer expressed his annoyance at the use of the term ‘mindful photography’, suggesting that there is ‘no such thing as mindful photography’. While it may be true that there is no official genre of photography called mindful photography, it certainly does exist and is practised by thousands of photographers. In my view, mindful photography refers to doing photography mindfully or doing photography as an aid to helping us become more mindful. We can do landscape photography mindfully; we can do street photography mindfully. It all depends on our mindset on each occasion that we have a camera in our hand. Photography brought me to this place. The image itself may not be fantastic, but the photography experience, and the mindful experience, on that day was memorable. HOW PHOTOGRAPHY HELPS YOU TO BECOME MORE MINDFUL The topic of this post is to consider how photography can help you become more mindful, something that is becoming very important in today’s uncertain world. More and more people would like a way to switch off from a constant bombardment of bad news and from their own negative thoughts. Sitting still and trying to meditate or practise mindfulness is not for everyone. For those who are more visual in their approach to life, the way to still the mind might be to get out into nature and be immersed in all the sights, sounds, smells, mood and atmosphere of the natural world. But at times even this activity can bring a sense of sadness and hopelessness when we think of the way in which we humans are behaving in the world and the way in which we are treating the natural world. Photography offers us something more than just being in nature and observing, although that is an important part of the photographic process. Photography allows us to connect with our environment in a meaningful way, to engage with the elements and become one with the subjects we are photographing. Springtime brings an abundance of opportunities to contemplate the beauty of nature. In choosing our subjects we are giving meaning to the things around us. To me, this is mindfulness in action; a situation where our focus is firmly on what we are doing in the moment and to which we give our full attention. When I allow photography to be a mindful process I can let go of other thoughts and worries and concentrate on what I like to do – take photographs. My final images don’t have to be award winners, they are just images that are pleasing to me. Some of them may even be good enough to share. The process is what’s important, being present in each moment, enjoying the feeling of the camera in my hand, the subject and composition lined up in front of me, and the click of the shutter button as I capture the image. Doing photography mindfully is not an occasion to be critical or negative about your images. It is a time to wander, observe, admire, choose what you like and enjoy the moments and the process. Mindful photography may not be a photography genre, but photography does, in many ways, give us an opportunity to be more joyful, to be more mindful. Being in tune with the landscape and connecting with the natural environment as we make our photographs is a great way to disconnect from the stresses of everyday life. And that can’t be a bad thing! Further Reading Photography - A Gateway To MIndfulness 3 Powerful Reasons To Embrace Mindful Photography You might also be interested in the following YouTube video: Exploring MIndful Photography With Kim Grant & Nikon's Neil Freeman

Have you ever come to a standstill with your photography and wondered how to bring back the joy that you used to feel when out taking photographs? I know that at times I come to the stage where I feel that I am going around in circles learning about photography yet not making much progress in real terms. Added to this, if the feeling coincides with a time when I am unable to travel to explore different locations and try out new techniques, then sometimes my camera doesn't leave the house for days. How Does Mindful Photography Help? I first took an interest in mindful photography two years ago and my interest has continued to grow. This earlier post describes my belief that photography has become a gateway to mindfulness for me. Although at that time I was in the midst of learning the technical side of photography and tempted to only share my best photographs in a bid to receive more ‘likes’, I was also aware that I could get caught up in the rat race in photography, just as in anything else, always on the lookout for that perfect shot, always comparing myself to others and finding myself wanting. I knew that my heart did not lie in this type of photography and so I began to explore the concept of mindful photography. For me this was about being rather than learning or doing; it was about slowing down and allowing experiences to come to me. It was about seeing without taking pictures, about waiting, about being present in the moment. For me, mindful photography has been the opposite of mainstream photography. It is not about competition or perfection; it’s not about the best equipment or the technically brilliant shot, and while I do still want to learn and become as technically proficient as possible, mindful photography has influenced my practice to a great extent and this has given me much more freedom to shoot as I want to shoot, to take my time, not feel under pressure and to enjoy more fully what I love doing. Mindful photography has given me more freedom to shoot as I want to shoot, and make the images I want to make, without fear of judgement ‘Mainstream’ vs ‘Mindful’ Photography While it might not be accurate to see these as opposite types of photography, there are some obvious differences and mindful photography is not for everyone. Professional photographers are intent on getting the best shots and their livelihoods depend on that, so they are concentrated on the technical and aesthetic aspects of their photography. Similarly, if you are learning a new technique and want to practice it, that is where your concentration will lie. When you are concentrating on getting the perfect shot or achieving technical competence you are thinking, expecting a certain outcome, planning for success. When you choose to practice mindful photography, you don’t go out expecting any particular image, you let the image find you. You wander, remain open to your environment and what it offers and reveals to you, and the picture presents itself. You approach your photography with the wonder of a child. My 2-year-old granddaughter doesn’t come for a walk in the woods expecting any particular outcome. She brings an open mind; she responds to what presents itself to her. She is drawn to certain objects, colours, textures and she responds naturally by touching, exploring, discovering something about the object. Mindful photography borrows that child-like sense of curiosity, wonder and awe. When you practise mindful photography, you don’t go out expecting any particular image, you let the image find you. I was unexpectedly in this place, and although the light was harsh at 11.30 am on a sunny day, I took as many images as I could Seeing anew Mindful photography is a bit like seeing something for the first time. We begin to see even familiar scenes in a new way; we come to appreciate beauty in the ordinary. Mindful photography is about “letting go”; letting go of expectations and stress and rush. It is about slowing down, taking time, being in the moment. In mindful photography there are no judgements of ourselves as photographers or comparisons with others. There is no bad light or bad weather or poor subject. There is just this subject, in these conditions, that draws us and asks us to make an image. When I stopped here, a fog had descended over the lake. In many ways the weather was not ideal for photography but I like the images and I still remember the sense of calm I felt in the location. A short time later the fog had burned off and the scene was completely different. FINAL THOUGHTS I hope I have inspired you to at least give mindful photography some thought. In my next blog I will outline 3 powerful reasons to embrace mindful photography, at least as part of your photography practice. You might also like to read my previous blogs: Does Photography Support A Mindful Experience or Take From It? How Embracing Mindful Photography Has The Power to Transform Your Life Know anyone who might enjoy this post? Feel free to share the link.

Mindful photography is about being in the present moment, seeing what is around us, accepting things as they are without judgement, finding beauty in the ordinary. It is not an alternative to regular photography but can at times be an alternative way to approach our photography practice. Mindful photography will not appeal to everyone who does photography, but for those who enjoy approaching photography in this way there are additional benefits to our lives which make this approach worth trying, at the very least. Here are just some of the benefits to be gained from practising mindful photography. Mindful photography: 1. Supports our physical health No-one needs to be told that exercise is good for our physical and mental health. We know that a daily walk is recommended for us all, especially if we don’t exercise in other ways, yet it can be difficult to find the motivation in our busy lives to get out and walk. As with all photography, mindful photography is a great motivator to get outside and take some exercise. Taking a camera with you, or just your phone and the willingness to observe and capture anything that catches your eye, gives you a good reason to get up and out. While you may not always be ready to go out for a serious photography session, mindful photography is gentler, it has no expectations, it gives you a reason to walk while observing and listening and being in the moment ready to capture the image that draws you. Photographer Anthony Epes puts it this way: “For me walking and shooting requires me to set an intention to be open to everything on my walk and to approach this experience not as a journey to getting anywhere - but to simply be on a journey of curiosity and seeing.” 2. Keeps us living in the moment Mindful photography focuses on the present moment. In a previous post I wrote of an outing with my camera where I spent some time in my local park, wandering through the walled garden, taking photographs of plants and parts of plants, observing a little bird hopping around which I tried to capture on camera, noticing how the first signs of spring were already in the air. I was focused on seeing, noticing, tuning out the rest of the world and making time for myself and the images I would capture. As I did this, I had no thoughts of anything that had gone on in the past nor had I any worries or anxieties about the future. I was fully immersed in what I was doing. In fact, the practice of photography doesn’t really allow us to be anywhere other than fully present or we might as well not be there at all! I recently spotted how tame the robins have become and they allowed me up close to capture an image. On this occasion I just had my phone camera with me so I had to use the digital zoom to get a closer shot. Not recommended in serious photography but I did get an image of the robin that I might not have managed to get otherwise 3. Helps us get into a flow state Anything that is absorbing and engrossing, that engages your interest and helps you forget about everything else, can be said to be a flow activity. Research in the field of positive psychology suggests that experiencing flow is linked to greater happiness and wellbeing (Csikszentmihalyi & Csikszentmihalyi, 1988). I wrote a previous post describing how, for me, photography provides one such flow activity. When I take my camera out and about I forget all about my every day cares and concentrate on enjoying the experience. Mindful photography intensifies the flow experience as you become completely absorbed in the present moment. You are 'in the zone', free of distractions and alive to all that is available to see, hear, feel and smell, as well as to the image you want to capture. Your whole being is involved in the task and you leave your everyday cares aside. According to Positive Psychology, "understanding how to enter the flow state, and maintain it, is seen as a great way to enjoy the activities we get engaged in." 4. Focuses on things that give us joy, increase our happiness, improve our mental health When your focus is simply on the things that bring you joy you are free of expectations and pressure to deliver, even to yourself, and you become open to possibilities and opportunities. You have a blank canvas every day to explore and enjoy making images of the things you love. It might be a bark of a tree or a tiny flower. It might be a stone in the water or something that felt good to touch. Photography will not be a chore, with an expectation to capture great images, it will be a joy, a chance to do what you love and accept the outcome without judging yourself. 5. Encourages self-awareness As you wander, as you allow images to come to you, as you allow yourself to be drawn to your subject, mindful photography encourages you to become more self-aware, more in tune with your own likes and dislikes and the things that interest you. Mindful photography helps you communicate your world view to others. Walk slowly, look, listen, be present, keep an open mind, enjoy what is. Through this process you will get to know yourself. You are not answerable to anyone else, neither is your photography. As you get to know what you like and enjoy what you do you begin to trust your instincts rather than look for the approval or affirmation of others. Your photography becomes more personal, you feel free to experiment, become more creative, express yourself as you wish to, rather than fear the negative reaction of others. I love looking at clouds and I take every chance I can to get a good image. Sometimes the cloud formation in the background will be my main reason for capturing a certain subject 6. Encourages an appreciation of our surroundings Mindful photography encourages a more intimate relationship with your surroundings, with your subject and with your current experience as you see more deeply, breathe in a sense of place and time, observe what might often go unnoticed. You begin to appreciate your own space and expand your curiosity where you are. Mindful photography does not require travel, it just requires you to be present where you are and to make the most of the opportunities for images which present themselves to you in the here and now. A photographic reminder of my first trip to the coast after almost four months of lockdown 7. Helps us to slow down Mindful photography slows you down, encourages you to pay attention, to take time for yourself. If you take away the pressure of having to make great images you are free to do what you want to do, to go where you want to go, to walk without a camera and just be, to indulge your curiosity. 8. Encourages an attitude of reflection Mindful photography encourages you to be reflective, to make choices that suit your own mood and preferences. Today you might want to experiment with long exposure, tomorrow you might want to photograph some trees. Will you use colour, or does black and white appeal to you for that image? Will you use a DSLR and experiment with depth of field or will you keep things simple and use your phone camera? In mindful photography you can let the image reflect your feelings. You can be playful or serious, you can even choose to be abstract. It doesn’t matter, the choice is entirely yours. 9. Encourages gratitude Gratitude is one of the keystones of mental health according to the principles of Positive Psychology. The benefits of incorporating gratitude as a regular practice are well researched and documented. In a previous post I considered how we can harness the power of gratitude through photography. Mindful photography, in particular, encourages gratitude in our lives. In mindful photography we are drawn towards things which mean something to us, things that we are grateful for, thereby cultivating more gratitude for what we see. How often do we notice clouds in the sky, leaves on a tree, veins on a leaf? Yet, when we start to photograph these things, we begin to pay attention to them, to really notice them, and to appreciate them. 10. Gives us a sense of purpose Deepak Chopra* says, “One of the strongest ways to remain on course when recovering from loss or other hardships is to find and know your purpose…Of all the things that make human beings unique, needing purpose and meaning in our lives is one of the most prominent.” For many people it is arts and creativity which give them a purpose in life, for others it is becoming more attuned to the inner self and finding out what is of most importance in their lives. In a recent article written for Fitbit called Feeling Lost? Here's How To Find Your Purpose, According To Deepak Chopra, the author Deepak Chopra gives some suggestions as to how we might return to our purpose after this time of ‘sustained collective disruption’. I believe that every type of photography can give that sense of purpose, but mindful photography in particular has the potential to give our lives purpose and meaning. It can fulfil our creative desire, it gives an outlet and opportunity for learning and self improvement and it can be almost meditative in nature, fulfilling a need to experience something beyond ourselves. Perhaps more important to our sense of purpose is the fact that we don’t just make images for ourselves, and when we share our images we are sharing part of ourselves and hopefully bringing pleasure to others. We can be ‘eyes to the world’ for other people - recording snapshots of particular times and places, informing, inspiring, telling stories and maybe even amazing others with something we capture. We ask others to look through our eyes, to look again, to look differently and to see things as we see them. We don’t have to belong to the league of top photographers to achieve this, we can each make a difference in our own small corner of the world and that more than anything gives a sense of purpose to our photography practice. I hope that I have convinced you of the benefits to be gained by doing mindful photography. In my next post I give some suggestions as to how you can become a more mindful photographer, whether you are using a full frame DSLR, a smartphone camera or something in between. This is one in a series of blog posts relating to mindful photography. If you are interested in this topic, you might like to read some of my previous blogs How Trying Mindful Photography Really Changed My Perspective Does Photography Support A Mindfulness Experience Or Take From It How Embracing Mindful Photography Has The Power To Transform Your Life 3 Powerful Reasons To Embrace MIndful Photography How Can We Harness the Power of Gratitude Through Photography? If you know anyone who might enjoy this post, please feel free to share the link. Further Reading On Mindfulness Photography, and How It Positively Impacts Your Mental Health ************************************************************************** *Deepak Chopra MD is a well known humanitarian and wellbeing advocate and founder of The Chopra Foundation, a non-profit organisation for research on well-being and humanitarianism. Author of over 89 books translated into over forty-three languages, Chopra is a world renowned pioneer in the area of personal transformation. Updated December 2022

I heard about the Everyday Camera Philosophy some time ago and it interested me, so it has now become part of my photography journey. I was delighted to see a recent YouTube video on the topic from photographer and film maker, Rick Bebbington (link below), which prompted me to write this post. So, what is the Everyday Camera Philosophy and how can it help your photography? Put simply, the Everyday Camera Philosophy refers to the idea of having a camera that you can take with you everyday, or at least on most days. This camera needs to be small and lightweight to fit into a bag or pocket and be a camera that you enjoy using. An everyday camera can be taken on a work commute, a trip into town, or a trip out of the country. It can accompany you when travelling by plane, train, car, bus or while walking or cycling. In short, you choose your camera and bring it with you every day wherever you go. What type of camera should this be? This is personal to each individual but, since it needs to be small and lightweight, the best choices would be a small mirrorless camera or a fixed lens camera. My camera of choice is my Olympus OMD EM10 Mark ii, coupled with a 14-42mm pancake lens. I bring it in my car when on a road journey so that I don’t miss an eye-catching subject, I carry it in my bag when commuting into the city so that I am always ready for some street photography, I pack it in my hand luggage when travelling abroad so that I will always have a camera at hand for travel photography and I take it with me on my morning walk to capture those unexpected moments that may occur. Many of you reading this will no doubt say, ‘I have an everyday camera, it’s on my phone.’ I often use my phone camera when I don’t have any other camera with me but in my view, there are pros and cons to using your phone camera as your everyday camera. While a phone camera is good for quick snapshots it doesn’t have that real camera feel to it that I like. You don’t hold it like a camera or adjust settings as you do on a camera and, in my view, you don’t get the real photographer experience with a phone camera that you get even with a small camera. That’s why I carry my Olympus camera even though I always have my phone camera with me. On a recent trip to Portugal I had my everyday camera to capture the essence of the place, Vila Real De Santo Antonio. I believe there are many benefits to photography from adopting the Everyday Camera Philosophy. Again, Rick Bebbington's video covers these so don't just take my word for it. Benefits of the Everyday Camera Philosophy By adopting the Everyday Camera Philosophy, you are giving your photography brain a workout at every possible opportunity. You will come to know your camera so well that you won’t have to think about settings and menu options. You will develop an innate sense for good composition. You will often be able to catch the best light, observe the most interesting subjects and capture some unique moments that would not have been possible if your camera had been at home waiting for a ‘planned’ photography shoot. You will begin to weave the art of storytelling with your camera into the fabric of your everyday life. Final Thoughts The Everyday Camera Philosophy is a simple concept that could have far-reaching benefits for your development as a photographer. Simply by choosing a camera, taking it with you and using it at every opportunity, you will give yourself the best opportunity to grow in skill and confidence as a photographer, and you never know what you will capture! Why not give the Everyday Camera Philosophy a try and see if it makes a difference? You might like to check out Rick Bebbington's video below: Why You Need an Everyday Camera

Over the last few months my photography has changed direction. I have opted for more intimate landscape images, close-ups and woodland scenes. I have also spent some time doing street and urban photography and documenting places I have visited with my camera. While traditional landscape photography is a type of photography that I love, I have moved away from it for a few reasons. Firstly, I don’t often get to travel to locations that offer good opportunities for landscape images. The best opportunities close to where I live are for woodland, urban and general photography. I have lots of opportunities to capture close-up, and even macro, images. My second reason for not doing as much ‘big landscape’ photography is that I don’t feel skilled in this area and am often disappointed in my results. I need to learn techniques such as focus stacking to have a sharp image throughout the whole frame and some post-processing skills to avoid ending up with flat images. The first reason for not doing landscape photography was remedied recently when I was on a trip to the west of Ireland and encountered many beautiful landscapes, both inland and coastal. I had no excuse not to at least try to photograph these beautiful places. I also needed to use this opportunity to upskill. Here are some images from my trip: On my journey home I suddenly noticed this beautiful sky and fortunately I was close to a viewpoint. I wasn't the only one with this idea on that evening so I joined many other photographers who were trying to capture nature in all its glory. The colours in the sky changed many times in the course of the thirty minutes or so that I spent there, then just as quickly, all the colour was gone. While I may need to improve further in this genre of landscape photography, my efforts on this trip did help me realise that I still enjoy capturing traditional landscape images as I get to spend time in nature and I get to witness the beauty of mountains, lakes, oceans, and skies. I can never fully capture that beauty in an image but I do get an opportunity to be part of all that the natural world has to offer to the landscape photographer.

Some photographers shy away from doing autumn photography. They consider it to be too clichéd and repetitive, a type of photography that hardly requires any photography skill as nature itself does most of the work. I disagree. In a recent post I talked about the reasons why I love autumn for photography. I feel more motivated to go out when the world around me is full of colour - sometimes shrouded in mist before the sun breaks through, sometimes crisp and dry and calling me to make some images. I am drawn to the variety and abundance of colour that awakens my senses and gives me an enormous sense of gratitude for being alive to witness it all again for another short season before the winter comes to take it all away. I have really enjoyed my autumn photography this year. Here is my autumn images gallery of images taken over the past two weeks. I hope you enjoy it.

If you are interested in street photography you will no doubt realise how difficult it is to capture a ‘keeper’, that is, an image that you think will appeal to others and that shouldn’t be deleted from your archives. Many street photographers try to capture something humorous or unusual that will appeal to viewers. Something odd, a strange juxtaposition or an unlikely occurrence usually make for compelling images. They create those unique moments that street photographers look out for. Alternatively, photographers might try to tell a story through their images. The story might be explicit or just hinted at for the viewer to think about the image and make up their own mind about what is happening. There are other street photographers for whom the aesthetically pleasing image takes priority. This might entail the use of bold colour or be based on good contrast of light and shade. It might be a silhouette image or even an abstract image. The main focus of this approach to street photography is that the image will have strong visual appeal. But often, it is on the very occasions that we go out looking for these specific occurrences, that we won’t find them. As German photographer Markus Hartel once said, 'Street photography is like gambling. You get lucky or you get nothing...' So, how do we try to ensure that we get lucky once in a while? How do we occasionally capture those elusive keepers? First of all, it is important to manage our expectations in street photography. If we go out expecting to find an amazing shot straight away, we are likely to be disappointed. All good street photographers agree that great subjects are not just there for the taking. We have to go out often, be patient, accept ‘failure’ and be willing to try and try again to find those compelling street images. As Matt Stuart, author of ‘Think Like a Street Photographer’, puts it, we need to, ‘get up, get out and go and find things’. I recently came across this quote from poet Philip Larkin: ‘Nothing, like something, happens anywhere.’ When I read the quote I thought, ‘this applies to street photography too.’ How many times do we go out with our cameras and come home with nothing? Yet I realise also that it is often when we least expect something interesting to happen that it will happen, and it can happen anywhere. We need to be there and to be observant. As one photographer described it: a lot of walking and looking and then there it is. (Mark Alor Powell) And that is the magic of street photography. The second way to guarantee at least a few keepers is to realise that street photography is not just about taking random pictures of people in the street. This just results in boring images that no-one wants to look at. Good street photography involves making something worthwhile to offer your viewers – a narrative, a unique moment or just something aesthetically pleasing. It also involves employing some techniques to achieve these results, such as using sub-framing to create interest or using layering to add depth. I recently had a look back through my street images to see if I could identify any that fit into this category; images that I would consider to be keepers. Below are some that go some way to hitting the mark in that I think they provide at least some element of interest for the viewer. Taking a Break, Dublin 2019 Morning Chat, Dublin 2019 Shadows on the Wall, Vila Real, Portugal, 2023 Street Cleaner, Vila Real, Portugal, 2023 Rain in the City, Dublin 2022 Photographing Phil Lynott, Dublin 2023 Boy Among the Pigeons, Dublin 2019 The Mask, Dublin 2019 I’m Not Playing! Dublin 2019 Dog Spotting, Lake Garda, 2019 Viewpoint, Lake Garda 2019 Street Protest, Dublin 2019 Moment of Persuasion, Dublin 2019 What's Happening? Vila Real, Portugal, 2023 FINAL WORDS If, like me, you take lots of street images and have difficulty recognising those elusive 'keepers' then it might be worth thinking about your images under one of these three headings: - images that tell a story, - images that capture a moment - images that have an aesthetic quality. These type of images have what might be called a 'captivating quality'. They give the viewer something worthwhile to look at instead of being just more images of random people on the street doing nothing in particular. For me, the real joy of street photography is that I can constantly be on a quest to capture images that have this captivating quality. Some day I might find that gem, but in the meantime I won’t get disheartened as I keep in mind this quote from photographer Alex Webb: ‘Street photography is 99.9 per cent about failure’.

I love going out in all seasons to do photography, but autumn is definitely my favourite season. Autumn offers something unique that no other season can quite match, and that is stunning colour. Nothing can beat taking a walk in the countryside, or in a city park, and observing the beautiful oranges, yellows, reds, golds and rusty browns which nature shows off in this season. But it's not just the autumn colours that make this season great for photography. For me, it's also about being out in the chilly air on a clear autumn morning, which accentuates the sense of change that's happening all around. It's about the mixture of emotions as we say goodbye to summer and yet have a sense of gratitude for being alive to see another autumn unfold before us. It's about the opportunity to feel awe and wonder at the magnificence of nature at its best; to observe beauty around every corner and even encounter the occasional surprise. It's about those misty, moody mornings when everything is hiding behind a curtain of fog and the earth seems so still. It's about those rainy days which bring out the true vibrance of the autumn colours. And when the sun breaks through the early morning mist, and bathes everything in a golden glow, that is the cherry on the cake! Autumn is a season of beauty, colour, change, often moody but always providing wonderful photographic opportunities. That's why I love autumn photography. Why not have a look at my autumn images gallery.

I often go out with my camera without a clear idea of what I want to photograph and as a result my outings can be unproductive. To counteract this, I have, at times, tried to put some structure on my outings. One idea is to have an on-going project, but this is a long-term activity and not one for every outing as it would soon become stale. Another option is to take on a photography challenge posed by an external source such as an online photography forum or an individual photographer. This will often involve taking some images on a certain subject or topic, choosing one or two of our best images and posting them to the group. This can give us an added incentive when we go out on our photography shoot but it does rely on finding challenges that will interest us and suit our type of photography. A third way to help us become more productive on our photography shoots is to take part in what is called a photography self-assignment. WHAT DOES A PHOTOGRAPHY SELF-ASSIGNMENT ENTAIL? In my view, a self-assignment is where we assign ourselves a task, set a timeframe for the task completion, and present the results in some form. The assignment can be anything we choose but should be something that will hold our interest or that will help us discover a new interest. Self-assignment ideas There are countless options for photography self-assignments. You might make a series of close-up photos, you might take photos of birds in different environments, you might make a series of photos that all include water. A series of photos that include motion is another idea, or you might like to make a series of images that all include a composition technique, for example, sub-framing. Colour as a theme is commonly used in photography but you can make it more interesting by including your chosen colour in different environments, for example, the colour yellow in towns and cities as well as in the natural landscape. Alternatively, you might look for contrasting colours or complimentary colours. Get to know your neighbourhood – walk around for a few days looking for images that will tell the story of your neighbourhood. The list of ideas for self-assignments is endless, and the more you do the more ideas you’ll have. Presenting your images When you have completed your first self-assignment task, the next step is to decide how you will present your images. I think this is an important part of the self -assignment as it adds another dimension to the process. It encourages us to think about how best to display our images so that we achieve our final goal and complete the assignment rather than just saving them in a folder, never to be seen again. There are various options for presenting our finished assignment. Presenting images as an online gallery is a common option but I have also seen images printed and displayed as 9 small photos on one frame, or made into a photo book. Recently I saw a photographer do an assignment where he presented his images as a set of diptychs, that is, images presented in pairs with something connecting them. This last option appeals to me as it encourages me to think about the final presentation while I am shooting and to try to compose accordingly. WHAT MAKES A PHOTOGRAPHY SELF-ASSIGNMENT WORTH TRYING? Here are 7 reasons to try a photography self-assignment that I have come up with. You will probably think of more. 1. It will add interest to an otherwise regular photography outing. 2. It will give some structure and focus to your photography shoot. 3. It will encourage you to continually set new goals for your photography. 4. It will sharpen your powers of observation. 5. It will encourage you to challenge yourself creatively. 6. It will help you learn new skills as you experiment with new styles and techniques. 7. It will encourage you to evaluate your photography for presentation. In this post I have looked at some reasons to try a photography self- assignment. Before I end, I want to give a brief example of a recent assignment I tried and to assess its value. To get started I kept it simple and easy to adapt to any location. Assignment: Morning in My Local Park. Presentation: Set of diptychs documenting life on a typical morning in my local city park. Here are some of the resulting images. Evaluation: 1. The self-assignment gave me something concrete to focus on during my morning shoot. 2. I was conscious that I had decided to present my images as a set of diptychs so I kept this in mind and tried to shoot in pairs with a common connection between the two images. 3. I was interested and engaged during the shoot and decided to try another self-assignment in the near future. Is a self-assignment something that would interest you?

This image gallery is a set of images taken on a recent trip to the west of Ireland. UNDER THE WESTERN SKY I hope you like some of the images.

In my last post I wrote about why I think every photographer should have their own website. I wrote the post from my experience of developing a photography website over the last few years. My website would not be considered to be very successful, although I do have a small number of new and returning visitors and I will write for one reader with the same enthusiasm as I would write if I had thousands of visitors every day. For me, the success of my website is measured by what it has given back to me in terms of motivation, inspiration and a continuing passion for photography. HOW HAS HAVING A WEBSITE HELPED MY PHOTOGRAPHY? Having my own website means I have a platform in which to display my photographs in whatever form I choose, a place where I can share my thoughts and insights about my photography journey and a space in which to grow as a photographer. Without this space where I can interact with others and with my own images, where I can clarify my goals and decide where to go next, where I can hold a mirror up to my own work, I doubt if I would still feel the motivation to go out regularly with my camera. Knowing that I will post my images and write about my process in a blog post gives me an outlet for my photographs. I know that they will not just sit in a folder on a hard drive but will be curated and chosen to be shared for a particular purpose, which gives me a reason for taking them in the first place. Maybe most important of all is that I get to post the images that I like. It's not always easy to find a space to post ICM images. On my own website I can do that. I used to post to Instagram, try to include the most appropriate hashtags, and feel disappointed that I didn’t get more likes. Then I realised that to get more likes I would need to post more regularly and put more effort into doing what is needed to do to get noticed. I have started to post less often on Instagram and put more effort into posting on my website, where I am not looking for likes or to have my work noticed. I can be experimental knowing that I am often posting a work in progress which reflects my continuing development as a photographer. On my website I am posting to share my journey, to give inspiration to anyone else who might be starting this wonderful hobby and to increase my own creativity and enjoyment of photography. If you are frustrated with social media but want to show your images and would like somewhere to call your own, a website might be the answer. It was for me.

Professional photographers will use every means they can to publicise their work, but even as amateurs it is a good idea to have your own website. In this post I put forward 9 reasons why you should have a photography website as an amateur photographer. #1 Showcase Your Work A photography website provides you with a platform on which to show your images. Having your own platform means that you can decide which images you want to show and how you want to present those images, as well as allowing you to include other features that enhance and promote your photography work. #2 Tell Your Story Having your own website gives you the opportunity to share your own story and outline your goals for your readers. Your About Me page, blog posts, comments and communications with your readers provide opportunities to share some of your own views and opinions and allow readers to get to know you. #3 Discuss Your Photography You get to talk about your photography in as much detail as you want to. You can also delve into other photography topics and as you build your online profile and begin to have a returning group of readers, you will find which topics are the most popular. #4 Reflect Your Own Personal Style You can reflect your own personal style on your photography website. Your writing, choice of images to include, your gallery and the websites you link to, all say something about your style and preferences in photography. For example, you can tell from my website that I like landscape photography and street photography. You can discover that I value photography as a gateway to wellbeing and that mindful photography is something I practise. From some of my posts you might deduce that I like to experiment, discover new ways to photograph familiar things, and that I am drawn to other photographers who do the same. #5 Control Your Content Unlike relying on a social media platform, with your own website you control your content and how you present that content. If you are writing a blog post you can choose your own title, layout, font size and colour scheme. You decide which photos to include, what captions to add, how best to organise your images and what links to other websites or other photographers’ work you want to include. You have a lot of creative freedom by having your own website rather than being constrained by social media platforms or by being part of larger websites. If you want to use social media platforms in conjunction with a website, you also have the option to link all your social media accounts together through your website. #6 Provide Another Outlet for Your Creativity Building, developing and maintaining a website adds another creative outlet to your photography journey. It will involve planning, organising, making creative choices and decisions, curating your work and presenting your photography to suit your own style. #7 Build Community Through your website you can build a community, engage with your readers through a comments section or through email, reach out to other creators, and make connections with likeminded people. You can promote events, other websites, or YouTube channels that your readers might be interested in. You can have an informative website that links to the work of others providing resources and giving value to your readers outside of your own work. #8 Increase Your Motivation By creating your own photography website to showcase your images, share personal thoughts, reach out to others in the photography community and document your journey as a photographer, you are likely to increase your interest in what you do, provide incentive and keep motivation alive. #9 Make Some Money While I am directing my comments primarily to amateur photographers whose primary aim is not to make money from photography, with a website there is potential to grow a photography business and an opportunity to make some extra money if that is something you wish to do. It is possible to sell prints, calendars, eBooks, courses or other merchandise through your website, or even have affiliate links. POPULAR WEBSITE BUILDERS If you would like to create your own website, there are many website providers to choose from. Wordpress is a popular website builder, though not the easiest to use. Easier to use options include Squarespace, Ionos and Wix , the three most popular website builders in 2023. I built my website using Wix as it provides an easy-to-use format on which to build your platform. Wix allows you a lot of creative scope while being intuitive to use, and there are accompanying tutorials at all stages. I had very little experience in creating a website prior to starting, and I was not interested in a steep learning curve, so I can vouch for the ease of use of the Wix website builder. If you decide to go down the road of a photography website checkout this website for a comprehensive assessment of each platform. https://www.top10best-websitebuilders.co.uk/ You might like to check out these photography websites from photographers working in different genres: Photographic Connections First Man Photography Mike Chudley Roman Fox (snapsbyfox.com) Henry Turner | Landscape Photography (henryturnerphotography.co.uk) Although most of these websites are complementary to YouTube channels, they do give an idea of what a photography website can look like and how it can be used. Final Thoughts… Not every photographer will want their own website, and many are happy to share images on social media or dedicated photography platforms. But for those who would like to add another dimension to their photography work, a website can provide incentive, motivation, interest and challenge and allow you to present your own unique slant on your photography journey.