You might be interested in watching a recent video from UK based photographer Greg Howard (linked below) in which he discusses how the ‘surprise value’ is what makes our photography unique. Greg’s work inspires me to be more authentic as a photographer: to photograph what genuinely interests me rather than what I think others expect to see. In the video, Greg had just returned from Canada, where he had seen sights he had wanted to experience for years. Yet, when he reviewed his photographs, his favourites were not the dramatic vistas but ordinary subjects such as a car in a driveway, a bus or a road sign. Greg reflected on why these ordinary subjects appealed to him and realised their main attraction was their element of surprise. Although he photographed many beautiful landscapes, Greg felt that these iconic locations offered no 'thrill of discovery' because they had already been photographed so many times. For him, it is the unique and unexpected moments which create an emotional response rather than simply a visual one, and that is what he finds most compelling as a photographer. This way of thinking strongly resonates with me and reflects the direction my own photography has been taking for some time. Greg’s video and blog post helped me understand why I am drawn to random, ordinary subjects and why I find this kind of photography so rewarding. The comments on the video suggest that many photographers feel the same. These images may not be popular on Instagram or social media, but they are authentic, personal and uniquely your own. They offer the emotional connection that makes photography more meaningful and enjoyable. This coastal town near my home has a well photographed landmark called Bray Head. I have photographed it many times but I have never succeeded in capturing an image I like. In this image, the Head is the backdrop while my eye is drawn to the solitary figure walking on the beach. This image appeals to me. Old buildings always attract my attention. I am intrigued by the lack of windows. It is an image that prompts a lot of questions. This view of the sea and sky is one I never captured before but I like the way the rocks lead out to the distance beyond. If you areinterested in this topic you might like to watch Greg Howard's video here.

Many photographers don’t like summer for photography, particularly landscape photography. I heard one photographer recently saying that compared to autumn, and even winter, summer is ‘too green’ with no variety of colour. You may or may not agree with this view, but summer does pose some legitimate challenges for photography. Harsh light is one problem. As the sun is high in the sky for most of the day in summer it makes colours look flat and washed out. Harsh light also creates dark shadows and the contrast between the bright light and deep shadows can be difficult to photograph. In summer, plants can look too green and thick to get a good depth, making them look very two dimensional, and skies can either look very blue or hazy, neither of which are great for photography. ‘Golden hour’, the time just after sunrise or just before sunset, occurs very early or very late in summer, times which are not conducive to getting out with a camera. If you prefer documentary or everyday photography over landscapes, you may find popular locations crowded with people. Are there any solutions for overcoming the challenges of summer for photography? I think there are. Overcoming the Challenges One way I have learned to enjoy summer photography is by approaching it with a positive mindset. For example, summer mornings are not always dominated by bright sunlight. Many bring a mix of cloud and sun, or a hazy brightness that creates soft, gentle morning light. Noticing these conditions helps you avoid assuming that summer light is always harsh and missing opportunities to go out with your camera. If crowded locations or events make photography difficult, look past the obvious scene and focus on the details others may overlook. At a beach, festival or busy gathering, many people will be doing similar things: watching, taking photographs, relaxing or spending time together. Look instead for interesting clothing, gestures, interactions and everyday summer activities. Treat the location as your canvas, then choose the details that best tell the story through your photographs. Very blue, cloudless summer skies may be perfect for many activities, but they can make photographs feel flat and uninteresting. Clouds often add mood, drama and depth, while empty skies can leave an image looking plain. One way to avoid this is to compose without the sky and focus instead on closer, more detailed subjects. The sky did not play a major part in these images. In many cases it is possible to exclude the sky altogether. The two figures wearing summer clothes and sun hats draw the viewer's attention to the summer theme. Alternatively, if the sky is a strong blue with a few soft clouds, try converting the image to black and white, where those clouds can become a more striking feature. The clouds were very thin on this occasion but they do illustrate the idea. I think the black and white version of this scene is more impactful than colour as the sky was very blue. A Summer Project One of the most effective ways I have found to deal with harsh summer light is to embrace it and turn summer itself into the focus of a project. This approach can make your photography more interesting by encouraging you to look for varied opportunities that suit the season, while working with its perceived limitations rather than against them. A project gives direction and purpose to our photography. I believe that working on a project makes me more deliberate in selecting subjects or scenes and in how I compose them to capture the best possible image. Although summer may present some challenges, it also offers numerous opportunities for photography, and undertaking a specific project enables us to take advantage of these opportunities. My Personal Project In May, I embarked on a personal project centred on various forms of summer photography. My aim is to complete the project by the end of summer and compile my photographs into a self-made book. No type of photography, location, weather condition, or focal length is excluded. The sole requirement is that the photos must capture an element of summer. Through this project, I aspire to document my daily life this summer—the places I explore, the people I meet, the ordinary and the extraordinary, the memorable moments that stand out, and the quiet instances when nothing seems to happen, yet a photograph beckons to be taken. The title of my project is Samhradh, the Irish word for summer. *** I hope that some of these ideas will help you to take your camera, go outside and enjoy all the photography that summer offers.

It is probably true to say that most photographers like to photograph beauty. Many will travel long distances to capture a shot of a stunning vista in an epic location while others will seek out ‘honeypot’ locations nearer home. Photographers seek subjects cast in beautiful light; they photograph pretty views and positive aspects of life while so called ‘ugly’ or mundane subjects are rejected by the majority. But there are photographers who don’t prioritize these types of photos; who prefer to find unique subjects even if they don’t conform to the conventionally beautiful. I consider myself part of the latter group. I enjoy photographing beautiful scenes, but I am also drawn to finding a more personal way to interpret them. Rather than simply recording a scene as it appears, or as others might photograph it, I prefer to explore a different angle or perspective and create an image that feels distinctly my own. At other times, I move away from well-known tourist spots and try to capture the true character of a place, even when that means photographing less picturesque scenes. I rarely seek out ‘honeypot’ locations; instead, I prefer to work close to home, focusing on ordinary or mundane subjects and revealing their quieter, less obvious beauty. Bray, Co. Wicklow, is a coastal town on Ireland’s east coast, close to where I live and easy for me to visit. Rising above it is Bray Head, a 241-metre hill and headland that forms part of the well-known cliff walk. With its sweep down to the sea, it is an obvious subject for photographers seeking beauty, especially when the headland is lit by sunlight. On my most recent visit, I tried to include Bray Head from a different perspective while also photographing the quieter, more ordinary parts of the area that are often overlooked. Finding unique and interesting perspectives in commonly visited places keeps the fun in photography. It is worth embracing difference and making your own unique images rather than replicating images that have been created thousands of times. Why not give it a try.

Recently, I visited an eighteenth-century castle that is just a short drive from my home. I brought my camera along with the intention of doing some photography. I have been to this castle many times. I have walked in the grounds, taken a tour of the interior of the castle, visited exhibitions held there and frequently met friends for coffee in the castle coffee shop. But I have not taken my camera there recently so I decided to go there solely with the purpose of doing photography. My main photography aim was to see if my skills had improved since the last time I photographed there. I resisted the temptation to watch a YouTube video about photographing castles and to base this visit on my own developing skills in areas such as composition, choosing different perspectives and making the best of available light. The castle in question is not particularly old so it doesn’t have the look and distinctive features of an older castle, but it is still photogenic and it stands in grounds of outstanding beauty, surrounded by a small woodland of native deciduous trees. On the morning I visited there was intermittent sunshine, periods when the sun disappeared and rain took it’s place, before a return to sunshine again. It was also quite windy, so I had a mixed bag weather wise. I brought just one lens with me – a micro four thirds 12-45mm – and experimented with different focal lengths. I walked around the castle looking for wide views with foreground, close-up, detailed shots, and views using various natural frames. I also took some detailed shots and photographs of the gate house and courtyard buildings. Below are some images of the session. CONCLUSION Taking one specific subject and shooting from a variety of different angles brought a fresh approach to my photography that was very enjoyable. I had the opportunity to practise techniques, experiment with different angles and use a range of focal lengths in a short telephoto lens to bring variety and interest to my photography shoot.

What do you do when you come across a familiar object in an unexpected place? Do you... Wonder where it came from? Smile to yourself? Ignore it? I take a photograph. We're lost! Just hanging around. Living on the street. Can't find my way home. When you can't stand the heat...! Back soon! Off road! Fancy meeting you here. Have you ever photographed familiar objects in unexpected places? if not, why not challenge yourself to find some examples.

I have often mentioned the value of always having a photography project on the go. It helps keep your photography motivated, it stimulates creativity, it improves your skills and it provides you with new and interesting subjects. I have a few projects that I return to constantly. One is the Small Towns project, which encourages me to stop in small towns and photograph the unique features of the town. This project is ongoing and as such provides ongoing motivation. Another project is where I visit a historical site and photograph it at different times, in various weather conditions and in different seasons throughout the year. I use a range of perspectives and compositions and enjoy returning to the site often in an attempt to create a few pleasing images. As well as the more long-running projects, I also like to do an occasional short-term or mini project. This might extend through one or two photography sessions but is always of short duration. A topic such a a specific colour works well for this type of project. Why do a mini project? There are a few reasons why mini projects are a good idea. They encourage us to pay attention to what is around us. They provide opportunities to develop our creativity. They sharpen our observational skills. They increase our range of subjects to photograph. Mini projects can remain self contained or they may serve as jumping off points for more detailed projects. Exploring the colour blue through a mini project. In this project I decided to confine myself to just two photography sessions, and to use two different locations; a coastal town and an urban setting. The only rules I set for myself were that each image should primarily highlight the colour blue and that I should try to get a variety of subjects or a variety of compositions for similar subjects. Here are some results: Why not try a mini photography project for yourself? It works with almost any topic, it's quick and easy to do, it provides you with lots of potential subjects and it's a fun activity with your camera.

Do you have to like the subjects you photograph? Recently I have seen several YouTube videos which have discussed this question. I think makes for an interesting discussion and it has caused me to pause and think about my own response to the question. In my photography I have been naturally drawn to beauty in the subjects I photograph. I love to capture light and shadow, reflections, colour, contrast, examples of the wonder of nature and interesting elements of the human and natural world. I will spend time patiently waiting for a bee to settle in a good position on a flower (they seldom do!) or go out after a rain shower in search of raindrops on an interesting surface. I love to find a scene or object that tells a story, even when there is no human presence. I like to depict emotion through my images and hope to evoke emotions in those who view them. There are many aspects of daily life which draw my eye and prompt me to make an image. That being said, I have also been drawn to finding and showing examples of beauty in the mundane or finding hidden gems, often in unusual places, and sometimes these are things that would not be considered to be beautiful in the conventional sense. I sometimes ask myself – Do photography subjects have to be beautiful? Do we have to like the subjects we photograph? Should we take photographs of the reality we see around us, the less beautiful places and subjects, as well as showcasing beauty? In this context I’m not talking about leaving a piece of litter in an image because it’s reality or refusing to eliminate distractions from our frame because the image will be less realistic without them. I am talking about photographing subjects that are not intrinsically beautiful or appealing to the eye. I'm talking about subjects that we walk past every day without giving them a second glance because they don’t immediately look attractive. As I progress in photography, I am beginning to realise that everything is valid as a subject in photography and that we don’t always have to like what we photograph. In fact, the subjects we don’t like may teach us more about photography than the subjects we like or that we are normally drawn to. Taking photographs of subjects that we are not immediately drawn to can: (a) Take us out of our comfort zone and force us to work harder for an image. (b) Improve our creativity as we work a scene that is unfamiliar to us or edit our subject in an interesting way. (c) Provide more photographic opportunities as we find ourselves making more images in places we may previously have bypassed. (d) Improve our observational skills as we look for interesting features in what may be less ‘photogenic’ subjects. I tested out this theory recently as I took a walk around my local area. I paused at an area where there were some temporary buildings and sheds. There was nothing beautiful about the subjects, but I decided to take some phone images that I would not previously have considered taking. I think that this experiment took me out of my comfort zone, improved my observational skills and creativity, and increased my potential photographic opportunities. I later spent some time editing the images in an attempt to enhance the beauty of what were ordinary, mundane subjects. Here are some of the images. The images were all taken on the Pixel 9 Pro using both the native phone app and the Open Camera app, which I have recently been experimenting with. Edits were done on my phone using Snapseed. Although these subjects are not intrinsically beautiful, I believe that they show that we can make images almost anywhere; in places where we would not usually find images and with subjects that we would normally bypass when looking for potential photographs. Why not experiment with subjects or places that you would not normally consider for photography?

I recently enjoyed some time visiting family in Co. Leitrim, Ireland. On this pleasant morning I took my dog and my camera for a walk along the canal joining the Shannon and Erne waterways. It was a predominantly blue sky day, with plenty of sunshine, although the sun did disappear at times. This walk began at the Kilclare Canal Lock and meandered along the banks of the canal. I took a combination of photographs to include the natural landscape, the built landscape and some views of the canal and lock gates. I then travelled to Ballinamore, a popular stopping point for cruisers and loved by those hoping for a day (or week's) fishing, where I continued my walk along the canal bank. These photos are typical of the type of photos I like to take when visiting somewhere different to my usual locations. I like to capture a combination of close-up landscape scenes, document the human-made environment that surrounds the natural landscape, and look for anything unusual or interesting along the way. I also like to include people at times, in the right circumstances. The early summer sunshine added to my enjoyment of the day. I was glad to have finished my walk at the aptly named Cherry Blossom Centre just when it's cherry blossom tree was in full bloom. I hope you have enjoyed my images of a very pleasant canal bank walk. This is the type of morning I love; no pressure, no striving for perfection, just an enjoyable morning of photography.

My most recent venture into woodland photography occurred in the autumn, when I seized the opportunity presented by the mild weather to photograph the vibrant colours that filled the forest. Since then my photography has primarily focused on taking advantage of the rare winter sunshine and its effect on various subjects as well as some macro photography as the spring flowers began to appear. During the past week I enjoyed rediscovering the art of woodland photography as I took my telephoto lens and made an early morning trip to my local deciduous woodland. This is a woodland with which I am very familiar, yet there is always scope to find something new to photograph - new subjects, new perspectives, different light - even to discover changes that have occurred after the winter. I began by taking a few images close to the entrance to the woodland. There was some damage to the boundary wall due to winter storms. Repair work is ongoing at the moment. I carried on down the main path, capturing anything that caught my eye. After the wider scenes I took some close-up images. One of my favourite trees became a victim of the storm. Back to the wider scenes to finish off. I don't believe that I got any great images but I enjoyed my wander through the forest in the early morning sunshine. Capturing photographs in the woods is challenging. Although I find it enjoyable, I frequently feel frustrated by my inability to capture a good image. However, I plan to keep trying because I believe woodland photography is an art form. With patience and practice, I'm confident that I will eventually take a woodland photo that I can be proud of. If you find pleasure in woodland photography, what aspects make it enjoyable for you?

One of the main aims for my photography journey is to just keep getting out with my camera and taking pictures. They don't have to be great pictures, and most of them are far from great, but I do want to capture what catches my eye, keep making adjustments and improvements, and just enjoy being out taking photographs. I took advantage of the early morning light to capture how it fell on this old building. This is my first attempt at an image of this old boundary wall. It's a subject that interests me but I'm not happy with this composition so it's one I'll return to at another time. An attempt at slow shutter speed is always worthwhile doing. This small waterfall was fuller than usual after the recent rain. This tree was one of the casualties of the recent storm. I had crossed this bridge so I just looked behind and framed up this image. I tried out a low angle for this flower picture. I think a macro lens would do a better job. I like the way the sun caught the old wall here. I use the framing technique whenever I think it will work. I'm happy that it works here. This is the second edit of the tree image, the other is image number one above. It's a difficult subject to get right. I don't think I've nailed it yet! A simple scene. It's a little over-exposed and it might have worked better with just the person or the vehicle, but not both. A close-up from the tree above. I always see the same face! I took this final image with my phone camera. I edited in Lightroom (below) without much success. For me, the main aim of photography is being out with my camera, looking for potential images and enjoying every press of the shutter. Even the 'failures' are worthwhile as they teach me something useful for future outings.

I do most of my photography in the morning. I love to go out before the day starts, when the birds are singing, the streets are nearly deserted and the world looks as though it is ready and waiting for the day to begin. Sometimes my morning walk takes me into nature, whether it's my local woodland or park; sometimes I simply wander around my neighbourhood taking in the sights and sounds of a new day beginning. What I cherish most is the peace and calmness of the morning, the absence of hustle and bustle, the anticipation, and the freshness of a brand-new day. What is your favourite time for photography?

A while back, I wrote a post about how selecting a single word, even at random, can serve as a foundation for our photography and enhance our creativity when we're unsure of what to capture. My post was inspired by a video from UK photographer Andrew Banner, who participated in a photography challenge centered around the word 'bleak'. He explained how the challenge of capturing a fitting image sparked his creativity, and he also explored the word 'direction' and its various uses in photography. To revisit the challenge, I chose the word 'waiting'. This idea came to me when I saw an empty children's playground one early morning, and it seemed that the play equipment was waiting for children to arrive and play. This inspired me to seek out other examples to depict the word 'waiting' through photography. They illustrate the concept in different scenarios: waiting for the day to start, waiting for someone to come, waiting for a bus, or waiting for their owner to come back. Below are some examples.