Autumn is my favourite season for photography. Whether it's the crisp, dry mornings or the glistening foliage following the rain, the season offers a wealth of vibrant colours and a multitude of macro subjects, presenting endless opportunities for capturing stunning images. In addition to appreciating the richness of nature, engaging in photography during this season is very life-affirming. It is hard not to feel grateful for nature’s seasonal bounty as we wander through woodlands, hike up mountains or stroll along riverbanks embracing the colour, light, vibrance and diversity of this beautiful season. In my autumnal photography I love to explore and experiment. My favourite woodland compositions use leading lines or find a natural frame to showcase a subject. I enjoy photographing the miniature world in the form of fungi, or single leaves providing contrast in their surroundings. I use bursts of autumn colour to create ICM or abstract images, but most of all I take time to stroll along, camera in hand, to capture whatever catches my eye. Here is a slideshow that attempts to capture the essence of autumn 2025. I hope I have succeeded in capturing the essence and wonder of the season through my lens, and that you will enjoy doing the same.

When I read or listen to suggestions or guidance for getting the best composition in photography, I usually get the message that it is important to have a distinct subject in the frame, something that will draw the viewer’s eye and that is distinguishable from its surroundings elements. I agree with this. When I started photography, I tended to arrive at a location, point my camera in the direction of the best view, and take the shot. Most of the elements had equal weight which meant that the viewer had nowhere to focus. I have since learned the error of my ways and I now begin by looking for an interesting subject to place within a good background and with some supporting elements. But what if I am shooting in a boring place and most of the subjects are mundane? Can I then use light to elevate a boring subject to something interesting and captivating? Can Light become my subject? I believe it can. Most of the time we think of light as a tool. We talk of the different types of light we can use -  front light, back light, side light  - to enhance an already interesting subject. Most of us won’t want to take a photograph of an uninteresting subject yet if we are in an everyday location sometimes we don’t have a great choice of interesting subjects. In this case what if light itself became the subject to draw the viewer’s eye into the frame? The contrast between light and shadow changes an ordinary house into an interesting subject. There are a few conditions required for light to work as a main subject. Situations with good contrast between light and shadow will often work, such as corners, laneways or archways. Patterns and shapes where the light creates strong shadows make interesting subjects, as do tree branches and leaves silhouetted against a bright surface. In the two previous examples light is the star of the show. Without it we would have a boring scene. Silhouettes of people or objects often make compelling images, but it is the light that creates the interest as the same scenario in flat light would not have the same effect. I made the following image in the early morning light. Later in the day it would not have been possible. Sometimes we might find a patch of light and wait for a subject to walk into it. In this case the light and the subject work in tandem to create a pleasing image. While the subject may not be central, it does add interest to the overall image. In the image above, the woman walking into the light adds an extra element to the image, while the contrast between light and shadow on her clothes and on the ground add depth and interest. The scene without subject and light would be of little interest as an image. In this image, the light was interesting so I waited for a subject to walk into the space between the shadows. I would have preferred a single person or someone on a bicycle but neither of those materialised on this morning. I took the shot from behind the tinted safety glass of a bus shelter. Below are some more examples where light turns an ordinary, dull subject, into something more interesting. Have you ever considered making light your subject?

These are some images to celebrate autumn/fall, the season that gives us nature's true bounty in terms of abundance of colour, an array of fruits, soft light and sweet scented air. Why not go out with your camera and capture some seasonal photographs.

This question frequently becomes a topic of discussion among photographers. Many street photographers are of the view that street photography must include people, that candid images of people going about their daily lives are the very essence of street photography. They believe that photos taken on the street that do not include human interactions are not true to the genre. Others are of the view that any photographs taken on the street, or in a public place, with or without people, can be included under the term street photography. These may include street furniture, signs, shapes and patterns on buildings, and so on. In this view, anything that is found in a public place can be termed street photography. There is another view that has recently been discussed on some photography forums. It respects both the above viewpoints but suggests that street images that don’t include people could, in the words of UK based photographer Sean Tucker, have ‘hints of human life’. In this approach photographs would have evidence of recent human presence, even if there are no people in the frame. Subjects may be something left behind, something recently used or something that tells a story of human presence even in human absence. I like this approach and decided to adopt it in recent street photography sessions. Before I began, I wanted to draw up some parameters. Firstly, I wanted my photographs to be candid; images of things I randomly came across on the street or in a public place such as a park. Secondly, I wanted my images to tell a story or to inspire the viewer to make up their own story of what might have occurred. They might include a person but the photograph focusses on the story rather than the person. Thirdly, I wanted to focus on little details; on objects that others overlook or just walk past. I wanted to pay attention to the potential of discarded objects to tell stories of what is happening on the street. Finally, for this project I didn’t want to include faces of people, or buildings that involve human influence on a large scale.  My subjects would reflect small, intimate details of life on the street and give clues to the human stories that happen there. Here are some initial results from my project. I intend to continue with this project and to build on the bank of images by finding some that are even more relevant to the theme. Do you think street photography needs to include people?

It is easy to fall into a rut in any creative pursuit. We can begin to feel that our output is not as good as it could be, that we are not ‘making progress’ - whatever we deem progress to be - or we may just become bored or frustrated and lacking in ideas. From time to time, I find myself falling into this sort of rut with my photography. This might be due to some of the reasons above or just that life intervenes, and I can’t spend as much time with my camera as I would like, leading to difficulty getting back out again when time allows. One of the most common reasons that I fall into a rut is that I temporarily lose interest in the images I am making. I feel that I am repeating the same type of photographs and that I am not adding anything new to my work. Going to a new location can be a solution to this problem but since that is not always possible, I have to find another way to restore my enthusiasm for this hobby that I love. When I found myself in this situation recently, I decided to see if a change of perspective would make a difference. This was inspired by watching some videos by Rick Bebbington, who frequently gives good advice on this topic. I will link below to some videos that I have found most interesting. The main benefits that a change in perspective brought were: (a) I stopped confining myself to any genre, at least temporarily (b) I stopped believing that a new camera or lens would make me a better photographer (c) I began to take a camera with me as often as possible and photograph life as I found it. In addition, I began to have regular Shoot What You See  sessions where I just take photographs of things that draw my attention, without making any judgements on whether they make ‘good’ subjects. Advantages of a change in perspective The lack of judgement on the photographs I make is very freeing. I can just enjoy making pictures instead of trying to judge if they are ‘good enough’. I can develop creatively as I remove the shackles of believing that photography should be done ‘a certain way’. A change in perspective means I am open to new opportunities and possibilities and willing to try new things. I have photographed many subjects that I would not normally consider and enjoyed doing so. Mundane things have suddenly revealed their beauty to me. I have stopped looking at new equipment and instead have taken out lenses that were gathering dust in my bag. I have spent time confining myself to a prime lens until I became very familiar with it before changing back to a telephoto lens. Restricting lens use gives more structure to my photo shoot and I can accept limitations. Photography has become enjoyable and creative. A video posted by photographer Rick Bebbington gave me the flicker of insight that helped me change my perspective, look at things in a new way and be guided by my own curiosity. I hope you can find inspiration in a similar way. Rick has a particular love for photographing bus stops. This one is for Rick! If you think you might like Rick Bebbington's approach to photography, here are some videos which will give you a taste of his work. 17 Tears With a Camera - Here's What's Actually Worth Knowing How to Document Your Life (and Why You Should) I Wanted to Quit photography. Instead I Did This

Take a quick look through YouTube photography videos and you will see titles such as… 5 Photography Locations You Must Visit Photos From My Recent Trip to… (add location) Top 5 Photography Locations This is Why You Want to Photograph in… (add location) 5 Epic Landscape Locations Photographing Iconic Locations in… (add country) Best Landscape Locations for Photographers And so on. You could be forgiven for thinking that unless you can visit an epic location you won’t get any decent photographs. Of course, most of us love to take a trip to a different location which offers us new photographic opportunities. But for most of us, travelling to exotic locations will not be possible very often and even travelling outside our own country may just be for holiday purposes rather than for a photography trip. So, if travelling for photography is not possible for you, are you confined to producing average photography in average locations? I think not. I want to suggest that your LOCAL AREA could be your BEST photography location. Here are 7 reasons to back up my claim. In your local area you will have opportunities to: #1. MAKE CONNECTIONS WITH THE PLACE When you return constantly to the same location you begin to make real connections with the place. Whether you like to photograph nature, landscapes or street images you get to know your location intimately and therefore invest more emotion into what you are photographing. As you develop a deeper connection with the place you visit often you get the chance to discover what you like to photograph and learn about yourself as a photographer. This contrasts with making a brief visit to an iconic location where you don’t have time to really get to know the area, or even the photographic subjects it offers. Indeed, it is often the case that your trip and your photographic shoots are planned for you in these locations, giving you little real choice over what you photograph. #2 . FIND YOUR OWN UNIQUE PERSPECTIVE By doing your photography in your local area you have ample opportunity to make decisions about what and how you want to photograph. Rather than capturing an expected image from an epic location you can make more unique images that reflect your own photography style. Furthermore, by visiting a place often you can photograph all the main landmarks from many perspectives as well as finding hidden subjects that may not have been immediately obvious. One of the places that I frequent often is a local woodland. Even when I go out thinking that there will be nothing new to photograph, I always find something. It might be a pattern of leaves on the ground, a particularly interesting tree, or just the way the sun catches a subject. Nothing stays the same from day to day and it is these changes that bring such diversity of images. #3. DISCOVER THE BEAUTY ALL AROUND YOU As I suggested in point number one, when you know an area well you feel more deeply about the place and that emotion can transfer to your images. In this way you encourage yourself to find beauty in the mundane, and everyday scenes become photographic opportunities. I love to use my camera and macro lens to examine the tiny world which often goes unnoticed and unappreciated. I love to watch out for animals in their natural environment or birds go about their daily business. I love to find a beautiful leaf pattern backlit by the early morning sunlight or create an abstract pattern using the natural elements around me. Your local area, no matter where that is, is an area of abundant beauty. You just have to look, and look again, to find it. #4. OBSERVE THE LOCATION OVER TIME  When you photograph primarily in your local area you have opportunities to observe the place in different weather, over different seasons and at different times of day. You can watch how the light behaves in various parts of the location and plan your visits accordingly. You notice small details that others miss, and you can use these details to get creative with composition. #5. ENJOY YOUR TRAINING GROUND One of the great advantages of photographing in your local area is that you will have countless opportunities to develop and hone your skills as a photographer. It is quite literally your photography training ground where you can experiment, discover, practise your skills and make mistakes that help you learn and grow. If you come home with an image that you know could have been better, you can return and see if you can correct your faults. If you see something as you go about your daily business, you can keep it in mind for a time when you can return with your camera. I am sure that I am not alone when I say that I have often visited a distant location and returned with a disappointing image, wishing in vain that I could return and get a better version of my photograph. In your local area, you can easily do this. #6. DEVELOP YOUR CREATIVITY In my view, creativity needs three main ingredients. These are, Time, Opportunity and Observation. Many photographers can produce a creative image wherever they are, but I believe that many of them developed their creative skills in their own local place. Certainly, for me creativity has developed over time, by constantly getting out with my camera, making the most of the opportunities that present themselves and closely observing what is around me so that I can represent what I see in a creative way. Sometimes I will see interesting water patterns in a pond or discover a way to get creative with autumn colours. Sometimes I will see an opportunity to create an abstract image or to experiment with intentional camera movement. Sometimes I will make creative use of camera settings, deliberately over or under exposing an image to get the desired effect. All of this experimentation requires time, opportunity and ability to observe closely in a location, which are all attributes that your local area can offer. #7. INCREASE YOUR HEALTH AND WELLBEING One obvious advantage of using your local area for photography is that you will be more likely to go out often and therefore reap all the health benefits on offer. I will usually spend at least one or two hours on each occasion walking, observing, being immersed in the natural world; stress-free, pollution-free, and able to take time for myself, my thoughts and my photography. It can become a precious and life affirming time. FINAL THOUGHTS I hope my discussion has gone some way to help convince you why your local area could be your best photography location. But don’t just take my word for it. Check out this video from well known UK photographer Simon Booth.   Finding Great Images Close to Home

One simple challenge would be to photograph patterns created by the early morning sunshine. If you are someone who likes to do daily photography, whether that is with a dedicated camera or your phone camera, you might at times find yourself wondering what to photograph. It could be that you are so familiar with your local area that you run out of ideas for anything interesting to photograph, or you are faced with many dull days without good light for photography, or it could even be that you just can’t see the photography potential around you.   That is when a simple challenge can give you a new impetus and can help you look at your daily photography in a new way. For many of us, daily photography is about getting in the practice; it’s primarily about honing our composition skills, finding new subjects, learning about our camera and understanding light. It is not about perfection or even about getting great images, but if a daily photography practice is worth doing, we want to keep ourselves motivated, keep learning and keep enjoying our photography, For me, taking a simple challenge on a photography outing can encourage me to see anew, to notice small details and to look at familiar subjects and scenes from different perspectives. Simple challenges are exactly that – simple! They don’t take any prior planning, they simply require you to become more observant when out with your camera, to become more adventurous with your subjects and to think a little more creatively. One of the first simple challenges I gave myself was to photograph the colour yellow. Any colour will do for this challenge and the challenge can be repeated many times taking a different colour each time. It might not seem very interesting initially but as you get going you begin to want to find something outside of the usual, you want to photograph ordinary subjects from different perspectives, and you want to showcase just how many examples of each colour there are all around us. Here are some of my sample images of the colour yellow.   Ideas for simple challenges are easy to find; they just need us to think creatively and not resist topics because they seem mundane or ordinary. Our task is to find the ordinary and try to present it in a remarkable way and doing that will give us many productive photography hours. Some topics to consider are: Road signs Telephone boxes Overhead wires Vehicles Road markings Light patterns Windows Doors Old buildings Shapes Basketball nets Bridges Sheds Benches   The list is endless and once you get started you will think of many more ideas. All these subjects are things that I can photograph within walking distance of my home on a daily walk. Some will require good light, but many of them will work by experimenting with perspective and different focal lengths.   Below are some more sample images to illustrate some of the above ideas. Why not try a simple challenge for yourself.

Avoca, Kilmacanogue, Co. Wicklow, Ireland I love to take photographs wherever I go. When driving I often stop along my route at a place that I think might offer a photography opportunity. When I visit a new place, photography is on my list of things to do. Yet, like most people, I spend most time at home, so I have tried to make the most of my own area as a photography location. One thing I acknowledge is that home locations vary, so what I can do in my area may not apply to everyone. There are also those who have amazing locations on their doorstep that offer photographic opportunities that I don’t have. The point is that wherever we live there are advantages to keeping our photography practice close to home and if we spend some time discovering what our local area has to offer, we might just find that it offers us much of what we need as photographers. What is local? Image taken in my local park Marlay Park, Rathfarnham, Co. Dublin It might be worthwhile defining what we mean by local. I live on the outskirts of Dublin, a coastal city overlooked by mountains. Being a small city, it is easy to travel to neighbouring counties, which again offer mountains and stunning coastline. Within walking distance, or at least easy driving distance, there are numerous parks, woodland areas and river walks. Public transport would leave me in the city in 20 minutes, a place which is a magnet for local street photographers. I consider my local area to be anywhere within a radius of a 30–40-minute drive; somewhere that I can easily reach, spend time taking photographs and return home in a few hours. It also offers locations that I can return to easily. Even though most of us would love to be able to travel to iconic locations for our photography, it’s not possible most of the time, so being able to find photo opportunities locally is a great advantage. Ticknock, Dublin Mountains Here are 7 reasons why making the most of your local area could turn it into your dream photography location. You’ll get to know your own area intimately as a photography location. When you spend time regularly walking, hiking, or strolling around your local area you begin to connect with your environment in a special way. It becomes very familiar to you, you get to know all the special places, all the nooks and crannies, the hills and riverbanks, the seashores and woodlands. As you come to know your location more intimately you have a sense of ownership of the place; a sense that this is your place, special to you. When you travel around your area with your camera and photography in mind, it becomes even more special as it opens up a world of amazing photo opportunities. Kilmacanogue, Co. Wicklow, Ireland You’ll make unique images Most of us are tempted to say that our local area doesn’t offer much in terms of photography opportunities. In fact, when we were all forced to stay local many photographers bemoaned the fact that there was nothing interesting to shoot. When we compare our area to some of the iconic locations that photographers dream about, it may be true that our local area has less to offer, but if we think in terms of unique images , our own location may in fact have more to offer because it gives us the opportunity to make images that other photographers won’t make. If we change our mindset and begin to see our local area as a place of abundance in photography terms, we will soon begin to see opportunities everywhere and find ourselves making images that have our own personal stamp on them, rather than images shot by many photographers before us. And the more we connect in a personal way with our environment, the more unique our images will be. Vartry Reservoir, Co. Wicklow, Ireland You’ll be able to take advantage of all times and seasons Photography can be different things in different seasons. Shooting in a woodland in spring is very different from shooting in a woodland in autumn; a coastal area will yield totally different images in winter than it would in summer. I have often been in a location in one season and imagined what it would be like in another but travelling back was not always possible. In my own location I have photographed trees in all seasons, visited the coast when summer vegetation made a nice foreground for a sea image and again when the winter sea was rough and wild. I have been able to make a spontaneous decision to go out on a misty autumn morning or to catch a late summer evening sunset. I have been able to avoid the harsh mid-day sun, knowing that I could take a later walk or drive to a chosen location to do some evening photography. Being able to take advantage of all times and seasons is one of the great benefits of photography in your local area. Marlay Park, Rathfarnham, Co. Dublin You’ll feel less pressure to get that image first time I often feel under pressure when I am in a location that is far away from home, especially when I know that I won’t be back anytime soon. I know it’s not the end of the world, but if I have my heart set on getting a certain image in a particular place then I feel disappointed if I can’t manage to get it. I have often passed an area, seen something that I thought would make a great image, and had to pass on by as I either didn’t have time to stop, didn’t have my camera with me, or was with travelling companions who were tired of having to wait while I took photographs! In my own local area, this is not a problem. If I don’t have my camera with me and I need a better lens than my phone camera can give me, I can easily go back again another time. If I am out with walking companions and don’t want to keep them waiting, I can go back again another time. If I want to spend more time observing, making decisions, composing my image, I can go back again another time. To go back again another time is an option when I am doing photography in my own location, in a way that doesn’t apply when I am in an ‘away’ location. Bray, Co. Wicklow, Ireland You get to improve your skills Getting out on a regular basis means that I get to practise my skills regularly. Camera settings, technical skills, composition, finding subjects, working with light are all aspects of photography that need practice and where better to get this practice than in a place you know well, can come back to often and can have the opportunity to work on different skills? Being close to a waterfall means you can work on perfecting shutter speed; flower photography gives you an opportunity to try out different apertures; constantly being out and about means you can think about composition and look for different elements of composition such as leading lines or natural frames. Marlay Park, Co. Dublin Because you will have regular opportunities to do different types of photography, for example, street, close-up, landscape, nature and flower photography, or do a project, e.g., park through the seasons or a tree project, you have a perfect chance to broaden your photography horizons. You have a chance to wander aimlessly and explore – regularly! Observing and exploring are two very important skills in photography. In fact, I would almost say that if you don’t have time to spend exploring the location you are in, your final images will suffer. A good photograph needs good knowledge of an area and time for proper composition. A rushed photograph may look good in the end, but it might have been so much better if you had known more about what was in the area, what you could have included that you didn’t know about. In our local area we get to know our surroundings, we get to make decisions based on good local knowledge and we can get the best possible compositions each time we go out. Marlay Park, Rathfarnham, Co. Dublin You’ll discover things you didn’t know about your area – all part of the fun! This might not be entirely photography related, yet if we enjoy being in our own local area, seeing the potential and the opportunities it has to offer, then our photography can only gain from that. If our mindset about our local area is one of positivity, of seeing opportunities, of embracing abundance, then our photography will be richer and more productive. And the opposite will be true too. So go on, get out and about in your local area. Bring your camera, Or bring your phone. Wander, observe, experiment, make mistakes, learn, and above all, enjoy making your own unique images. Dun Laoghaire, Co. Dublin Sunrise, Ballinteer, Co. Dublin YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE: Landscape Photography in the World's Most Boring Location In this YouTube video, landscape photographer, Thomas Heaton, agrees that some people who do landscape photography 'do not have access to dramatic, photogenic locations.' He sets himself the challenge of travelling over 10 miles of what he terms 'the most boring landscape on earth', making images and learning to see his local area in a new way.

While there is a wide range of subjects that I like to photograph, old buildings seem to take top spot on my list. I am always drawn to old period houses, castles, churches, and even to ruins of these buildings. As well as these more ancient buildings I also like to make images of abandoned houses, old sheds and buildings that may be falling into disrepair. Marlay House, an 18th-century historic house located in Marlay Park and Demesne, Dublin, Ireland Small Church of Ireland church in rural County Leitrim, Ireland Old farm buildings like these are dotted around Ireland, many are still in use Traditional thatched cottage. Kilmore Quay, Co. Wexford, Ireland Urban decay, Portugal My reason for being drawn to these subjects is that I am intrigued by their history and the stories they can tell. Old buildings have character and detail; they hold so much history and heritage of the people who lived and worked under their roofs and those whose lives intertwined with the inhabitants of the buildings. They bring us back to a former time when life was different, yet they stand as connections to that time that may soon be lost forever. Recently I have undertaken some photography projects involving old buildings of different types that are situated in a variety of places from rural to urban. These buildings are very different in their structure and use yet they each tell a unique story of past times, of the people who dwelled there, of their lives and communities. Some Suggestions for Photographing Old and Historic Buildings I am by no means accomplished at this type of photography so I don’t intend to give expert tips, but photographing old buildings has helped to improve my composition skills and to learn the fundamentals of architectural photography so I can share what I have learned. For most of the buildings I am drawn to I like to spend some time walking around, observing details and surroundings. I usually make at least three images showing the subject from different perspectives, or a combination of wide and detailed shots, though if it is a subject of particular interest I will spend more time and try to get creative with my compositions to best tell the story of the building. Some of the compositional techniques that can be employed are the use of leading lines, framing, symmetry, use of foreground and consideration of where to position the subject in the frame. FENAGH ABBEY, CO. LEITRIM On this occasion my attention was drawn to this old abbey set on a small hilltop. I stopped and read some details provided, which told me that it is an ancient Monastic settlement that dates back to the 6 th Century. The original structure was built in the Early Christian period in Ireland and it has been renovated and modified over the centuries, which is reflected in its range of architectural styles. The abbey was a place of worship, education and gathering for the monks who lived there and for the local community, and it helped to spread Christianity throughout Ireland. While its religious significance will be of interest to some, my interest is in the historical relevance of the abbey as its monks produced many scholarly manuscripts which made a rich contribution to the culture and heritage of the region. My first visit on this occasion was on a wet, overcast day. I was passing on my way to another location and was so fascinated by this structure which came into view that I had to stop and get my camera out. Unfortunately, although I did have some foreboding clouds, the absence of good light meant that I could not get the best possible images, so I decided to stop again on my return if the weather was more amenable. The images below give a brief flavour of the abbey and its surroundings. Is there a particular subject that you feel drawn to?

In a recent post I explained why I feel that I need to adopt a daily photography approach. It's something that I have been considering for some time, but a few things have helped me make up my mind. Recently I made a train journey to meet some old friends. I was travelling to a location that was relatively new to me, and I thought there may be some photo opportunities. However, since my trip involved some walking I simply carried what I needed – wallet, keys, phone and one or two other bits and pieces that live in my bag. I reckoned that my phone would be perfectly ok to take any photos I needed. Big mistake! I took a few pictures but wasn’t happy with them. The whole experience felt rushed and not at all like photography. I didn’t have much interest in looking at them when I returned home, and, unlike those on a camera memory card, they are now buried among photos of a family function and my dog! I regretted not having a proper camera with me. My photographer’s eye picked out lots of potential images but without a camera I didn’t feel that they were worth pursuing. This is just one recent occasion when I have realized the potential benefits of having an everyday carry camera, one that’s with me all the time. There have been many other similar occasions. What are the benefits of an everyday camera? Many photographers have embraced the idea of the everyday camera, sometimes called an everyday carry (EDC). The approach of having a camera with you all the time, instead of relying on a phone camera, is gaining momentum among photographers on YouTube. The everyday camera idea, and the tangible benefits it brings, were very well outlined in a recent YouTube video from photographer and filmmaker Rick Bebbington. Rick had been primarily a landscape photographer, photographing amazing landscapes at sunrise and sunset, and visiting iconic locations to do photography. He was able to capture some of the world’s most epic vistas in beautiful light, yet he noticed that by concentrating solely on this type of landscape photography, the number of photographs he was taking was declining. As a result, he began to question his worth as a photographer, saying that he regularly experienced ‘imposter syndrome’. An unexpected few hours free time on a stopover to Antarctica changed Rick’s mindset and subsequently his approach to photography. He began to embrace the idea of photographing the moments in between , those moments that often go un-noticed but that can offer the simple joy of making pictures. Rick embraced the idea of the everyday carry camera and now constantly takes his camera wherever he goes. Since he began to photograph ‘the moments in between’ the number of photographs he takes has increased greatly, and he has rediscovered his love for photography. Check out Rick’s interesting and inspirational video here. Rick Bebbington is one of the many photographers who are encouraging people to add an everyday carry camera to their photography workflow, and they cite the many benefits of doing so. ·      An everyday carry camera gives you numerous opportunities to practise your skills. The final images don’t have to be perfect, or even shown to anyone else, but they allow you to get to know your camera well, to experiment with composition, to observe the type of subjects you are drawn to, and to understand light and how it affects your images. The more often you are out with your camera capturing images, the better you’ll become at photography. Also, the more images you make, the more likely you are to get some you like. As photographer Gareth Danks puts it, ‘The more you shoot, the more you’ll score’. ·      An everyday carry camera gives you the tactile, real photography feeling that many believe is missing from phone camera photography. You hold a camera differently, use physical buttons, and you can adjust your settings in a tangible way to get the effect you want. ·      Having a camera always with you encourages you to become an observer of life, always at the ready to capture interesting subjects, quirky scenes, and amazing light. While we may have a phone camera to do this, I believe that there is a different feeling, a different vibe, to having a dedicated camera at hand. It gives you the impetus to be on the alert for potential subjects in a way that a ‘taken for granted’ phone in our pocket doesn’t do. ·      An everyday carry camera helps you to become more observant; it helps you to notice little details that you don’t ordinarily notice and to become more adventurous with your subject choices. ·      An everyday camera encourages you to experiment and to get more creative, knowing that your photos can be just for you. On my morning walk I noticed how the light was creating beautiful patterns through the perspex of the bus shelter. I waited for a person to walk into the light and took the shot. These are the types of unusual images I like to create when the right conditions present themselves, but I need to have a camera at the ready to capture them. Sometimes two of the elements essential for a good photograph - interesting subject and great light - can't be summoned together on demand. They often appear randomly and that is why it is important to have a camera at the ready. Why not just use your phone? I have been using my phone as my everyday camera for some time. Whenever I update, I look for the best phone camera option. While it is good for casual snapshots, I have had several issues with having my phone double as a camera for more serious photography. ·      It obviously doesn’t give that ‘real camera’ experience, the feel of a camera in my hand, the physical buttons, the satisfying 'click' , which I really do love. ·      The photographs are often over-saturated and don’t give that unique ‘out of camera’ look. Additionally, you have very little real control over the final outcome with so much in-phone processing and an increasingly AI driven photography experience. ·      My phone has many uses and adding photography on a more frequent, rather than simply casual, basis greatly increases battery usage. My phone camera will always be my camera of choice for casual photos of family and friends, mainly because most people want to see the photos immediately and share them instantly. It will also be a good backup option on many occasions, but to enhance my photography practice I want to embrace the benefits of a dedicated everyday camera. My phone camera has often been there when I had no other camera with me and I was glad to be able to get the shot I wanted. What are the options? I have researched the many and varied options that might serve as a suitable everyday carry camera. They range from top-of-the-range compact cameras such as the Ricoh GR and Leica series cameras, which come with a premium price tag, to the Sony and Canon slightly lower spec (but not by much!) compacts, to the vast Panasonic range of cameras offering different features for different needs. There are countless other brands on the market also, some with good image quality, some not so good. If you have certain requirements in mind, such as having a viewfinder, a tilting or touch screen, good battery life, genuinely pocketable, large zoom range, it can be hard to find all in the same camera at a reasonable price but you’ll usually be able to reach a compromise. If you prefer to go the interchangeable-lens camera route, there are also options available although they may have older technology or be slightly bigger when you attach a lens. This may or may not be a deal breaker for you. Personally, I don’t mind making some compromises to get a camera that I want to come to love as my daily photography companion, so a more 'vintage' camera appeals to me. As I said, I have done extensive research and what I conclude is that it is a bit of a minefield!! Having said that, I have shortlisted to a few options and will soon opt for the best compromise in features, price and pocketability to suit my needs. Do you need an everyday carry camera? Not everyone will need, want or use an everyday camera. Many will be content to use their larger camera and lenses, do photography at designated times and opt for bigger sensor image quality while being happy to use their smartphone camera to cover those in-between moments. But if you have become dis-satisfied with your phone camera and you would like to take many more photographs than you are currently taking, an everyday carry may be for you. An everyday carry will be of benefit if: You want a ‘real camera’ experience rather than that given by your smartphone. You want to document life as it happens, daily, capturing even tiny details that reveal themselves to you. You enjoy your dedicated photo shoots with your ‘big’ camera, but you want more – more time with your camera, more practise, more images, more fun with your photography. You want to find those images that you currently miss; the little details, the things that go unnoticed, the beauty in everyday things just waiting to be revealed. Postscript The Verdict After many hours of research, deliberating, changing my mind and being unsure about ever finding the everyday camera that would tick all my boxes, I eventually made my decision. I rejected the Ricoh and Leica cameras purely on the grounds of cost, as they would both be great cameras to have. Some of the cameras I looked at were very small and compact and they weren't exactly a substitute for my current set-up. My fear was that I wouldn't see much improvement over my phone camera. I was veering towards the Lumix L15/10 as it seemed to suit my needs, but I couldn't find one for sale, either new or used. I finally settled on the Panasonic Lumix GX7 and the Panasonic 20mm f1.7 pancake lens, both bought used from MPB. The GX7 is an old camera, but for an everyday camera it's the images and the fun of taking pictures that I want to concentrate on, so I don't need or want the latest technology. It is light, it gets good reviews from those who use it, and although no-one claims that it is a perfect camera it sounds like it could be an interesting and fun camera to get to know and use daily. The 20mm f1.7 lens may not be perfect either, but it has character and I like that. Jimmy West says it is, 'light, simple and a little bit soulful'. I like the sound of that. I also like taking advice from those who give a balanced view, stating the pros and cons of the item, and I feel that I can live with this lens's limited flaws. You can watch Jimmy West's assessment of the lens here https://youtu.be/cUhNMQtXbKU?si=CUXf4h5zc2PP74rN Apart from the small size and unique character of the 20mm f1.7 lens, part of the reasoning for my choice was that 20mm on micro four thirds is equivalent to 40mm full frame, a standard view to cope with all types of photography, yet I won’t be confined to that if I want to use my 14-42mm pancake, my 25mm f1.8, or any other focal length in the M43 system. Yes, a compact camera might have given me a good zoom option, but I think that since I already have some micro four thirds’ lenses this might be the most versatile and budget friendly decision. Here are some starter pictures taken in my local park with my new camera and lens. I'm still in learner mode!   As I get to know the camera I will be able to make adjustments to settings but for now I'm in experimentation mode and just enjoying the everyday camera experience.

I normally take one of two approaches to photography. Sometimes I go out with no plan; just my camera, a lens or two, and a decision to just photograph whatever catches my eye. That could be an interesting, unusual or particularly striking subject, it could be the way in which light illuminates a building or an alleyway or even a person, or it could be the way in which a pleasing composition suddenly reveals itself to me. This type of photography is often challenging, surprising and exciting as you don’t know what you’ll end up with, if anything. The second approach I take is when I photograph with intention. I know where I want to go and why, and what I hope to find there in terms of photo opportunities. This approach can still be frustrating as my expectations might be high, but it does give me a base from which to start. On some days I will photograph in a familiar location but look more deeply for new images. On some days I will go out with the intention of doing macro photography. On other occasions it will be a visit to a coastal area with a plan in mind for the type of image I want to capture there. Having a theme in mind, an ongoing project, or a simple topic can also provide the intention I need for my photography. My plan may be based on either location or subject matter but when I go out with intention, I will have a broad idea of the type of images I would like to come home with. Yet there can't be clear lines of distinction between randomness and intentionality in photography. Often there is crossover, or it is a balance between the two approaches that works best. I recently put together a set of images where I used a combination of the two approaches. My intention was to produce images based on the title Morning in Vila Real de Santo Antonio. I wanted to showcase mornings in this Portuguese town that I frequently visit. I wanted to show the place, the people, the moments. I wanted to photograph at different locations in the city and at different times of year. Yet, I couldn’t plan what I would see, what each morning would reveal, so I went out each day with no guarantee of what the day would bring, and often the results were random scenes or subjects that I happened to be drawn to. I have chosen 25 images that I have put together as a photo story, or photo essay, that I hope illustrates the theme.

Although I got my first camera at around age ten, I didn’t persevere with photography and over the intervening years I made several attempts to get back to this wonderful pastime, some of them short-lived. I have been taking photography seriously now for almost seven years and have amassed a catalogue of thousands of images. I have charted my progress here in this blog, covering all the different types of photography that I have tried out over the last seven years, and I have noted my successes and failures in each genre. However, even though I realise that photography is a lifelong process of learning, I found over recent months that the joy of photography began to lessen for me. I constantly felt that I wasn’t making any progress and that most of my images were no good. I felt that I had become obsessed with gaining technical perfection. I wanted to follow all the rules so that my images would look good to those who knew about photography, yet when I looked back at most of my images I felt nothing. Then I heard a remark from a photographer on YouTube that went something along these lines: It’s important to photograph what you want to photograph, not to be swayed by the opinions of others or to post images to gain likes. Be the photographer who sees what others don’t see and enjoy the process of doing what you love. This gave me a lot of food for thought and I began to realise that this was the direction I wanted to take. I wanted to make images for myself, to photograph things that attracted me, to find out about the things that interested me and inspired me to take their picture. Now when I go out, I feel like a photographer. Even if I don’t have a camera with me, I am constantly observing, looking at little details, studying light, composing pictures in my head. I experience the joy of being involved in a creative process. I no longer crave technical perfection; rather, I aim for creative development. Now I take images for myself. I take fewer images but I like the ones I keep. Part of myself is invested in them. I have an emotional connection to them that I didn’t have to most of my earlier images – with a few exceptions. Now, I like to look at my own images. I like to see why they appeal to me and understand my connection to them. This gives my photography more purpose, more meaning and more joy. My images may appeal to you, or they may not. But they are real. In some way these subjects or scenes spoke to me and inspired me to spend time over them, considering how best to compose them, how to position them in the frame, and how to edit them to convey most accurately what I saw in the field. Below are some of my recent images that illustrate this new direction. Many of them are not 'pretty' images, and they will not be popular on social media, but I do feel emotionally connected to them and, to me, they have a story to tell. Photographing in this way has renewed the joy in photography for me. The camera or lens is not so important; it’s the photographer’s eye that makes the image. This knowledge gives me great freedom to be myself, to be content with my current photography gear, to photograph the things I want to photograph and to grow creatively as a photographer. A bonus to taking this direction in photography is that I seem to be directed to other photographers with a similar outlook and approach. This video from photographer Aristeidis Sfakianos called, I Stopped Taking Nice Photos - My Photography Improved,  popped up just as I was finishing this post. My attention was drawn to the title, and the content resonates with me and seems to echo what I am saying. You might like to watch it here .