Do you suffer from 'lens envy' as a beginner photographer? Are you happy with the kit lens that came with your camera or do you think that a bigger and better lens would help you take better photos? I certainly began to think that way and I couldn't get the thought out of my head that I could make better images with a better lens. My first purchase Initially, I began to see the limitations of the kit lens for any kind of distance photography so I splashed out on my first 'real' lens, a Nikkon 70-300mm zoom lens - and I was hooked! I can see the appeal of this type of photography - it brings distant 'objects' so much closer and allows the photographer a privilege not normally possible. Despite the fact that I succumbed to the pressure from within to buy a second lens, I do agree with the words of a photography writer who says, limit your equipment - it forces you to be creative. I don't intend to invest in a huge number of lenses but rather to concentrate on improving my photography technique. But for now I want to enjoy the bit of extra creative freedom I get from being able to zoom in on my subject. Below are some experiments with the zoom lens. Many photography writers comment on the flat images returned when using a zoom lens. This is understandable yet there is no other way to get close to a speeding boat or view a bird relatively close-up. I also like the fact that I can capture people engaging in various activities without being intrusive. my second purchase Prime lens My third lens, and final lens for the foreseeable future, is a second hand prime lens, a Nikkor 50mm 1:1.8. This is a fixed focus lens but will allow me to really experiment with bokeh. Below are the first experiments. I didn't worry about light in these photos but concentrated on getting a bokeh effect. I experimented with getting closer to the subject and further from the background. The 'nifty fifty' lens does give a better bokeh effect than the kit lens and this is an area of photography I am interested in developing. Update As I have progressed in my photography journey I have added to my camera and lens collection. I still have the belief that learning photography is not about buying bigger and better equipment, and my priority is still to concentrate on learning techniques for improving my images. However, as I explain in this post, it is good to have a basic selection of lenses to experiment with and use in different ways and for different purposes. If you are learning photography and would like some suggestions for lenses that won't cost a fortune, the following post and its links might be of help. https://www.wildwillowways.com/post/starting-photography-on-a-budget-these-are-my-go-to-cameras-and-lenses-that-won-t-break-the-bank

“Great photography is about depth of feeling, not depth of field.” – Peter Adams I feel as though I am straying into unfamiliar territory as I consider aspects of photography such as vision and soul. Until now I have been concerned with improving the technical elements of the craft but, having recently read articles on some of the ‘deeper’ components involved in improving our photography, I realise that there is much more to becoming a good photographer than simply learning how to use a camera. It would be too easy to believe that if we buy an expensive camera, fit it with top of the range lenses and learn how to use it well, we’ll always take good photographs. Good camera equipment and good knowledge are obviously important, but they are not everything and in fact I recently viewed some excellent images captured with just an entry level camera and a kit lens! So, what is it that makes a good photograph? Or maybe a more accurate question would be, what makes a good photographer? Every photographer has to make a lot of choices on a photo shoot. We ask questions such as: How will I frame the shot? Will I include this or exclude that? Will I take a close up shot or move away a little? Will I take the shot from eye level or will I take it looking up or by getting down low? What shutter speed/aperture will I use? How will I compose the image? Then there are considerations such as getting the right light and the right moment. All of these decisions, and many more, will affect the final shot, but even at that we have no guarantee of a good shot. So what makes the difference between the image that people will look at and move on and the image at which they might stop and look and admire? In a recent post I wrote about the importance of having a vision for our photography. Vision, or intent, is undoubtedly important to the success of our images but this is an aspect of our craft that remains largely in the mind of the photographer. We can have a brilliant vision of what we would like to do yet bring it no further than just a vision. To be of value to our photography work, our vision has to take expression in the images we make. Just how do we translate our vision into reality? I believe this is done through the passion we have for the images we shoot; it comes about when we really care about our subjects. Top fashion photographer Tim Walker once said, “Only photograph what you love”, and to my mind there is real truth in this saying. It's the same for anything we do. If we do it with passion we are likely to get better results than if we have a lacklustre approach to what we do. I believe that if we start with a vision, then bring to our photography practice a passion for the images we create, our work will come alive, it will have ‘soul’. Photographer and writer David du Chemin repeatedly talks of good photographs having ‘soul’. We may ask, how can objects have soul? My reading of this term is that photographs which are worth a second glance have something of the photographer in them, the photographer has invested some of his or her own passion and vision into the shot and has therefore imbued the work with ‘soul’. Hozier is a musical artist for whom I have great admiration. He speaks through his music with a very authentic voice and to me his music has ‘soul’. Soul is not something that is easy to define, but Hozier’s own words go some way to explaining what it is: All songs, all pieces of art, reflect the world that they were made in and the values of those artists and the hopes and aspirations of the people who listen to that music and who made that music. We often hear people say that music has soul, that certain types of music touch them, elicit an emotional reaction, evoke memories and even drive action. In a similar way it is true to say that some types of photography have soul. Down through the ages photographs have aroused strong emotions in people – good photojournalism comes to mind – and some images have spurred people into action for one reason or another. Even at a more personal level, a beautiful portrait or a family image can bring a tear to the eye. Photographs are chosen as wall hangings because of the feelings they evoke in their audience, and very often landscapes, wildlife and nature photography, even abstract images, are used for times of reflection. To my mind, the main thing that all these photographs have in common is that they depict ‘beauty’ in the broadest sense of the term, whether that beauty is courage borne out of difficult circumstances in a war torn country or an amazing sunset; whether it is beauty in the midst of squalor or a simple image of a child at play. My belief is that it is that inherent beauty in an image that speaks to us. Just as every good musician wants to create music that speaks to the audience, so too, everyone who takes photography seriously wants to produce images that speak to others in some way. At the risk of repeating myself, I believe that in order to attain this there is something even more important than the aperture or shutter speed we use, or the type of lens we choose. We must have a vison for our photography, know what we want to achieve in terms of our images, and pursue that with a passion that will shine through in our work, even if the photographs themselves are not pin sharp. To repeat an often quoted saying of famous photographer, Ansel Adams, “There is nothing worse than a brilliant image of a fuzzy concept.” Put yourself into your images I take lots of photographs but I only show those that ‘appeal’ to me in some way. They have something of myself, of my own world vision, invested in them. To my mind, that something is beauty in an image and I try to seek beauty wherever I can find it, even in the most unlikely places. I love waterfalls and have really enjoyed trying to get the 'milky' water image. I love to see reflections in the calm evening water. They always draw my eye and urge me to make an image I love to capture the beauty of a new season The eye of the beholder… In many ways appreciation of photography, like appreciation of art or literature, is a very subjective pursuit. I may see something in a photograph that will not appeal to another person, just as in art or literature. Yet, objectively, there is still what is considered ‘good art’ or ‘good literature’, mainly because of the talent of the writer or artist which is invested in their art form. No-one will deny the talent of Charles Dickens as a writer, whether or not they enjoy his writing. In the same way there is ‘good photography’; images that are chosen carefully and framed a certain way, that use light to full advantage and where the photographer’s passion and skill are evident. Good photographers produce good photography and one of the best ways of becoming better at photography, as well as taking more pictures, is to study good photography, see how good photographers work, see where the passion is evident in the images they produce. I don’t know if my images have soul or not, maybe that really is in the eye of the beholder! However, I am heartened by this description of soul from photographer Alain Briot. “Soul is brought about by the care and the craftsmanship used to create the work…This soul is the personality of the artist. It is the demonstration of personal choices and the decision to implement a personal idea rather than other people’s ideas.” I certainly do try to have a passion for the shots I take and feel something for the images I keep and share. I find that when I put time, energy and feeling into creating a photograph the result is more pleasing to me than when I just take a snapshot on my phone camera. I try to take photographs that only I can take, that show my perspective of the world. I like to post the images that I enjoyed taking and that I care about. They may not appeal to everyone, but if they appeal to me there might be at least one other person out there who will be touched in some way by the images I take, and that is a good starting point to having ‘soul’ in my photographs! I love to return to this place. It is a place of calm and peace, and at times it offers perfect conditions for photography. Unfortunately it is not near where I live so I have to grab the opportunities when I can, but when I arrive here at evening light I just have to capture the beauty Conclusion While not everyone can aspire to becoming a great photographer, the good news is that we can all improve at our craft as long as we have a passion for what we do, are willing to work on getting the basic techniques right and try to inject a little ‘soul’ into our work. How do we do this? We do it by finding out what it is we love, what gives us joy, what sparks our emotions, what makes our heart skip a beat! When we capture the people, places and things that we love, that we feel passion for, then that passion will bring soul to our photographs. “A great photograph is a full expression of what one feels about what is being photographed in the deepest sense and is, thereby, a true expression of what one feels about life in its entirety.” - Ansel Adams Do your photographs have soul? Have a look through your photo collection and see if any of them draw your eye. These are the images to which you have a special connection, the images that contain part of yourself, the images that have soul. Make more of them. Thank you for reading, and If you found this post useful, please feel free to share it.

A Guest Blog by John Adams If you are employed in a creative industry, you have probably encountered the dreaded creative block time and again. Whether you are a photographer, writer, artist, entertainer, or filmmaker, it is not out of the ordinary to feel uninspired or hollow sometimes. You may have been working too hard recently, suffered a personal crisis, or perhaps you just feel tired or bored all the time for no apparent reason. There is no specific time or place for a creative block; it just happens and you never know how long it may stretch. I do not know of a magical cure that works for every creator, because we are all individuals who rely on a unique process. Nonetheless, the following practices can help you escape this cycle of misery. 1. Give Up and Cry I’m not kidding or mocking anyone. Crying (with audible bawling and visible tears) is a good thing, irrespective of age and gender. It is oh so important to release your frustration, no matter how horrific it sounds and looks. By the time the sobs cease and eye streams stop rolling, you shall feel a lot lighter and content. Following up with a long nap and comfort meal is even better. You can go back to feeling and acting normal after that. 2. Get Out Seriously, get out! Staying within a confined real estate all the time has curbed your imagination as well. How can you think out of the box unless you come out of it? Go for a long walk, meet up with friends, go on a date, take a road trip, try a new cuisine, do some window or actual shopping, etc. The change of atmosphere and scenery is healthy for your mental health, and thereby creative tendencies. 3. Read and Stream Reading a good book, watching an unseen movie, or streaming an interesting show are all decent means of diverting the mind from haunting thoughts of not being able to create something worthwhile again. Somewhere along the way something will click and inspiration will strike; until then relax and enjoy the distraction. 4. Engage in Humdrum Chores If you want to get rid of the stress caused by creative block, whilst being productive, get busy with household chores. Washing the dishes, scrubbing floors, and doing the laundry will utilize all the negative energy pent up inside you. As your mind clears up, it becomes a welcoming canvas for creative thinking. 5. Induce a Powerful Emotion Many writers and artists work best when they are overwhelmed by a strong emotion like sadness, pain, or anger. In order to achieve that state of mind, you shall have to expose yourself to triggers. This might not be the healthiest approach for everyone, but it works. You may recall the death of a loved one, the time a trusted friend betrayed you, how the love of your life broke your heart, or when your ex was meeting up with a divorce lawyer behind your back. 6. Try a fresh Perspective Sometimes it is helpful to bounce ideas off someone else. This person does not have to be an expert creative from your field; in fact, the more naïve the better. A random and raw point of view can often lead towards the right direction. For instance, if you are a filmmaker, ask people in your neighborhood about their favorite movie from your favorite genre. Then ask them about improvements they would make to that film, and what kind of movie they would love to watch or make? 7. Pursue the Silliest of Ideas A true creative never treats any idea like a bad one. The silliest of opinions and impressions can become building blocks of a masterpiece. If you are onto something but it doesn’t seem good enough, do not discard it before giving it a fair shot. You may actually surprise yourself with the outcome, or worst case scenario is that your assumptions hold true and you earn a valuable lesson for life. Not every idea and creation has to be perfect; allow yourself to make mistakes and enjoy some harmless fun for a change. Author Bio John Adams is a lifestyle blogger who concentrates on health, fitness, and self-development. He encourages readers to fight their fears and overcome obstacles holding them back. He believes that every person can improve the quality of his/her life by thinking positive and making better choices. He loves to share his insight on life experiences, and contributes on various online platforms in the same niche. You can check out another of John’s posts here

It is said that learning composition is an essential part of learning photography, and that composition can determine the difference between a ‘good’ and a ‘bad’ photograph. A well composed photograph is more pleasing to the eye so the photographer has to make some decisions in order to get the composition right. There are some rules about composition, such as the ‘Rule of Thirds’, which are referred to in most articles on composition, and there are those who advocate using these rules to get the best compositions. Others, such as Michael Freeman, author of a number of best-selling photography books, wonders why the rule of thirds gets repeated so often, “and never with any examples that are worth looking at”. (Fifty Paths to Creative Photography, 2016) As with most things, the best position might be to be aware of the rule but not to follow it slavishly. While learning all we can about photography techniques and having decent equipment are important considerations, none of these will matter if the shot is sloppy. I have too many photographs, taken in a hurry, which have distractions in the background, unwanted objects taking up space in the image, unused space, lack of balance, or many other “blemishes” that make these bad photographs. Correcting these faults doesn’t come down to using correct aperture or shutter speed, it comes down to the photographer’s eye; how the photographer composes the image, the decisions made about what to take in and what to leave out. This ability to compose a visually pleasing image is not something that can be learned overnight but rather is the result of lots of hands-on practice at taking photographs. I wanted to capture an image of people coming and going along the promenade at Bray, Co. Wicklow. I failed to notice the rubbish bin on the right hand side, and now that is all I see when I look at the image! My reading on the subject of composition has yielded numerous good ideas for improving my images. I have begun to incorporate ideas such as shooting from different angles – looking upwards and taking a shot, shooting at ground level, taking both landscape and portrait views, shooting close up, shooting at the same level as the subject, shooting 'through' something else or 'framing' the picture. These techniques will hopefully train my eye to start looking for the best way to take a shot. I took lots of different shots of the same scene to try to capture an image I liked. One of the most crucial aspects of being creative in photography is being true to your own style, being authentic. Sure, other photographers will have taken the same shots using similar techniques, but it is important to tell your own story as a photographer, make your own decisions as to how you want an image to look, have your own vision. Experimenting with your own vision may at first result in shots that are not so pleasing, but with perseverance, and as part of the photographer’s true vision, they can begin to take on their real beauty. In some senses composition is about the decisions that are made when the photographer is about to take or is taking a shot. But in another sense composition can be determined even before the shoot, by the vision which the photographer is working from, how this shot or series of shots will fit into that vision, how they will be part of a theme. Whenever or however the decisions are made, it is clear that most good shots don’t just happen, they are a result of planning, perseverance, time and effort, and maybe a small sprinkling of good luck! I keep going back to the same spot spot to try and capture a good photograph of the swans. As I learn more photography skills I am trying to improve the composition of the image. And I need to do some learning about image editing! I like the simplicity of the images below. Sometimes composition doesn't have to be complicated and if the image is pleasing to the eye (particularly my own!) it will be a success, at least in the beginning stages of photography. They may not be technically brilliant (I haven't even attempted Lightroom yet!) but they have that quality that I am looking for. Do you have a composition technique you would like to share? If you found this post useful, please feel free to share it.

I recently updated a post called Can Creativity Help in a Time of Crisis and Uncertainty? which was originally posted last year. Very little has changed for many of us since then; we are still battling the same virus, still enduring lockdowns, still living through unprecedented times when we are prevented from doing many of the things which we formerly took for granted. At the time of writing, none of us knows for how long these conditions will endure or what the eventual outcome of this pandemic will be. Neither do we know what the eventual return to some sort of normality will look like. In the meantime we need to survive as best as we can, look after ourselves and our loved ones, and mind our physical and mental health. We need to make use of all the resources at our disposal to do that. Each of these posts offers some ideas about how to support ourselves through this time. I hope you find them useful. In the absence of travelling for photography I tried to capture beauty in the remains of last year's hydrangea in my garden 1. https://www.wildwillowways.com/post/creativity-challenges We all need to keep negativity at bay during these challenging times. Taking on a creative challenge, however small, can help to do this and, as well as developing our creativity, these challenges are a boost to our mental and emotional health. Have a look at what's available and find a creative challenge to suit you. 2. https://www.wildwillowways.com/post/6-ways-to-reignite-your-creative-spark If you are having difficulty harnessing your creativity at the moment, for whatever reason, these tips are for you. Hopefully they will help you to rekindle that creative spark and to get in touch with your inner artist once more. 3. https://www.wildwillowways.com/post/how-to-get-out-of-a-creative-rut-and-into-flow This blog is a sort of follow up to the previous blog in which I gave my six tips for releasing our creative energy when it gets smothered in all the day to day busyness or when we just can’t find our ‘mojo’. There are other times, though, when you find yourself in a real creative rut, when nothing you create excites you, when the creative energy is low or even non-existent. How do you get out of that rut and back to a 'flow' state, fully absorbed in what you are doing? 4. https://www.wildwillowways.com/post/how-to-stay-motivated-in-these-uncertain-times I have recently updated this post, which may be of relevance to anyone who is having difficulty with motivation at the moment. This post might be particularly pertinent now that most of us are in the middle of a strict lockdown. I offer 7 tips that have helped me stay motivated and some resources that might interest you. 5. https://www.wildwillowways.com/post/how-do-we-keep-our-blogs-relevant-in-this-time-of-crisis-and-uncertainty In this blog I discussed what the world needs from bloggers right now, and, more importantly, what the world does not need from bloggers right now. Read my post and see if you agree with my views. Re-reading these posts has given me the motivation to keep creating, to keep positive and active, to keep doing something each day which is uplifting and which supports my mental and physical health. I hope you find something here which will motivate you in the same way. If you do, please share the post.

Like millions of people worldwide, I found 2020 to be a difficult year. As well as being plunged into a global pandemic and experiencing all the loss that that brought with it, my family also lost our beautiful mother during the year. While many of us won’t be sorry to see the end of 2020, we are apprehensive about what 2021 will bring. Will it be more of the same or is there real light at the end of the tunnel? With ‘pandemic fatigue’ beginning to set in, I believe we need to find ways to keep going, to get a fresh perspective, to look after our mental health while we remain in uncertain times. I hope these suggestions will help you to do just that, as they have helped me, and if you find them useful please share them so you can help another. ************************************************************************** Dodder River, Dublin During the year I explored areas close to my home that I hadn't previously explored There is no doubt that for most of us on planet earth, 2020 was a very difficult year. At this time last year none of us could have predicted what lay ahead, and if anyone had they would have been labelled as some sort of crank. But what was unthinkable became reality and we lived through a year like no other in the living memory of most people. Although there is light at the end of the tunnel as we enter this new year, we are not out of the tunnel yet and we still face months of restrictions on our lives, the struggle to cope with this new reality, and, for many, pain and loss. The truth is, none of us knows what lies ahead at any time, so what we need to do is to find ways to cope with our current reality as best we can. At this stage many of us are experiencing ‘pandemic fatigue’. I only recently realised that this is a recognised condition as its range of ‘symptoms’ are being experienced by so many people. The signs of pandemic fatigue range from feelings of depression, despair and a sense of hopelessness, through to feelings of being ‘fed up’ and lacking in motivation, to becoming careless about advice, bending or flouting the rules or even justifying behaviours to suit our own ends. Many people experience these feelings more often than others, but there are some things we can do to beat pandemic fatigue and get our new year off to a good start. If we go into the new year with the feeling that it will just be more of the same then we are doomed to remain in our negative mindset and our mental health will suffer, so here are some things which I have found useful during the last few months and which I hope will help you cope over the months to come. 1. Accept what is This is a lot easier said than done and it’s not easy to accept reality when it involves real fear, real restrictions on our freedom and real loss. But the truth is we are powerless over so many things and acceptance of that powerlessness is the only way to begin to see what we can change. Without acceptance we are constantly in fight mode, railing against what is happening, feeling how unfair the situation is. And we need to accept that too. It is unfair that we can’t get to hug, or even see, loved ones. It is unfair that many people are spending so much time cut off from others, it is unfair that we have lost out on so many things we could have done. But unfortunately, much of this really is beyond our control. When I eventually accepted that I wouldn’t see my daughter or 2-year-old granddaughter for a long period of time it spurred me on to do something positive, so we arranged a regular weekly video call. That has given me much needed contact and has also kept me in my granddaughter’s mind as toddlers so quickly forget those who are not nearby. 2. Stay in touch with family and friends Following from number 1, one of the highlights of the year for me has been the amount of phone, text and video call contact I have had from my family and friends. Indeed, there has been much more contact in some cases than there might have been in normal times. I think this contact is vital and I intend to keep it up in the coming year. 3. Share your feelings While I recognise that for some people feelings of despair are very real and may need professional intervention, for most of us a good old rant can make a difference to how we feel. If you are feeling angry, express that anger. If you are feeling that life is unfair, express that feeling. On many occasions I have found that sharing my feelings with a friend who is feeling the same way, or who at least identifies with how I am feeling, has helped both of us to pick ourselves up and realise that we have a lot to be grateful for. 4. Practise gratitude It is often claimed that when we are grateful it is hard to harbour negative feelings. The problem is getting ourselves out of negativity long enough to even recognise what we do have. That’s why I think we need to practise gratitude, why we need to make gratitude a habit. If we take a moment in the morning to focus on what we have in our lives that is positive, or a moment at night to recognise what was positive in our day, we will begin to establish the practice of gratitude into our lives. There are many ideas online which make this practice easier. For some people, writing down what they are grateful for helps to embed the thoughts, and gratitude lists are common in many self-help programmes, but whatever way you choose to do this the important thing is to try to find at least one thing each day for which you are grateful. At the end of the year it’s a good idea to focus on some of the positive events of the year, and never more so than at the end of this year. While my mother's death in June was the most painful event in my life in recent years, I also have a lot of gratitude for the fact that she died peacefully, that all of my family were able to travel to her funeral and that we got to say a proper goodbye, something denied to so many this year. I heard a radio presenter ask listeners to name their highlight of 2020 and it got me thinking, sure there were highlights, so what were mine? Again, looking for the good things that happened is a way to accentuate the positive in what could easily be dismissed as a totally negative year. A highlight that comes to mind for me was during the brief respite from restrictions in the summer when I got to spend a beach day with my granddaughter, splashing in the sea, building sandcastles, and enjoying a 2-year-old having fun. 5. Get exercise each day I am a great believer in getting outside every day to walk, take photographs, meet friends, and whenever I can I take my exercise outdoors. But there are occasional days when the weather is just so bad that I am forced to stay indoors so I try to do some form of indoor exercise. I know that I always feel better at the end of the day if I do something physical, whether it’s following an online workout, skipping on the spot or simply going up and down the stairs a few times. It all helps to get rid of that sluggish feeling that comes with sitting around and which is no good for my mental health. I love to get out and about with my camera and explore what is around me, day and night 6. Keep a routine Many people have bemoaned the lack of routine that characterised the year just ending. For some, being in the new position of working from home meant that routines like having a few private moments while driving or walking to work, exercising before work, or simply getting out of the house and meeting people were all gone. Many of us had to establish new routines but for many those routines got caught up in uncertainty and constant change. I think it is important that we establish at least one thing that we can keep constant no matter how outside forces intervene in our lives. That will be different for different people. For me, it’s taking a quiet time in the mornings, before I get into the hustle and bustle of the day, to ground myself, do some deep breathing and focus on what I can do to give meaning to the day. I find that if I waken with some anxiety about the day ahead, taking a few moments to focus on and consciously deepen my breathing returns my mind to a state of calm and brings me back to the present moment. I recently came across this meditation designed to beat pandemic fatigue. You might find it useful, but if not there are lots of meditations online and you’re sure to find one that suits you. 7. Think of someone else One of the proven ways to help us forget about our own woes is to think of someone else. Reaching out of ourselves to help another gives meaning to our lives, gives us a sense of usefulness. We saw countless examples of this type of selfless behaviour at the beginning of the pandemic. Pandemic fatigue might have lessened our desire to reach out, but it is still important. We can do this in simple ways like calling a friend unexpectedly to say hi, listening to another instead of always complaining, posting a positive image on social media, or simply saying hello to people we meet while out walking. That person might need a little kindness today. Thinking of others doesn’t mean we have to neglect ourselves, it just means spreading the positive. If you think someone in your life would benefit from the suggestions in this post, please share them. Who knows, one small idea could make a world of difference to someone. “The world is changed by your example, not by your opinion.” Paulo Coelho 8. Have some leisure time doing something you enjoy Whatever our circumstances, whether we have children and family commitments, a busy work schedule or whether we spend a lot of time alone, it is important to have something that we enjoy doing and that we find time to do that. It might be walking, going for a run in the morning or evening, sea swimming, reading, listening to music, dancing, painting. Whatever you enjoy doing it’s important to do it, especially during difficult times. I love taking photographs, so I try to find time every day to go out and find something that draws my attention. It might be something very local to my home, and I find that there are lots of photo opportunities all around and no excuses for not going out and doing what I enjoy doing. Photo opportunities are all around us and doing photography gives us a great chance to get out into nature. No expensive equipment is necessary - a phone camera will get you started! Some mornings I even manage to capture the sunrise 9. Take it one day at a time I think we have all realised just how uncertain life can be and how we can’t predict what will happen from one day to the next. It might seem simplistic to suggest that we live one day at a time but one day is all we can live. Yesterday, with all its joys and sorrows, has gone and the future is not guaranteed so if we can concentrate on living fully in this day, we will experience all that life has to offer us. Conclusion I hope that you find some of these suggestions useful as we move into a new year. I hope they will give you some practical ideas as to how you can make small changes that can make a big difference to your mindset. No-one will be able to practise all these suggestions all of the time, but if you try just one or two of them, they might make a difference to how you approach each day while we are in the grip of this pandemic. And who knows, they may be the start of some new life-long positive habits. "For last year's words belong to last year's language. And next year's words await another voice." T.S. Eliot

I started on my latest photography journey just over two years ago after an absence of several years. I had a lot to learn and approached my new journey with great excitement. Two years on and I can say without a doubt that this has been more than just a hobby. I have found a pursuit that has given me much joy as well as supported my physical and mental wellbeing (see my last blog, https://www.wildwillowways.com/post/photography-the-gift-that-keeps-on-giving). I now spend much of my time learning, observing, creating and sharing and have certainly found the antidote to boredom. During the worldwide pandemic, when opportunities to travel for photography were drastically curtailed, I was able to diversify and find photo opportunities nearer to home. This allowed me to see the potential in my own close environment and to begin to find the extraordinary in the ordinary. This year I have enough images to produce a calendar as a gift for family and friends. I am very proud of this for a number of reasons, not least of which is that it is testament to the fact that I didn’t give up despite the difficult year, and have in fact grown to love photography even more. Looking back over my image collection to make my choices for each calendar month helped me to evaluate my images and appreciate the type of photography that I am drawn to. I realise that I like photographing trees and boats and capturing images near water. I like taking close ups of parts of objects and photographing old things. I have also discovered that I like photographing more banal subjects and I encourage myself to see beauty in the mundane. Below are my image choices for my 2021 calendar with a caption to say where each one was taken. It’s not a professionally produced calendar, but my family and friends won’t mind. They will appreciate that it is my own work, a culmination of what I have achieved over the past two years and a celebration of a change of direction in my life. 2021 Calendar Sandymount Beach, Dublin January Marlay Park, Co. Dublin February Ballinteer, Co. Dublin March Rathfarnham, Co. Dublin April Lady's Island, Co. Wexford May Hook Lighthouse, Co. Wexford June Ballinamore Canal, Co. Leitrim July Belanaleck Quay, Co. Fermanagh August Marlay Park Wildlife Garden September Wellingtonbridge, Co. Wexford October St. Enda's Park, Rathfarnham, Co. Dublin November Dodder River, Dublin City December Mohill, Co. Leitrim "For last year's words belong to last year's language. And next year's words await another voice." T.S. Eliot

A young family member recently began to take an interest in photography. She started with a Fuji Instax camera and is in the process of decorating her room with photos of her friends and their exploits, finding lots of innovative ways of displaying her images. Her gift request for birthdays and Christmas has been Instax film for her camera and she has a few projects in the pipeline! As well as enjoying the instant nature of the Instax, she is now beginning to take an interest in using her phone camera and she is undoubtedly showing a flair for photography. I am delighted to see a young person taking an interest in photography and I would encourage anyone who likes photography to pursue that interest as I firmly believe that it is something which might start out as a hobby but which can become a lifelong source of enjoyment. During the recent difficult year I have found photography to be a great support, nurturing my creative side, keeping me physically active and giving me an outlet to help me cope with the ups and downs of the year. Last year I wrote this blog calling photography the gift that keeps on giving. I had just read an article about a psychologist who advises clients suffering from depression to take up photography. The article got me thinking – what is it about photography that would help someone who suffers from depression? In my blog I wrote: I may not be able to answer that question in a scientific way but I would agree, from my own experience, that there is a connection between photography and well-being. In the simplest terms, photography forces us out of ourselves into the world in search of photo opportunities, therefore helping us to take the focus off ourselves and our worries. It encourages us to become more attentive to what is happening around us and to pay attention to the little things that exist in the world. It enables us to appreciate the beauty which is in our midst or to find beauty in the ordinary or mundane. There is no such thing as failure in photography, just learning opportunities. It can become a great motivator and a pathway to a new creativity. Becoming more observant is one of the key skills which a budding photographer needs to practise. A spin-off is that becoming more observant is also a great life skill, and in a world where we seem to be constantly rushing from a to b, and where we increasingly pass our spare time lost in our own thoughts or (worse!) checking our phones, becoming more attentive to the world around us is a life skill that is very much required, and one which is also conducive to increased well-being. But are claims for a link between photography and well-being backed up by research? Interestingly, some research has been done by Dr Liz Brewster of Lancaster University and Dr Andrew Cox of the University of Sheffield who concluded that taking a photo each day and posting it online supports improved well-being. They reported that, ‘taking a moment to be mindful, and looking for something different or unusual in the day were seen as positive well-being benefits of the practice.’ (www.sciencedaily.com) Some additional benefits were that it ‘led to more exercise and gave a sense of purpose, competence and achievement.’ After interviews with a number of participants in the study, who valued things such as communication within the online community, having a reason for getting out and getting some exercise and memory making, the researchers made the claim that the practice of photography is "an active process of meaning making, in which a new conceptualisation of well-being emerges." This may be very theoretical but I think it does show how the practice of photography can benefit our well-being. In our photography practice we are encouraged to slow down, to appreciate the environment around us, to make the most of any situation and to strive to present our vision to others. We aim to show others the world in ways they haven’t seen before, in ways that are unique to us as photographers. In our photography practice we are given opportunities to experiment, to try new approaches and to become more creative in our lives. Photographer Megan Kennedy, writing a blog on the therapeutic qualities of photography for www.digital-photography-school.com, makes the point very well: “Photography opens an inexhaustible amount of doors, providing opportunities to explore, travel, experiment and grow experience. It also helps form relationships with different places and subjects, leading to tangible locations that are a haven for low days. A valuable self-care technique”. "Taking a picture means aligning your head, eyes and heart. It is a way of life." - Henri Cartier-Bresson My own photography journey has taken me to new and unexpected locations, and often invited conversations with the people I have met. I have spent many happy hours wandering around new places, camera at the ready, observing, admiring and, at times, coming away with a few photos. Even if those photos are not so good, I come away with memories and new experiences, both of which I consider to be invaluable gifts. Photography and Mindfulness Becoming quiet in ourselves, being more attentive to sights, sounds and feelings, to the moment that is, are attributes associated with mindfulness and they are also attributes associated with photography. Photography helps us to slow down, take time, be patient, be present in the moment, look at life from a new perspective, and can make lasting changes to our outlook. In some sense, both the photographer and the person practising mindfulness receive the moment as it is, without trying to change it. While many photographers try to capture extraordinary beauty, and these subjects in turn make for beautiful images, there is also value in celebrating the ordinary, finding beauty in the mundane and translating this into our images. This shot focused on a single flower, its beauty and delicate nature, the exquisite details so often not seen. Photography can help us appreciate the true beauty of nature and bring that beauty to others. Winter can be a time when it becomes more difficult to get outside and many people suffer from seasonal effective disorder, where they find their mood dips during the darker days of winter. It is important for our physical and mental well-being to get outside as much as possible during the winter and to take advantage of whatever sunshine is available. This can be hard to do without a specific purpose, but heading out to capture some photographs can provide that purpose. I love to go for a walk on a crisp winter day and see the bare trees silhouetted against a clear sky or catch a raindrop glistening in the early morning sun. There is nothing so awe-inspiring as a stroll through a frost covered landscape and to feel the crunch of the frosty ground underfoot. Appreciation of these aspects of winter, as well as actual walks in the early morning sunshine on those frosty winter mornings, help to raise serotonin levels and chase away the winter blues. The addition of a camera to capture those magic winter moments is an extra bonus. Photography as an aid to reflection Many aids to reflection and meditation use photography as their basis. Beautiful photography of stunning scenes helps to calm our minds and heighten our awareness and appreciation of the beauty we see. On the other hand, there is an argument that taking out a camera to capture a stunning vista actually spoils the meditative moment, and to some degree this is true, particularly if we are constantly pulling out a phone camera to grab ‘that great shot'. Yet I find that building a constant practice of photography does help me to stand and stare more often and resist the urge to take a picture every time. I recently came across the term meditative photography, which sounds like a contradiction in terms since photography is very much an outward pursuit while meditation is a journey inwards. Yet these two concepts do have something in common. I have often found myself being in awe of the beauty of a scene before I even try to capture that beauty. Who could fail to appreciate the amazing colours of the sky at sunrise or sunset even while knowing that a photograph can never do them justice? Who is not in awe of the power of the sea as it crashes on the rocks, an image that can never be accurately captured in camera even though we might try to do just that? I was walking along just before sunset on a crisp winter evening, admiring the changing colours of the sky. My first impulse was not to grab a photo but to stop and stare. I did take out my phone before leaving to capture the moment and the memory, and the sharing of these pictures adds to the sense of awe I feel at the beauty of nature. Being in the moment Photography encourages us to be in the moment- to give our full attention to what is happening right now. It is the only moment we have, and in photography, if we miss the moment it is gone forever. That’s not to say that another equally good moment won’t come along, but we do have to become attentive if we want to capture the interplay of subject, composition and light that makes a good photograph. For Anthony Epes, photographer and teacher, the biggest gift of photography is that it gives us the opportunity, in every single moment, to be awake to life. Because, you can’t see and capture good photos unless you're connected to what's happening around you, in the present moment. And what a gift photography is in the pursuit of presence. It gives us the excuse to be paying attention to the world around us. It gives us an excuse to reject a life of incessant doing. To sit, wander, walk, explore - and just look. And when you are looking - you are looking with full engagement with what you are looking at. Master photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson also talked about photography being something that happens in the present: “Of all the means of expression, photography is the only one that fixes a precise moment in time.” In photography and in life, we need to seize the moment! The sharing community Often, the culmination of our photography process is sharing our images with others. Nowadays, with the myriad of social media sites on which to share our photographs, it is easy to present our photographs not just to those who know us, but much further afield. Whether we share on Instagram or other social media platform, or have our own website or online gallery, we want to display our best images, appreciate our own work in progress and strive for improvement. An ‘audience’ for our work, though often not seen, can help us to think outside of ourselves, be aware of the preferences of others while staying true to our own vision and accept comment and suggestion when given in a supportive environment. Displaying and presenting our photography work online can help us develop and improve as photographers and gain a better sense of our own work. Selecting images for display can be a powerful act in itself as it forces us to evaluate and critique our own work, which can be a great learning experience. Having said that, I do believe that we need to choose our online communities carefully as we don’t want to belong to communities who offer overly harsh criticism or whose work is way above the level of our own work. I like sites that use the 1-2-3 Rule, where participants are encouraged, for every photo they upload, to comment on at least two other photos and like at least three photos. Comments in these communities are usually positive and supportive and often offer valuable insights to others. Conclusion Photography as an art form has much to teach us and many gifts to give. It can be a great boost to our self-esteem when we achieve what we set out to achieve but it can also help us to be kind to ourselves when we don’t reach the mark. Often our ‘failures’ are the best teachers and I often look again at the images that I initially rejected to see what I do like about them and how they can be used to improve my future pictures. But without doubt it is our achievements that give us our greatest rewards; the photographs that meet our expectations, the images that capture exactly the look we were after, the compositions that are pleasing to the eye and that we are proud to share. These images reward our tenacity, our determination to keep going despite our failures, the hard work and long hours we put in to perfecting our craft. But despite the end result, it is the actual act of taking the picture that gives me the greatest pleasure, that moment when I have chosen my subject, framed that subject in the best way I can and then I click that shutter button. A magic moment! “You just have to live and life will give you pictures.” – Henri Cartier-Bresson

Are you looking for something special for the photography lover in your life? Here are my pick of the year's best photography books, plus an extra special treat for the senses. The Skelligs: Islands on the Edge of the World Peter Cox Photography Peter Cox is a photographer based in Co. Cork who has produced stunning images of many of the world’s most iconic places, yet, for him, nothing matches the dramatic beauty of the Skellig Islands. He says, “I’ve travelled all over the world, I’ve photographed in Greenland, Antarctica, Iceland. The Skelligs is probably my favourite place to photograph — it is a place that is very special to me personally, but also photographically.” The Skelligs Islands, two uninhabited, rocky islets located off the Kerry coast, were originally a settlement to a community of monks, and the larger islet, Skellig Michael, has a well preserved early Christian monastery. More recently, the magnificence of the islands was revealed to the world through the filming of Star Wars on the islands. In 1996 the World Heritage Committee granted Skellig Michael the title of World Heritage site, an honour which raised the profile of the islands internationally and which has resulted in thousands of visitors to the Skelligs every year. My own vivid memory is of travelling around the islands during the summer and seeing some of the thousands of puffins which use Skellig Michael as their breeding ground, as well as viewing the colony of gannets which make their home on Little Skellig. Cox’s book includes amazing images of the islands, some taken at night. Through his images, Cox says, he tried to communicate what it would have been like for the monks living on the islands; tried to see what they saw, experience what they experienced. As is evident from the quality images in his book, Cox believes in the primacy of composition. Interestingly he remarked in an interview that, “A mobile phone image thoughtfully taken and well-composed will be far better than a carelessly taken picture with a state-of-the-art camera.” These images are indeed thoughtfully taken and well composed and will make a beautiful gift for all photography lovers. https://petercox.ie/products/the-skelligs-islands-on-the-edge-of-the-world Twilight Together Ruth Medjber This book, which was shortlisted for the An Post 2020 Book of the Year award, does indeed document the extraordinary year that was 2020. When the country, along with much of the world, went into lockdown in March, life changed dramatically for everyone. No longer were we allowed to travel, visit loved ones, celebrate special events or have gatherings of friends or family in our homes. Older people and those with medical vulnerabilities had to ‘cocoon’ at home, while many workers had to make the change to home working. Frontline workers were the heroes who kept our hospital system running, while all sorts of community initiatives were rolled out to try to ease the difficult situation in which we suddenly found ourselves. Families waved to each other through windows and this image, more than anything, became a symbol which represented the pandemic. In her book Twilight Together: Portraits of Ireland at Home, Irish photographer Ryth Medjber has produced a series of images portraying a nation peering through their front windows at dusk - a nation in lockdown. There are people from every generation; people on their own, couples, people in families, each with their own story to tell, many of them heartbreaking stories, and each image suggests that story. This is a visually stunning and poignant book, documenting a pivotal year in the history of our country and our world. https://www.irishbookawards.irish/nominee/twilight-together/ Old Ireland in Colour John Breslin & Sarah-Anne Buckley In this book, images depicting Irish life in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries have been collected and lovingly restored and colourised to bring them to life and accessible to a whole new generation. The photographs are from all walks of life, ranging from an iconic image of the well-known explorer Tom Crean to images of simple country folk going about their daily business; from Civil War scenes to the simplicity of life on the islands. With over 170 images from all four provinces, covering many aspects of the Irish people, their society, culture and land, this book provides a stunning chronicle of the rich history of Ireland and the Irish abroad. Enhanced with captions from co-author Dr. Sarah-Anne Buckley, this is a beautiful book of photography, and while I love some of the images in their original black and white, they do become much more vivid through the colour restoration. Without doubt, whether you are a lover of history, a lover of photography or simply a lover of Ireland, this is a book to treasure. https://irishacademicpress.ie/product/old-ireland-in-colour/ Bird Photographer of the Year Bird Photographer of the Year Collection 5 is the 2020 version of the book which accompanies the annual Bird Photographer of the Year competition, an event which showcases and celebrates some of the best bird photographs captured during the year. The book includes the winning and short-listed images from the competition and includes some of the finest bird photography from around the world. It is a large-format book, and this format brings to life some stunning bird photography. See https://www.bookdepository.com/author/Bird-Photographer-Of-The-Year for copies of all five Bird Photographer of the Year books. American Gardens Monty Don and Derry Moore A collaboration between Britain’s much loved celebrity horticulturalist Monty Don and renowned photographer Derry Moore has resulted in a beautiful book of photographs to complement the BBC television series in which the pair travel across America to discover the gardens and outdoor spaces at the heart of American history. Their trip takes them to places as diverse as the slave garden at Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello estate and the urban outdoor space that is New York’s Central Park, taking in all classes of garden in between. For anyone who enjoys viewing images of beautiful gardens this book is a feast for the eyes, giving a unique view of some of America’s most celebrated open spaces. As the introduction states, there is no cohesive answer to the question, 'What is an American garden?' The term, like the people who inhabit this culturally diverse place, cannot be accurately defined but through words and pictures Don and Moore provide a flavour of what the term might mean, while the accompanying text adds a depth of meaning to the exquisite images. https://www.kennys.ie/shop/American-Gardens-Monty-Don Bonus Book The Dublin Art Book: The City Through the Eyes of its Artists While not a photography book, this is still a book that will be appreciated by artists of all kinds. It is, as its title suggests, a series of art works depicting life in Dublin city. Ranging from famous landmarks such as the historic Trinity College to the hustle and bustle of O’Connell Street on a rainy day, from the James Joyce statue to the iconic GPO, contemporary Dublin artists highlight their city, and their vision of their city, with a beautiful art collection which will be appreciated by anyone who loves art as well as anyone who loves the city of Dublin and its people. In his foreward to the book, curator and art collector Brent Pope states, “What better way to celebrate Dublin’s art culture than through the eyes of 55 inspirational local artists, who have helped mould this city. A unique blend of artists from different generations, cultures and perspectives, that have in so many different ways been able to express just what Dublin means to them.” Dublin city has provided me with many opportunities to take candid photographs, capturing life as it happens I love this book; it is a celebration of every aspect of Dublin, seen through the eyes of its talented artists. A city rich in history and culture is portrayed in all its beauty, from the historical to the modern, with each artist representing the city in their own unique style to give a flavour of their Dublin for locals and visitors alike. "We need to see the places we live in through the eyes of artists... to look up and see the beauty." ― Cathy Davey, Musician https://www.kennys.ie/shop/the-dublin-art-book-the-city-through-the-eyes-of-its-artists-the-city-seen-through-the-eyes-of-its-artists If you found this post useful please share it.

How do we create the best possible black and white version of our image? In part 1 of this article I looked at some of the considerations involved in deciding which photographs would look better in black and white than colour. Variables such as the amount of contrast between the darks and lights, the variety of grey tones, whether it has strong shapes and textures and whether black and white or colour suits the composition best are all things to consider. Although the foreground is out of focus, I think there is enough strong contrast to make this image look good in black and white Once we have chosen an image that we think would look better in black and white, the next consideration is to ask, how do we do that? There are a few options available to us, but it is important to note that good black and white images are not just colour photos with the saturation turned down. Good black and white images require some thought and creative work in post processing. When looking for potential black and white images it is helpful, when out shooting, to try and see in black and white, to imagine what the scene will look like in black and white, to think about whether it will have enough contrast, whether it has strong lines, patterns or shapes, whether there is texture in the scene to work with. One suggestion often made is to use the monochrome option on the camera and to shoot in raw + JPEG. This will give us the opportunity to check the image on the screen as we shoot to see how it appears in black and white. This option will also give us the information provided by the raw file for editing in black and white as well as having the colour image if that is our preference for the image. Editing our images When we look at the black and white images of the photography masters we become aware that the use of right framing and precise timing of the shot ensured that they got the image right in-camera rather than relying on post processing. Today, most of us shoot in colour and convert our images to black and white later. This involves a careful consideration of the image to see if it suitable for black and white conversion. Simply converting a colour image to greyscale or pulling down the saturation slider will most likely produce a dull, flat result. It may be that the image did not contain enough contrasting colours to begin with, but even if the image has good contrast it will still benefit from being edited specifically for black and white. Images can be converted from colour to black and white in different ways So, what does edit for black and white involve? The first thing I usually do is check the white balance on the colour image, do a small amount of editing in the basic panel such as adjusting the contrast and the dark and light sliders. I might then go to the tone curve, which deepens shadows and brightens the lighter parts of the image, thereby straightaway adding a little more contrast. It is important not to overdo the contrast and a good rule of thumb is to realise that if the image is a good one to begin with it will need only slight processing in order to be a good black and white photo. What we need to have is a wide range of greys and to work on tonal separation in our editing work. Tones can get lost very easily when working in black and white so tonal separation is important. This can be achieved to a good extent using the HSL panel. Below is a simple editing process I used to convert a number of colour images to black and white, with some variations to suit the particular image and the effect I wanted to achieve. The editing process from colour image - Sample 1 White Balance - adjusted as necessary to achieve correct white balance Basic Panel - raised contrast slightly Tone curve – brightened lights, deepened shadows to create more contrast (creates S curve) HSL panel: Saturation - lowered each slider to reduce saturation Luminance - adjusted each relevant colour The editing process from colour image - Sample 2 I used a similar process, starting with the colour image and reducing the saturation of each colour in the HSL panel. I then cropped the image to incorporate the rule of thirds in the composition The editing process using black and white filter To edit this image I started by selecting Black and White tab under Treatment Tone Curves - I brought up the lights and decreased the darks Black and White Mix Panel - adjusted sliders to right or left to see how each colour would convert to black and white, for example, pulling the blue slider will control how dark the cloud will be (see examples below) Being able to change how individual colours convert into grayscale tones gives greater control over our black and white conversion and can improve the impact of our final image. Basic Panel - returned to basic panel and adjusted exposure, contrast, highlights and shadows, trying to avoid areas that are very dark or blown-out highlights. In this case detail in the dark area of the ship was not required. In the image below I made the adjustments as above for colour photo and added post crop vignette ___________________________________________________________________________________________ This post is one of a series of posts on black and white editing. In my next post I will take a look at split toning, which is a simple way of being creative with our images. Link to part 1 below https://www.wildwillowways.com/post/black-and-white-photography-made-easy-part-1 Further reading For a more professional article on black and white editing check out: https://www.shutterstock.com/blog/editing-black-white-photos

I remember my first photos, taken with a black and white film camera, and they were less than impressive shots. My abiding memory is of images that were flat and grey, with very little variation in tone, and I was delighted when colour film became the norm. Today I realise the reason for these lacklustre black and white images. There was no emphasis on any of the elements that make a good photograph, let alone a good black and white photograph, it was simply point and shoot and hope for the best. Having said that, I do remember a photo I took of my bicycle (my pride and joy at the time) placed against a wall. It may have been accidental, but I did compose the photograph so that the dark bicycle stood out against the lighter background, and it may have been that contrast between dark and light that helps me remember the image today. Although my own efforts at achieving good black and white photographs were not very successful, due to lack of knowledge and decent equipment, the concept of black and white photography has always interested me. Many of the photographs that I have been drawn to over the years have been black and white images. I love the simplicity that lack of colour offers, but also the richness which this can bring to an image. Although they don’t appeal to everyone, I really like the black and white street images of Vivian Maier. They are a record of a place and time and, in my opinion, they are more effective as black and white images than they would be had Vivian Maier had access to colour film http://www.vivianmaier.com/gallery/street-1/. I feel the same about the work of Henri Cartier-Bresson, named the father of candid photography, whose iconic black and white images are revered by photographers all over the globe. Even though Cartier-Bresson was shooting with black and white film, his photographs have strong composition which was a result of waiting until all the elements took shape before taking his shot, and this was one of the keys to the success of his images. Behind the Gare Saint-Lazare (1932), named by Time magazine as one of the 100 images that changed the world, is considered to be one of Cartier-Bresson’s best images. In the photograph a man leaps across a puddle of water, while the action is mirrored on a poster behind him. The dark figure against the light background immediately draws your eye, as does the reflection in the water. When photographers didn’t have the advantage of using colour in their images, they had to produce fantastic shots to capture their audience. On examination of this image you can see all the various photography techniques used by this master photographer http://100photos.time.com/photos/henri-cartier-bresson-behind-gare-saint-lazare As is obvious from these and many other iconic images by some of the world’s best photographers, black and white photography is an accomplished art and not an area in which all photographers will do well. As a learner I have just about dipped my toe into this area as, although I love to look at good black and white photographs, I am well aware that black and white images are not simply colour photographs ‘de-saturated’. While this may be one method of achieving the desired effects, creating a good, as opposed to a mediocre, black and white photograph involves much more. It is for this reason that I have been reluctant to try black and white photography but, with some research into what makes a good black and white image, study of the black and white ‘masters’ and lessons from a photographer who works mainly in black and white, I have made some attempts to produce my own black and white images. I have divided this article into two parts. Part 1 will consider how you decide which images will look good in black and white and part 2 will consider how, once you have chosen the image, you can begin to create the best possible black and white version of that image. How do you decide which image will make a good black and white photograph? The first thing I realised about this type of photography is that not all images look good in black and white. Although some photographers shoot exclusively in black and white, for many it will be a case of assessing images to see which would make good black and white photos. So, the first question we need to ask is, do some photos lend themselves to black and white better than others? The answer to this, of course, is yes. A good black and white image begins when you frame your shot. Colour is important in a black and white image because of the way colours convert into grayscale. Using complementary colours in our compositions, like red and green, blue and yellow, will give good tonal contrast when you convert your image to black and white. Beginning with an image that has good tonal contrast makes processing easier as it saves pushing the sliders too far, which can affect the quality of the image. I captured this as a colour image but felt it had the potential to make a good black and white conversion. The strong contrast in the foreground means the different elements stand out Whether we take our shots intentionally as black and white images, or want to convert our colour images to black and white in post processing, there are a few important variables to consider. 1. Contrast As mentioned above, good black and white photographs need good contrast. It is widely accepted that the best black and white photographs will have some portion of the photo near to pure black and some portion near to pure white. This provides contrast between the darkest blacks and the lightest whites. Since not every photograph translates well into black and white we need to learn to ‘see in black and white’, to see good contrast between dark and light, to notice all the shades of grey that an image should have if it is to become a decent black and white image. In other words, seeing in black and white is being able to judge whether a subject will make a good black and white image. Looking back, my early images with my kodak camera had no contrast to speak of; they did not have varying tones of grey and I didn’t know to look for that type of contrast. As a result, the images often looked flat and dull. Today it is easier, with all the vibrant colours in the world around us, to seek out contrasting tones for our compositions. Even in a landscape of trees, there will be many shades to allow for tonal contrast. 2. Shapes and lines When you remove colour from an image, shapes and lines become more important. A silhouette shows how, without colour, we rely on shape to identify an object. Shapes are particularly important in a black and white image as they help to make sense of the photograph. Strong lines and patterns also lend themselves well to black and white photography as they give us elements that will stand out and provide contrast to lighter elements. In this image there did not seem to be good contrast in the original colour version but there was something about the subject that made me want to try it as a black and white image. The simplicity of the subject set against the desolate landscape and the line of posts leading the eye to the lighthouse in the distance, do, to some extent, make it a candidate for black and white conversion 3. Texture Textures really stand out in a black and white image and they can serve to create contrast. Texture can also create emotion in a black and white image. Smoother textures create a calmer, more balanced mood in the photo while a rough texture, such as a wave crashing on the rocks, can add to the intensity and drama of an image. In black and white this image appears very cold and gives a lonely feeling, and that might be the effect that is required in certain situations Sky can provide good texture for b&w images 4. Shadows Shadows are more significant in a black and white photo than they are in a colour image. In a black and white image, shadows are given equal visual weight to the other elements, while in a colour image the subject is given more visual weight. For this reason, shadows add a greater visual impact and sense of drama to a black and white image. 5. Composition A good black and white photograph is not good simply because it is black and white. As with all the iconic black and white photographs that we have been given over time, composition is key to a good black and white photograph. Composition is important in all types of photography. When we pay attention to composition, we are deciding how we want to place elements in our image, how we want our image to look. We make decisions about main subject, supporting elements, foreground, background and light. In black and white photography composition is equally important as, in addition to these considerations, we will also want to include contrast, shape, texture and shadows to the best effect. If we begin to ‘think in black and white’ it can help us decide how best to compose our image. A leading line is a common compositional tool. In this black and white image it can be used to add to the drama created by the menacing clouds 6. Emotion Most of the iconic black and white images are full of emotion. The classic image, Migrant Mother by Dorothea Lange http://100photos.time.com/photos/dorothea-lange-migrant-mother is an excellent illustration of this. Lange captured a series of images in a migrant encampment in Los Angeles during the Great Depression. In the pea-pickers camp she encountered hunger and despair, and these are the emotions she depicted through her photographs. No one could view the image of the migrant mother without reading the fear, desperation and worry on the mother’s face or without interpreting the child’s despair from the body posture that is captured on camera. By highlighting elements such as shape, contrast, shadows and texture in our compositions we are attempting to create a certain mood or emotion in the image. In many ways, choosing black and white can increase the storytelling potential of an image by stripping away the distraction of colour and helping us express emotions through our photography. Facial expressions are highlighted when the distraction of colour is taken away To sum up: How do you decide which image will make a good black and white photograph? · Make sure there is good contrast between light and dark tones · Look for shadows, strong patterns, lines and textures · Try to ‘see’ in black and white. Think: how will it look in black and white? · Be inspired by black and white photography In part 2 of this article I will consider how to improve our black and white photography by creating the best possible black and white version of our images.

The annual Photography Show and Video Show, normally held in Birmingham, England, is going virtual this year with a planned ‘Virtual Festival’ on September 20th and 21st. The move to an online platform for 2020 will open up the photography show to a global audience and give a chance to those who would not normally be able to attend, myself included, to participate in this annual exhibition of all things photographic. From the comfort of your home you can browse through over 100 exhibition stands and view the latest photography and video gear, including the latest offerings from top camera brands such as Canon, Nikon, Sony, Olympus, Fujifilm and Panasonic. You can develop your creativity and stimulate your imagination by checking out the varied programme of tutorials, workshops and practical demonstrations and get advice on everything photography and video related from a team of experts. There are over 170 free talks and you are invited to drop in and out, ask questions, listen to interviews with top photographers and watch and learn from location shoots and projects by well known creatives that will inspire and motivate. There are sessions on all types of topics, suited to all levels of photographer practising in all genres, including talks and demos giving practical tips on how to get the most out of your camera. Here is a small sample of what’s on offer: “Street photography – editing on the go” “Creating the perfect online portfolio” “So… you want to be a photographer” “Shooting a BBC documentary series on an iPhone”, where the presenter of BBC4 documentary series ‘Canal Boat Diaries’ talks about his experiences of shooting and presenting the series on his iPhone. These are just a few of the many workshops available over the two days. There are so many sessions to choose from that there should be something to interest everyone, whether professional photographer, enthusiast or complete beginner. Registration for the event is free and once you register you will be sent an email with a link. If you can’t attend the live event you can use the link to watch the content online for four weeks after the event, with the exception of the live chat and Q&A sessions. This blog post is just my 'taster' for the event. Please share it with anyone you think might be interested in attending the show. For more detailed information and complete programme of events over the two days of the show, check out the official links below www.photographyshow.com https://www.techradar.com/news/the-photography-show-2020-everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-cameras-festival https://www.digitalcameraworld.com/news/the-photography-show-goes-digital-on-20-and-21-september