Bray is a popular seaside town in County Wicklow on the east coast of Ireland, about 20km south of Dublin city centre. Bray was planned as a resort town in the 19th century when the Dublin railway was extended, modelled on the resort towns of the English coast such as Brighton. It is characterised by its Victorian Promenade with numerous English-style bandstands and beach huts, extending to Bray Head, a popular headland of the WIcklow mountains. Although Bray is no longer the tourist location that it once was, it is still popular with day trippers, local walkers, families and visitors and it has many attractions to offer. Bray coastline offers many opportunities for coastal photography but on this occasion I concentrated on the seafront, which presented some opportunities for candid photography as well as a view of what Bray has to offer. See below for other locations that I visited for my Capturing Moments series.

Do you ever wonder what it is that draws you to take a certain photograph? I constantly ponder this question when I look at some recent photos and see that I can be drawn to the beauty of a tiny flower in macro photography yet equally drawn to photograph old buildings or random objects that don’t initially appear to have much photographic appeal. So, what is it that  inspires me to take these photographs? Often, I seem to be drawn to finding beauty in the mundane as well as photographing obvious beauty. I like to document everyday life, look for ‘hints of human life’, as photographer Sean Tucker puts it, and document this. I love to notice little things that others pass by. I am drawn to telling stories through photography and to finding these narratives in ordinary, everyday places and things. I think there is so much of interest to reveal from the small things we hardly notice unless we look closely. Anthony Epes talks of finding, ‘Leftovers of a human story that no-one meant to tell,’ and I like to take the opportunity to tell these stories. When I photograph these scenes and subjects they often invoke strong emotions. They might invoke a sense of loneliness and sadness at the reality of life for some people, or maybe a feeling of joy, of celebration, of togetherness as I photograph an empty dining area waiting for a group of happy customers to take their seats and enjoy a meal together. In this instance I can speculate on who might be there, what their conversations will be, whether they will enjoy their evening. A simple potential story inspired by one photograph. Occasionally a scene or potential subject may spark anger at how careless we have become with our beautiful planet, particularly when I see the amount of litter and rubbish that we humans discard. Apart from the emotional, and often sub-conscious, draw of certain subjects and scenes, at times it is a more practical, photographic reason that I am attracted to certain subjects. It might be because they offer an opportunity to use a framing technique or because there is particularly good light. Sometimes shapes, patterns, lines and textures will draw me to a subject, while I am also attracted by a scene with complimentary or contrasting colours. There are also certain subjects, such as boats and lighthouses, that I am drawn to wherever I find them. And then sometimes I can’t put into words what it is that draws me to a subject. This is when I just allow the photograph to speak for itself, I don’t need words or to know why I was drawn to it. Often, it’s these photographs, the ones I can’t explain, that interest me the most. Do you know what draws you to take a photograph? It might be a beautiful scene or something unusual you come across, or it might be something else entirely, something unique to you. I think it’s worth considering what it is that draws you to take a photograph, to discover the hidden inspirations behind the images you create. I believe that knowing the ‘why’ gives you a closer connection to your photography; it gives you a sense of having your own unique view of the world and some understanding of how you interpret and present that view through your photography. Why not take some time to discover what inspires your photography?

I recently made a photography trip to Sandymount, a coastal suburb in Dublin, Ireland. Sandymount Strand has a 2.5km promenade and an extensive beach set along Dublin Bay, while Sandymount village is set back from the coast. One of the most famous landmarks along the Dublin coastline is the former Poolbeg Generating Station, which is home to two chimneys, affectionately known locally as the Poolbeg Stacks. These chimneys are among the tallest structures in Ireland and can be seen all over Dublin city. On the morning I visited the tide was out and I seized the opportunity to get a close-up image of the stacks, as well as trying to get some more unique angles and perspectives. The weather was variable and the bright sunlight quickly gave way to dark, moody skies. I also took some images of buildings facing the promenade and activity on a quiet morning on the popular strand. The Poolbeg Stacks Sandymount Strand Views From the Strand I have some images from other local places in my Capturing Moments series, linked below.

When we travel to new or different places there can be a temptation to try and photograph iconic landmarks or look for well known 'honeypot' locations. I know that I used to do just that and I felt that, with these particular shots to take home, I had indeed captured the essence of the places I visited. As I continue further into my photography journey, my opinion on iconic landmarks has changed and I no longer line up with dozens of other photographers to capture iconic vistas, beautiful as they may be. I still want to capture the essence of a location, but I like to find other ways to do this. I have previously written some posts on this topic, which are linked below, but in this post I want to explore this theme of 'essence of place' in a deeper way. Over the last year or so my approach to photography has evolved, thanks in part to inspiration from other photographers whom I admire, but also because of a sense that more intimate, personal photography appeals to me more than images of places that I see on a fleeting visit and with which I have not established a connection. 'Connection' has become important in my photography and it was with that in mind that I brought my camera and one lens on a recent trip to Portugal. My trip was taking me to two Portuguese locations, one that I had not previously visited and one with which I was familiar. In the 'new' location I was tempted by the famous sea stacks, the amazing sunsets and sunrises, the stunning cliffs and beautiful beaches. I was still happy to capture these images, but my photography took me further into the locations, to see what the locals see, to observe scenes that may be fleeting, to notice human interaction with the environment and signs of human influence on the environment even when no people were present. One of my main discoveries was that the best time to do this type of photography is early morning. I went out each morning between 7.30am and 9am. The sun was shining and producing lovely long shadows, perfect for my kind of photography. Street cleaners were working getting the town ready for the coming day. Street vendors were setting out their stalls. Workers were starting to make their way to their jobs, although some stopped for a chat along the way, and the early coffee drinkers were already having their first cup of the day. I enjoyed observing the daily routines of the local people, the morning environment, sometimes with signs of the night before, and the sense of a new beginning that the day brings. I tried to get a feel for the place, a sense of what it's like to live there. I observed interactions between people and the everyday happenings that give this place its unique character. My images taken on this trip will stay in my memory, not because I took photographs of famous places or even beautiful scenes, but because they meant something to me. They are a documentation of my mornings, of the place I was staying in, of the people whose space I was sharing for a short while, of the activities that were going on there and of the signs of human existence even without people in the photographs. I recommend trying this type of photography. It gives a more intimate connection with a place than 'honeypot' images, a more unique collection of pictures to bring home and a real sense of connection to your own photography, which for me is a very important aspect of any photography outing. It also has the added advantage of knowing that there is always something new and interesting to photograph, so your photography never becomes stale or boring, and these photographs are literally on your doorstep wherever you are. I hope I have inspired you to try some more intimate, personal photography. There are some photographers whose work may inspire you further. I particularly like this video from Rick Bebbington in which he discusses this approach. You can view it here .

I enjoy watching photography based YouTube videos and, like many others, I am more influenced by certain photographers than by others. Often, I will watch occasional videos by certain photographers depending on the topic, sometimes I will watch videos based on the photography genre and many times I will watch videos by photographers whose whole approach appeals to me. These will be photographers who have built a good relationship with their audience, who obviously put time and effort into producing their content and whose images I enjoy seeing. These are the photographers from whom I get the most inspiration. One such photographer is James Popsys. His style of photography – a mix of landscape, street and general photography – appeals to me, while his humour, his general approach to photography and his way of delivering his content resonates with me.   Five elements of James Popsys’ photography stand out in particular. These are: ·      The relationship between the human-made and the natural environment which is conveyed through his photography. ·      His editing style – his images are usually brightly edited; images that are ‘bright and lively’, to quote himself. ·      His preference for scenes that look as though he has just stumbled across them, rather than the usual ‘iconic images’. ·      His constant advice to photographers to take photos that are ‘about’ things rather than ‘of’ things; to consider the story that the image tells. ·      His dislike of rules in photography. During his videos James gives plenty of good advice and tips for novice photographers in a humorous, personable style. While my editing style may be different to that of an accomplished photographer such as James Popsys, I have taken inspiration from his style of imagery, particularly since I like to take a walk with my camera and shoot subjects that I stumble across. I am also a fan of including human-made subjects alongside natural subjects and of documenting the impact and imprint that we humans leave on the land we inhabit. FINAL THOUGHTS Although the locations and subject matter, as well as the photographic competence, are different, the images above have, to some extent, been inspired by James Popsys. They include scenes I stumbled across during my daily photo walk, scenes or subjects that are ‘about’ something, that attempt to tell a story, and scenes in which human-made and natural elements exist together. If you are interested in this type of photography, or would like some more information on the work of James Popsys, you can find him on YouTube, on instagram @jamespopsys, and on his website www.jamespopsys.com .

I love to experiment with photography, and I have tried most genres at this stage. There are two things that I need to keep in mind if I don’t want to allow my photography to get stale. One is to take photographs as much as possible and the other is to stay open to new approaches. In fact, these are interconnected as failing to take on something new could mean that I get bored and stop going out with my camera; while taking on new approaches is a way to guard against staleness in photography, and it keeps me going out with my camera. From time to time I find that I need to re-invigorate my photography by trying something completely different. My latest approach is to embrace something that I heard from a photographer called Greg Howard , on his YouTube channel Distant Media Photography , and that is to keep surprising yourself with your photography. This might sound interesting but what does it mean in practice? If I look at my regular photography outings they involve a lot of woodland photography, macro photography and some street photography. But these easily become repetitive. I love to capture beautiful macro images with interesting bokeh but after a while I realize I have all the images I need for now and I need a break from these types of images. There’s no surprise element; it’s just a matter of trying to perfect a technique. It’s the same with woodland photography. I have so many images with different compositions that I struggle to find anything new. In street photography, a difficult genre at the best of times, I constantly go out and come home with nothing worthwhile. This is where my new approach comes in. It involves just going out with my camera (handheld and just one lens), with no plan, no agenda, and being prepared to be surprised. It means having no pre-conceived ideas about what to photograph; just walking and observing all around me. It means strolling in towns and villages, along country roads, up and down streets and side roads, going to places that are out of the way - hidden corners and parts of the world that are less photographed – and just photographing whatever catches my eye. The idea is to come home with a set of photos that I will be surprised by and among them I hope I’ll find something I really like. Above all, these will be occasions just to enjoy my photography and to capture anything that draws my attention, even if it’s not something that anyone else would photograph. If you would like to re-invigorate your photography, or just try something new, why not give it a try – surprise yourself!

My apologies if this sounds like a click bait title. That is not my intention. I really believe that photography has become a superpower in my life. Read on to find out why. Since the beginning of this year, for various reasons, my photography has taken a bit of a back seat. I went from going out with my camera almost every day, rain or shine, to hardly ever getting out. While the reasons for this we’re genuine and couldn’t be avoided, I did miss my photography. Two weeks ago I decided to take a holiday to re-charge my batteries and get myself back on a familiar footing. I was looking forward to rest, relaxation, good food, sunshine and some sea swimming, but I also took my small Olympus E-M10 and one lens with me, just in case there would be an opportunity for some photography. I did enjoy the rest, relaxation, sea swimming, good food and warm temperatures, but it was the photography which made the holiday so memorable, and which renewed my energy and enthusiasm once more. I spent at least an hour each morning out and about with my camera, taking photographs that I wanted to take, and this is what helped me to leave behind the stress of the last few months. While the regular holiday activities have come to an end, and they have become almost a distant memory now, my re-connection with photography has endured and it is again providing the release from stress that I need on a daily basis. I can pinpoint a few reasons why this has happened and why I can call photography my superpower. ·      My photography experience was totally my own. I had at least an hour to myself each morning before my travelling companions surfaced for the day and I took the photographs that I wanted to take, not the regular snapshots that are usually part of holiday photography.   ·      I used one camera and one lens, and occasionally my phone camera, and was content with that. I didn’t regret the photos I might have missed, I just enjoyed taking the photo opportunities that were presented to me.   ·      Photography encouraged me to travel in a different direction each day, to explore, to discover new places and new things and to enjoy being off the beaten track rather than staying where tourists normally go.   ·      Above all, I looked forward to my morning photography time, I re-connected with my passion, and I experienced the joy of holding a camera and creating images purely for enjoyment, without any pressure. FINAL THOUGHTS I have always believed that photography is a great way to support our physical and mental health and wellbeing, and for this reason I can call photography a superpower in my life. (You might like to read my post How Does Photography Support Positive Living? ) Perhaps the main reason I re-discovered the superpower of photography on this holiday is because, although I left behind the sunshine and the warm sea, the interesting culture and the laid back lifestyle, I took my renewed connection to photography home with me and I know it will give me many hours of pleasure as I continue my photography journey wherever I may be.

Cigarette Break Ocassionally I have taken a street photograph that I like, as with the photo above. I think it captures a candid moment and the scene is very natural - a kitchen worker taking a break at a backstreet entrance, surrounded by litter and graffiti. In my opinion, the contrasting elements tell the story of the moment and they lead to the success of the image. But I regret to say that I don't capture images like this very often. While I like doing street photography, I find it to be challenging as I believe it is a very specific, skillful genre. I think that if we are to capture street images that will stand the test of time and that will mean anything in the future they have to have some intrinsic value; either that they tell a story of events and characters in a certain place and time or that they depict a unique moment on the street; something unusual, quirky, humorous or with some kind of emotional impact.    Alternatively, successful street images could have a strong visual element - images that are interesting to look at and that will entice the viewer to linger over them for a while rather than quickly pass over. I realise that these types of images are not always easy to come by, but that anything less will just result in boring pictures that no-one is interested in. Although I will continue in my quest to capture these images in towns and cities that I visit, I feel at a disadvantage by not living in a major city or in one of the iconic street photography venues such as New York, London or Paris. I don’t often get the opportunity to visit such places with time to spend doing street photography. While I will still enjoy the chase of the good street image, and I always enjoy the process of street photography regardless of whether or not I come home with a good image, I find that an occasional switch to the more all-encompassing urban photography genre might give me more success. Why do I think I could have more success at urban photography than street photography? I think there are two main reasons. Firstly, in my opinion urban photography is not quite as restrictive as street photography in that images can consist of anything that exists in an urban environment. Buildings, parts of buildings, unusual features, shape, pattern, colour are all aspects of urban landscapes that you can play around with. This allows for creativity and experimentation - work with light, colour, shape, form and pattern, or abstract photography - resulting in photography that shows an urban landscape in all its diversity. Urban photography seems to be a more forgiving form of photography than street photography. It is not judged as rigidly or as precisely as street photography tends to be. For example, I was recently in a local town on market day. I thought I might come away with some interesting shots. I did see some scenes that I might have felt were worthy of shooting on previous occasions but when I asked myself if it would be of interest to anyone the answer was no. The scenes were of everyday occurrences, possibly worthwhile if documenting this place on market day, but otherwise uninteresting. They did not tell a story, did not reveal a unique moment, nor would they have lasting visual appeal. So, I turned my attention to urban photography and, if nothing else, I enjoyed the experience which made it a more successful outing in my view. Here are some urban images that I hope will illustrate my point: As I think these images illustrate, urban photography offers endless potential and enjoyment, with no pressure to produce any particular type of image.

Macro photography, and indeed near-macro and close-up photography, hold a special fascination for many photographers. But macro is not an easy photography genre to master. It takes a lot of skill and patience to produce a good macro image. So what makes macro photography so fascinating? I would like to suggest a few reasons that come to mind from my own experience and they may resonate with you. I must admit, I am quite new to the exploration of the tiny world with my camera. Despite dabbling with magnifying filters or using a wide aperture to create a close-up image and blurry background, I resisted taking the plunge into 'real' macro photography. The two main reasons for my delay were the cost of macro lenses and the fear that I would not make enough use of these lenses to justify that cost. However, I eventually decided to take the plunge into macro and purchased two less expensive options - a 30mm Olympus macro lens and a Raynox dcr-250 macro attachment - to satisfy my growing fascination with this type of photography. As I wandered through country lanes with my macro lens recently, I thought about why I find macro so fascinating and enjoyable as a photography genre. Here are 5 reasons I came up with: Exploring the tiny world is fascinating, even without capturing images. When we begin to look closely and observe the little things that we seldom notice, it opens our eyes to a whole new miniature world that exists all around us. Much of macro photography is done in nature, and in nature alone there is so much to find, but macro can also be practised anywhere that textures, shapes and colours exist. Most phone cameras will capture decent close-up images and this encourages us to observe more closely and capture what we see. Captured with Google Pixel 7 Pro Macro subjects are always close at hand. Flowers, plants and insects are obvious macro subjects which are often enhanced by beautiful raindrop patterns. Textures are easy to find all around us while all kinds of everyday objects can produce interesting macro results. Macro photography increases our powers of observation. How many of us notice all the little things that exist all around us? Do we stop to admire the tiny flowers that appear in summer? Do we spend time watching the bees as they travel from flower to flower doing their day's work? Do we notice raindrops as they balance on gateposts or glisten on leaves after a shower? Do we really observe the tiny changes that are taking place around us all the time? For most of us the answer is no, until we take a camera and close-up lens and really begin to observe. 4. Macro photography provides us with a challenge. It is not an easy genre to master. Focusing can be tricky and we very often end up with a blurry subject or with a very small portion of the subject in focus. Even the slightest hand movement or a barely noticeable breeze can spoil a macro image. Capturing a pleasing macro photograph is challenging but when we get it right the results are so rewarding. 5. Macro photography is full of surprises! More than with any other type of photography, you just never know what you'll capture with a macro lens! If you haven't already tried macro, why not give it a go?

Recently, I have seen several YouTube videos highlighting the benefits of doing a photography project. In a recent video James Popsys calls photography projects 'oxygen for photographers'. This is a strong statement but it is one that I have come to agree with. I started embracing the idea of doing a photography project early in my photography journey. I was having difficulty in knowing what to photograph when I went out with my camera so I looked online for some ideas and, 'engage in a project', was a suggestion that kept coming up. I started very simply by going out and looking for the colour yellow in the environment. This gave me a focus for my photography outing and I came home with more interesting pictures than if I had just taken random images. I progressed to doing a longer term project. My subject was boats and I looked for opportunities when travelling to photograph different types of boats in all sorts of locations. Staying closer to home I did a project called signs which encompassed signs of all sorts and gave me a focus when there seemed to be nothing to photograph, as signs are everywhere! I don't claim that doing a project results in fantastic images, but I do believe that there are many benefits in taking this approach from time to time in our photography. Benefits of a Photography Project The main benefit of doing a photography project, for me, has been that it gives direction and purpose to my photography. I often wonder what to photograph when I go out with my camera, but if I have an ongoing project I can look for subjects that might fit with that project and it gives me something on which to focus my attention. A project will place limitations on my work, which is beneficial as I often end up with too many random images that don't 'fit' anywhere. In addition, saving to a project folder, then possibly printing my finished project, presenting it in book form or in an online gallery on my website, will give an often much-needed 'home' to my photographs. A project provides interest and variation to our photography and gives an opportunity to encapsulate all the aspects of photography that interest us as photographers. For example, a project could include some macro images, it could incorporate black and white photography, it might draw on some of our most popular photography subjects and themes. In fact, the sky's the limit! A project can give a sense of achievement and conclusion to a body of work. It can be frustrating to keep taking photographs with no sense of purpose and no plan for what to do with them. A project gives more meaning to the process as there is a definite plan for the outcome. Here are some images from projects I have undertaken and a preview of my current project, as yet unnamed. I hope they give you some inspiration to start your own photography project. PROJECT: Boats PROJECT: Cats in the City PROJECT: Old and Decaying PROJECT: Off the Beaten Track PROJECT: The Colour Yellow PROJECT: Woodland Walk PROJECT: Signs My next project is about finding and highlighting beauty in mundane, ordinary places: In my next post I will outline 5 simple steps to achieving a successful photography project.

Regardless of whether I am doing rural, urban, coastal or woodland photography, or whether I am close to home or travelling to a new location, I tend to enjoy going off the beaten path for photography. In cities and towns, I will wander down alleyways or go to less visited, perhaps more ‘run down’ places to look for potential images. In rural landscapes I will park my car and walk away from more frequently visited areas to discover what I might find down country lanes and byways. Similarly in woodlands, I love to discover hidden paths with their less photographed subjects waiting patiently to be found. A quiet coastal path leading away from main populated beaches or a hidden cove that is not visited by many people are usually my ‘go to’ places for finding coastal photography images. I often ask myself why I like to go off the beaten path and I have come up with the following reasons. 1.   Off the beaten path is where I can make more unique images What do I mean by unique in terms of photography? I don’t mean that I will take truly original images that could only be taken in that place at that time. Truthfully, with phone cameras we can all do that at any time. What I mean by unique is that these images will be special to me. They will have a deep resonance for me; I will have a connection to them because I deliberately chose to go somewhere different to find them. An example of this was on a recent visit to Lake Garda. The iconic images might be of a tranquil lake at sunset but what I remember most are images I took while wandering through the backstreets of little lakeside towns, on the lookout for something that would catch my eye. For me, these are the truly unique photographs in my collection because they were my choices of location and subject. 2.   Less photographed locations offer more challenge When I stand at a well-photographed location and take the iconic shot, I often feel nothing for the resulting image. When I go off the beaten track it’s harder to find a pleasing image, but that’s where the challenge lies, and I love a challenge in photography. When I am forced to work harder, look more deeply, make more decisions about how to turn a seemingly ordinary subject into a worthwhile image, I experience what, for me, is the real joy of photography. 3.   Taking the ‘less photographed’ route provides an abundance of new photographic opportunities When I have taken the less photographed route, regardless of the type of photography location, I have never failed to find an image that I wasn’t expecting to find. Whether it’s a tiny, uncommon flower that I discover with a macro lens, an interesting old or abandoned building that no one even notices any more, or an image telling a story of our human footprint on the environment, I will find them when I go off the beaten track. FINAL THOUGHTS Going off the beaten track is not for everyone. Many photographers love the busy streets of cities and towns, and they don’t have a desire to venture any further. Others are drawn to the amazing scenery in iconic locations or to getting their own unique perspectives of well photographed subjects and locations. These are all perfectly valid types of photography, and I love them also. But sometimes I love to venture sideways, away from the centre of activity to the quieter, less frequented, often more mundane spots just to see what I’ll find there. And I’m always pleasantly surprised in terms of photography. N.B. You don’t have to go far off the beaten track to discover new opportunities in photography, but it is important to make sure that the area you choose to go to is safe and that someone knows where you are. No image is worth compromising your safety. Be safe and enjoy some photography off the beaten track.

I watch a lot of YouTube photography videos and I find most of them to be entertaining and informative and they have taught me a lot about photography. However, I am beginning to realise that, at times, I can allow YouTube videos to restrict my photography. Let me explain. Most of the popular photographers who have a successful YouTube channel tend to concentrate on one genre of photography. They might be exclusively landscape photographers or street photographers and, with a few notable exceptions, they tend not to deviate from their chosen genre. Obviously, this is part of being a professional photographer and in many ways this is an advantage for the viewer as we, too, often tend to stick with one genre of photography and this approach can give us the best chance of meeting our photography learning needs and possibly reaching mastery in that genre. Yet, for me, this approach can have its downsides too. I found myself alternating between street and landscape photography because of the videos I was watching on a regular basis and I felt that my photography was becoming restricted; that  to some extent I was boxing myself in to these genres and not being more experimental with my photography. It is for this reason that I began to watch videos from photographers who take a more eclectic approach to photography. These photographers don't confine themselves to one genre; they are experimental, creative and original. Their work resonates with me and encourages me to find the freedom to photograph what feels right to me. I realise that I love to photograph random things that don’t fit into a neat category: I love to catch a pocket of light and take a 'light and shadow' picture. I love to photograph an interesting shape that might mean nothing to anyone else, or something that might be unusual or out of place. I love to photograph old things or random objects and scenes that I come across. Often I don’t even know if the subjects will interest anyone else - I just like them. It’s hard to find support for this type of photography and while I understand that, I also believe that it is important to follow our instincts in photography and not to restrict ourselves too much. While most of us may have one or two dominant genres that we constantly go back to, I believe in diversifying occasionally, moving out of my comfort zone and just shooting what I enjoy for the sheer enjoyment of doing so. This also frees me to experiment with lots of different styles and subjects and can only be an advantage to my development as a photographer. Next time you go out with your camera, take something different. Look around, see what draws your eye and capture that image. Don’t worry if it’s not your regular type of image; be open to change and variation in your photography. Or deliberately leave your camera behind, just take your phone with you and shoot what you see. This can be very freeing as it relieves us of the burden of having to capture a certain type of image. You might be surprised at the results – I was!