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!

Mindset is important in many areas of life and having the right mindset can often make the difference between success and failure. Psychologists often divide mindset into two distinct types – fixed mindset and growth mindset. People with a fixed mindset  tend to believe that things won’t change, that the future will be similar to the past. This can be a self-limiting belief and means that those with such a mindset are less willing to take chances and try new things since they are more fearful of failure. This is especially true if they have experienced failure in the past. Those with a growth mindset  believe that things can change and that the past does not determine the future, so they tend to take risks, avail of more opportunities and are willing to try out new ideas. It is obvious to see which type of mindset is considered most positive, yet many photographers have some attributes of a fixed mindset, which can be a barrier to the development of their craft. Photographers with a fixed mindset, particularly those who have experienced rejection in the past, are often anxious about what others will think of their work, they are overly concerned about receiving approval from others or ‘likes’ on social media and they are often reluctant to show their work due to fear of further rejection. An even more common consequence of a fixed mindset is that you go out with a plan in your head for the photos you want to take and if this doesn’t materialise you have difficulty re-adjusting and often come home with nothing. I must admit, this has happened to me and I have realised that on these particular occasions I have had a fixed mindset and it has not been advantageous to my photography. For this reason, it is good to understand how having a positive mindset can enhance your photography experience. Having a positive, or growth mindset, means that as a photographer you are open and flexible, willing to seize opportunities and take on new challenges. You are willing to make mistakes and you are not afraid of failure as you know that every failure is a learning opportunity. You can ask for advice and accept constructive criticism as part of the learning process. If you have a growth mindset you are less likely to be a perfectionist and more likely to enjoy the photography process rather than be overly concerned about the results. You will easily get into a flow state and more fully appreciate the moments that you capture with your camera. How Do You Cultivate a Positive Mindset? Since a positive mindset can enhance your photography experience it is worthwhile discovering how to cultivate this mindset. There are many ways to do this and most of them fit under the following headings: Make Connections: Making connections is important in photography. Feeling connected with our landscape, with nature, with people, with our subject helps us immerse ourselves fully into our photography. Making connections allows us to be more appreciative of the subjects that we avail of and the photographic opportunities that are presented to us, thereby encouraging a positive mindset. Be Present in the Moment: Regardless of the type of photography we do it is important that we are fully invested in what we are doing. We must be totally present in the moment, which is often called being in a flow state. Those who have a positive mindset are more able to lay aside other concerns and be present in the here and now. They embrace each moment and bring their full attention to each photograph. As we consciously strive to be more present in each moment we also cultivate and nurture that more positive mindset. Be Curious: Curiosity is a vital characteristic for those of us who want to succeed at photography. We must be continually on the lookout for the unusual, the unexpected, the unique angle or different perspective. We must be curious about our surroundings and always developing our observational skills. We must experiment, discover, ask questions and look for answers. If we develop an enquiring mind, we can support a growth mindset. Embrace What Is: A fixed mindset   is often   regarded as being pessimistic in nature, fearful of change. Yet the reality is that we can often do little to change circumstances and one thing that can help us adjust to the changing nature of life is to embrace what is rather than constantly yearning for life to be different. In our photography practice that might involve accepting our camera gear, our skill level, and our limitations for now, and by accepting what is we can allow change to happen naturally. If we can do this, we will feel more positive, not just about photography but about life in general.   FINAL THOUGHTS While it is preferable in most walks of life to have a positive outlook and to experience life from a mindset that is willing to take on life’s challenges, it is not always easy to change your mindset, particularly one that is well established. I hope that the tips above are small steps you can make towards embracing photography from a growth mindset and that this will help you to enjoy your photography more. Further Reading https://proedu.com/blogs/news/how-can-a-growth-mindset-help-my-photography-business

When I started out in photography I thought I would become a landscape photographer. It seemed to be the most obvious route to take and for the first few years I concentrated on photographing local landscapes as well as travelling further afield whenever possible. However, I was never quite satisfied with my results, and I was frustrated with my lack of success. In my early photography days I didn't know how to arrange elements to make a pleasing landscape image. I tended to 'spray and pray' and ended up with snapshots. I used to be a little obsessed with leading lines! While I accept that I don’t have the type of camera and lenses to do justice to landscape photography, the problem is not just a gear problem. I realised that I would need to constantly travel to new locations to develop my landscape photography skills, and travel was often not possible. I also knew that I would not get the best images if I didn’t photograph at either of the golden hours. In addition, I discovered that wide landscapes, beautiful as they are, are difficult to translate into good photographs. I enjoyed getting pretty pictures but I lacked the composition and editing skills required to do justice to beautiful landscapes. As I accepted and embraced the reality that I would not succeed solely as a landscape photographer, I began to branch out and try other genres of photography to ensure that I remained motivated and kept on enjoying my photography. As I live close to a beautiful old estate and woodland I started to concentrate on woodland landscapes and on more close-up images, as well as general nature photography, which I still love to do. I also continued to enjoy doing traditional landscape photography whenever the opportunity arose, and I dabbled in some coastal photography, but I knew that my primary source of inspiration had to be close to home and easy to access. This, in turn, led me to taking a 'shoot what you see' approach and photographing everyday landscapes, focusing on the things that caught my attention. Everyday landscapes are those landscapes that are around me all the time. They include ordinary subjects with potential to make extraordinary images given the right composition and light. They are full of potential images that can be taken of anything, anytime, anywhere. They provide great opportunities for capturing a range of subjects in convenient locations and they are possible regardless of time of day, season or weather conditions. Light may play a big part in landscape photography but in this case the lack of light, and the water on the road, added to the gloom of a mid-January day. The vibrant blue sky here gives a sense of time and season. The old, dilapidated building is excluded from the light, adding to the sense of abandonment. The everyday photography approach encourages me to just take a photo of anything that catches my eye. Something drew me to this subject at the time, and I still like the image even if it is not technically correct. I can almost feel the heat in these two images! Everyday photography challenges you to take risks, and some of these might pay off. Images like this one, of an ordinary early morning scene, prompt us to ask questions. Who was there? Where have they gone? Is the cat a stray or waiting for someone to return? These images also show human interactions with the environment, for better or worse, and what has been called, 'human presence in human absence'. This type of documentary photography appeals to me. This was taken one early January morning when the reflection in the water was still visible, which added to my attraction to the scene. The man's body language suggests relaxation and enjoying a carefree moment. Everyday photography can be as much about capturing moments as capturing subjects. That's one of the things that makes it so enjoyable. This 'shoot what you see' approach has brought enjoyment back to my photography, it takes away the pressure to capture certain types of image and gives me the freedom to do my photography my way. I can follow my own intuition and see the world in a different way. It helps me to notice the little things in my environment that often go unnoticed. When I began to take this new approach to my photography I found inspiration among some of the photographers whose work I admire and follow on YouTube. James Popsys  is a great exponent of capturing everyday images. He has recently published a book entitles, Human Nature, which he says is , 'a study of people and our surroundings, our structures and the landscapes we build them in.' Rural landscapes with ‘ordinary’ subjects are at the heart of Chris Harvey’s work. He believes in telling stories of ordinary places and ordinary lives through his photography and has recently been pursuing a personal project called 'Borderlands', which photographically documents the rural and agricultural landscape of North Wales where he lives. Rick Bebbington has numerous recent videos explaining why he has changed his photography approach and no longer relies on travel and finding 'honeypot' locations for photography, and how this change of approach has renewed his enjoyment of photography. This video called The Art of Noticing gives a taste of his approach. I recently came across the channel of a Swedish photographer called Jimmy West , who explains this concept in a very clear and concise manner. The video resonated with me immediately as it seems to mirror the path I have taken. Entitled, I Stopped Chasing the Perfect Photo - And it Changed Everything, this video is about the shift from 'chasing the perfect photo to appreciating the beauty in everyday photography.' "Sometimes, capturing the perfect shot isn't about what's in front of you, but how you see it." Jimmy West You can download the video here . If you feel that the everyday photography is for you, you might also be interested in reading my previous post on this topic 6 Benefits of Doing Everyday Landscape Photography