I recently listened to a podcast on Fstop with photographer John Barclay, describing his thoughts on taking pictures. Looking back at my photographs I have realised the ones I am most fond of are the times when I did little planning and just head out into the landscape. John eloquently and perfectly put this way of photography into words, something that has resonated with me and helped me understand my thoughts and feelings on this process.
“Taken by the light”, as put beautifully by John, is a way of letting the landscape turn your head, no expectations, just wandering and absorbing the environment. I’ve been guilty of chasing the light. While there is absolutely nothing wrong with that approach, more often I’m left disappointed when the conditions don’t quite live up to the promise. Letting the landscape wash over you, listening to the sounds, taking a little time, and accepting what is, the experience becomes as much a part of the enjoyment as taking the photograph.
I believe in the concept of letting the landscape find you. The image opposite was made using this technique. The memory of the day still lives strong in my mind; it’s a powerful technique and has become a useful tool I use for helping me capture images when I’m out in nature. I think if we combine the experience of just being outdoors, alongside photography, this would lead to a more personal and more fulfilling experience?
Listening to the podcast has also made me reflect on the “why” of taking pictures; thoughts that have been festering in my mind for some time. In a world where it feels like you have to shout the loudest to be noticed, the next image being more epic than the previous, it becomes difficult to compete and keep up and ‘we’ wonder where we fit in to the order of things. Is the antidote taking a quieter and more personal approach to enhance the practice of photography; seeking out the small details and the less photographed paths, exploring more and being “taken by the light”? When we remove the external pressures and expectation then do we remove the stress? I believe so.
After all, in the end, isn’t taking photographs for our own fulfilment and enjoyment?
As mentioned in the post
Podcast
https://www.mattpaynephotography.com/page/f-stop-collaborate-and-listen/
John Barclay.
https://johnbarclayphotography.com
The images below where taken on the same beach on the same day. Both created by the power of the ocean.
Captured on a wander, taken by the light.
