Source of Inspiration
November 22, 2017
When you stop and think about it, it is truly amazing how we can find an unlimited source of inspiration in the world around us very easy for new subjects of photography, be it landscapes of a country scene or a cityscape. It is just a matter of getting the camera out and exploring to find new opportunities to photograph.
I like to explore an area when traveling, to get an understanding of the local sites and make a list of potential places to come back and take a properly composed image in the ideal conditions. Often I will scout with my iPhone camera so I can review locations and plan later on. It is helpful viewing these on my iPad afterwards as well with the larger screen and then selecting my favourite locations to go back and visit with all of my gear to shoot at the perfect time of day.
Recently, I was in London, only for a short visit, however, the architecture there is so interesting I really enjoyed explored the city each day. It is incredible thinking about how old most of the buildings there are and are still being used, not to mention the hundreds of years of history that have occurred inside their walls. I love visiting other countries, everything is new and you can find some real gems. The landscapes everywhere are beautiful and potentially a great photograph, assuming the conditions all line up for what you are wanting to achieve.
An example is while walking through Hyde Park in London, I was able to find this small worker’s cottage – see it here.
It almost felt out of place amongst the trees, however, clearly had been there for a while and was still being used. I couldn’t resist taking a photo of it, I was glad I had my main camera with me! The beautiful autumn colours added real interest to the scene. This source of inspiration wasn’t even planned, it was just as we were enjoying a walk through the park.
While I have mainly visited the typical tourist locations over the past 12 months, I always try to find a different angle or perspective to what is commonly photographed at each site. Keep an open mind to how you will take that photograph – especially for those places where every second image on Instagram is of the same angle! Perhaps all you need to do is take a few steps either side of the main lookout for another interesting angle. Enjoy shooting landscapes!
St Paul’s Cathedral, London