When I tell people that I like photography, the first thing they normally ask is, "What type of photography?", my initial response is that I try to take a good shot. However, developing my skills is difficult if I don't know from the outset what needs improving. It’s a bit like sitting in a car, switching on the sat-nav then not giving it an address to guide you to!
A fair number of professionals in social media recommend picking a subject, or maybe a couple, and concentrating on it. This way, my photography can evolve, and I can study the nuances of the chosen topic (s). Nowadays, it's easy to be inspired by another person's work as long as I don't plagiarize. I won't be the first person to take shots of the architecture in London or any other city. The objective for me is to be innovative, imaginative, and maybe just a little bit inspirational.
So what's next?
With all this in mind, I am going to focus (pun intended) on the following:
Architecture:
I don't have to talk to a building and ask it to smile. Every day, we walk around towns and cities looking at buildings at eye level, which is natural enough, or we'd all walk into each other. There are several Instagram tags and Flickr groups based on looking up. It's nothing more complicated than walking my commute or shopping trip, taking time away from the myriad of Starbucks or Pret signs, and looking up! I'll be surprised to see the rich history my local high street has locked away.
Street photography:
Street was really out of my comfort zone, but I have become a lot more relaxed now. I started off walking the streets with a big camera and an even bigger lens. Pointing what looks like a bazooka at somebody, any natural pose goes out of the window. It also made me a bit lazy as I was able to stand in one place and zoom in on the subject. Consequently, I bought a smaller camera purely for street photography (my excuse, and I'm sticking to it) and now I can blend in with the sightseers and shoot away.
Portrait:
This is going to be a real challenge. Making the subject feel at ease in a 1-2-1 situation while dealing with the technical aspects of the photo shoot will be testing, but the thing about tests is passing them. I've got two willing models with my kids, which is always handy. I can also unbox the studio lighting I bought last summer!
Printing:
We all take good images. We post a couple to social media, but a majority don't get much further than the iCloud or Google Photos environment or computer hard drives. Printing and framing are incredibly rewarding, more than any likes on Instagram or Facebook (though these are still nice!). The last thing I see before leaving the house is my favourite picture of the children eating ice cream I took when they were younger. This guarantees that my commute starts with a smile.
