subscribe 0330 333 1113 I http://www.amateurphotographer.co.uk I 16 May 2020 17
Macro
Outdoor photography can take in the little
details too. Familiarity teaches you what details
to look out for and exploring the macro world
can refresh your repeated walking routes. The
flowers to expect where and when, what macro
details to explore, like cobwebs in the ferns.
Previsualisation
Crucially, all your local knowledge can be
applied for previsualisation. I will consider the
current weather, light direction and potential
subjects and then think through the spots to go
to at any given time, together with the
composition and focal length needed. Applying
local knowledge will propel your photography.photo walks around here, for the best part
I am alone. I’m not sure I have ever seen
another person wielding a tripod. And
that was before virus lockdown.
In total, there are 114 photographs on
Instagram with the hash tag of my home
village (half of which are probably mine).
There is no castle here. No big lake. The
closest seafront is at least an hour by
car. As beautiful and rural as this place is,
outdoor photographers do not flock here.
These are not eye-candy views. Therefore
I’m much more likely to create an original
photograph, which is far more satisfying.
Depending on where you live, you might
not think that your local area offers much
for photos (I felt that way), but you might
just be surprised.A new experience
Staying local rather than hitting photo
beauty spots (which we can’t do right now
anyway) will transform your mind. When
you are just popping out with the camera,the pressure is off. There is no rush and no
expectation. The same could not be said if
I had travelled two hours down the M3 to
Corfe Castle.
That photo of Corfe Castle that I could
get during a misty sunny morning would
be a killer. I know it. I’ve done it once
before and I enjoyed it in a way. Yet, the
problem with beauty spots is that it’s all
been done before (and captured much
better than I could ever hope to).
And so, rather than heaping on the
pressure to capture a perfect-picture-
postcard view, I have been appreciating
my local area. No pressure to achieve.
Whatever pace I like, being outside. Even
if I don’t take a photo, that’s okay.
With a new mentality, photography has
become more holistic for me. At a base
level, I find more joy in simply
appreciating what is around me.Local connections
Setting out on foot reduces your carbon
footprint and saves on travel costs. Being
active outdoors improves your fitness and
increases your emotional and mental
wellbeing. There is more to regular local
photo walks, too.
On a photographic level, I find beauty in
familiarity. Putting what it feels like to
truly be here into an image. The
expressions are real. More so, after
repeated walks and increased familiarity
with the area, I have a greater desire
to look after it. From little things like