H
aveyoueverhadasetideainyour
mindregardingwhatyouwantto
photographorwhatconditions
you’dliketoshootin?Ifso,then
you’vepresumablyfeltthesharpstingof
disappointmentwhenthingsinevitablydon’t
quiteworkout.Theflipsidetothisiswhen
youheadoutpreparedtoshootsomething
specificandfindyourattentiondivertedtoa
scenethat’sverydifferent.Inmyexperience,
itismomentslikethisthatcanultimatelyend
upbeingthemostcreativelysatisfying.
Admittedly,I’mperhapsnotthemost
organisedofphotographers,inmuchthe
samewaythatI’mnotparticularlytechnical.
I’manintuitivecreative,preferringtoread
thelandscapeandshootaccordingtohowI
feel.I’llhaveasketchofwhatImightliketo
achievewhenI’moutshooting,butultimately
Irealisethattheconditionsmighthavea
differentidea.
Asalandscapephotographer,theweather
canbeunforgivingwhenitcomestomeddling
withmyplans.Oftenthisinvolvesflatgreyor
evenclearblueskies,bothofwhicharenot
easyconditionswithwhichtowork.When
theweatherdoesn’tcomply,itmeansIhave
tothinkoutsidethebox.Ononeparticularly
clear,brightmorning,Iwasexploringmy
homecityofBirmingham.Thelightwastoo
harshformeaningfulurbanlandscapes,and
aftertakingsomeframesthatwerelikelyto
neverseethelightofday,Ireturnedtomy
carfeelingparticularlyfrustrated.
Onmyroute,Iwanderedpassedan
innocuouswaterfeature,glintinginthe
light,mirroringthesurroundingoffice
buildings,anditcaughtmyattention.Inthe
breeze,gentleripplesdistortedthereflected
architecture,creatingfascinating,fleeting
shapes.Shootingwithacircularpolariser
attachedtomylensmeantIwasableto
enhancethereflectionstorevealtheminall
theirglory.Asthewatershiftedandchanged,
itgavetheappearanceoffabric,suchassilk.
Mystylecanbesomewhatliteral,sothis
momentofabstractcreativityhelpedmeto
gooutsideofmyphotographiccomfortzone.
Ifindthatplansoftenchangeatthelast
minuteforamyriadofreasons,especiallyduringtheseuncertaintimes.Thenatural
reactiontothismightbefrustration,but
someofmyfavouriteimagesfromthe
lastcoupleofyearshavecomewhenI’ve
embracedthelimitationsplaceduponme.©VerityMilliganUNEXPECTED
ENCOUNTERS
VerityMilliganconsidersthecreative
satisfactionofunintendedopportunities
PRO BIO
Verity is a landscape and
commercial photographer
based in Birmingham, UK.
She’s also an ambassador for
Zeiss lenses, and a workshop
leader with Light and Land.
http://www.veritymilliganphotography.comSo, the next time circumstance foils your
best-laid plans, have a look around and see
if fate is intervening to show you something
more intriguing than you could ever have
imagined before you set out.PRO COLUMN