Hello, I’m Gill and I write a photography blog inspired by the landscapes of Suffolk and beyond. Please subscribe to read more of my writing and visit my website to view my images.
Change is the catalyst for growth, embrace it and watch yourself bloom.
As I sit at my computer to write this post it is raining, the sky heavy with grey clouds obscuring the sun. August is slipping away taking summer with it. The sunrises are getting later, the mornings colder and the dew on the grass seems heavier.
Change is a word that features heavily in todays world. Stories about climate change, political, environmental and social change fill the news on a daily basis. As the world shifts and alters on a global scale it also changes more locally. The months march onward and as the weather cools we begin to notice seasonal change. Swallows gather on overhead wires before their long journeys south, verdant leaves change to yellow and orange and blackberries appear in the hedgerows. This is a time when the urge to take photos comes alive driven by a changing landscape and the promise of atmospheric misty mornings.
As well as the changing seasons I have also been thinking about the changes in my own photography. I spent some time this week going through my back catalogue of images and I have been struck by the changes in the landscape that I have captured since coming to Suffolk. Familiar landscapes, seemingly timeless, have altered. Coastlines have shifted, buildings have changed, wrecks have decayed and the landscape has evolved.
The world turns and change walks its unending path.
Looking back at my early images I can also see just how much I have changed as a photographer. My technique has evolved, my choice of viewpoints has altered, the complexity of my compositions has grown and my post processing has evolved. I have become a more considered photographer. The subjects that I photograph have also changed and I am no longer drawn to the iconic views. I much prefer the challenge of creating an image from ordinary locations - finding awe in everyday subjects.
As I analysed my early shots I was also struck by how little I varied my viewpoint when I first started making images. Many of my shots were taken at head height, something I rarely do these days. I am now a lover of low viewpoints and prominent foregrounds.
If you ever feel that you are stuck in a creative rut or are not progressing as a photographer I would urge you to look back at the images you started making when you first took up photography. Analyse the differences and you will quickly realise how far you have come and how much your style has changed as you have evolved as a photographer. It really is a valuable exercise.
So how can we use change in our photography?
Change is not just about the passing of time, it is about transition. Photographs are built around change or more precisely around transitions. Where light and shade merge, where texture gives way to smooth surfaces, where motion interacts with static subjects and where nature and man made objects meet. These are the transition zones and they are the areas where the magic in photography happens.
As an example take this image of Shingle Street. It is built around the light and shade created by the early morning sun and the shadows of the shingle banks. These are the attributes that create the interest in this shot.
Similarly this shot taken at Camas Daraich on the Isle of Skye centres around the changes in colour on the beach and the contrast between the white sand and the almost black seaweed.
In this final example taken at Cley Windmill in Norfolk, the area of change is the movement in the foreground reeds. This transition in motion from foreground to background creates an area of difference which I think adds impact. The implied motion also adds to the story telling ability of the image. We can tell it was a windy day which we might not have perceived if the shot had been taken at a faster shutter speed.
When I am out with my camera I like to build my images around areas of change. I will look for:
Light and shadow
Rough and smooth textures
Colour and neutral tones
Movement and static subjects
Areas of focus and blur ( use your aperture and focal length to make parts of your image stand out)
Changes in visual flow and the direction of elements within the frame.
If you have been inspired by the idea of change in your photography then you might like to have a look at the following photographers and bodies of work I have been reading about this week which all focus on areas of change.
Two Worlds: Above and Below the Sea by David Doubilet
In this project pioneering underwater photographer David Doubilet unites life above and below the water’s surface, creating images that capture both worlds simultaneously.
Day to Night by Stephen Wilkes
American photographer Stephen Wilkes has used digital photography to create images that represent a single day rather than a single moment in time. Using 1000 or more images captured from a single location over the course of a whole day Stephen has produced an amazing body of work that shows whole days represented as single images.
Photography has the ability to inspire change - in the people who view our work as well as in ourselves. As we explore the world and take photos we inevitably open ourselves up to more possibilities and more knowledge. If we embrace all this we will find our photography improves and we will grow as individuals as well as photographers. I will leave you with a quote from Irving Penn an American photographer known for his portrait photography.
“A good photograph is one that communicates a fact, touches the heart and leaves the viewer a changed person for having seen it. It is, in a word, effective.”
Until next week, enjoy your photography.
Gill
A very considered and insightful post. Self awareness is one of the most difficult things to achieve in our photography. This is something you clearly have achieved and in my view is essential to move forwards with our imagery. Asking for external feedback is a useful tool especially at the start of the photographic journey; it can also be effective where we are suffering from block or know there is something not quite right with an image but can't analyse it ourselves to understand why. However the ultimate is self critique and to be aware of why images that may be technically correct, possibly well "composed" etc do not offer creative fulfilment, then work on finding an alternative viewpoint.
I'm only a hobbyist but I imagine as a professional there must be many challenges between finding images that are "commercial" but not necessarily appealing to the image maker
A great short essay
Wonderfully written and very inspiring indeed Gill. Reading this just before the Southwold walk makes it so exciting, l look forward to seeing you.