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.
I have been thinking about curiosity this week and how it relates to our photography. Is it an important trait for a photographer to have? Why do some photographers see all the possibilities in a location and others are more content to settle for the easily identifiable iconic shot?
I am a fundamentally curious person - I read a lot, I look stuff up, I research things I want to know more about and I question everything. My mind is on the go all the time (not necessarily a good thing) and is filled with random thoughts and questions about things I want to better understand. It has always been this way, but is my constant curiosity useful to me as a photographer?
When I was growing up I was encouraged to spend time outdoors and learn the names of the wildlife, plants and trees I encountered. I spent time in nature (or indoors with books) sketching the wildlife that appealed to me and I would make sure I learned a little more about each subject as I drew.
When I was given my first camera it became a conduit for my curiosity. I travelled to new places, encountered new landscapes and cultures and viewed everything through a lens. I was inquisitive, but the camera encouraged me to look harder and be more curious.
I came across this quote the other day which really resonated with me.
Creativity flows when curiosity is stoked
― Neil Blumenthal
I believe curiosity leads to more interesting photography. Out in the field it is the spark that fuels discovery. It is the urge to explore around the next corner and ask what if.. It is curiosity that helps us see things that other less curious people may overlook.
Curiosity makes us react to the landscape in different ways. It encourages us to explore, it prompts us to learn more about the things we have found and ultimately if fosters care for the environment because we understand it a bit better.
This week I went back to an area of ancient oak woodland that I have been photographing regularly for the last 3 years. I first discovered this wood through the pages of a book ‘The Gossip from the Forest’ by Sarah Maitland. Having read the chapter on the wood my curiosity was pricked and I set out to explore it for myself.
My first visit was captivating and I came home with a memory card full of images and even more questions about this magical location. Curiosity spurred me on to do some more research and I came across another book ‘The cottage in the Forest’ by Hugh Farmer which was written at the turn of the last century and gave me a greater insight into the history and origins of the wood. From here more research lead me to discover some scientific papers which described the flora and fauna and answered some of the questions I had about the make up of the wood. I now had a greater knowledge of the area and had developed some interesting ideas about how I could portray the location in a body of work.
For me, curiosity triggered from reading a book, has lead to a three year long adventure in an ancient oak wood. I have photographed this location in all seasons and all weathers and it is somewhere that has become really important to me. But without my initial curiosity I probably wouldn’t have discovered the wood at all and my life experiences would have been much poorer.
My visit to the wood this week was triggered by curiosity to see how the autumn colours had developed. Would I find new compositions, encounter trees I hadn’t photographed before or find smaller scenes that captured my imagination? The short answer was yes if I was curious.
I find curiosity usually leads to something interesting. It may not be the next portfolio shot but having an enquiring mind and looking beyond the obvious will generally offer up more opportunities and allow me to experiment and in the long run I feel this helps me grow as a photographer.
Advantages of being curious:
Curiosity makes us search for new things in familiar places - it encourages us to explore more and look at things from different angles or in more detail.
Curiosity helps us see more - it enables us to notice things that other people would probably overlook.
Curiosity makes us experiment with composition - it encourages questions such as ‘what would happen if I took a shot from this angle or this viewpoint’.
Curiosity makes us experiment with camera settings. We may be tempted to experiment with depth of field, shutter speed or creative techniques such as ICM or multiple exposure.
Curiosity makes us better informed about the landscapes or wildlife we are photographing.
In short I believe curiosity makes us more interesting photographers.
Ways to develop your curiosity
Keep an open mind.
Questions are the key to learning - spend time with other photographers and artists and question them about their work - find out how they see the world and what you can learn from them. Book a workshop and learn everything you can from that experience. Looking at how other photographers approach photography can be inspiring and I always find I learn something from chatting to others about their work.
Look at your own work and ask yourself what you did well and what worked and what didn’t. Regularly reviewing your work is a great way to grow as a photographer.
Explore with a ‘what happens if…’ attitude and constantly ask ‘why’.
Be a sponge and absorb as much useful information as possible. Watch Youtube, listen to podcasts and read books and blogs. Don’t just absorb information about technique, spend some time learning about the environment you want to photograph as it may lead to project ideas or a better understanding of a particular subject.
Try something new every day. It doesn’t have to be anything big, something as simple as visiting a new location or taking pictures at a set focal length will allow your creativity to flow.
My recommendations for the curious this week:
Podcasts
Neale Jame’s Photowalk podcast is always interesting but this episode features a discussion with photographer Ian Howorth on curiosity.
F-Stop Collaborate and Listen - I really enjoy Matt Payne’s podcast and this week I listened to the conversation with Alex Nail about his new book, The Great Wilderness - which I can also highly recommend.
Online magazines - my recommendations here are both subscription magazines. I read both and they are both excellent and will give you a good insight into other photographers and their work.
On Landscape
Elements Photography Magazine
Books
I am currently reading Local by Alistair Humphreys
Alistair is well known for his adventures cycling around the world but this book is not about far flung places, instead it details Alastairs year exploring 52 grid squares on his local OS map. This is not a photography book but it has lots of good stuff to say about getting to know your local area.
Do Interesting by Russell Davies - a great quick read on how to notice more, collect more and share more. This is not specifically about photography but it has lots that can apply especially in the noticing section.
Apps
Seek by iNaturalist - identify the plants and animals all around you with this photo app.
Merlin Bird ID - one of the best apps I have recently downloaded. It will help you identify all the bird calls and songs you hear while out walking and has transformed by appreciation of the countryside.
If you have enjoyed this blog and would like to share what has inspired you this week please leave me a comment below. I will leave you with this quote from David Attenborough
‘An understanding of the natural world and what’s in it is a source of not only great curiosity but of great fulfilment.’
Thank you very much for reading and until next week, enjoy your photography.
Thank you for your words and images, Gill. I particularly like the ‘Archway’, how the ancient, gnarled limb draws you in to the luminous world of green within.
What a lovely post Gill. I hope I never lose that curiosity. Similar to your woodlands I have one place ( Winterton) that I constantly photograph and I am always finding new subjects and it is really good for me both mentally and for developing as a photographer.