The value of photography

And what it means to me.

Aug 19, 2024

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.

As a landscape photographer I work with the seasons and on the Suffolk Coast, in late summer it is heather season. For a few short weeks the lowland heaths along this stretch of coastline are transformed into a carpet of mauve as the bell and ling heather comes into bloom.

Two years ago the extremely dry summer took its toll on the heath and large areas of this fragile habitat succumbed to the drought. However, with this years wet spring the heaths fortunes have been revived and areas that previously looked dead and grey are now blooming brightly once again.

I have been out to the heath several times this week and every time has been a different experience. I have visited with different people; on workshops, 1-2-1 sessions and with a friends for my own photography and each outing has been rewarding in its own way. No matter how many times I visit a location or a particular landscape there is always some value to be gained from time out with the camera.

I have been thinking a lot about the value of photography recently. It is a subject that has been on my mind for many reasons and I think it goes far beyond money. Images seem to have little commercial value these days when everyone has a camera and photos are easy to come by. I have lost count of the number of times I have been asked to supply pictures to businesses for free. The idea that publishing my name next to my photograph is a good exchange for a hard won composition is not something I find very amusing. However that is not really what I meant by the ‘value’ in photography.

Last weekend I visited Westleton Heath, it was mid afternoon and the light was harsh so I returned a few days later with a friend to photograph the landscape at sunrise. Arriving just before 5am the heath was still dark, but it wasn’t sleeping. Nightjars were churring from the distant trees. If you have never experienced the call of a nightjar in the wild I recommend you listen to this recording to give you some idea of what you are missing. https://www.british-birdsongs.uk/nightjar/

In the dark the call is a little eerie but quite magical.

Although the sun hadn’t yet risen it was warm and muggy as we followed the sandy path into the heather. There wasn’t a breath of wind and unfortunately for me (I was wearing shorts) the bitting insects were out in force.

Westleton is a lovely habitat where heather grows alongside delicate grasses and silver birch trees in a patchwork of mauve, ochre and green. There is plenty of colour, patterns and textures to form interesting compositions.

The weather forecast had promised lots of high level cloud so we were hopeful of some nice colours but unfortunately these never materialised and the sky stayed dark and grey for the whole visit.

Arriving home and looking at my images I wasn’t very impressed with what I had created but I still felt that the trip had been worthwhile, despite the multitude of insect bites I has endured!

The following day I returned to another section of the heath, this time closer to home and with a workshop group. We were aiming for a sunrise and on this occasion the conditions were perfect. A blanket of low lying mist hung suspended over the heather, the air was perfectly still and the vegetation was covered in dew, giving some lovely subtle colours and a magical sparkle to the landscape. I was so excited for the possibilities but because I was teaching I didn’t take a single image, instead I focused my attention on making sure everyone else achieved what they wanted from the session.

Again, despite not making a photo, I got a huge amount from the session. Sharing one of my favourite locations with a group of like minded people and seeing how excited they were as the conditions unfolded was enough - I didn’t need to take an image to make the morning any more worthwhile.

Sometimes I think we place so much emphasis on getting a good shot, on making sure we come back with something that justifies our time spent in the field, that I think we forget what the true value of photography is. For me it has little to do with money or the pursuit of excellence and much more to do with the experience, personal connection and well being.

Looking back over the last 15 years it is no exaggeration to say that photography has changed my life. Besides giving me a career and a purpose it has also made me more confident and self assured. It has given me a reason to get out into nature and has brought me into contact with so many wonderful people who share my passion. It has also given me some amazing experiences as well as providing me with a voice through this blog. I can say categorically that my life would be experientially poorer if it wasn’t for the opportunities that have opened up to me through using my camera.

On Saturday I returned to the heath for another sunrise, this time for my own photography. The mist had settled once more over the heather and the landscape looked beautiful. The nightjars were churring as I searched for a composition and this time I felt as if they were welcoming me onto their heath. The sunrise colours didn’t quite materialise but it didn’t matter because the opportunity to spend a couple of hours in nature was enough.

For me this is the true value of photography - the experience, the time out in the landscape and the connections I have made with all the lovely people that share my passion.

Whilst I would be lying if I said that the end result didn’t matter, for me it is the joy that photography brings to my life that is important. I am always looking for a good image, but I also take time to appreciate the experiences and savour the memories because these are the valuable parts of days out with the camera.

So when things don’t go as planned and good images aren’t forthcoming I find it is important to remember the value in all these other things.

Photography has brought me so much and I am profoundly grateful.

What is your story. What does photography mean to you and what value do you place on it in your life. I would love to hear your thoughts so please leave a comment below.

For the Love of Landscapes

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