This is something we all need to hear from time to time. I recently heard someone say that there are 2 types of photographers, the ones that surround themselves with gear and technical knowledge and the ones who look for images. I have felt guilty about not truly understanding all the fundamentals but enjoy the freedom of holding my phone up at the right moment and capturing something that will never be seeing again as I saw it at that time. I’ll be saving this lesson so I can listen to it again when I begin to question my abilities as a photographer. Mahalo
Actually you can get quite a long way on a smartphone. Especially since they deliver fake bokeh. The limitation is being practically stuck on wide angle and not having a viewfinder. Using a torch you can do tabletop stuff - sort of product photography - quite well. Semi-macro is OK too - say like a flower bloom. There the tiny sensor is even an advantage because it delivers a larger DOF. I think there are also a few "hybrid" photographers around. They do their scouting with their smartphone before they get the big stuff out.
@@ThePhotographicEye Someone did a side by side comparison of two shots of each scene, one taken with a cell phone and the other taken with a SLR camera. Most people couldn't tell the difference let alone readily tell the difference. I will say this, I did see a shot someone took with a Nikon at ISO-6400 that had far less noise than my camera does at the same ISO. It might be worth $1,700 to buy that camera. I've nothing against dialing the ISO on my camera down to 100 and using a tripod, but one can walk around more easily and get shots that aren't always possible when one has to set up the tripod first.
Hi Alex, thank you for this. We live in a small village in the hills of rural Bulgaria. Most of my images (other than events I cover) are captured when I am walking the dogs in the morning or evening (always carry my Canon Powershot), so photographing the “mundane” is normal. I started posting these images once a week on my Facebook page just to show friends and family where we had moved to - this was 9 and a half years ago. I have posted every week since then a selections of the images I take, and as a result I have connected with people all over the world who have connections either with the village or with people in the surrounding area. So like you say what might be something you see everyday is either new to someone else or a possible memory to others. Some locals after seeing some of the images have commented that they did not realise how beautiful where they lived was.
I just want to express my appreciation for your videos. I used to take scads of photos, long before the internet. I still like them. There is joy in photographing, even if no one else ever sees the images. We need to keep remembering that!
I find that individual photos of "boring" places may indeed be uninteresting. However, a collection of photos (just a few or many dozens) can really capture the atmosphere of a place in an interesting way. Even if it is a boring place, it still has a personalty.
This reminds me of a book I once got as a present. It's picturs of items washed up on beaches. It's just random items like children's beach toys or drift wood, but it somehow stays interesting.
I was drifting as a photographer. I was not enjoying taking pictures and I hated the results. After watching many of your videos, I started borrowing books of famous photographers from the local library. It changed my outlook to photography. Some of these photographers, like Fred Herzog, did not become commercially successful until later in life. But they kept taking pictures and pushing that rock up the hill. It changed my outlook and I am enjoying shooting and editing again. Thank you.
I feel one of the best exercises photographers can do is go someplace we've visited many times over, and try to create something different than what we've done before. It really trains you to look for for all the compositional elements like light, composition, texture, color, etc...
I'm with you Robert. I live just outside Norwich in the UK. Every Saturday morning I cycle into the city to photograph 'the slightly unusual', a subject or scene with one (or more) of the elements you mention standing out just a tiny bit. It's an absorbing challenge. There's always something to photograph. Enjoy your photography Robert.
I love your style of just talking to us casually, feels like we're in a conversation, but at the point just listening to you. Not many creators and educators out there have this unique style. Love from Bangladesh!
I keep a gallery of images that are just viewable of or from within my personal home/property space. I add to this regularly. So many interesting variables; macro, wide view, weather, daily light patterns, varying viewing angles, varying compositions, silhouettes, camera motion creativity, etc. ....... there's fascination everywhere!
True, we have a tiny front garden with a bench which links in with next doors tiny front garden, ive taken loads of photographs whilst sitting on that bench with a camera and a beer or two, the challenge i have is you can only change lenses and not move from the bench
I'm glad that this was "once in a blue moon" Alex. I really enjoyed seeing this collection of yours. You are way too modest. Loved recognizing my long ago D.C. environs too. And hey, it saved me a ton, canceling plans for the Seychelles, Iceland, and that silly tree in the lake wherever.
“Just take pictures for the hell of it man!” I know when I first started taking photos several years ago, I didn’t think of technicalities etc, I just took out my camera and shot what I loved seeing. You hit it on the nail - it’s easy to forget why we began this journey. Because we loved it, enjoyed it and didn’t care whether anyone liked it or not! As always another great video 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽
I'm so glad to hear you say this, Alex, and that you show how possible it is to take interesting images in what might be seen as boring places. You have given me the motivation to get out there and look for the extraordinary in the ordinary. Thank you.
As much as I like travelling and visiting far away places I think you are absolutely right. Just take your camera for a walk around your neighbourhood, with you when commuting, for a hike around the place you live. First of all it’s a real joy walking with your camera and constantly looking for compositions and interesting scenes. And you end up having the some really special photos many people know but haven’t seen yet. Finally it’s a great way to hone your skills or just enjoy the evening walk even more.
I’ll freely admit I’ve unsubscribed from a couple of channels recently. The channels I’ve unsubscribed from are all about the grand vistas. Personally I find that boring and uninspiring. I love your style that are simple but look superb. Keep up the great work Alex.
This video sums up what I love about your channel, Alex - it lets us rediscover the simple joy of capturing random things that catch our eye, and probably no one else's. For me, the appeal of photography is the act itself. Whatever the outcome is, is just a bonus.
This week I took a picture of four skinny lads marching in line down the sidewalk with spindly dinner chairs inverted and on their heads.... didn't have my camera with me, but that image is in my mind forever. Somehow you keep me from sweating and agonizing over my hobby, thanks!
Great video with thought provoking concepts! I started my photographic journey back in the 1960s with a Kodak Brownie camera and now have all sorts of gear. Not a professional but I do shoot regularly. I found that as I can't travel much anymore, I must look for novelty in my imagery and branch out into alternate ways of capturing images and the subject matter. This means I now have returned to film but still use digital quite a lot. I found that digital got too easy and that I just did not value my digital images very much. However, the film images, particularly in black and white are a whole new experience and I find the ordinary scenes can really peak my interest. I am a participant in my imagery again and I view each image as a work of art with serious thought in them. Also, I have to shoot different subjects as film photography has less latitude in what can make a pleasing image.
Thoroughly enjoyed this. When asked what kind of photography I do, I always say i'm a generalist. I take pictures of things that appeal to me and occasionally share them.
Thanks for that Alex. Adjectives like "boring" "mundane" or "dull" says more about a persons state of mind than places they apparently meant to represent. I have had family connections with Eastbourne for many years but even when I actually moved here about 10 years ago I never really saw it as a place to photograph beyond the usual tourist picture postcard type of thing. That is until I saw the work of the late Vivian Maier that got me into what you can call street, social documentary etc again just labels. Now I see Eastbourne and nearby towns very differantly and this perspective has kept me going for the last eight years or so. To corrupt a very old saying "every journey begins on your doorstep" and sometimes you don't have to walk much further than that. So I could show many aspects of local life but admittedly I have not got around to the local car parks yet :)
Absolutely loved this video because it perfectly describes me. I go out without any kind of plan and just take what I find interesting. People say I have a sixth sense for seeing things they just walk straight past and that makes me feel good in the knowledge I'm doing something right even if it's just a road sign or a garden gate. I guess we all have to make the best of what is accessible to us and enjoy the fact that we can.
I love parking garages. The light can be beautiful, and there's neat lines. I have some photos like yours of the lights and skylights and things like that.
Alex, you provide me with what my photography needs the most - seeing the picture and being introduced to other photographers’ work. Recently I saw a beautiful picture taken in a spot I’ve been to quite often but never “saw” that image. Your work helps me think about what I’m seeing! You made me laugh the other day with your new logo. That was the first reference to f-stop I’ve seen in your videos.
Indeed ... You perfectly put into words what probably many of us experience. In my case,I love taking photos during travels. The recent pandemic shut off that possibility and forced me to my home village plus everything 10-20km around it. It has been an amazing experience after all.
Always enjoy your chats. 'Joy in the process' has been my mantra for the last month. I just enjoy trying to see things with a fresh eye. And good results have followed.
Another brilliant yet common sense video. I can strongly relate to what you’re saying. I think we all do this but don’t realise it, we take a photo, mostly never sharing it with anyone but we keep it, because it means something to us. I find the photo increases in eye value the longer time passes. I look back at my photos taken 10 years ago and they mean more to me now than they did when I took them, and pretty much I’ve never shown anyone the majority of them. Thanks I look forward to the next video 👍
This video gives solid advice. I'm an old photographer who's been doing the circuit of bucket list stops. I was certain that since I'd be on the road, I'd capture the most amazing images of my life. Wrong. Even though I've been photosnapping for 42 years, I still take plenty of bad shots, regardless of location. I'm not one of those spray and pray guys who takes a zillion imges a day. I might shoot 200-300 over a 3 day stopover. I recentely got hom from a visit to the Big Apple and eagerly imported my images to lightroom. One by I one I started trashing them, disappointed at the results, and wound up having maybe 4 keepers worthy of mild editing. A smiliar situation occured when I visited Alaska, Montanna, Wyoming, Arizona, Miami, the Colorado Rockies, and other places. To make a long story short, most of my favorite images were taken close to home or even at home.
One of the things that tends to interfere withmy photography was the thought that you have to take a great image! So you look around for that one great image and you miss all the ones before you. Since I have taken more to B&W photography more and your videos and photo books, that has changed. My eyes are no longer blind to delicious images around me. I shoot to please myself.
I find that the trick of good photos at boring locations (the real trick, as Iceland, Svalbard etc. are naturally beautiful, so easy ), is to know the location well enough, as to take a single simple photo which epitomizes that particular place… almost every place has these elements, the trick is to visit that location enough times, to be able to easily remember in in your minds eye, and the go there and replicate that in a photo.
Travelling past something where one knows there is an image but it doesn't reveal itself, and then suddenly the conditions (light, clouds, people, etc) are right and something ordinary becomes something special. And as those conditions will never reveal itself again, it is important to always have a camera on hand.
Thank you for another inspiring video Alex. I live on Fort Worth, Texas. This area would resemble your "No Littering"shot at 6:04 were it not populated by millions of people. Our foliage, cloudless skies, and generally low lying limestone outcrops make it tough enough to find great shots, but every summer the weather turns impossible. Two days ago the high at DFW airport was 110F/43.3C. My perfect day with a camera is lying on my corpulent venter while pointing my camera at a mushroom, flower, or mat of moss. Under these weather conditions, having a perfect day is non-existent. So inside I stay, catching the occasional odd shot of an unusual shadow cast by corners of ceilings or slatted light of window blinds. Thanks again for the inspiration. Stay cool.
This is such good advice. This morning (Sunday and before I watched this) we took a walk down the canal adjacent to the supermarket, before shopping (again). I've taken photos there many times but I still did it anyway. I watched this video before uploading the pictures and you are absolutely right: Most are indeed mundane but I still managed a few that I really like, even if nobody else does and that's the thing. This channel is consistently in my top three and It's great that you are now getting the numbers.
You'll have to look me up next time you are in the DC area, I'm located in an area near Potomac Mills, in Woodbridge. I do this all the time, I call it Compositional Foreplay. It's what you do when there is nothing to do. It stimulates your creative muse.
I love this! It’s what I do; take photos as I walk to work or walk around town or of features of pubs I visit…. And I’m going through a really bad patch at the moment thinking “what’s the point?” Thinking “stop filling your phone with pointless pictures.Thinking of selling all my camera gear. This has helped me a lot, I may carry on doing what I’ve been doing! Thank you.
Indeed. I saw someone take a picture of a pub on some sidestreet in London, and he was surprised it was still there. He pointed out that he could do without the graffiti that wasn't there in the 1980s but was now. For my part, people in my hometown talk about how the first Burger King showed up in the mid-1980s (the first chain business of any kind in town, it is a bit off the beaten path) in town, that building has since been torn down. One thing that strikes me is that people from the UK sometimes underestimate, and I think Mr. Kilbee really hit on something here, how much we in the western USA like to see stuff from Europe. I was able to move into my own house, and I said it was an old one built in 1944. Even the people from the eastern USA say that's not old, but it is when one lives in a small western town that didn't even exist until the 1880s, and the buildings that were around in the 1980s were mostly self constructed shacks. When I became an adult and traveled to the east coast it was mindboggling to me to see cities like Charleston, SC and some of the out of the way places with centuries of history. There's a photographer from York, England that took a photo of a row of shops in York that includes a book store and just beyond the book store is a gap in the buildings. Right behind the book store and able to be seen through the gap is the medieval city wall. I once saw a documentary about a restored medieval wool market town somewhere in England. I'd love to be able to see that in person one day.
@@ThePhotographicEye No offense, but Edinburgh has a population of 500k people in the city and about 1 million including the suburbs (at least if Wikipedia is correct) so I'd bet that there is a lot of nooks and crannies that one could find even living there for some years.
Hi Alex, I have along journey of photography behind me, from young teenage days. Because of your videos lately I have rediscovered that fun, the whats around the corner. I used to photograph random things and stopped. I am back there. A bit selfish maybe buts it's for me.
Stunning video, my friend. This is the way how I these days take photographs. And it is really a lot of fun to do. I enjoy photographing again a lot more by photographing in this way. Antoine.
This is so interesting and inspiring, I just want to. Get my work of photography out in the public eye, not after I pass from this life like a book or something.
There is a lot of crap spoken about photography. You must do this, you must use this, you must isolate this, you must get everything in focus. It’s all bunkum. You shouldn’t be worried what anyone might think. If it makes YOU happy, that’s all that matters. I’ve been going this way for the last few months and it’s great. Just trying to ‘see’ differently. Nicely done Alex :)
I don't take many pictures anymore. Actually, few of the ones I do take are ever seen by anyone. I am, maybe, the most boring photographer ever to pick up a camera. Just every so often, I go out for a little while. I'll try to internalize this and stop talking myself out of taking pictures... and get out more often. I look for your videos and always stop in for the chat. You do good work.
I like to go on sprees of photographing prosaically mundane subjects. It's fun, and you can end up with some seriously stunning images. Most people never look up, down, or look at things from an unusual perspective and miss 99% of great images that would otherwise never be seen.
Thank you for sharing this, it really resonates with me at this point in my photography journey. I enjoy photography. I enjoy walking. I’m curious about what I see. This is what brings me joy. Worrying about what my style is, or should be, takes the joy out of the process.
Thanks for sharing this video Alex. We needed this inspiration in our photographic journey. I chuckled when you mentioned Silver Spring, Maryland. I have people there! All the best!
A wonderful video and such a simple but profound message. Incidentally, I love your photographs, and I am delighted to see you including some of them in your presentations these days. Keep up the good work, and I promise to keep taking photographs just because I enjoy it!
I go by the sage advice of three great photographers. “IEverything is photographical” Joel Meyerowitz and “There is a good shot to be found every 8 footsteps” Trente Parke,
I spent last week staying in a tower block in Whitechapel, London and took quite a nice photo of the "pavement" and front doors, but it was on the 5th floor rather than ground level. A fairly ordiinary setting made cool by being so far off the ground and a place where I'd never been before.
Alex: Take pictures ... Me: Yes, yes, yes. Alex: ... and do not worry about adjustments ... Me: Not quite so sure. Alex: ... or composition ... Me: Not sure at all. Alex: ... on a smartphone. Me: Only as a last resort. It is of course true that nowadays the "automatic" often gets things right. Although the sky quite often ruins the picture. When it gets round to composition I believe a little thought really should be spent. As far as smartphones go, the main problem is the lack of a viewfinder. In a bright environment the user cannot see anything, so that is the end of on-site composition. Of course Alex is absolutely right stressing that most of the fun is taking the picture. But I do feel that the quality of the result is important as far as hobby contentment goes.
Kind of a side note. You made brief mention of boring Idaho. In Oregon, we have a town whose name is actually Boring. Have only passed through, never stopped to take a look.
I cańt draw, i have to use a camera (and a computer) to create a picture😉 The idea of how the picture should look starts in my head, I take it as good as possibel, go home and start the editing process. Sometimes it works out, sometimes it doesńt. But anyway, the time spent was fun and very relaxing. Recently I got myself an old Makro lens and a complete new world opened up just in my backyard😊 Somehow my brain never really worked in wideangle mode, so I am mostly into taking details. And for details, you dońt need to travel.
I might share maybe one out of a thousand pictures I take. I love to find that old or odd stuff that is always around us. But first and foremost my photos are for ME. Stuff I think is interesting. If someone else happens to like them, fine, but that is not why I take photos.
Antidote to the piffle often heard by other RUclips "creators" bodies of meaningful works" jaunting of to Iceland for a few days yada yada. I love your content and channel Alex, best wishes fella
I like to think by now I qualify as a regular viewer, but I didn’t know about the parking lots. :-) As a longtime DC area resident, I see exactly what you mean about the subway. I’ve taken photos in the DC metro. But I do see the London Tube as much more photographable. It’s pretty neat to see some places I recognize in your video though. I even recognize some places I’ve photographed. :-) Your take on them has been quite different from mine.
Hi Alex, What another great topic, no matter where you are there is the ability to take photos well said Alex. Perfect example was during Covid Lockdowns i took a lot of photos in my area and i was surprised at the photo opportunities that were right under my nose. I also take photos with my phone you never know what you are going to see. I've photographed old cars parked that you don't see every day, sometimes when i'm walking there have been protest marches, Rainbows, the sky is the limit. Thanks for this video. 😃
It may be boring to YOU, but interesting to others. I'm sick to my back teeth of looking at the town where I live. But others may find (some of) my photos quite interesting. Perhaps it's a case of taking pictures for 'others' to see as opposed to what I find interesting in my (perceived) boring environment.
There is hope still, since I live in Idaho. Honestly though, one does have to have an open eye to find the interesting inside the mundane. That is if you are not the landscape or owl type photographer.
Regarding the image at 11:24 , I think it would be a good idea to crop it so that only the bottom 14 steps are included. The way the steps run off the vertical edge of the frame makes me feel a little uncomfortable. Also, I think i would look better in black n white. 😊
Brilliant Alex. You free up my anxiety about photography. I am free to shoot what I like. Might even try the parking lot ! 😊. After a week of trying to find something in my area and failing, you have opened a door for me. BTW I love your images. 😊😊😊
There is no place on this planet, that is boring. You are just not looking at what is around you. Look at what's at your feet, for a start. I've gotten amazing photos just looking at what's around my feet.
As someone who lives in an unattractive, non-photogenic place (Louisiana, USA) this is by far the biggest obstacle to my landscape (not man-scape) photography.
That's what my friend says about Yuma, she just can't find anything to get excited about. And she's only lived there a few years. I've been through Louisiana, don't remember much about the landscape, but I'm sure there's new ways to explore it. If not, find something else, like the people. They're certainly not boring, I'm sure.
@@L.Spencer Louisiana is flat and dull. No hills, no valleys, no canyons, cliffs, views, etc. Just flat and humid commercial farmland, pine forest or swamp. That's all. As embarrassing as it is to admit, I've been here for all of my 64 years and it's just dull. I have no interest in photographing people, family nor otherwise.
Mundane is probably more accurately overly familiar, maybe the adage 'familiarity breeds contempt' is apt here to a degree. I find myself having to constantly 'slow down' and look around for something interesting to photograph locally as I tend not to notice the photo opportunity staring me in the face. It's not the subject, it's looking for interesting things to photograph when out and being too restrictive about what you photo, if it looks interesting take a photo. Particularly today, the worst that could happen is you trash it as being garbage.
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"Take pictures for the hell of it!" Amen, Amen. Love you, Alex. Good Video.
This is something we all need to hear from time to time. I recently heard someone say that there are 2 types of photographers, the ones that surround themselves with gear and technical knowledge and the ones who look for images. I have felt guilty about not truly understanding all the fundamentals but enjoy the freedom of holding my phone up at the right moment and capturing something that will never be seeing again as I saw it at that time. I’ll be saving this lesson so I can listen to it again when I begin to question my abilities as a photographer. Mahalo
That’s awesome
Actually you can get quite a long way on a smartphone. Especially since they deliver fake bokeh. The limitation is being practically stuck on wide angle and not having a viewfinder. Using a torch you can do tabletop stuff - sort of product photography - quite well. Semi-macro is OK too - say like a flower bloom. There the tiny sensor is even an advantage because it delivers a larger DOF.
I think there are also a few "hybrid" photographers around. They do their scouting with their smartphone before they get the big stuff out.
@@ThePhotographicEye Someone did a side by side comparison of two shots of each scene, one taken with a cell phone and the other taken with a SLR camera. Most people couldn't tell the difference let alone readily tell the difference.
I will say this, I did see a shot someone took with a Nikon at ISO-6400 that had far less noise than my camera does at the same ISO. It might be worth $1,700 to buy that camera. I've nothing against dialing the ISO on my camera down to 100 and using a tripod, but one can walk around more easily and get shots that aren't always possible when one has to set up the tripod first.
I take my photographs now like
abstract painting, like free jazz.
Your video says it all.
Thanks. Alex.
Thank you
Thank you for validating the crazy things I like to photograph. And they are crazy. That means I'm not crazy.
The best camera is the one you have with you!
Hi Alex, thank you for this. We live in a small village in the hills of rural Bulgaria. Most of my images (other than events I cover) are captured when I am walking the dogs in the morning or evening (always carry my Canon Powershot), so photographing the “mundane” is normal. I started posting these images once a week on my Facebook page just to show friends and family where we had moved to - this was 9 and a half years ago. I have posted every week since then a selections of the images I take, and as a result I have connected with people all over the world who have connections either with the village or with people in the surrounding area. So like you say what might be something you see everyday is either new to someone else or a possible memory to others. Some locals after seeing some of the images have commented that they did not realise how beautiful where they lived was.
Just awesome.
I just want to express my appreciation for your videos. I used to take scads of photos, long before the internet. I still like them. There is joy in photographing, even if no one else ever sees the images. We need to keep remembering that!
Thanks for sharing!
I find that individual photos of "boring" places may indeed be uninteresting. However, a collection of photos (just a few or many dozens) can really capture the atmosphere of a place in an interesting way. Even if it is a boring place, it still has a personalty.
“Take pictures for the hell of it”…..thanks for the reminder why I photograph.
Your welcome
Just the right reminder to simplify and not to overplan and overthink my photography - just to have fun. Thanks a lot.
This reminds me of a book I once got as a present. It's picturs of items washed up on beaches. It's just random items like children's beach toys or drift wood, but it somehow stays interesting.
I was drifting as a photographer. I was not enjoying taking pictures and I hated the results. After watching many of your videos, I started borrowing books of famous photographers from the local library. It changed my outlook to photography. Some of these photographers, like Fred Herzog, did not become commercially successful until later in life. But they kept taking pictures and pushing that rock up the hill. It changed my outlook and I am enjoying shooting and editing again. Thank you.
That’s awesome, thanks for watching
I feel one of the best exercises photographers can do is go someplace we've visited many times over, and try to create something different than what we've done before. It really trains you to look for for all the compositional elements like light, composition, texture, color, etc...
I'm with you Robert. I live just outside Norwich in the UK. Every Saturday morning I cycle into the city to photograph 'the slightly unusual', a subject or scene with one (or more) of the elements you mention standing out just a tiny bit. It's an absorbing challenge. There's always something to photograph. Enjoy your photography Robert.
I love your style of just talking to us casually, feels like we're in a conversation, but at the point just listening to you. Not many creators and educators out there have this unique style. Love from Bangladesh!
Thank you for watching
An excellent reminder for those of us who can’t spend all our time traveling.
I keep a gallery of images that are just viewable of or from within my personal home/property space. I add to this regularly. So many interesting variables; macro, wide view, weather, daily light patterns, varying viewing angles, varying compositions, silhouettes, camera motion creativity, etc. ....... there's fascination everywhere!
Absolutely. You gotta be a toddler and think everything is fascinating
@@ladymary22 … very true taking a toddlers approach can enrich life, a nice distraction from adult stresses. ☺️
True, we have a tiny front garden with a bench which links in with next doors tiny front garden, ive taken loads of photographs whilst sitting on that bench with a camera and a beer or two, the challenge i have is you can only change lenses and not move from the bench
Yes ! I have a “ home/near home “ folder and occasionally add to it … it’s amazing what we’re surrounded by
When there is little inspiration during walks, I often photograph pavement tiles. Over the years it has already become a nice collection.
I'm glad that this was "once in a blue moon" Alex. I really enjoyed seeing this collection of yours. You are way too modest. Loved recognizing my long ago D.C. environs too.
And hey, it saved me a ton, canceling plans for the Seychelles, Iceland, and that silly tree in the lake wherever.
“Just take pictures for the hell of it man!” I know when I first started taking photos several years ago, I didn’t think of technicalities etc, I just took out my camera and shot what I loved seeing. You hit it on the nail - it’s easy to forget why we began this journey. Because we loved it, enjoyed it and didn’t care whether anyone liked it or not! As always another great video 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽
Thank you
I'm so glad to hear you say this, Alex, and that you show how possible it is to take interesting images in what might be seen as boring places. You have given me the motivation to get out there and look for the extraordinary in the ordinary. Thank you.
My pleasure!
I feel having a purpose in your images- a series - or a narrative is just as important.
As much as I like travelling and visiting far away places I think you are absolutely right. Just take your camera for a walk around your neighbourhood, with you when commuting, for a hike around the place you live. First of all it’s a real joy walking with your camera and constantly looking for compositions and interesting scenes. And you end up having the some really special photos many people know but haven’t seen yet. Finally it’s a great way to hone your skills or just enjoy the evening walk even more.
I’ll freely admit I’ve unsubscribed from a couple of channels recently. The channels I’ve unsubscribed from are all about the grand vistas. Personally I find that boring and uninspiring. I love your style that are simple but look superb. Keep up the great work Alex.
The ability to see anything with something, is far more important than seeing nothing with everything. 💯
"No matter where you are, there is a great photographic image within sight --- if you have eyes to see." -Brilliant Bill
This video sums up what I love about your channel, Alex - it lets us rediscover the simple joy of capturing random things that catch our eye, and probably no one else's. For me, the appeal of photography is the act itself. Whatever the outcome is, is just a bonus.
Thank you
This week I took a picture of four skinny lads marching in line down the sidewalk with spindly dinner chairs inverted and on their heads.... didn't have my camera with me, but that image is in my mind forever. Somehow you keep me from sweating and agonizing over my hobby, thanks!
Great video with thought provoking concepts!
I started my photographic journey back in the 1960s with a Kodak Brownie camera and now have all sorts of gear. Not a professional but I do shoot regularly. I found that as I can't travel much anymore, I must look for novelty in my imagery and branch out into alternate ways of capturing images and the subject matter. This means I now have returned to film but still use digital quite a lot. I found that digital got too easy and that I just did not value my digital images very much. However, the film images, particularly in black and white are a whole new experience and I find the ordinary scenes can really peak my interest. I am a participant in my imagery again and I view each image as a work of art with serious thought in them. Also, I have to shoot different subjects as film photography has less latitude in what can make a pleasing image.
Take pictures for the helluva it. I like that, we don’t need to always create images, but sometimes we will create instead of just take.
Thoroughly enjoyed this. When asked what kind of photography I do, I always say i'm a generalist. I take pictures of things that appeal to me and occasionally share them.
Thanks for that Alex. Adjectives like "boring" "mundane" or "dull" says more about a persons state of mind than places they apparently meant to represent. I have had family connections with Eastbourne for many years but even when I actually moved here about 10 years ago I never really saw it as a place to photograph beyond the usual tourist picture postcard type of thing. That is until I saw the work of the late Vivian Maier that got me into what you can call street, social documentary etc again just labels. Now I see Eastbourne and nearby towns very differantly and this perspective has kept me going for the last eight years or so. To corrupt a very old saying "every journey begins on your doorstep" and sometimes you don't have to walk much further than that. So I could show many aspects of local life but admittedly I have not got around to the local car parks yet :)
Absolutely loved this video because it perfectly describes me. I go out without any kind of plan and just take what I find interesting. People say I have a sixth sense for seeing things they just walk straight past and that makes me feel good in the knowledge I'm doing something right even if it's just a road sign or a garden gate. I guess we all have to make the best of what is accessible to us and enjoy the fact that we can.
That’s awesome
I love parking garages. The light can be beautiful, and there's neat lines. I have some photos like yours of the lights and skylights and things like that.
"There is beauty in everything but not everybody sees it" - Confucius
My addendum - It is the privilege of the photographer to show it.
Alex, you provide me with what my photography needs the most - seeing the picture and being introduced to other photographers’ work. Recently I saw a beautiful picture taken in a spot I’ve been to quite often but never “saw” that image. Your work helps me think about what I’m seeing! You made me laugh the other day with your new logo. That was the first reference to f-stop I’ve seen in your videos.
Thank you, glad the channel helps you.
Indeed ... You perfectly put into words what probably many of us experience. In my case,I love taking photos during travels. The recent pandemic shut off that possibility and forced me to my home village plus everything 10-20km around it. It has been an amazing experience after all.
Always enjoy your chats. 'Joy in the process' has been my mantra for the last month. I just enjoy trying to see things with a fresh eye. And good results have followed.
Another brilliant yet common sense video. I can strongly relate to what you’re saying. I think we all do this but don’t realise it, we take a photo, mostly never sharing it with anyone but we keep it, because it means something to us. I find the photo increases in eye value the longer time passes. I look back at my photos taken 10 years ago and they mean more to me now than they did when I took them, and pretty much I’ve never shown anyone the majority of them. Thanks I look forward to the next video 👍
Thank you for watching
This video gives solid advice. I'm an old photographer who's been doing the circuit of bucket list stops. I was certain that since I'd be on the road, I'd capture the most amazing images of my life. Wrong. Even though I've been photosnapping for 42 years, I still take plenty of bad shots, regardless of location. I'm not one of those spray and pray guys who takes a zillion imges a day. I might shoot 200-300 over a 3 day stopover. I recentely got hom from a visit to the Big Apple and eagerly imported my images to lightroom. One by I one I started trashing them, disappointed at the results, and wound up having maybe 4 keepers worthy of mild editing. A smiliar situation occured when I visited Alaska, Montanna, Wyoming, Arizona, Miami, the Colorado Rockies, and other places. To make a long story short, most of my favorite images were taken close to home or even at home.
One of the things that tends to interfere withmy photography was the thought that you have to take a great image! So you look around for that one great image and you miss all the ones before you. Since I have taken more to B&W photography more and your videos and photo books, that has changed. My eyes are no longer blind to delicious images around me. I shoot to please myself.
I find that the trick of good photos at boring locations (the real trick, as Iceland, Svalbard etc. are naturally beautiful, so easy ), is to know the location well enough, as to take a single simple photo which epitomizes that particular place… almost every place has these elements, the trick is to visit that location enough times, to be able to easily remember in in your minds eye, and the go there and replicate that in a photo.
Travelling past something where one knows there is an image but it doesn't reveal itself, and then suddenly the conditions (light, clouds, people, etc) are right and something ordinary becomes something special. And as those conditions will never reveal itself again, it is important to always have a camera on hand.
Thank you for another inspiring video Alex. I live on Fort Worth, Texas. This area would resemble your "No Littering"shot at 6:04 were it not populated by millions of people. Our foliage, cloudless skies, and generally low lying limestone outcrops make it tough enough to find great shots, but every summer the weather turns impossible. Two days ago the high at DFW airport was 110F/43.3C. My perfect day with a camera is lying on my corpulent venter while pointing my camera at a mushroom, flower, or mat of moss. Under these weather conditions, having a perfect day is non-existent. So inside I stay, catching the occasional odd shot of an unusual shadow cast by corners of ceilings or slatted light of window blinds. Thanks again for the inspiration. Stay cool.
This is such good advice. This morning (Sunday and before I watched this) we took a walk down the canal adjacent to the supermarket, before shopping (again). I've taken photos there many times but I still did it anyway. I watched this video before uploading the pictures and you are absolutely right: Most are indeed mundane but I still managed a few that I really like, even if nobody else does and that's the thing. This channel is consistently in my top three and It's great that you are now getting the numbers.
You'll have to look me up next time you are in the DC area, I'm located in an area near Potomac Mills, in Woodbridge. I do this all the time, I call it Compositional Foreplay. It's what you do when there is nothing to do. It stimulates your creative muse.
I love this! It’s what I do; take photos as I walk to work or walk around town or of features of pubs I visit…. And I’m going through a really bad patch at the moment thinking “what’s the point?” Thinking “stop filling your phone with pointless pictures.Thinking of selling all my camera gear. This has helped me a lot, I may carry on doing what I’ve been doing! Thank you.
Thanks for watching
Indeed. I saw someone take a picture of a pub on some sidestreet in London, and he was surprised it was still there. He pointed out that he could do without the graffiti that wasn't there in the 1980s but was now. For my part, people in my hometown talk about how the first Burger King showed up in the mid-1980s (the first chain business of any kind in town, it is a bit off the beaten path) in town, that building has since been torn down.
One thing that strikes me is that people from the UK sometimes underestimate, and I think Mr. Kilbee really hit on something here, how much we in the western USA like to see stuff from Europe. I was able to move into my own house, and I said it was an old one built in 1944. Even the people from the eastern USA say that's not old, but it is when one lives in a small western town that didn't even exist until the 1880s, and the buildings that were around in the 1980s were mostly self constructed shacks. When I became an adult and traveled to the east coast it was mindboggling to me to see cities like Charleston, SC and some of the out of the way places with centuries of history. There's a photographer from York, England that took a photo of a row of shops in York that includes a book store and just beyond the book store is a gap in the buildings. Right behind the book store and able to be seen through the gap is the medieval city wall. I once saw a documentary about a restored medieval wool market town somewhere in England. I'd love to be able to see that in person one day.
@@ThePhotographicEye No offense, but Edinburgh has a population of 500k people in the city and about 1 million including the suburbs (at least if Wikipedia is correct) so I'd bet that there is a lot of nooks and crannies that one could find even living there for some years.
Hi Alex, I have along journey of photography behind me, from young teenage days. Because of your videos lately I have rediscovered that fun, the whats around the corner. I used to photograph random things and stopped. I am back there. A bit selfish maybe buts it's for me.
Stunning video, my friend.
This is the way how I these days take photographs.
And it is really a lot of fun to do.
I enjoy photographing again a lot more by photographing in this way.
Antoine.
This is so interesting and inspiring, I just want to. Get my work of photography out in the public eye, not after I pass from this life like a book or something.
You never cease to make me feel good about what I pictures of Alex!
That’s cool
There is a lot of crap spoken about photography. You must do this, you must use this, you must isolate this, you must get everything in focus. It’s all bunkum. You shouldn’t be worried what anyone might think. If it makes YOU happy, that’s all that matters. I’ve been going this way for the last few months and it’s great. Just trying to ‘see’ differently. Nicely done Alex :)
That’s awesome. Thank you
Kind of like seeing the extraordinary in the ordinary. Love it! And I know I should do more of it.
I don't take many pictures anymore. Actually, few of the ones I do take are ever seen by anyone. I am, maybe, the most boring photographer ever to pick up a camera. Just every so often, I go out for a little while. I'll try to internalize this and stop talking myself out of taking pictures... and get out more often. I look for your videos and always stop in for the chat. You do good work.
Thank you
I like to go on sprees of photographing prosaically mundane subjects. It's fun, and you can end up with some seriously stunning images. Most people never look up, down, or look at things from an unusual perspective and miss 99% of great images that would otherwise never be seen.
Great one mate!!! BTW, what's brewing in the cup?
informative video, depends on how you photo wide angle lens depends on the subject street photography, portraiture, still life, informative content
Thanks for sharing
Thank you for sharing this, it really resonates with me at this point in my photography journey. I enjoy photography. I enjoy walking. I’m curious about what I see. This is what brings me joy. Worrying about what my style is, or should be, takes the joy out of the process.
Thanks for sharing this video Alex. We needed this inspiration in our photographic journey.
I chuckled when you mentioned Silver Spring, Maryland. I have people there! All the best!
Thanks for sharing ☺️
A wonderful video and such a simple but profound message. Incidentally, I love your photographs, and I am delighted to see you including some of them in your presentations these days. Keep up the good work, and I promise to keep taking photographs just because I enjoy it!
Thank you.
I go by the sage advice of three great photographers. “IEverything is photographical” Joel Meyerowitz and “There is a good shot to be found every 8 footsteps” Trente Parke,
I spent last week staying in a tower block in Whitechapel, London and took quite a nice photo of the "pavement" and front doors, but it was on the 5th floor rather than ground level.
A fairly ordiinary setting made cool by being so far off the ground and a place where I'd never been before.
That’s awesome
Alex: Take pictures ... Me: Yes, yes, yes.
Alex: ... and do not worry about adjustments ... Me: Not quite so sure.
Alex: ... or composition ... Me: Not sure at all.
Alex: ... on a smartphone. Me: Only as a last resort.
It is of course true that nowadays the "automatic" often gets things right. Although the sky quite often ruins the picture. When it gets round to composition I believe a little thought really should be spent.
As far as smartphones go, the main problem is the lack of a viewfinder. In a bright environment the user cannot see anything, so that is the end of on-site composition.
Of course Alex is absolutely right stressing that most of the fun is taking the picture. But I do feel that the quality of the result is important as far as hobby contentment goes.
remember that snack food commercial series, Bits and Bites, "Every handful is a brand new ball game".
Kind of a side note. You made brief mention of boring Idaho. In Oregon, we have a town whose name is actually Boring. Have only passed through, never stopped to take a look.
I cańt draw, i have to use a camera (and a computer) to create a picture😉 The idea of how the picture should look starts in my head, I take it as good as possibel, go home and start the editing process. Sometimes it works out, sometimes it doesńt. But anyway, the time spent was fun and very relaxing. Recently I got myself an old Makro lens and a complete new world opened up just in my backyard😊 Somehow my brain never really worked in wideangle mode, so I am mostly into taking details. And for details, you dońt need to travel.
I might share maybe one out of a thousand pictures I take. I love to find that old or odd stuff that is always around us. But first and foremost my photos are for ME. Stuff I think is interesting. If someone else happens to like them, fine, but that is not why I take photos.
Antidote to the piffle often heard by other RUclips "creators" bodies of meaningful works" jaunting of to Iceland for a few days yada yada. I love your content and channel Alex, best wishes fella
I like to think by now I qualify as a regular viewer, but I didn’t know about the parking lots. :-) As a longtime DC area resident, I see exactly what you mean about the subway. I’ve taken photos in the DC metro. But I do see the London Tube as much more photographable. It’s pretty neat to see some places I recognize in your video though. I even recognize some places I’ve photographed. :-) Your take on them has been quite different from mine.
Thanks for sharing
I really like your photo of the pot plant and venetian blind.
Thank you
Hi Alex, What another great topic, no matter where you are there is the ability to take photos well said Alex. Perfect example was during Covid Lockdowns i took a lot of photos in my area and i was surprised at the photo opportunities that were right under my nose. I also take photos with my phone you never know what you are going to see. I've photographed old cars parked that you don't see every day, sometimes when i'm walking there have been protest marches, Rainbows, the sky is the limit. Thanks for this video. 😃
Thanks for watching
@@ThePhotographicEye Your very welcome Alex 🙂
Liberating and inspirational. Thank you.😊
It may be boring to YOU, but interesting to others. I'm sick to my back teeth of looking at the town where I live. But others may find (some of) my photos quite interesting. Perhaps it's a case of taking pictures for 'others' to see as opposed to what I find interesting in my (perceived) boring environment.
There is hope still, since I live in Idaho. Honestly though, one does have to have an open eye to find the interesting inside the mundane. That is if you are not the landscape or owl type photographer.
Regarding the image at 11:24 , I think it would be a good idea to crop it so that only the bottom 14 steps are included.
The way the steps run off the vertical edge of the frame makes me feel a little uncomfortable.
Also, I think i would look better in black n white.
😊
Changing my photography, thank you
Brilliant Alex. You free up my anxiety about photography. I am free to shoot what I like. Might even try the parking lot ! 😊. After a week of trying to find something in my area and failing, you have opened a door for me. BTW I love your images. 😊😊😊
That’s awesome. Thank you
Thanks for the reminder and great advise
Your welcome
Boy did I need this. Thank you!
Thanks for watching
There is no place on this planet, that is boring. You are just not looking at what is around you. Look at what's at your feet, for a start. I've gotten amazing photos just looking at what's around my feet.
Thank You, Alex
Another fantastic video thank you!
Thanks for watching
Hi Alex, nice tips, what is your everyday camera?
Great advice, which resonates with my own experience.
Fantastic!
I'm more than happy with using my phone for photography, in fact I don't even own a traditional camera any more
Think about it hundreds people take pictures of Big Ben, but not many take a phograph of my Grandma's Cocockock 😂
Another chat sitting n your couch.... Great stuff
Thank you
Hi Alex, I listen and hear you. Best regards from South Africa.
Hi SA great to have you here.
Great message. Thanks for sharing
Thanks for watching
every video is so valuable. Thank you for your great work
Thanks for watching
Nice insight, and also very good advice for me as a photographer 👍 👍👍
Thank you
Thank you. All the best. 👍📷😎
Thanks, you too!
Phone is awesome tool.
As someone who lives in an unattractive, non-photogenic place (Louisiana, USA) this is by far the biggest obstacle to my landscape (not man-scape) photography.
That's what my friend says about Yuma, she just can't find anything to get excited about. And she's only lived there a few years. I've been through Louisiana, don't remember much about the landscape, but I'm sure there's new ways to explore it. If not, find something else, like the people. They're certainly not boring, I'm sure.
@@L.Spencer Louisiana is flat and dull. No hills, no valleys, no canyons, cliffs, views, etc. Just flat and humid commercial farmland, pine forest or swamp. That's all. As embarrassing as it is to admit, I've been here for all of my 64 years and it's just dull. I have no interest in photographing people, family nor otherwise.
An excellent and insightful talk, as usual.
Thank you
Mundane is probably more accurately overly familiar, maybe the adage 'familiarity breeds contempt' is apt here to a degree. I find myself having to constantly 'slow down' and look around for something interesting to photograph locally as I tend not to notice the photo opportunity staring me in the face.
It's not the subject, it's looking for interesting things to photograph when out and being too restrictive about what you photo, if it looks interesting take a photo. Particularly today, the worst that could happen is you trash it as being garbage.
I thought from a previous vid o yours you hated Vivian Meier... so an interesting observation
I wonder how many people understood "kak"... 😂
😂☺️
Let's be free again! Just like when we started.
You snuck that one past me posting it in the group now