Explore Your Surroundings

Hello friends, today I will be taking you out of the kitchen and hope to inspire you to take photos of other subjects using different styles. I’m sharing with you a trip I took to Lavender by the Bay.  The English lavender was in full bloom and the French was close to being fully bloomed. As you can imagine, the smell and sight was amazing, relaxing and pleasing to the eye.  In one afternoon and one location, I was able to take landscape, portrait and close-up photos. Lets get into it…

The landscape:  Capturing a good landscape photo wasn’t hard in such a beautiful place. There were many angles and directions to shoot from.  I composed my frame around a lavender colored lounge chair in the middle of the field. My goal was to make it look like a post card. I wanted my viewer to see this photo  and envision themselves enjoying a cold drink or reading a book in this idyllic place.
The portrait:  I was drawn to a few men in the field gathering batches of lavender.  My attention was instantly directed to this man, wearing his sombrero while busy working.  Regardless of how hot it was, he truly seemed to enjoy his work, which is what I aimed to convey in the image I took of him.  Taking a portrait doesn’t have to be overly complicated.  To me, candid is always better.  Since its best to let them be in their own element and environment, look for moments where your subject seems to be relaxed.  Those images are usually the best, because they come together more naturally.

The close up:  This photo wasn’t easy. If you have a fear of bees like I do, listening to bees buzzing isn’t  enjoyable.  As I stayed still to observe these busy bees, the sound became faint, which then allowed me to really choose how I wanted to photograph them. I had a lot of photos of the bee pollenating on the lavender, but the one of it mid flight, selecting where to land next, was my favorite.  

I hope you take advantage of the last few weeks of summer and use the autumn season ahead to expand your methods of photography.  I am a big advocate of branching out of just one category. Try it all and push the envelope since you might find yourself  good at different styles of photography.  Next time you go out, take your camera, give yourself time, discover what speaks to you and find the story you want to share. I’m pretty sure you will discover talents you never knew you had.  Remember to train your gaze and if you’d like to share what you shot, please email me. I would love to take a look.  Happy shooting!!