Ive been taking ‘photos’ for over three years. A Camera has accompanied most of my walks, and especially during the lockdown walks.
I see nice things, then think, ill take a photo of it. Or..
Ill go birdwatching and take photos of birds, or actually any nature, foxes, squirrels, rats, mice, anything natural to be honest.
This year, as you may know, as ive mentioned it a few times, ive started ‘learning’ photography.
Actually learning it.
What do all those letters mean on my camera?
What makes a good composition?
What about light?
And what makes a good photograph? If there is such a thing….
But I notice something.
I realised today, when I was across at Redcar Blast furnace and beach, a place id not been to this year yet, but have been a number of times. A place with a combination of natural and man made beauty
It a place where there’s sea birds, benches, beach, and fishermen, but none today.
But as I looked at the photos I took, I realised something. The habits of old are the default. So ive got hundreds of images of birds on the rocks. Though I did also try to get some of maybe more photos where I thought about foreground, the story of the photo, or something of interest. Like the house above, or this one of the boats, banked up on the beach.
I walk around an area and sometimes ‘old habits’ are hard to shake.
But I also realise that im in a place where its conducive to the old habits. There’s stacks of nature and water.
Sometimes testing out new habits needs a new place.
When I found myself noticing that I was going back into ‘old photography habits’, I would stop and have a moment, a rethink, breathe, and know that nothing was wasted, and I would notice myself. On some occasions where I could I would take my focus somewhere else.
I was so busy looking outwards, for the scene, for the bird, through camera or binoculars, that I would forget the more important thing.
Myself.
If I can find a suitable spot, a bench or path, ill set up the camera so it can take a shot of me. If nothing else it means that I am part of my own story of my day. I am important.
Its as if the slow process of setting up camera, viewfinder, focus, timer etc and then getting into position is a mindset shift.
And the results are varied. But it doesn’t matter to me.
This interruption changes my focus, as even in doing this I am practicing new skills, a different focus. Im putting myself in the frame.
Unlearning the old takes time. Unlearning the old, in the same environment of the old is incredibly hard, if not impossible.
Changing mindset, starts from inside.
For me, a change in mindset is to focus on my self. It may not be this for you. It could be to focus on others, or focus on the spiritual or the environmental.
But it’s a change in mindset all the same. Change the focus of my attention, from external to internal.
Something I noticed today.
I suppose, thinking about it, when I shared this the other day, I was given the opportunity to then live and practice it a bit.
James Ballantyne 