Developing a style

This was taken at Fountains Abbey, Yorkshire. It's a place that is, as you would imagine, regularly snapped, so how do you go about finding an individual and personalised approach?

Sometimes it's a matter of practice and others may recognise your 'style' before you do, as you gravitate towards your preferences in composition, subject, lighting or colour.

Other times it might need a conscious effort to dispassionately introspect the way you work and your images and choose a direction of growth. Sometimes it is a mirror of your personailty and/or lifestyle.

I always like to try and find new subjects and different approaches but it took others to point out to me that my biggest focus is abstracts and patterns. I was surprised a little but could see they were right. So although I now 'recognise' I enjoy those, I'm trying not to be a lazy photographer, as I've tried more landscape work with the brilliant Six Go Mad group and tried challenging myself more with other things.

I'm still naff at portraits and need a lot of improvement in wildlife shots but at least I'm on the starting block and will keep trying to improve.

The moment I stop being self critical and searching to improve is the day I might as well pack up this hobby I love.

Humble Pie

This picture, of the Corfe Castle countryside at 5.30am, represents a very large slice of humble pie I have to eat.

I always used to say "I can't see the merits of rolling out of bed at some unearthly hour and putting yourself to goodness knows what discomfort for a sunrise when you can get a good picture anytime". I also (wrongly) said "What's the point in just specialising in one subject, like seascapes, when there's so much out there to photograph."

Ah!!

I was privileged to be invited down to Dorset to meet up with five other photographers who I had only communicated with over the internet. It was a little daunting, knowing their level of expertise and creativity but hey, go for it, I thought.

We had about 3 and a half hours sleep a night over three nights, snapping sunrises at 4am and sunsets at 10.30pm and was completely shattered at the end of it, but (and a very big but) I had an appreciation of the 'why' to both my previous misconceptions.

We saw some magical scenes and was present at some unique shooting opportunities. Mostly I feel honoured to have spent time with such dedicated photographers who really show their passion and comittment to their field of interest.

Despite the years I've been snapping I learned a lot and I suppose the moral is, always keep an open mind and expose yourself to new challenges. For example, out of the new friendships and collaboration we produced a book of stunning photos and moments, that can be seen at: http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/710154

Business is looking up

What catches the eye? The unusual? The pretty? The colourful?

I was trying to find an interesting angle on a building I was photographing yesterday when I happened to turn round and notice a stainless steel pillar holding the corner of it up. That's what I aimed at, catching the reflection. I'd much rather have the viewer puzzling, then getting that 'ah-ha' moment, than a straight image. Always try and catch something that gives your picture that little extra if you can.

Course, you might get looked at by passers by as though you're not right in the head but hey, we can live with that for our art can't we?

Patterns and angles

Unusual angles are great for visual impact. That's the only reason I was laying in the gutter after closing time on Saturday night officer!

Having a different angle on something we're used to seeing is also visually arresting. Getting above this inflatable bouncy castle has given an unusual view which has been helped by the horizontal lines, almost like the children are notes in music.

Don't try this without a parachute!

Views & views

by Steve McHale

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Opportunities

How far do you have to travel to take a good image? Overseas to far flung destinations? A trip to the coast? The nearest town? The front garden? This shot was taken five feet from the bed! Looking out of the window one frosty morning I noticed the frost glistening off the lower tiled roof, so I used the wide angle to give an interesting perspective...then rolled back into bed to finish my coffee!

The point is, we sometimes think that we have to go to exotic locations, have expensive equipment or be able to be available at all hours to get that interesting shot... Not so.

Personal challenges

It's useful to challenge your 'comfort zone' sometimes and set yourself projects. Or to go out with an idea in mind and see if you can meet it. Both these shots are composites, i.e the McD sign and the sunset and moon shots.

The sunset was taken from the comfort of my garden, the moon shot was taken at the same time as the McD's but not within the same frame. Having only a 300mm lens, I had to enlarge the moon shot a lot in Photshop, before I put them together.

It's worth taking shots for stock in fact, that might make a useful backdrop or foreground, sometime in the future. I shot the McD from several angles (despite the strange look of customers and assistants, lol!).

It's a very visual and well recognised symbol and would have a lot of impact I felt, with the right background. Then with some careful work in PS, put them together. Not to everyone's taste, I agree, but I like the finished product and I didn't even cost me any calories on the waistline!