A few photographs taken on a cycle ride taken in early 2024 on a cycle ride to Hatfield Forest, Essex. There had been heavy rain the night before but as the day wore on the clouds began to break to let through a sight of the sun.
It was just after Christmas 2017 that I first began to notice them. I was strolling around my local neighbourhood getting some fresh air when I suddenly began to see them all over the place. They were propped up outside front walls or sometimes on the edge of the road. Most of them were on their own but a few had gathered together for support.
They were Christmas trees, of course, and they had recently played a prominent part in the festivities. There would have been a day when the tree was brought home and then stood in the front room and decorated. Perhaps decisions were made about where certain decorations should be placed; maybe there were family traditions that had been stuck to every year. Once the tree was adorned, brightly and intrigingly wrapped presents would be stacked around its base building the excitement for the big day.
After Christmas Day, however, it would be all downhill for the tree. Now there were no presents beneath it the needles that it was already shedding would become more obvious. Perhaps the tree, a temporary guest, was in a position that required some negotiation to get past which until now had been met with good humour. Now that the big day was past it was perhaps becoming more of an irritant having to lean sideways to be able to see all of the television screen.
And so the tree is stripped of its decorations and placed out on the street for the council to collect, and for me to photograph.
I have always been interested in more quirky subjects and sometimes this has included rubbish bins (yes I know!) so abandoned Christmas trees seemed an interesting subject to explore. I was also inspired by a friend who was looking for Christmas cards that were a little bit different to the traditional. I thought it might be nice to redecorate them with one or two baubles (to keep it simple) before I took the photograph.
In a celebration of renewal I give them a new lease of life.
You can view more of my photographs of old Christmas trees (and other festive related imagery) in my ClickAsnap album here.
I wrote a little while ago about the difficulty of motivating myself to cycle in winter. Over Christmas 2023, whilst in Dorset, I was determined to go cycling everyday.
I was rewarded with some dramatic skies (and Storm Gerritt!).
Here are some of the photographs I took whilst exploring the Dorset countryside.
Back at the beginning of the year I thought about taking a photograph a day throughout 2023 – how did I do and should I try again?
You can view the photographs I took here and, as you will be able to see, I was not terribly successful. I started the year well, sometimes taking random photographs of objects such as my coffee or my breakfast, and occasionally I would make an effort to go out to seek something to photograph in my local neighbourhood.
As the year went on, though, I began to skip days and then entire weeks. In May I started to keep a journal of my efforts, printing out each day’s image and writing a note about why I took the picture. I hoped this would be a method to keep me going. It did work to a certain extent and I have kept it going throughout the year on an ad hoc basis.
So what was the purpose of the exercise and should I try again?
Here are my reasons why I think I should (and you should have a go as well).
1/ Develop your photographic eye
Getting into the habit of taking photographs regularly can help develop your photographic eye, identifying what might work as an image. Of course, it is not always necessary to to actually take the photograph. You could simply observe the world as a photographer. For example, the photographer, Stephen Shore, tried to make “a mental note at random times of the day of what was in my field of vision”. Taking the photograph, however, produces an outcome which could be a part of the next reason to take a photograph a day.
2/ Creating structure
Secondly, photographing at a set time and making it part of a routine could help add structure to the day. I work from home so it is dangerously easy to allow my days to become formless. Choosing to set aside time to go out and photograph can help add structure and form to the day. I add to this suggestion the idea of printing out your photographs and keeping a journal. I have found this a great way to ground myself.
3/ A deep dive into a subject or a place
The photograph a day idea could be used to take a deep dive into a specific location or subject if you wanted to explore every facet of it. I discussed the idea of photographing a single location in depth before. However I did not take it to the level of this photographer in Cambridge who never left the city for the duration of the exercise. Chapeau!
4/ Motivation to take photographs
I think the main reason, though, is that it can be a way to motivate yourself to take photographs if you are experiencing photographer’s block. It is very easy to fall out of the habit of photographing and this is one way to help find inspiration to keep taking photographs.
Exciting news for 2024
If you have ever found yourself in the same situation where you don’t seem to have the inspiration to take photographs any more you might be interested to know that in 2024 I will be putting together my experiences of how I motivated myself in a series of videos. Watch this space for more information.
Winter is upon us again and sometimes it can be harder to go out cycling. It’s colder, the days are shorter and there’s a chance of bad weather. But just occasionally, when the wind is in the right direction (behind you) a ride through the open countryside in winter on a day when the sun is low in the open skies, the trees are empty and the fields are turned can be a glorious experience.
These photographs were taken on a cycle ride from London to Cambridge one Sunday in February 2023. If you would like to see the route I took you can view it on Kommot here.
When I am cycling in the countryside there is time to look around. Often I cycle in the same areas throughout the year and I note the changes surrounding me such as the turned fields in winter, later full of ripening crops. None are more noticeable though than the changing shape of trees throughout the seasons.
In the winter they are dark and spikey; come the spring they begin to soften as the leaves bud and some of them put out blossom; then the summer and a mass of green; now autumn brings a firework display as the green turns to gold. And then the winter once more and the cycle begins again.
On my bicycle rides I observed and photographed all these changes. These became a part of the “Shape of Trees” project which is now available as a calendar for 2024.
My exploration of the shape of trees took me deeper into the woods and I discovered many other shapes of trees such as their roots and the shapes they make as they grow old and die. I also watched them in different types of weather, especially high winds which would turn their leaves to a blur. And I came in close to the old leaves hanging on, and the new blossom breaking through.
The Shape of Trees is currently available as a calendar for 2024 and a handful are still available. Click on the button below to purchase one.
Have you ever fallen out of love with photography?
Have you stopped looking at the world the way you used to when you saw potential photographs everywhere?
Do you not bother carrying your camera with you everywhere any more (even ignoring the one on your phone)?
Sounds like you have lost your interest in photography. Sometimes there could be valid reasons – other things come along that are more important – but often it can be that you have simply fallen out of love with photography. I know the feeling. It happened to me for about thirty years!
But I am back taking photographs again and loving it.
There are a number of ways I have used to try and reinvigorate my interest in photography. I wrote about one of them a little while ago when I suggested exploring your neighbourhood as if you were on holiday.
Another method is to change how you take your photographs and what you photograph. Trying something different is a great way to to reignite your interest so here are four ways you could disrupt your photography.
Mix up your genres
If you normally take street photography try landscape photography (it’s a bit like street photography but with fewer people). Or, if you spend your time indoors photographing still lives, head out to the streets and capture your fellow humanity in their natural environment.
Change your subject matter
Take a look through your back catalogue and check if you have photographed the same subject many times. Do you have lots of pictures of clouds, for example; or does the colour blue crop up in your photographs often? Why not try the complete oposite? If you have been turning camera upwards to look at the sky and the clouds turn it down to look to the ground, noting the details and the textures; and if you photograph blue a lot, choose a different colour and deliberately ignore anything coloured blue.
Take your camera off auto
Put it on manual so you have to set the aperture and shutter speed. Take the ISO off auto so you have to choose that as well. And, going one step further, change the camera’s profile to monochrome so that you focus on light and shade, and tones of grey. Now you will need to think a little harder about the process of making each image. If you regularly use your camera in manual mode, turn it to auto and fire from the hip to see what happens.
Ditch the technology
Find yourself a film camera and put a roll of film in it. It’s like taking photographs without a safety net. You can’t see how your picture has come out straightaway and you’ve only got up to thirty six chances (unless you have several rolls of film). The best way to start is with a simple preloaded camera, some of which are re-usable.
These are just a few ways to help you fall back in love with taking photographs. I hope you found them helpful and I would love to hear your comments on what you have tried. Add them to the comments below.
If you are looking for more ideas then do look out for a series of videos I am planning to put together in 2025 sharing some of my experiences on re-igniting my own enthusiasm for photography.
A little while ago I wrote in praise of the humble tripod; how it can be used to slow down your photography and make you think about the image you are composing. Of course the tripod’s main purpose is to hold your camera steady especially if you are using slower shutter speeds. But what happens if you have left your tripod at home?
Behold the even humbler beanbag!
In conjunction with a handy wall or a piece of street furniture (bins with lids are quite good if you don’t mind hanging around them!) they provide a relatively sturdy and flexible substitute.
Just to be clear I am not talking about the giant beanbag you might have in the corner of your living room or bedroom which you collapse into at the end of the day to binge watch your favourite TV show and eat ice cream straight from the tub. No this is the smaller variety used in different sports and activities; if you have children you may have come across them on school sports days.
The small beanbag is easy to carry and offers a degree of protection for your camera on a brick wall (or that bin). It also provides some flexibility in positioning your camera. With a little bit of work you can tilt the lens up or down or left or right to get the composition just right.
It does limit where and what you can photograph as there has to be a nearby convenient place to perch your camera safely which means you have to search a little harder to find your composition but when it works it can be very satisfying.
And here are a few photographs taken with the assistance of my trusty beanbag:
I would suggest getting the focus and exposure right before setting up your camera; it doesn’t take much to nudge it out of position. Also, if you can, keep a hold of the camera strap. This is particularly important if you have perched your camera on a parapet with a steep drop on the other side!
The small bean bag is available from sporting accessory and toy shops, and is a handy object to carry with you when you are out photographing, need some stability but don’t want to carry a tripod with you.
How to photograph when the iconic becomes familiar?
In an earlier posting I suggested photographing your local neighbourhood as if you were on holiday there so that you look at it through fresh eyes in order to be inspired to take new photographs. But what if where you live is a holiday destination full of famous landmarks endlessly photographed? How do you photograph the over-photographed and come up with something new?
One option is simply to ignore it entirely. Chances are there are lots of other places often overlooked in popular holiday destinations and as a local you will have more time to go explore them. That’s what I did a couple of years ago with my project on the overlooked landmarks of London.
However sometimes it might be fun to set yourself a challenge to see what you can do with the overfamiliar landmark.
I live in London which is stuffed full of them; Buckingham Palace, Houses of Parliament (with Big Ben on the end), Westminster Abbey, St Paul’s Cathedral, Tower Bridge, Tower of London, and so on. These are popular places for tourists to visit and to photograph.
One evening in late summer I thought I would set myself the challenge of photographing a landmark. I cannot claim that the pictures are particularly great – they were taken in the conditions available at the time. However I do think they helped me look at something that is so familiar in a much more detailed way.
My choice of landmark was the Tower of London, a 1000 year old building used variously as a palace, a prison and as the home of the crown jewels. So how did I get on? All the photographs were taken from the exterior.
Take a different point of view
The first thing I did when I turned up was look for ways of viewing the Tower of London from a different direction. I always like to see if I can find a reflection of it. The ticket office is across the concourse from it and in its windows you can just about make it a part of the building. The window contains depictions of some of the key characters throughout the Tower of London’s history. This one I think is William the Conqueror who had the castle built.
Focus in on the details
When I visit somewhere and look back on the photographs I discover that I have not actually taken a general view of the subject. Instead I have focussed in on the details. I did this with the Tower of London walking slowly around the outside. In the end I discovered this open window at one end of the building. It made me think about some of the people who live and work inside – the Yeoman Wardens (or Beefeaters) – and the life thay have in this iconic place.
Create patterns
Great buildings such as the Tower of London lend themselves to creating patterns from the shapes of the walls and the way shadows fall upon them. The sun was low in the sky when I took this photograph showing the shadows of the crenallations on the gatehouse falling across part of the building. This photograph also shows up some of the different styles of the Tower from stone to brick which add their own colour to the image.
Use as a backdrop
London is a vibrant city and there is always plenty going on in the foreground. Sometimes it can be quite to put the landmark in the background and focus on what’s going on in front of it. It’s almost like combing the photograph with another genre such as street photography. That’s what I tried to do here with this photograph.
Look for the unusual
This isn’t a photograph of the Tower of London but it is of another familiar London Landmark – St Paul’s Cathedral. I saw this ticket lying on the ground with its iconic dome. This shows you the landmark in a very different way.
Those are a few ways I used to try photograph that has become so familiar and over-photographed. Other things you could do is to photograph it at different times and in different light conditions. When you are on holiday somewhere for a week or so you are rather stuck with the weather you get but if you are a local to option to take your time and revisit in different conditions until you get the photograph you want. The Tower of London looks like it ought to be photographed beneath a stormy sky – maybe I should go back again sometime.
Today I am writing in praise of the humble bike ride.
What can be better than escaping into the countryside on a bicycle?
It’s what I try to do as often as I can. Sometimes I might cycle straight out of London but I will also jump on the train to skip the boring bits. That’s what I did on this ride at the end of August, taking the Metropolitan line out to Amersham and skirting around the edges of the Chilterns to explore a few old churches.
A part of the ride involved a track across open fields. I have mentioned many before how much I love the open sky and on a late summer’s day this seemed perfect. So much so that I recorded a short video of that section of the ride…
