Practice Seeing
Explore Landscapes #21: Many of us have probably found (I know I have) that on occasion we just can’t 'see' what to photograph. Here's an idea on how to help yourself practice seeing.
There’s nothing more frustrating (photographically speaking at least) than desperately searching for a subject to photograph when you’re out in the Landscape - and not being able to find something (anything).
You’ve driven for several hours to get to the location for the weekend’s shooting, you get yourself organized, pull on your camera backpack, orientate yourself, set off on a hike, grab a few shots here and there - but nothing seems to be working right - nothing seems to be ‘clicking’ into place.
A technique that I’ve found very helpful in getting me to ‘settle’ and starting to see things a little better is the ‘20 shots in 20 minutes’ exercise. I learnt this exercise from landscape photographer, Ralph Nordstrom, during a JTNPA Fine Art Photography workshop that he led in Joshua Tree National Park back in 2022.
You choose a subject in the landscape - in this example, a large granite rock with a Pinyon pine growing from its base. For the next 20 minutes you shoot at least 20 images of the same subject, varying your camera position, camera height, composition, focal length, image aspect ratio, color or black and white, etc. You just keep taking more and more images until you’re out of time.
“One does not photograph something simply for 'what it is', but 'for what else it is.” - Minor White
It’s amazing what this constraint can do for you in terms of opening your eyes and seeing many (if not all) of the different possibilities from one specific subject.
Below are a selection of 10 images from the first time that I tried this exercise.
As you can see there’s quite a wide variety of different images - all of the same subject - all taken within 20 minutes of each other. I’ve used this exercise on several occasions to get me out of a ‘I can’t see anything’ funk - and always feel better afterwards.
Give it a try, shoot your ‘20 in 20’, and let me know how you get on.
Let me be your landscape photography guide to Joshua Tree National Park in 2024.
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