The Art Of Noticing

Why Photography Is So Much More Than A Job

Hello and happy Friday! Thanks so much to anyone who’s back for more and welcome to everyone along for the first time. This is my little space for fortnightly sharing, of photographs or music and things and musings. It’s a slow down for me from social media and a chance to go a little deeper.

This week, I take the slow down seriously, in talking about how photography has become an essential part of my life, way beyond being a job.

Thanks again for being here.

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THE GO-SLOW

When did you last lie on the grass, staring at the sky? Did you find a cloud that looked a bit like a dog or a fish?

Did you ever swing on a swing until your legs hurt? And worry about what would happen if you went over the top? Spend some time crunching leaves instead of actually walking somewhere?

As we ‘grow up’ it gets more difficult to take time out for doing nothing.

When did the pace change?

Do things just, keep speeding up? It feels like it. At some point along the way, the clock sped up and I didn’t even realise. Days got fuller, weeks got shorter. A year passed with a tick of the second-hand.

Feeling upside down easily becomes the new status quo.

Everything passes faster than a kid on a swing.

PHOTOGRAPHY AS A CURE

I was talking in school recently (more on that soon) and asked the question ‘What is photography?’

I had a technical answer about crafting with light, but it’s a lot more than that.

It’s a cure, and it’s a drug.

It’s an antidote.

A corrective force that slows me down and helps me make (some) sense of the world.

The truest joy and benefit of photography isn’t the photo, the likes or even the prints.

It’s learning the art of noticing.

Noticing what though? Really…anything. Stopping in your tracks to admire how pretty the leaves look on the ground. The way the mountain cuts the light into a hard line. Beautiful colours, great design, a shaft of light on the street, a smile, a red berry against a blue sky. What is noticed is less important that the time spent paying attention to the world around you.

Take a walk with a camera and a whole subset of our world will reveal itself to you. Maybe not the first time. But eventually you’ll see wonder everywhere when you’re open to it.

The process, the slowing down enough to make a photograph of whatever sits in front of me, the patience it takes, and teaches, and fundamentally, the ability to notice.

The gorgeous way the light falls on someone’s face is one of the greatest things.

I’ve had people wait patiently as I watch a scene that promised to unfold quietly disappear. Camera poised and never clicking. Sometimes the pictures don’t need to be made.

Pausing in the middle of the nonstop deluge of time and information is a cure. A quiet meditation allowing a slice of time into our lives that would have otherwise blown past.

Noticing. That is what photography is for me.

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A SHARE

Some of my favourite working music. Headphones pretty much essential.

Perfect for getting lost in.

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SINCE LAST TIME…

• We celebrated my baby girl turning 6. What even is time?

• Shot a wildly last minute late night set of portraits for a new music project, after a photographer had to cancel. It turned out really well. More osoon.

• Photographed an amazing event called MOVE Summit, which is an industry animation conference. I don’t tend to shoot events, but make an exception for this one as it’s packed with fascinating content and people.

• Shot some comedy for BBC Asian Network. Coming to iPlayer soon.

• Saw the iconic Hamilton at Edinburgh Festival Theatre.

• Laid some flowers on the beach for my dad who passed away 2 years ago. What even is time?

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Do you have a friend who would like getting some photo chat every now and then? I’d love if you shared this with them.

Until next time…