Have you ever sat and thought, that is an incredible picture, of a picture you are looking at? If you investigate the person that took the photograph, you will find that they live in the area that they took the photograph. Ohhh sure, there are people that are able to travel all over the world and take pictures of different subjects, but have you ever thought about how many pictures they took to get that one photograph they were proud enough to show?
I had the opportunity to go out with a photographer that had been photographing a particular area for over twenty years. He has taken some amazing photographs over that time. When I was traveling home, I thought about what I had observed while I was with him. There were people that he knew that were also photographers and they would tell him that a particular bear was in an area with her cubs. He would wait because he knew that there would be a flood of people going there, but he knew he would still get the pictures. Many of the other photographers that I had read suggested limiting yourself to an area of fifty miles.
My situation is different. I learned self hypnosis back in the 1970s. I have been taking pictures since before the time that I learned self hypnosis. Things never really came together for me until I went through something called "Active Cognitive Therapy". That and a counselor telling me when I told him I was getting ready to retire helped me put everything together, self hypnosis, meditation, mindfulness and photography.
Most doctors recommend that you walk at least five miles every other day. Since I am limited in my journeys because I am not able to drive, I decided that I would walk three miles. Then by the time that I walk back to where I started, I have walked six miles total (beating the doctor's recommendation). Most of my journeys are limited to streets. I do mostly landscapes and architecture, but I focus on abstracts, contrast, patterns and textures. I often find myself doing all sorts of stretching exercises in order to get the point of view I want for the picture I am taking. Things like getting on one knee, moving my arms zooming in and out with my legs instead of the lens on my camera and I could go on.
I drew a circle on a map of the area I wanted to photograph. I then divided it up into six sections. So one day I will go out, the next day I will process my pictures that I took, the third day I will go to another section and take pictures, on the fourth day I will process my pictures. I continue on and it takes me roughly two weeks to make my way around the circle. Perhaps, on one cycle you will work north and south streets, the next cycle you work east and west streets. Perhaps there is a place of special interest to you and you can go by there and check it out.
You will want to go to places at different times so the light is different. You will be surprised at how much of a difference the quality of light will be doing that. Maybe you will hear of an event that will be happening in your area that you want to go to. If it is your shooting day, don't fret over missing your area, go to it and pick up the area the next time you go out.
You will be surprised at how good you feel going out, taking pictures and enjoying your specific area of the world.
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