Photographers, It’s Okay To Shoot Like A Tourist.
I have a confession. A struggle. Something that irks me as a photographer.
One of the things we all learn as photographers is composition. Technical elements aside, composition, and finding good compositions is in my mind at least, one of the most important tools under a photographer's belt. Simple things like leading lines, the famous rule of thirds, and colour theory are all things that we start not only learning but seeing.
As photographers, we start training our eyes for these things. We look for those compositional rules, the colours, and we become focused (no pun intended) on making ‘correct’ photos.
I’ve recently come back from a beach holiday with my family. It was lovely. Anyone who’s spent more than a minute at the beach knows that beaches can be terribly boring to photograph. Sand, sea, sky. You need something at the beach to photograph the beach, otherwise, you’ve got the flag of Ukraine mixed up with the Greek flag. It’s just yellow, blue, and more blue. As a photographer, we look for more.
Here, friends, is where I’ve struggled, and where I’ve had to let go as a photographer. I’ve had to learn — or unlearn photography.
I’ve had to learn to re-love taking photos like a tourist, even if the compositions aren’t technically correct. I’ve had to learn to take photos, knowing the sun is too high or knowing that my camera wont’ handle the dynamic range. I’ve had to unlearn the rules, and relearn the fun.
Now, does this mean I’m taking a million photos on my mobile phone of the same thing without a thought or care in the world? Of course not. Does it mean I take bad photographs? Well, I hope not! What it does mean is that I’m not looking for the technical or creative elements of the photo, and just thinking about the memory. The feeling. The enjoyment of just being out, exploring with my family, and with a camera.
What has this done to my photography? What happened when I stopped worrying and learned to love tourist photos? Well, there’s been no massive revelations, no jaw-dropping insights or improvements. I’ve just simply enjoyed taking photos. It’s that simple.
Do I keep a mental catalogue of places I want to go back ‘and take photos of’? Of course! Do I still think about each photo, and make sure the shot is decent? Yes, one hundred percent. I just don’t worry about capturing technically perfect, well-composed images. I just enjoy being out with my camera, shooting like a tourist.
What struggles have you had as a photographer? Do you find ‘the rules’ sometimes get in the way of enjoying being out somewhere beautiful, or just simply enjoying being out with a camera? Let me know your thoughts in the comments!
