New tricks, old neighbourhood

One of the things I suffer from is itchy feet.

I loathe sitting inside on a day when I can be out with my camera.

Some days are a no-go, and that’s fine. On those days it’s IS a goer, I need to get out.

But I’ve seen it all in my local haunt before. OK, that’s a stretch of the imagination. Not ‘everything’. But it feels like it.

Always seeing the same thing when you close the front door behind you isn’t inspiring much.

I love new places. New things. The excitement of new.

But it’s not always possible…

…and that’s ok, because it’s helping teach me a keener eye. A child-like view of the everyday.

(a child doesn’t get bored of the everyday, they see everything as a wonder, a game, something to be explored).

But I usually struggle. Without the initial excitement, it can be hard to slide into the zone.

Not impossible. But definitely more difficult.

And today was the same ol’ same ol’ with regards to location. Nothing new. All the same.

Bo-ring.

Except an unintentional side effect of something I did earlier – before heading out – changed that a bit.

I’d been reading Street Photography Now (one of my favourite SP books) while waiting for a task to complete at home.

Flicking through, dreamily-like. Checking out the ‘happy twig shot’ of Siegfried Hansen…

A hand is holding a book open, there is the title "Seigfried Hansen" to the right and some small text underneath. The left of the page shows a photo where a tree is close up on the right of frame, with a small twig sticking out that slowly turns upwards. In the background are out of focus trees, buildings, and a person walking left to right. The person appears to be standing on the twig of the tree.

For me, that’s one of the most innocent, yet most excellent, SP photos out there.

It looks so simple. Yet effective.

It shows you that SP doesn’t have to be complicated. Complex, multiple themed compositions. 5 o’clock shadows, throwing stretched people. Or those high contrast works of art.

But it DOES show you have to wander around with your eyes WIDE open.

The photo’s been on my mind for the last few days. Where its obviously had an impact…

…because today’s same ol’ neighbourhood was looked at with a fresh pair of eyes. A new innocence. A new excitement.

Ok, I wasn’t dancing around like a 90’s raver, but there was a definite uptake in what I was spotting.

It meant I came away with some not-fantastic-but-not-awful shots, like this…

A person is close in frame, walking left to right, and holding a load of white, yellow, and black helium filled balloons in her hand. There is a big see through plastic bag containing all the balloons. She's also carrying a small white plastic bag with blue writing. There is open space in the background, of a shopping centre, that is slightly motion blurred.

Made in my “same ol’” neighbourhood where there’s nothing to see.

But spotted with a fresh pair of eyes.

There were more spotted, but my weedy knees wouldn’t allow me to leg it quick enough to make the shot.

Some things are beyond our control.

Reading books to get better, isn’t. Learn more about Street Photography Now here (*affiliate link)

See you on the streets.
Phil.

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