I am upgrading my photography equipment and am exploring how I can be a little more serious about photography. Of course, it’s 100% about fun and enjoyment, but I would also like to stretch myself beyond what I am familiar with. That’s part of the fun.
I had a period in my teens and early twenties when I took it more seriously. I studied whatever books I could find. I had my own darkroom. I would go out at night with my camera and tripod for night photos. I did some more intentional portraits. I had a photogravure set-up with my own press.
Since then, I have had more of a snapshot mentality. My photography has been more random and accidental. That means I haven’t evolved much beyond where I was in my teens or early twenties.
How would it be if I am slightly more intentional about it?
More intentional
So how would it look if I moved in a more serious direction?
I want to return to exploring photographers I like, see what it is that resonates with me in their photos, and how I can use it as inspiration.
I want to give myself tasks and seek out times and locations that may yield interesting photos. I love dawn and dusk, low light scenes, and mist and fog, so why not seek it out?
When I take photos, I want to more intentionally explore view points, angles, distance, light, and more. I also want to take photos as if film was expensive.
When I edit my photos, I want to select a few I like and set them aside in a separate folder. As it is now, I mostly have access to small-size versions of my images. The full size originals are mixed in with many others in one of the old external drive in storage.
I also want to make series and make it physical. Both will help me be more intentional and shift me out of a snapshot mentality.
What am I drawn to?
In my teens and twenties, I explored photographers far more than I have since. It may be time to return to this. It’s fun, inspiring, and there is a lot to learn. Here are some I especially resonate with, and I am sure the list could be much longer.
Contemporary B&W: Pentti Sammallahti (1950–), Michael Kenna (1953–), Masao Yamamoto (1957–), Yasuhiro Ogawa (1968–), Masahisa Fukase (1934–2012), Linda Connor (1944–), Sally Mann (1951–), Sebastião Salgado (1944–2025), Alexey Titarenko (1962–), Matt Black (1970–), Gabrielle Duplantier (1978–), Frédéric Carrayol (contemporary), Hengki Koentjoro (1963–), Michael Massaia (1978–).
Classic B&W: Ansel Adams (1902–1984), Minor White (1908–1976), W. Eugene Smith (1918–1978), Daidō Moriyama (1938–).
Classic atmospheric B&W / pictorialism: Julia Margaret Cameron (1815–1879), Léonard Misonne (1870–1943), Edward Steichen (1879–1973), Alfred Stieglitz (1864–1946), Josef Sudek (1896–1976), Fan Ho (1931–2016), Hiroshi Sugimoto (1948–).
Color: Saul Leiter (1923–2013), Ernst Haas (1921–1986), Harry Gruyaert (1941–), Fredrik Axling (contemporary), Mark Fearnley (contemporary), Gunnar Freyr Gunnarsson (contemporary), Murray Fredericks (1970–), Wendi Schneider (1955–), Chris Friel (1959–), Paul Cupido (1972–).
Night / low light / rain / atmosphere: Josef Sudek (1896–1976), Saul Leiter (1923–2013), Todd Hido (1968–), Alexey Titarenko (1962–), Michael Massaia (1978–), Fredrik Axling (contemporary), Mark Fearnley (contemporary), Gunnar Freyr Gunnarsson (contemporary).
Portraits / people: Julia Margaret Cameron (1815–1879), Flor Garduño (1957–), Sally Mann (1951–), Morten Krogvold (1950–), Gabrielle Duplantier (1978–), Fabio Lovino (1963–), Fredrik Axling (contemporary).
Handmade / alternative / vintage processes: Julia Margaret Cameron (1815–1879), Léonard Misonne (1870–1943), Edward Steichen (1879–1973), Frédéric Carrayol (contemporary), Wendi Schneider (1955–), Jungjin Lee (1961–), Michael Massaia (1978–), Masao Yamamoto (1957–), Polar Noire (contemporary).
Architecture / modernism / built form: Ezra Stoller (1915–2004)
Minimalism / negative space: Michael Kenna (1953–), Pentti Sammallahti (1950–), Masao Yamamoto (1957–), Hengki Koentjoro (1963–), Hiroshi Sugimoto (1948–), Mark Fearnley (contemporary), Murray Fredericks (1970–), Paul Cupido(1972–).
Small selection: Josef Sudek (1896–1976), Masahisa Fukase (1934–2012), Fan Ho (1931–2016), Morten Krogvold (1950–), Jungjin Lee (1961–).
This is just a few of the ones I currently am aware of and resonate with. These days, there are a lot of excellent photographers out there.
I am creating a folder for inspiration with images from these and others.
When I did photography in my teens and early twenties, I was mostly drawn to vintage processes – which later became popular again. If I did serious photography, I would likely do that too. I would use an old camera and print my own photos using some of the older techniques. I love the feel of those prints.
Note: I used AI for the years and links, otherwise the list is from me.
A few themes / tasks
What I look for is what I see, so what are some of the things I may want to look for? What tasks may I give myself?
Light. Play of light and dark. Shadows. Light as a subject. Light revealing a scene or subject. Chiaroscuro.
Abstractions. Geometry. Texture. Weathered.
Negative space. The space around and between. Negative space as the subject. Negative space to frame and highlight the objects and details.
Color. Monochrome with some color highlights. Color is the subject. Color families / contrasts.
Movement. Use longer shutter speeds for blurring ripples in moving water while maintaining the larger shapes. Use longer shutter speeds for scenes with people to blur the movement of people. Track moving subjects – people, animals – using longer shutter speeds (1/10-1/30 second?) to blur the background. Freeze fast movement like a crashing wave.
Time & place. Explore a time of day (dusk, dawn), after rain, mist. Explore a place in depth.
Scale. Present a micro-world as a vast landscape, viewed from an insect perspective.
The beauty in the ordinary. Present the beauty in what’s often overlooked.
Moments. Capture a moment – people, light, rain, and so on.
Plan the shot. Select a location, time, and weather. (An app like PhotoPills may be useful.) Also, while there, plan, visualize, and explore.
Portraits. Capture the characteristics of the person. Photograph them doing what they love or are fascinated by.
And, more generally…
Composition. Think in layers – foreground, middle ground, background. Use elements of the scene for framing.
Make it physical. Intend to print and/or make a book out of the images. That brings a different attention to each one.
Make series. Make series of photos with the intention to print, exhibit, and/or make books. That will immediately push me beyond what I am familiar with and invite a different presence.
In B&W, push it. Nearly all good B&W photographers have pushed their prints quite far. They dodge, burn, and tint and make the photos into something that viscerally feels right.
One of my projects is, and will be, to explore Finca Milagros – at dusk and dawn, after rain, in the morning mist, and also the beautiful micro-world there.
More raw & RAW
What do I notice when I look at my photos?
Although I like something in many of them, most seem polite and tame. They lack the little extra. I feel I was much more bold in my teens and early twenties and would like to find some of that rawness again. I would like to lean into that rawness – both in my photos and my life. To lean into my obsessions and the visceral while also maintaining whatever technical quality is needed to bring that through.
I tend to get obsesses when I get into something, so that’s a good quality to bring with me into this.
There is another sense I would like to be more raw and that is to more systematically shoot in RAW format and edit those files more carefully and with the above rawness. Pushing them in the direction I envisioned when I took the photo and that resonates the most with me.
And as mentioned earlier, I want to be more serious about my archive, including keeping the larger versions of my images organized and available.
What do I like from my own photos?
At this point, it seems worth looking at what I like from my own earlier photos, find themes, and see what I would like to explore further.
Mostly monochrome. The photo above is an example of a photo that’s mostly monochrome with a few more colorful areas. I like that feel.
Negative space. This image is also full of negative space. I think that’s why I am drawn to photographing bare or mostly bare trees against an urban backdrop. The trunks and branches tend to create very interesting negative spaces.
This photo is from New York ca. 2019 and taken with my iPhone with light editing in Lightroom.
Found abstractions. I love these atmospheric landscapes that are mostly abstract. I have always liked the photos used for the ECM covers. (And the music too, of course.)
The image is of clouds seen from an airplane, taken with my iPhone some years ago.
Changing weather. These are views from our place outside of Barichara. I love watching the changing weather. (1) A cloud bursting with light in the late afternoon. (2) The clouds and landscape have a similar character. (3) I like the small white flowers in the bushes in the foreground, and also the branch coming in from the top left that helps with the composition while appearing almost random. (3, 4) Rays of light against the dark mountains. (5) I love the ephemeral feeling of falling rain, especially when contrasted with the landscape. (6) An atmospheric close-up of clouds and the mountain top. (7) Rolling clouds on the ridge across the valley.
Taken with my DSLR and tele lens.
Abstractions. I like how a familiar place can feel abstract and otherworldly with the right light. These are photos from the Botanical Gardens in Oslo on a midwinter afternoon. The mist creates rhythmical layers and depth, and the tree trunks and branches plays with negative space. A few leaves are left, which creates their own patterns and rhythm.
These are taken with my iPhone ca. 2017.
Airplane view. These were shot through the window of an airplane. I like the rough and slightly blurry look. I also like the random access to slightly unusual perspectives and landscapes.
Abstractions. Each of these are found abstractions. The airplane engine is mostly edges and rounded shapes, and the two others are the abstractions we can find in barren landscapes.
Mostly monochrome. The shiny airplane takes on the color of the sky. The ice has one color. The last one was mostly monochrome and I turned it black-and-white.
iPhone phots from mid-to-late 2010s. The top right is over Greenland, and the third may be Colorado.
Layers. I like this for the frost on the window, the mostly monochrome image, the abstractions and geometry, and the layers from the frost to the plane to the far background. I have a fascination for more industrial looks too, and would like to explore that more.
Motion blur. This is taken a Frognerparken after sunset on a winter day in the 2000s. I used a slightly longer shutter speed than normal and moved my camera up during exposure. I like the visionary and slightly eerie feel it creates.
Taken with my old DSLR and possibly the nifty fifty.
Graphics print. This one has the feel of a graphics print.
A view out the window of a moving car, Dartmoor near Buckfastleigh, 2014, with my DSLR and likely nift fifty.
Movement. I tried to capture a visceral feeling of flight and gliding here. I like the snapshot quality of these images. I have more conventional vulture images but I like these more.
DSRL with tele lens, ca. 2023 in Barichara.
Partially blocked. I enjoy this slightly mysterious photo. The person is looking straight at us and his face is partially blocked by something in the foreground.
Closest layer out of focus. Here, the closest layer is out of focus, the middle plane is in focus, and the background is out of focus again. I like that. It gives a nice rhythm and flow.
Street photography. I enjoy street photography. In this case, I used a tele lens to get close-ups at a distance. I was still spotted, but that made it a better photo.
This photo is of a member of the Jordan Royal Guard from Zürifäscht 2013, with a tele lens and my old DSLR.
Street photography. A couple of more street photos / festival photos.
Members of the Jordan Royal Guard, Zürifäscht 2013.
Found objects. This is a flower in the living room where I lived, with the dark orange curtains behind. I don’t think I changed or touched anything.
Negative space. This is another example of use of negative space. The main subject is not the flower itself, but the space created around its edges and by its leaves and stem.
Mostly monochrome / color theory. This image is mostly shades of red and orange, with a little yellow and green. It’s largely monochrome, and the green is a nice complementary color to the red.
Macro. It’s a classic closeup with blurry background. What I like here is that the leaves and stem go from being sharp to increasingly blurry.
Taken with my DSLR in 2012 or 2013, likely with the nifty fifty.
Dark & moody. A dark winter’s day on Dartmoor. I like the first one more, although there is something to the second as well. These deserve better editing and maybe to be made into largish prints.
Dartmoor near Buckfastleigh, 2014.
Horses / Mood. A couple of Dartmoor ponies running away at dusk. I like this one for its simplicity and honesty, although I can see many ways it could be better.
Horses from Dartmoor near Buckfastleigh, Devon, 2014. DSLR with a tele lens.
Portraits. I rarely do portrait photography, although I love it. I like to capture the character and personality of the person.
Chiaroscuro. In this case, I like the chiaroscuro with “lost” edges. Of course, it’s almost too classic but there is a reason it’s classic. It works.
These images are from a basement on Gabriola Island, BC, mid-2010s. This was the perfect impromptu studio with the light coming in from a relatively small window, and some filler light from the window on the other side of the room.
Play of light and dark. I like the play of light and shadows from the leaves. The second has a similar play of dark trees against a light sky.
Filter / highly edited. I took these on an app on my iPhone. I had a lot of fun using that app and I actually like the results. It’s something to use sparingly, but at the right time and with the right subject, the result can be interesting.
I love the look of some of the early photography processing techniques. This app just mimics it, and it’s a reminder that I have always wanted to try it. I will need some time and space for that, which is not right now.
These are from the early 2010s in Marin County, likely the mission in San Rafael.
Geometry & mist. I like much here – the old stone, mist, water, geometry, light from the motorcycle, but it needs something more to elevate it out from the “mildly interesting” category.
Moody. This is a moody image that brings to mind some of the artistic images from early photography.
Contrasts. I like the contrast of the stone bridge, flowing water, and the trees shrouded in mist.
Flow. For me, there is an interesting visual flow from the top right down along the bottom of the tree to the middle and up the bridge. I wonder if that’s different for people used to reading the other direction.
Shape of water. I used a tripod and maybe 1-2 seconds shutter speed to blur the water. I wanted to use just long enough speed to blur the smaller ripples while leaving the larger movements in the water.
Taken on a bridge outside of Totnes, Devon, ca. 2013 (?) with my DSLR.
Contrast and clarity. I visited a friend and came upon this scene in the late afternoon. I like contrast between the cool blue and the hot orange-red of the light hitting the trees. They also have an almost supernatural clarity to them due to the light.
Taken with my iPhone on winter day in Kjelsås some years ago.
Doves / Negative space. Here, the negative space is a light sky.
Doves / Rhythm. There is a nice rhythm with the shape of the doves, the colors of the birds with the second dark one, and also the shape of the roof.
The photo is a little soft, which works for the subject, but I wouldn’t mind If it was a little sharper. There are also some lines around the doves and the rood which may come from processing. It’s far from perfect technically, but works otherwise.
Silhouettes. Trees at Dartington Hall on a dark winter’s day.
DSLR and likely tele lens, 2014.
Candid photos. I love taking candid photos of people in public. This one always makes me laugh.
Tells a story. This photo tells a(n incomplete) story. He has a moment where he is obviously in it for himself, while also protecting his daughter. Is he planning to ram someone? Who or what is he looking at?
Colors. Somehow, the colors also work here, partly from the slightly colored lighting.
Taken with my DSLR in Zürich ca. 2013, likely with a tele lens.
Geometry and colors. There is something here, but it’s not as interesting as it could be.
Geometry. I like the geometry, the pattern in the road and the wood, and the mirror in the first image that reflects more of the scene. As with so many here, I feel they have something but they are not quite there. For instance, the classic person looking interesting or doing something interesting.
Scuol, Switzerland, 2014, DSLR and likely nifty fifty.
Colors. This is a good example of accidental photos. I happened to see these polar stratospheric clouds coming home from the corner store, went inside and got my camera, and got a series of photos. Here, the colors are the subject. There is an airplane on the right for scale.
Taken in Ski, Norway, from just outside the house with my DSLR and a tele lens. Mid-2010s.
Reflections and color. This was a drizzly winter day around dusk and the light brought out the colors in the reflections.
Taken with my iPhone one winter day at Aker Brygge.
Place. I wanted to add these to get some color in here, and also to remind myself that the style of photos I take is strongly impacted by where I am. These are from Rancho Mirage in Southern California (I think the drinks and fire hydrant are from LA), and I was drawn to a more fresh look and colors rather than black-and-white.
Color. Sometimes, colors can be the subject, especially when combined with an interesting texture, rhythm, or something else.
Neighborhood. Apart from the two from LA, these are all from the immediate neighborhood where I lived. Sometimes, we don’t have to go far to find interesting subjects.
These are all from the mid-2010s and taken with my iPhone.
Trees and buildings. I have been fascinated by the combination of trees and buildings for a long time. This is not a technically good photo, but I like the feel, the negative spaces, the tonal changes, the lit up floor at the top of the building, and the light in the bottom left.
Dusk in Portland, Oregon, mid- to late-2000s, likely with my old DSLR and a normal lens.
Objects emerge from the dark. I love baroque painting and when objects emerge from the dark. This is one example.
Highlighting. Here light and composition is used to highlight something that would otherwise just be part of the sky and landscape.
This image is slightly soft as so many here, which is mainly because I only have access to small file sizes at the moment. It would be nice to see more details in the cloud.
From the mountains near Eagle Point, Southern Oregon, mid-2010s. I was taking care of horses there for a couple of months.
Draft
Black-and-white images. Normally, I decide to use color or bw versions of a photo after it’s taken. How is it to decide in advance? How do I see differently? What do I seek out?
Color. I enjoy these where color itself is the subject.
iPhone snapshots from New York ca. 2019.
Foreground and background rhythm. Explore foreground vs background rhythms. Trees and buildings is a good combination. iPhone snapshots from New York.
Common subject but intentional. How is it to take a common and often photographed subject, but making it a little different? Different angle? Light? Close-up? Have another main subject and keep the typical one slightly out-of-focus in the background? These are some iPhone photos of sculptures in Oslo, done slightly differently from the typical tourist ones.
Local area. I mostly take photos from where I happen to be anyway, but it can still be an explicit intention. How would it be to take photos from my neighborhood? Maybe just 100 meters from where I live?
Intentionally traveling for photos. This is something I may never have done, so this would be a fresh exploration for me. How would it be to go somewhere with the intention to take photos? The photos are from Kathmandu mid-90s. I scanned slides and don’t have access to the large files right now.
Weathered and worn. A series of photos from worn things. Rusty, damaged, unkept, and so on. I often love these subjects. iPhone photo from Los Angeles, mid-2010s.
Low light. Low light photos – indoors with light through a window, after dusk, before dawn, at night. This is an interesting example, although it can definitely be better. With a more light sensitive camera, I could have some details in the dark areas. A wild pony on Dartmoor ca. 2012.
Macro. I am considering getting a good macro lens as part of my camera equipment upgrade, so that opens up quite a bit for me. How would it be to explore the small world as if I am that size?
High or low horizon. I often like to place the horizon high or low. It often makes it more interesting, and puts the focus on the ground or the sky depending on what you want the audience to focus on.
Weather. Photos of weather from wide-angle landscapes to close-ups. After the rain.
Light is the subject. Photograph light as the subject. This can include the play of light in water vapor or water. These are all iPhone snapshots. The first from Mosjøen outside of Oslo, and the second from Devon.
Mostly monochrome but not grey. Some scenes are variations of more-or-less the same color, and it’s not grey.
The wrong subject. Photograph something in front of or next to the obvious subject. Optional is to make the obvious subject blurred. This is from Zürich with a tele (?) and my DSLR.
Distortions. Something in the “wild” that is partially transparent and distorts what’s behind.
Textures. Photograph textures in nature or something human-made. These are from Southern California mid-2010s with my iPhone.
Found geometry. Find interesting geometry in the natural and human-made world. The first two are from a small town in southern Switzerland in 2013, and the last from outside of Totnes in Devon from about the same time. Both are taken with a DSLR.
Long shutter speed. The photos above are from the River Dart and show the classic long shutter speed kind of image. It’s also possible to do it other ways. For instance, follow a flying bird so the bird is sharp while the background is blurred. Do the same with walking people. Use a tripod and photograph a public space with a longer than normal shutter speed so some move and some will stay still.
Drive-by images. Take photos while you are a passenger in a moving vehicle, to get interesting motion blur. The photo is from a car driving through Portland, Oregon in the late 2000s. I think it’s with my DSLR and probably a normal lens.
Hands and work. Close-ups of hands and/or people working with their hands.
Silhouettes. Make the subject into a silhouette with a light background.
Layers. Emphasize layers in a scene. There are better examples of layers but this is what I found. View from Spencer Butte, Oregon, late 2000s.
Rhythm. Look for rhythm, and also variations and breaks to the rhythm.
Nepal February 1996. I was in Nepal for nearly half a year studying Tibetan Buddhism at a couple of monasteries near Kathmandu.
Trees & buildings. I am fascinated by the shapes of branches and trunks, especially when set against buildings. These are some unedited iPhone shapshots from a walk along Akerselva in April this year.
When I say fascinated, I should say that I notice I am fascinated. I am naturally drawn to it, and later understand it as fascination.
Horizontal / vertical / square. Take photos for a month that are horizontal, vertical, or square.
Ordinary beauty.
One lens.
Signs. A series of signs of something that happened.
Scale. Make small things look huge, and big things look small.
Before and after attention. Take a photo of something you would normally ignore, and stay with it until it becomes interesting.
Same hour. Take photos during the same hour of day for a while, for instance just before sunrise or after sunset.
Flip the image. Especially for reflections, it can be interesting to flip the image if done with the right subject. It normally works best with a calm reflection. It’s can be a “cheap trick” so use sparingly.
Frames. Use something to frame something else.
Personal map. Photos from my daily life and familiar paths.
A few things I notice after putting this together
I notice or, more accurately, am reminded of a few things after collecting these photos.
During the 2010s, my images tended to be quite dark and moody. This is partly because I edited them on a computer with an overly bright screen, and it also reflects the dark night I went through then which was very difficult.
I have trouble locating higher resolution versions of most of these photos. I think I have them on external discs in storage, but I should pull out some of them at some point.
I really want to stretch myself in photography and be more intentional about it.
[….]
Right place at the right time
Taking interesting photos is often a matter of being in the right place at the right time. That’s partly accidental and I can make myself accident prone. It’s something I can seek out and set up.
For instance, I like taking photos just before dawn and just after dusk, and also when it’s misty and foggy, so I can seek that out.
I can, of course, also seek out places that are more likely to have something interesting to me.
When I am new to a place, I see it with fresh eyes. Many of my more interesting photos are from when I am new to a place, so that’s something I can take advantage of.
More intentional
Another way to be more serious about it is to be more intentional while taking photos.
With digital photography, it’s easy to get into snapshot mode, and sometimes good things come out of it.
And it’s also good to put a little more effort into the angle, composition, and so on.
Ansel Adams talked about visualizing the image before taking it. In his case, that was partially to expose the zones correctly, but it’s also worth it for any photo I take.
Themes & projects
It’s good to give myself assignments and make series of photos on a theme.
Some of the ones I have felt drawn to from the beginning, and would like to explore more, are: Negative space. Find another angle. Macro. Low light photography. Portraits.
Doing it for myself
We live in an age saturated with images, and a lot of people are very good at taking photos – whether they are professionals or not.
I can be inspired by what I see and it feels right that I am part of this much larger process.
At the same time, I am doing it for myself. I am doing it for my own enjoyment.