My Friday Photo Stories.....Pt 3

It’s about finding something interesting in an ordinary place… I’ve found it has little to do with the things you see and everything to do with the way you see them.”
Elliott Erwitt

I was once told during my apprenticeship as a young photographer that I "should look with intention", not just to see what’s in front of me, but to really observe, to properly take in what’s excatly in front of my lens. It’s amazing how effectively this works when I'm actively looking to create a photograph. Situations and even objects can take on a different meaning…you begin to learn to see what you're looking at..Looking with intention.

Being a 'People' photographer, I try and do this with all my portraiture shoots, whether it’s for a commercial shoot, a straight portrait shoot or a lifestyle scenario for one of my clients. I’m looking for the genuine, the authentic, I’m looking for compassion & empathy. All these sensibilities make for an engaging & realistic portrayal of the person or situation I’m engaged to photograph.

It’s like finding out something new about someone we’ve known for years, we start to look at them in a different light.

Lewis Hamilton in the Zone just before the British Grand Prix - Silverstone 2006

I love the concentration with Lewis Hamilton here just before his big race, the British Grand Prix. He was completely zoned into his environment and the task ahead, I'm not even sure he's even noticed me, and I'm that close I could touch him.

When was the last time you saw something more clearly or completely differently?

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