Yesterday we looked at some videos on the impact of tourism, so today I thought we could look at 7 tips for photographing around home. This is a topic I’m actually really passionate about.
7 tips for Photographing around home
The reality is you don’t have to travel to be a photographer or to take photos.
There seems to be this misconception that you aren’t a real photographer unless you go to Iceland or Africa, or somewhere else high profile. It is a load of crap really. Today I thought I would talk about it, or rather give you 7 tips as to why photographing around your home is a good idea.
Let’s just be clear, I don’t mean the house you live in, rather the area you live in. Let’s say in all directions with around a 2 hour drive. There are so many advantages and not really any disadvantages.
Let’s take a look at them:
1 reduce your carbon footprint
They say one of the worse things you can do for your carbon footprint is step on a plane. So every time you fly somewhere you are making that footprint worse. That’s not saying you can’t fly somewhere, but then maybe you need to work out how to reduce your footprint in other ways, so the plane travel isn’t as bad.
If you want to travel by plane, then perhaps consider how often you do it.
As we saw yesterday cruise ships are also really bad for the environment. They cause a lot of pollution and have the ability to land a heap of tourists in one place at a time.
When you photograph where you are then you are not creating that footprint. Your car isn’t going to be as big as the plane. It is even better if you carpool and travel with other people as well. Take friends with you when you go to take photos.
2 get to know the great spots
When you are around home you get to know the best places to take photos. Of course, they are often well known, and places that tourists will know about as well. However, you still get to take photos of them. You aren’t restricted by time and can go when you like.
One definite advantage is that you have the ability to shoot the location over and over again until you get a perfect image. This isn’t something that tourists can do.
3 learn about the secret spots
No matter where in the world you live there will be spots that are secret and only the locals really know about them, or have access. I live near a massive swampland. It is beautiful but basically unknown, so it is never overrun with tourists. Well, the tourists don’t know about it.
There are so many places that are like that. Tourists tend to go to the well known places and that’s it. Many are often only here for a short time as well. There are places around Melbourne you can often get to yourself for that very reason.
4 bad weather isn’t a problem
If I’m going somewhere to take photos and I wake up and the weather is crap, I stay in bed.
However, if I am travelling, I have to get up and put up with whatever the weather gives me. It may be the only time I get to take photos. There were many days on my last trip to New Zealand where the weather was really bad. Had to miss out on some things and because we were moving on we couldn’t reschedule.
When I’m here if the weather is not what I want, then I wait until it is. I have particular types of weather that I like to go out for and I can wait for it. Doesn’t really matter too much. This way I can photograph what I want in the weather I want. Brilliant.
5 photograph places through different seasons
Like the previous tip, you can pick what season you want to photograph in. Actually, that’s not true, it is more photographing in every season. You don’t have to choose just one like you do when you’re travelling. Well, that is unless you are very rich and can visit in each season. I don’t know many people who can do that.
You can do an amazing job as you photograph one place over the year in each season.
6 on hand if something special happens
Every now and then something special might occur where you live and you can just go and take photos. You aren’t looking at it from a country or two away wishing you were there to take photos. It could be the aftermath of a storm or fires. Maybe a dam will empty a huge amount of water. I don’t know. It isn’t something I’ve done, but if you liked that sort of thing, you would be on hand to do it. Capture that unique moment.
7 photograph places without tourists
This would have to be one of the best things I think. Because time isn’t a problem you can wait to take photos. If there are a lot of tourists around you can go another day. You can work out days or times where it is likely there won’t be as many.
Of course, this is if you are photographing places that are well known. I know that the beaches around Melbourne and along the coast are a nightmare in January. So I don’t get anywhere near them. I know what time to get to the 12 apostles so they aren’t overrun with them.
These are the things that locals get to know and be aware of. It is amazing how secretive us locals can be as well.
Should you travel?
If you want to, of course you should, just do it responsibly.
I’ve decided that I will travel, but probably not out of Australia. I am going to make my country my travel destination. I want to see what is here. Not sure how much I will see but will give it a go.
So far I have done a lot to reduce my carbon footprint and that feels great. Still, I don’t want to be part of the problem, that is my choice.
Do you have any tips that I might have missed out on?
Gallery
So I am going to try and show lots of photos of places that are within that 2 hour drive or there abouts. There are a few, but I could have done a lot more. I love where I live and know I can get some amazing photos without having to go too far.
Hi Leanne. All the pictures are awesome. I am yet to explore long exposure photography. Will certainly do one day. I was wondering if you have used any filters during the shoot?
Thank you, yes, I use filters all the time. I have a set of ND filters from Formatt Hitech.
Gottcha. Thanks, Leanne for your response.
You’re welcome, sorry it took me a while.
Oh no worries. That was super quick I must say.
Oh okay, good.
A lot of what I photograph it within a few hour drive. We have a couple of distant places in the US that we want to visit but the nearby destinations are certainly easier on the budget!!
Oh yes, I know what you mean, close can be great. Though nice when you go away that you can do it with a night or two there. I like that too. Thank you Nora.
Hello again Leanne,
Well done to you on a great post as a follow up. Always brave to stick your head above the parapet on this sort of issue.
I certainly like the idea of revisiting the same site under different conditions and in this regard I’m going to mention the “Through My Window” exhibition by AHAE. I wonder if any of your followers ever visited it, or know about it, before AHAE was exposed and engulfed by scandal leading to his eventual presumed suicide? A link to more about him and the exhibition on my web pages below :
https://thegardenimpressionists.com/2016/06/06/sunshine-and-surprise-visitors-gellis-plant-palette-the-first-dozen/
https://thegardenimpressionists.com/2012/07/24/swallow-chatter-nommes-de-roses-through-my-window-bedding-bliss/
The exhibition inspired me to keep going with (almost exclusively) very local photography and writing, culminating this year in a separate web page of my own sort of “Through My Window” project recording pics out of a single window in a Shepherd’s Hut I built last year – you might like to check it out. Apart from an introduction, it’s just images, chronologically taken with no text. OK we’re lucky to have a great view, just a short steep walk from the house, but my guess is anyone could use the challenge of macro and micro views from a single vantage point, over a year, to great effect.
https://thegardenimpressionists.com/the-hut/the-hut-2019/
This sort of project creates both a real discipline, and also an opportunity for quiet time, spent still and just looking and seeing and waiting for something that might pass in front of you whilst you’re there – quite therapeutic in today’s world. Plus pretty eco-friendly!
I wonder if anyone else is doing, or has done this sort of project ? There must be several/many I guess.
If so maybe it would form a great sort of pan global opportunity for exchange of places and images and how they change over a single year?
Best wishes
Julian
They sounds like great projects Julian, I think there are many people who would be interested. Challenges are something that many people see find really good. Thank you for sharing this Julian.
Thanks Leanne… for some reason I’m not seeing any comments on your posts the last couple of days.. I really liked your follow up post though, and the red/pink (?) lakes video – and wondered what the backing piano based soundtrack is?
Best wishes
Julian
Yeah, I’ve been a bit lazy, haha, haven’t been on here much, so a bit slow in approving them.
Sorry, I did that video about 5 years ago, not sure what it was.
I live in Africa, and don’t consider it any more ”high profile” from a photography perspective than anywhere else.
Lovely gallery, Leanne.
I have found that, seems every photographer you talk to wants to go Iceland, about 20 years ago it was Africa.
I think we all think that about where we live. I know people think it must be great to live in Australia, but I don’t know, perhaps we know the crappy parts about where we live too.
Thank you so much Arkenaten.
This is all great advice. When I still lived in Scotland, I lived in a beautiful spot with breathtaking landscapes and historic structures. I never tired of “travelling” in my own home base.
It is great when you live somewhere great, I find that with Melbourne and always so grateful I live here, but the challenge can always be finding something new, which is something I find hard with the immediate area I live in. Thank you Laura, Scotland looks like an amazing place.
Although I’ve lived in the Philadelphia suburbs for 6 years now, I’m definitely still a tourist here. I’ve not had to seek out the secret places yet. Scotland is a stunning country. I know I’ll never live anywhere as beautiful as when I lived in Argyll. I hope you get to visit Scotland some time because I’d love to see your photos. 😃
Must be so much fun learning and exploring a new city. I wanted to visit Philadelphia when I was there, but it didn’t happen. Scotland does look like a stunning country. I’ve been hearing about it for as long as I can remember. I would love to go there, but not sure it will ever happen.
Likewise, I have always wanted to visit Australia and New Zealand but have no idea when or if I can ever make that plan happen.
I totally get that, it would be nice to go where you want, but money is such a pain.