We are absolutely inundated by imagery from every angle, every day, and as such, it can be easy to fall into the trap of shooting the most common trends. And it is a real shame when that happens, because it keeps you from developing your own creative voice and from enjoying photography as much as possible. This fantastic video essay is an important reminder that shooting for yourself is what matters most at the end of the day.
Coming to you from Steve O'Nions, this awesome video essay follows him in a hike in North Wales, photographing with both digital infrared and film. As O'Nions discusses, it can be easy to fall into the habit of chasing trends or falling prey to the opinions of others. Of course, if you are a professional, it pays to pay attention to trends and understand what clients may be asking of you, but if you are hobbyist, you are beholden to no one but yourself, and it is important to keep that in mind. After all, we pursue photography as a hobby because we love it, and it is important to keep that in our hearts lest we lose our affection for the craft altogether. Make what makes you happy and don't worry about what others think. Check out the video above for the full rundown from O'Nions.
