Many photographers fall into the trap of believing their hometown lacks photogenic subjects while envying images from distant locations. This mindset blinds you to compelling compositions that exist right under your nose, requiring a deliberate shift in perspective to rediscover familiar places.
Coming to you from Ben Harvey Photography, this insightful video tackles the common problem of hometown blindness that affects photographers at every level. Harvey demonstrates this concept by photographing Shoreham-by-Sea, his own hometown that he admits to neglecting in favor of more exotic locations. He explains how familiarity breeds contempt in photography, making previously exciting scenes appear mundane through repetition. The video follows his early morning shoot as he attempts to see his surroundings with fresh eyes, capturing bridges, boats, and waterfront scenes during optimal lighting conditions. Harvey reveals how high tide transforms the muddy foreground into clean reflections, instantly improving the aesthetic appeal of his compositions.
You'll discover practical techniques for finding compelling subjects in seemingly ordinary environments. Harvey shows how elevation changes your perspective dramatically, demonstrating shots from bridge level that eliminate distracting foreground elements while creating cleaner compositions. He discusses the challenge of photographing well-known subjects and shares a personal anecdote about thinking he'd captured something unique, only to find the exact same shot displayed in a local chip shop. The video explores various compositional elements including leading lines created by colorful buoys and the way Lancing College serves as a distant focal point when properly framed. Harvey also addresses the messy but potentially photogenic house boats, acknowledging their lack of consistency while suggesting this randomness might actually enhance their visual appeal.
The underlying message extends beyond technical considerations to challenge your creative mindset. Harvey emphasizes that creating something new from familiar subjects requires more effort and vision than photographing obviously dramatic landscapes in exotic locations. He points out that while traveling to places like Rome provides obvious inspiration, the real test of photographic skill lies in finding fresh perspectives on everyday scenes. This approach forces you to develop stronger observational skills and compositional awareness since you can't rely on inherently spectacular scenery to carry your images. Check out the video above for the full rundown from Harvey.
"the real test of photographic skill lies in finding fresh perspectives on everyday scenes" - love this part! There is nothing wrong with wanting to see and photograph something new, but photographing something familiar so that it would look unusual is on the whole another level. I've also noticed that even slight twitches in editing might affect the image. I've been experimenting with Photoworks black and white filters lately and I've noticed that some places look way more interesting that way, almost mysterious or dramatic.