Stillness is the Key..

I’ve always been fascinated with time - how I can feel focused, present, with time flying by but other times the complete opposite. When I purchased my first camera I was full of excitement, watching hours of YouTube videos trying to learn tips and about equipment I ‘should’ be using. Fixated on what I didn’t have! Eagerly, heading out with my new gear away from the busy hustle of the working week - the same energy was driving my woodland walks, snapping away, looking but not slowing down to see.

Then a shift happened, my approach started to change. I stopped taking pictures and started making pictures, I started to slow down, composing my images and I could feel change. I was present. As I stood still, I began to contemplate compositions, appreciating the multitude of factors I preferred and aspects I wanted to remove, I was creating my style - I had to slow down to let it happen.

Before shooting, how often do you acclimatise to your environment, settle into your new surrounding before taking images? Is there a voice prompting you to make the most of the limited time you have? That you need a good image to quantify your time? Looking through some of my favourite images, I could tell you exactly how I felt at the time..

As Ryan Holiday writes in Stillness Is the Key:

“Stillness is what aims the archer’s arrow. It inspires new ideas. It sharpens perspective and illuminates connections.”

In the same way, stillness focuses the photographer’s eye. Sharpens an instinct to compose an image not just for what is visible, but for what is felt. It connects the photographer to the present moment—to the living world. Photography without stillness may capture images—but rarely will it capture insight.

We often hear photography is subjective so next time you’re out think of subtle changes below are some you could consider..

• Take time to acclimatise to your new environment. Stand still, listen, breathe, how are you feeling.

• Set an intention for your shoot.

• If you’ve found a composition, there will likely be more. Change your aspect ratio. Don’t be in a rush to move!

• If you feel rushed - are you enjoying your photography time? Be able to observe and reset when you choose to.

• Take a condor moment - a military term for pausing, reflecting and assessing before acting.

• Breathe - quantify what a successful day is to you!