"Doylem speaks wisdom": I would put that on my business card... if my real name was Doylem. It sounds a bit contradictory, to a Yorkshire ear, because 'Doylem' is just a bit of local vernacular, and means an idiot ("He's a right doylem").
When I started posting pictures here, I hadnt been using the tripod long. I made a promise to myself that Id take my photography more seriously, which translated into using a tripod for most shots and having my photo gear on me at all times. So I always have a backpack with me: camera, tripod, 18-70mm lens, cable release, plus spare cards, batteries... and the grey grad filter that I dont seem to use any more. The tripod has made a big difference. As Phrasikleia says, its as much about attitude and intention as it is about holding the camera steady. With a tripod, you dont need to compromise: you can pick the aperture and shutter speed thats best for the picture you want, rather than on what you can get away with, handheld.
Taking pictures becomes an event, rather than a moment. Instead of looking through that cramped little viewfinder, you can be aware of whats happening all around: what the lights doing, where the weathers heading. The idea of staying in one place isnt just an exercise in tedium; its good to acclimatise and settle into the landscape... and be ready.
Im gratified to have given Phrasikleia that little nudge, but shes raised the bar pretty damn high since then. Its time she got together with a good publisher and thought about producing a series of books. Her locations are stunning. I appreciate that its easier to be inspired by mountain scenery than by strip-malls and suburbia. But loads of people come to the Lake District and go home with photographs that dont do justice to the landscape, or how they felt about it. The pictures dont create themselves... no matter what the camera manufacturers would like to suggest!
As Phrasikleias pictures prove, improvements come in small increments: more time, more effort, more self-discipline, a continuous tweaking of technique and PP. It all takes time, though she seems to have taken the speed learning course! The decisive moment, for any photographer, IMO, is when we stop looking for short-cuts and commit to some good, old-fashioned work ethic.
I feel my own photography has levelled out, in terms of quality, even though Im busier than ever. Shooting for stock sales requires a whole different way of thinking. The biggest kick I get out of my photography, at the moment, is just slinging the bag over my shoulder, going for a wander and seeing what happens.
The slope of Helm Crag, near Grasmere...
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