It has been said that golf is a good walk spoiled, some might say the same regarding a good walk with a photographer. It’s the linger factor, waiting around for the visual artist to get that shot, it can be similar to standing there waiting for the eager golfer to choose the right club (choose the right setting), line up the shot (line up the shot), take a few practice swings (take a few setup shots), finally…take the shot and invariably resulting differently than what was intended and then walk the few feet and try again. If it was all to end after that good walk, then maybe some forgiveness might ensue. The postmortem can last longer than the walk, the shot selection, the result, the bigger picture.

Still, if your hobby or passion is photography, there is something to be said for that strolling around, possibly alone, stopping periodically and attempting to render what you see into a 2D version the scene, the place, the connection, and the mood. You don’t have to go great distances to get that photo, the challenge can be met in your locality, regardless of environment ,by looking around. Whether you are in a rural or urban area, there is plenty to observe and photograph, whatever your area of photography. We want to take the best photographs we can, but we need to look for references to guide us. The importance of looking at images online or in books cannot be understated, it helps us to learn. And, doing a course will also help with composition and camera settings.

My local area is Old Kilcullen. Some days I walk around with the camera and it just doesn’t happen, sometimes it does. Our mood affects our ability to interpret the scene in front of us. Don’t get frustrated if every time you go out that you don’t come back with that masterpiece, a little reflection, guidance and perseverance go a long way, plus how you connect with the subject of your photographs has a fundamental effect on your results. Always look for inspiration, learn, persevere and only show your best work, and most of all remember, it should be something to enjoy.