The Freedom of Photography
Happy New year, It’s hard to comprehend that we are three quarters of the way through January already.
As promised, my intention is to write more posts this year. Writing is something i really enjoy to do and although I may not be the most polished or articulate writer, i enjoy the process of putting thought & feeling down on paper. The same could be said about photography.
Photography for many people is a way to convey emotion, feelings and mood, it’s also…. story telling albeit in a visual context and a way to express yourself creatively.
My very early beginnings in photography started by wanting to create a moment of beauty and share this with family & friends, improve things like composition and the dreaded technical side. I would buy photography books to look at images, how they had been composed, the settings used, where the location was and research for a potential visit. I was completely drawn in by scenes of colour & light and totally transfixed by flowing waterfalls. I remember researching waterfalls like the Loup of Fintry, the Devils Pulpit, the Fairy Glen and the Fairy Pools, all of which we did visit & photograph, below.
Early photographs of waterfalls that i felt inspired to visit.
This brings me to my first thoughts on the freedom of photography, we tend to have lists of locations we’d like to visit, all of which we would likely never even know about if not for photography. My lists were usually of places that had captivated me enough that I wanted to be immersed in the location, see it for myself and enjoy being in the environment. The freedom of travel and exploration. The journey to a location was all part of the fun, the not knowing what you would see & experience on the way, other locations that might be of interest and those moments that were completely spontaneous. My experience has been that photography encourages you to head out into the environment, into all sorts of weather and terrains that would usually leave you thinking what on earth are we doing….It’s where memories are made not only in the camera but within.
I could literally write paragraphs about how the freedom of travel through photography brought us joy, peace and a sense of belonging.
The second half of my thoughts on the freedom of photography will likely sound contradictory but it’s a process that has taken me over ten years to arrive at and may not come out in any logical context but I’ll give it a go…
The camera allows us to create moments in time, to see, to feel and to be. It’s a creative outlet, a way of letting go and for many, a healing and mindful process. My photography has taken many different directions and paths, especially in the early days. I photographed weddings, portraits, events, experimented with macro, long exposure and Astro which I suppose is another way that photography allows freedom.
Early photography long exposure, Astro and seascape
We were always drawn to water in some way or form, lochs, waterfalls and especially the ocean. Long exposure was my first glimpse into being able to create a scene that was true to life but with the added element of ethereal flowing water or movement in the clouds created in one still image. What I have always loved about long exposure is the choice, the freedom it gives you in terms of how you want to create a scene. I enjoy to use different shutter speeds with the same scene and am always amazed at how different the image feels when comparing one to another. It’s a creative choice and your own interpretation which i really enjoy.
Something that i feel has held me back in terms of my creativity is the drive to create pleasing images. But who are they pleasing to? We all love a scene that is incredibly beautiful, full of life & colour, the glow of a sunrise or sunset or the drama of a dark moody sky but it is how we interpret the scene. I find myself and still do, looking at composition and trying to make sure that everything is balanced, correctly exposed, focused and has the elements that people enjoy to see… I do love this part of the process, being out in nature, the story telling and the excitement of the weather & conditions.
Over the last couple of years i have been finding myself wanting to be a little more expressive in my photography. This has usually been out by the coast with raging seas. I absolutely love huge waves and the roar of the sea. The initial response is to freeze the moment, capture the shape and structure of a breaking wave and see every piece of the spray and droplets as it surges. Creating images like these portrays a sense of the power of the ocean and elements but the same can also be said when creating something a little different. Using a slower shutter speed to almost create an ethereal feel can have as much impact.
Wave images using a fast shutter speed to freeze the moment.
Wave images using a slower shutter speed to create something a little different
The problem that i have found is more of a personal one in that i have been reluctant to share these types of images. I tend to select the ones i am happy with, edit them and save them into my folders, never to be seen again. The same can also be said with other images that i have been super critical with myself about.
The question I have been asking myself recently is why do I do this.
It more than likely comes down to fear and apprehension of doing something different and sharing it online, the images not being accepted or criticised even. I have even chosen to not share certain images, particularly to my Instagram account because of how different they would look compared to my other images which is quite ridiculous when you think about it…. I’m sure I’m not alone with this.
My thought process has always been to only share work that I consider to be my best work or images that I think are pleasing to others but surely this again has the potential to hold you back rather than be free.
I haven’t allowed this to stop me from creating images that are more experimental. And this is the part where it feels contradictory. The freedom of expression and creativity is one thing but being willing and happy to share this is another and has felt restrictive rather than freeing which has completely my own doing. It should come down to what you enjoy to photograph in whatever way you want to create it.
All that being said, 2026 so far feels refreshing and definitely freeing. I’m not sure what has changed or why. I enjoy to see other peoples creative work and have often been inspired by this. Creating something a little different isn’t always what people enjoy to see but this year I’ve decided to make a conscious effort to share more and step out of the comfort zone. For me, it’s not about change, it’s about accepting that creativity comes in all shapes, forms and directions. It’s embracing what we enjoy and not being afraid to share what we’re passionate about. What has been incredibly positive is the response to some of the images i have shared recently which goes to show that we shouldn’t hold back from sharing. It may even provide some encouragement to others who may have been feeling the same way.
So here’s to sharing images that are pleasing to us, images that we enjoy to photograph and images that we’re passionate about.
Recent images using ICM, Intentional Camera Movement.