Vision...

"Vision is a way of seeing and representing the world through our own eyes. It is something we acquire in the course of our own photographic journey rather than copying from others. We learn how others see by studying their work and up to a point, imitating it. But if we are to develop our own vision and style, we must look at ourselves and how we view the world."   – Nigel Baker

I am fairly certain that I'm not the only photographer who looks at websites and blogs, at photograph hosting websites like Flickr and Instagram and Shutterfly. I am intensely curious about the work of other photographers, sometimes to the point of spending hours looking at photographs, to see what caught their interest, and how their imagination... and skill... led them to take that particular image. The hunt for inspiration can easily fill a rainy winter day, when my camera stays on the shelf, waiting for a break in the weather.

Mostly I search for beautiful landscapes, which have always been my passion. When I find an image that really speaks to me, I dissect it. What is the angle of view? Was the photographer standing high above or were they making a belly shot? Where was the light coming from? Was it morning light, or the last few hours of evening? What about the composition appeals to me? If I was standing on that spot, what would I change? And I take that knowledge into the field and put it into use.

In the process of learning from others, I've learned the most important trick of all:  to use my lens to help me find the photograph. So many times I've thought a view was boring, then looked at the same landscape through the lens, and found a beautiful photograph.

This works especially well for smaller views. A single branch or leaf, a raindrop glistening on the edge of a flower, a rim of frost on a cluster of leaves. Then learning to shoot these close-ups with a blurred background, to make the image pop. I've learned so much about macro photography from some of my favorite bloggers.

Setting up vignettes of small items to photograph isn't really my thing, but sometimes I come across some really good ideas and think, I would never have thought of doing that. Like using an old book as a prop to hold some small interesting item. The book provides a lot of texture that enhances the main point of the photograph... and I think it makes the photograph more memorable.

So take a few minutes and explore. Your photography will be the better for it.