Are you like me that you sometimes find yourself sitting at home, thinking that it was a while since you’ve been out making photos? Perhaps surfing the internet, your library, watching tutorials and reviews? to the point perhaps that your creative juices are ebbing away.

And it’s so easy to do and justify to yourself: the weather is crap; it’s already too late (sun’s up); it’s too early (sun’s up); where do I go that is new, exiting, etc etc. Now is a god time to break the spell like I did on this day. I think it was a Friday, worked from home that day, got the job done and grabbed my camera bag and left the house for a short photo walk toward sunset time.

I’m lucky to live nearby the sea, I am. But there are so many days that I don’t realise that. And so many people here that don’t. And I bet you that you live nearby something that is interesting, or perhaps nearby where you work or pass by. The nearby or familiar location can still be great for a walk and your hobby. In fact, it is probably the place where you will make your best photos. Because you know the place well, you’ve scouted it, you feel it, know what to look for. And you can try many times too!

I have mixed emotions about it too, I admit. The landscape explorer in me wants to go out on an adventure, see something new, perhaps sportively or logistically challenging even (see my next post on my trip to Scotland last month..). The Buddha in me tells me that I will just waste 80% of my time doing that, and then eventually see what is already ‘here’ once I’m calmed down.

So I walked the beach, captured some people walking along th waterline like myself, and just kept walking and hanging around until the sun started to set. I never know what t will bring, but having some high leel clouds in the sky looked promising. They allow the sun to set below them and shine its light from below, making them glow. I set my tripod, mounted the X-T1 with the 14mm lens, and shot everything manual through the LCD and with a 2 sec timer delay. What I think helped was that I kept moving my tripod around, putting it lower and lower and got into the water where needed, just focussing on the image in my LCD display. A special moment I can now share with you.

When the ocean sang in Hymns | Soft not loud. I hear you better. [Fuji X-T1, XF 14mm, f/18, 1/2s, ISO 200]

[Fuji X-T1, XF 14mm, f/14, 1/5s, ISO 200]