Photographing Somewhere Special

The Art of Photographing Somewhere Special

Photographing somewhere special gives you an opportunity to explore and understand the place. Often, it’s the memories of our youth that create a bond with a certain location. Revisiting it can evoke old thoughts and feelings.

There’s somewhere special to me. It’s a place full of childhood memories. However, when I went back there recently, it looked very different from how I remembered it. Nevertheless, it brought back memories of times past. Not only that, I quickly realised the photographic skills I honed in my coastal home town still worked in this different place.

Deja Vu

This time of year, I get deja vu. Every autumn, once the school summer holidays end, it’s a constant rush to produce gift certificates that people buy for their photography-enthusiast friends and family. That rush continues right until Christmas, when people realise they have not got a present for their partner. It’s not unusual for me to email a PDF copy of a gift certificate to someone’s partner on Christmas Eve, or the day before a birthday.

I never let the recipient know that was the case.

I think people appreciate the workshops because most of them are held along the Northumberland coast, and that means they are photographing somewhere special.

Despite that rush, I sometimes get a couple of days away in the autumn. Last year, instead of running back and forth to the post office to mail the gift certificates, my camera and I headed to one of my favourite beaches.

Thinking Back to Photographing Somewhere Special in the Past

When I was a lad, I holidayed at Waxham. It’s on the Norfolk coast, where I stayed with my family for several consecutive years. One summer, when I was maybe 12 years old, a pile driver constantly pounded as they installed new wooden groynes. The old ones had rotted away. Protecting that stretch of coast from erosion and flooding is important.

The groynes looked amazing, especially as the years passed and they became weathered.

It was somewhere special to me and, when I visited Norfolk recently, I thought they would make a great subject. So, early one morning I drove there from my hotel. I donned my Wellington boots and walked across the sand dunes, only to discover that those wooden breakwaters had long gone. Instead, large black boulders now protect the beach. The seascape I remembered and loved had changed entirely.

Shooting in Low Light can make Photographing Somewhere Special Extra Special

Nevertheless, I made my way to the shoreline, set up my camera on my Benro Tortoise tripod, and started shooting.

It was half an hour until daybreak, and there was heavy cloud cover, so I initially set my OM-1 to 1-second exposures at f/10 and ISO 200. I had the OM-1 Mark II with me as well, but it had my long lens attached for photographing marsh harriers later that morning. I never change a lens at the coast because the air is filled with salt and sand particles, as well as sea spray, and I don’t want those inside my camera.

Photographing Somewhere Special: Live ND and Live Time

I wanted longer exposures than one second. So, initially, I activated the camera’s Live ND feature. That gave me 60 seconds of exposure. One of the many things I like about OM System is its ability to shoot up to 60-second exposures in P, A, S, and M modes; most cameras are limited to 30-second exposures.

However, the light got brighter. Consequently, I fitted my Urth Plus+ ND1000 filter. I then switched to Live Time mode, which lets me watch the image develop gradually on the rear screen. Thus, I played around with different shutter speeds, achieving different effects. Sometimes, the photos showed the swirling streaks of the water, and longer exposure smoothed out the sea entirely.

Although this was not photographing somewhere special as I envisioned. Nevertheless, although the gnarly wooden groynes were long gone, it still proved to be an excellent place for a photoshoot. Despite the dull, flat light, there was still plenty of contrast. Plus, the long exposures and flat sky provided good conditions for minimalist shots.

I considered going back later with my M. Zuiko 150-400mm F4.5 PRO lens to photograph the seals. They watched me at work. However, the light didn’t pick up during my stay. So I passed on it.

Where I Live Now is also Somewhere Special

Like most people, I do love the sea. Therefore, I consider myself lucky to live where I do. Moreover, although the coastal scenery here is somewhat different from the stretch of coast in Norfolk where I spent so many of my summer holidays during my youth, the methods of photographing it are similar.

One of my greatest joys is sharing the techniques with other photographers. Depending on the time of year, I run sunrise photography workshops where I’m on location at 5 am or earlier.

Photographing somewhere special requires more than just turning up. If you want good photos, it’s all about putting yourself in places at times when nobody else goes, and when the light is amazing. People who are determined to take great photos are prepared to make sacrifices, like missing out on sleep.

Cameras and Workshops

All of the photos were taken with either an OM System OM-1 or OM-1 Mark II.

If you consider buying a camera, get in touch. I give free advice and will meet up for half an hour and talk through the decision-making process with you.

I also run discounted courses for OM System and Olympus camera owners.

(The OM System links are affiliate links, and if you buy through them, I do get a small commission, which helps pay for this site.)