Photography triggers
Not everything is worthy of a photograph. At least to you or me. You have your tastes that are unique to you. I remember when I first began shooting, I would photograph everything and anything without question. While this was just an essential part of the photography journey, it meant that I had so many USD cards with absolutely nothing notable on them. But, maybe when you first began shooting you knew exactly what you were interested in and the stories you wanted to share. Experimentation, self-expression and play I think are critical to developing your eye. But what if you had a specific set of photography triggers? You probably know that an emotional trigger is; something that ignites a feeling or memory and disrupts your current state. It generally has a negative connotation, but let’s reframe it positively for what I’m getting at in photography if you don’t mind! So if you think about a photography trigger, it essentially is the same thing. A photography trigger is what ignites your creativity, makes you HAVE to shoot that subject, and automatically pulls at your and your creative heart and eye. You can’t deny them because they are ingrained in your creative makeup. Let me share some of mine to get a better understanding of what I mean. For instance, I can’t get enough of flowers and rustic, aged buildings. Whenever I see a dew-covered rose or a weathered old cottage or building, I’m drawn into the like a moth to a flame. I can’t help but want to capture it. Another is soft light filtering through a misty morning. There have been countless times back in Vermont when I’d wake up bleary-eyed and look outside at the lush green lawn on an early summer morning and see the misty fog whisper and glide through the trees. I’d leap straight out of bed, forgetting shoes, and run out the door with my camera. Another is a heaping bowl of produce or anything freshly dug up from the garden. There is something so wholesome and grounding about a vegetable garden and it’s abundance to me.
So what are some of yours? I’m sure you have some. What are your absolute musts, and “this feels like me?” Have you ever had that moment when you are traveling and you stop to take a photo that is purely just a moment for you, that speaks to you? Then someone else stops and takes a quick photo with their iPhone as if they don’t want to miss out on whatever it is (because if you’re taking a photo it must be worthwhile!) and then keep walking. I never want to be that person. I try and shoot with intention, noting my photography triggers in my mind. Subjects, moments, scenes, light, etc that feel like me and my style. Once you verbalize them or write them out, you will start to be attuned to them when you’re out and about. And when you see something that just feels “meh" you can move along without thinking you missed anything. It has to be said that yes trying new things and styles is critical to our growth, but I think too that familiarizing ourselves to ourselves is equally important. By doing so we can begin to cultivate intentionality and discernment over the subjects and scenes we choose.
Here are some questions to help you think about your photography triggers:
What lights you up behind the lens? Be as specific as possible! Down to the very type of light and colors….
What photographs are you most proud of and why?
And what photographs do you feel most represent your style and feel like you?
Without thinking, list off things that you could photograph repeatedly without tiring of it…
Create a vision board of your photography triggers. Collect images, either yours or found elsewhere that are undeniably scenes, subjects, moments, light, color, composition, etc that feel a part of you, that ignite you, that trigger you creatively…
