I think I made one of my best images
In this post
A bit of rambling about photography
Did I make one of my best images around the corner?
A bit of rambling about photography
It is almost impossible to avoid it; we have all fallen for it!
We see breathtaking images posted online; sometimes even hundred variations of a same image; and we feel the urge to visit those places, and take those amazing photos. However, in the majority of cases, we return home with (something that if we are autocritical enough, we realise is nothing but) a copy of inferior quality.
There is a main reason for it. Those amazing photos were taken under special light conditions that are unlikely to repeat during our visit. In a few lucky cases, we may be gifted with different but equally good conditions which (if we are skilful enough to use) will provide us with another beautiful image of that place. I enjoy those lucky moments very much, and I think I often deal with them quite well. Yet, chances are high that our image is just an addition to the long list of beautiful photos of the same place. There is a lack of discovery in it; and the chances that it can be considered original are very low. I think our evolution as photographers will eventually stagnate if we limit ourselves to copying known images.
With that in mind, I truly enjoy exploring unknown corners; and visiting places without the bias of a previous google search. I might “miss the highlights” (as considered by some), but I may also find unique compositions with the light of the moment; beautiful images that have never been taken.
Did I make one of my best images around the corner?
A beautiful and original image can be made right at our doorstep. And this is an opportunity that we should not overlook.
There is no place we can explore better than our home town. We walk through it nearly every day, under all weather conditions, at all times of the day. No one has better chances than us to find a unique moment in those places. And corners that may seem uninteresting on daily bases, can turn into unique compositions under the right conditions; giving us an image that no one has made so far. Something of this kind happened to me last Saturday.
It was a snowy winter afternoon, and I decided go downtown to photograph one of the known bridges; the Münsterbrücke in Zürich centre. I have been there many times during different seasons, and have made nice images. However, regardless how much I walked around and tried this time, I was not able to find a satisfying composition.
I had already given up, and was walking by the side of a historical building known as the Wasserkirche …. when something called my attention. I have walked the same way many times before; but unexpectedly this time, I noticed repeating shapes, textures on walls and pavement, and converging lines in a softly lit scene with muted colours … All that was embellished with details of snow powder on the columns ledges, and completed by an old couple walking in the distance … . It was a common place under the right conditions. Everything clicked, and I saw a moment to capture.
The main challenge was then to make everything fit in the frame, while keeping that interesting perspective that called my attention; having the right amount of people in the right place.
The final image is the one below.
Pavement by the Wasserkirche in Zurich old town, in a winter day. 16 mm | f/11 | 1/125 sec | ISO-500.
Currently, I think this might be one of my best photos. It is an image that I can imaging having printed, hanging on my wall.
From its look, it could be a painting; it could have been taken anytime in the history; yet, it was never made before.
Thank you for reading!
