Choosing a photographic theme
I’ve spoken before about choosing a photographic theme when you’re in a new location. A big city such as Paris, New York, London or Melbourne can be overwhelming when you first get there and choosing a theme to concentrate on can make it easier to ‘get in the zone’.
It doesn’t matter whether you choose a colour, a shape, a style of architecture or something else completely different. Just looking for an image that fits the theme makes you open your eyes and start to see, rather than just looking. You see things entirely differently.
Here is a collection of “blue” images I’ve made.
You could choose to photograph blue doors…
Choosing a theme, can make it easier to focus when in a new location
Fujifilm X100S, 1/180 sec, ƒ2.8, ISO200
Old wooden doors in Honfleur, Normandy, France
Fujifilm X100S, 1/20 sec, ƒ5.6, ISO200
A blue door in Bayeux, Normandy, France
Fujifilm X100S, 1/500, ƒ2.8, ISO200
You could choose to photograph people wearing something blue…
A man wearing a blue jacket and carrying a blue umbrella in Vienna, Austria
Nikon D800, 1/100 sec, ƒ4, 58mm, ISO6400
A man wearing a blue beret enjoying the sunshine in Jardin du Luxembourg, Paris, France
Fujifilm X100S, 1/280 sec, ƒ4, ISO200
Cleaning windows in Melbourne, wearing a blue t-shirt
Fujifilm X100S, 1/125 sec, ƒ2.8, ISO200
A street entertainer with a blue cart and blue jacket in Paris
Fujifilm X100S, 1/750 sec, ƒ2.8, ISO200
Walking through Jardin du Luxembourg in Paris, wearing blue reflective sunglasses
Fujifilm X100S, 1/1250 sec, ƒ2.8, ISO200
Or you could simply look for blue in everyday things…
A selection of boots in front of a shop in Caen, Normandy, France
Fujifilm X100S, 1/160 sec, ƒ4, ISO200
A blue “love lock” on Pont des Arts in Paris
Olympus OMD EM-5, 1/250 sec, ƒ6, 43mm, ISO400
The Eiffel Tower set against a blue sky in Paris, France
Olympus OMD EM-5, 1/1250 sec, ƒ4, 12mm, ISO200
Blue stairs in Paris, France
Fujifilm X100S, 1/4 sec, ƒ2.8, ISO200
Blue pipes on the outside of the Centre Pompidou, Paris, France
Olympus OMD EM-5, 1/160 sec, ƒ3.5, 12mm, ISO200
The Blue Hive, street art in Adelaide, South Australia
Olympus OMD EM-5, 1/400 sec, ƒ11, 18mm, ISO320
It really doesn’t matter what theme you choose. What is important, is that you choose something to help you focus on getting interesting images. Don’t just settle for the “postcard” shots. By all means, get those too, but look around and make images that tell a story about where you are.
