I’ve heard it before. In fact I’ve said it before myself. I’ve read it before too. On the ‘net. There’s nothing to photograph where I live.
That is just not true.
You probably think it’s true because you don’t have “honeypot” locations near where you live. You know – those places everybody goes to to take cool photographs to put on Instagram. Photos that all look the same. Same place. Same angle of view. Same field of view. By different people. And yet they all look the same. Because they have no imagination.
I think that what you really mean when you say there’s nothing to photograph where you live, is that you mean you see the same old things around you. Day after day. Rain hail or shine. When you go to work. When you come home from work. When you go for a photowalk.
Of course you don’t go for photowalks because there is nothing to photograph where you live.
is there really nothing to photograph where youi live?
Guess what.
I’ve got nothing to photograph where I live either. Certainly no “honeypot” locations I can trot off to.
But somehow I make do and still get out to take photographs.
How you ask…well I hope you ask. Or at least think that.
I always try to see the same things I see around me everyday a little differently. How will that look if I stand over there. Or move backwards two steps. Or crouch down. Yes. I take photographs of the same things over and over. And over.
Different day. Different light. Different weather. Different lens. And I’m also lucky enough to be able to use a different camera now and then.
Riverton Overbridge is something I’ve shot before. Just a sign. Not a picture of an actual overbridge. A bunch of signs actually. I’ve shot these several times in fact. I have a printed version on the pinboard beside my desk. Same signs. Different days. This time though the 45 sign is on a different angle now. More upright.
But the common theme running through all the photos in this story is that I’m still shooting JPEG only. And I decided to try out the Art Filter settings in my OM5 Mark II camera. Trying to be creative in camera. Part of my 2026 Creativity List.
Just an old worn out tyre. Caught my eye. Sitting on a pile of corrugated iron. Presumably to stop the iron blowing away. It’s been really windy around here lately. And wet. And cool. Roll on summer!
I didn’t spot the Made in USSR label till about my third take of this photo. So I got a lot closer and square cropped.
I can’t remember which particular Art Filter I used on the OM5 Mark II. There are over 30 to choose from. And each can be tweaked slightly. Add a blur. Add a border. Add a pinhole effect. Doesn’t really matter which one I used I suppose. I had fun. And the images are a bit different.
Maybe a little too far removed from the natural colours for some tastes. Retro-ish. Lavender-ish. I like them though.
BUT! There are lessons to be learned. Especially with no back-up RAW file alongside the JPEG.
Get the picture level. And get the composition right. Before you click the shutter.
With these images I added the border in camera. No way to crop after the event without cutting off some of the border. No way to level a horizon after the event without cutting off some of the border.
SOOC can be tricky.
I actually managed to get Boat on a Trailer level. Well almost. Just sneaked into a storage yard I was wandering past and grabbed this image.
What I am really enjoying about the OM5 Mark II is the wonderful array of built-in features. Different cropping options for JPEGs. 4:3 native. 16:9, 3:2, 1:1. And 3:4. Because it is so hard to turn the camera through 90 degrees to portrait mode! Only affects the JPEGs. Not the RAW if you shoot RAW. Plus all the different ART Filters.
I spotted this Parked Up a drive in town. Not a very inspiring image you might say. But take a look at the Caravan in a Paddock over here. Is it the same type of caravan? Certainly has a retro look. Don’t you agree?
FP stands for Fire Plug or Fire Pipe here in New Zealand. The yellow stone FP marks where there is a water valve for fire fighting underneath. Or at least close by. I told you that so you don’t have to Google FP. You’re welcome.
And finally in this ramble is A somewhat useless gate and an old log on a bank beside the road.
I say it’s a somewhat useless gate because it won’t stop anything going through. Or anyone. Didn’t stop me when I walked along there. That big log beside it has a seat carved into it.
So what do I think about this exercise. I think that there there is not ever nothing to photograph where you live. Or where I live.
Finding something to fire the shutter off at is about approaching all those common sights a bit differently. In my opinion anyway.
So give it a crack. Get out there and get some photographs that aren’t there to take. Enjoy it. Have fun.
After all, if you are an amateur or a hobbyist photographer it is all about fun.
And not money.