By James Farley
When shooting
in your home town or suburb, it doesn’t need to be about the main tourist
attraction or a big event, notable landmark or iconic building – the most
important thing is to focus on what you find
most interesting, inspiring and beautiful in the area. A great sense of
adventure and willingness to explore is essential in finding those wonderfully
unassuming locations and photo opportunities.
Canon 40D, Vintage 1960's Asahi 50mm f2.0 lens. Location: Elderslie, NSW. Photographer: James Farley
Take some time
to document what it is that gives your home town or suburb its unique
character. Use the familiarity that comes with being a local to your advantage,
and try to reveal locations that the average sightseer would often overlook.
One of the best practices for achieving this kind of project is to just take a
day, or even just a few hours, to wander around with your camera and actively
seek out the interesting and intriguing elements of your home town or suburb
that give the area life. Try making a list of any places around the area, big
or small, that you find interesting in any way, and just shoot your way through
it.
Fujifilm X-T1. Location: Newtown, NSW. Photographer: Trent Crawford
No matter how
mundane or ordinary you may think your home town may be, there is always
something or somebody there worth documenting. Taking photos of what is
familiar to you can expose a whole new perspective of people and places you may
often take for granted.
But the main
point of advice is to open your eyes to the beautiful and interesting things
that surround you in the everyday. Exploring and documenting the everyday life
of your own home town is a fantastic creative outlet, and is really something
to enjoy and to use to expand your own passion for photography.
Camera
The great thing
about photojournalistic endeavours such as this is that the importance is often
focused more on creating a snapshot of a time and place. So unlike other, more
technically demanding fields of photography, you don’t always need the highest
level of camera gear; anything that you are most comfortable taking photos with
is just fine.
That being
said, it is always incredibly useful to use equipment that allows for manual
exposure control, as it opens up worlds of creative and technical opportunities
in your photography, so a good DSLR or CSC camera will never go amiss.
Lenses
When it comes
to this kind of photography, I believe that the best options are either a mid
to wide angle fixed focal length lens, such as a 35mm or 50mm, or a more versatile zoom lens, such as
an 18-55mm or 24-70mm.
Bags and straps
It’s always a
good idea to invest in reliable transporting equipment for your camera,
especially when it comes to photojournalism. Bags
and backpacks that allow for quick and easy camera access are
always fantastic, as having your camera on hand at all times means that you’re
much less likely to miss that perfect shot.
Other Accessories
When shooting
outdoors, it’s extremely beneficial to use a lens
hood and UV
filter, as not only do they help to reduce glare, but
they also give some protection against minor bumps and scratches.
Depending on
what kind of photos you’re taking or the situations you’re in, a light tripod
or monopod will definitely come in handy from time to
time.
If you’re like me and love shooting in overcast, rainy weather,
then rain
covers are absolutely necessary for keeping your
equipment safe.
Fujifilm X-T1. Location: Newtown, NSW. Photographer: Trent Crawford
