Perspectives

Familiarity breeds ... new shots

10/11/2013
While there's a thrill and excitement seeking out new locations (or at least somewhere you haven't photographed, as there are very few areas that haven't been shot by someone!), I'm a big fan of revisiting familiar places. The nature of landscape photography means that there's always something different every time I visit a location - whether it's the light, the foliage or the level of the water/sea. While even my mood, vision or perspective on a scene can change over time, so the changes in the results can be anything from the subtle to the dramatic.
So, with this in mind I was back in the Brecon Beacons this week, shooting the waterfalls that I have visited probably 8 or 9 times in the last couple of years. But after plenty of rain, and the trees in the final throws of autumn colour, the scenery and sights are transformed.
I still can't resist shooting some of the waterfalls, such as Sgwd Ddwli and Sgwd Gwladus, from familiar viewpoints. But I also find shots in details and other cascades that I haven't even given a second glance to on other visits.
So, you don't always need to seek out new locations to get your creative juices flowing, sometimes it's even better to go back to somewhere you've been many times before and simply record the changes and look for images that you hadn't thought of before!

Sgwd Gwladus, Brecon Beacons
Sgwd Gwladus, Brecon Beacons