“If you can’t make a good photograph where you are, stepping onto an airplane isn’t going to make you a better photographer” - Richard Martin

I was recently speaking to a friend who is also a photographer. We were talking of our recent activities in the photographic world. I had been relatively busy with my music pretty much all the way through the pandemic but my friend shared that with not being able to travel, he hadn’t had the chance to shoot much. This got me to thinking about how many people have issues with inspiration without the luxury of travel. As far as my landscape photography is concerned, I also struggle with inspiration.

I got to thinking and realized that I’m the same way, I shoot little when I’m at home. Why? Largely because we don’t have mountains, deserts or oceans where I live. When I go out somewhere near home, I just don’t get the same inspiration. We recently went to Alberta and spent a few days in the Rockies and I was beyond inspired. I got to shoot in a few locations I have only seen photos before. I was in awe of the beauty and wanted to be out making photos all the time.

The logical solutions for me since I can’t afford to spend all my time traveling is to learn how to see things differently. I need to change my expectations. It’s fine to take advantage of those epic landscapes when I find myself in those places, but I also need to learn to see what I have available to me here in eastern Ontario and make the best of what I do have. I think we tend to take things for granted when we see it all the time but the truth is, we also have plenty of beauty in eastern Ontario and I need to take advantage of it.