The Things I Keep Walking Past

After all these years of photography, I know what will make me stop. A beautiful sunset can do it. So can wildlife, a waterfall, an old building, an interesting street, or a moment that suddenly comes together in front of me. Sometimes it's the light more than the subject. I can be driving somewhere and notice the way late afternoon light is hitting a field or the side of a building, and immediately I start wondering whether there's a photograph there. That's what experience does. The more we photograph, the faster we become at recognizing the things that interest us. But recently I started wondering about something I hadn't really considered before. What have I become good at walking past? That question caught me off guard because I've always thought of experience as something that helps me see more. After decades with a camera, I notice light differently. I pay attention to backgrounds, angles, colors, expressions, weather, and small changes in a scene that someone without a camera may never think about. Still, there has to be another side to that. If I've spent years learning what catches my eye, then I've probably spent just as many years deciding, often without realizing it, what doesn't. Think about all the things we see during an ordinary day. Parking lots. Shopping carts. Utility poles. Hospital hallways. Gas stations. Store windows. Empty chairs. Driveways. Road signs. Someone's hands while they're working. A coffee cup left on a table after the person has gone. Most of the time, I wouldn't think about taking my camera out for any of those things. I'd just keep walking... Podcast Notes: https://www.moneymakerphotography.com/photography-blind-spots/ Photography Clips Podcast: https://moneymakerphotography.com/podcast/ Music From the Doctor's Office: https://musicfromthedoctorsoffice.com