NZPhotographer Issue 35, September 2020

Learning To See
By Richard Young
“Slow down, connect with your subject, and decide what you wish to express
before you attempt to try to capture it.”
Today, life tends to take place in a rushed manner. It’s
hard to leave this attitude behind, even when we go
out to photograph wild places. Our instinct is to turn
up, capture the image, and leave. For our vision to
truly emerge, we must give ourselves time to connect
with our landscape or subject, take in its beauty,
and decide the story we wish to tell. We must give
ourselves time to see.
This goal can be tricky in frequently-photographed
landscapes; if you’re not careful, there will be little in
your image to make it stand out from all the others. I
don’t mean to put you off with this reality, but rather,
to ready you for a good challenge. With enough
creativity, there will always be an opportunity for your
style and vision to shine. Where other photographers
may end up with the exact same images as each
other, strive to tell your own unique story.
One thing I really enjoy about working as a
photography tutor is the opportunity to travel to
amazing locations with people from all around the
world. Discovering the individuality and uniqueness of
everyone’s visions comprises a very important part of
the workshop environment. Sure, these photographers
have primarily come to learn from their tutor but in
reality, everybody ends up learning from each other.
Every time I run a workshop, I learn from the clients I
am there to teach. That is one of the amazing things
about photography: we never stop learning. And
when it comes to learning about our vision, there is no
right or wrong answer.
During our trips, there are times when everybody
sets up their tripods in a line to capture the same
vista. However, these are vastly outnumbered by the
times when everyone ends up with their own unique
image from the same location. Time and time again,
even when I’m sure I’ve visited a location far too
many times to see a fresh interpretation, someone
always finds a way to create something totally new.
Maybe they have seen some small detail that others
overlooked, or maybe they just approach the view in
front of them in an unusual way.
I particularly enjoy taking people to lesser-known
locations for this reason. Sure, everyone has a hitlist
of images they hope to capture on the trip, but
sometimes, the most unknown locations are the real
gems. Arriving with no preconceptions allows visitors
to explore, experiment, and express their own vision.
Teachers of photography often focus on technique,
but the part I enjoy most is teaching people to see:
to break down the scene in front of them, decide the
story, determine the key elements of their photograph,
and figure out how to express their vision.
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NZPhotographer