As photographers we have the freedom to pursue whatever creative pathways make sense for us given our personal philosophies and interests.

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Some of us find inspiration in small details in the world around us.

We may find strong lines and an absence of everyday hustle and bustle intriguing.

For some, street photography may not focus on people, but rather on signage and services offered in unique graphic ways.

We may stumble across oddities or items that have been adapted and utilized in unusual ways.

We may find inspiration in the finely crafted componentry of mechanical creations.

Our eyes may be drawn to angles, geometric shapes and textures.

We may appreciate symmetry, balance, and subdued lighting.

Everyday items displayed in a progressive grouping may compel us to press our camera’s shutter release.

We may find visual serenity and calmness in nature.

A seldom seen physical detail may bring us inside a subject.

The emotions of a captive being may reach out to us.

Strong contrasts may focus our attention, and highlight the beauty of a carved creation.

The patterns and visual flows of nature can command our attention.

Precise moments found in nature can remind us how everything in life is interconnected.

We may see flowing lines in objects that are hard and metallic.

Experimenting with shutter speed and camera movement may ignite our creativity in a new way.

Witnessing the finality and brutality of nature may compel us to capture the moment.

The impermanence of things around us may serve as a metaphor for our own journeys of self-discovery… as superficial layers are peeled away.

Our need to form relationships and bonds may manifest in how we document nature.

Reflective views may encourage us to examine ourselves more intensely and encourage deeper self-understanding.

Finding our creative pathways involves observing things and events as they break through our awareness.

Our creative pathways are not created by the camera gear we own. Our equipment serves as a bridge that allows us to transform the creative sparks we experience on our pathways into the images we create.

Some of us follow and study the work of others with the intent of achieving clarity and inspiration along our own pathways. Without purposeful personal detachment and discernment, risks of conformity and mimicry exist.

Others prefer complete creative solitude without any outside influences or references from other photographers.

The riches along this solitary, creative road are found by the self-reliant.

Creative pathways are not found in books, manuals, or seminars. They smolder deep inside each of us. Waiting for us to reach inside ourselves to discover and ignite them into our unique creative fires. Once lit internally… they burn brightly.

Technical Note

Photographs were captured handheld using camera gear as noted in the EXIF data. All images were created from RAW files using my standard process in post. This is the 1529 article published on this website since its original inception in 2015.

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