Where Has Summer Gone?

Well friends, I'm back.

It's been around 8 weeks since I posted on any kind of social media, including this site. Rather than traveling, photographing or holidaying (something I don't really do) I've been absolutely flat chat. And it's been a real hoot.

The reality is that, while the popularity of this site continues to grow, I receive less visitations on my site during December and January. I posted frequently up till a week before Christmas but decided that it was time to focus my attention, for at time, elsewhere. It's important to break the mould, and move away from your usual daily rythmn every now and again. After all, how else would you know whether you're using your time well and making the most of your opportunities.

Am I Right?

Change is constant and it can also be good, particularly when you're the one implementing that change. The trick is to make changes that are in line with your core beliefs, values and desired outcomes. That can only help you stay true to yourself and your greater purpose in life. Am I right!

It Feels Good!

So from the middle of December up until 7th of February I've been flat chat on a project. And, depending on final approval, it's finished!!!!

I'd say I worked on the project, often 12 + hours per day, for all a days during that time. And that included Christmas, New Year, my birthday and a visit to a sick friend. Anyway it was a fantastic experience to be almost completely immersed in a creative project. Hard work to be sure, but a wonderful learning experience and a great outcome. It feels good!!!

Nothing Fires the Spirit like Success

I should be able to share the full details of the project with you all when it becomes public. In the meantime I've already commenced work on a new project.

What's more I'm now back to blogging, albeit on a less frequent basis than I have in the past. Over the last 5 years I've probably managed to blog 2 out of every 3 days. Yes that have been times when, during extended photography expeditions, that was not possible. But the facts are there. It's just a matter of dividing the number of posts on this and my previous site by the number of days to point to the amount of content posted during that timeframe. And it averages out at around 2 posts every 3 days.

I'm unsure as to whether I can or even should continue posing at that rate into the future. My current thinking is that it might be better to post say 3 times a week and divide the rest of my free time between larger projects and other social media endeavors that I plan to announce over the next month or so.

The fact is that there are many ways that folk can connect and abosrb information over the web. Blogs are great, but it's time to branch out into other areas and the reality is some folks prefer to connect outside of the blogesphere. I think it's time Travel Photography Guru began to transition from a blog/website into more of a brand. The trick is to be fluid and remain responsive. That's bound to keep it fresh and fun. What do you think?

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Glenn Guy, Travel Photography Guru

Are You A Photography Generalist Or Specialist?

Detail, exterior, St. Isaacs Cathedral, St. Petersburg, Russia
Folks often ask me what it is that I particularly like to photograph. This isn't always as easy a question to answer as you might think. And what about you? What stirs your creative juices? Let's look at some possibilities. 

Subject Driven

Are you particularly drawn to photograph landscape, nature, portrait, sports, architecture or wildlife?

Issue or Theme Focused

Does your photography explore environmental, social, political, religious or spiritual issues or themes? Do you have a fascination with the human condition and a passion for documenting it?

Technique or Style

Is your work identifiable by a particular camera or lighting technique? Is it based upon a certain look or style?

Composition

Is composition so dominant that it becomes the defining aspect of your work? Is the viewer's eye drawn to the compositional elements within your photos prior to recognizing what the subject matter actually is.

Light

Light has the power to reveal, define and transform the subject or scene in question. With the above photo as a case in point, I'm in beautiful St. Petersburg, Russia photographing an exterior detail of the magnificent St. Isaacs Cathedral. But, have no doubt, it is light that drew my attention and determined the subject and composition of this photograph.

The word photography comes to us from Ancient Greek and translates as light writing, drawing or painting. So when folks ask me what I most like to photograph, my answer is light. And it's the exploration of this most fundamental aspect of photography that has determined why it is that I do what I do.

It's also the reason why I'm happy to refer to myself as a generalist. I brand myself as a travel photographer not just because I travel, but also because, when I do, I photograph a wide range of subject matter. And it's this broad range of experience that heavily underpins my teaching abilities. Having made so many mistakes, over a 30 plus year career, I can both empathize with the frustrations and disappointments you've experienced in your own photography and help shortcut your road to success. And that's very much the purpose of this site. To help you have more fun and achieve better results, more often on your own photography journey.

Happy travels!

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Glenn Guy, Travel Photography Guru

Let Your Photos Tell A Story

Building scaffolding, St. Petersburg, Russia

Imagine this scenario: you're out and about and you want to make photos, but the light or subject matter may not be ideal. So what do you do?

• pack it in and reach for a brew
• keep moving in the hope of finding a more photogenic subject or location
• embrace the challenge of making something out of nothing

More and more these days I find myself choosing the final of the above options. After all these years in photography I still get a real buzz out of making photos. I see it very much as an act of creation, by which I mean art. Surely it's important to encourage and nurture ones creative side. And, while it's the illuminating and transforming nature of light that determines what and how I photograph, the need to create often overpowers a desire for great subject matter or beautiful light. The trick then is to make something out of nothing. A slightly alternate view on the world can only aid you in this regard.

Probably the main difference between photography (still, video and motion picture) and the other visual arts is that, rather than creating a world from scratch, the photographer has to deal with what's in front of the lens. While there's always the potential to suggest realities, meanings and outcomes somewhat removed from the subject matter depicted, the photographer, working outside of photo illustration or extreme abstraction, has to do so with the subject matter that's in front of her.

To make an interesting photo under such conditions you might need to embrace abstraction; design your photo around light and/or composition, as opposed to subject matter; or tell a story.

The above photo was made while on a cruise along some of the canals in St. Petersburg, Russia. While it was fun photographing grand buildings along the route, it was only part of the story I witnessed from water level. I was just as interested in telling the story about the life cycle of the city. And to do that I felt I needed to document decay, intervention and renewal.

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Glenn Guy, Travel Photography Guru