Uncommon Beauty: How to Photograph the Things People Pass By
Store window, tagged with graffiti, displaying the uncommon beauty people pass by.
I’ve long been drawn to the kind of uncommon beauty that most people pass by as they make their way through life. But whether I’m taking a walk in my neighbourhood or embarking on a photography adventure to exotic locations around the world, I’m always on the look out for uncommon beauty.
Uncommon beauty can be found in people, places or simple objects that most people pass by as they make their way through life. By keeping your eye out for uncommon beauty you’ll discover the power of light to transfer the otherwise unnoticed or unappreciated into the sublime.
Uncommon Beauty on the Gold Coast, Australia
The Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia is a popular tourist location for Aussie and overseas tourists alike. While not my idea of a holiday, I have traveled to the Gold Coast on several occasions on business and have enjoyed making photos in town and in the nearby hinterland.
The photo at the top of this post features a retail outlet, just off the main street that runs through the heart of the Gold Coast. It's only a few minutes walk to the beach yet, due to a range of issues, tourism and property prices have been down over recent years.
With less folks visiting the Gold Coast, some retail establishments are bound to fail.
I must say I was amazed at just how few tourists were out and about during my last visit.
At any other time of day this scene would have remained unremarkable and, for all intents and purposes, unattractive to people passing by on their way to shop or spend some time at the beach.
But it’s the warm color of the setting sun, shinning through the shop windows, that transforms the scene and reveals, albeit only for a moment in time, the kind of uncommon beauty that most people pass by.
Uncommon Beauty and The Joy of Photography
It's said that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Of that I have no doubt. But I'd also say that there is a certain beauty within even the most banal scene.
In particular, it's the transforming and transcendental nature of light that brings out the beauty in what would otherwise be a most unremarkable scene.
Light transforms subject matter in such a way that leads viewer and photographer alike towards new interpretations, understandings and realities beyond what's actually in front of the camera.
For me, the greatest joy associated with creative photography is that unique and very personal discover of beauty that no one else sees, or appreciates, in quite the same way you do.
If you’re interested in reading more about the notion of beauty, I’ve written a post titled Definition Of Beauty Explored: Culture and Perception which features black and white portraits of a young, Italian women who took part in a portrait photography workshop I ran in Australia.
Exploring Uncommon Beauty and What It Reveals
What drew my attention, in the scene at the very top of this post, was the backlit shop window which reminded me of the classic beauty within a stained glass window.
While enthusiastic photographers, like me, usually busy ourselves photographing faces, landscapes and buildings, our best images are often based around light and arranging various elements of composition into a cohesive and harmonious arrangement within the photographic frame.
To this end light, shadow, color, line, shape, texture and balance underpin our best photos.
And it’s through gesture, symbolism and metaphor that we are able to explore more essential truths in the photos we create.
The relationship between reality, beauty and truth is perhaps the most amazing association we can explore through the art of photography. This relationship is at the heart of why, for me, photography has become a life long endeavor.
Uncommon beauty, people pass by, at the George Brown Botanic Gardens, Darwin.
Make A Point Of Photographing What People Pass By
Have you ever been to Darwin in the tropical Top End of Australia? This close up photo of a temporary barrier, fencing off a pond, in the George Brown Botanic Gardens in Darwin is another example of the kind of uncommon beauty that often draws my attention as a creative artist.
It’s certainly not the kind of image most folks would think of when it comes to the Darwin Botanic Gardens or Australia’s wild Top End.
Needless to say, just as most people pass by this kind of scene without giving it a second thought, it’s also the kind of image that most folks would fail to find any intrinsic value or beauty within.
And that’s okay. You like it or you don’t.
But please, don’t let your judgement of any one specific image distract you from potentially expanding your own aesthetics and, as a consequence, encouraging you to explore beauty in other unconventional scenes in the future.
As you can see, the scene depicted consists of an orange bollard, a dirt covered barrier and some native grasses. However, for me, this is an image that explores the actual composition within that, otherwise, banal and unattractive scene.
I can describe the main elements of composition within this photo as follows:
Color, particularly the color contrast between the orange bollard and the yellow portion of the barrier juxtaposed with the cooler greens evident in the native grasses.
The strong vertical and horizontal lines and shapes within the bollard and the barrier.
The high degree of texture within the barrier, and also on the surface of the pond on the bottom right corner of the frame.
As I say, you’ll either like the image or not. And it’s not the only image I made that day. In fact, most of those photos were studies of more traditional, nature based subject matter.
But I find making photos based around the notion of uncommon beauty to be a particularly interesting and challenging endeavor.
While I can get some strange looks from people passing by, this is the kind of photography that helps concentrate my attention and sharpen my compositional skills.
In fact, it’s this kind of work that helps prepare me to create much more beautiful pictures, whether dealing with the scenes that most people pass by or when photographing scenes displaying more conventional beauty.
Needless to say, it costs nothing, other than a little time and effort, to make these kind of photos. And not all photos we make need to measure up to portfolio standard or, for that matter, connect with a large audience.
My point is that, it’s the photos we make along the way that enable us to create our most beautiful and life affirming images. Of that I’m certain.
I do hope that, every now and again, you’ll try your hand at photographing the kind of scenes most people pass by. As a way of improving your chances of making good photos when you do, take a look at my post titled Magic Color Composition: 7 Easy Tips To Improve Your Photos.
I’m sure you’ll find it an interesting read, illustrated with really beautiful photos. What’s more, the lessons in that post will provide easy and fun ways by which you’ll be able to improve the composition in your own photos.
Unconventional beauty showcased in composition rich structures in Stanley, Falkland Islands.
Example Of Unconventional Beauty in the Falkland Islands
Not the sort of image you expect to see from on my travels to the wild and windy Falkland Islands in the remote South Atlantic Ocean?
I agree.
After all, the Falkland Islands are a remote and exotic location for wildlife photographers. Just getting there is an accomplishment.
I certainly had no expectations of traveling to the Falklands to make this kind of photo. But the tour I co-ran took a scheduled stop in the capital of Stanley, a village said to be very reminiscent of life in a typical British villages in the 1960’s.
While there’s no penguins, southern elephant seals or black-browed albatrosses in this image, it’s a great example of how a highly structured image, based around elements of composition, is a great way to photograph uncommon beauty wherever you are in the world.
And yes, this is exactly the sort of scene most people would pass by without giving it a second thought. Certainly, you wouldn’t expect most folks to see the intrinsic beauty in the scene.
But, for me, the color contrast between the greens and reds, separated by the silver and grey colors in the sky and buildings invites closer examination.
Add to that the highly textural nature of the corrugated iron, wooden door and grasses, together with the square, rectangular and oval shapes within the structures and there’s an image I just had to explore.
And that’s exactly what I did while most of my traveling companions, a bunch of photographers taking part in a tour I was co-leading to the Falkland Islands, South Georgia Island and Antarctica, headed down to the Globe Tavern to experience a little bit of old England in this most remote part of the world.
Fortunately, I managed a quick jaunt around the village, making photos along the way, while still finding time for a pint, a game of pool and a friendly chat with the tavern owner.
Sadly, the Globe Tavern is no more, though a little bit of research tells me there’s plenty of other spots for a nice meal, afternoon tea or a refreshing pint.
I found Stanley to be an interesting, though unspectacular place. However, with an abundance of great wildlife photography opportunities in the Falkland Islands, I’d certainly be happy to return for an extended visit.
And if that included a few pints, hotel meals and afternoon teas I’d be all the merrier.
What’s more, I’m sure I’d be able to find a few other photo opportunities, that most people pass by, on my next trip to the fabulous Falklands.
Take Another Look At What People Pass By
My advice, going forward, is to train yourself to take a closer look at the kinds of unconventional beauty most people pass by as they go about their daily lives.
It’s a great way to train yourself to use composition and the transient and transforming nature of light to discover beauty in otherwise banal scenes.
Trust me, taking a longer, more careful look at sites of uncommon beauty is a great way to focus your attention on your own neighborhood and discover a more unique and intimate view of the world around.
If you’d like to further explore my philosophy regarding uncommon beauty and how to photograph the sites that most people pass by, with little more than a passing glance, I recommend the post I wrote titled Making Something Out Of Nothing.
It further distills my thinking on the topic and features images that, when it comes to beauty, are actually more accessible than the ones in this post.
