How can I be a creative photographer?

I'm sure that at some point most photographers have wondered how to be more creative in their photography. I suppose that it depends on your definition of creative and to a larger extent your photographic vision. If you are looking to take a photograph that is different from the blob of work that is out there, something that isn't the same record shot made my countless people on their 'phones, then creativity can help. But creativity comes from within the individual and is quite personal I think. It does come back to your personal vision of the finished photograph.  What is your intent?

A good way to be inspired in your creativity is to look at what others have done. Here are a few things that I have done lately, although I am by no means the most creative person around.

• Redscale film
• Magnifying Glass macro lens
• Pushing film

The photographs shown here were taken using black and white film, using the second technique, shown above.  I used a magnifying glass as a pseudo macro lens for a Holga. Now it's not Macro on the scale of taking a photo of a flys eye but it does allow you to get closer than any normal Holga lens will allow (normally 1 meter). Then you can find light, texture and delight in the most unexpected places. 

Here I have taken a photo of the carving on the top of a gravestone. The photo really brings out the texture of the carved stone without needing to be pin sharp.

Carving on gravestone

This photo I have taken a close up shot of a carved fairy that someone had left on a grave. This one uses the light on an interesting ( to me) way.

Fairy sat on a grave

If you are devoid of inspiration the everyday can sometimes be worth exploring. Here we have the bark of a tree in natural directional light. 

Tree bark

Finally a picture of a leaf. This was not intended to be an accurate record of the leaf but have enough detail to feel leafy. The back lighting allows the internal structure of the leaf to be visible.

A leaf

I may enlarge on this topic of "creativity" in future blogs.

I do like Panoramic Photographs - Part 3

 In this , the third blog post in this series, we start with a vertorama. What is a vertorama I hear you ask? Well maybe a dictionary definition will help.

Vertorama

The rest of these photographs are regular panoramic format and once again shot on the Horizon Kompact camera from Lomography

Vertorama - taken in Hayle

Panorama - taken in Hayle

Panorama - taken in Hayle, Godrevy Point

Panorama - taken in Hayle, Godrevy Point

I do like Panoramic Photographs - Part 2

Here are another 4 panoramic photographs taken using the Horizon Kompact camera. This time while I was on holiday in Cornwall. The horizon Kompact camera is great fun to shoot and very easy to use, being a single aperture and shutter speed.

These photos were taken in Charlestown and St Ives.

Charlestown

St Ives

St Ives

St Ives

I do like Panoramic Photographs - Part 1

I have a camera that was made for Lomography called the Horizon Kompact. It is a camera that takes a panoramic format photograph on 35mm film.  The lens is a swing design and is very wide, you need to remember to keep your fingers out of the way.

Horizon Kompact

These four photographs were taken earlier this year, in the spring. I was on my way to have Sunday Lunch with my Mum and I diverted through Chew Magna and Stanton Drew, which is where these photos were taken.

Holga 645 Mode

Back in the day the Holga was supplied as the Holga 120S. The glass lens version was called a Woca 120. This was all before the factory stopped production.  Interestingly when I ordered my Holga, a boxed Holga 120S arrived from Hong Kong. The Holga 120S only came with a 645 mask and the selector on the camera back was glued in place for 16 photos on 120 film. 

Later I bought a Holga 120 GN, the successor to the Woca 120. The 120 GN has a glass lens but came with a 6x6 mask and a 645 mask. Also the selector on the back was free to move. It's rare that anyone uses 645 as most people use the 6x6 mask and shoot 12 pictures on the film.

All that history is a long winded way of getting to the point of this post, which is to shoot my Holga in 645 mode.

I shot a roll of Kentmere Pan 100 film.

I enjoyed the format and its definitely an option in future. 

All the fun of the fair

In Mumbles, near Swansea there is a Big Wheel. I visited with my Holga and decided to take a few snaps.

Mumbles Big Wheel

It seems quite a popular addition to the area behind the pier.

I do like the Mumbles area of Swansea, it has some nice bars, chip shops, various artisan shops a lovely walk along the coast.

Visit Mumbles

Enjoy the Holga Pics!

 

The last frame on a roll

Easter 2025, I'd invited my Mum over for a few days and I was still living in Wales. To pass the time, I'd take my Mum for day trips.  One day we went to the Brecon Mountain Railway.

Brecon Mountain Railway

Taken on Kentmere Pan 100 film

I took several rolls of film with me and my Chroma Camera Six:9 camera, configured for 6x9 shooting. The final roll was left unfinished with a single frame left. After my Mum went home the single, unexposed frame needed to be shot so that I could develop the roll.  So I went down to New Dock in Llanelli, leaned over the bridge and took this final shot, which, as it turned out, was a bit of a banger!

 Kentmere Pan 100