It’s #TravelTuesday and I, Dave Williams, am back in the UK this week after an epic 80 days in the Arctic. For those that have followed my Due North adventure, thank you. The adventure isn’t over but it will be changing course in the near future, so keep en eye on things for that.
Today I want to talk a little about selfies. I don’t mean selfies with an outstretched arm, I mean self portraits. I’ve been shooting more self portraits in the places I’ve visited and doing so has a two-fold affect. Firstly, adding a human element into a landscape adds relatability and scale, as well as a subject and point of interest. Take a look at this one, for example: –
This is a cool photo without me standing in it, but by standing on the rock next to this boathouse in Lofoten there’s no doubt that your eye started right there with the contrasted silhouette of my dark clothing against the light, cloudy sky. If I were a betting man I’d say you then looked briefly at the boathouse (more specifically, the pointed top of it) before glancing down at the thin stream of water in the foreground and the rock to the left of it. Just a guess.
Having a human element elevates a landscape photo. It really does step it up a gear and just for the fun, it’s a selfie. When the human subject of a photo is us, the photographer, it also becomes a strong memory of that time and that experience. Look at this photo to see what I mean: –
In this shot, also from Lofoten which I shot in equal measure for WANDRD and 3 Legged Thing, I’ve been able to memorialise an awesome evening of aurora chasing. It’s one thing showing an epic night sky with dancing green northern lights, but placing myself into the scene turned it into something totally different. Most notably, a memory.
Have a go at inserting yourself into landscape shots by using the self-timer, a remote trigger, or continuous drive mode to capture a series of shots and I reckon it’ll become a habit you repeat time and again.
Much love
Dave
(PS there are still a limited number of spaces open on my Lofoten Islands Viking Photography Workshop series – discount code KELBY5 gets you 5% off!)
