The Three ‘P’s of Photography

Hello again!

If you come on one of my photography courses, you’ll soon learn that I keep teaching the 3Ps: Patience, Perseverance and Perspective. Sometimes we can get lucky with our #PhotoOfTheDay but more often than not, we need to fall back on at least one, most likely two, and sometimes all three of them! Here’s what I’m talking about…

Patience is the single biggest thing that separates a photographer from a happy snapper…even if you employ all of the careful planning techniques that I teach on my advanced courses, the chances of the light, the weather and the composition all being in perfect harmony at the exact moment that you are there are really, really small. When you get to your subject, pause and consider all the factors that will make it a great photo, not just a good one. With this photo of Glen Lyon, I had to wait over an hour for the cloud shadows to be where I wanted them to be.

Perseverence is what you need when Patience is not enough and you have to go back again and again! Sometimes you’ll have to admit that something just isn’t right and re-evaluate the weather forecast or the time of day…some shots that don’t give you that perfect sunrise can give you a perfect sunset golden light instead…persevere and try different things. With these snowdrops, I had tried evening golden hour but it was nothing special so instead I went back the next day and caught morning golden hour with dew adding some lovely extra points of interest!

Perspective is the “P” that you can employ at any time and should always have at the back of your mind if you’re hoped for shot doesn’t look quite right… While you’re being patient, waiting to chase the light, think about different angles you could use…is there something in the frame that is getting in the way and that would disappear if you get down low or if you go high? If you’re shooting with a drone, think about top down shots like this:

So if you book on my landscape, smartphone, macro or drone photography courses, be prepared to be patient, to persevere and to challenge yourself with unusual perspectives!

Hope to see you in Highland Perthshire soon with your camera 📷, sharing the beauty of Autumn 🍂 and Winter ❄️