Time. An absolute, constant measurement that we can't get enough of. More importantly, how do we get enough of it for our photography? Between work, home life, school, or other appointments, it can be challenging to get out and take photos to keep yourself satisfied. But one constant in most of our lives is going to and from work each day. So why not take advantage of this time and use it to hone our photography skills?
I ride my bike to work 9 days out of 10 because I love cycling; it adds activity to every day and puts me in a better mood. When I lived closer to my job, I would also alternate with walking every so often. Not having to deal with the frustrations of commuting in traffic made major changes in my outlook on life and how I viewed my neighbourhood. Even on days when the snow starts to pile high and the cold arctic winds whip down from the North, you feel triumphant in being able to stand up to old man winter.
The idea of combining my commute with photography started in the autumn when the trees were beautiful shades of gold and orange, and the parks I traversed looked like little nature havens in the concrete jungle of the city. Unfortunately, when the days are short, and the leaves only remain in peak colour for a few days, it can be hard to find the time to capture the last vibrant conditions before winter. So I began to bring my camera to and from work, giving myself extra time to stop and find compositions. Over a couple of weeks, I ended up with photos I thought were interesting, displaying the different styles of architecture in the neighbourhood or the public green spaces waiting to be used by residents.
After the fall foliage faded away, I still brought my camera to shoot subjects I thought were interesting to me. I took different routes to see new things, went down back alleys, and ventured off the path to keep my creativity going. My interest transitioned from capturing greenery to documenting the world I moved through daily and watching it change with the seasons. The same building or park can emote a completely different mood from another time of day, with varying lighting conditions or a fresh blanket of snow vs lush summer green.
As the months descended into winter snows and sub-zero temperatures, my focus again switched to searching for the alpenglow that winter mornings bring. Unfortunately, the extreme cold made it difficult to stay out for long and operate my camera, so searching new areas was out of the question. Instead, I looked for simplicity and smooth textures from fresh snow and light and shadows stretching across the landscapes with the low winter sun.
Sometimes I'll switch out my digital camera for a film camera to try out different stocks and play around with the divergent looks they bring. I use this as a technique to find the best look for a subject since you can switch the outcome by using high or low-contrast black and white film, or a colour negative vs reversal film, or even a tungsten-balanced film for moody blue hour photos! In addition, film can maintain the contentedness of shooting in the same areas all the time with the allure of not knowing how each opposed stock will turn out; it has been one of my great discoveries for urban photography!
Working on this commute "project" has helped me find different compositions than I would typically look for and has kept me fresh on different camera settings and use. Of course, there are plenty of days that I don't take any photos when the sky is too gray, and plenty of photos are not worth keeping either. But by going out and having images to review, I learn what I like and what I don't like and can make changes every time I go out to shoot again. So even if you only do this 1 or 2 days a week, I highly recommend you give it a try and see how your love for photography grows, and show us the transformation by tagging us on social media!