Tides of light bringing life to our life and images was the hopeful prospect as we come out of lock down and into a changed world. Rich Bunce’s talk encouraged members to see things differently.
Photo by Rich Bunce
Ilkley Camera Club was very pleased to welcome photographer Rich Bunce who gave members some inspiring ideas about how to see things differently. Rich is an established teacher and workshop leader with a track record for award winning photography. He is internationally exhibited, with prints held in both private and public collections including the Royal Photographic Society’s permanent collection.
Rich has a diverse portfolio of work in which commercial work crosses over into his personal work. In 2014 he founded Walking Photography, a venture that encourages people to get inspired outdoors and take better photos.
The main theme of Rich’s talk was about seeing things differently, “ when you are trying to think differently you are looking more deeply at a subject. This can help us grow in our photography. Emulating other photos is helpful when you are learning, but it’s a step towards seeing differently and your way.”
“Everyone has access to a camera now and it allows us to look back and think about slices of time. It allows us to freeze a moment in time and to engage with our environment, and think more deeply. We can begin to take more notice of everyday things and have our own thoughts.”
Rich encouraged members to think about how they are going to reflect their own unique view. He advised members to embrace obstacles and try to look for new perspectives and angles, “approach a subject with flexibility and allow yourself to be diverted into new subjects and surprising opportunities. Don’t have a fixed idea of what you want to photograph but be open to unexpected opportunities.”
Rich’s presentation was a blend of technical and mental aspects of photography including advice on lighting, composition, timing and vision. “Ask yourself if this is the most interesting way of communicating what you want to say. What can I see that might be unique to either my experience or overlooked by others?”
Rich encourages photographers to have a personal and unique way of looking at subjects and produce work that reflects their own way of seeing the world. He said that we can follow the example of other photographers while we are learning but we must begin to go more deeply into an authentic and personal way of picturing the world, “It is about helping the viewer to inhabit the spaces you have seen and by getting them close to the subjects”.
“There’s no such thing as bad light. We need to choose the right subject for the right light and that comes from observing. We need to see how the light changes as it travels through our daily lives and throughout the year. Having an understanding of the seasons and the way the light changes through the seasons can be an inspiration; Tides of light bringing life to our life and images.”
You can find out more about Rich Bunce on his website walkingphotographer.co.uk
And if you would like to know more about Walking Photography, practical and fun learning for people of all abilities and experience levels, visit walking.photography