One habit that improved my photography the most? Ask any photographer what they make pictures of, and the answer almost always lands somewhere around: “Life, I guess… whatever catches my eye.” It’s a humble answer, and most probably honest. Then comes the follow-up I can’t resist: “So… where’s your camera right now?”
The silence is deafening. A pause, a shuffle. “It’s… ah… it’s at home. I just have my phone.”
And there it is: the pivot point between reaction and intention. Because, and you already know this, your phone doesn’t count. Not really. It’s a beautiful little rectangle of distraction, a portal to infinity but also a siren dragging you away from the very moment you hope to experience. Unlock it, scroll past the notifications, fight your way through apps, open the camera… and by the time you’ve done all that, the moment has moved on. And if you actually snap something, it’s often a hundred shots that feel sterile, echoing nothing of what you actually felt.
This is the one habit the improved my photography the most
Pick up a proper camera. Just one. Slide the strap over your shoulder, feel the weight of it in your hands. Suddenly, the world rearranges itself. Light bends differently. Shadows matter. Movement becomes poetry. People, places, the corners of streets you passed a hundred times; they’re different now. You notice patterns, textures, micro-moments that a finger-swipe could never hold. You’re no longer waiting for something to happen; you’re inviting the world to speak to you.
Photography with a real camera is deliberate. It is slower & it is much more intentional. We’ve spoken about this many times before at Loop Art & Photo Space, where people come to learn photography, seeking inspiration, or just a reason to step away from the endless scroll. You become present. No longer a witness, but a participant. You’re manifesting images, shaping them in your mind, listening for them in the rustle of leaves or the angle of a café window. For that short, concentrated time, the world stops being a blur of endless alerts and pings and to-do lists. You are awake. Truly awake.
And yet, most of us leave it in the cupboard. We reach for the phone because it’s easier, faster, lighter. But easier doesn’t always mean better. Easier doesn’t always mean alive. If you want to feel the thrill of photography again, if you want to see the world with every bit of detail it deserves, you have to grab your camera before you leave the house. Even better: sometimes, leave the phone behind altogether. Go for a walk in Olinda, Melbourne, or your own street & let your camera guide your curiosity.
Remember this; grab your camera
You’ll soon learn the hollow sensation when you forget your camera, a quiet pang in your chest as you step into the street knowing the perfect light will pass you by. That emptiness is your teacher: it tells you where your priorities lie. And when you finally remember, when you sling the camera over your shoulder, the world lights up. You see what’s always been there, but you couldn’t notice before. You make photos like you mean it.
So here’s the question, the calibrated challenge for you, dear reader: next time you leave the house; what will you carry? Your phone? Or the camera that asks you to slow down & pay attention?
Pick the camera. Step into the light. And watch how the world starts to speak.
This is so true…my poor forgotten camera that I loved so much….time to reconnect. Thanks for the reminder! Xox
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