I wrote the following last year but forgot to post it at the time. Having stumbled across it the other day, I realised that it was still relevant to me – a helpful reminder, actually – and, therefore, probably worth sharing.

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Last week, as the sun emerged and big events descended on Cardiff, I found time to get out with my Nikon F for a decent stretch of time.

The usual initial resistance was there. It’s funny, every time I set out with my camera in a familiar location, for the first couple of minutes I usually find myself wondering where the hell the photos are going to come from. Being so acquainted with Cardiff, what could I possible shoot of interest this time around? But the reality is, where there are people, there are photographs. It’s tempting to blame the location; to tell yourself you need to head off to more new places, but really you could probably get a lifetime of good photos without straying very far from your front door.

The catch is that you have to work for it more. When in a new place, novelty makes a lot of sights appear interesting and photograph-worthy straight off the bat. But after you’ve become used to a setting, the initial inspiration goes and you’ve got to turn to emotional labour for results – patience, curiosity, focus and – sometimes – bravery. 

So, as I started strolling, I began wondering about how to improve my photography. How could I make a leap, rather than going through the usual motions. I remembered an aphorism: ‘Where there is resistance, there is discovery’. I couldn’t hide from it; most of the photos I wanted to take I was nervous about taking because they involved getting close to people. Either shooting a candid scene and risking being shouted at, or approaching a person and asking to take their photo directly.

Both of these approaches involve risk. Namely, rejection.

It was obvious as I glanced around for good shots; if I wanted to improve, I had to embrace the feeling of being uncomfortable. So, I set myself a rule: don’t take a photo if it could be better by getting closer.

I applied it, only got rejected once and ended up with some of my favourite photos since I started out in 2018.

Usually progress takes discipline, patience, and an acceptance that meaningful improvement will be gradual and granular. Sometimes though, there’s a chance to make a leap forward and achieve swiftly what might have taken years. My guess is that those types of progress can only be achieved either out of necessity, or by leaning into fear and resistance.