The Art of Taking Things Slow(ish)

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It's true what they say - practice does make perfect.

I started these posts so I have a record of the improvement my photography was making over time. This is the first month where I can really see it happening. At the start of the month, I was struggling with an artistic identity, I was trying not just to copy the amazing photographers I look up to, but to outdo them, and honestly it got so exhausting that I put the camera down for a couple of weeks.

Maybe my brain works in strange ways, but I've found that carrying a camera everywhere forces myself to be in creative mode all the time. Photography is an activity, and just like playing a sport, everyone needs rest. Ask any athlete, and they will tell you that rest is just as important as the training. So I dedicate this post to taking things slow.

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Photography Roundup - July 2025

Moon Half Empty Lumix S5ii + Sigma 24-70mm f2.8 (composite of two exposures)

Moon Half Empty - 03/08/25

Salisbury, Wiltshire

I've been wanting to get properly into gig photography for a while, and jumped on the opportunity to take photos of a band playing a local venue in Andover. When I got to the venue, I thought everything was a bit too quiet for a gig to start sometime soon. That's when the band that booked me realised that Hampshire and Hertfordshire weren't the same place. Since I had all my camera gear with me, I decided to chase the sunset and head for Stonehenge. Parking troubles meant I missed the sun by about half an hour, so I decided to give blue hour a try for the first time.

This shot was inspired by some recent photos I've seen of coastal landscapes shot in XPan. This is a format created by Hasselblad that allows you to shoot panaramic photos on 35mm film. I fell in love with the haunting nature of showing abandoned places in a widescreen format. It makes the viewer feel exposed to the elements, and gives a feeling that they shouldn't be there.

I would love to retake this photo once a big full blood moon is due to rise about Stonehenge, as I find the small half moon a bit lacklustre. However, this shot reminds me to appreciate the unexpected and to enjoy what you can capture in the moment.

Apparently, Lumix cameras have an XPan crop mode built in, which I only found out about after taking this photo. That made me very excited, and I'm sure I'll shoot some more of this ratio in the future. As for blue hour, I found the lighting very difficult to shoot in, and I'm not sure the colour is truly my vibe. I'm still really happy with this shot, and it's making me very excited for the start of astro season. I've wanted to take astrophotography seriously for some time, and I'm hoping this year I can put a good few hours in.

The Duck Whisperer Lumix GX80 + Panasonic 20mm f1.7 @ f1.7 , 1/8000, ISO 200

The Duck Whisperer - 15/08/25

Blackfriars, London

I was walking along the Thames with my GX80, when I spotted this guy teaching kids how to feed the ducks. Once they got bored and left, he started what looked like a tai-chi routine of some kind. This was snapped between moves. The result is a bizarre story of a man preaching to a group of very uninterested birds. I was really happy with this shot when I saw it in the preview. It rejuvenated my love for street shooting and introduced me to a new style of street photography.

When I picture street photographers, I think of a guy roaming Maddison Avenue, shoving a Leica with a flash in people's faces. But recently I've been enjoying the work of Teo Crawford, who shoots his street scenes with the exact same setup I'm using here. His work is carefully composed and more focused on telling a bigger story than capturing a specific moment. This is something that I have really been enjoying trying out for myself.

I've said multiple times that street photography really isn't my thing, but it turns out that's not true at all. I love the city - I love the vibe, I love the people, and I love that there's always something going on. I just don't like being in people's personal space. This style of composition proves that street photography is possible for even the most introverted of shooters like myself.

A Date on Tower Bridge Lumix S9 + Sigma 45mm f2.8 @ f8 , 1/800, ISO 800

A Date on Tower Bridge - 17/08/25

Tower Bridge, London

My regular photo walk takes me across Tower Bridge, and as golden hour heads into sunset, it can provide some of the best views and photo opportunities in London. You can also see some interesting characters around, as people dress up in all kinds of outfits to take advantage of the lighting.

It was the roses that really drew me to this shot. I saw the woman come up the stairs as I was about to head down to come off the bridge, so I quickly stepped back to line up the photo.

I'm not going to lie, I've taken some of the best photos I've ever taken this month - this is one of them. I love the composition - The way the woman's red dress sits perfectly in a patch of setting sun, clutching a matching bouquet of roses to her side, looking proudly into the distance. In the shadows, a young boy with his hands on his hips admires from the foreground. I'm not sure why this gives me 60s New York vibes, but I can almost smell the cigarettes and hear the jazz playing in the background. I went between colour and black and white for quite a while, but I just couldn't get rid of the beautiful red hues.

It has it's quirks, but I have fallen back in love with the S9 and I think it is here to stay. People really love to hate on this camera but I refuse to believe they've ever truly taken one for a spin before casting their judgement. The Sigma 45mm lens is a perfect pairing for this camera too. It has a stunning vintage look to it - If you squint at this combination hard enough, it could almost pass for a Leica (I actually had someone ask if it shot film or digital when they saw it). I'd love to give some more of the Sigma I-series primes for a spin as well.

People Watching Lumix S9 + Sigma 45mm f2.8 @ f16, 1/10, ISO 100

People Watching - 25/08/25

Notting Hill, London

'Taking things slow' - see what I did there!

This was taken at the entrance to Notting Hill Carnival. It's a beautiful celebration that I got to experience for the first time this year. I've seen a lot of street photographs taken with slower shutter speeds to showcase the way the city never stops moving. I thought this scene with two policemen watching people enter the carnival would be the perfect opportunity to try this out.

This is another shot that I'm insanely proud of. Like a renaissance painting, the more you look the more you see. First your eye is drawn to the monochrome colour palate, which highlights the gritty street scene. Then you notice the blur of the crowd whizzing past. Then to the officers frozen in the scene, up to their slightly smug expression.

Now that I'm starting to find the things I enjoy taking photos of and the styles I enjoy. I would love to put together a larger photography project of these blurry slow shutter photos around London.

So what did I learn this month?

Well for starters, if you keep practicing something, you will get better! But rest is just as important as practice, and finding the balance between the two can be hard at times.

Sometimes you need to slow down, smell the flowers, take your time, and enjoy the ride. Life goes fast enough as it is.