Welcome to the first Expressive Photography Blog. Each week I will be writing a short article to accompany and supplement the regular YouTube Video. In these musings I aim to add a lot more value and bring the focus onto personal development, creativity, self discovery and expression.
Photography can be so many things to different people; from ego-stroking self-glorification through to deep, personal exploration of our personalities, emotions and inner landscapes.
As we near the end of a significant period of lockdown, it is with a mixture of excitement and trepidation that I consider a more mobile life. For months now we have been confined to our small corner of the western Highlands of Scotland, and I have receded into my own inner landscapes as my mood has occasionally darkened.
Throughout 2021 I have been running mentorship sessions with 10 fabulous people; men, women, younger and older, each on their own path, and just like me, trying to make sense of a senseless world.
Creative living
Photography for me is so much more than an end product, and I believe the more we are focussed on that, the more elusive it will become. Creativity is hard to pin down, it refuses to be placed under the microscope, and observing it changes it. Our creativity lies in creative living; one of acceptance, non-judgement and freedom of speech. Our creativity is in there, desperate to get out, and who does the best job of stopping it? Yes, you guessed it, us!
In this week’s YouTube Video (Sometimes it snows in April – after the great Prince song!) – I once again head out into our local environment, hoping to find a clear head, a free spirit, and my best version outdoor-dude-guy me! As always when I head out to make a video, my inner idiot has different ideas and within minutes of home the anxiety sets in and I start looking, looking, looking for something that will make a good photo and validate the faith and trust that people have in me to deliver profound and insightful education!!
Oh, what a fool I can be, my own worst enemy and another victim of online pressure, which isn’t external, but 100% internal.
It took me a while, but I did manage to let the landscape show me her secrets, and I soon settled into a far more relaxed and in tune state.
A mindfulness walk
Over the past few weeks I have started to take a morning walk, literally straight out of bed. No breakfast, or even a coffee. I walk east along the loch (actually a tidal fjord), then up and over the hill back to home. It takes me a little over an hour, and it allows me to survey the birds and animals in our local area, and of course to witness the day waking up and the light developing. Regardless of how much has been going on in my head, how bad a night sleep I had, or what I have in my over-packed diary, these walks get me into the best version of me to take on the day. I make it a mindfulness walk. I am present and aware of all around me. The soft song of a newly arrived Willow Warbler, or Barn Swallow; little avian miracles who only a few weeks ago were wintering in sub Saharan Africa witnessing a completely different landscape, culture and life.
I am present as I see the first soft rays of light spilling over the larch trees across the loch. On these days with no wind, the perfect mirror reflections make kaleidoscopic patterns and play tricks as I waken up. The larches themselves are starting to bud, and the soft greens are such a breath of light after a long winter.
I am present as I listen to the silence and notice the thoughts that rise and fall in my head. I observe and listen to everything; free from judgement and open to everything. Little epiphanies erupt like an Icelandic volcano, bringing life, heat and growth to my barren consciousness. It’s these moments that make me feel so alive and so passionate to share.
I live to share, I live to illuminate.
Photography for me is a catalyst, each image is a snapshot of my own inner landscape. It is not always pretty, but it is part of me. There is an internal aesthetic that resonates when I notice it looking at me from a delicate birch branch. I smile as the snow falls and obscures the scene, like my judgement clouds clarity.
Welcome to the Expressive Photography Blog – you are most welcome.
Dear Alister – what a recent breath of extra fresh air you have enjoyed. I was heartened to read every word and cannot react any more whole-heartedly than the wise ones before (or above) me. I very much enjoy being a member of your EP YTube channel and your ebooks have brought me so much and will do for some time. Happy to hear the reopening (to different extents) of all things ‘Scotland’ and wish for you many enthusiastic and heart-warming photo events to come. Happy days from very sunny and ‘getting better all the time’ SE Florida.
That’s very kind and thoughtful of you Karen. Thanks very much for your great input.
Hi Alister
Reading your email “Big Changes at Expressive Photography” today and then your first Expressive Photography Blog, I had a wake-up call, a light bulb moment, because you were describing me. I have spent my life as a commercial photographer, catering to the whims of art directors, clients, small budgets, and impossible deadlines. My love for photography began to wane. I enjoyed the outdoors, especially the beach, and taking my camera for a walk along the beach kept me sain and became my escape. I longed for the day I could retire, and this would become my life. But it didn’t. I became involved with a camera club and then “The Photographic Society of New Zealand”, my time has now been filled with creating and presenting workshops and judging for camera clubs. Don’t get me wrong, like you I love to share, inspire and motivate other photographers who are just beginning their path in photography, but I have found I am taking photographs for my own enjoyment less and less.
I have not got into YouTube, Instagram, or Facebook culture, Instead, I have become a slave to Photo Competitions, and taking photographs I think will please the judges. It is this that has stifled my creativity and hence enjoyment of photography. It has taken your blog to turn on the light, so thank you, I can now do something about getting back to enjoying photography.
Thanks for sharing, I like the way you wirte so It will be nice to read you regularly. A big hug from Arica, in the north of Chile.
Alister…Forgive me but following your latest email, I am getting a little confused about Blogs, Vlogs, YouTube videos, Members videos, training videos etc! In order to assess whether to become a paid member or not, it would be helpful if you could clarify things for me.
As I understand it, if we do NOT subscribe to a membership we will get the occasional YouTube video plus a Vlog whenever a video is produced, which we need to access through your website? Also as a non-member we will still get to see the Vision and Light videos?
If you are member, you get additional weekly videos I.e. in addition to those mentioned above? Will there be additional vlogs as well for each of these videos?
Presumably as non-subscription members we can still purchase your books and training videos and will be notified when these become available? Again, I suspect non-members will pay full price whilst members get a discount?
Can I also ask about the Zen Haggis. I really enjoyed the few episodes you made as I am extremely interested in mindfulness and meditation. Presumably this sort of content may be incorporated elsewhere?
I fully understand the underlying reasons for change and I accept that it it is not in your interest or our interest to put out content to drive social media and in particular YouTube numbers. You obviously need to be true to yourself and that’s why people like me are keen followers of your unique creative approach.
Good luck with everything and I look forward to joining you on your journey in some capacity.
Hi Nick, thanks for the message and sorry for the confusion. The main Expressive Photography YouTube channel will have slightly less content than before: The Vision & Light series will continue, other videos will be less frequent, certainly not weekly. Each vlog style video will be accompanied with a Blog post on the website and a newsletter notification will be sent out. The video will be posted live on YouTube at the same time, so a subscriber there will also be notified. The Blog is of course optional, but I hope to add more value with the writing. Also, it is far better for our business is for people to visit our website, and hopefully sign up for a workshop, or buy a product.
The members channel will have one new video per week, as it is now. These are not going to be accompanied with additional material on the website. (Unless I feel it is necessary to do so.)
The Zen Haggis wasn’t viable as a separate channel, but I will certainly be incorporating much of that style of content into the YouTube channel. I already discuss much of that in the Members Area. And finally, yes, members get a 25% discount on all product launches. I did give a 15% discount for Newsletter Subscribers too.
I hope that clears things up.
Wonderful decision to move in this direction, following the spirit of creativity rather than the rythm of algorithms.
Love the line “You can’t process images by committee”
Congratulations Alister! It’s high time we all stop feeding the social media beast and start creating for ourselves. You’ve made the right choice by focusing on creating blog content. You may have a much smaller audience, but the audience you have will be engaged and passionate, which is much more meaningful than having a million followers. Looking forward to what you have in store for the future!