How To Be A Beginner Photographer In Bristol

11/07/2017
Finn Johnson-Stear

Tips from Finn about photographing your city.

Bristol’s art culture is absolutely amazing. So many styles of art are accepted and with so many different cultures you can get a look through some one else’s perspective, that is why I love photography. I think it’s wonderful that 20 different photographers will look at a building and capture it in 20 different ways. I think it is also a great way to express yourself. Sometimes I think photography is compared to other art forms like painting or drawing and is seen as less of an art because it is not so time consuming and all you need to do is press a button. This, of course, is not the case. Professional photographers take hundreds of shots of the same thing, over and over again just to get the perfect picture, this can take hours especially wildlife photographers who could be sitting in a bush, camouflaged and being as still as possible to take a picture of a flamingo. But you have to start somewhere and why not make it Bristol? There are dozens of amazing places to shoot photos which could potentially look breath-taking. In this article, I will tell you some of the best places to start taking pictures in Bristol. I would class myself as a beginner photographer and in the photos in the article the camera is used was the Sony Cybershot HX400V. Although my camera is quite expensive, that is not what photography is about. Taking photos on your smartphone can still give incredible results.

If you have never really tried photography and want to give it a try there are a few things to think about: Perspective, think about different locations you can take pictures from. If you’re taking a photo of a van there are hundreds of different angles you can see it from. Next, light. You could experiment with where light is coming from in relation to the photo. Shadows are also a very fun thing to mess around with to create cool effects. Focus point is a really important thing to think about when taking photos as it really changes the look of the picture. If a photo is focused on something very close to the camera it would give the photo a completely. Finally, something to consider is the end product. Think about what you want your final picture to look like and what you have to do to achieve it. Use things like light, perspective, shadows and focus point to really make your images stand out.

The classic thing to take pictures of is the Bristol suspension bridge, people like Joshua Perrett who capture it in amazing pictures. Not just pictures of the bridge though, the view off of it is sensational shots. If you’re looking for a more modern approach in your Bristol photography places like Cabot Circus can give amazing 21st century looks. The curved glass roof can make for some very interesting angles. It’s especially good as almost anyone take photos here as the shopping centre is drowning in light so smartphones won’t have too much trouble taking photos.

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If you’re interested in street photography the whole of the city centre is great for spotting odd characters places like the galleries also tend to be good to bring your camera to as they offer some good photo opportunities. Personally I really enjoy taking photos in the city centre mainly as it offers so many different styles of architecture and people (also I’m always in close vicinity to food).

Other places like Narroways Nature Reserve (also known as The Mound) are great for some outdoor photos as it is filled with different species of plants, trees and flowers. This nature reserve is protected for around 1000 years before it can be built on so hopefully you will have some time to take some great photos. I think it’s a really fun place to relax with your friends while also offering great photo opportunities like the view over most of Bristol. It’s especially great on firework night or New Year’s Eve as the explosions light up the sky in various [. If you like the sound of nature photography, Ashton Court has lots of space to photograph and explore, when the balloon festival is on you would be able to get some phenomenal pictures. As well as the massive 11th century manor there are wild deer roaming around the grounds that would be amazing to photograph. The SS Great Britain is an amazing piece of history to photograph; her first voyage was in 1843 but now the ship is dry docked just off the harbour side.

In summary, I think photography is a beautiful art which is so fun to do; it’s one of the most satisfying feelings when you finally get that perfect shot. Finally, the one thing you need to remember about photography is that you should enjoy yourself.

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