Captured #07: August 2024

And we’re back! 🥳

Despite my best intentions, Captured observed an unexpected summer recess, and to a large extent so did my street photography. Taking a break can be great for recharging your creative batteries, but you need to be mindful of the downward spiral. Stay away too long and you might struggle to reignite the flame. It takes regular work to keep that mojo alive!

It’s not like I didn’t take any photos – I’ve been on holiday, so of course I did (tourist snaps ahoy!). It’s just that I spent a month or so without any specific intention of taking street photos, IYKWIM. I also haven’t been indulging myself in photography books or YouTubes, or even scrolling the delights on Instagram, so content in this issue is a little light.

I’m definitely feeling rejuvenated. I’ve been having fun trying to capture the madness of the Edinburgh Fringe over the last couple of weeks, and I’ve started editing a backlog of photos from my recent getaway. Summer might be waning here in Edinburgh, but my enthusiasm is blooming.

Colorado

I’ve been to the USA a fair few times now, and I never fail to enjoy it. The light, the endless landscapes – even the abandoned motels and strip malls have an aesthetic appeal which I just can’t see in the overly-familiar UK.

Colorado was a new state for me, and it’s my new favourite (sorry California). The weather, the scenery, the general vibe. We saw many different sides of it, from the mile-high city of Denver to the peaks of the Rockies, to the wide landscapes of Red Feather Lakes. Here are a selection of my favourite photos.

Americana

Wheels

Way Out West

Edinburgh Fringe

The Edinburgh Festival is epic. It’s actually a collection of festivals – the International Festival, the Fringe Festival, the Book Festival, and this year the Film Festival. Hundreds of thousands of visitors descend on Edinburgh and the city comes alive. If you’re into candid street photography, there’s probably nowhere better.

For the past few years my photography has been focused on capturing the solitude of places, but this is pretty difficult when the streets are rammed from dawn to dusk. Instead, I’ve been trying to embrace my inner Melissa O’Shaughnessy and capture the mood of the streets. I have a lot to learn, but it’s taken me out of my comfort zone which is always a good thing. Here’s a collection of shots, let me know what you think.

London

I also had a trip down to the big smoke but most of the time we were in museums, galleries, or goating around on the wonderful Lime bikes in the glorious summer weather. Not a lot of time for pics, but I did take these which I kinda liked.

Red

I’m a fan of the wonderful Framelines magazine and, if you’re a member of their community (£5/mo), you can enter their monthly street photo competitions. This month’s theme was “Red”. If you’re feeling stuck for ideas, going out with a theme in mind can be a creative boost. I found Red challenging (that’s the point!), but here are a few of my faves. I could only submit one (which I’ve already done) – which would you choose? 😃

Street Photo Social

Listening Party 🔈

---

That’s it for August, see you in September! 👋