3 Daily Excerises - Train Your Mind To See Photos Everywhere

Using these 3 techniques everyday will help you grow as a photographer - even when you don't have access to a camera.
Hey there, thanks for tuning into my videos! If you're ready to enhance your photography skills, I'm here to assist:
Get a weekly hit of photographic inspiration - Join the Saturday Selections here: www.thephotographiceye.info/
Discover our most viewed TPE photography video: • A Guide To Understandi...
Engage with The Photographic Eye community elsewhere for more photography advice, techniques, and conversations:
📘 Facebook: / thephotographiceyeyt
🐦 Twitter: / alex_kilbee
The Photographic Eye is all about sharing and spreading the joy of photography.
We value your presence and support! If you're enjoying our content, don't forget to press the like button, leave a comment, and subscribe for more exciting content.
#photography #photographer #thephotographiceye
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
//CHECK OUT THIS VIDEO NEXT: • Know When To Press The...
//SUPPORT THE CHANNEL!
Patreon - / thephotographiceye
KZbin Membership - geni.us/Sx5O
//JOIN ME ON FACEBOOK!
/ thephotographiceyeyt
//CONTACT:
Please use this email: [e-mail]/
//RECORDING SET UP:
* TubeBuddy - www.tubebuddy.com/photographi...
* Canon Rebel SL3/250D - geni.us/KnoOg
* Sigma 35mm f1.4 Art - geni.us/0N8qA
* Microphone - geni.us/6iSh
* SD card - geni.us/d1M4t
* Tripod - geni.us/G1zeYG
* Lighting - geni.us/gyti
DISCLAIMER: Some of these links may be affiliate links. If you purchase a product or service with these links, I may receive a small commission. All of this goes to support the creation of the content you see here on The Photographic Eye.
For getting to the bottom of this list, you get a 25% discount code for 'Learning To See', my course designed to help you become the best photographer you can be.
Claim the discount at the following link by using 'READING'
tpe.teachable.com/p/learning-...

[@ThePhotographicEye]

Join the TPE Community Newsletter and get weekly photography inspiration directly to your inbox. Click here: www.thephotographiceye.info/

[@robertmeyerson1618]

For years I've been taking pictures without a camera. It usually happens when I'm driving and can't safely stop to grab my gear. I snap pictures in my mind noting scenes as I speed by... red barns and wandering fences, backgrounds with mountains and clouds, great lighting, and unique compositions. I tell myself that I'll someday return, but I never do. It's just a fun exercise. .... thanks for the video !

[@markgoostree6334]

If we actually had those photos... there wouldn't be room in the house for us to live. I catch myself doing this also. It makes the day more fun.

[@rogerriggs126]

I thought I was the only weirdo who does that!

[@glennwadlegih1896]

The same for me. Morning light on the drive to work.

[@DemianPhotos]

Same

[@iSleepDoc]

Me too!! And to tell you the truth…. This habit will safe us from getting senile dementia….. a mind which is constantly involved doesn’t get rusted!!!

[@rp-9866]

I've been a working pro for over 40 years. To all those starting out, thinking of starting out, or just 'like to take pictures'. THIS video is what you should watch. Thanks mate. Great ideas and video. Two things I would add to his great suggestions. 1) After taking his advice and start seeing these things, the next step is: TURN AROUND. You'd be amazed at what you may be missing. And 2) Take a knee. It changes perspective and can turn a 'good' photo into a great one.

[@georgebrudos3068]

Good stuff. Mom used to say, “if you’re bored, you must be boring!” I’m 63 now, and for more than fifty years I’ve been looking through one lens or another, always trying to capture what others don’t see. Mom’s 85, and never bored 😁

[@ThePhotographicEye]

Love that!

[@iSleepDoc]

“Start to think photographically” ……key to our success!!!!

[@jacobh5817]

Excellent tips. Here’s one as a variant/extension to #1. When I started in photography (35+ years ago) for the first years I carried a frame for a 35mm or 6x6 slide with me almost all the time. By holding it up in front of your eye, you start to develop ideas for framing and composition of scenes, without having a camera with you. With some practice you can emulate the different fields of view of your lenses by varying the distance to your eye. The slide frame fits in almost every pocket…

[@johntravena119]

Great idea, I need to try this.

[@cottonbomb8272]

​@@johntravena119just use phone camera nowadays

[@jurgenschurr6737]

You are so right. I also write down ideas into a small booklet and spend a lot of time studying my unsatisfaying pictures and develop ideas to make better pictures. All these thoughts go deep into the subconsciousness and vanish sooner or later from the consciousness, but when a nice subject with a great potential appears even at the edge of my field of vision while walking through nature, the idea immediately and clearly pops up out of the subconsciousness, even if many years have passed by since I had that thought. Then I immediately know what to do. However, this works only when I am fully relaxed and not thinking about workaday trouble and other worries.

[@Fuegoshotz]

Once you start doing this you can’t stop haha. I’ll squint my eyes, close one eye, use my fingers as a frame and sometimes imagine what things would look like in my head as if I’m gonna take a photo. I love it because you see the world in this whole new perspective.

[@kiwipics]

I do this all day, and especially when out walking, driving, or shopping ... It drives the wife mad, but it always amazes her if I show her a shot of the most mundane of things, and even more so when I think in black and white, or explain how a shot would look in Infrared.

[@richardowen4558]

It was Ansel Adams' landscapes that inspired my B&W affliction but it was HCB's subject matter that made me want to be a documentary shooter. I was fortunate, late in life, to spend a decade (1998-2008) as a newspaper shooter. One of the most fun jobs I ever had! I got to go play every day!

[@hansdegebruiker1968]

I go a lot to Budapest. This is a beautiful city for photography. I walk around and just sit down somewhere and start to look around. More and more interesting compositions pop up when I let the environment enter my eyes.

[@photographybypetercharles9939]

An exercise for a boring day at home. Grab a prime lens and don't put any thought into the selection, just put it on your camera. Then walk around the house and try to see your usual stuff in different ways. Try to turn the mundane into something else by looking at it differently. It's fun and it's amazing some of the images we can turn out.

[@kenbatchelor8284]

Great video. I total agree with the chap who added that you should Turn Around. After all, half the world will be behind you.

[@gladysperrier4270]

As always, great food for thought.

[@destroydapacka]

There are a lot of times when I'll be in the kitchen making breakfast, waiting for the coffee to brew and I'll just stand and observe when and where mundane household objects cast their shadow, timing the rhythm of the dripping tap, or how the light through the dirty windows gives them an aged character. Some days I just take the camera down and spend five minutes outside exploring. Creativity is a good way of starting the day, the caffeine just tops it off. We are surrounded by opportunity, but that window is so small and often lost forever. We take so much for granted in life, that we never see the greatness in the simplicity of the things that surround us. Big things grow from small seeds, and observation is the greatest food a creative mind needs.

[@WarriorsPhoto]

Powerful video. I remember doing this in the past. I would sit somewhere and just watch the world. 😮😊😅 I miss those days.

[@annadelf]

Thank you for this wonderful video--your enthusiasm is contagious!

[@kenn6592]

Brilliant stuff. So simple but such useful tips.

[@barter5]

Deep and thorough analytical thoughts, thank you, with numerous aspects beeing considered to be put into my own daily based photographical philosophy... as I would say in Norwegian...

[@martinlemke4440]

Good tips, thank you! I'm about to make a list to take notes wherever I'll be....

[@beatamichalska6220]

Brilliant excercise !!

[@DSG0805]

I used to carry around an old metal rear mound so I could hold it up to compose pictures. It was kinda cool for practice

[@matthew_thefallen]

wow i've been doing this all along! When i go out places and don't bring my camera with me, i use my phone's camera to train my eye and my composition. Then when i take a shot that i really like, i'll go back with my film camera or digital camera and take photos. Although most of the times my phone shots are good enough in quality too, but sometimes it is better to retrace those steps with a camera!

[@stasweitze]

This is useful and inspiring, thank you!

[@AliasJimWirth]

I am really enjoying going back and watching your earlier videos, Alex, as a particular subject of interest manifests itself. I am pleased to have discovered your channel.

[@ThePhotographicEye]

Thank you for watching

[@oldpaddler1158]

Spot on!

[@jeffreyporter6126]

I'm a beginning photographer, at least when it comes to speaking and thinking in terms of aperture, ISO, shutter speed, etc- or even interchangeable lenses. But have been shooting pics for years with a long-reach Canon P&S and 'playing photographer' while taking some halfway decent images and even enjoying many of my very unprofessional shots of fun subjects or weird perspectives. It's just my fidget to maintain sanity and has also given my a precious visual diary of the last couple decades. But I've always thought as an artist, it's always been a fascinating game to me. I judge and award each scene I encounter or image I capture with unspecific points for subject, color, composition, mood, story, pattern, texture. My own amateur and unapologetic criteria. So much fun and I play even when without a camera- always hunting with my eye for those potential sparks of beauty or interest. makes me thankful for even the moments I can't keep. I finally got a mirrorless Fujifilm and a zoom to chase birds, squirrels, trees and flowers. So much FUN though I barely know how to run it yet!

[@bobfris]

I have learned so much from you, thank you for sharing

[@nb7524]

This is very helpful, thank you.

[@adventurecoalition3690]

Great exercises/tips, thx for sharing, appreciate the help

[@Rob.1340]

Thank you. All the best. 👍👍📷😎

[@vancouverbluesea]

These are very interesting points! Thank you.

[@TooLooseLeTrek]

Good advice indeed. I cut out a small rectangle (2x3 format that I shoot) out of a piece of mat and hold it before my eyes, move it around, bring it in closer and farther, and practice framing images for composition and that helped me a great deal. Thanks for your videos...I've watched quite a few.

[@mrca2004]

It's called a viewing card and it is the least expensive item you will ever buy or make for photography and I GUARANTEE that sitting in your chair looking around zoom in and out you will find photos you have never seen. Ernst Haas used to have his Yosemite students stand in one spot and find 10 images.

[@alfredo-ie1gs]

Thank you for these kinds of videos. I'm newer to photography and see this mindset of you either have it from the start or you don't ("the eye'), but the way you explain how you explain it makes it clear to me it's 100% something that can and will develop if you put the proper work and love into it.

[@ThePhotographicEye]

Glad it was helpful!

[@lynnnorthrup8914]

Thank you for sharing! It will make you a better photographer.👍😀

[@flickerspot]

Thank you its a great session how to improve our photography ❤️❤️❤️

[@thedarkriver1]

Love it! 👍👍

[@liutkin]

This channel is incredible. Thank you for sharing this.

[@ThePhotographicEye]

Wow thank you

[@hanumanguy]

Thanks for all your videos Alex. What I love most about them is that it gets me excited about shooting. I watch one of your videos and then I want to get and shoot and put the ideas into practice.

[@GJSsongsmith]

Me too Guy !

[@ThePhotographicEye]

Awesome thank you

[@Xenos_AR]

thought i was the only one, but im happy that lot's of people have done this also ❤

[@GeorgeENorkus]

Like you hinted at, photograph what is near you. I've been "hinting" the same thing to many other photographers for years. After enjoying an ice cream, I turned around to get a great photo at a local shop.

[@sanjeetdighawa]

Thank you for making such amazing content on photography!

[@ThePhotographicEye]

Thanks for watching

[@roy.mclean]

Anticipation is key to sports photography. Select your fstop, shutter speed and zone focus and when it happens, shoot it.

[@Fuegoshotz]

Also wanted to say sometimes I don’t even take the photos because I love enjoying seeing the moment happen in real time.

[@Black_Jesus3005]

Thanks again Alex

[@frmath2]

Thank you,,

[@wolfgangtoeglhofer1710]

every one of your videos is a pleasure. 🙏

[@thisarfingai]

thank you. this arrived at the perfect time.

[@ThePhotographicEye]

Thank you for watching

[@tragikomediant4278]

This is one of the most inspiring video with advices that I've seen in a very long time. And the examples of pictures you used there are excelent.

[@ThePhotographicEye]

Thank you

[@TimSeraphiel]

Love your videos so much. I love that you showcase so many different images by so many different photographers. I admit that I still have large books in my bookcase that are solely compilations of great photos and they have always brought me joy as well as helping keep my own creative juices flowing. Your videos and tips bring that same feeling out in me. So thankyou. Your work here is very much appreciated.

[@ThePhotographicEye]

Awesome, thank you

[@raymeedc]

I’m 73. The older EyE gets, the more EyE’m drawn to the beauty in the mundane, the small essential sights I’ve miss takenly passed by most of my life, blinded by the more “magnificent”. Nowadays I find myself focused on cracks/well worn patterns on sidewalks, partial pipe protruding portions, the rustier, the better, proportions of ordinary people posing ordinary captures….. don’t know how I missed all of this, EyE must have been blind ~ 👁️

[@jiahaotan696]

The older you get, the more you find beauty in everyday life. Life doesn't have to be big and grand.

[@eleluku29]

I don't understand everything you say, because I'm French 😉. But I love your videos. well done!

[@joyjeetpaul2218]

Thanks a lot Sir. Your knowledge will help help us for sure 😊 🙏

[@ThePhotographicEye]

It's my pleasure

[@esquirevision]

Great video

[@PatrykGrzebyta]

IT comes with experience❤

[@andrewcroft2570]

Great video, another on added to my extensive library.

[@ThePhotographicEye]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@madmechanic7641]

But this guy ALWAYS gives me inspiration. : )

[@drjahanzeb1135]

You topic are really logical. My biggest barrier is myself, i can't get me camera on in presence of others. Hesitation.

[@cornfield755]

It was seeing the opportunities for photographs, and the shots that i wanted to capture, that led me to pick up a camera.

[@laxcdn]

Been watching your vids for a while and whenever I go out for regular everyday events I look around to see things and sometimes my wife asks what I am looking at and I reply just things to photograph, she is getting it now after she sees my photos.

[@wolfgangtoeglhofer1710]

uniqueness out of averageness jsuch a great word catch)

[@user-df1wh1tx2y]

I like the quote from minor white, who said sit and be still with the object of your attention until it acknowledges your presence

[@ThePhotographicEye]

That's awesome!

[@GregJorgo]

I’m in the midst of a 6 week photography challenge via an instagram contact. 3 photos in 3 hours type of thing, and after uploading my 3 chosen for this week, I looked at them and thought, ‘have I advanced with my photography or am I still taking somewhat boring images’? I’ve jotted notes from your video Alex and will give this a run over Christmas! Thankyou!

[@ThePhotographicEye]

Thanks for watching

[@Ryomichi]

I am going to take a guided tour. The dilemma I have is I want to be wowed and not spoiled, but I also need to prepare and have some idea what the place look like so I have a better chance to take the photo I want.

[@pauldickinson1434]

An inspirational video Alex..

[@ThePhotographicEye]

Thanks Paul - what did you like about it particularly?

[@pauldickinson1434]

@@ThePhotographicEye Hi Alex Thank you for your kind reply. This video has been a light bulb moment for me, It's really opened my eyes to photographic possibilities in as you say The mundane scenes around us. As lovely as the glorious photos we see on social media are, I feel that they kind of trick you into thinking that you will only get amazing photos by visiting places of interest with expensive cameras. It's certainly opened my "Photographic Eye" I'm currently binge watching your previous posts. Many Thanks Paul

[@ThePhotographicEye]

@@pauldickinson1434 Yeah, there are oppertunities all around us for photos. I'm really pleased to hear that you're starting to see the world in a different way after watching these videos.

[@gamincurieux]

Always take WAAAAAY better pictures with my eye/mind than I EVER do with the bloody camera!

[@johnclay7644]

3, useful 9.5mins. 1) Read books.2) keep up with Brands, 3) upload photos.

[@mpw621]

Great ideas ! The saying is: 'always bring your camera with you' as you never know when the great photo is in front of you.

[@markgoostree6334]

I have been kind of in a rut for a while. This past month, I have been picking up a camera every time I leave the house. Just trying to make myself actually think and do photography.

[@johncantrell614]

As hyper as people are these days, it is a great thing to be able to be able to learn to focus on things for a longer time. Take something, a salt shaker, for example, and force yourself to examine it and for five minutes list everything possible about it. Do that to something else. But force yourself to five minutes of concentrating on just that thing, nothing else. Once that becomes a habit, you would be surprised at how easily it becomes to do, and should help you frame up shots more quickly….

[@dccd673]

I feel like I would take more photos if I had smaller gear. I have a Canon 5DM4 so it’s quite heavy with a lens on.

[@cmichaelhaugh8517]

Occasional acts today that would be good to make consistent habits!

[@eliezer_urbano]

Os brasileiros paulistanos que reconheceram a Luz 👍

[@madridejosryuchan]

I kinda regret the fact that I didnt bring a camera and take a photo of one of the buildings in the base yesterday.. there was a good fog last night and some sort of lamp by the exit door.. with a person walking towards me in the dark. it feels like a dark movie but it was def a good sight to see.

[@Belchdragon]

Ended up going mad while doing a 365 project. I got so overwhelmed I had to stop.

[@maximus6884]

Lesson 1: Taking photographs is not something you are born with. Seeing things differently takes training. And exausting that muscle requires PROLONG practise. When you buy a new camera, spending 1000's of dollars, you must be willing to NOT exaust the creative muscle but to take it on a learning journey. Train it. Be kind to it. Lesson 2: Take a moment to look around you to see beyond what your eye can see. So see how you can interestingly put the photo forward. Can you photograph it in an interesting way? The more you do this, the more you are training your eye (rather brain) to see possibilities. This thinking requires you to explore. Lesson 3: Capturing the Fleeting Moment: Henry Cartier-Bressons book Decisive Moment discusses further on capturing the "fleeting moment" in a photograph. It's about understanding where you are and thereby expanding that understanding to anticipate what WOULD happen in future. Waiting for that to perform a capture. Oberse the scenario. Are you expesting silence in a train station? Do you know the train schedule? Therefore lesson -1 + lesson 2 gives LOOKING + AWARENESS. This creates oppertunities and thereby creating what we call "LUCK"

[@moil6384]

4:22 beijing, andingmen nei and jiaodoukou intersection

[@PatrykGrzebyta]

💪❤️💪

[@c64club]

Sometimes make a "thought picture" and it's enough, not take a real picture of that idea. But such nonexistent photo can also influence your future vision.

[@ddsdss256]

Many of us live nowhere near a bustling metropolis anything like NYC or London, so the Meyerowitz/Winogrand/HCB approach isn't necessarily practical (relatively few excel in street photography). However, we all live near potential subjects that may be relatively unique, and noticing what's potentially special about what most consider to be mundane (or fail to notice at all) can form the basis for truly great images.

[@carlosmcse]

“Street Photography” really is a made up term only used for selling things. It’s meaningless otherwise.

[@ddsdss256]

Personally, I don't feel the need to categorize genres of any art form, but "street photography" is a well-recognized term and I was merely pointing out that, wherever you are, there are opportunities to produce unique and special images, so people need to embrace that rather than wishing they were someplace more "interesting." Great photographers don't need great locations to produce great photos! in fact, an excellent exercise is to deliberately limit where you shoot and what gear you use to "force creativity." The vast majority of HCB's and Winogrand's images utilized a Leica rangefinder and 50mm (I'd go crazy if I were limited to that view of the world).

[@jcrosestudios]

creating photograph sketches before and just getting your ideas ahead of time and tuning into the moments as well. Did you ever practice these things if you weren’t working in photography, full-time ? I just am curious I think it’s my mind. but does everyone have trouble transitioning like you said, if you don’t do it full-time how do you do it part-time just slowing down of everything and the meditative nature of that is hard if you’re not devoting your full-time hours to it but it’s not impossible, right?

[@yuriajones]

As a professional photographer, I feel like I need to push back your first sentence. I don't "practice my photography" as much as I'd like. That's mainly due to work commitments taking up my time. This includes shooting (lots of video too) and it also included editing and admin work. When I had a regular job, I feel like I had much more time to practice on weekends and after working hours during the week.

[@jcjensenllc]

How to learn?

[@jigggro]

Are you originally from south Africa sir ? I love hearing "howsit howsit".

[@ThePhotographicEye]

I'm originally from the UK, but grew up in SA from 84 till around 99

[@jigggro]

@@ThePhotographicEye once a saffer always a saffer

[@Cali62825]

Cartier-Bresson didn’t have a dslr. He had a set number of shots per film canister…hence the decisive moment

[@dominikschreiner6062]

Yet, he took tons of pictures which are to a good amount much, much more compelling than most of street photography you see on instagram nowadays. I think he took so much great pictures not DESPITE being constraint by film but very much BECAUSE of being constraint by film. Photographers back then had to put thought into every shot. And it shows. This is not the case anymore with dslrs. Quite the opposite. Theres tons of trash pictures taken and published every day and a lot of photographers are obsessed with shuttering away so much, they dont even have the time and patience to put some thought into their frame. Maybe they catch a decisive moment from time to time, but they dont truly search for it. Digital is a curse and a blessing.

[@Cali62825]

@@dominikschreiner6062 do we know how many he took? Vivian Maier…SHE took tons of photos

[@craig_m_mi]

I'm not sure what that image beginning at 8:50 is supposed to tell me, or make me think of, but I don't find it a decent or compelling image at all. Am I not "getting it"

[@leemjfreeman9856]

More about anticipation and recognising that the moment was going to happen. That said, I agree, it's not a good photo - more of a snapshot.

[@hanumanguy]

I find quite a few of the images that Alex shares from famous photographers to be not interesting at all or I think I have images I've taken just like that. It's kind of confusing. I am not sure what the reason is. Some thoughts, since the Internet age we've seen everything, maybe photos taken in the 70s for example were more striking as there would be more original. Another thought is that once you have a good name any reasonable photo will be considered good by large number of people. Also the artist doesn't have to please everyone, just himself really. I certainly notice with my own work that people don't always like the images I like, and they like the images that are not my favorites etc.

[@jivaro77]

next try to zoom in and see the details..

[@joelwexler]

"Unless you are a pro, you probably don't have enough time..." (or a retired geezer whose primary responsibility is walking your dog in the Rockies)

[@Duckshots]

the more you look, the more you see.

[@madmechanic7641]

Sometimes being a photographer is knowing when NOT to.. Irishpeteeboy : )

[@jinjinweiwei]

8:55 hope that didn't leave a nasty mark. 😬

[@budakart]

Come to Islam n success

[@niranjand4238]

Unpopular opinion: everything you said, sound so gibberish to me. How you feel about a picture is pretty subjective and a lot of the pictures you shared here are average at best. I see why some people like them also others who would roll their eyes. You can frame any theory on your mind, when you test that theory, some pictures are going to be nice, most would be garbage. There’s definitely spontaneity involved in all the pictures taken.

[@kre_dopeprod.3766]

Boring times? Wtf are talking about grany? China, Iran, North Korea and Russia start world war against west and u think bout how to spend boring time with some playing in head?

[@xxxxz4862]

I do this, and sometimes, it gets on my nerves because I'm always looking for leading lines, complimentary colors, and opportunities for bokeh. I mean, I'm happy that it's what I see, but it gets in the way of enjoying life sometimes, especially when I see something that bothers the OCD.