If this feels like part two of something, it kinda is. For full context, read my last post: “We Are Different Yet the Same”.
Before this day, I used to think my inspiration came from seeing other photographers’ work, visiting galleries, or traveling. Turns out, sometimes it comes from simple conversations.
After the hot air balloons launch in the morning, the ground crew “chases” them. Pilots share a rough idea of where they might land, and we follow. These moments, away from the main balloon experience, give me time to photograph the landscape and wildlife.
One recent morning, our chase took us through an area thick with acacia trees. It was 6 a.m.— golden light was spilling across the horizon making it a perfect time for silhouette shots. And I noticed myself actively hunting for the kind of photo I talked about in my last piece— a lone tree on the horizon, soaked in soft light.
Thing is, I've taken those photos before. So on other mornings when we pass this area, I don't even bother lifting my camera. I’d told myself, “I already have that shot.” But by this morning, something had shifted in me. Because of the conversation I had with that visitor—and because I’d talked about it—I was more aware, more curious, more alive to the moment.
It made me realize how easily we slip into default mode. In photography, that sounds like: “I’ve taken that before, I don’t need it again.” But, we forget that every morning is different. The clouds move. The grass bends in new ways with the day's wind. Light touches the trees today, differently from yesterday.
So, here's what I'm taking away from all this: Talk. Share. Don’t just hide behind editing software or scroll for inspiration. Sometimes, your next great photo starts with a sentence or two shared with a friend.
Catch you on the next one.
Hemedi.