A thought under the setting sun: Searching for my style

I like to think of myself as an adventurer, even if my daily routine doesn't always reflect it. With my current employer, I get to travel from time to time and that lets me satisfy that itchiness to explore new lands. But work travel has a way of turning you into a stressed-out machine. Between navigating the thousands of travellers at the airport and rushing to beat the CBP gates, it's easy to forget you are actually visiting a new part of the world.

My last work trip was packed, leaving me with no time for myself and no camera in my bag. This time, I had more leeway when selecting my flights and took it to explore Oklahoma City before my colleagues arrived. So I took the earliest flight to OKC and prepared my excursion on the way there. Bricktown, Scissortail Park and Western Heritage museum were among the choices but I decided to go to Paseo Art District.

Starting the adventure, camera in the bag, I arrived at the Art District and was lucky to find artists of many trades invading the streets. It was a farmer’s market of arts; sculptures, paintings, photography, and woodcraft among others not to mention lots of street food. Walking among the stalls, I saw some incredible pieces of art, some steampunk jewelry and insect sculptures made of metals. I also got to discover the lovely Karri Jameson, who draws and paints realistic birds on canvas. I was awestruck with what she did and the effort behind it, so I took a pair of cardinals home with me.

After a day bustling with interesting people and arts to admire, it was time to slow down and Lake Hefner was where I found nature and tranquility. I took the time to stroll around and enjoy the view of the lighthouse next to the marina. As I was taking some pictures here and there for the possibility of something good, but also simply because I liked to press the shutter, I saw a turtle in the lake and some common grackles bouncing around on the shore, not too far from me.

I also saw the famous scissor-tailed flycatcher flash above my head, well, I hope it was.

It was quite relaxing to hear the faint sound of conversations, listen to the chirping of birds and feel the refreshing breeze. To see the sun setting behind the lighthouse, I decided to migrate to the other side of the marina. But looking around for good composition was difficult since the sun, shining from the lake, was a bit too harsh. To avoid looking at it with my naked eye or with the optics of my DSLR, I was looking through my camera's LCD screen. And while I sat, anticipating the view, a man on the marina, fishing rod in hand, was looking for his dinner. We were both waiting for the right moment to strike.

And we waited.

With the sun above the lighthouse and the fisherman on the docks, I saw the potential of light behind my subjects. It was time to capture the scene, bringing forth the light reflecting in his red hair and using the negative space created by the warm shadow and openness around him to accentuate the tranquility and solitude we can feel from this man.

The golden hour was in progress, burning the sky orange and red. It was less and less difficult to look at the lighthouse. I then reduced the exposure to enhance the rich orange around the dark silhouette of the lighthouse. With the sun behind it, I ungraciously sat-hopped to the side until I was at an angle where the sun was half covered by the lighthouse.

I felt happy just to get this shot, which I took inspiration from the lighthouse shot from Simon D’Entremont, a Canadian photographer and YouTuber I often watch.

As I needed to get ready for the next day, it was time to go back. Unexpectedly, while waiting for the rideshare, I saw this boat floating in front of the sun and I happily took my chance to shoot another nice backlit photo.

I have not found my style of photography yet. Wildlife, landscape or portraits, I just shoot what is around me. I’ve been told that I’ll need to find my niche or my style to become better. I now realize, while writing this, that I don't need to and this adds pressure to perform, be efficient and go faster. Taking the time to relax like my friend the fisherman and slow down is a boon. Your brain needs this pause. And when you do, you stop chasing the right answer: the perfect option or the style that fits you. I'm at a place in my photography hobby that I need to experiment and dabble around and not reach perfection. It's all about keeping the joy to press the shutter, the curiosity to discover new techniques or the pride I feel showing my photos to friends and family.

Thanks for reading with me under this sunset.

Now, grab that camera of yours, head out for your own adventure, and let me know where you've been.

I'll see you in the great outdoors.