Looking Differently Photography Tip

We are taught to walk forward, watching where we go, eyes up, and standing confident. But some times, the best photos can not be found this way. A photographer needs to be curious. Here are a few tips to consider when you pick up the camera (or iPhone) next.

Look around you.

Get down on the ground - like a childs view.

Turn around when walking, and see what it looks like. You will be surprised at how different the view can look.

Look up.

Look at the details - go up close and get the bubbles, the signage, the food, the beautiful colour of the flower.

You don't always need a face in the photo to tell the story. Hands, feet, even a whole body with head cropped. 

Reflections can be interesting.

Windows and mirrors - use them. So many stories to be told - infront of you and behind you in the one image.

I love to sit and watch the world go by. In the image above, I was at a cafe in Mount Gambier SA, working on the laptop, but needing an 'eye strain' break. I can't last, even for an hour, on the computer without breaks. I'd been watching people come and go, conversations through the window, laughter, waitresses keeping everyone happy - and wanted to capture the hive of activity. Cafes can be a hive of activity.

I entered this photography in the AIPP Awards (Australian Institue of Professional Photography) and gained a Silver at State level. I love that you can see me (normally a pro no-no) and the outside world, but also have the dialogue of legs sitting at the window.

I wonder what they were talking about? Did they indulge in a pastry? Who knows.

We can make our own ending.

BSKT cafe yummies, Mermaid Beach QLD

I spot a number of cafes on the way in, and make a mental note that coffee is not far away. Thank goodness. I see a place called BSKT on the corner, two doors down from our apartment. It looks full and bustling with energy. Another mental note, 'I must go there'. A social media comment from a friend in Adelaide cements my thoughts, I need to go there. A coffee buff, he says I need to go there after my run one morning.

So I do. We go for coffee, and sit out the back. To my gleeful surprise, there is a kids play area. Hallelujah. We have been entertaining the kids on holiday with no toys, and finally, they are away from us. Happily. I eye the food coming out, and wish I had not just eaten breakfast at the apartment. The menu has me wanting to eat again, but I resist. Just. I tell Ben we are coming back for food tomorrow.

Pancakes with raw cacao, blueberries and other yummy super-food crunch. Awesome! Sweet potato and quinoa fritters. Yum! This is my kind of food. Delicious AND healthy. The menu is laden with super-foods, coconut and protein, I don't need to feel ultra guilty indulging at this place.

We sip on lattes in peace, looking out to the whitewash of waves (while not salivating over the menu). That rarely happens. Ahh. Double whammy - great coffee and time out from kids.

Breakfast… breaking the fast with something yummy.

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Coffee Saviour...

Geelong grind. The smoke haze lingers low. It's warm, but looks cold and wintery. Time to re-jig with a coffee. I see a sign leading up an office block staircase. I pitter patter off. And am kicked into place with a caffeine hit that goes down way too quickly.

Flemington hang-out I'm an hour too early for a job. I turn the corner in search of a cafe. The sun peeks through the clouds and shines my attention on Mama Bear. Ah, I love this place; thank you.

I love finding cool places via wandering while on my travels.

A girly weekend out... with just the iPhone.

'I love it here. I just love it here.' I hear myself repeating my words, as the warm night breeze blows my hair. I could be on a beach, in a little ranty shack in Brazil. Or anywhere that oozes eclectic, eccentric, ramshackle. But no, I'm in Adelaide. Grenfell Street, Adelaide. Little Miss Mexico.

I'd heard about it for ages, and have never been. Mainly because I haven't been out in town for ages. Having two small children does that. And it wasn't til I asked a mate about where to go, and he says 'come here, no age bias, chilled tunes and great atmosphere' I get there. The description is not wrong. There's turtles in a tank. Fairy light tangled crates as lighting. Rickety makeshift bars. Old lounges. Uneven concrete. Galvanised island. Painted murals.

Having walked the breadth of Adelaide CBD from Benjamin on Franklin, I feel worlds apart. I've come from old world charm - muskiness stained in the sagging leather seating of the Library dining room, slick coffee cocktails and mirrored walls, to having margaritas in recycled jars and sangria by the bottle in an alley.

I feel like I'm on holiday. Gingers Cafe on Goodwood Road for lunch, surrounded by all the cool people. Checking into a two bedroom apartment at Mantra on Frome Road. Swirling wine in Benjamin on Franklin charm, and now chilling out with good vibes and relaxed crowd at Little Miss Mexico.

Do I have to go home tomorrow? Not before breakky at Colins and Co on King William Road.

Cash Store Cafe, Gilles Street ADL

This cute cafe at 269 Gilles Street in Adelaide is a tiny treasure. The Lemonade sign is enough to get me in. And the old wooden doors that lead in. Then there are the salads. I order a chicken salad, and get all the trimmings. Yummo. $11 for a salad and drink,  yes please.

I am introduced to this character by a friend who works nearby. And it seems all who work nearby know about this place. Lunch trade is rockin'. As I bite into my fork full of sundried tomato, avocado, and chicken - I realise why.

Same time next week?