COUNTRY PASSION
After a friend introduced her to the concept of slow photography, interior designer Justine Cook felt inspired to take a more mindful approach to capturing moments through a lens during her walks in the Welsh countryside
Justine Cook has found the perfect way to unwind – slow photography
When we take a moment to pause, we start to appreciate the beauty all around
With all the madness going on in the world at present, seeking to pause and reflect has never been more relevant. A professional photographer and friend of mine, Joanna Maclennan, first introduced me to the term ‘slow photography’. She described it as a meditative practice, which instantly grabbed my attention. The aim, ultimately, is to slow down our fast-moving pace of life by thinking about photographs as not just capturing a moment in time, but the emotion and feeling behind it as well.
Digital photography has given us the gift of easily documenting things that mean something to us – the natural world is a particular inspiration for me. I prefer to use my phone. I’d recommend any one starting out to do the same. It’s so familiar and I always have it on me. There’s no need for carrying extra ‘stuff’, which gives me the freedom to react quickly when something happens. I always know when it’s a moment worth capturing, as I’m so submerged in the experience I often forget to click the shutter! I like to work alone, so I can really focus on what I’m doing. But I’m lucky that those close to me are understanding of my hobby, and will at least humour me taking shots of a tiny bit of lichen I’ve spotted on a stick. Even when the taking of the photo has been more rushed than I would like, I find looking through the images afterwards a wonderful opportunity for reflection. I delve beneath the surface, reliving the moment and taking the time to notice the small details that perhaps I wasn’t aware of at the time – natural shadows and lighting often offer a different perspective on the subject. While I don’t use filters, I do like to edit my imagery so that everything flows beautifully together. I have a well-trained visual eye, so I tend to notice signature themes and tones running through, which makes the whole process more personal. Slow photography calms my soul and helps me see the bigger picture beyond the lens. I’d recommend it to anyone looking to achieve the same.
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Follow Justine on Instagram @harpstudioshop to see her beautiful photography and workshop information.