Have you ever been so busy taking photographs that you forgot to actually look at what was in front of you?

In this episode of Coffee Break Photography, Rich Dyson explores a surprisingly simple idea:

Put your camera down.

The inspiration for this video came from seeing Picasso's Guernica at the Museo Reina Sofía in Madrid. It's one of the world's most famous paintings, yet one of the striking things about visiting it is seeing how easily we can end up experiencing something extraordinary through the back of a camera or phone.

And photographers can fall into exactly the same trap.

We arrive at a beautiful landscape, an interesting building, an event or a portrait session and immediately start taking photographs. But by doing that, are we sometimes missing what's actually happening in front of us?

In this video, Rich explains why spending a few minutes simply looking at a scene can help you:

• Find better compositions
• Move beyond the obvious photograph
• Understand light and surroundings
• Notice details you might otherwise miss
• Understand your subject before photographing it
• Take more considered photographs

There's also a simple five-minute challenge you can try the next time you go out with your camera.

Put the camera away for five minutes.

Look around.

Then ask yourself:

What caught my attention?

Why?

How can I photograph it?

And let us know in the comments whether you think putting your camera down could actually make you a better photographer.

If you enjoy Coffee Break Photography, please like the video, subscribe to the channel and share it with another photographer.

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