A long time ago before I even started this blog, I would just enjoy photography for what it is. I didn’t need a reason to shoot; I would just go out and shoot because I loved doing it. While I cover various events and do shoots every year now, this mentally of mine is still very much the same. I love what I do.

Because of this I usually turn down jobs/shoots when asked. I know it may seem selfish, but I’m not in it for the money or the exposure. I started out just doing this for myself and it’s basically still that way; being able to share and have my work loved by others is really just a huge bonus (that being said THANK YOU so much for your support!). This is without a doubt the biggest passion of my life, and passion is priceless.

Because of my busy schedule these days, I don’t find myself going out just to shoot as often as I used to. One place that I used to frequent on a regular basis however would be Elk Island, located just east of Edmonton.

It was here that I would spend countless hours in the evening just shooting away without a care in the world. The only exception would be that one time I got stuck in a ditch here in winter…

It’s always an adventure but despite my many visits in the past, I have yet to explore the entire park yet.

One of the main reasons for that is because I always find myself back at Astotin Lake. I absolutely love the ocean, but of course we don’t have one over here in dry Alberta, so this’ll have to do.

More often than not, I’ll just sit in front of this large body of water and just try out different techniques…

…and just experiment with photography overall. Sometimes you get some pretty interesting results.

It’s this experimentation that really leads to what I’m able to do when I’m on the go. If you ask me, there is no right way to take a photo, just different ways.

A lot of the time that can mean being in the right place at the right time…

…while other times it means getting a little creative to get the right shot!

Of course not everything you see is always fancy trickery. Sometimes taking a simple approach is best, instead of bombarding yourself with an endless supply of photo equipment and ideas.

After all, all you really need to get started with photography is a camera, even if it is just the one on your cell phone. In the end a camera is better than no camera.

Most importantly, have fun with what you do. Enjoy it, embrace it, and in the end you will love it!

-brandon.

Click HERE to view the full photo set on Flickr.