With travel photography being so popular, it’s easy to forget that you often have hidden gems just a few minutes away from your home. And by taking advantage of them, you might be able to stand out while spending less money and energy going elsewhere.
If you think that photographing your hometown sounds enjoyable, you’re in the right place. Below, you’ll find seven benefits of doing so.
1. Open the Door to New Opportunities
To succeed in anything, you must have expertise that few can replicate. You know the area you live in better than anyone else, especially if it’s somewhere you’ve spent most (or all) of your life.
The more you go out and photograph your hometown, the larger your portfolio will become. Within a year or two, you’ll be able to sift out the stuff you don’t like and share your best work with prospective clients.
In addition to working with companies, you can also open the door to collaborations with your favorite creators. Which brings us to the next benefit…
2. Make New Friends
The best way to make high-quality friends is to meet them while doing things you love. Unless you’re living in the middle of nowhere, you’ll likely meet at least one other person who enjoys photography near you.
Photography (or any creative pursuit, for that matter) is an excellent way to connect with like-minded people. You’ve got several options when it comes to meeting local photographers, including:
Social media Classes and workshops Groups on websites designed for meeting up
As more people know about you in your local area, you’ll naturally make new friends. At the very least, you’ll have a companion for your photoshoots; but in some instances, they might be able to introduce you to potential business partners.
3. Get to Know Your Local Area Better
It’s easy to get stuck in a routine. You probably take the same route to work, know how to get to the grocery store from your home by heart, and so on. But if you start getting tired of these routines, you may begin to find your local area boring—and at worst, you could start to resent it.
Photographing your hometown is an excellent way to get to know where you live better. If you’re balancing studies or a full-time job, you can use your free time to explore streets and neighborhoods that you usually don’t pay attention to.
In addition to the town or city itself, you’ll also get to know the surrounding areas better. You’ll soon discover all the hidden nature trails and cute villages that you can bring your friends to and impress them.
4. Think Outside the Box
One reason why travel photography is so enjoyable is that it’s always novel. Every time you visit a new place, you get a similar rush of excitement and a feeling of escape from your ordinary life back home.
Photographing your hometown is often somewhat different. It’s exciting at first, but you have to try harder over time to not get bored. A photographer in New York City or Tokyo might find themselves bored of grabbing street shots, and the same goes for someone who lives in the Alps.
Some give up when this feeling kicks in. However, you should see it as an opportunity. The reality is that your hometown is in a constant state of change; Spring looks totally different from Fall, and the skyline is likely evolving all the time too.
Photographing your hometown forces you to observe these changes and think outside the box. As a result, you’ll become more creative.
5. Become More Selective With Your Gear
If you’re a beginner photographer, it’s easy to become obsessed with gear. With so many lenses and cameras on the market, you’d be forgiven for thinking that getting one of everything will have you covered for all situations.
When buying new equipment, it’s important to remember that you can only use one camera and one lens at any given time. If you purchase things just for the sake of owning them, you’ll quickly find yourself with more clutter than you know what to do with.
As you photograph your hometown more frequently, you’ll understand which bodies and lenses will fill the gaps—and what you could probably do without. You’ll become more selective with your gear, which will save you a lot of money and headaches.
6. Gain Recognition on Social Media
The possibility of gaining clout on social media should be the last reason you begin taking photos. But let’s be honest—validation from others feels good.
One problem that many creators find is how saturated the likes of Instagram and Twitter are today. Because these platforms have so many users, many of whom post the same thing, standing out is difficult.
A simple way to differentiate yourself is by focusing on just one area, i.e. your hometown. Potential followers will know exactly why they’re following you, making it an easy decision. You might also gain recognition and admiration from those who live in the same place as you, along with inspiring them to enjoy the beauty of where they live.
7. Host Local Workshops and Tours
One of the most beautiful things about being a photographer is that as you gain more experience, you can pass your wisdom on to others. Besides getting a few good karma points, you’ll also help beginner photographers endure less of a learning curve than you had to.
As you become more knowledgeable about photography and where you live, you can start hosting local workshops and tours. If you don’t want to do these physically, you can use platforms like Skillshare and Udemy to provide exclusive educational content.
Hosting local workshops and tours is an excellent way to increase your stock locally even further. Moreover, you’ll likely meet many interesting people that you can learn from.
You Don’t Need to Travel Far for Great Photography
If you’re unable to travel for whatever reason, that doesn’t mean that you need to put your camera down and let it collect dust. No matter how dull you think your hometown is, you probably have plenty of exciting things to document just outside your doorstep.
