A Look Back on Summer
Aidan Goddard
The beauty of photography: A summer behind the lens
At the beginning of this year, I vowed to become pretty serious with my photography, and as the summer rolled round, my sole objective was clear- take good photos.
The chase commenced. If I just nail my camera settings, get lighting down and visit a load of scenic locations, I’ll have a load of great photos.
Why though?
Upon first reflection, it may seem trivial that I spend such effort in attempt to make my summer appear good, than actually enjoying it.
But that’s when I noticed a pattern.
The traveller does not seek iconic vistas merely for the photo. That already exists on the digital realm, accessible at any time. They go because the experience is inherently beautiful.
As such, when I go out in search of a beautiful capture, I invariably find myself in a beautiful place.
Not just physically, but mentally.
As American painter Robert Henri puts,
‘The object isn’t to make art, it’s to be in that wonderful state which makes art inevitable’.
As such, some of my favourite photos from the summer appeared in the fleeting moments, devoid of the complexity I assumed I had needed for a good photo.
Charlotte Sollars
I spent my summer between the rainbow sprinkles of the ice cream parlour, neon lights of Tokyo and the comforting yellow hue of European cities at night.
When I wasn’t asking “cup or cone?” in my job at the ice cream shop, I got swept up in sounds and smells of Tokyo. My Dad and I navigated the city like characters in a video game finding a strange sense of peace in the middle of the Shibuya crossing.
Budva was a series of vibrant beaches, homemade sandwiches and desperate tan lines. We learnt to drive a boat and that sea sickness is real, not a myth. Wondering around The Old Town with the scent of sunscreen and overly sweet cocktails lingering, we scoured clubs and bars asking the staff to play ‘Starships’ by Nikki Minaj (an honoured tradition).
Back in North London, I took breaks standing in the walk-in freezer when the scoops got too much. It was there that I realised that nothing bonds people more than a hospitality job with a shared appreciation for blue roll.
Connor Kidd
Too often, I think, we get lost in the urban sprawl of the city. With never-ending distractions, mountains of work, and winter encroaching, it is easy to forget about the sheer amount of natural beauty lying right on our doorstep and confine ourselves to our rooms. We seem to forget that we come from nature, are still a part of it, and we live in a modern world that’s actually quite alien to us.
Sometimes, when you feel down, trapped by endless deadlines, concrete walls and highways that never sleep, getting out into nature can be all you need. I find climbing a literal mountain can help me to forget, if only briefly, about the mountains of work that I have been losing sleep over. Then when you get home, after being on top of the world, the work doesn’t seem half as overwhelming!
Jack Norris
I enjoy traveling and exploring new places. Given how I come from the south, I’d never really explored that much of the North.
As such, throughout the summer I visited many new places including Settle, a small quaint town in the Yorkshire Dales, Blackpool, a let’s just say interested seaside resort town located on the west coast and Glasgow, the largest city in Scotland.
All these places were incredibly different and provided many opportunities for unique photos including the classical train station at Settle, the urban streets and graffiti of Glasgow and the coastal views and retro scenery of Blackpool.
Jiayi (Laurence) Du
During my summer break, I had an amazing internship experience. After a 12-hour flight back to my hometown, Shanghai, I joined a gathering of white-collar professionals in the CBD the very next morning.
It was quite interesting to apply the knowledge I’d gained to actual work.
Every time I encountered an issue, the theories I had learned from my lecturers weren’t always helpful. It was my responsibility to generate my own ways to solve problems with the tools at hand.
Sitting in an office is completely different from life on campus.
Undoubtedly, the duplicated work could feel boring compared to the lively and energetic campus life, but I gained valuable skills by dealing with all the new challenges.
Though I felt a bit regretful not traveling anywhere, this precious experience gave me an insight into how the industry works and provided me with valuable thoughts about my future career path.
Words by: Aidan Goddard, Charlotte Sollars, Connor Kidd, Jack Norris, Jiayi (Laurence) Du