Bright coloured bracts on a stone path
Lens-Artists,  Photographic techniques,  Themed galleries

Gallery: things overlooked or unseen

It is better to be looked over than overlooked

Mae West

I don’t think Mae West was talking about photography, but her maxim can be applied. By β€˜looking over’ the places we visit with our cameras, that is properly looking at and seeing them, we are less likely to β€˜overlook’ a great photo opportunity.

That’s the challenge set for us this week by Janet, guest hosting the Lens Artists challenge. She says, and I totally agree, β€˜As a photographer, I love showing the viewers something they’ve missed’. I’m happy when people react with surprise, tell me they would never have spotted that or, if spotted, thought to photograph it. My recent post on Keeping it Simple got such a reaction from Anita, and I was thrilled: β€˜Now I don’t want to sit here in front of the computer anymore. I want to take my camera and photograph things that I might not have thought to photograph.β€˜ Isn’t that a wonderful response?!

I have a feeling that I’ve used this quote before but it’s too perfect for this theme not to repeat it:

To me, photography is an art of observation. It’s about finding something interesting in an ordinary place… I’ve found it has little to do with the things you see and everything to do with the way you see them.

Elliott Erwitt

Enough theorising, let’s see what often overlooked things I can find. But first, one more quote I consider apposite, remembered from my long-ago Shakespeare studies:

My father named me Autolycus; who being, I as am, littered under Mercury, was likewise a snapper-up of unconsidered trifles.

The Winter’s Tale, Act 4, Scene 2

So here are some unconsidered trifles that I have snapped-up!

Diagonal ridges of an old roof covered in lichen

Roof, Tynemouth

I must have passed this roof in Tynemouth dozens of times but it was only when the winter sun caught its ridges just so that I really noticed it.


Building with lots of small windows reflecting a sunset sky

Sunset, Newcastle upon Tyne

If you’re photographing a sunset in a city, don’t neglect to look behind you. There could be a great reflection shot that you might otherwise overlook.


Coloured light from a stained glass window on a wall

Cathedral of Saint Joseph, Sofia

Stained glass windows are beautiful of course, but don’t overlook the wonderful colours they cast on to nearby surfaces too.


Small gold medallion with Orthodox cross

Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, Sofia

Meanwhile in the same city’s Orthodox cathedral, a single medallion hanging from a chandelier caught my eye. It speaks as much of the faith of the people who worship as do the ornate icons covering the walls.


Curved edge of a striped map on a copper table

Table mat, Leipzig

A table mat at a cafΓ© where we stopped for coffee in Leipzig caught my eye and made a colourful abstract. I don’t think this shot would be half as effective if I’d included the whole mat, do you?


Single heart-shaped piece of confetti on a road

Confetti, Leipzig

Also in Leipzig I spotted confetti peppering the ground outside the Neues Rathaus (New Town Hall), a legacy of a recent wedding. Never neglect what’s at your feet!


Mosaic depicting a clown with a drinks tray above two women talking

On the Rue de la Seine, Paris

The presence of people can turn an ordinary shot into an extraordinary one. If you really look carefully you’re more likely to spot these serendipitous moments.


A window in Shrewsbury

Keep your eyes open as you walk along even the most ordinary of streets. Here a window in Shrewsbury is brightened by the presence of this little bear.

Small teddy bear perched on the bar of a window pane

Knotted string

String tie, Reykjavik

In a cafΓ© in Reykjavik some little fabric angels were tied to pillars with string. I photographed the angels of course, but found the knotted string just as interesting!


Length of rope with rippled sand

Rope at the beach, Sal, Cape Verde

Contrasting textures of rope and sand caught my eye in Sal, Cape Verde, on a dull day when photo opps seemed initially quite thin on the ground. But not when I started to look more carefully!


Large bubble reflecting people, surrounded by smaller ones

Kyoto Garden, Holland Park, London

One day in the Kyoto Garden in London’s Holland Park I noticed bubbles on the pond caused by the movement from the small waterfall. Easily overlooked when the flowers and peacocks here are such a draw, but what a great opportunity for an unusual self-portrait!


Bag of coloured water suspended with string

Near Siem Reap, Cambodia

A roadside restaurant we stopped in south of Siem Reap had suspended bags of coloured water from the trees in an effort to deter insects. When I could tear my eyes from the pretty views I found these bags, and the inverted images they held, equally worthy of some shots.


White and tan feathers

Bald eagle feathers

When taking photos, don’t overlook the details. Photographing a bald eagle at a sanctuary here in the UK, I realised that a close-up of the beautiful feathers could make for an intriguing shot.


Pool of bright orange water with bubbles

Iron-rich spring, Snaefellsnes Peninsula, Iceland

The landscape maybe stunning but don’t forget to look down. A natural spring of iron-rich water has stained this pool on Iceland’s Snaefellsnes Peninsula bright orange.


Rough squares of cracked dry mud

Empty Quarter, Oman

The dried mud in a wash in Oman’s Empty Quarter had cracked into a mosaic of squares, like crazy paving but completely natural. A few brave plants were trying to grow through the cracks, adding interest to the shot.

59 Comments

  • maristravels

    No, we all can’t find brilliant ‘overlooked’ scenes – you have an exceptional eye! But we can try and following your example and I shall keep my eyes peeled now when I’m out – and when I have my camera to hand. Thanks for a brilliant lesson in seeing.

  • Leya

    Wow, so many examples, and very special ones, Sarah – how to choose? But I do have an eye for the eye in Kyoto Garden – marvelous. I love it when you get up close.

  • Teresa

    Love that shot in Kyoto Gardens. An ordinary person would not think anything about this … but not you Sarah!

  • Leela Gopinath

    All the pictures are good….but my personal favourite is the coloured water in the plastic pouch. What are those shadows in it?

    • Sarah Wilkie

      Thank you Leela πŸ™‚ What you see in the pouch is a refracted view of the surroundings – a thatched roof over the area where we sat, some trees and I think part of a building too.

  • maristravels

    But the thing is Sarah, they weren’t overlooked. You saw them, saw the ‘differrence’ there, and photographed them. I have seen a lot of things like that but never thought to photograph them, a prime example being the coloured water hanging up in Cambodia. Where is it not in S.E. Asia, yet I never gave it a second look. I’m not sure either that this can be taught, you’ve either got it or you ain’t,, and you’ve got it – as the saying goes.

    • Sarah Wilkie

      Aw, thank you Mari 😊 I do believe this is something you can train yourself to see over time. During lockdowns I used to challenge myself to find something interesting to photograph with the one mile radius of home and when I got bored with flower photos I started on tree bark, peeling paint, unusual door furniture etc. It’s a fun exercise and good practice for when you’re further afield too!

  • Amy

    Excellent selections, Sarah! These overlooked items are special and beautifully captured. The sunset scene is stunning.

  • Mike and Kellye Hefner

    Thank you, thank you, thank you, Sarah for teaching me how to look at things differently in order make better photos. I love the shots you included in this post so much that I can’t even pick a favorite. Your tips are so appreciated, and I can’t wait to put them to use.

  • pattimoed

    A fabulous set, Sarah! So well observed and photographed. You have a wonderful eye for colors, patterns in unlikely places. Your candid shot in Paris has me coming back again and again for another look. πŸ™‚

  • sustainabilitea

    Just scanning the preceding comments might leave me with nothing left to say but I’ll say something anyway because your examples are exactly what I had in mind with this challenge. The little bear, the rope knot, and the reflection in the bubble some immediately to my mind but any of these glorious examples could garner praise. The quotes were also on-point. “Unconsidered trifles” would have been a perfect alternative title for the challenge. I think the real theme of what both you and I have said and showed is that people, whether photographers or not, should always look around and not just at the obvious things because there are all sorts of unconsidered trifles that are too often overlooked and that hold so much beauty to enhance our lives.

    janet

    • Sarah Wilkie

      Thank you so much Janet 😊 I loved this challenge theme, as I’m sure you can tell! That quote came to mind as I started to sort through possible images so I had to include it and yes, it could have made an alternative title, but yours worked just as well. Look at how many great responses it has produced!

  • Anne Sandler

    What a treasure of images that you noticed and didn’t overlook. I enjoyed them all. I like the way you pay attention to the little things that surround you.

  • Tina Schell

    Terrific choices Sarah. For me the favorites are the little bear and the heart. I agree with your comments that images are everywhere if we are truly seeing what’s around us. I also loved Donna’s quote picturing you as a child 😊. Somehow I suspect she got it right!

  • Wind Kisses

    I think if I pictured you as a little kid, it would be with a wagon pulled behind you as you collected unusual items and curious items. You would would also enjoy chatting with passerby’s. Ok that’s my story, Lol. But your photography speaks to a natural ability to be curious and find beauty anywhere you look. Loved your gallery. Even the table mat was a special find. And yes, just a part makes the photo more effective. Love the selfie, and the brilliant colors of the Iceland spring. Always a pleasure.

    • Sarah Wilkie

      Haha, I’m not sure that was me, although I did tend to pick up stones, shells etc. I think it’s having a camera in my hand so much of the time that makes me look for photo opps where others might not see them. I have a drive to document everything, especially when we travel πŸ˜€

  • Yvonne Dumsday

    I never cease to be amazed by your attention to detail Sarah and enjoyed every single photograph this time but the sea-portrait in the bubble was truly amazing. Thankyou once again for teaching me what I am missing by beings unobservant. Must try to do better in future.

    • Sarah Wilkie

      Thank you Yvonne 😊 It really is just a case of being so interested in photography that nowadays I see pictures wherever I go! And your email this morning proves that sometimes you see them too πŸ˜€

  • Sue

    Fabulous post full of brilliant examples of Overlooked! Yours has to be the most comprehensive post on this subject!

  • thehungrytravellers.blog

    Even by your very high standards this is a fabulous collection, Sarah. Loving your eye for detail and, moreover, for unusual detail. It’s almost like you have a sixth sense, one which sees/senses something which most of us wouldn’t appreciate. Great stuff!

    • Sarah Wilkie

      Thanks so much Phil 😊 But I don’t think it’s a sixth sense really! Just years of seeing things through a camera lens and also getting inspired by the work of others!

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