Going down

What I often wonder is how such thing as home field advantage affects on what and how one takes the pictures. It is widely popular to take travel shots at fancy places. But in order to find really new point of views, one have to get to know the place better.

For example I just visited Malta for the second time in my life, and what I saw and photographed during this second visit very likely differs from what I saw and shot on my first trip. Although, one could also try to think this the other way round. Is there a way to try see the familiar places with eyes of a stranger?

Anyway, since I have lived here at Tampere, Finland for over twenty years now, I start to have a certain home advantages. I know certain places "like my own pockets", I know what to find and where, if I for example have to shoot something for the photo challenges and assignments, and I also know when it is the best time of the day and year to shoot something in my hometown. But also the home advantage means it is quick and easy to go some familiar place to see if there is something new to find out.

Currently I've tried to find something interesting for the high angle assignment by Ted Forbes. On my way to work, I often walk through the whole University building, and also walking on a bridge that leads form one block to another at the hight of fifth floor. This route provides plenty of places to photograph views from a high camera angle. During past years I have photographed people around campus, open lobbies and stairways seen from above, taken cool wet window glass shots, and cityscape shots.

For the high angle assignment I first checked the potential place and view, to find out what composition and focal length would work best. Then in the noon I went back to the spot, and I was lucky to see just this one person on her way downstairs. Then on editor I decided to use black and white high key effect to emphasize the structures of modern architecture.