Walk, Observe, Compose: Developing a Photographer’s Eye

1. Introduction: I like to think of working with a camera as a meditative process where you slow down, breathe, and begin to notice what has always been in front of you. The way light moves across the world, the rhythm of footsteps, the colors, patterns, textures and shapes that form and fade as you move. Photography begins in these subtle moments of awareness. My name is Casey Wakala I'm a documentary photographer and producer based here in Manchester, United Kingdom. You see, photography starts long before you press the shutter. It begins with how you see and connect with the world around you. I was recently in Freetown Sera Leone for an assignment, and I decided to take a walk with my camera across Lonely Beach. Lovely scene. During my work, I stopped and photographed just about anything that caught my interest. Carrying my camera with me was a perfect excuse to be present, to slow down and to take in the moment as much as possible. It was a refreshing experience, and that is the journey I want to bring you on. It doesn't need to be a new country or a grand location. Going on a walk at a local park or a busy street provides the same opportunity. What matters is how you see and respond to what's right in front of you. In this class, I will take you on that walk. I will take you on that journey. And show you how I observe, respond and compose photographs in real time. It's all about slowing down and paying attention and letting your instinct lead. By the end of this class, I want you to feel more confident in your ability to observe, to trust your eye, and to create shrunk images wherever you are, whether it's in your street, your garden or during your daily work. So grab whatever camera you have, be it your DSLR or your phone, put on your shoes, and let's go on this walk together. 2. Project: For the class project, I would like you to take a short walk with your camera in your neighborhood, a pack or city center, capture three to five compositions that interest you. Focus on interesting compositional elements such as lines, patterns, textures, shadows, colors, shape, or balance, rather than your story. Upload your photos with a sharp note about what drew you to each frame. I look forward to seeing the beautiful photos you share. 3. The Walk: Hello. Yeah, I'm just taking a walk in the streets of Freetown. And, um, walking around the beach and looking for interesting things to photograph. So let's see how the evening goes. I saw was this hotel, which I think was interesting. I like the shapes right in front of it. And I took a picture, and I tried to include human beings working on the scene. And then I saw this really interesting statue right in the middle of the city center. I tried to get a white shot and also try to I got a close up shot, as well. You know, I found it interesting. And then this other structure, statue was just beside it. It was very busy. The background was very busy. So I just tried to make something interesting. I had to push my camera down and kind of use the branches of the tree as like something on the head. And then I came to this place and I saw lots of statues, and I took a wide shot of the place. And then, you know, I came across these people. They were right in front of it. And I included him in my shot, you know, just taking pictures of the start the artwork and then him in the background. Which I found really interesting. So these were things I really found interesting, you know, then this artwork of behind from behind. Then I walked down towards the beach and I saw this guy. He was pretty much on this boat, doing his own stuff, and I took a picture. Had a little quick conversation with him, and I took more pictures as we were talking. Yeah, and I made more photographs of him, as well. And then he went about his own business. I think he lives in that boat or something. So he went about his own stuff, and I took the picture of the boat just by itself. But I still found it interesting how the boat is positioned and I tried to make more interesting compositions out of it. And then I saw these boys playing football. And I sat there for a bit, and I just went there for, you know, waited for this right moment to capture them playing football. There is a lot of football happening at the beach. Um, yeah. And I just took pictures of it. So it was just whatever I found interesting, you know, the trees, the colors of the place, just trying to compose it in a way that it would be interesting or just wait for, you know, something interesting to happen, like a bike driving into the scene, you know, and the foreground being a bit clear out. You know, anything I found interesting, you know, that could help me create, like, a cleaner composition, I would take it. Then I saw someone lying down on the floor just getting some fresh air and the trees. I found it interesting, and I captured that. Then I saw this fish the people that were fishing with their dogs. And yeah, the reflection on the ground. I think that was interesting. So I captured that. Spent a bit of time there, you know, just watching how they fish and, you know, trying to capture, you know, anything that I found interesting. Yeah, this beach had a lot of seaweed and, you know, a lot of the fishermen and women were just complaining about how the seaweed makes it hard for them to catch fishes. And then this is one of the fish the fishes that they caught and I take a picture. And I came and I saw this, you know, land with all these standing objects, and I think it was interesting, so I had to capture it. And then I saw this truck inside this place. The light was good, the reflection. So it's just an interesting composition, you know, and I found it interesting, and I photographed it, you know, and the lines as well, you know, how the line connects with the stairs and the truck. Yeah, I think it was an interesting space. And then I saw the reflection on the floor and, you know, I wanted to get, like, an interesting composition of, you know, people just playing football, walking around. And yeah. And then I went back and I saw this light, this shadow here, and I felt it was going to be interesting to photograph. And then I saw this woman. She was selling a lot of, like, souvenirs and stuff, and I spoke to her, and she was happy and willing for me to make a portrait of her, which I shared with her. I collected her WhatsApp, and I shared it with her. And towards the end, you know, I cracked it up a little bit, and she laughed and I got this portrait that I really liked. And 4. Conclusion: Thank you for taking this walk with me. I hope this class has helped you to see photography in a slower, more intentional way where observation, curiosity, and instinct come together to guide how you create. Photography at its heart, is about being present. It's about paying attention to what the world offers and making meaning out of the ordinary. Every work, every pause, and every frame you make is an opportunity to become a better observer, a key attribute shared by many prolific photographers in our world today. Remember, the class project is for you to share three to five photographs from your work. Choose images that reflect what you noticed, what caught your attention, and how you felt in that moment. Along with your photos, share a short reflection about what you learned from simply observing and responding to your surroundings. Beyond technical skills or perfect compositions, this exercise is about presence. It's about slowing down, noticing what draws your eye, and enjoying the quiet act of seeing. Keep working, keep observing and keep photographing what feels through to you. The more you practice, the sharper your photographic eye will become. And thank you again for joining me in this class. I look forward to seeing what you create. If you enjoy this class, I would like you to follow me here on Skillshare so that you get notified when I release new classes. You can also sign up on my newsletter using the link on the screen, where I share stories, reflections, and behind the scene insights from my project. Kindly take a moment to leave a review. Your feedback helps other students to discover the class and encourages me to keep creating more. Thank you, and I hope to see you again.