Most people think of travel as a checklist. You go to a location, take some nice photos and move on to the next destination. But what if the best photos don’t come from new places at all, but from returning to the same places again and again? Familiarity can be the key to developing your photography in a way that a passport stamp never can.
Coming to you from Craig Roberts e6 vlog This thoughtful video challenges the common idea that progress means constant motion. Roberts argues that returning to places you already know, whether it’s a city like London or your own neighbourhood, gives you the chance to dig deeper and uncover images you would never see on a first visit. He has been photographing London since the late 1980s, returning hundreds of times, and still finds new creations on each visit. The roads, the lights, even the horizon change just enough to keep things fresh. Roberts treats London as a lifelong project, not as a box to be ticked, and this gives depth to her work.
He compares it to his first trip to New York. Like most travelers, he started with famous scenes: horizons, landmarks, postcard views. But the next time he goes back, he says, the real work begins. Without the pressure of seeing it all, he will be free to explore the corners that tourists overlook, the parts of the city that reveal its personality. It’s a reminder that your second or third trip often gives you the creative freedom your first trip doesn’t. This idea applies just as easily to your own city. You don’t have to cross an ocean to discover something new.
Roberts also talks about Manchester, another city he has photographed over the years. Even after capturing every key location, he returns and finds new angles, different lighting or a new mood. One trip might have color shots, another might have strict black and white frames. It may have been morning instead of afternoon, or shot with a different aperture or lens. Changing instruments or perspective keeps a familiar place alive. A Sony A7 IV and a Canon RF 50mm f/1.8 STM Can occupy two completely different sides of the same road. He calls this “digging deeper” – pushing past easy compositions and forcing yourself to look harder.
This attitude extends beyond cities. Roberts spends much of his time photographing landscapes near his home. They’re not dramatic or exotic, but they make him look at things differently. The same area or coastline looks brand new depending on the light, weather or season. He doesn’t have to pack gear, get on a plane, or plan transportation. It’s photography on his own terms, and it sharpens his eye even more than a quick trip abroad. These are the kind of projects that reveal a photographer’s patience and style: their fingerprint, not their itinerary. Watch the video above for Roberts’ full breakdown.
