Five Photos That Changed the Way I See Photography
The stories behind five images that changed my journey
When I first started photography, I thought the biggest challenge would be learning the technical side of the craft. Understanding exposure, shutter speed, aperture, editing, camera settings, lenses, and all the details that sometimes make photography feel overwhelming. But looking back now, I realize that my journey was not shaped by technical breakthroughs.
It was shaped by a few images.
Five photos, specifically.
Not because they are perfect photographs. Not because they are my best work. But because each one quietly changed the way I see photography, and gave me confidence to continue this journey even while still learning.
Each image taught me something different. Each image become a reference point. About composition. About timing. About observation. About planning. About coincidence. About the beauty of ordinary moments. And maybe most importantly, they made me realize that while I still have a lot to learn technically, I already have something valuable: the desire to observe and the instinct to frame moments that feel alive.
The Photo I Discovered Later
The first image was taken in Edinburgh.
At the time, I did not think much about it. I took the photo, moved on, and honestly did not consider it one of the important images from the trip. But later, when I started reviewing my photos and editing them for Instagram, that image suddenly stood out.
What surprised me was that the image did not become interesting because of heavy editing. I did not spend much time adjusting exposure, colors, or lighting. The biggest transformation came from something very simple: cropping.
Once I cropped the image into a different ratio, the composition suddenly came alive.
The framing became stronger. The balance felt intentional. The two people walking fit naturally within the rails in the scene. The higher perspective from where I took the image gave it another layer that I did not fully appreciate in the moment.
The image before the crop.
That photo changed something important for me. It made me realize that sometimes the image already exists inside the frame, but you only learn to see it later. It also gave me confidence in my eye. For the first time, I felt that maybe I do have a sense of composition and perspective, even if I am still learning the technical side of photography.
And after that image, I started revisiting many of my older photos, looking at them differently, experimenting more with composition through cropping and reframing.
Life Unscripted
The second image was technically very simple.
It was taken on a mobile phone, not even using the highest resolution settings. The image itself is just a reflection in a car side mirror. But what mattered was not the technical quality.
It was the moment.
Two guys sitting outside a traditional restaurant, enjoying tea together. They placed carpets on the floor and created their own small gathering and welcoming space outside. One of the bakers was sitting under the oven, casually checking his phone.
Nothing dramatic was happening. But that was exactly what made the scene beautiful. It felt honest. Unscripted. Completely random and impossible to recreate again.
That image opened a new door for me in photography. It made me realize how much I love capturing what I now call “life unscripted” , ordinary moments that most people walk past without noticing, but I do notice them.
Moments that are not designed for the camera. Moments that exist for only a few seconds before disappearing forever.
The image may not stand out technically, but emotionally, it still means a lot to me.
The Reward of Taking the Wrong Road
The third image was also unplanned.
I was driving through a rural mountain roads trying to explore the small villages between the mountains, not knowing where I am heading. Eventually, I ended up in a dead-end road and had to turn back, so rather than using the same road, i decided to take different route.
And sometimes photography rewards you exactly when things do not go according to plan. As I was driving back, I noticed two men sitting outside a very basic house. What caught my attention immediately was the contrast in the scene.
Outside this simple house, they placed a very fancy-looking sofa and a large carpet, almost as if they were extending their living room into the street.
There was something deeply human about it. It felt like a reflection of how people imagine comfort, beauty, and home, regardless of where they live. The two men were looking to me without changing their posture, it is like they were posing intently for this image. I rolled the window down, snaped the image, waved to them and left.
Again, the image was taken quickly with a mobile phone. It was not planned. I did not prepare for it. I did not even expect to find it. But that image gave me confidence to continue exploring unplanned routes, both literally and creatively.
It reminded me that sometimes the best photographs are waiting in places you never intended to visit.
The Joy of Chasing an Image
The fourth image was completely different.
Unlike the previous photos, this one was planned. It was a photo of St. Paul’s Cathedral in London, but not from the usual famous perspective that everyone photographs.
As I was walking around the cathedral, I started thinking about how to add movement and dynamic energy to such a static and heavily photographed landmark.
So I walked away from the main area and searched for a quieter street where I could experiment with motion blur using passing buses.
I stood there for around ten minutes. My hands were freezing. Waiting. Adjusting the shutter speed. Taking multiple shots. Readjusting the shutter speed. Reframing. Trying different settings. Avoiding people entering the frame.
This image required patience and technical experimentation in a way that my other favorite images did not. And when I finally captured the frame I wanted, I edited it carefully , straightening the vertical and horizontal lines, adjusting some highlights, refining the final look, and cropping it.
That photo gave me confidence in a completely different way.
It made me realize that while there is beauty in spontaneous moments, there is also a special satisfaction in slowly crafting an image you imagined in your head before pressing the shutter.
It also encouraged me to continue practicing shutter priority photography, which is still one of the most difficult areas for me technically.
Looking Beyond the Subject
The fifth image changed the way I think about storytelling inside a frame.
I was sitting in a café, having my coffee near an open door with a clear view of the street outside. I kept my mobile phone ready, not because I was expecting something specific, but because I liked the framing created by the doorway itself.
I wanted to see if something interesting would naturally enter the scene. Then I noticed a gentleman walking past. His clothing immediately caught my attention.
The umbrella. The hat. The coat. The way he walked. I quickly took a two photos before he left the frame.
Later, while reviewing the images, I noticed how much I liked the composition. The triangle shape created by his walking legs added movement to the frame. His style and posture gave the image character.
But then I noticed something else.
The writing on the wall behind him. “The power of nature vs. the nature of power” And suddenly the image became more than just a person walking. That detail completely changed the feeling of the photograph. It added another layer, another meaning, another dimension to the scene. It was the cherry on top of the cake.
That image taught me that photography is not always about the main subject itself. Sometimes the magic comes from the relationship between the subject and everything surrounding it. The background. The text. The timing. The framing. The small details that quietly complete the story.
Bonus image(s)
These three images are special to me, they allowed me to think like a serial shooter, no, not what you think about :) . I mean they allowed me to think in terms of a series of images rather than a single one, creating a story from a group of images.
Also, on that day, I was intentionally carrying my camera and was ready to shoot something interesting. I was driving between the mountains on very rough roads. The sun was setting in a few minutes, the birds were singing, and a breeze of fresh air between the mountain farms gave me a boost of energy.
And suddenly, I saw this old mosque behind the mountains.
I stopped, grabbed my camera, and did not even think about the settings. I just focused on the scene and the composition. I moved, saw a different composition, moved further for another point of view, and liked how the moon could be framed within the same image from a different angle.
Those few minutes were very relaxing. I was not rushing, I was not planning, and I did not even know if the road was open or closed. All I was thinking was that I was enjoying this moment, and I wanted to repeat it more.
Final Thoughts
Looking back, these images did more than improve my photography.
They changed the way I observe the world.
They taught me that photography is not only about sharpness, settings, or expensive gear. Sometimes it is about patience. Sometimes coincidence. Sometimes noticing details hiding in plain sight. Some images found me. Some images I chased.
But all of them gave me confidence to continue this journey. And every image become a lesson.
Because even while I am still learning the technical side of photography, these photos reminded me that having the eye to notice a moment is already a beautiful place to begin.