Exploring Forbes Before the Workshop
I arrived in Forbes a couple of days before the workshop, giving me a chance to explore the town a little and catch up with Beth, who had organised our Smartphone Photography Workshop session for the local travel group.
Whenever I visit somewhere new, I like to take some time to wander the streets with my phone or camera. It’s a simple way to get a feel for a place — the architecture, the light, and the small details that give a town its character. Before long I was reminded of something I often say during workshops.
Good photographs are everywhere! You just have to slow down and start looking.
First Impressions of Forbes
Forbes has a wonderful collection of heritage buildings, and the early morning light was already creating strong shadows across the façades. The Town Hall and surrounding civic buildings immediately stood out. Their symmetry, clean lines and decorative details make them perfect subjects for photography. It’s the sort of architecture that encourages you to pause for a moment rather than simply walk past.
Learning to Slow Down and Notice the Details
Once you begin to slow down, the smaller details start to reveal themselves. Faded painted advertisements on brick walls, textured masonry, and old signage all tell quiet stories about the town’s past. These are the kinds of things many people walk past every day without noticing, yet they often make the most interesting photographs.
Photography is rarely about spectacular locations. More often it’s about noticing small details that others overlook.
Turning Everyday Scenes Into Photographs
As I continued wandering through the streets, the compositions began to appear almost everywhere. A mannequin in a shop window caught in a patch of sunlight. A simple storefront sign. Strong shadows cast across an old brick wall. None of these scenes are particularly dramatic, yet with a little attention to light and framing they become surprisingly engaging photographs.
This is exactly the idea we explore during the workshop — learning to look at ordinary surroundings with a slightly more curious eye.
Light, Shape and Simplicity
The late morning light in Forbes was crisp and directional, creating strong graphic shapes across many of the buildings. Windows, brick patterns and painted walls began to feel almost abstract. Once you start noticing these elements, it becomes easier to simplify a scene and turn everyday architecture into something more visually striking.
In many ways this is where photography becomes less about the subject and more about the design of the image itself.
Putting It Into Practice
Later in the day the workshop group stepped outside to Victoria Park to put some of these ideas into practice. The bandstand, fountain and surrounding buildings provided plenty of opportunities to experiment with framing, perspective and composition. It was great to see everyone quickly begin to notice things differently — adjusting their position, looking for interesting light, and taking a little more time before pressing the shutter.
Photography Is Really About Seeing
By the end of the session, something interesting had happened. People were no longer simply pointing their phones at things.
They were pausing. Observing. Composing. – And that shift in thinking is really what photography is all about.
You don’t need expensive equipment or exotic locations to take compelling photographs. Often the best images are hiding in places you walk past every day.
You simply need to slow down and start seeing.
Bringing a Workshop to Your Town
This workshop in Forbes was organised by Beth from She Roams and her MTA Travel group, and it was a real pleasure working with such an enthusiastic group of participants.
If the smiles — and the photographs — were anything to go by, there may now be quite a few people in Forbes looking at their town a little differently.
These smartphone photography workshops are designed to be relaxed, practical, and accessible to anyone — no special equipment required.
If you’re part of a travel group, community organisation, or simply have a group of people who would enjoy learning how to take better photos, we regularly run private workshops across NSW and beyond.
Feel free to get in touch if you’d like to explore bringing a session like this to your area.
👉 Find out more about our Group Smartphone Photography Workshop
