Shoot Back in Time
the INSIGHT
I can get a little nostalgic about photography from the past — not to mention the movies and the music.
It gets me thinking: how will people look back on our time — 2026 — 30 years from now?
The ordinary things we barely notice today may become the things people feel most nostalgic about in the future.
the QUESTION
How do you feel when you look at photographs or movies from the past? Do they inspire you partly because they show a time you can no longer experience? We’ve all played that game: “If you could go back in time, where would you go?”
Is it possible we can use that feeling of inspired separation to shoot our time now?
the CHALLENGE
You’ll need to use your imagination for this one.
Choose a street or place to photograph. It can even be somewhere you’ve photographed a hundred times before.
Now imagine you’re visiting it from 30 years in the future.
You’ve travelled back to 2026 and you have just 30 minutes to photograph this place before you have to leave.
Slow down.
Notice the cars. The clothes. The signs. The buildings. The technology. The people. The tiny details you would normally walk straight past.
Photograph them as though they might not exist anymore where you come from.
The goal is to separate yourself from what you already know and try to see the familiar as if you’re seeing it for the first time.
the CONTACT SHEET
YOUR INSIGHTS
In last weeks newsletter I asked you to share your images and also what came up for you during the process.
Martin B | @surferuk35
Sometimes I do take pictures which I think might work well as album covers, it's nice to dream! As a challenge, I think it's the usual be observant, mindful of the context you're shooting for and always be ready to hit the shutter button. I use a Fujifilm X100VI for street and have it permanently switched on when walking around, with it on a wrist strap so my finger is always on the button.
I also learned from this about zone focussing, when I took this shot I'd just started experimenting with pre-focussing to 2m, at f8/500th s, with ISO set to auto.
I doubt I'd have managed to grab it if I'd been waiting for autofocus to kick in. The quick switch to spot metering definitely helped.”
Mark Seal | @theblackandwhiteseal
For the challenge I took the term “prohibition” and tried to filter it down to what few words that immediately conjured up in my mind.
These being Alcohol, Isolation and Restrictions.
I attempted to capture a lone individual against an aged back drop, ideally with a form of alcohol in the shot.
What challenged me was, once I found what I thought was an ideal location for the shot, was staying there and waiting for the potential shot to unfold. And ignoring the urge to go wandering aimlessly looking for it.
What I discovered is that the shot u envisioned isn’t always the shot you come away with. But having a set criteria to work with, focused my efforts and provided an outcome to work towards.
Ultimately there’s no alcohol in the final shot, but a child running back from the shop with a large bottle of milk.
But with milk often being linked with alcohol as an opposite, I still feel it lands.
Stuart Mills | @Millsyshoots
I went with the album title and was looking for something to symbolise 'prohibition'. I initially thought of 1920's and 30's America so alcohol could be worked in. I also thought about some sort of signage like a no entry or something. After lots of trials I went with incorporating a traffic light in to the scene.
I used a slow shutter, about 1/5th of a second and then rotated the camera 90° while taking the shot to create the swirling pattern. Of course, this could probably have been done in post but I like to do as much in camera as I can. It just feels more organic to me like this.
I usually shoot film, and make no secret of the fact I prefer it to digital but for this shoot I had to fall back to digital. Time constraints and doing something a bit experimental left no room on this occasion for analogue.
Iris Loder | @Irisloder
The biggest challenges for me were time, weather and headspace. This last week, I’ve been selecting/shooting for my upcoming expo, editing a paid shoot I had done, preparing for two upcoming portrait shoots, and working a part-time job.
Yesterday, I had great light but wasn’t feeling it. My concentration was terrible too. The shots I liked (two) were not square and couldn’t be cropped. I only had an hour. Today, I had more time and rain (which I dislike).
I used “The Holy Rats” and “Prohibition” as inspiration for this one. I didn’t want to turn it into a fashion thing. I just stayed focused, open-minded, and kept those words in my mind while shooting.
I discovered that, however busy, tired, and fed up I am, something in me still wants the shot. I’m not saying it always ends up how I want it to. Going out today, earlier than normal, in my least favourite weather conditions was taking a big risk. (It was busy and great light this afternoon). I could have come home really disappointed in myself. But I’m happy with this photo for the challenge.
Steve ISO :) | @Isosteve100
I attempted to create a photograph that interpreted the theme “Prohibition” without relying on on the obvious image of alcohol being poured away. I focused on the idea of alcohol being forbidden and locked away, using a chained beer keg as a symbol of restriction and control.
The biggest challenge was finding a way to communicate this using a keg chained up. Getting the balance right between the bright metal keg and the darker background, as I want the viewer's attention to stay on the chained keg.
I discovered that a simple object can tell a much bigger story when you consider its symbolism. The chain turned an ordinary beer keg into something representing restriction.
Side Note
The first thing that came to mind about ‘Prohibition” was the ban of alcohol in the USA from 1920 to 1933 under the "Volstead Act”
The Band "The Holy Rats” may come from the thousands of sacred rats that live and receive protection inside the Kari Mata Temple in Deshnoke, Rajasthan, India
Tim Clark | Timclarkih
Attempted:
I was going down a different route of quirky doors in Hackney Wick.. you know , all covered in street art.
I was at the London Street Photo Festival and one speaker had self portraits she had taken through a bathroom window. That sparked an idea.
I looked up Prohibition and learnt that the Women’s Temperance Movement were quite influential in getting booze banned. I wondered what it would look like from inside a booze joint with a woman peering in from outside to see what was going on.
Challenge: I have used frosted glass before but the challenge was to find some. I know lots of London pubs with interesting glass panels that may have worked instead.
Learnt: Be flexible. One idea can lead to another. Without the challenge I wouldn’t have a pic.
Don’t forget … each week, reply to the newsletter with your images and your insights. Get involved and I will share a handful each week right here on the newsletter.
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