20 Minute Challenge #1 - Beacon Hill Park

Showing up at a new shooting location never gets old. Living in BC and shooting nature images, I often hike for hours to find new spots, and that first glimpse of the scene always feels like a win. Naturally, I want to jump right in and start shooting. But I’ve noticed a problem—that rush often creates repeat issues.

1. I always start with the most striking subject. That’s normal. But then I spend way too long tweaking the same composition, ending up with 50+ versions of nearly the same image—most of which I later delete.

   
   

2. You end up capturing the same shot as everybody else. Search any popular location online, and you’ll see it—the same image over and over. While classic compositions have their place, the goal is often to find a fresh perspective.

   
   

To break out of this habit, I now force myself to stop and take notes before shooting. Find a place to sit, set a 20-minute timer, and jot down ideas (composition, textures, color contrast, movement, light/shadow). Writing it down also forces me to constantly move on to the next idea, rather than mentally circling back to the same idea over and over. The result? A more diverse and thoughtful collection of images.

Putting It to the Test

To test this method out, I decided to take a walk after work to Lily Lake in Beacon Hill Park. It’s a tiny location—nice, but nothing that would normally capture the imagination. The kind of place you stroll through, appreciate for a moment, and forget just as quickly.

Quick phone capture to show the area. Certainly nothing that would stop you in your tracks.

But after sitting and writing for 20 minutes, I noticed new angles, reflections, and compositions I wouldn’t have considered otherwise. Please ignore my horrendous writing.

And the resulting images.....

Some ideas worked, some ideas didn’t but I came away with way more than just shots of the obvious fountain focal point. They are by no means my best photos. Likely no new portfolio shots. Yet by taking the time to observe first, I got far more varied and interesting images than most people would expect from this little, unremarkable location.