This time I was at Earle Provincial Park with my Sony camera set to Illustration Picture Effect mode.
The funny thing about Illustration mode is that it turns the world into something that looks like it belongs in a storybook. Instead of worrying about sharp corners, lens charts, or whether the newest camera has three extra megapixels, I was walking through a forest that looked like it had been hand-drawn by an artist.
The campground was quiet. One campsite caught my attention immediately. A picnic table sat alone in a clearing surrounded by thick green forest. The illustration effect transformed the scene into something that looked like it belonged on the cover of a camping guide from another era. If you didn't know better, you might think a cartoon family was about to arrive with marshmallows and a cooler.
Then I wandered down one of the park roads.
Sunlight was filtering through the trees, creating patches of light and shadow across the gravel. Normally I would photograph this as a simple landscape scene, but Illustration mode added dark outlines and rich colours that made the road look like an adventure trail leading into a mystery novel.
As I walked farther, every bend in the road seemed to promise another scene worth photographing. The green foliage became layers of brush strokes. The trees looked painted. Even the shadows seemed artistic.
What I enjoy about these creative camera effects is that they force me to see differently. Street photography teaches you to watch people. Camping photography teaches you to watch light. Illustration mode teaches you to watch shapes and colours.
The best part? I wasn't sitting at a computer afterward trying to create the look. The camera did it right there in the field. Just point, compose, and press the shutter.
People often ask why I still use older Sony cameras. This is one reason. They have all sorts of creative tools built in that are simply fun to use. Photography doesn't always have to be serious. Sometimes it's okay to turn a forest road into a storybook path and a campground into an illustration.
As I made my way through Earle Provincial Park, camera in hand, I couldn't help but think that every photographer should occasionally forget about technical perfection and just play.
The woods certainly seemed happy to cooperate.
Bob's Photography Tip: Try one entire photo walk using only a creative picture effect. Don't switch back to normal colour. Limiting yourself forces you to see the world differently, and you might come home with images that feel more like artwork than photographs.
And honestly, if a forest can look like it was drawn for a children's adventure book, why not let the camera have a little fun too?
