Framing the big picture: landscape photos & the business landscape

Hannah Cross is a Senior Consultant with Redvespa who has dual passions for enterprise business analysis and photography. In combining them for this article, she enthusiastically leapt at the chance to head for the hills to illustrate her thinking.‍

I’ve been an aspiring photographer since I bought my first DSLR in 2015. Before then, like many people, I’d been happy simply snapping shots on my iPhone. 

Now that I had a “proper” camera, I didn’t know what to do with it.

I learned about the exposure triangle and how to balance depth of field and shutter speed. I learned how to prioritise either shutter speed or depth of field for creative effect. More importantly, I learned that taking a great photograph isn’t about the exposure setting. It’s about finding the right thing to point your camera at in the first place. It’s about the lines, the shapes, and the colours of the thing you are pointing your camera at. It’s pointing your camera at that thing at the right time of day, with the right weather conditions, the right elevation, and the right perspective. It’s about the lens you chose, so you can make sure the thing you’re pointing your camera highlights the presence or absence of detail. 

I also learned about something magical called ISO and how to use it to get the perfect exposure. 

ISO is a concept with its roots in analogue photography. In its simplest definition, it determines how light or dark your photo is. Notably, a high ISO level can create “noise”. Too much noise distracts from the photo and creates a grainy distorted image. The perfect ISO setting results in a balanced exposure which allows the depth of field or shutter speed you’ve chosen the space to shine. 

It takes skill and experience to work out the perfect exposure for the conditions.
In some ways, that’s a lot like business analysis.

Business analysis is about finding the right problems and opportunities: the right thing to point your expertise at. It’s about balancing the outcomes with the costs and benefits involved in their delivery: the speed, depth, and shape of the thing, the project. Importantly, it’s about making sure you have the right voices in the conversation, and that all perspectives are being considered. All of this helps reduce the noise.

I’ve been a Business Analyst a lot longer than I have been taking photos with a “proper” camera. My business analysis experience has been varied: I’ve worked in a lot of government departments, and I’ve worked in a lot of different parts of these agencies. I’ve been involved in big projects, like high profile Roads of National Significance, and I’ve provided second-level help desk support. I’ve delivered transformational change, been involved in some commercially challenging projects, and I’ve had a lot of fun along the way. 

I spend a lot of weekends walking the skylines of Wellington. If you know me, you’ll know that I enjoy seeing the ferries which cross Cook Strait. I have so many photos of the ferries and Wellington harbour from all different perspectives and elevations; Mt Kaukau, Tip Track, Skyline, Belmont Trig, Mt Victoria, Te Ahu Mairangi, Te Whiti Riser … the 12^th floor of 45 Pipitea St. I wouldn’t have these without being able to get out and experience the view.

My experience walking the skylines helps me work out the best combination of perspective (part of the skyline), elevation (the summit, part way up, the waterfront), time of day (very dependent on the ferry schedule), weather conditions and visibility (too moody and I can’t see more than 50m in any direction). All these calculations give me the best chance of taking a photo of the ferry with as little noise as possible. A photo worth taking.

My experience as a BA allows me to step back from the detail and see the patterns, shapes, and colours of the landscape or context I’m working in. They give me the best chance to move a project from idea to done, with as little noise as possible. Work worth doing.

As a Business Analyst, I’m always considering the lens I need to be looking at the problem with. 

As an Enterprise Business Analyst, and someone who loves landscape photography, the answer is always wide angle. 

This way my field of view is as wide and shallow as possible. There’s time for the detailed telephoto lens but, first, I need to explore the landscape and work out which way to point my camera.

Next time you're pointing your expertise at a challenge, consider your own depth of field: how well do you know the context, the landscape? Think about how you can set things up to reduce noise. Slow down a little so you can speed up knowing you’re facing in the right direction.

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