A leap of faith is paying for James Simpson.

Quitting your job to travel and freelance sounds like an awesome idea right? You bet. Living a relatively free life, following your passions, and seeing the world is the dream. So why aren’t we all throwing our laptops out the window and flipping our bosses the bird? Because it isn’t easy. A life-changing decision like that isn’t just risky, you need to be switched on and talented too.

It’s a leap of faith that Sydney photographer James Simpson took recently when he quit his job at Groovin The Moo to follow his lens in Europe. “The only thing that consistently made me feel like I was making the right move while overseas was hiking across the coast, taking photos of beautiful moments between people and stunning landscapes. Almost as though this huge sense of calm would come across me,” James says.

Sticking to spots where the sky is blue and the water is clear, he became aware of the shift in people’s demeanour – more of a laid back vibe. “I noticed the coast, water and the beach tends to have this calming effect on people so this made it all the more interesting to photograph people in a more natural state,” he says.

Of course, hitting the coastlines of Europe means wading through seas of Instagrammers armed with phones and ready to get that #TodaysOffice post. “Shooting on film also kept me in the moment at all times – something that can be distracting while travelling – being more interested in posting to social media than actually shooting and enjoying what’s in front of you,” he says.

James will be showcasing some of his work on 9th Oct at Goodspace in Chippendale. Head here to follow him on Instagram and take a look at a selection of the incredible snaps from his Allora collection below: