When recently updating my PC, I was trawling through my images in order to archive them. I soon realised how easy it can be to forget/disregard past images. I always had it in my mind that it was somehow painful looking at pictures I had taken years ago, as at the time I didn't know one end of a camera to another. Then I realised what it was that got me started on my journey of photography.
I was trying to pin point it. It is not anything to do with gear (you know us photographers are all obsessed with our equipment), after all how can it be? All I had at the time was a "crappy" 'point and shoot' with a 2GB card (can you imagine flying three thousand miles with only that as your photographic equipment?)!!
A Kodak V610 for those who are interested, sure it had some great features like the auto panorama setting that would stitch up to three images together in camera (see the above two images). It really was nothing to do with the camera itself at all, nor its features. The technique isn't imperative either.
It was all about capturing the scenes I saw in front of me and trying to bring them home for friends and family to see in an attempt to convey what I had seen - isn't this what photography is all about?
Strip away all the lenses and latest sensor chips and let's see what it was that really got me into photography.
What makes a strong image?
Content - I think generally things that impress you at the time of capturing an image will impress your piers back home, for example: differences in culture, dress, architecture, weather, landscape. Different plant life, wildlife, vehicles, the list goes on.
This scene above caught my eye. The baboon, one of many species of animal that ran out in front of us whilst driving on our 1,500km journey across the coast of South Africa, others included a giant tortoise and a wild dog, that spectacularly met its demise crossing the busy motor way.
Composition - Not something I knew a lot about, but scary to see how things I have learnt about since were already present in some of my old pictures.
Keeping your eyes open - Capturing the moment - having the camera in your hand, switched on and ready.
This really has shown to me it's not all about mega pixels or who has the largest aperture, its about simplicity and emotion.
Have a dig through your past pictures and see what you can find....
It was obvious to us all that you had a special gift with a camera , an eye to catch that special picture. You did not know it yourself then & that makes it even more special. You can give someone a camera worth thousands of pounds but without that gift they will not provide good shots so it may as well be worth £10. I am very proud of you. Keep up the good work.xx
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