Hello all
I promised to upload a post once a month on both my writing and my photography.
I have a confession to make; this month I have hardly taken any photos!
I find it really hard to put enough focus on my writing to keep the momentum going as well as spend time (and mind space) on my other passions; like photography and music. Do you feel the same? Writing, when you are in the zone, seem all consuming. How do you manage that?
But I promised and I have enough internal drive to stick to my promises ; especially when they are out there in cyber world for all to see 🙂
I did bring my camera along when I caught up with my daughter the other day, but I had too much fun just spending time with her to focus enough on what I was doing with my camera. Plus, my eyes are not really perfect anymore. Actually they never really were. I am blind as a bat without contacts. So I didn’t notice the smudges on my camera lens till I blew them up on my laptop later on. AHHHHH!!!
I did manage to get a couple that are interesting enough to keep. These were taken around Rozelle Bay in Sydney
But back to when it all started. This photographic interest of mine.
I must have been about 12 or 13 when I got my first camera. Don’t ask me what it was, but it was film and only did black and white. Showing my age now! Still, I felt so excited to have my own camera.
I snapped away, but didn’t really learn much. We didn’t have the internet or Utube to make learning easier, and I lived in a small town where after school curriculum seemed to be more focused on sport. So I played hand ball and badminton rather than learn to take good photos.
Throughout my life the interests has always just simmered away in my subconscious. I felt buying a proper camera was an indulgent I couldn’t allow myself. With the advent of the Iphone taking instant photos got so much easier, and my interest started to really take hold. On my first major trip overseas, once my girls were grown up and independent, I realised how much I loved taking photos, and started using my Iphone a lot more for capturing memories. These are from Denmark and Italy.
I finally indulged in 2016, before heading on another overseas trip, and bought myself a proper DSLR camera; a Canon EOS 700D. I started with the Canon 18-55mm lens but have since bought a Tamron 35-270mm lens that I tend to use all the time now.
Such an exciting day when I first bought my camera. I brought it home, uploaded all the info and started teaching myself. Wow, I never realised there was so much to taking a photo. Don’t you just point and click!!!
I took a lot of photos while I was away overseas; this time in Spain and Denmark, and loved being able to capture what I was experiencing and seeing. Came back with so many photos. A few great ones, some good ones, but many pretty terrible too. It was a learning curve.
I was hungry to find out more so enrolled in night classes. I could have persevered on my own, but I think I could also have lost interest and had my camera just gather dust. Doing the ten weekly classes and going out on excursions with other newbies really ignited my passion. I cannot recommend it enough if you are thinking of taking up photography. It just teaches you so much and cements the basics that photography is really all about ; Aperture, ISO and Shutter Speed. Sounds simple right?
After I finished the ten classes I would be out there pretty much every weekend practising and loving it. I found landscapes my thing initially. They are relatively easy because they do not move. Most of the time. Still, I had a lot of fun/challenges getting sunrises and sunsets right. All the practical problems you don’t necessarily think about before heading out. The fact that it’s dark and you can’t see the settings on your camera! Now I bring a little torch, but it adds to the essentials and I like to travel light when I head out. So if I do not always have the right gear I just make do and enjoy the outing.
Sunrise in Cronulla, Sydney – my hood 🙂
After some months and a number of favourable comments from friends and from the Flickr and Insta community I summoned up enough courage to enter a local competition run by the Moran Society and two major hospitals here in my area. The criteria was fairly open, just had to be a photo of our local area. I took this one of Tom Ugly’s Bridge , entered the competition and honestly never thought I would hear back. But I did; I was a runner up and my photo was displayed in the local gallery during the month of September last year. I was so proud.
At the same time my focus was also on getting my novel finished. Which I did in November. I have been busy with my editing and will have 3rd draft done in a couple of days. Once I am happy with this manuscript I feel I can relax on the writing front a bit, and spend a bit more time getting out there snapping again. In fact, I am planning on it and have enrolled in a Canon Light Awards weekend class run by Tony Hewitt on Landscapes. Super excited and looking forward to learning more.
One thing I have learnt; photography is time consuming if you are passionate about getting a good photo. Not only do you spend time taking the photo , but you spend as much, if not more time, uploading, reviewing and improving your photo afterwards. But if you love it you don’t mind the time it takes.
Sometimes I wish I didn’t have to sleep. Imagine how much more we could all accomplish then 🙂
In my next posts I will tell you a bit more about some of the excursions I have been on and what I have liked about the experience and my favourite photos.
Happy snapping all.
English