It's not just the joy of looking at a photograph, or a landscape or a bonny face, but it's the whole thing. It's the thrill of the chase... wanting an image that you have in your head and working out how to make it happen, then actually making it happen!
I know that I have so much to learn still in this business, but I can honestly say that I truly don't think I will ever be bored. It fascinates me on so many levels. It satisfies the scientist in me, the artist in me, and, I'm actually proud to say... the geek in me! What else can give you a combination of educational and technical challenges alongside a perfect excuse to go birdwatching, being out in the fresh air ambling about the countryside... and combine that with a passion for people and a desire to help them feel good about themselves? I suppose there are plenty of things that can do all of that, but for me, photography is the therapy I need.
It's always held a fascintion for me, from the days when dad had his dark room in the cupboard upstairs, bewildering and astounding me as pictures emerged dripping from those baths of strange solutions. I remember when we got our first camera and took it outside to capture the fun of playing in the street. It was around the same time as we had our first pair of rollerskates... there's a picture of one of us (may be me, may be my twin sister) skating down the road with arms outstretched in a wild and rather out-of-control manner! It's also obviously one of our earlier attempts at photography (again, maybe by me, maybe by my sister or perhaps our brother);the skates look great but anything from the neck up is completely out of shot. Hey ho.
The technical side of taking a photograph fascinates me too. I always wondered about f-stops and focal lengths and shutter speeds, it was a total mystery to me... but what's a mystery apart from a riddle that has to be solved? I didn't grow up watching 'Scooby Doo' to not be excited by a mystery (or a big pile of sandwiches!!!). These questions are now answered and I have a reasonable grasp on the subject, but it still excites me and I still get fascinated by the different effects you can achieve by fiddling about with manual exposures. I'll never know enough about it and I really don't think I'll ever get tired or bored of learning and pushing forwards with it. Of course I probably won't have many friends left, but those who really know me don't seem to mind too much that I'm a complete and utter nerd.
No longer embarrassed by my penchant for cheese and pickle sandwiches, or birdwatching, or my glasses that sit sideways across my face 'cos I sat on them... all this is a part of who I am, and I'm happy with that. So, after a wee break to sort out some things away from photography, I'm back again and back in therapy... photographic therapy! Ah, that's better :))
So, do you want to see just how geeky I am? Here's a pic I took on my mobile phone while out with the dog...
The long shadows caught my eye and I played about for ages trying to make my own shadow look like a tree or a giant or whatever other shapes I could throw!!! Oh dear, how old am I? Made me chuckle anyway. The dog thought I was clearly bonkers and left me to it but I was having fun. Just using the mobile phone, but a camera is a camera and I've been having a huge amount of fun with the phone just recently! More on that later...
Rebecca, x
