Personal photography
In the pursuit of photographic excellence, we often find ourselves trapped in a self-imposed prison of technical perfection. Sharp focus, precise framing, and optimal exposure become our jailers, limiting our creative expression and emotional connection to the images we create. But what if these supposed imperfections are not flaws at all, but rather windows into a deeper, more authentic form of storytelling?
I didn’t grow up with social media. I grew up in an era when computers were uncommon and the (public) internet didn’t exist. For example, at the end of high school, I chose to attend a computing exam as part of baccalaureate, even though I had never had a lesson, my high school didn’t have a single computer, and it was one of the first years this could be done, so there was very little material about what to expect (I got 95% without ever knowing why I didn’t get 100%).
Slains Castle, in Northern Scotland. It is associated with the author Bram Stoker, who was a regular visitor to nearby Cruden Bay between 1892 and 1910. The castle is mentioned in his locally set novels, The Watter’s Mou’ and The Mystery of the Sea:
Looking for perfection in photography, spending fortunes on the latest hardware and gadgets, pretending to be a photography god, are all nonsense. What counts as non-professionals is evocation. And sometimes it’s not something you can convey to anyone else.
There’s a weird trend among hobby photographers: the tendency to frame their passion as “work.” This simple word choice, while seemingly innocuous, fundamentally changes our relationship with photography and risks stripping away the very essence of what makes it special.
You can hear the silent contemplation in these corridors.
Photography has become stuck in an endless negative cycle of expectations. Everywhere you turn, there’s someone preaching about originality, creativity, and pushing boundaries. But here’s the truth: none of that really matters.
I have tons of books, some I inherited from my great-grandparents, but very few photos of them.
Canon 350D + Canon 17-55IS
#Photography #BlackAndWhite #BlackAndWhitePhotography #Books
This is one of my favourite rocks in the sea photos. It was very transient as the tide was coming. A few minutes later they disappeared.
Canon 350D + Canon 17-55IS
#Photography #BlackAndWhite #BlackAndWhitePhotography #LongExposure #Sea
There’s something jarring about seeing “Jane Smith Photography” splashed across social media bios and business cards, especially when the portfolio behind it consists of a handful of unremarkable shots taken last month.
There is nothing wrong with taking photography seriously, I do. I spent countless hours studying how people take photos and practicing. But declaring you’re “photography” is telling the world that you’ve arrived, you’re an expert worthy of being noticed and your stuff is worth buying (that usually comes hand in hand).
