Share Your Own Story

[bertam]

I've just started up in photography and I'm beginning to feel I have the absolute basics under my belt. Now I can see that 'photography' has so many aspects to it. As soon as I found the shutter button I began taking images of anything. The next stage was to be a bit more selective so only shooting subjects I found interesting or unique.

Now the 'honeymoon' period is over and I'm starting to think seriously about where I go from here. I think I would like to specialize, but in what, i don't yet know. Is it true in photography that you can be a 'jack of all images and master of none'?

I suppose its true to say that we all like other people to like our work, on the other hand 'beauty is in the eye of the beholder' so how can we measure success? I posted an image in the September competition this week, every time I look at it I can sense the emotion of the subject, it projects real meaning to me. I'm sure that from a technical point of view its crappy!

I could never see the beauty in paintings like Van Gogh's 'sun flowers,' but millions of people can?

It would be really interesting if you would share you story of how you started and where you are now.

[Mike Buckley]

You're off to such a great start, Bertram! I don't remember seeing any of your images, so I come to that conclusion based on your post indicating such strong self-awareness.

I started in 1983 on my honeymoon because my wife and I felt we might want a photographic record of it. I immediately fell in love with photography and soon felt the limitations of the point-and-shoot camera we had purchased. So, I bought a very basic SLR and a monthly series of books explaining photography presented by Kodak. I limited those days of film photography to casual travel photography shooting only color slide film.

With the convenience of digital photography, I began at about the turn of the century shooting in between vacations for the first time. Not long after, if I didn't make a photograph at least once every couple of weeks, I felt as if I was going into withdrawal.

A few years ago I created a makeshift studio with the characteristics of a black tent that prevents unwanted reflections so I could photograph glass. That was because I wanted to combine my wine and photography hobbies; photographing wine meant learning how to photograph glass because wine, of course, is almost always stored in glass.

My next major venture, which will be in addition to all of my other photography rather than to replace it, is to combine my cooking and photography hobbies. Though I have dabbled in that combination, I plan to soon begin a years-long project of photographing food in two styles: one will be to photograph it in a context we don't usually experience and the other will be to photograph it in a traditional style that documents my and my wife's favorite dishes.

[chauncey]

First camera ever was purchased in '96 but what got me hooked was Photoshop which coughed
out the shot below. Haven't looked back. Probable should redo it.

[bertam]

You're off to such a great start, Bertram! I don't remember seeing any of your images, so I come to that conclusion based on your post indicating such strong self-awareness.

I started in 1983 on my honeymoon because my wife and I felt we might want a photographic record of it. I immediately fell in love with photography and soon felt the limitations of the point-and-shoot camera we had purchased. So, I bought a very basic SLR and a monthly series of books explaining photography presented by Kodak. I limited those days of film photography to casual travel photography shooting only color slide film.

With the convenience of digital photography, I began at about the turn of the century shooting in between vacations for the first time. Not long after, if I didn't make a photograph at least once every couple of weeks, I felt as if I was going into withdrawal.

A few years ago I created a makeshift studio with the characteristics of a black tent that prevents unwanted reflections so I could photograph glass. That was because I wanted to combine my wine and photography hobbies; photographing wine meant learning how to photograph glass because wine, of course, is almost always stored in glass.

My next major venture, which will be in addition to all of my other photography rather than to replace it, is to combine my cooking and photography hobbies. Though I have dabbled in that combination, I plan to soon begin a years-long project of photographing food in two styles: one will be to photograph it in a context we don't usually experience and the other will be to photograph it in a traditional style that documents my and my wife's favorite dishes.

What an extraordinary journey, from the honeymoon pics to a broken glass. It's encouraging to hear how the hobby has stayed with you for such a long time. Thanks for the inspiration.