Having been given a digital SLR for Christmas last year, I decided that I would like to take up a project that would allow me to hone my creative skills through photography. Even though I've started out as a novice I hope that this blog will force me to improve my photography skills and add to my creative portfolio. I'm not new to photography as I've taken many a picture, although these were more of an occasional happen stance; taking the obligatory photo at family occasions, on a sunny day out or at capturing friends new and old. Where there is nothing wrong with taking these snap shot of time, and they are indeed important to my personal life and family, they are not intended to be used for the purpose of being "creative".
For much of my childhood, school years, student day's and most of my working life, I have lent toward art and design. I have always enjoyed creating things, weather is was making lego models when I was younger, sculpting and painting at college and then designing and manufacturing products in University. Professionally, I work as a CAD designer and visualiser and have spent many years of using different CAD packages; working within the kitchen design industry and children's indoor play industry.
Way back, I did learn quite a bit about the basics of photography. I was at the age of 18 and studying at Halton college in Widnes, where there was a section of my Art and Design foundation course which covered this field. We used cameras loaded with 35mm black and white film and learned all about light metering, correct exposure and depth of field as well as composition. I developed film in the colleges dark room; I can still remember the pungent smell of the chemicals that I used to develop and fix the photo's and watching the images come to life on paper, realising that 90 percent of the shot taken were rubbish. The good shots however spurred me on to take more.
The technology used in the photographic world has changed dramatically since I was at college, with film being replaced by digital processors, cameras now give instant images and electronic storage now replaces the roll of film. People now take thousands of pictures, with instant feedback no longer waiting to get the packet back from the developers before knowing if the photo's are any good. I remember all to well the annoying stickers on the photo that you got back from Boots, or which ever photo processors you went to, with comments stating the obvious of how blurry and unexposed your shot was. Despite the changes to the kit, the basics still remain the same and getting a good shot still requires the same techniques I learned all those years ago.
With the advances in technology; camera kit, computers and the internet, I am able to put together this project and share it with a wide audience. I am able to add another discipline to my portfolio, and share it with all who care to view it.
I hope you like.
No comments:
Post a Comment