No digital, no SLR camera, not even an iMac!

Welcome!

Well, this is sufficiently awkward. Not because I am sitting here on the brink of a new year, typing away at my first blog post on this page — but because I have no idea whom it is I am talking to. I suppose it doesn’t necessarily matter, whether I know you or not. Truth be told, you don’t know me either. For all tends and purposes, my name is Andrew. If you want to know a bit more about me, head over to my ‘about’ page and read away.

Now we are more aquatinted, at least from my end. You see, I have done this many times before — written a blog that is. I have written about music, but that was different. I wrote about my thoughts when it comes to music — about new songs and albums, artists and bands, that sort of thing. It was aimed at anyone really, but specifically at music lovers, such as myself. This time around, I am writing and showing my own work, the photographs I take and the way I see the world. It is quite intimate, wouldn’t you agree? My mother always says that a wrist watch or a wedding ring, is a very person object, for the very good reason that you wear it everyday. You have to be comfortable with it, you have to look down at it day in and day out and enjoy doing so. This is a piece of personal property that I am laying on the line — putting it out there for the world to see, whomever you may be. You may not be a visual person, you may not understand you even like photography, or perhaps you do. Either way, you will be looking at my work with your own eyes, judging it in accordance to your likes and dislikes. That’s perfectly alright.

How do I see a photograph? I am of the understanding that I am not a photographer (again, please read my ‘about’ page where I explain this) I see the world through the eyes of someone who is a creative, an artist and a pair of green eyes that looks through the viewfinder and snap away on my Canon. I am not here to show off my skills to create magic with a camera, playing with light and shadows, colours and objects — alive and…well, not. Yet, a photograph is magic, it is a little slice of life that is forever captured in a moment that will last forever. It has always fascinated me. When I was sixteen I had photography as a subject in High School. We started out with the basics — no digital, no SLR camera, not even an iMac. We began buy constructing our very own pinhole camera — made out of cardboard, held together by masking tape and super glue — a square piece of tin from a soda can, with a hole made in the middle with a pin. By placing photographic paper inside the box, we learned about light and exposure. When opening the pinhole and letting in the light for however many second, it would determine how light or dark the image would be that we would later developed in the darkroom. The darkroom — this was truly a magical place that I fell in love with. Later we began taking pictures with film cameras, spooling the film and developing them. The red lights, the smell or chemicals, the anticipation of waiting for that image to become clear so that you could see the result of what you had captured. It was one of the most exciting things I have ever done. It was like opening a Christmas present — several times a week. I miss that. It was good to go through that though, experience it and appreciate it. The proses…I call it magic!

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but I would like to argue that the ones which have less are often far better. A picture can be special to me, it can mean the world and in my interpretation fill the pages of a beautiful tragic book. To the person sitting next to me it can simply be a bold expression of nothing at all. That’s the magic in it, not? How we can all see things so extremely differently. Photography is also art, you can capture it in so many different ways — expressing so many feelings and emotions. Aside from photography, another love I have — perhaps my first love — is writing. That is also what I hope to do here, to show you my photographs and to write about them, or simply about photography. I have no idea what this journey holds in for me, but I am pretty sure it will be interesting. I have so many ideas, but what excites me more is the ideas I haven’t yet got. Those ideas that pop into your brain in the spur of the moment as you are sitting in Cape Town traffic and inspiration just hits?

I will soon be starting to upload and write. This is a new adventure I am going on in 2015. I am not one for New Year’s resolutions — you’re setting yourself up for a loss already. This however is something I am looking forward to. I am rediscovering my love for photography and doing so on my terms, in my way — with no pressure and no monthly fees to be payed to a college. It is all in my hands. I have incredible photographer friends in my life who I look up to and admire. To me they are some of the best togs around! Please don’t get me wrong — my intensions in doing this is not to show off or to create the elusion that I am some outstanding photographer — I am not. I am simply learning, sharing and discovering. I am completely open to advice, help, criticism and judgement, if done in the right manner and intentions. Haters gonna hate, and that’s okay, we don’t have to support or like everyone. If you don’t, thanks for stopping by. I know there is an incredibly supportive creative content community out there who treat each other with respect and give upbuilding criticism — you are always welcome. Drop me a line and get in touch. I love meeting new people and working alongside creative people with a passion for what they do. Well, here we go. Ready, focus, capture!

Happy New Year!

Stay creative,

#firstpost #photography #2014 #2015 #camera #newjourney