When it comes to our photos these images are a livelihood. They keep the lights on and food in our bellies. People would say that gear is the most important aspect of photography. But I would say you can replace a camera or a lens. An image only happens once in a lifetime. That moment is everything, and protection should be a priority for us photographers. This is how I back up my images and recommend you should too or at least try and do at least two of my suggestions. But again, your life, your moments and do with them as you please.
Poem – Steel lands
God rays bounce off steel mirrors
Everyone walking in digital prayer
Suited monks on their daily pilgrimage…
How reading books made me a better photographer
Over the past year, I fell away from photography, I did it for a job daily. When it came to my personal work I completely stopped. I no longer cared about a camera on my person when I walked out the front door. I stopped reading books and stopped working out. I did my job and went home, and my personal drive for development and creativity dried up. It wasn’t until I started reading books again that something changed.
Time doesn’t exist
Our world is run on a clock, be it the time we get up too and go to work, to the dates of events like our birthday or celebration, to the sessions of our crops and weather conditions. I would say these events are just that events and only we put a measurement on them that is dictated by where we are rotating around the sun, and spinning on this rock. Nothing more than our attempt at controlling something that doesn’t exist in the first place. There is only entropy, that shows time passing. No causation no passing of time
The dangers of aspiring to be a perfect person
Be it a healthy person regarding fitness, eating habits. Being it a time-efficient hustler, and productive person. Or be it minimalist, aspiring to consume less and aspire to have only long-lasting high-quality items. To the spiritual or person of faith that preaches their belief without request. There is something about these people that isn’t quite right. Something about somebody that labels themselves as (insert aspiration here), that rubs me the wrong way and that is they are generally speaking assholes.
Romanticism
I’m attracted to the romanticism of academia and minimalism from the 1960s-70s. I can’t help it, but be drawn to these aesthetics. Film photography, writing in journals with an ink pen, reading physical books, drinking tea or simple talking walks and talking about philosophy. So why is it that we struggle to let go of the past or hold onto the past as if it was better than where we are now? To put it simple why do we romanticise the past?
The best point-and-shoot camera I’ve owned
I’ve been around for a while; all 36 years, and during that time I’ve accumulated and used a number of point-and-shoot cameras, from the film days to the adoption of digital. And I can honestly say after using, Yashica, Ricoh, Leica, Fuji, Kodak, Olympic, Canon & Contex my favourite point-and-shoot camera can be summed up into these categories; ease of use, quality, features and size. It would have to be the…
What’s in my camera bag
Like all of us, I carry around a few things every day in my bag. Be it going to work, for a walk or trip. I wanted to share what I can’t leave home without, why I choose these particular items, for everyday use and the essentials I need when leaving the house.
There is something about having a neckless or watch that you wear every day and that one day you forget it you feel naked. Like something is off; not quite right. And these few items I can’t leave without, I would rather be late leaving the front door than going outside without them. It’s not that I need them to live or for my job, but rather for comfort. Like a morning coffee or newspaper. Here they are in no particular order.
Walking to work
After dealing with a period of depression I decided to go back to my roots and the way things were. And one of the transitions was walking to work again in the morning. Now walking to work is a privilege I know this. At the same time, it is tremendously time-consuming. I lose about two hours of my day walking, where I could save that by driving to work or taking public transport. But the time vs cost against reward is so worth it and where is what I get out by adding 2 hours of me to my commute.
Does having all this photography gear make me a good photographer?
Does having the latest gear, or the best or a large amount of gear make you a better photographer? Everything you see in this photo I use daily for my commercial work. This gear is an asset that helps me make a living. But does it make a good photographer?