Early in my career I had to make a choice. Would I pursue photography professionally? Should I maintain and develop my marketing career? Would I continue as an enthusiastic amateur or go professional? At the time I was struggling to work out what I did when I wasn’t working. Photography was one of the few things I did to relax, that I enjoyed. So I decided that I would only pursue photography as a hobby and focus on marketing as a career. It would mean not ‘having to get the shot’ and being able to enjoy image capture whether they be good, bad or indifferent.
Along the way I took courses on black and white photography. I printed my own pictures. I took courses on digital photography to understand its complexity and all the time taking hundreds of shots to practice and improve.
Getting Started
I started with a Minolta XGM, progressed through Tamron lenses to Nikon bodies and lenses and I still have them to this day. With the quality of phones and their lenses always improving much of my recent photography uses an iPhone but you still can’t beat a digital SLR.
Present Day
Whilst I have not pursued photography professionally I am able to use photography almost every day and there is always something new to learn or adopt. I have recently reviewed a book – “Great British Racing Drivers” by Indira Flack which only served to show how much I have still to learn.
It is a celebration of British drivers and great photography. I like to think I know my way around a camera but I am reminded here of how much more there is still to learn and adopt. To capture each driver so individually is a rare gift. I was lucky enough to talk to Richard Attwood at Goodwood last year and his modesty was refreshing. Remember this is the man who strapped himself into a Porsche 917.
I feel this book could have been subtitled – ‘Carpe Diem’ for it is surely a call to action as well as a celebration. My favourites were Derek Bell and the late Alain de Cadenet. You will have your own.
But, the great advantage is I can take my time. I don’t have to get THE shot. My career does not depend on it.