Where to begin

Like most people over the age of thirty my first experience with photography was with a 35mm film camera. This camera was nothing special, it didn't even have an automatic frame advance, but it took photos. It served as the main repository of family memories whilst I was growing up. The only real problems where you only got twenty four shots per film, you could never be sure if you had achieved the desired shot until you processed the film, and film processing was never cheap. Additionally, there were no real user controls, it was the epitome of point and shoot photography. Though this in itself was the beginningig of my education, as it taught me to frame the shot properly, and how, as I was later to learn this is an actual technique, zoom with your feet.

The next step along this path arrived in December 2003, I was working at IKEA at the time and as they do every year they gave all the staff a Christmas gift, and this year it was a digital camera. I had finally gone digital. Mind this was still no great camera, but at least I could view the images before I walked away, and delete, and retake any that didn't work, and it would save me a fortune on printing.

In 2007 I bought the Fugifilm FinePix S5600, and finally I had greater control over my photos. As a bridge camera this had a great zoom lens which meant there was no loss of quality through using digital zoom. Though at the time I had no idea how to use all of the features that were packed into this camera, and it was still primarily used for family snapshots. That all changed with this shot, and whilst I look back at it and realise that the settings used were far from what I would choose now, plus I would use a tripod instead of going hand held, This one image still inspired me to see how far this could be pushed.

This was where I really started to learn, and my first port of call was the internet, and more precisely YouTube where I watched hours of material by Tony & Chelsea Northrup[2], Thomas Heaton[3], Mat Granger[4], and many others. All of this helped to teach me what all of the buttons and settings are for and to help develop the inner photographer in me. Which has all helped me to go from this grainy and noisy image to the one displayed on the home page, which I'm sure you will agree is a much finer shot.

pegs frozen to a line
ISO400 - f/4.5 - 1/200sec.

Thankfully my skills and gear have improved from then but more about that on the next few pages.

References

  • [2] “(105) Tony & Chelsea Northrup - YouTube.” [Online] Available: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDkJEEIifDzR_2K2p9tnwYQ [Accessed Apr. 10, 2021].
  • [3] “(105) Thomas Heaton - YouTube.” [Online] Available: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfhW84xfA6gEc4hDK90rR1Q [Accessed Apr. 10, 2021].
  • [4] “(105) Matt Granger - YouTube.” [Online] Available: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCL5Hf6_JIzb3HpiJQGqs8cQ [Accessed Apr. 10, 2021].