MY PHOTOGRAPHY JOURNEY

2011 - THE KONICA MINOLTA DYNAX 5D ERA. When I first joined this site I was just starting my amateur photography journey, and I was in awe of how amazing other people's photos looked. They looked so professional and glossy, while mine looked dull. I assumed it was because they knew how to use Photoshop better, so I set out to learn how to use it too. My Photoshop skills improved but my photography didn't. I chased likes and faves and lost track of what I wanted from photography. Then life events took me away from photography for several years and I abandoned this site.

2022 - THE CANON G7X ll ERA. Phase 2. I stopped trying to layer gloss on my photos, attempting to polish uninspiring pictures. I deleted a lot of my old stock. Instead of Photoshop I decided to only lightly edit in Lightroom (which I had a rudimentary grasp of, but not much more). I also bought a Canon G7X II point-and-click camera, which was small enough to carry about more often, even when I was only going to the shops (though I still had my old Minolta 5D, which I still loved). And I tried to focus more on The Shot, rather than dressing a picture up digitally to overcome my shortcomings as a photographer. I also tried to enjoy my photography more and not think about the likes.

2023 - THE SONY SLT-A77V ERA. Phase 3. I've learned enough now to know that I don't really know what I'm doing. That's sobering. I think I know what I like, but often I still wander about with my camera and struggle to know what to photograph - what will look good. So I'm experimenting a lot. I watched a photography video recently about the importance of understanding your style and focusing on your niche. I wander around and I don't know what that means. I don't know if I have a style or preference and I don't know what development I should chase. I can't put into words what I like to photograph. And I don't know if that's a problem. But I like wandering around with a camera and taking a stab at a pleasing photo. Maybe I'll figure it out later. Maybe I won't. I'm still an amateur. I've purchased a second-hand Sony A77 to replace my Minolta. I've yet to take it out. Still figuring out the settings. But I still enjoy photography. The journey continues.