As a kid I loved taking photos when on holiday with a Kodak film camera. When at college I got a Zenith E 35mm camera and started using the college darkroom to develop black and white. At that time the meadows area was being redeveloped and I tried to record some of the old buildings and the people around them before they disappeared. I also did a series of black and white shots of the RC Cathedral (fondly known as ‘Paddy’s Wigwam’) in my home town of Liverpool. I lost all of these prints and negs later on when we were flooded.
Like so many people, I left photography when I got married but took it up again in the 1980′s when we had kids and I bought a new 35mm camera. When digital cameras came along I got a Canon compact and soon after a Canon 350D SLR. I found I was far more successful with digital cameras and I enjoy messing around with Photoshop. I joined the Outlaws Photography Society a few years ago and this helped my photography to take off. I have upgraded to a Canon 7D and a bag full of lenses and other stuff, the main purpose of which seems to be to make the camera bag even heavier (back to those creaking knees again!).
I mostly do landscape work and have been encouraged by a few successes in club competitions. I have recently been attempting some arty processing such as my “Victorian Prospect”. I also enjoy challenging my photography by entering competitions with themes that I would not otherwise tackle. Without the challenge of club competition I would not have spent time filling party balloons with water, freezing them and creating pictures of “Ice Planets”. Portraits are always a challenge but I have learnt something from watching others in the club. The moral of this tale is come and join us, enjoy the company and let your photography grow!
John’s gallery:
