Photography

I am by no means a good photographer. But I have been doing photography in some way, shape or form since I was a teenager.

I recall adverts for the then revolutionary and well-priced Canon 40D around about the time that I could just-about afford a decent camera, in my early twenties. I cheap-skated myself and got a digital handheld Canon. Which in hindsight was a poor investment technology-wise, but actually was a nice way to dip my toe into the waters of photographing the world. The 50D was what I eventually bought, and I abused that camera for far too long.

Even more impressive was the fact that I got into photowalks, camera groups and turned it into a social occasion as much as an artistic one (though I tend to approach this as a hobby mired in tech, rather than artistry) was that I almost went an entire run with my 50D without buying much equipment for it.

Which is important, because almost a decade later, and one or two cameras hence, I got the Fuji X-T2. I was keen to get into the mirrorless world, and at that time I was traveling the actual world a lot with work. So capturing that was going to be something I wanted to do. And boy did I, spawning my flickr and unsplash accounts among others over the years (I recall German Instagram-competitor EyeEm being big for a while too). But importantly, it's where I learned photography. Learned to harness the software, and where I realised that I prefer really good prime lenses over finicky zoom or all-purpose ones.

I write this because today, as a forty year old auld fella, it's amazing to me how much joy I get from viewing the world through a viewfinder. Minding and tending to a camera and lenses. And how, after almost 20 years of photography, I'm still mostly rubbish at the artistry of it. And now, with 2 young kids, I've also somehow ditched the social aspect for the most part.

I think some part of my joy of photography is documenting what I see. But I also think it's a part-aspergers-ish thing. It's nicer to view the world through a camera where I'm trying to capture something. Because one trait of this-side-of-the-spectrum is that you approach every situation, however familiar, anew. A camera really forces that newness into scenarios. It's why I have so many different angles, photos and edits of cars, which ostensibly do not require that much duty of care.

Also in that same wheelhouse is why I have a prescription to distance glasses, which I don't always wear. Because I'm fine with a bit of a blurry distant view. I actually prefer not having to see things far away. Maybe that brain tweak is also why I like using prime lenses. My subject needs to be mathematically nearby in order for me to focus.

All that to say that I love photography. It's one of those few things I've kept as a passion my whole adult life, and as I get older and have a bit more disposable income, I tend to just get better equipment. Exemplified by my exciting new 16mm f/1.4 lens purchase.

All said though, I would absolutely murder a Leica M11. But cannot justify that cost.

Yet.