I remember my first camera, a grey and black plastic thing that had only three settings for the light available. With a crick crack handle to move the film forward. I can’t remember any photos I took with it. But at some stage, I think a birthday, I suddenly owned a real Canon 35mm camera. And I certainly remember all the captures from that one. Already playing with light and looking through what was obvious.
Then I lost it for years, to pick it up again during a trip to Costa Rica. With hindsight I should have spent some more money on that first new camera. But I was switched on.
And I slowly moved from entry level to more or less professional, at least camera wise. And I worked my editing skills to perfection. Reading stacks of books and articles. Even had two photos selected into a Leica year book. Bodies, lenses, tripods, Photoshop CS, Lightroom, an 8 colour printer and the best paper I could buy to be able to mount some of the nicest photos on the wall.
Then I got bored with it. 80% of the people around me couldn’t give a damn about it and the rest turned out to be pixel peepers. What should be creation became process monkeying to some kind of perfect standard. So I quit.
Im not sure when it started again, but I know my iPhone became my camera of choice. No more expensive SLR’s, no more fiddling. Just catching that moment or that special light, minimally working the photo became my trade. With one signatory addition: the white frame, based on the old Polaroid. Slightly more at the bottom. With a scribble to add some flavour.
And sometimes colour is enough, without anything to really capture your eye.
Simplicity.
the light fantastic 